The seasons in Thailand seem marked by heat (more or less), and rain (more or less). This is the hot/rainy season. Perhaps there will be a less hot/rainy season, a less hot/less rainy season, and a less hot/more rainy season, but no discernible change in light. Currently, the sky opens up, thunder rolls and cracks. It's quite marvelous. Then comes the deluge. It stops for a moment and then begins again. It is refreshing because it wipes away the smog and the noise for awhile.

The house where I live is spacious. The windows open jalousie style. The house is located behind a wall, with several other houses, inside a wrought iron fence.  It has a communal sensibility. The grounds are immaculately kept.  My neighbor is a Spaniard and his wife is Thai. He teaches at my same school. There is also a couple from the Dominican Republic who teach at the International school.  School begins here on May 16th. I've attended orientation, though I'm still mystified as to the system. I'll be team teaching with a Thai teacher, which will, no doubt, prove helpful in negotiating this new system.

I've traversed Chiang Rai from one end to the other on foot. It's a fascinating place, full of open air markets, temples, gardens, lush growth and flowers.  The Thai people are gracious in the extreme. They have seen to me from the first moment I arrived: taking me for a meal, shopping for essentials, and understanding my strange western ways. I wish we Americans were as gracious to newcomers amongst us. Even strangers try to help me. One gentleman sent his teen-aged son over to inquire if I was lost (I was) and to direct me toward home.

Suwadeekah!

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