"Just admiring your beaver..."

Yes. Yes, I did say that to a Director at Starcom during one of my interviews last Monday. WHO has a stuffed beaver in their office? Then again, who calmly states to a heavy-around-the-middle grown man, "Hello, just admiring your beaver" before entering his corner my-walls-are-all-windows-because-I'm-important-here desk. 9 hours of discussing yourself to complete strangers throwing out questions like "why should we hire you?" "give me an example of a time when you negotiated with a superior and did not succeed?" while attempting to recreate your inanimate experiences into something successful and hopefully indirectly hitting each and every skill the job position "requires" can be quite daunting. It actually made the following ....ohhh... 56 hours of travel seem like baking Christmas cookies with your family next to a nice fireplace. Contingent, obviously, on whether or not you like your family... or cookies... or if you have a fireplace?

Luckily, I successfully made all my connections and managed to sleep through both meals on my 15ish hour flight to Taiwan from San Francisco. Double lucky, I was greeted at my hostel in Bangkok by one Sean Lopez - who quite frankly looked like a ginger version of the abominal snowman. A tiny room, two twin beds not exaggeratedly 3 inches apart, and an in-unit toilet WITH a flusher. Basically we were living like kings (well I was living more like a princess...).

Thai New Year was celebrated Tuesday - Thursday (I arrived Thursday morning). Not sure what to expect I assumed streets filled with colorful cloth, life-size ornate dragons dancing through the streets celebrating, etc. Not even close. Total war zone. Mass chaos erupted moments after leaving my hostel for the streets. What historically started as a means to cool down (it falls on the hottest part of the year in Thailand) in celebration of the passing of the previous year, cool water was thrown on the streets was now equivalent to a moist dance party thrown my tiny thai devils. No mercy was shown for anyone. Do NOT bring electronics - you literally will be drenched to the core. Young woman dancing nearly naked on tables aligning the streets, several people walking around with bowls of a clay mixture that is rubbed on faces, necks, foreheads, arms, and the occasional eyelid, and squirt guns with names like 'Super Soaker CPS4100' were not uncommon. I felt like I was twelve - the actual age I respond with when asked what age I would be if I could stay that age forever. I'm certain I still have clay in my hair and in my ears. I like the dirtiness - it is quite liberating.

I leave tomorrow for Phuket - beach time baby, and some not so much anticipated structure as my certification program begins Monday. Shucks.


My savior here: 7Eleven Big Gulps

I kid you not, there are almost 5 on every street and the fountain Coke Zero reminds me of walks to class (I did not, however, ever walk to classes drinking fountain soda...but beside the point)

I love: Watermelon shakes

The freshest thing since Will Smith. Deeeeelish.


Asian observations: they love ancient floral suitcases; I went to buy new sandals and the petite woman looked at my feet and shewed me from her store.. apparently they don't have size LARGE; Tuk Tuk (three-wheel motor bikes with a cover - see picture) drivers are your friends; nail clippers are yet to be infiltrated into their culture; female eyebrows are to be drawn on the face; and my personal favorite... intense advertisements (see photo of disclaimer picture on a pack of cigarettes)

Tuk Tuk!