Yup

I didn't make this and I got this off another exchange student's blog (http://fromthailand-withlove.tumblr.com) but its just too perfect!

Youth Exchange:

brilliantplanet:

Sometimes it’s like:
 
Other times it’s like:

Trying to understand people when you first arrive:

When people don’t understand you:

And most likely you did.

All of the new food:

When you’re about 2 months in:

9 months in:

Tired all the time:

Sometimes you just need so be alone, but you never really are:

You do stuff that you wouldn’t normally do, because why not?
You make tons of new friends:

But when the year is over, you have to leave your new life behind:

But when you see your family again,

When you’ve been back home for a while:

But you still miss the life that you had in your foreign country:

11/14

This blog comes to you in  NINE PARTS!
Part 1: Chore
Well, I have blogged in a while...why?
I want all my blogs to be something I am proud of and a good piece of writing. However, this has forced me to not blog as often because if I blog everyday then I won't have anything new to say etc. etc. This has also forced me into the mentality that every blog has to be perfect and it's starting to become a chore.....which isn't good.
SO
I'm not caring anymore. Some blogs will be good. Some not so much, but I just need to get my thoughts out into the world and the world can decide if they are any good or not.
Part 2: School
I am finally back at school again and it is............it's ok. I just got my schedule today and I've been in school for three weeks now. Also because it's "Sport's Day" on Friday, I won't actually be attending my classes until Monday. So I've been basically doodling, reading and staring at a wall for three weeks...
For my new schedule, some classes are the same like Sword Fighting, Thai, Fruit Carving, Art, yada yada... but this semester I am taking more Thai classes (I'm now learning how to write and write Thai!). I am also learning five languages here. I'm taking German, French, Chinese, Japanese and obviously Thai. So I started my exchange knowing two languages, English and a little Spanish and will hopefully return know seven.
Part 3: Friends
My school friend, J, got her GED so she is now taking university courses and thus not attending my school anymore. I was the closest to her out of my school friends and so now I don't have many friends at school. I have another friend, Tannie but she is in a different class so I rarely see her. Luckily though all the girls (remember I go to an all girls school) in my class are super kind and try to involve me in everything.
I have become really close friends with almost all of us exchange students in district 3350!! You know how when you first meet someone, it takes a while for you to become close friends with them? Well, not with exchange students! Here are some reasons why:
1. You came to this country alone.
Literally. Alone. You don't know anyone besides your host parents, you don't know the language here, you have no friends or relatives. It is a very clean and barren slate. You want to make friends and therefore any other person that speak English is automatically your best friend.
2. Exchange Students love hugs.
I wasn't a "huggy" type person before I came on exchange but I really do love hugs. I realized this a week into my exchange here. Hugs are just a gesture that shows love and compassion and that's what you live for as an exchange student.
3. One year.
You have to spend a year with these people, so you might as well get along.
4. Exchange Students are made of awesome.
Exchange students have gumption and gut. They will do just about anything and are some of the nicest people I know.
To conclude, I have about 28 new best friends and I have only known them for three months and yet I'm willing to fly across the world to visit them after exchange.
Part 4: Starbucks
The past two times I have visited Starbucks here they have gotten my order wrong. It's not a problem and I'm not complaining....Hear me out now....but I have a problem with it. Starbucks has switched it's decore and background music to be Christmas themed. And. I. Can't. Take. It. Not only is it the beginning of November but it hurts to see the wreathes or here Little Drummer Boy because it makes me think of home. And so when I order my regular of a coffee frappuccino no whip, the same thing I've always ordered since my first Starbucks, and Thai lady who is wearing a santa hat behind the counter thinks I ordered the caramel one because she can't understand my accent and because White Christmas is playing too loud, I just get annoyed. And I get annoyed because I'm not in Washington and it's not cold outside and Thai people don't celebrate Christmas. And mainly I'm annoyed because I don't want to scare the innocent Thai lady behind the counter by bursting into tears in the middle of Starbucks.
Part 5: Visa
I went to the immigration office in Bangkok to renew my visa and while I was waiting in a DMV similar office, I chatted with another visa renewal hopeful sitting next to me. And it turns out, he is from Mexico, he has been here five months and he is in Thailand getting his PhD in Thai culture specifically studying the UNDERGROUND ROCK SCENE IN BANGKOK. Isn't that the coolest PhD you've ever heard?
Part 6: Winter
Isn't winter here and yet the lowest low I have seen in the forecast for this week is 79F. And it's winter!
Part 7: Vlogs
I am now uploading more videos of my adventures to my you tube channel! Make sure to subscribe!
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcDs9I1OugwZpEnMcVWiPg?feature=guide
Part 8: Book
Around 110 on The Hobbit and its a little low but good, still around page 60 on the casual vacancy....that one is slower than I expected
Part 9: Thai
champu............................pink

.

Paprika

One day I was siting downstairs in the living room reading when my host mom came into the room from upstairs awkwardly holding a stray cat.
'Well, this is new,' I thought.

