Thai food, Umbrellas, Hot Springs and McDonalds?

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Although it’s the weekend, there’s no time to rest! Our day was yet again jammed packed with things to do. The weather was cool and in the low 60’s like yesterday. Thank goodness i brought my jacket along! For breakfast I tried fried frog leg! That was a first for me… It kind of tasted like chicken. The first thing we did today was go to a food market and buy fresh ingredients for our Thai cooking class. We then traveled to a Thai cooking establishment and were instructed on how to make some traditional Thai dishes. We made Pad Thai, green chicken curry, papaya salad, and sticky rice with coconut sauce and mango. The green curry and papaya salad were both spicy so i couldn’t eat them. I did however enjoy the Pad Thai and sticky rice with mango. It was fun to pretend to be chefs and cook all of the food. Everything was so fresh, unlike American food. While we were eating our meal another couple came to have their cooking class. A few of us started talking to them and we found out they’re from Manchester. They had strong english accents which was so funny to hear in the middle of Thailand. It was refreshing though to be able to talk with a stranger who’s primary language is english. After eating our meal we took a picture with the instructor and then each received a Thai cookbook. I’m excited to try some of the recipes once I get home. Our buddies met up with us and then we went to a paper umbrella factory. There were beautiful umbrellas everywhere. I was expecting the factory to be inside, but it was outside and there were only a few people showing us how they traditionally make umbrellas. It looks like it takes such a long time to make just a single umbrella. I wonder if they have a secret mechanical factory that produces them now, and the old ladies doing the work is just for show. My favorite part of the umbrella factory was getting my headband painted. I got two elephants and my Thai name painted on it in gold. It turned out really well and only cost 100 baht ($3). I also bought a super cute paper lantern that has a tassel on it and flowers pressed into the paper. It was more expensive than I wanted it to be, but i really liked it. I wanted to get a lantern so now I can cross that off my list. 3pm rolled around and I was ready to head back to the college, when I was informed that we were going to a hot spring! The ride to the hot spring was beautiful, The mountains were all surrounding us, and there was lots of greenery. I assumed when we got to the hot springs that we’d just walk over to it, look at it for a little bit and then leave, but i was wrong. It was actually a whole event! At this hot spring, you buy eggs in a bamboo basket and cook them for 10-15 minutes in the hot spring! I thought this was the funniest thing! My buddies bought quail egg and made me try some. To eat a quail egg Thai style, you pour soy sauce over it to give some salty flavor. I was pleasantly surprised because I actually liked the eggs! Nu kept forcing me to eat them although they were his eggs. After the 3rd one he tried to offer me another and I said no, to which he said “one more”. He then proceeded to offer me more eggs even when i refused the previous one. I ate 4 eggs total. The hot springs lived up to their names! The water was 105 degrees Fahrenheit. We tried to put our feet in the 40 degree celsius water, but it was so hot! We were joking around that people we getting first degree burns on their feet from the water. It was so cute, at the hot springs a few of the Thai buddies bought papaya salad, and like 8 of them gathered around in a circle and shared it. They care very much about one another, which I admire. After the hot springs we traveled to another walking street. This one felt more like a flea market than the one we had previously gone to. This walking street was not my favorite one. I hope we go back to the first walking street again because that one was the bestI bought a cute romper for 50 baht, some banana chips, candy, and of course food. I tried quite a few times to buy my buddies things tonight and each time they wouldn’t let me. I was even being sneaky and trying different tactics to buying them stuff, but they always caught me and forced me to put my money away. I will buy them something some day!. Also, at this walking street they played the Thai national anthem over the loud speakers and everyone froze in their positions. It was strange and reminded me of school when our national anthem would play. On the way home from the market we stopped at McDonalds. I got french fries and a coke, but my stomach didn’t handle them the best. I currently have an upset stomach, and i know a few of the other girls do as well. Hopefully sleep will make it better. Night

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