US Government's dime

I hear the US Government spends more money on uniforms for the Army's marching band than on the Peace Corps worldwide.

Rainy Season

I was really looking forward to the rainy season in Thailand as that meant the end of the hot season. But what I have realized is that the rainy season means it rains most days for an hour or two in the late afternoon AND it's damn hot.

In reality Thailand has three seasons. Hot, Hotter, and Hottest.

"I love yoooo"

Besides for "Falang" and "Hello" Thais love to yell "I love you" to me and other white skinned folks. All people love to yell this. Men and women of all ages. It's not a come-on line, but still this has always irritated me. I have come to see the light.

I recently had my friends Jeeda and 'Wendy' over for a dinner party to show off my new Thai cooking skills. Somehow the subject of yelling after foreigners came up and I explained to them how that is "mai suppap" which basically means 'not polite.' They were shocked and asked me in all honesty what should they yell to show how much they love falangs.

And I realized how it is so true. They really do love falangs. So often I have parents getting their little babies to bow to me when we meet on the street. I generally get a lot of stares wherever I go in rural Thailand. People are always interested to see what I am doing. It can feel invasive, but it certainly is fun to be a bit of a superstar while in Thailand.

Only in Thailand

Only in Thailand do I pack my high heels on top of my mosquito net for a weekend get-a-way. And only in Thailand is that weekend get-a-way mean staying in a bungalow on the waters edge for $4 a night.