Rain Rain and Buriram

There is NOTHING like a 2 hour ride home when it rains. Funny... because it rains here for a LOT of months during the year and yet when it rains things seem to stop here.... not just slow down but come to a standstill. I haven't quite figured out yet if it is the wetness- the lack of vision- or what, but it's very interesting. Don't get me wrong- sometimes the rain is so hard that you can't see. Thailand is very different than Uganda in that regard- though in Uganda the rainy season would have hard rain for about an hour mid morning. The rain in Thailand always seems to come JUST when we're getting out of school so we either have to race to the other side of the street to catch a cab home before it comes or we wait until it settles down before stepping outside (the Thai's will NOT let us leave the school if it's pouring---even though I quite enjoy a good down pour!)

Currently I am in a cab-- typing up a blog entry while I'm waiting in the rain in a cab, on my way home. I came home with a friend to pick up some stuff I bought off someone- once getting all the way here- it ends up the things the person said would be there--- aren't there and there are only a couple of small old things- not really house supplies at all- what a rip off. BUT I am choosing to look at the bright side which is I got to experience a real flash flood- thankfully my feet didn't touch any mysterious items in the murky water as I was in the cab-- but the water went up to the tops of bicycle tires and up to store fronts (as high as 4 stairs up)- in a matter of 15 minutes. It wasn't like that everywhere, just on the one street we had to turn down... but was AMAZING to see!

I am excited for the new term-- did I just say that word- excited?! We have just began a new class for University and the one class we had was great- We have a VERY passionate prof who is very expereinced in community work and building and working in inner city Winnipeg. For the first time in months-- and probably for about a year.. I felt that little tingling inside that said'' you could be like that- you can be passionate about teaching- about working in inner city Winnipeg-- there ARE areas of teaching you LOVE and that are useful!" It was a wonderfully refreshing feeling after the last couple months of feeling inadequate and having to adjust to so many news things at one time.

I am looking forward to spending the weekend (and taking my one personal day; I can take off)...at a Thai friends home- 6 hours from Bangkok. It was an honour to be asked-- so I figured I'd better head out there- and it will be lovely to be in a Thai home!

Other than that- I am excited to have plans for my 2 weeks off in October- I've book some flights around Thailand to explore both inland and off course get some beach time in! Anyway I think it's naptime for the rest of time I"m in here:)

Probably another hour until I get home!

Ops! I forgot to upload this by the time I got home!
Update: My weekend away to Burirum--pronounced Bull-lam) was great. Mostly it was great to be with a family and breathing fresh air. I got to see a few local sites, take a motorcy ride up a large hill to see a giant golden buddah and an old mouth of a volcano, take a long Saturday ride with Prame's family to the Cambodia border, through a forest and almost up some very steep hills (we didn't quite make it). I think my favourite stop was at a freshwater lake with large boulders by the water....reminded me of the Canadian Shield in northern MB :) Besides that I got to feed some elephants ( bartering to get the best price for the feed they sell you to feed it), and try some wonderful Thai food including Thai barbeque!). Thankfully we got to ride in air conditioned buses, unfortunately 6 hours seemed to take forever and the air conditioning was freezing!