Adventures in Thailand

What a way to spend the final 10 vacation days of summer! Shopping at the markets in Bangkok was the most relaxing market experience ever. I'm used to vendors loudly hawking their wares, or shoving pink ruffled hair clips under your nose while you're trying to examine the lizard-shaped belly rings. (How do they think those things go together?!). In Bangkok, it was completely different. Vendors greeted you with a friendly smile, then let you look around, and eventually engage in good natured bargaining "Good for Me...Good for you. You give me a price now". It was delightful.

On our 2nd day in Bangkok, 3 of us went on a river cruise up the river on a tour boat, then back down again on a converted rice barge. It was really stunning to see the wooden houses propped up on stilts all along the waters edge. Once in a while, a sprawling old home looking like a cross between a Souther Plantation and an old English Estate home with boarded up windows would loom along the waters edges, sagging at the gutters. As Anne of Green Gables would say, there was 'lots of scope for the imagination'.

Soon, we were off to Koh Samui with it's white powder beaches, sparkling clear aqua waves, swaying palms and coral reefs. The island was gorgeous. However, by this time, I discovered Thailand was like a sad, sad romance. As much as I loved Thailand, it wasn't lovin' me back. I spent a great deal of time taking tiny nibbles of delicious food I would have loved to devour, all the while hoping my churning inards and pounding headache would wash out to sea. As a result, I didn't enjoy the island as much as I should have.

Even so, I had a great time. The 4 of us travelled well together. We got along well and enjoyed similar interests, so we weren't at cross-purposes the whole time.

Now however, I'm home again and started back to work yesterday. It looks like it's going to be a good semester, and I'm looking forward to teaching a Writing Composition class in addition to my regular Freshman courses.