Hello Everyone,
This is my first attempt at blogging, I'm sorry it took me three weeks to start but I can't promise I'll be any more consistent throughout the semester. I'm not sure what shape this blog will take as it's really only the second or third blog I've ever even seen. I don't expect it to get into any deep introspection or hilarious accounts of my antics, but it may run away with me.
I'm in Thailand living in a very small, very Thai community about 45 minutes north of downtown Bangkok. That has its ups and downs as it takes a long time to get in the city and no one speaks any English, but I am getting a very Thai experience. I'm totally sick of the food here and especially where I am it's very difficult to get anything vegetarian. Not a salad for miles.
The flight here was approximately 3 weeks long, stopping in Taiwan before finally arriving in Thailand. It took me a long time to finally get a place to live (there is not a single adult on this whole program to help deal with anything) but now that I'm here I like my apartment. All it is is a bedroom with a fridge and a bathroom, but I don't really need much else and it's only a ten minute walk to campus.
My first weekend here me and some folks on my program went to the Island of Koh Pahngan for the full moon party which is one of the most notoriously fun parties in the world. We took an 8 hour bus ride followed by a 3 hour wait to take a 4 hour ferry ride but it was worth it once we got there. It was like a tropical paradise from the movies. Unfortunately, the first day we were there I got in a moped accident (I was the passenger) and got kind of scraped up and couldn't go in the water for the rest of the trip. Some British guy said they call the scars Koh Pahngan tattoos because everyone who goes there gets in a scooter accident. My first tattoos. I still got to go to the party which was just a bunch of drunk Eurotrash dancing on the beach. It was still pretty interesting and cool; apparently there were 30,000 people there. I don't really buy it but I'm obviously terrible at estimating anything to do with numbers so who knows.
Since then I've been to some amazing Buddhist temples, some old palaces, ancient ruins etc. I'm going to try to set up a flickr account because the main reason for this blog in the first place is to avoid making a facebook account. I only have classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (pfffff) so hopefully I'll be able to do a lot of traveling and have some cool pictures to show for it.
This weekend some people are going to Laos to run a marathon of sorts while others are going to a Reggae festival in Pai. I haven't decided where I'm going yet but it's sure to be fun. Oh and also- last night I had Mexican food. Woo. I love and miss you all very much and please E-mail me if you'd like some personal attention. (esti@umd.edu)
Sawadee Kah,
Esti
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