Just a Little Laugh...

Good grief! I can't believe I am posting again today, but this story just couldn't wait! So, after I came home from school today and blogged, Yui and I went down to the river right across from our house, to view the dam and the bridge. We then came home and were going through some of the things in my suitcase, when we decided how fun it would be to make muffins! You see, I brought two muffin pans, a muffin recipe book, muffin paper things (I honestly don't know what they are called, good heavens, my English out the door already!!), and a box of cake mix. Now normally, we make them from scratch, but the boxed cake mix was the best way to bring it in my suitcase. Anywho, so we got out the eggs, water, and vegetable oil and good grief, we were ready to go. So there Yui and I were mixing the cake batter and then look to see what temperature to preheat the oven. On the box it said 350 degrees but the oven we had only preheats to 250! So, I was like well, we will try the 250 and it will just take longer for them to bake! So in goes the first batch, and within five minutes they were all done, please tell me how this happens!!! The shape of them was so funny though because they had a cone coming out of the top. We took them out of the oven and set them to cool, yet, somehow they were different and we didn't know why. Once they were done cooling, in goes the second batch and the same thing happened again! So we took them out of the oven and set them to cool. We only made half of the cake batter, so we put the rest in the fridge. Yui, my host mother, my host father, Tookta, and I all sampled them, and let us be honest, not the best thing in the world, but not too bad either. Later on at dinner, we had some of the muffins sitting on the table and we started looking at how weird they turned out. I started explaining the temperature difference and it did not make sense because the muffins were burnt! So, Tookta being the smart one says, "Well on the box, is it in degrees Fahrenheit, because our oven is degrees Celsius." Oh my lanta, we ended up cooking our muffins at 482 degrees Fahrenheit, about 132 degrees over what they were supposed to be cooked at. I literally laughed out loud when we figured out what the problem was, I mean, I would never stop to think, jeez, I think they use a different system of measurement here! I knew they did, but I never stopped to think about it. This was just a story I had to share with you all tonight! Have a great day and talk with you all soon! Xoxo Always, <3 Sarah

 Here is me infront of the dam!!

The bridge very close to my house!

Again me with the bridge!

The river right across from my house!

Before the cooking began...

About to put the muffins in the oven...

The muffins straight out of the oven...

My host sister, Yui, my mother and I with our delicious snack!!

Our finished product...look yummy?!?!?

I hope you all enjoyed reading this and it made your day a little brighter!!



Tidbits of the Thai Culture

Well, it is just me again!! Third day of school is complete and I am absolutely loving everything about Thailand, absolutely everything!!! I did not end up receiving my schedule today, so after arriving at school, Emily (another exchange student), Yui (one of my host sisters), and I went to a class, one that I never knew existed! In this class, we learn to fold banana leaves into art! How amazingly crazy is that!? It was so much fun and such a different type of class, one for sure that doesn't exist in the States! It was so so great, and apparently the art we make out of the leaves is used in weddings, so they are very important! That was exactly the type of culture class I was looking for. After that we ate lunch, and then worked on some Thai. I then went to Physics class and to History class, both were so great. In Physics class, I worked on my Thai alphabet, over and over again! In History, I had no idea what was going on as always, but it was a lot of fun, and then I learned a few new Thai games! I am making great friends, and everyone is always, laughing and smiling. It is so cute when they try and use English with me, because they always giggle! Even a simple wave their way makes them giggle. It is quite fun and a very interesting part of the culture. I am absolutely LOVING the food, crazy right?! I get sad thinking about the fact that we don't have Thai food back in the states, but Emily and I are determined to open up our own little Thai shop with Thai food, Thai candles (we are supposed to be taking a candle making class in our schedule!), and Banana leaf art! Just kidding, but both of us are just loving it here. The culture itself is very, very interesting, very respectful culture. We wai, the Thai greeting where hands are placed together, at every teacher we see. When walking by them, in the classrooms, anytime anywhere, we put down what is in our hands and wai. We also remove our shoes when entering classrooms, so they are constantly on and off, on and off! I love it though, and when entering certain parts of the school, the shoes come off as well. The school campus is so big and yet so small. I am starting to find my way, not to classrooms, but to the place where you buy water, the cafeteria, and the courtyard where we sit and talk between classes! (The three most important things right!?!? Totally kidding) But, there are many buildings, so finding my way once Yui is gone will be so much fun, kind of like a scavenger hunt! The language you may ask, is coming along slowly. Again with the smiling and nodding my head and replying with "Chai ka" (yes) most of the time! They talk so so so fast, so I am trying to find a way to tackle the language, one bit at a time. I am learning numbers, and soon to be learning the days of the week, the months, etc. So, I will for sure keep you updated on that! Hmm, what else...I plan to figure out what my new friends do after school, so I can keep busy! My sister Yui and I have gotten very close in the time I have gotten to know her, and I will say goodbye to her next Tuesday. So I want to spend my time with her before she leaves. She leaves next Friday, and I will return from my first conference (starts on Wednesday) next Sunday! My room is a mess right now, still trying to figure out how to unpack as I will be here for a few months! The time here seems to go by way faster than ever before! I wake up and before I know it, I am at home after my day at school. I need to fill my time from after school until dinner, not quite sure with what yet, but I am hoping to find out after I come back from my conference! I want to keep busy, meet many new people, and try many new things! But for the time being, I am just exhausted but in the best way possible! I just would like to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible for me! I think that is it for now, hopefully I will get my schedule tomorrow! Oh yeah, so I attended my first host Rotary meeting last night! I arrived and we ordered our food. My Rotary club in Thailand has around 30 people much like my Rotary Club back in the States. There were about 13 Rotarians at the meeting last night, all very nice. I gave a quick introduction to myself and that was that. One interesting thing I find, is the Thai folks always ask, "What does your father do? What does your mother do?" Your career in Thailand is so so important, as well as the connections you have with other "business people." Very, very interesting. Growing up in the U.P., I am so used to seeing deer all around me. Here, there are dogs and cats EVERYWHERE! Just walking the streets. Also, the transportation is much, much different. First of all, they drive on the other side of the road and, the steering wheel is on the opposite side that it is in the States. But many, many of the people have little moped types of transportation, I would say that there are more of those than cars! Well, I need to get going, but I hope all is well. Thanks again for reading. Miss you all!! <3 Sarah

