Traffic is crazy here. The roads are always packed so it takes a long time to get anywhere. So a lot of thai people, especially teenagers, ride motorbikes. They are in the picture to the left. They are kind of like motorcycles except smaller so they can be steered easier, and they are easy to ride. So they create their own lane in the middle, and weave through traffic. On a motor bike you can get somewhere twice as fast. There are motorbike taxis, but I am scared to go on one. Most women sit sidesaddle, and it looks horrifying. Some women ride regular though, and if i get enough guts to ride one it will definately not be side saddle.
Anyway, I was worried about connecting with the girls at Center 1, but it has gotten so much better. Well first I have found this drink called M150… haha… this the thai version of redbull. A lot of days I was dragging from jetlag + not filling my horrible caffeine addiction. Now I am back to the peppy happy me, thank you M-150! And second I have just spent more time there so the girls are not shy anymore. We actually have a lot of fun together. The power of laughter. Somtimes, actually a lot of the time, we try to talk to each other and does not really work. Just laugh! Then they laugh, and that makes you laugh more, etc… The girls are so great and I cannot get enough of them. Tomorrow we travel two hours to Pattaya to go to the red light district there. It should be interesting, so pray for our travels, and that we learn a lot.
I am learning a lot, everything is so different here. It is an adventure though and I really have to remember that just because I do something one way it does not make it THE way to do things. This sounds simple, but i catch myself saying “Well in America we….”
Yesterday was interesting… most toilets are just like american toilets, except they have a little sprayer next to it that they wash themselves with each time they use the bathroom. But older buildings, like at Center 1, have toilets that are really low to the ground, and you have to squat. It also does not flush… you fill a bucket with water and pour it in the toilet after and that pushes the dirty material down. This is really the only thing I could see Americans having a problem with, everything else has been really easy to get used to. I was kind of embarassed because I went to the bathroom there the first time and had to come out and ask someone to show me how to flush :)
I could go on forever with little interesting things like motorbikes, drinks in bags, and manual toilets… but I will stop now. :) Save some stories for home.
Miss you all, Elaina
