Friday, August 25, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
boston
Yesterday was one of those blissful days. One of those days I dreamed about while homesick in Thailand.
It was a warm sunny day and everyone in Boston seemed to be out on the Commons enjoying the weather.
Friday, August 18, 2006
coming up next, cranberry oreos.
Tonight was my first attempt at Thai food in an American kitchen. Making food for my family in my Newton kitchen was something I often imagined as I perfected my Thai cooking skills during Peace Corps.
It all turned out yummy and was a fun night, but the highlight of the experience for me was food shopping. Entering the supermarket was a dream come true.
I almost hate to say this, but coming back from Thailand feels like I have a second lease on life. I don't mean to say Thailand was like a terminal disease that I just narrowly escaped. It's the exact opposite. It was such an amazing experience it gave me a new perspective on life. Just how lucky we are here in America.
I made a vow once in Thailand that I will thank the higher powers every time I get in a hot shower. I know this vow has a shelf life, but for now I am still so thankful every time I get in the shower. And last week I even had the treat of a bubble bath. Life is good here...
So the supermarket. SO SO SO much food right at your fingertips. Cheeses and turkey and blueberries and crackers and root beer and Ben&jerry's and salad bars and all the amazing food I haven't had in 2 years. All just a credit card swipe away.
I spent a lot longer than necessary just wandering up and down every aisle and looking at all the food and shiny packaging. Did the same thing at CVS. In Thailand I had about 3 choices for shampoo, here, we have what, a gazillion? I feel like a kid in a candy store.
While so much is the same as when I left, there seem to be so many new products out. Did you know there are about 12 kinds of oreos? regular, double stuff, mint stuffed, peanut butter stuffed, chocolate stuffed, chocolate on the inside and white on the outside, mini oreos.... Oh the decisions.
It all turned out yummy and was a fun night, but the highlight of the experience for me was food shopping. Entering the supermarket was a dream come true.
I almost hate to say this, but coming back from Thailand feels like I have a second lease on life. I don't mean to say Thailand was like a terminal disease that I just narrowly escaped. It's the exact opposite. It was such an amazing experience it gave me a new perspective on life. Just how lucky we are here in America.
I made a vow once in Thailand that I will thank the higher powers every time I get in a hot shower. I know this vow has a shelf life, but for now I am still so thankful every time I get in the shower. And last week I even had the treat of a bubble bath. Life is good here...
So the supermarket. SO SO SO much food right at your fingertips. Cheeses and turkey and blueberries and crackers and root beer and Ben&jerry's and salad bars and all the amazing food I haven't had in 2 years. All just a credit card swipe away.
I spent a lot longer than necessary just wandering up and down every aisle and looking at all the food and shiny packaging. Did the same thing at CVS. In Thailand I had about 3 choices for shampoo, here, we have what, a gazillion? I feel like a kid in a candy store.
While so much is the same as when I left, there seem to be so many new products out. Did you know there are about 12 kinds of oreos? regular, double stuff, mint stuffed, peanut butter stuffed, chocolate stuffed, chocolate on the inside and white on the outside, mini oreos.... Oh the decisions.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Wherever I am is my favorite place to be.
It was a perfect trip in San Francisco where I got to see friends and old students, visit my old school, take a run in golden gate park, hit up a favorite happy hour bar, do brunch on the bay, swing through my favorite Sunday morning activity visiting the farmers market and just be in San Francisco. I had almost as fabulous a time in Chicago visiting Anna.
Now I'm back in Boston. I'm finally home after my 2 years in South East Asia. I arrived home to loads of flowers, many balloons, a large banner outside that said 'WELCOME HOME RACH' and a home cooked meal of my favorite foods. Why had I been worried I'd lose my superstar status of Thailand when I came back to America.
Today we had a large Homecoming party just for me! Lots of family and friends came by for the afternoon and we had the most amazing American appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. I'm aiming to gain at least 5 pounds on all this amazing American food and I think all the left-overs will get me to my goal.
Everyone was so fabulously inquisitive about Thailand and gave me ample opportunity to talk about all the cultural differences about life over there. Some people seemed genuinely impressed with what I did and how I navigated the culture. That's always a good feeling. We looked at lots of picture and I had to end a debate about whether a picture of me in a rice field was real or a backdrop (it was real). I spoke in Thai a little and got a few dropped jaws. But they really loved hearing about the tones of the language and my examples of words like 'khao' which has multiple meanings depending on the tone and vowel length (rice/food, mountain, news, white, knee...).
I loved it. The whole party was great. It was so nice to see everyone I haven't seen in so long and to feel all their love. It was just nice to be at a party and smooze and joke and laugh with everyone in the American way you do at parties.
