Got Rice?

My entry point for this first ever post is a wonderful piece of information from the Peace Corps Thailand Welcome Book:


"The staple food of Thailand is rice, so you will find a variety of rice dishes for ALL THREE MEALS (I added the emphasis). For example, you might have boiled rice with some type of meat for breakfast, fried rice or noodles with or without meat for lunch, and boiled white or brown rice with curry or stir-fried vegetables for dinner."


So to those of you concerned about my general well being for these next 27 months...worry no more!!! Yes, there will be difficult times and I know I'll have bouts with homesickness and frustration. There may even be times when I'll write about how I have no idea as to what I'm doing or what I'm supposed to do. I will be sick at times and I know I'll have my fair share of gastrointestinal issues. But through it all, do not worry too much. For in spite of all the challenges I may face, I will surely be a happy eater. And when push comes to shove, happy eaters are always very good survivors!

There is of course, much more for me to be excited about other than the abundance of rice. With less than two weeks to go before I leave, I am looking forward to so much! I feel that this upcoming experience will be the first time that I fully stretch myself. I say this because as I look at some of the defining moments of my life that have involved some sort of moving out from a comfort zone--moving to the United States for college; living with minors in conflict with the law in the Philippines; representing the Philippines in a conference in Japan; and backpacking around Europe-- I notice that while these events did require some adjustment, they never required me to leave my comfort zone completely. I either spoke the language or was familiar with the culture or was surrounded by people travelling as well or I simply did not stay long enough for the romance of a new place to wear off.

In Thailand however, I will be living in a place where so much will be unfamiliar, where I will have to learn how to say "can you help me" or "where is the bathroom?" or "please pass the rice" in another language. I will be living in a place where the air will smell like an unfamiliar spice and every new crossroad will look just like the previous one (though those familiar with my horrible sense of direction will say that that is already the case for me). Perhaps the most beautiful thing about this experience (and certainly the one that I am most excited about) is that I will be there long enough to truly be there. In the grand scheme of things, 27 months may not seem like much but I have a strong feeling that it will be a substantial amount of time for pretty special things to happen.

And hence this online journal. I will be using this journal to post pictures, share stories, and tell of my adventures (and misadventures) in Thailand. I figure it will be a good way for me to keep family and friends updated as I go about filling my cup with experiences (and my belly with rice). Do feel free to leave comments on the blog and, even better, do feel free to visit me in Thailand! I hope this journal allows me to paint a picture of my life in Thailand as the foreign slowly becomes the familiar and the spices become distinguishable. And who knows? With some work, the crossroads might even become recognizable.