10 Things...

Here's part two of my "10 things" lists. This particular publication should be read with the mind that 1) I am actually an optimistic person, 2) I love Thailand and most everything it entails, and 3) I believe any place a person lives has both positive and negative aspects. That being said, here are

10 Things I Won't Miss About Thailand:

1. The constant threat of mold on anything and everything (especially clothes, things made of wood, and things made of leather-- including my dress shoes that have to be hosed down thoroughly every month or so).

2. Stepping in/on any and all kinds of water, juice, rice, vegetables.... really, just food or liquid of any kind in my bare feet in the cafeteria.

3. Never having less than 10 bug bites on my body that itch at any single point in time.

4. Not being able to easily communicate with people for things as simple as groceries or directions.

5. Having to pay more for something because "you have white skin, therefore you are a foreigner, therefore you are rich and can afford what I have to sell at a higher price." Okay, so they don't say that, but other than them speaking those exact words, the rest is true.

6. Not being able to REALLY clean my clothes. They are more of just a semblance of cleanliness.

7. The constant wonder at whether or not you will have electricity or water at any given point in time and when they do go out, wondering when they will come back on again.

8. Having to pay all kinds of money for visas and such to stay in the country or to leave the country and come back.

9. Teaching in a classroom full of teenagers who stare at you with blank faces more often than not (again, I love teaching, and I love teaching here too; but when the students have no clue what you are saying, it's hard!).

10. The smoke! Oh, the smoke. During the cold and hot seasons, they burn everything here... and the smoke is terrible! I didn't even know we had so many moutains around us the first couple of months we were here. Then it rained!

So, there you have it. The not-so-nice of Thailand. Yet, it's still not that bad. We are going to continue to enjoy our last two months to the fullest extent. We'll see you soon!

~M