Site Placement

This is the moment I've been waiting for since last week... Found out today I'll be in Mae Hong Son province for the next 2 years! My site is 4-6 km from the border between Thailand and Burma. Google for more details.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkol (Say that three times fast)

A week ago, my host sister took me to Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, a temple in Ayutthaya built in 1357. There were signs saying the admission fee is 20 baht, but we definitely took a side "entrance" that other Thais were going through and got in without paying anything. ;)





This monk with a huge camera caught me as I was trying to take a photo of him taking a photo of the temple. I gave him a small bow and took a photo of him anyway. There are certain rules on how women are supposed to act with monks, but I think photo-taking is allowed...

FOOD

This post is devoted to food - mostly because I love it, but particularly because these past couple weeks have been full of fun, food-filled activities:

Thai desserts called "ka nom" made from sweet rice and coconut, wrapped in banana leaves

Thai food for lunch, eaten while sitting on mats on the ground

Delicious cake for a friend's birthday which was also on the same day as Chinese New Year's (which is why there's a Chinese-looking dragon on the cake - although it's the year of the Rabbit)

My friend's host mom made the best pad Thai we've ever eaten and then taught us how to make it this past weekend!

I LOVE curry, but it's not as common here as I thought it would be. I'd been craving it for weeks but outside forces were against my getting curry. I finally got panang curry on Monday. I was so excited I almost forgot to take a photo before I devoured it.

No words can describe how I felt

Noodles in Bangkok.

They looked prettier, but that time, I actually did forget to take a photo before I started eating.

(Never come between me and my food. ;))

Eating a Thai-style ice cream sandwich: coconut milk ice cream with sweet rice on a hot dog bun-looking bun. It's delicious.