Mom and I got swept up in a summer monsoon. I wish I had my camera. We're on a wooden-floored aluminum tin bus decorated with an enormous jasmine wreath. We're sitting in the back with a plume of plastic bags, looking out at the open bus door as we drive because flood is sloshing in from the streets. It's like we're on a boat- the bus splits through all the water around us. Our wet clothes cooled us down in the heat, but the wind from the open doors made us cold. Came home to a fresh saba dinner. Brother is still home ridden and he and my uncled grilled in the rain!

its 6:45 am. I keep falling asleep at 7 pm, and waking up at 2:30 am. It's hard not to feel exhausted when it takes you 4 hours to get home because of BKK traffic. We take the sky train and exit to take a taxi. But they have a line for people who need to take taxis that are approximately a block long. So we decide to walk and take a bus to an area that is less populated for a taxi, but the taxis are just swept up by the block-long line. So we wait and wait and take another bus to a less populated area and then wait. My mom and I are possibly the only ones frustrated. Everyone else is okay with it because that's just how life is here. People are so okay with it that they don't even bring books.

The Morning Walk to the street market for breakfast is my favorite part of the day. They're up and running by 6, and I love my fresh brewed tea for 6 Baht (B), and fresh hot soy milk with jellies for 10 B. Rice porridge with minced pork, ginger, scallions, a dash of oyster sauce, and a fresh brown chicken egg; Chinese spaghetti curry; unheard of (to me and westerners) delicious swamp greens; sausages and bamboo shoots... quite endless.

Brother had a strange callus on his foot removed for 30 dollars. The doctor even put it in a little jar for us to keep. It looks like a albino roach. He's house ridden, but I told him he's not missing out on 4 hour rides home, and really insane shopping malls, and having to look for mom after every corner we turn (she doesn't navigate around anyone else- this is good and bad).

Yesterday was also harvesting lime leaves with mom. I stepped in labrador poop along the way, but it was worth it. The smell of those plants are amazing. My aunt says that you can use these Thai native limes as shampoo or soap. It leaves your hair silky smooth apparently. I found out we missed Mango season, but at least I'll be here for it next year. It continues to rain big droplets and chunks everyday. We're getting ready to celebrate mother's day in Chiang Mai. I have an interview and a language test to take when I return to BKK. Life is moving the way it does.

New World

We're here! It's a time capsule. Outside of Bangkok (BKK) life seems the same as i remember it when I was a kid. It's such a different way of living here- a third or fourth tier economy that most Americans do not experience. We easily take for granted the economy and lifestyle we are blessed with. Although, when we go BKK tomorrow, I'll have a better sense of modern life. From the ladies I saw at the airport, there are fashionably forward individuals also known as "hi-so"/high society folks as Thais call it. It's funny, because these folks dress like normal young NYC/LA women with a little asian flare. Maybe hi-so is when you look fashionably western? I'll try taking a few pics of them. Maybe I'll make a blog all about high society.

I'm eating insanely well as I expected. We ate an Isaan dinner last night, so everything from papaya salad, duck salad, fried pork, grilled cow tongue, pork rolls, lemon grass pork soup, sticky rice, and good ol' singha. I should not feel that surprised to see an actual elephant while having dinner, but I was sooo excited. A baby elephant!! For lunch we went down the street to a little noodle hut and had thom yum skinny noodles. Because the heat and humidity keeps your hunger down, the smaller proportions are just right.

Mom, Brother and I spent the day at the alligator farm down the street. I have already shot one roll of film, and I'm onto the next! I'm so excited to be making photographs here. There are so many lyrical gifts in the landscape, and it feels terribly good to see them with open eyes. They're not wide surprised eyes, luckily, or else I'd be shutter happy (or is it snap happy?), but I feel patient in my observations.

Nit and Nan (chocolate and yellow labradors) are making strange sounds this evening. It's almost two in the morning. Time to go back to bed. I want to be able to wake up to get freshly made soy milk.