the final days...in Sawankhalok

Hello!

I am sitting in the English office and the teachers and I are just about to leave for our end of the semester party/dinner. We are having it at one of the two air conditioned restaurants in Sawankhalok. The original plan was to have it at a Thai BBQ restaurant that is outside, but since the weather is pretty darn hot, we switched locations.

On that note, let me give you a brief rundown of the weather these days. It is HOT, and supposedly this is just phase one of the three phases of Thai summer (phase two = hotter, phase three = hottest). I'm trying to stay positive about the weather since it is bound to get even hotter, sweatier, humidier in the next two months. Just as a comparison, it is about 26 degrees Celsius right now and if you are outside in the sun, you are sweating. By the height of the summer, probably around April, the temperature will likely reach 43 degrees Celsius. In other words, the next couple months will be interesting...and will probably have me begging for Seattle weather! I've asked a few teachers what they do when it gets so hot, and most reply that they take showers and sit in their air conditioned houses. hmm...I will be traveling...but maybe I should plan a good portion of my travels to involve beaches?!

The Thai New Year, called Songkran, is in the middle of the summer (from April 14 - 16th). During the New Year celebrations, you sprinkle water on friends and family as a way to get a "fresh start for the new year." Supposedly, though, Songkran is basically a three-day water fight! I guess it makes sense when you think of the weather! I'm not sure yet where I will be for Songkran. Supposedly Chiang Mai is a great place to celebrate, and all of my students say Sawankhalok is really fun too! In either place, though, I've heard you basically spend the three days getting soaked!

Well, I have three days left of classes, and then one week of finals, and then the semester is over and I am finished teaching at Sawanan Wittaya School. Time has flown by, and I am attempting to soak it all in during these next two weeks (and also take lots of pictures and get addresses and contact information from friends). I am so appreciative for the experiences I've had and the people I've met in Sawankhalok.

Starting March 7th, I am embarking on over two months of traveling adventures! yikes! I've already made some plans to go to Cambodia, Vietnam, and islands in southern Thailand...but much of my planning is still in the works. I will return to Sawankhalok again before I leave for the U.S. on May 18th. My older sister, Beth, is coming to visit for two weeks in the beginning of May and I am excited to introduce her to Sawankhalok, plus it will be great to see all of my friends, teachers, and students again before I leave the country. As most of you probably know, Beth is doing the Peace Corps. in Uganda right now. She saved up enough vacation time to come visit and I am so excited to see her. It has already been over a year since we've seen each other, and I think Thailand will be a great setting for a reunion!

More to come...later!

I am thinking of you all! I hope all is well!

Love,
Kate