I got asked a lot how it feels to be back. And I told everyone "They say the culture shock coming back to America is harder than adjusting to the foreign culture to begin with." But for me it hasn't been. Maybe because I was expecting it to be SO hard that I haven't had much trouble. Or maybe because everything is still so exciting and new I haven't hit the hard part yet. I mean I still thank god every time I get into a hot shower.
In fact the weirdest thing is that it's not really weird to be back. Things haven't changed much. Everything's where it was when I left and I know how to navigate this world. It's weird to have been gone for 2 years doing such different things and to see everything is the way it was here, not much has changed. Don't get me wrong I love it here, and it's still exciting and new in many ways. But also strangely the same.
The only complaint I have over the past week of being home is that occationally people ask me how my "trip" was. Of course I smile and tell them it was amazing, but inside a heartstring gives a little twinge because my time in Thailand wasn't a trip. It was life: working and playing and living every day like a Thai person. It was my life, not a little side step from the path of my life, but the route itself.
Now I'm back in Boston. I'm finally home after my 2 years in South East Asia. I arrived home to loads of flowers, many balloons, a large banner outside that said 'WELCOME HOME RACH' and a home cooked meal of my favorite foods. Why had I been worried I'd lose my superstar status of Thailand when I came back to America.
Today we had a large Homecoming party just for me! Lots of family and friends came by for the afternoon and we had the most amazing American appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. I'm aiming to gain at least 5 pounds on all this amazing American food and I think all the left-overs will get me to my goal.
Everyone was so fabulously inquisitive about Thailand and gave me ample opportunity to talk about all the cultural differences about life over there. Some people seemed genuinely impressed with what I did and how I navigated the culture. That's always a good feeling. We looked at lots of picture and I had to end a debate about whether a picture of me in a rice field was real or a backdrop (it was real). I spoke in Thai a little and got a few dropped jaws. But they really loved hearing about the tones of the language and my examples of words like 'khao' which has multiple meanings depending on the tone and vowel length (rice/food, mountain, news, white, knee...).
I loved it. The whole party was great. It was so nice to see everyone I haven't seen in so long and to feel all their love. It was just nice to be at a party and smooze and joke and laugh with everyone in the American way you do at parties.
I got asked a lot how it feels to be back. And I told everyone "They say the culture shock coming back to America is harder than adjusting to the foreign culture to begin with." But for me it hasn't been. Maybe because I was expecting it to be SO hard that I haven't had much trouble. Or maybe because everything is still so exciting and new I haven't hit the hard part yet. I mean I still thank god every time I get into a hot shower.
In fact the weirdest thing is that it's not really weird to be back. Things haven't changed much. Everything's where it was when I left and I know how to navigate this world. It's weird to have been gone for 2 years doing such different things and to see everything is the way it was here, not much has changed. Don't get me wrong I love it here, and it's still exciting and new in many ways. But also strangely the same.
The only complaint I have over the past week of being home is that occationally people ask me how my "trip" was. Of course I smile and tell them it was amazing, but inside a heartstring gives a little twinge because my time in Thailand wasn't a trip. It was life: working and playing and living every day like a Thai person. It was my life, not a little side step from the path of my life, but the route itself.
Wherever I am is my favorite place to be.
It was a perfect trip in San Francisco where I got to see friends and old students, visit my old school, take a run in golden gate park, hit up a favorite happy hour bar, do brunch on the bay, swing through my favorite Sunday morning activity visiting the farmers market and just be in San Francisco. I had almost as fabulous a time in Chicago visiting Anna.
Now I'm back in Boston. I'm finally home after my 2 years in South East Asia. I arrived home to loads of flowers, many balloons, a large banner outside that said 'WELCOME HOME RACH' and a home cooked meal of my favorite foods. Why had I been worried I'd lose my superstar status of Thailand when I came back to America.
Today we had a large Homecoming party just for me! Lots of family and friends came by for the afternoon and we had the most amazing American appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. I'm aiming to gain at least 5 pounds on all this amazing American food and I think all the left-overs will get me to my goal.
Everyone was so fabulously inquisitive about Thailand and gave me ample opportunity to talk about all the cultural differences about life over there. Some people seemed genuinely impressed with what I did and how I navigated the culture. That's always a good feeling. We looked at lots of picture and I had to end a debate about whether a picture of me in a rice field was real or a backdrop (it was real). I spoke in Thai a little and got a few dropped jaws. But they really loved hearing about the tones of the language and my examples of words like 'khao' which has multiple meanings depending on the tone and vowel length (rice/food, mountain, news, white, knee...).
I loved it. The whole party was great. It was so nice to see everyone I haven't seen in so long and to feel all their love. It was just nice to be at a party and smooze and joke and laugh with everyone in the American way you do at parties.
