The Weeknd

On the weekend we went to Bangkok to see my host Aunt, Nuk, grown up sister Bee, cousin Nong Non, and parents Ramet and Supa. The first night we were up past midnight again just existing. (These people are all super nice so you definitely want to stay up talking even if you are literally passing out for a few seconds at a time from being tired.) I learned a few words not in Pimsleur (arroi - good [food]), but mostly ended up speaking English because Nuk and Ramet speak very well.

On Sunday morning I went swimming in the neighborhood pool. Nuk told me it was saung met (two meters) deep, but it was actually only this deep:

We went shopping at a few markets, one being the popular tourist destination of Chatuchak. They insisted on loading me up with gifts (believe me, they offered 5 times as much as I let them buy and I bought my own pants).

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On Sunday evening we had another late night at the theater. It was a sort of variety show with Thai pop stars, a live chamber orchestra, comedian hosts, and a performance by three comics who chant poetry in traditional Thai style. Their routine was pretty easy to understand (nothing else was) since it involved a guy coming in with a long stick through his abdomen and a doctor who wanted him to pay before he would remove it. In the end, the doctor pulled out his phone to go look for Pokemon. I can report that Go is a worldwide phenomenon.

There's a lot that's been left out of this post, but you will notice that it ends on Sunday and it is now Wednesday, so I have some catching up to do with the upcoming posts about my first days of school.