February 5, 2007
Wow what a crazy whirlwind trip I had.  In a way I am happy to be home and in a way I am going crazy.  I have decided I can’t stand my job.  This is very unfortunate because I love the kids and the whole staff minus Dick and his crazy ideas and dictatorship management style.  Basically I need to tell him exactly how I feel and then leave.  This is the type of confrontation I dread so I am kind of avoiding it for the moment. 
I got home from the field trip to the sea Saturday night and checked my email.  Daniel and Flora were both online at the same time so we all decided to meet up on Sunday, the only day we all had off.  So after falling in to my room and hardly unpacking I got up in the morning and headed for Chiang Mai.  What a great day.  Basically I just got to hang out with Daniel and Flora and other friends interspersed throughout the day.  We sat and talked and walked around the flower festival.  There were so many great floats all decorated in flowers (of course) and all of the entries in the orchid competition, wow so many different types, colors, sizes they were all amazing.  Then we all got foot massages, what a great idea.  In almost every market or festival there are chairs where you can get a ½ hour foot massage for 60 baht ($1.75).  Later that night in the market I actually translated for Flora.  It is always a great feeling to have enough of a handle on a language that you can understand and help out.  I guess I do speak a little Thai.
In fact I was so confused today that I was hardly thinking straight.  While waiting for a ride home from the market I saw a whole group of Farangs.  Several cute guys, but hey I am on my way home and they are leaving etc.  As they loaded up of the song Tao I said, “have a nice trek” as the only other farangs that go to that market are on their way to a trek.  One guy asked if I was going with them.  I said no and the cutest one of them all (it’s the eyes, I am a sucker for striking eyes) said why not?  This got me thinking; well I only have my purse and some random things from my room in CM with me.  It would be an awkward trip if I had to carry this craziness (book, face wash, lotion, sarong, traditional Thai outfit, Popsicle sticks, a painting and a watermelon).  So I declined and blew a kiss goodbye.  Then he winked at me.  Damn it.  I was all set to forget about it.  They drove off and I thought, hey why not?  I don’t want to go back to the school anyway right?  So I ran off and cut them off at the pass, said I wanted to go and hopped in.  Great, spontaneous this was going to be fun.  We started driving and I realized I also had Sarah’s passport she left in CM.  I can’t run off with that so I said I couldn’t go, please let me out.  They were so confused and I think everyone thought I was crazy but hey, I kind of am.
As I walked back I said “wow I can’t believe I almost went on that trek” “Wow, why didn’t I?”  “Wow I am talking to myself”.  And I was saying this all out loud.  Oh well back to starfish and it is time to pack.