Muay Sacon

Write first! Title later!
That's a must for me. While I'm writing this... at this point in time... I'm title-less.

OKAY! First thing's first. Chinese New Year! It wasn't as big as I expected it to be, and it clashed with the Chinese Lantern Festival... apparently it's the same day. Nonetheless, the temple was decorated all pretty-like, and extended host family came to visit. They turned out to be rather fun. So later that day I took the nice red top that my old host family gave me, and slapped on my blue Chinese dress that I bought while in Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai. We went to the temple first, wai'd, and took pictures. One of the newspaper photographers wanted a shot of me. I thought that was pretty cool, even though I wasn't wearing a red dress. I don't know if I wound up in the newspaper, I guess I have to ask my host family - it doesn't matter, though. It was the whole 'option' factor that made me giggle a little.
After visiting the wat, we went over to Centerpoint/The Night Market and ate at "The Beer Garden," where I ate some Somtam [mai sai pli' brrio won], eggrolls, fish, Pad Thai, you name it. I got rather full. Then we all piled home.
[ Pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/gecko.on.the.wall/ChineseNewYear ]

The next day everyone went to Laos [except me - my host dad made sure I knew that in a very teasing manner - lol], while I went to see my friend Crissy off on the plane. I met Crissy in Muay Thai class. She's from Ireland, a really fun person to be friends with. Anyway, I had coffee and banana bread with her and saw her off.
When I got back home, I had to change because I would soon be going to Muay Thai, which [after I got there] I found wasn't going to be held? Apparently the teacher left early, had to do something. Oh well.
Pi-Duh came over [she's pretty rad - host aunt], we had a big BBQ after all the rest of the family got back from Laos. Ribs, salad and Thai food [of course, I mean... I *am* in Thailand].

Sunday they left, - and I actually got up to eat breakfast with them before they did so. Ended up eating a Vietnamese breakfast. Not bad, really. Then Kun-Meh had the idea of taking pictures of the flowers and doggies while the sun was rather "nice."
[ Pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/gecko.on.the.wall/BreakfastGoodbye ]

I have a new friend at Muay Thai, she's older than she looks, half-Thai, half-Japanese. She's pretty fun, too. Speaks English a little, but I usually speak Thai with her. Which is good, of course. I got some pictures of her practicing. I also got a few pictures of everyone else practicing........ the other day.
[ Pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/gecko.on.the.wall/MuayThai ]

"The Other Day" included running, and finding out what the higher-ranked people in my Muay Thai class do while waiting for it to begin - they play Sepak Takraw.
[ Pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/gecko.on.the.wall/SepakTakraw ]

Then there's yesterday. Happy Belated Valentines, hope you had "a good one." My sewing class gave me candies and told me they love me. Then we proceeded to take lots of pictures. There was also this large cook-out inside the school for the sewing departments for Valentine's Day. Somtam, TomYam, and fried chicken. Everything but the chicken was spicy, so I kept to that and downed it with some red Fanta.
[ Pictures - http://picasaweb.google.com/gecko.on.the.wall/AschiwaValentineSDay ]
Yesterday was also my last day at school. Summer vacation started today, and will last for 2 monthes [exactly].
Too bad it's cold right now.

Yesterday I also fell down while going up the stairs. Now my leg hurts. Along with the giant bruise [attatched].
Thought I'd mention that to let you know I haven't changed into someone else [or abducted by aliens] and am still... normal me. Haha, peace out.

Moni Neko

P.S. - On Wednesday, since the teacher didn't come to school, I headed over to Palaat because [Aijan] Sirir invited me to come over and "spar." [Spar = not serious fight, no hurting.] It wasn't Muay Thai [with kicking], just regular [international] boxing, called Muay Sacon. It was rather difficult for me because I'm so used to Muay Thai, due to all the kicking involved. Nonetheless, I won. Yay! :)
P.S. S. - I think Aijan [Du'ean] (Muay Thai teacher) will want me to fight Muay Thai before I go back home - he's already teaching me the traditional Thai [warm-up] dance called "Ram Muay Thai," I'm still learning it, but it's getting decent...