STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Ok, Russ, what's been happening that I should be writing about?"

"Me."

"What?"

"Me."

Oh right. So Russ is here. He's a good friend of Mike Kurtz' from Amherst. I think we had met once at a party in Amherst. But anyway, he's been to Chiang Mai a couple of times and is back again. This time he's taking Thai classes at AUA for a couple of weeks and then is off to do other things. He's a writer and stuff so he can be away and still get paid. Good for him.

I met him on a Monday I think, and then that Thursday I offered to help him look for a guesthouse where he could stay until Monday when he was going to move into the guestroom in my house.

The search was pretty unsuccessful and I ended up offering him the extra bed in my room. (I don't really have furniture, so I had been using the extra bed as a dresser/desk/table). It was kind of intense. To share a room and bathroom with someone you just met. We also had 5 other people staying at the house at the same time. It was pretty nuts. I never really realized it before, but the door to my bathroom isn't a real door, it's a piece of wood with a bunch of slits in it, so nothing's really private. It's not just my bathroom door, they're all like that, even the one in the kitchen, but it's just weirder if someone who isn't you is using it.

So, I'll be honest, that first weekend was kind of weird. BUT, once the 5 people left and Russ moved into the guestroom everything changed. First, I actually knew him, which was better than not really knowing him. Second, I got to move my stuff back to the bed. I think I had just thrown it back on the floor. (Beth throwing stuff on the floor??? No way! I know, it's hard to believe)

Ratchapreuk -

I tried to do the flower festival with Jeff and Paeng but something never clicked. I think I was sick or just getting over being sick or something. And I remember sleeping on a lawn and then on bench, eating overpriced noodle soup and the drink place being out of water. And something with rubber trees. But we missed all the cool stuff!!! Luckily, I got another pair of free tickets (THANK YOU AE!!) and Katie and I went and tried again, the second to last day it was open.

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!! We went to the big orchid exhibit which was pretty amazing. I forgot my camera, but Katie took pictures and I'll put the link at the end. Then, after the orchids, we went to the international gardens. Most were pretty pathetic, but some were amazing! Actually, Morocco was amazing. The gardens weren't as much gardens as much as big ads for the countries, but that was fine. In "Morocco" there were Moroccan couches on a Moroccan rug with a Moroccan guy serving Moroccan tea and coffee for 20 baht. (Katie in a nutshell - she grew up in London, but she's Irish, and don't call her anything else or else she'll beat you up. But she's been living in France for the last couple of years and she speaks French)

Russ - Fun
Ratchapuek - Fun