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Thailand #3 (Chiang Mai)

Sahwahdee khrap from Thailand!

The rule of thumb for getting government work done here in Thailand is that if it takes one hour in the states, it’ll take one day in Thailand. Two hours, it will take two days. Needless to say, I have spent days and days this month in government offices getting paperwork done, Visas, drivers license, proof or residency, the list goes on!

I am stoked to report that huge progress has been made this month in regards to getting settled!

I now live in a house with a banana tree out back and a lime tree shared by the neighbor. I love it. Yesterday I figured out how to get clean drinking water delivered to the house in big jugs and it was a huge victory in the nesting process! I’ve got a bed and a little desk, a perfect little propane stove, and our pantry closet got delivered yesterday (closets and shelves are not a really a thing in Thailand). I feel incredibly thankful for the house that Paul and I live in.

 

I bought a motorcycle off of Facebook two weeks ago and its amazing how much freedom you feel when you are not waiting on Ubers or public transportation every 30 minutes while doing errands. Another big victory is being able to get around a handful of places without using my GPS on my phone. Pulling over every few kilometers to check where to turn gets exhausting in heavy traffic.

I spent a day getting my drivers license last week and the very next day I was pulled over at a police check-point. The look on their faces was priceless when I whipped out my Thai moto license.

Still can’t use the hot-plate that came in our kitchen. Need to get the Thai buttons figured out.

We are currently on the back-end of “winter” here in Thailand. February-March is the season when the farmers burn the old crops and along with it, plastic and other harmful pollutants. The pollution hit me like a wall upon arrival and I actually spent the majority of my time for a few days inside, slept with a filter mask, and my sinuses weren’t doing well. Never experienced anything quite like that in terms of air pollution. Today you cannot even see the mountain to the west of Chiang Mai due to the smog. Thank God for 3M filter masks! I have been doing great the past few weeks with only an occasional sore throat.

I begin Thai Language classes on Monday and am nervous and excited! I’ve learned a few phrases the past few weeks and its fun to even say “hello,” “thank you,” or “little bit” when they ask if you want your food spicy.

A prayer I have is that I can begin to build friendships with Thai and farangs (foreigners) and that I can stay positive with this very challenging language. Thank you for your financial support and prayers and please reach out if you have any questions!

 

Taking things one day at a time,

Ravi