Chinese New Year!!!!

Udon Thani has a fairly large Chinese population so there has been a lot of parties, fireworks, and community gatherings for the Chinese New Years. I went to one with my friends from school and another exchange student who was visiting me, Stephanie. A well know Thai singer, Waii, came to Udon Thani that night and preformed.

Thailand...sorry I havent updated in a while...

I went on a two week trip to the north in December, went camping with friends from school for New Years Elephants in Thailand are so loving! When I went to Chiang Mai the Rotary took all the exchange students on an elephant ride and there was also an elephant show. The trip was so much fun. Some of my most memorable moments were on the trip.

Thailand is beginning to get hot again...and it is only January!!! oh no!! I have been told that March, April, and May are the hottest months. Scary...mosquitos.

new years in Thailand with my friends!

The sky lit up with beautiful colors from the fireworks on the night of New Years. I was on the balcony of my room gazing at the sky. For a moment a felt unbelievable sadness, alone on the balcony, no one to share the night with. A sad experience. I miss to mochi, fireworks, and family around New Years night. In Hawaii, I miss being together with everyone and celebrating together. Don't get me wrong, I was very happy to celebrate with my friends a night earlier. We went camping and the next day, hiking. That night before New years we had a party, danced and sang. To be with other to celebrate and have fun is a lot more enjoyable. The hike was intense, we went up a mountain and our goal was to get to the top where there was a water fall and a cave with bats in it. But we never made it. Everyone got so tired about three fourth to the top, so we went back down the mountain. There wasn't even a trail, so it took longer going up and going down. There were however wild orchids growing all the way up the mountain. They were so beautiful, and some of my friends were picking them on the way up and down. The view from the top was beautiful and the nature around us was so calming. It reminded me of the mountains in Hawaii and how I use to go camping for one week up in the hills of Mauna Loa.

Loi Kartong Festival!!!

Loi Kratong festival was tonight! At the festival my friends all went to light the lantern that floats in the sky and the Kratong that floats in the water. It was so beautiful! I also saw the Princess! When we put the Kratong in the water you make wishes. I guess you could say that I made many wishes, like good health, good grades in college...and blah blah blah. Also the lantern in the sky is suppost to show that you will go to heaven... That is how my friends explained it to me. I saw a lot of my classmates at Nongpajak park (where the festival was held at.) It seemed like everyone from my school was there. I heard 7,000 people usually go to the festival but I think there was a lot more then that.

Nong Khai!

I went to Nong with our maid, my host mother, and Nina to get our visas extended. I have to go back in January to the immigration office to get another extension since I was missing one school form. It was so much fun, after we went to Tesco and there was a Starbucks! ^_^ I got a green tea latte, of course!

There was a Chinese festival going on in Nong Khai that day. It was pretty fun because they had dragons, and fireworks! And people got possessed!!!! it was awesome!

twilight is coming to Thailand! yay!

Big fan of Twilight so when I saw the movie poster I got really excited! I got Nina into the whole twilight series too. ^_^ We went to Chantaburi this past weekend with all the other exchange students. It was pretty fun but I really do not like all the bugs here. ugh. In Chantaburi there was a fire guy...um and I painted a fence...thats pretty much it.

Out with my Thai friends! ^_^

I went to dinner with my friends from school. It was most likely the best time I have had so far! We went to this place near my home where you cook your own food, like shabu shabu. They wanted to go out and celebrate my birthday! A lot of people came so I was happy. The people that cam were; Pei, Dui, An, Mini, Pang, Sumate, Dong, Tao, First, Nart, Gee, and Date.

It was funny the whole time because they would say random things and thought I didn't understand when I did. Gee did that a lot! I wish they weren't so busy all the time cause then we could all hang out more! ^_^