Sawadee krup from Thailand

Sawadee krup from Thailand! Sawadee means hello in Thai, krup the word put at the end of literally every sentance in order to make it more polite (krup for men, ka for women). These last few weeks in Thailand have been quite the adventure. I really love everything about it here. The most noticible difference from Guatemala has to be the food. From the second we stepped off of the plane, we have been bombarded with sauces, spices, curries, and exotic fruits (including one named Durian which both smells and tastes like onion cheesecake... Yeah, I'm confused about it too). And of course, rice. White rice, fried rice, sticky rice. Really any type you can imagine, at any time of the day. It has been quite the change from the sometimes bland but always solid and predictable corn tortillas, beans, and eggs of Guatemala. Not that I'm complaining. Thai food is basically my food heaven. I am willing to publicly swear on all of my posessions that I will never, ever get sick of it. 

The weather is also quite different. My precious Patagonia has barely seen the light of day here. It's cold season, but I can confirm that "cold" means something completely different here than back home. Here, the days are scorching and the nights are warm, moist, and buggy. 

I am constantly learning more about the culture here. In some ways it mirrors home much more than Guatemala and in other ways it is infinitely more foreign. There seems to be much more focus on material goods here, more in line with the United States than Guatemala. (Side note: there are so many beauty products here focused on whitening skin, and not just for women. Anytime you buy facewash or soap, or even deodorant here, you have to be careful to avoid products that will bleach your skin, even when it isn't advertised on the front of the bottle). Interpersonal interactions are much more focused on politeness and respect than at home and everything feels very gentle and kind. Also, no shoes in houses, temples, even many stores and communal areas. It was an odd transition, but now that I'm used to it, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go back.

And of course, it's impossible to talk about Thai culture without talking about Buddism. About 96% of the Thai population is Buddist. There are countless temples and Buddhas. I think that much of the gentle feel here comes from the way that Buddist philosphies have shaped peoples everyday lives and interactions here. I've spent quite a bit of time here learning about Buddism, visiting many temples and statues throughout the city, and attending a roundtable where we were able to ask questions to a monk. One morning I was even able to give food to the monks as the walked through our neighborhood just after sunrise. It was a very touching experience, giving to the monk and then recieving a blessing from him. I still have so, so, so many questions but I've got some time... Stay tuned!