I got asked a lot how it feels to be back. And I told everyone "They say the culture shock coming back to America is harder than adjusting to the foreign culture to begin with." But for me it hasn't been. Maybe because I was expecting it to be SO hard that I haven't had much trouble. Or maybe because everything is still so exciting and new I haven't hit the hard part yet. I mean I still thank god every time I get into a hot shower.
In fact the weirdest thing is that it's not really weird to be back. Things haven't changed much. Everything's where it was when I left and I know how to navigate this world. It's weird to have been gone for 2 years doing such different things and to see everything is the way it was here, not much has changed. Don't get me wrong I love it here, and it's still exciting and new in many ways. But also strangely the same.
The only complaint I have over the past week of being home is that occationally people ask me how my "trip" was. Of course I smile and tell them it was amazing, but inside a heartstring gives a little twinge because my time in Thailand wasn't a trip. It was life: working and playing and living every day like a Thai person. It was my life, not a little side step from the path of my life, but the route itself.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
My mind is still in Thailand
Have you ever lived far away from home and had the little things from home mean that much more to see? Like when I was in San Francisco I would get so excited when I saw a Mass liscence plate, or a Red Sox hat. Every time I saw one I would get excited, even the first few days I would be visiting Massachusettes. "Oh look, someone wearing a Red Sox hat, how cool.... Oh wait. We're in Boston."
Well I'm getting that exciting feeling in the same way. That's how I feel when I see white people. I have to remind myself I'm back in America now.
I thought I'd be freaking out a lot about the cost of everything. Because compared to Thailand everything is so expensive. But I've been doing really well. Maybe American dollars still feel a little like play money, the way Thai Baht did when I first arrived in Thailand. Maybe everything is just a little surreal so it's ok to spend because this all feels like a vaction or just not real life.
I've been doing pretty well about not speaking Thai (at least outloud). When I pass someone or bump someome I instinctually start to say "Kaw toad ka" which means 'excuse me.' It feels good to still be instinctually Thai. It will be sad when I say "excuse me" automatically.
Well I'm getting that exciting feeling in the same way. That's how I feel when I see white people. I have to remind myself I'm back in America now.
I thought I'd be freaking out a lot about the cost of everything. Because compared to Thailand everything is so expensive. But I've been doing really well. Maybe American dollars still feel a little like play money, the way Thai Baht did when I first arrived in Thailand. Maybe everything is just a little surreal so it's ok to spend because this all feels like a vaction or just not real life.
I've been doing pretty well about not speaking Thai (at least outloud). When I pass someone or bump someome I instinctually start to say "Kaw toad ka" which means 'excuse me.' It feels good to still be instinctually Thai. It will be sad when I say "excuse me" automatically.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
I survived the 24 hours of plane rides....
aaahhhh [deep sigh]. It feels good to be home. I'm back in San Francisco and it just feels fabulous. It's a little freaky how everything seems pretty much the same. I feel like I've been on the other side of the world (I guess because I have) and that so much has happened in my life, but things seem pretty much the same here. Oh but it feels so good!
There's a good chance I might die though. It's walking across the road that will do me in. I did such a good job training myself to look right at road crossings in Thailand because they drive on the left side of the road, that it's instinctual when I get to a road. Here I look right as I step out onto the road, but then remember to look left and then cars are coming and AAAAAAAAAhhhhhhh. Now I'm just so confused. I guess it would help if I didn't walk into the road so whilly nilly, as if I were still in a small village.
In other news my digestion track is not accepting this American food. Problems started within 20 minutes of the first American meal we were served on the plane. And continue with everything I eat here. Even my insides turned Thai while I was gone.
I've been staying with Laura and again it feels like nothing has changed. We picked up right where we left off. In this instance I'm glad nothings changed. I was so afraid when I left for Peace Corps that my friendships with those I love would disappear because of the distance, but I should not have fretted so, those who are true friends will always be there. It is so reassuring.
There's a good chance I might die though. It's walking across the road that will do me in. I did such a good job training myself to look right at road crossings in Thailand because they drive on the left side of the road, that it's instinctual when I get to a road. Here I look right as I step out onto the road, but then remember to look left and then cars are coming and AAAAAAAAAhhhhhhh. Now I'm just so confused. I guess it would help if I didn't walk into the road so whilly nilly, as if I were still in a small village.
In other news my digestion track is not accepting this American food. Problems started within 20 minutes of the first American meal we were served on the plane. And continue with everything I eat here. Even my insides turned Thai while I was gone.
I've been staying with Laura and again it feels like nothing has changed. We picked up right where we left off. In this instance I'm glad nothings changed. I was so afraid when I left for Peace Corps that my friendships with those I love would disappear because of the distance, but I should not have fretted so, those who are true friends will always be there. It is so reassuring.
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