My host mom explained to me in English why she was holding the cat.
The cat was the neighbors and it had somehow managed to sneak its way into our garden, into our house and then all the way up into my host parents room without us noticing.
This is not the last time the cat has done this.
The cat is white with some sandy splotches on its' back and has a kink in its' tail.
Which reminded me a lot of my cat, Gidget. She has a kink in her tail and orange spots all over.

I didn't have a pet until I was five. And ever since then there has always been a furry friend in my house. A cat to pet and snuggle with or a dog to greet you when you come home. In Thailand, I don't have anything like that. The nice thing about animals is they understand every language and love you unconditionally.

Luckily, the cat had been over to visit about every other day and I have decided to name him Paprika. Even though my host mom told me his name is Tuay or cup in Thai.

Paprika is sort of how exchange works. At first its different, a little scary but sometimes reminds you of home. And then after some time, it becomes normal and sometimes boring. And then eventually you don't want to leave it.
And right now, I don't want to leave Paprika. And I don't want to leave Thailand. Not yet anyway.

Tomorrow I will go to the Immigration office to renew my visa! Wish me luck!

Book: Finished The Hundred-Year-Old Man who Climbed out the Window and Disapeared  and it was so amazing! It is about a man who has traveled all over the world and has a brilliant sense of humor. I hope everyone will read it and hopefully get the bug for travelling! Page 20 of The Hobbit. So far it's a little slow but I know it will go faster the further I get into the book.
Thai: Tuay.......................Cup

Vlogging

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrQQbIFjrGM&feature=plcp

Hard

Recently I have been traveling. These past 2 and half weeks to be exact.
More to come on that later.

The other day I was watching a youtube video of John Green (one of my favorite authors) describing the hardest thing he has ever done.
His answer wasn't being a parent. Because he said parenting was "fun".
He didn't say it was surviving the bullies of high school or even finishing college.
It was writing his first book, Looking For Alaska.
The reason being that it took him so long to finish it and that writing a novel is just generally tough.

The funny thing about this video was that while I was watching it, I couldn't help but start to think about the hardest thing that I've ever done.
And I truly and honestly couldn't think of anything.
Was it taking all of those required state tests or playing (well attempting to play) sports?
Was it saying goodbye to those friends who moved away?
What is the hardest thing I have ever done?

Being an exchange student in Thailand didn't even cross my mind.

I didn't even think about that until latter.
I have no idea what this means.
But this is what I'm taking from it.

Going on exchange isn't a vacation. It isn't torture either. It isn't a thing you do. It isn't a break from life. It is life. It's reality. I wake up everyday and think 'I'm in Thailand'. And that's completely normal.
Being an exchange student is hard.But nothing worth doing is easy.

Book: THYOMWCOOTWACA page 210, I'm really enjoying this book and would suggest that everyone read it!! So far, I am amazed at how many famous 20th century political leaders can be fit into this book. Although it's not forced. It's quite charming. I don't know how to describe it!! Just read it!
Thai: son (say it longer though).........................fork

Ramble 1

Well today I woke up at 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9 and 10.
I then spent about an hour laying in my bed watching youtube videos and checking my email.
Then I got hungry.
So I emerged from the comforts of my room for the sole purpose to take a shower and eat.
So I took a warm shower, even if it was around 88 degrees, I still enjoy warm showers.
Fixed myself breakfast. Sticky rice, pork and an apple.
My host parents went out for the day to buy a water heater for their condo.
They didn't invite me to join them but I don't think I would have liked sitting for hours listening in Thai about water heaters. That's just my personal opinion.
So I spent the day sifting through my photos I have taken so far to post on facebook.
Usually it takes about five minutes to post photos right? Not in Thailand. And also I'm a little slow because I'm not used to using Windows.
After uploaded all my pictures, around 4pm, I decided that I should get off my butt and do something.
So I decided to go on a walk to the closest 711, which is about a 10 minutes walk and only involves climbing one flight of stairs. The reason I chose to walk there is because I needed to refill my phone with minutes.
The process of refilling my phone is pretty simple.
1. Walk up to the counter, preferably with money in hand.
2. Say "dtac" (the name of the phone company).
3. Hand the cashier the money.
4. Punch my phone number into the keypad thingy.
5. Get a receipt and a text confirmation.

It's that simple. In and out.
It was not simple today.

