Intense Thai Lessons and Host Families

For these first 5 weeks, we (17 students from Calvin College, Colorado College, Hamilton, Knox, etc...) are living with Thai host families and attending Thai school every day. We live all over Chiang Mai and either take public transportation (thai busses) or get driven by our host parents. The school (ISDSI) is situated a bit back from a busy highway, in a complex with lots of trees and hammocks. There are a few classrooms on the second floor and little offices for the staff on the first floor. We are in Thai school from 8am-noon, then there is a lecture in the afternoon. Our lecture subjects range from Thai politics to geography to agriculture.
So far I have learned part of the alphabet, the numbers, lots of foods, and basic verbs. Everyday our heads hurt.

My host family is very nice, sometimes hilarious.
My father is a furnature salesman. He makes copies of expensive couches and sells them cheaper. He likes using his English and used to be a streetcar racing driver (like 'the fast and the furious'. neon lights, subwoofers, and an orange steering wheel).
My mother is a nurse and cooks marvelously. I say everything she makes is delicious and she likes that. She also smiles a lot.
My little brother Net (18) is finished with high school and studying for entrance exams for the university. He is very smart, relaxed, and proficient in English. Net always helps me with my Thai homework.
My other little brother, Not (12) is 12. He likes playing badminton, online golf, and always comes home from school with stains on his shirt. If you ask him a question and he doesn't know the answer, he makes something up. Example: "Not- have you ever gotten a hole-in-one on online golf?" "Yes, yes, it is easy" (completely untrue).

And apparently when a Thai family decides they want to host a student from America, they find another family to host a student too. This way the two Thai families can get together and watch their two American students converse like furbies.
My mother works with Ally's mother, so our families get together a lot. Ally goes to Calvin, so we know each other and it's nice to have a friend. She comes over for dinner, movies, and we take the same bus to school every day. We also get iced coffees every morning for 15 baht. They are the best iced coffees on planet earth and cost 45 cents.

For pictures of the school and general information about the program, you can visit the ISDSI website-
www.isdsi.org

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