Dearest family and friends and people we sorely miss,
I have the delightful pleasure of being your nomadic correspondent for the Thai portion of our ever thrilling and occasionally and studious Asian wandering. Perhaps fortunately, perhaps unfortunately, I am looking back on Chiang Mai in retrospect from the exciting new view of Ho Chi Minh City , which has the possibility of making my musings either more clear or drudgingly pedantic. Do bear with me whatever the outcome.
I had thought originally that I would give you a succinct summary of our doings in Thailand , but then realized that you've probably already read our journal entries on the Olaf site and have more than likely heard a few god stories from whomever special you have on the trip. Instead, dear friends, I give a few of my own brainless ruminations.
Thailand provided us with the time and confidence to break out of the tour bus mold that we had confirmed to in China and pursue some of our own loves and interests in the intimacy of little old quirky Chiang Mai. For some people this meant getting to know the Thai students and the other international kids at CMU. One curious Ole frequented the Muslim mosques after he heard the call to prayer near his house, while another stopped by quite a few wats in an attempt to demystify the coexistence of widespread Buddhism and materialism in Thai society. Some followed the elections closely, reading the newspapers religiously and interrogating any unconventional Thai person who would divulge his or her political views. A few Olaf kids to operate within the universal spheres of Thai night life.
It's safe to say that everyone found something in Thailand that reminded them of something they liked a bit better back home. A lot of us missed you all. We missed being able to have meaningful conversations in English. A stomach or two learned much appreciation for home cooking (which isn't to say that many of us didn't love Thai food!). Many of us decided that despite all its failings, we really liked the way that US government operates.
And still, most of us fell in love with Thailand in some way or another. We fell in love with the food. My host family laughed at the way one Ole could sniff out green mango salad from the middle of the market. A few fell in love with our Thai peers. You're not too far off if you think Thailand is a sultry place. I didn't so much fall in love as I did develop strong bonds with my Thai host family, although my 11 year old brother still thinks I should come back to Thailand when he's older so we can get married.
But we've now moved on, finding ourselves in the maelstrom of change and excitement that is urban Vietnam . This can only mean more new thoughts and experiences, so I can safely promise all sorts of provocative conversations when we all return to the States.
Much love,
Kelsey