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Published: March 12th 2011
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Site Visit
Alright folks so I know where I will be spending the next two years of my life and the winner is Jangwat Roi-Et. Yes go and google it right now and find out where I am going! I'm headed to Isan which is in the North East of Thailand and is exactly where I thought I would be going. I was exctied to hear that I would be headed to Isan, and even more excited to find out nearly half of our group was headed in that direction as well.
I'll be moving up to Roi-Et in a few days, but I have had the opportunity to visit it so this is what I learned.
1.) I've spent months learning Thai only to go to an area that speaks Isan. It's alright though because most people understand Thai as well and throw Isan at me and start laughing when I look even more confused than usual. On top of most people speaking Isan, many of my counterparts speak English as well. Lucky me!
2.) My area is a Tessaban so it is a bit bigger. The healtch office is gorgeous, the goverment building is
huge and they have a brand new soccer field. Even better, I've joined the soccer team and have a big game on April 24th! And there is a soccer festival. A week long soccer festival, how amazing is that!!
3.) I already have a house to move into at the end of April. Its two floors, three rooms and best of all a western toilet. Yup no squat toilet and real toilet you can sit on. There is a sofa and a T.V. and a bed! A bet in a bed frame, not a matress on the floor. I'm pretty excited, but that leaves me with two empty rooms so if anyone wants to visit me theres certainly room!
4.) The scenery isn't the most beautiful this time of year. Roi-et has just one growing season and it is not now so there is just dead fields everywhere, but when the growing season come around I imagine it looks quite beautiful. A sea of green surrounding me!
5.) Dance Aerobics class is a lot of fun and right near my future house. I got to particapate while I was on my site visit and it kicked my
ass. But it was a lot of fun and I can't wait to get out there every night!
6.) Isan food is well different. Sticky rice for every meal and for dinner I had some delicouse grasshoppers. Yes grasshoppers and yes they were delicouse. Well that might be stretching it they didn't have much of a taste minus the overload of salt thrown on them. I gotta say I would take the grasshoppers over the overload of random meats I had at lunch time. But I grin and bear it and know that in a month I'll be able to cook for myself and hopefully go back to being a vegetarian.. with some grasshoppers on the side.
Overall my trip to Roi-Et was fantastic. I met some amazing people that I can't wait to work with. Better start learning some Isan!
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Bob Carlsen
non-member comment
Roiet
I just ran across your blog and decided to subscribe given that I spent many years in Isan growing up. So I am looking forward to your impressions. I lived on Korat, and visited friends in Roiet in the early 60's. We spent a day harvesting ricefields. Have fun.