How about some nouns & verbs?

I found a link to Wordle on Indgo Mouse's website, but I was most displeased with the results! Apparently I say the words "just"and "really" a lot.

So how about this? I just... oops there I go again. ;) Today I moved into my new home for the next month - Huaykaew Residence. This means I get to go four whole weeks before packing again! Exciting! Also... I now have internet access in my room, so no more day old posts... I actually be able to compose online. =) Yay!

Check out the bedroom:

And here is the bathroom, kitchen & office. ;)

Same deal with the shower here, but at least the TP dispenser has a waterproof cover. Oh and if you thought the Smurf sheets were bad... you'll notice that here... no sheets at all! So I'll have some shopping to do this afternoon.


I also found the ECC Thai school where I'll be taking the CELTA course. Last night when I went out for dinner (absolutely awesome curry dish - OMG yum yum yummers!) I wandered around a new road and found an English Language bookstore... or more precisely an Expat bookstore, although the non-English section was just one shelf. Anyway, they had a copy of Nancy Chandler's Chiang Mai Map which someone had recommended to me but I, oddly enough, wasn't able to find in the US. It's available online but with shipping & all it would have been $10, buying it here was only 190 baht or um... a lot less than $10. I'm having issue with the money here - but more on that later. Her map lists lots of popular restaurants & shops so when I called the school I was able to ask which landmarks it was near. One tuk-tuk ride & 80 baht later (I know I'm sooo getting ripped off... I'll work on that) I was actually able to get to within a block of the school. I actually got out at a different English school and asked the receptionist, who *very* graciously pointed me down the block to her competitor. ;)


I met the director of the program and was delighted with her! She's British, mid to late 30s and all I can say is that she looked a lot like me... down to her sweater vest & decidedly frizzed out curly hair... which is always reassuring. I know we all say "don't judge a book by it's cover" and all that, but honestly when you meet someone you take in their appearance and even if subconsciously you judge them as 'similar to me' or 'not similar to me' and a whole host of reactions accompany that judgment. I'm just saying them out loud... or rather in type. I immediately felt comfortable in her presence and we had a nice little chat. She also told me that I should be taking a songthaw (red pick up truck) vs. a tuk-tuk ( 3 seater motor bike) for the ride from my residence to the school. The songthaws are 20 baht for the ride - significantly cheaper for essentially the same service. I'll still probably get overcharged, but on a lesser scale.


I walked home from the school... and there's a reason no actual Thai people actually walk places. It's hot and you get very sweaty very fast. I didn't mind so much because I was on my way home and with the map I could tell how far it was. It's only about a mile, mile & a half, but I won't be walking to & from class.


Ok... that's enough for right now. Just wanted to post something in real-time, which for me is Friday afternoon. Once my class starts I'm not sure how much time I'll have to blog. I'll try to check in as often as I can... but if I am online a lot - kick my butt because I should probably be studying or prepping a lesson!