Sabai dee mai? HOT.

Let’s talk about this heat.

Now granted, I don’t come from a hot climate. I’m from the land of -20 degree snowy winter days, clearly defined four seasons and mild, enjoyable summers. A Wisconsin kid in Thailand will be the first to tell you it’s hot here. Immediately after arriving I wondered if I would ever leave the indoor comfort of air conditioning or more realistically, a cheap fan blowing in your face. On the off chance that a breeze appears, everyone seems to stop and spread themselves wide in order to reap the full, albeit brief, benefits of some sort of air movement. I’ve been sweating out of orifices I didn’t even know existed until I came here. I have consumed more water in the past week than I would drink in 3 months back home because the sweat drains out of you at alarming speeds. It’s really no wonder Thais are so relaxed and move much slower than Americans – because of the heat! Anyone who knows me knows that I walk fast. Really fast. But here, I find myself slowing down. I accredit this largely because of the lethargy produced by the heat and partly because of the lax attitudes of the Thai that I hope I’m beginning to acquire.

All this being said, you really do get more used to it. I no longer feel oppressed by the air when I go outside, the sweat has simply become a part of me, and a fan after a cold shower has become my best friend.

Weather talk aside, we officially began our TESOL course yesterday! The past week has been more of an introductory period where we all get to know each other, go on planned excursions and explore the new city every night. In other words, it was freshman year welcome week all over again. Throughout the week I got the opportunity to meditate to the sound of ocean waves, get blessed by a Buddhist monk with an iPad, feed fermented pineapple to a pregnant elephant, meet local rescue dogs, and swirl paint colors into beautiful designs at an artist village. Here are some photos from my first week in Hua Hin complete with harmonica-ing elephants, cliff dwelling temples and the best damn pineapple I’ve ever tasted.