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I meant to write a post a few days ago (and a post in Thai sometime last week), but, in addition to the hectic schedule of preparing for class and a bunch of other stuff, I got kind of ill from something I ate on Saturday and spent the better part of Sunday evacuating various states of matter from my digestive tract. Luckily, I had some antibiotics and Pepto to calm the mutiny in my bowels. Also, I was lucky to randomly be sitting on a towel on my bed when the ambush began. Not to go into any details, but the warning-shot did result in an unplanned load of laundry!
So, I am better now. I also just ate my first meal that wasn't plain rice, plain noodles or bananas since Sunday afternoon. I tried to buy crackers and bread at a few places yesterday, but for some reason there is probably a better chance of me winning the lottery than finding any bland foods in Thailand that do not contain milk, eggs or butter. I made sure to stock-up on plain cookies and noodles at the vegan restaurant today, so I can chill on the spicy food for the time being. Not that I eat spicy food all the time, but at the restaurants with pre-made dishes you don't really have a choice. Anyways, I am going to stick with the hot noodle dishes for the next few days as they might be better for my belly.
I have also been suffering from a bout of sciatica in the past week. I was about to start taking anti-inflammatory meds when my body (actually) crapped the bed! Luckily, in Thailand you don't need to see a doctor for prescriptions. So, I randomly walked into a pharmacy on Saturday night and the lady working there had previously been an au pair in New York and had visited Pittsburgh before! Pretty cool! Regardless, we have become friends and she has been very helpful in finding meds and herbal remedies for me that are as vegan as possible. Her parents are the owners of the pharmacy and they started talking to me a lot the second time I went. She said that they almost never talk to foreigners, but since I can speak Thai (a lot better now than when I arrived) they were excited to talk to me. It was nice. So, a random trip to the pharmacy not only helped me with my dumb nerve, but also was an opportunity to make some new friends!
I have to read the news a lot to prepare for class. Back in the US, I read the news pretty frequently, however, it seems that the news recently has been especially depressing. SE Asia has been fraught with so many natural disasters that it's been hard to keep track of...flooding in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, several earthquakes in Lombok and Bali, landslides in many places and oppressive heat others. (Not to mention the wildfires that are raging in California.) There is something going on in the world right now...it seems like everything that humans have done to the environment is finally coming to a head. Despite all of this, there has been a lot of people here in Thailand putting forth efforts to help those in need, both at home and abroad. In the current climate (no pun intended) of the world, this is reassuring to see and be around.
In relation to these events, I have thought it best that I will change my plans to visit Bali this month. My friend in Indonesia said that for the next few weeks there will probably be more earthquakes of note in the area. I was really looking forward to going to Bali, but it is not worth my personal safety to risk the trip. Sure, disasters can happen at anytime, anywhere, but given the current tectonic activity and relatively recent volcanic activity in Bali it might be best to put off this experience. I did email the people who owned the place I was set to stay and they are all doing well, thankfully.
In an effort to find another destination for a short trip, I emailed a friend who I thought was living in Singapore. However, he is now back at home in Kuala Lumpur and invited me to visit and stay at his house! It seems like a really great trip, actually. Not only will I get to see my friend, but Chiang Mai to Kuala Lumpur is only a 3 hour direct flight. I hope to go for 5 days and explore the city with my friend. I will also see what my friend in Jakarta is up to. I could maybe go there as well. However, It might be better to wait until next time and combine it with some other destinations in Indonesia.
Since I will only be going away for a shorter period of time, I am thinking about taking another month of Thai language courses. So far, I have felt vast improvements in my speaking and vocabulary use. Sure, there are times in class that are a challenge, but that has been really good for me. Daily conversation has been a lot easier and more fluent now. Yesterday, I took Grab to and from class (mainly due to being too far away from a toilet for too long), and I not only understood like 95% of the conversations with the drivers without needing clarification but I was also able to give directions for a shortcut. It was nice!
Once I have some details hashed-out, I will figure out my plan for studying more massage. Given the pain in my leg, I am not sure about studying more Thai yoga. If there is improvement, though, I will definitely study 30 more poses. Additionally, I will studying the foot reflexology. I am looking forward to it! The other day I gave a full massage for the first time since my test. The woman who was the model for the message said I did a really good job and gave me a few tips. I didn't forget any of the steps completely, which was reassuring as well. I am excited to practice and learn more techniques in the future!
Alright...I am going to peace out and finally respond to some emails. I will actually and honestly write a post in Thai in the next few days...especially since I have my classwork prepared until next week already! :-)
