From the Land of Smiles...

i finally got my camera!

Hey everybody,

just like my title says, i got my digital camera finally...so there will be pictures coming soon, i just have to figure out how to work it..

oh, and i went to my school yesterday, and they gave me my classes...music, cooking, thai language, math, art, history, and i'm going to be helping teach some english classes...ohhhh, and guess what....on thursday i have to go to school and introduce my self to the entire school...over 2000 people...ahhhh...i'm soo nervous, you all know how much i hate talking in front of people, and this is 2000...i'm so scared..oh and they gave me a thai name...its lalita (which means young girl) pitutacha (which is the last name of my host family)...its pretty eh?

ok, everyone seems to want to know the same things, so i'm going to post some stories here....and its going to be long, so i'm warning you now...

The plane rides were sooo long...my first flight was delayed, so i was waiting in the toronto airport for an extra 45 minutes...and then i had a 5 1/2 hour flight to LA where i was sitting next to a woman and her squirming toddler...but it was ok...and i watched monster-in-law on that flight...i also opened all my cards and presents...thank you sooo much guys...you made me cry soo much...but it was good crying because i new that you guys were all behing me supporting me, but i already missed you all...and then at the LA airport i had to run to a completely new building to my next flight...and believe me the LA airport is big, the biggest in the world i think. Then i got on to my next flight...19 1/2 hours to singapore..the plane was really nice, and they had tv's in the back of every headrest and you could watch tons of movies and start and stop them as you pleased...i watched fever pitch and slept alot...then in taipei we stopped to refill the gas and the crew switched, so we had to get off the plane for about an hour...and then i got on again and we flew to singapore...i watched the interpreter...then i got to the singapore airport, which was the nicest of all of them and had some time to walk around a bit before my 2 1/2 hour flight to bangkok....and don't worry...i never got hungry...they fed me all the time,. but it was so weird because you never really knew what time it was, because of all the time changes...so i just ate every few hours,lol.

Then I got to the bangkok airport and had to stand in line for about a half hour to go through customs..and then i went down the stairs to the baggage claim area...and there was a guy standing there with a sign with my name on it...i thought, yay, he's going to help me find my bags and go to my host family...but he just brought me over to the baggage assistance area and they told me that my bags had been delayed...great...i had to try sooo hard not to cry...i was tired and stressed. then I started walking out towards the exit, and the guy who had the sign before came running out and asked me if someone was coming for me...i think he could tell the frustration and the fact that i didnt know where i was going. He took me out to where people came to meet you. There was a huge crowd, everyone holding signs with people's names on them, and i couldnt see my name anywhere...then a guy came out and grabbed my arm and pulled me into the crowd...my family was waiting there, and they gave me a bouquet of red roses. My counsellor and a bunch of other people were there too... they gave me a cell ohone and told me to call my mother so i called my mom to let her know that i got there safely. this probably wasnt the best idea when i was so overwhelmed...i started to cry while i was on the phone and had to get off before i really lost control... then a guy came up to me (a very good looking guy, lol) and introduced himself as loiz..he's from brasil and is staying in korat...i think he's been here since the spring...he game me his cell number and told me to call if i need anything...

then we left and drove home...my host family lives in a house above the stationary store that my host mother and her sister own...the house is small, but nice...i think that all houses here are smaller than houses in canada...i have my own room and it is very big... about the same size as my room in canada...

my host faamily is sooo nice...they're so helpful, and always worried about me...my host sister's name is Nook...she is 17, but in grade 11..she goes to a different school than i will be going to but speaks a little english...

my whole host family tries very hard to speak english and to make sure that i am happy, and they are all very nice...

all of the neighbours are very very nice too...the woman with the shop a few doors down gave me some traditional thai skirts yesterday...they are very fancy and very beautiful.

i hope to continue hearing from all of you,

i miss you all,
love,
-lauren aka. lalita

posted by Lauren @ 11:26 PM