Not ANOTHER wedding!!

Ugg weddings.... they rush you in and of course that means to the women's section. Everyone pushes for a seat and I mean everyone. Grannies elbowing kids, kids pushing and screaming at grannies. You bully your way to a seat and then the waiters throw your food at you. You eat as fast as humanly possible and make as big a mess as humanly possible. You laugh, you yell, you swat your kids and spit out chicken bones. It is utter chaos. The bride sits on the dias surrounded by clicking photos and and video cameras. She looks like she is in hell. I know I am in hell. I know that I never want to get married in this context. Ugg. So that is the women's side. The men's side (yes I used my foreigner status to mosy on into the male domain) is quiet, almost somber. The men talk, they laugh a little, the eat and proudly shake the grooms hand (who is also sitting on a dias though he looks like he hit the jackpot and not like its the end of his life). Yes the men's side is much more chill. A refuge from the insanity of the world that is little kids, screaming female relatives and old ladies shaking curry slathered fingers.

I am more used to it though getting these insane wedding invites. I am a status symbol as a guest.... "Did you know that so and so had the foreigner come to her wedding.... blah blah blah...." Its ok though, since most of the time I am hungry anyway. Its a free meal. Today the guys at the bank looked at me with a dissaprooving glance. "Madame" they said, "You must eat more rice you are looking too thin. We have noticed it since the last time you came here." Yeah its true I have trouble eating and cooking and shopping for food. I really do have serious food issues from childhood. But hey I am skinny now, I guess that is good. I do eat just not a lot.

Its just getting hot and I have a lot of work to do. I went to a picnic with my college two days ago. We went to another tea garden and had a boat ride and went hiking. I learned how to tap a rubber tree and how to pick tea. Manual labor thank you no! We had a loud speaker on the bus and they begged me to sing. "Please Ms. Maya sing your national anthem!!!" So roaring down the road through town I belted out the American national anthem...."OH SAY CAN YOU SEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!" Yeah I had a bit of perverse pleasure with that. Sneak attack America!

Just been teaching and loving it and adding to my class load. We are starting an English club too among other things. And of course I am working on the plans for my Thailand trip. YES!!!! So excited about that. Che will be coming back with me... am I repeating myself... yup. Anyway I am excited. I also bought myself some cane furniture complete with ants and termites. But I dont mind, the insects are not so scary anymore. I let the spiders live in my house because they eat all the other nasties.

Life is fine. Its getting really hot though. Monsoons will be coming........

M