Happiness Loves Company

Over the weekend we took a bus to Khonkaen. It was about an hour long ride and cost only $2.50 per person. We met up with some friends and explored the big city. We started the day at the famous Centron Mall where we treated ourselves to some new clothes and Americanized food. The mere site of Starbucks had Jason super stoked, as you can probably imagine.We then made our way to the day market where the shopping progressed.

Once we were all tired and worn-out, we wandered over to the hotel for a nap and shower. Within an hour we found ourselves restored and revitalized so we got back on the road in search of food. A Vietnamese restaurant happened to be right around the corner so we posted up, fed our appetite, and enjoyed the exclusive ambience.

 After our bellies were nice and full, we headed to the night's main attraction. The Pullman hotel; a famously fancy hotel located in the center of downtown. Our motive: the Pullman's underground brewery. The legendary brewery offered a variety of delicious flavors that we had been longing to try. Oh so satisfying sips from beginning to end. Our plan was to then hit up Khonkaen's over-sized night market but when we arose from the dungeon, we were greeted by pouring rain and the sad news that the market had been cancelled. We quickly discussed plan b. One of the others mentioned that further into the brewery there were rentable karaoke rooms which came with a large bottle of whiskey and all the mixers you could desire. Decision made. What a night of fun and laughter it turned out to be.

The Simple Things

Jason and I have been walking everywhere lately. It’s been great exercise but the intense heat makes our bodies sluggish and causes our legs to move at a snail’s pace. So we have decided we will invest in bicycles to get around faster. My dear friend has recently given up on teaching here in Kalasin, she was facing outrageous class sizes and insufficient support and decided to throw in the towel. The only good thing that came out of it is that she sold her brand new bike to me for a bargain price. Jason and I took it for a spin the other night and rode down to the 711. He peddled while I stood on the pegs. It had to be quite a scene. The bike is barely my size so the sight of Jason on the front and me hanging off the back gave locals something to hoot and holler at as they flew by us on mopeds and in cars. We will now search high and low for a bike Jason’s size for a decent price. Once we acquire one, the transport will be a great way for us to break through boundary lines and explore outside the town. When we asked if there’s a need for bike locks, the other foreigners assured us there wasn’t. They explained that the locals will once in a while ‘borrow’ your bikes if they are left out in the open, but you can always guarantee that they will be returned the very next day unharmed.

On a much less pleasant note, the amount of stray dogs in Thailand is saddening. It seems as though even the dogs belonging to human owners are not taken care of. They are not bathed, nurtured, properly fed or vaccinated. The sight of it all is taking a toll on me. I wish I could help. In the States, people spend thousands on treatments, remedies, and surgeries just to make their pets more comfortable and while I thought that behavior was typically a bit overboard, I see myself siding with those types of actions tenfold.

I’ll end this post with an amusing story. As we made our way back to the apartment from the grocery store last night, it began to drizzle. Well the drizzle quickly turned into rain and before we could take cover, the rain morphed into torrential downpour. Our brisk walk was no longer acceptable; we were forced to sprint the rest of way home, 5 bags in hand. When we reached the doorstep, we laughed hysterically. It really was one of the most enlivening events we had experienced all week! We changed out of our drenched clothes, wiped down all the groceries, started dinner on the wok and took pleasure in the sight and sound of the brightest and loudest storm either of us have ever witnessed. It ended up lasting all night and rocking us to sleep.
Let the rainy season begin!

After the rain comes sun:)

The World we Live in

Our humble abode

Our neighbor

Street View

Daily stalls outside the schools

They add condensed milk to everything!

Town lake

 

Town gym with no AC

Bum

Spa!

A common street store

Rimpoa Hotel, aka the town pool

Jason and his new best friend from Norway

Yes, he wears fo-jean shorts to swim

Water buffalo roaming the streets

Parliament election campaigns

Just a family of four going to the market.

Tuk-tuk, aka Kalasin's only form of taxi

We fit 7 of us in!

Cockroaches anyone?

Fried grasshoppers