Me at my first Rotary meeting in Thailand!

Yui and I at the meeting!

Yui and I after the meeting with the Clock Tower in Lampang!

Yui and I, again, with a statue across from the Clock Tower and in front of the "City Hall."

The courtyard I was talking about, normall filled with so many students!

Emily, Yui, and I in our banana leaf art class!

With our finished product, we will meet again next week!! 

Our shoes outside of the classroom!

It was one of the girl's birthday today, so they had cake! But this picture was taken in History class, right before we started playing the games!!

Where has the time gone...

Good grief, all is well here in the land of smiles!! The time just keeps slipping away from me, as I am keeping very, very busy! Well, here is a quick recap since I last blogged!! I am now in my host city of Lampang and am heading to my first Rotary meeting tonight, so I hope that goes well. I will give my PowerPoint presentation to my host club on family night, which will be in two weeks I think. But way back a few days ago, I was in Hua Hin on vacation with my host family. On Monday morning, we drove to Bangkok and then at nighttime we took the plane up to Lampang, my host city. Below I will have a picture or two of the flight, absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. We arrived late at night and I got to my home around 10:30 I would say. I got showed to my room and just put my suitcases in my room, journaled, got my uniform, and went to sleep because...I was to attend my first day of school the next day! So I got up bright and early at 6:45 to go to school, uniform and all. My first day was the best first day of school I have ever had. Senior year here I come right!??! It was so great and everyone was always smiling and laughing. So different than what I would have expected school to be like in Asia. In the classroom, it is such a great time, and I have now attended school two days, and I have gotten up to speak about four or five times in front of the class. Apparently on Monday, Emily (another exchange student through Rotary from New York) and I are supposed to get up and introduce ourselves to the entire school, roughly around 5,000 to 6,000 students, not a big deal!!!!!! So more coming on that later!! So far throughout the two days I have gone to school, I have attended Thai dance class (which is actually very hard and I am terrible!!), Chinese language class, and three English classes. I will get my official schedule tomorrow, so we will see what happens. I told them I would like to take culture classes, so I gave them suggestions of dance, cooking, art, language, etc. I may end up being on the school volleyball team? I have no idea, so I will keep you updated once I find out and have enough time to write again! I am keeping so busy, but loving every minute of it. Since you last heard, I have tried so many different foods from traditional Thai dishes, duck for breakfast with noodles on my first day of school, and one night for dinner a bite of squid, but hey, I atleast tried it!!! It was funny, because I told my host family that I would take a bite and then they could tell me what it was!!! But yes, turns out, it was squid. It is very interesting how people across the globe are so similar and yet, so different, but yet still all people. I am having a hard time grasping my mind around this concept. The language, good grief, well...it is coming! Slowly, but surely, with a little Chinese thrown in the mix! But we went to the book store today to buy a little kid Thai letter book, so I could keep practicing with that. I am starting to pick a few words out of sentences that I know, but I am not understanding a thing. A simple smile and laugh when everyone else does. I have been saying the words “Chai ka” a lot, which means “yes”!!! When in Thailand, do as the Thais do! I have not seen too much of the city, other than my way home to and from school and out to dinner last night. It is interesting because time itself has been so weird here on my journey. I never look at a clock so time just gets ahead of me. I feel like I have been here forever, and yet, I have to remind myself it is only my second day in the city. I have been busy with so many things that I forget to take a step back, and realize how much I have done and accomplished in the last two days. Exchange is such a great, great thing. My sister Yui, will be heading for Vermont next week when I am at my first conference, but she and I hang out all the time. Tookta, my other host sister, is very busy studying a lot, a lot! I have made friends even though I have no idea what they are saying. But today, my second day of school, Emily and I taught them a game from the United States, so that was so much fun! It is interesting because the students at the school all have such good English, however, many are too shy to speak English to Emily and I because they are afraid of making a mistake. We constantly tell them that their English is very good because it is! We understand them perfectly and they are all so willing to help us with Thai! Well, we will see what happens with my Rotary meeting tonight and my schedule tomorrow. I hope everyone is well back in the States, and please feel free to email me any time with questions you may have! Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you have a great day! Xoxoxo Always, <3 Sarah

Views from the airplane, and if you look real hard, you can find a rainbow!

