Meow

Wow! Two more days go by and lots has happened... I don't even know where to begin...
Sunday we started off by waking up early again to go to church.. LDS church this time. So so great.. the church really is true EVERYWHERE.. met lots of nice people. Thai's are some of the happiest people I know.. no wonder it's called the land of smiles, so humble and so happy! Something we can all learn from them. Anyway church was roughly translated by some missionaries, or by my friend Erin during relief society. After, we grabbed some lunch, then headed to Wat Suan Dok for a Monk Chat. Yup, that's what it's called. We got to have a Q&A with a monk... he was so cute and funny. We talked for a few hours.. it's really neat how you can really have a spiritual experience with other religions and other types of people. It was great to learn more about Buddhism first hand.. he emphasized that Buddhism is not a religion, but a practice.. a way of life.
After monk chat, we headed up to the forest wat, which was exactly that.. a wat in a forest.. more like pure jungle. Absolutely beautiful. Pictures soon, hopefully. We explored the wat, lost Eden (again).. more like she lost us haha, and got to the Sunday night walking market just in time for some blessed rain to come... finally!! The rain felt so good, since it cooled things off considerably. There are times of the day where it is just so hot, well most of the time, and the rain is a welcome friend. The street markets here are so much fun, and they have tons of beautiful handmade crafts.. I want to buy everything! But, hey, I have 3 months here so I gotta take my time in getting gifts, etc.
So today, Monday, was my first day of work. Jenna and I work together at the HIV/AIDS organization.. and that's about all we knew until we pulled up to a hut in a field. Then we couldn't communicate with anyone for a good amount of time until some blessed farangs came by! White people! communication! The couple ends up being the people who started this organization, Rainbow Tree, and moved to Thailand 17 years ago from the east coast in the states.. they have a really neat story. I won't go into detail here unless you want to read for hours haha. Anyway, we got to know Pam and Jerry pretty well this first day, and got a better idea of what we'll be doing here. Tomorrow, we're going with Pam to pick out colors and paper to buy for the patients to make cards and bags to sell to America and Australia.. but they get paid 3 to 4 times more than what's usual around here... enough for them to make a living.. which is great because these people have usually become outcasts in the community.. so much so that Pam and Jerry are working on making their own community for any outcasts to live and create a sustainable living, even after they leave back for the states in a few years.
K so everything is so crammed but there's just so many awesome things!
Oh, I have a Thai name, or nickname here since noone can say 'Meredith' very well... it's 'Meow'.. yup, like a cat! Oh man they laugh everytime they introduce me to someone, but I love my new nickname. Very fitting for a future cat lady herself. #Winning #ForeverAlone
So at the organization, after Jenna and I got to know the other farangs, may or may not have taken a nap (Thai culture is very sabai, laid back, so it was more like a hangout than work!), we then started talking with these two ladies, Umpaa and Moi - a younger girl maybe 13.. well talking as in teaching each other Thai/English words.. we'd pick up a pen and say 'pen. Thai?' and they'd tell us the Thai word for pen.. something like 'bakaa'. It was a lot of fun.. I think by the end of this we'll hopefully have picked up some good Thai phrases and vocabulary!
So it's getting close to bedtime here, but I just got home from Erin's friends house.. Erin served her mission in Thailand and she's with our group, so it's nice to have her around to translate! Anyway she mentioned she was going with her friend to FHE so they came and picked me up on his motorcycle, oh man it was a fun ride! The wind felt so good on my face, too. So after many funny looks (a Thai and two farangs on a motorcycle) we made it, and I had a great time with his family. Coming home it became a family event, and we sort of got mixed up getting me home because I still don't know exactly where I live or how to get here so that was a treat haha. But I'm back in one piece, happy, exhausted, and ready for a good nights sleep!
I'm realizing that my posts are going to be difficult to keep short, but this is the best way to update all my family about what's going on out here, so I hope whoever wants to read this does and enjoys so! Also, sorry no pictures yet on the blog, some are already on facebook though, I'll work on it soon. Kop Khun Ka!