July 4th in a Nutshell

This last blog hiatus has been too long! Pete's a great frog - but probably not worth the front page for that length of time!

I plan to do some serious updating in the next couple days - just so long as the internet doesn't drive me crazy.

It's been more than a month since July 4th and unfortunately I am just now blogging about it. A little of the "this just happened" excitement has worn off. However, I still think it's worth a blog!

This year we had high hopes for our 4th. We were envisioning the hamburgers, chicken watermelon, corn - plus games and fireworks! Well, the day dawned very dreary, and in non-Thailand fashion, stayed dreary the whole day. In fact it was dreary and rainy for several days in a row!

We actually had July 4th on July 5th - perhaps this is where the trouble came in! We didn't get started until late and then we found out our grill was broken. In the end, after more effort than usual, we did get all the good food we desired - just no fireworks!

Trying to get the fire started. It took a bit of time, and some less than usual methods, but it did get started!

At this point we were already eating the chicken and just waiting to get started on the hamburgers!

Lots of meat!

What 4th of July is complete without ice cream?

Meet Pete

Pete is my hero. We met a couple months ago. I can't quite say what drew me to him - but he sure was cute! I believe we met in my bathroom. He in the corner, me just walking in. I admit I was a little startled. But I soon got over it and had him in a bucket and outside. So who is this Pete? Why, Pete is "my" frog of course!

A couple days after letting him out I saw him in my bathroom again, put him in a bucket and outside. A couple days later the same thing. So I thought,"Eh, might as well let him hang around." He did a couple cute things and even startled me again one night when he ventured into the living room and I almost stepped on him!

Warning to those who get grossed out by bugs, communing with animals and whatnot!

Well, last night he proved his friend status. Lately these bizarre-flying-ant-type-things (yes, the technical term) will all congregate in some place in the house late at night right before I go to bed. I make a beeline for my room, shut the door, lock it (you never know!) and tuck stuff in the cracks so they can't see the light - there I am safe.

Last night, however, I wanted to take a shower. Unfortunately for me, and the bizarre-flying-ant-type-things they congregated there. Yuck! Fortunately for me, but not for the bizarre-flying-ant-type-things, Pete came to the rescue. I sprayed them all down to the floor and he took care of the rest.

Ahh, then I had a bug-free shower once again. Thanks Pete!

Wedding Two

This past weekend I went to another wedding. This time it was of two former students. I took the trip with a couple of my current students - a long seven hour trip by bus and sawng-tao. We arrived early in the afternoon and I chatted with the students, caught up with the ones I haven't seen in awhile.

That night we went to the community room where the wedding was to be held. It looked kind of disastrous! But once they were through with it, it was quite beautiful.

One item of note: My (former) students look so serious in the picture - but they are actually really cute together! I think they were hot, actually.

Here are three of the four of us that went to the wedding: Wichai, LaNuNan, me.
The room where the wedding took place.
Jaseefu, one of my students who graduated last year.
A group from the village sang a couple songs at the wedding.
The wedding couple Atiwat and Fon. Fon is in her native Lahu dress.
People leaving from the ceremony.
One of my students - the class clown.
Wedding guests eating after the wedding.

I think this is it for the weddings for awhile. Today we started up school again so it's back to some serious work!