Another view from the airplane!

My host sister Yui and I on my first day of school!

Dance Class!

My first lunch at school!

Friends from English class on the first day!

My first completed homework assignment...in English class!!

Some new friends!

All of us playing a game from United States!!

Emily and I infront of our school!

I Have Arrived!

Well, I am successfully in Thailand as of yesterday (Friday) night at 10:00 p.m. Thailand time!! I can't believe I am here and good grief, it has already been a great adventure!! I don't have much time to blog tonight, but I just wanted to let you all know that I am in Thailand! I am currently in HuaHin on vacation with my host family and we will go back to Lampang on Monday evening. I got off of the plane in Bangkok last night and was met by four university students and then we headed out to get something to eat. After dinner we went back to their house and I didn’t fall asleep until 2:30 a.m.. We woke up at 8:30 so we could go to their college, which was really fun to see! Then, I got picked up by one of my host family’s close friends and was brought down to HuaHin and arrived there around 4:00 p.m.. The family's friend was so kind and I had a great time learning some new Thai words! It was my first full day in Thailand, and I have already learned how to get in on the right side of the car (they drive on the right side, where as in the States we drive on the left), gotten to see a Thai University in Bangkok, met my first host family, went out to eat dinner at a seafood restaurant which I got to eat crab, lobster, fish, and shrimp, along with rice, vegetables, coconut milk, pineapple, mango, and a few other things, I got to see a Thai market, I spent my first Thai Baht, and I got to swim not only at the hotel, but in the Gulf of Thailand. Now, how is that for a first day. Good grief, we are sure keeping busy, but I am loving every minute. My first full day in Thailand flew right by, as I know will the rest of the days, so I must appreciate every minute. That is just a quick update, I need to be up early tomorrow! Below are some of my pictures that I have taken already! Enjoy and rateesawaaaaa (goodnight in Thai).

Me in the Green Bay airport getting ready to check my bags in!

All of us Outbounds, soon to be Inbounds in about 24 hours, in Chicago!

Oh my goodness, here we are will all of our luggage in BANGKOK!

My first Thai meal with the four university students who picked me up from the airport.

Me infront of the Bangkok airport after landing!

Here are three of the four students who picked me up from the airport!

The Thai university I got to visit earlier this morning!

Again, another view of the college!

One of my first views of Bangkok!

My hotel I am in at Hua Hin, in the southern part of Thailand!

Me in front of the Gulf of Thailand!

Me with my host mother and host sisters!



Where we ate dinner!!

At the night market!

Look what I found outside of my hotel room!!

 What I spent my first Thai Baht on!!

T-Minus Six Hours Until Departure

Well, who would have thought the day would have come, when it was finally the day I leave for Thailand. I remember starting the journey many, many months ago, and now here I am. I have not slept in my bed for about two weeks now because my bed was filled with gifts, clothes, etc. piled like a volcano. So, as a I result, I have been sleeping in the spair bedroom! Well, I am
now in my own bed again for my last night in the United States for a while. I need to get up in three hours so I can arrive to the airport on time, so I best be heading to bed. My last day before Thailand was spent very well, with my family. I started off the day packing a bit and just double checking everything! I also needed to unlock my phone so I can being it with me to Thailand and get a Thai phone plan once I am there. I then attended a Ben's Wish planning meeting, which is a dinner event that will be coming up very soon! This event is being put on by Ben's Wish in collaboration with four Green Bay Rotary Clubs. Such a great cause and I have met so many wonderful people through those meetings and the Ben's Wish Organization. I am so thankful they allowed me to sit in on
their planning meetings. I will write more on the Ben's Wish dinner event later!! After the meeting, my family and I went to one of my favorite restaurants. So we had a very nice last meal together. I came home did a little more packing and watched some of the Olympics with my family. I then wrote a letter and here I am blogging! I just figured a quick update would be nice. I am so excited to go and as soon as I get settled in my new home, I will be updating my blog with some information and stories of my days leading up to my departure. I know my goodbye will be filled with many tears, so I better double check to make sure I have my Kleenex!! Leaving my family will be very hard, but I couldn't go through this journey of a lifetime without their support. Mom, Dad, Scotty, Scruffie, and Grandma, thank you so much for supporting me through everything. Also, a huge shoutout to my Rotary Clubs both my home club and hosting club for making this possible for me, as well as Rotarians and host families everywhere for making this possible for us Exchange Students! I will now get some sleep as I am already exhausted and will have an exhausting day of flying ahead of me. More updates soon, that is a promise! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog, it means so much. Xoxox for now <3