So I walked up to the counter with 20 baht in hand and said "dtac". The lady at the counter was like "60 baht". I have run into this problem before, the employees think I want to buy a sim card, not refill one. So I said "online", implying that I have a sim card online already. And she said
"60 baht".
And I said
"20 baht".
Then she went and tried to talk to the other cashiers at the 711, to see if they could talk to me in English. The funny thing is that every single place in Thailand is over-employed. For instance this 711 had 5 people working there when I walked in. And it's not like it's a big 711, it's about the same size as the average 711.
Another lady then said
"60 baht".
I. Was. Annoyed.
But, instead of acting all "I JUST WANT TO REFILL IT WITH 20 BAHT BECAUSE THAT IS ALL I NEED AND I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE AND BY THE WAY I DO KNOW MY NUMBERS IN THAI!"
I just politely said "Ok, tomorrow" and left the 711, with of course a polite smile.
I checked my Thai bank account at the ATM outside the 711 and almost did a happy dance. I had just received my allowance from Rotary. Finally, yay!
Although, I didn't want to just head back home defeated and so I decided to walk until I found another convinient store. This was only about 5 minutes and one flight of stairs away.
This convinient store was called "Family Mart". Which I didn't really get because they still had alcohol and cigarettes displayed for sale behind the check out. I find the name "Family Mart" just as pointless as the "Family Friendly" check- out line at the grocery store. Instead of having gum and candy on the side of the isle they have tabloids. That makes sense? "Lets take the candy away from the isle so kids won't want it and instead but tabloids that teaches them to care about the weight of celebrities and to tell lies about people." Who comes up with this stuff?
So I took a look around The anti-family mart and luckily found some things that I needed. I found safety pins for 17 baht which I needed for my rotary blazer, air-mail envelopes (which say "Par Avion" on them, even though we are in Thailand...), chocolate milk and a chocolate ice cream bar.
Altogether it costed me 75 baht, around $2.50.
Yeah, so I don't want to spend money on phone minutes but apparently I'm fine with spending it on chocolate and office supplies.
Then I started walking home, eating my ice cream as I went.
My ice cream tasted like cheap chocolate and hypocrisy but I ate it anyway.
On my way home I people kept on staring at me. For a second I couldn't figure out why, but then I realized that I'm the only white person for like miles. Even so though, I wonder what they think about me.
Do they think I moved here? Do they think I'm lost? So they think I'm a tourist?
Exchange student is sort of at the bottom of the list of possibilities.
And especially when I'm in Bangkok and what do the tourists think of me.
Do they think I'm just waiting for my parents? Do they think I've grown up here?

Or maybe they were just staring at me failing to eat my ice cream, as it appeared to me when I got home that I had quite a bit of chocolate ice cream left on my face.

I finished my day by packing for my trip with 27 other exchange students tomorrow to Nakhonsawan Province for a week. And discovering some new wizard rock and time lord rock music.And one of the lyrics keeps on getting stuck in my head.

"I'm not running from things, I'm running towards things, before they fade away."

Which reminds me of what I am doing in Thailand. Figuratively and literally. Because apparently Bangkok will be underwater in 50 years.
So next time I take a walk, I might want to walk a little faster and for a little bit longer.

Book: Page 46 of TCV, and page 60 something in THYOMWCOTWARA or the book about the old guy I'm reading.
Thai: yee-sip....................twenty

Swimmer

I often find myself saying, " I was a competitive swimmer."
Was
The was kills me a each time I say it.

Ever since I can remember I have been a swimmer.
I remember sitting on the edge of many cold pools during my younger years for my weekly swim lessons. Although my mom pulled me out of those swim lessons because I spent most of my time sitting on the edge of the pool instead of, well, actually swimming. She decided she could teach me better herself and thus began my swimming life.
Shortly after I was pulled out of my swim lessons, I began swimming in the lap lane with my mom. But only  until I was old enough to join a swim team, which was at the age of 7.
When I finally joined a swim team, Tacoma Swim Club, I spent my weekdays from 5 to 6:30 swimming laps, and my weekends at swim meets.

A lot of my childhood was spent swimming or at swim meets.
And a lot of the habits I have today were developed by spending so much time at pools.
For instance, I love of cup- o- noodles, poppy seed muffins and doughnuts because of swim meets.
I grew up with a constantly having EHLS embedded on my arm in Sharpie.
My love for the Olympics is because of swimming.
The reason why I roll papers into cones sometimes is because I'm so used to rolling heat sheets so that they would fit in the pocket of my swim parka or in the cup holder of a folding camping chair.

But the thing is, I really didn't enjoy attending swim practice.
So I quit swimming.
Sometime around middle school I think.
I don't regret it. But I'm not proud of it.

But I never stayed away from the pool.
I even teach swimming lessons now, and have for three years.
And luckily I have a pool available to me here in Thailand.
See my host dad bought one condo unit at the condo near my house here. This condo has an outdoor infinity pool around 25 meters long.
And I can use it whenever I want.

It's really nice being back in the pool. And sometimes, while swimming, I think to myself, "Why do I like swimming so much?"
The truth is I have absolutely no idea.
But swimming does have it's advantages.
And my mom often pointed out one advantage to my sister and I when we were little.
"Swimmers can eat whatever they want."

Book: Well I started and finished Looking For Alaska by John Green which was amazing. On page 26 of TCV and page 66 of The Hundred-Year-Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. This book was originally published in Swedish but now is an International Best Seller and it's really quirky and funny. It's kind of neat knowing that I know contribute to books being International Best Sellers, I mean not that I wan't before, but I'm now doing it in a different way.
Thai: swim......................................waai-narm