Lisu Village, Food & Midterms

This week has been a normal week in Chiang Mai. It's nice to feel like you really live here and are not just a tourist. This past weekend we took a trip to the Lisu village about an hour away. There we got a tour of the village and met the leader and religious leader of the village. While we were there they poured shots of rice and corn whiskey for us.  Yes our teacher was with us and he enjoyed some as well. The boys on the trip took full advantage of the free shots and had a long ride home.

Man who played music for us. Then we danced with the women of the village!

Handmade bags for sale, made by the Lisu women

This week I spent a lot of time going to the markets and working on homework and such. Since I don't have anything crazy exciting to talk about.. how about food! My diet here is a 180 from what I ate at home. I don't eat any of the food from home, and I had never tried the food I eat here everyday until I got here! Its pumpkin season in Thailand and the pumpkin is delicious, but it's very different than pumpkin at home!  I also love to eat nam prik num, which is a green chili dish that you eat with rice. The locals say it is spicy.. but it's not so bad! And I also love to eat sam tom, or papaya salad. This is shredded green papaya, carrots, green beans, tomatoes and peanuts!

I also eat tons of soup, not because I love it but because that is what is most available. Eating hot soup when it is nearly 100 degrees isn't always appealing but when your hungry, your hungry! When I eat soup it is really messy because the noodles are as long as spaghetti noodles and I'm trying to eat with chopsticks! Also when you buy anything here you get it in a plastic bag unless you sit down. Soup in a bag, pumpkin in a bag, chili in a bag, and even smoothies in a bag! I really am taking a liking to the food here but I most definitely miss the food back home!

Thai pumpkin! You eat the skin and all!

 

 

Som Tam!

Nam phrik num!

Noodle soup with mysterious meat balls!

This coming week we have midterms in all of our classes! I am studying a lot because I know they are going to be very hard! We also have some projects to complete as well. But after we finish midterms I am going to Bangkok for the weekend, which will be so much fun!!