- Morgan Hoehn 2013 Updates from Thailand cont'd

Sahwatdeeka! 

Karaoke dance parties, new Thai fruit discoveries, traditional Thai outfits, friends, and markets OH MY! 

My week has involved putting on the Ritz, dancing funky new dances, and releasing my inner superstar. The Thai dance performance couldn't have gone better as the elegant moves rocked the opening act for the district meeting. I could have been overdressed for the Ritz Carlton with the amount of bling I had on my head from my traditional Thai outfit. I was a goddess. The ladyboy who styled me iced me like a birthday cake putting makeup everywhere- even my armpits and ankles. I'm not kidding. It was so much fun though. Especially when after the dance finished I ended up going to the Saturday night walking street all decked out in my Thai silk and gold. As if being a foreigner didn't attract enough attention already, I was more popular than Justin Bieber in an ocean full of 13 year old "Beliebers". Again, I'm not kidding. And again, it was so much fun. 

My week has just been full of dancing and singing. I must be the party. My Thai friends have been teaching me the new song that seems like the Thai version of Gangnam Style through random karaoke sessions in class. It's called Nan Ok and has a very funky dance that goes along with it. There's a talent show coming up at my school and my friends have entered me in it and I just found out today. It's on Friday. They will be picking what I will be doing, however it seems like it is coming down between singing a love song to the audience or dancing the funky Nan Ok. We'll see what happens but for the meantime, I'll be preparing my superstar side for fame. 

Not only have I newly discovered that I can apparently sing and dance, but I have discovered a new fruit! The flavor varies between a sour grapefruit and lychee, but the texture is like a gooey but yet starchy gumball potato. It also can be used as a ball seeing as it's sort of bouncy and before eating it you have to smack it on the table for a few minutes to soften it up. Thailand never fails to leave me with a day unspectacular or without a smile!
 
Take care!
Until next week, 
 
Tubtim

Sahwatdeeka!
Banana leaves and spinning Muay kicks and rainstorms OH MY!
Wai-Kru Day was absolutely amazing and the banana leaf Kratongs were gorgeous! My class won first place for the most beautiful banana leaf creation and what a celebration that was! There were a lot of banana leaves everywhere like I thought there would be and along with the leaves came the bananas themselves! If I eat any more bananas, I may actually turn into one.
As for Muay Thai things couldn't be going better. Though I am just a beginner I have to say I look and feel pretty tough attempting the spinning in the air Super Smash Bros/Kim Possible style kicks my teacher is trying to teach me. I have almost got it, but I'm still missing a theme song and that slow-motion hovering as I try and do a 360 spin in the air with my leg flung out to the side. Almost got it. (haha)
My fun story of the day today was I went out for lunch with my host dad and while at the mall, I wandered over to a lady selling Buddha images and Chinese luck charms. We got to talking and before I knew it she was showering me in blessings and thanking me for coming to talk to her and asking me for advice and taking my picture and she even gave me a beautiful red bracelet to match my name Tubtim. (Tubtim also means Ruby) She was so nice and kind and generous however I was pretty confused as to why she was treating me like I was a princess. She must have sensed my confusion and she told me "The way you think positively of life and the way you speak makes me happy and because you made me happy I wish you good luck."  I told my host dad about it when I walked back to the table and he told me that the woman is a very well-known fortune teller in Phitsanulok.  It was very interesting! Not every day is it that I receive compliments like that and by making her day, it made my day too. I am so glad I curiously wandered over and starting talking. You never know the people you can meet and the memories you can make just by saying hello.

I hope you all have a very wonderful and lucky week too!
Take care!!
 
Tubtim