November Annual Trip

November:

I had my first Rotary trip this month to PhuKradung National Park. The mountain is 5km tall, plus another 3km to the campsite. I walked a total of at least 50 miles in 4 days. It sucked, but at the same time I felt really accomplished. Not everyone can do all of that walking, and on top of it, since PhuKradung is really tall, the top of the mountain is very cold. And luckily my first host family gave me a fleece jacket to wear otherwise I would've froze!!

There are many waterfalls and cliffs on top of the mountain. I was exhausted after having to walk to all of them but it was worth it. I liked the cliffs better than the waterfalls because it was easier to walk to without climbing through the forest and over rocks and what-not. And let me tell you, the scenery is beautiful!!! The view from the cliffs is breathtaking. You can see all of the little houses and fields and it all felt a little surreal.


So here's a rough schedule of that week: Monday morning we drove to the mountain (only about 8 hours), slept the night in the "resort" and the base of the mountain, the next morning we climbed the mountain (took me 6 hours, but the first two guys to get to the top were there in about 2 hours because they're insane), following morning we could go see the sunrise (but we'd have to wake up at 4am, which I did), go to the other cliffs (the last one we were supposed to see the sunset but there were clouds, same for the sunrise), next day (Thursday) go to the waterfalls or stay behind and relax ( I went but I should've stayed behind. I was wayyy too sore), Friday we climbed down the mountain. That luckily only took 2 hours. It's a lot easier and faster climbing down especially once you get past the rocks you have to climb down and around.


All in all, I would recommend anyone coming to Thailand on vacation to go here. It's worth it to spend a few days on the mountain. I want to go back myself, too!

I'm back~

So it is now February 9, 2014. I have not posted since October because as an exchange student I have become rather lazy. Now it's the New Year so my goal is to keep y'all updated for the rest of the year. The next few posts will be about November-January and I'll make sure it's clearly marked at the beginning of the post so you don't get confused.

I'm finally back from Rotary camp! and even after just one week, my pair of capris are almost a little too big!! The camp was at the Thai Navy Base which was super cool! We got to take a Naval Ship to  Koh Chang, where we visited a temple and got to swim. There were teeny tiny jellyfish in the water that stung everybody, so all of our backs were super itchy. And of course with my luck, even after applying sunscreen 3 times, I still got sunburn. and on top of that, Thursday we had a sports day and I was told I would play tug of war for my team, and I ended up having to play every tug of war game so my shoulders hurt, my back, legs, EVERYWHERE hurts. Even my underarms hurt when I was putting on deodorant. The car ride was roughly 8 hours, and luckily we stopped a lot along the way so we were never hungry. Last night, we stopped at one gas station and I was going to go to the bathroom just in case. Now, I don't mind bugs, but when I step into a squat toilet bathroom and there's not only mosquitos but other bugs I couldn't even identify SWIMMING IN THE SQUAT TOILET, I freak out. I was standing there looking at it and I was already being swarmed by bugs. Trust me, it's disgusting.
   But when I got home, my host mom pointed at a shirt on a chair and said it was mine, (it's very comfy by the way, and super cute) and my dad said he bought me 3 containers of sweet sticky rice with mango. The containers themselves just have the rice and milk, you have to peel the mango yourself. but its sooo good! I just thought that was awesome how they bought me that for when I got home. And they went out today and said I could stay home and rest! And if you ever think about coming here, make sure you buy a young coconut from a roadside vender: they open it for you, give you a straw, and it is the most refreshing drink you will EVER have. and of course when you're done you can eat the meat! Thailand's fruit is super interesting too! but its so fresh! And durian isn't too bad; it's very creamy, but the after taste is weird. I'll eat it but not a lot. But I think Thailand is one of the best places ever for fresh fruit. Except driving here....oh my god...no...I just...no.

So I found out my grandparents adopted the dog my mom saw get thrown out of a van...it's a black German Shepard! I just really hope that it doesn't hate me when I get back...that'd be bad...
    This week I will be at a rotary camp called RYLA, so I probably can't bring my laptop...which will suck not being able to talk to people, but I'll deal with it. It's at a marine base which will be really cool. We have to drive there and its like an 8-9 hour drive. Yay, for road trips! luckily, Chelsea won't be there to make us stop at every rest area! (Love you onee san <3)
    I am definitely going to try to buy a shirt from the Marine base as a souvir. I think that'd be really cool!

