DAY TWO: KASETSART UNIVERSITY & DR. YINGYOONG

Day two started off waking up at KU-Home, a hotel on Kasetsart University's campus. I tried a traditional breakfast of boiled fish soup (actually not fishy at all) with black tea, and an omelet.

We met the faculty of Agriculture and received a program orientation after breakfast. Dr. Motsenbocker gave a little introduction of the College of Ag at LSU, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ed Sarbol gave a special lecture on agriculture in Thailand giving us a better idea of what commodities are grown in this region of the world.

We then met the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture and enjoyed a fantastic meal including cuttlefish, squid, and squash! (So far I'm obsessed with the food here).

Three Thai women will be traveling with us for the extent of the trip -- Sue, Ghan, and Ahn. They are associated with the university. Between Sue's English and Dr. Motsenbocker's Thai, translation becomes much easier.

After lunch, we took a quick little walk around our hotel and then we headed off to Dr. Yingyoong's home in Baan Suang Yai Chan. On the way there we stopped by a day market which was extremely different from the markets back home. It never even occurred to me how different the produce would be over here! So far, all the vegetables and fruits that we have gotten to try have been delicious.

We enjoyed a great meal on the water that night, which was served family style. The traditional soup that was served to start the meal was so incredibly hot, most of us couldn't even finish it. Katie actually broke out in a sweat and took probably twenty minutes to recover. We were shocked to find that the spice was considered "so-so" to the Thai's. Some stereotypes are true! Now we're taking our time working up to the spice.

Dr. Yinyoong's home is beautiful. He lives in an organic orchard very secluded from the surrounding areas. We arrived after sunset, so we could only really see his home, but it was very simple and efficient with many handmade crafts. His hospitality was incredible.

I slept in my hammock in a covered area outside, allowing the crickets and frogs lull me to sleep....only to be woken up by roosters at all hours of the night. But it was still a great night's sleep!

So far, I've been enjoying being a minority again. I've been reminiscing back to Haiti where I experienced what it felt like being a minority for the first time. It is an extremely humbling experience, one I think all white Americans should really experience. I do like it though. I love learning the culture. I love being the ignorant one that keeps forgetting how to say hello in Thai (Kap ku kun). I know that doesn't make sense, but it's very refreshing. And the Thai's are so, so kind. They love sharing their culture. I can't imagine a better experience.

And with that, language has been on my mind a lot. It's interesting how languages are stored in similar areas of the brain. I almost accidentally speak Creole (the native language of Haiti) all the time because it comes more naturally to me than Thai. It's a very difficult language for English speakers. There are many sounds that they use that we never use in English.

Only one day in Thailand, and it's already been an unforgettable experience.

Anna Claire

Photos will be one tab over! I may not be able to add captions tonight, but I will try to soon!

Also how crazy is it that we are 12 hours ahead of central time?