If I don't post tomorrow or Sunday, I will definitely post stories from the camp on next Saturday!

I really don't feel 16. I'm also beginning to realize that being in an Asian country I act like I'm 10, because it's cute. I didn't purposely do that, it just happened. So I act kinda derpy most of the time...especially when I'm home alone. Which I hate! I get so bored and lonely when I have to stay home! Ugh.....but yeah I'm a pretty derpy 16 year old now. But on the Brightside, I am more than likely going to Japan the summer of 2015!! Woohoo!!! \(^o^)/ so I'm super excited for that! and a plus with that, I'm already learning Japanese so when I go I can do stuff myself! That's how I cool I am guys, I can speak 4 different languages! BAM! I am not Chef Emeril, hahaha! oh I crack myself up sometimes...

I'll admit it: I am the worst blogger EVER!!!! Every time I'm on the computer I always forget, hahaha! But it's ok because I will now give you an update!
     So first things first: I am now off of school for a month long holiday! The exchange students got off early because we don't have exams, (lucky us), so I have a little longer of a break than the Thai students.
      Friday Pin and I experimented in the kitchen (*evil chuckles*). We somehow managed to make something like a brownie. Here's what was in it: milk, flour, eggs, butter, cocoa powder, milk chocolate, and on top, dark chocolate chips! IT WAS SO AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS. we were really surprised that it had worked so well. And then we got creative and decided to do zombie makeup! It was so much fun! All we did was take liquid glue, apply a thin layer and when it dries you tear it and use makeup to make it look bloody and gross. Pin and I get a little crazy when home alone!
     Saturday I went to the bowling alley at the Sunee Grand Hotel and Mall with the other YE (that's what the Thai call us, so that's what I'm going to use) in my city for my birthday! Yeah, it's actually today...but we celebrated early! We played one game of bowling and then my friend Mia from Seattle, Washington, bought me a Dairy Queen ice cream cake! And you know how in the US, when you buy an ice cream cake, it usually has cake in it? Well here, it's COMPLETELY ice cream! So we went down to the basement of Sunee because they have this café, put the cake in the middle of the table, everybody grabbed a spoon, and we just ate the cake! It was really funny; people kept on giving us the weirdest looks! It was soo much fun! Then after I was picked up by my aunt, we went out for dinner to celebrate my aunt's birthday, my host cousin Pang's birthday, my birthday, and to end my host dad off to Germany! He's going with Rotary! So we had amazing food and my aunt brought cupcakes that were sooo good!!! and we kept the leftovers so that's what I've had for breakfast for the past couple of days! My family that was there gave me makeup as a gift, which is awesome!!! and then Pin told me when we were leaving that I actually had another gift and we were going there right now. I thought, where could we be going at 7 at night? They took me to a store called Robinson and we went to the stuffed animal department. Ok, so for the past couple of weeks all I've been talking about is finding a stuffed cat. So that's what I got! they let me pick anything wanted as long as it wasn't too big to fit in my suitcase, and I got a big fluffy cat! Now, whenever I'm just sitting around its always in my lap!
     Yesterday  I basically sat in my room, hahaha! that's my Sunday adventure!
So about the whole pictures thing...yeah I'm probably going to post them on facebook XD so just be prepared to see that I've uploaded 200+ pictures!
 

School has been amazing so far! It can get really hot, especially in the morning because for half an hour we have to sit outside for an opening flag ceremony and it's SO HOT. Sweating is pretty much my new sport. And speaking of sports, I finally saw my first horse in Thailand!!! There's a little night market close to my house and they have a white miniature horse that is just sooo super narak!!! (Thai for cute).
  I'm really good friends with the exchange students in my city too, because all but one of us now go to the same school! There's a boy and girl from Mexico, a boy from Germany, a girl from Taiwan (who goes to a different school than the rest of us), and a girl from Seattle. But I'm friends with a lot of Thai kids at my school too. And it's really funny when I'm at the mall and I see white people. I sort of freak out and spaz. They're mainly old white men that retired here after their service. But it's still crazy to see them!
  Japanese is coming along well! And pretty soon the PDG for D3340 is going to set up an afterschool tutoring class for us to help us learn the language, which will be uber helpful! and he said that if after 3 months we don't need language anymore, we can do cooking, or dance, or whatever we want! So this is turning out pretty well so far~