Amor es Perros

(Love is a Bitch).

It's valentines day and I just witnessed two dogs having sex. Sorry for our younger members/ people with class in our audience. Morgan, maybe you should stop here; this story isn't as cute as the ones I wrote about dogs in Mexico... well, maybe it is in some ways. Dogs roam the streets freely in Thailand, and they've got needs for entertainment like everybody else. While sitting in my room, I heard a loud dog squeal. It continued so I went outside. My roommate and some friends were holding Valentines flowers, and I faintly thought that I noticed them giggling, but I was too focused on this dog to have the awareness to ask them why they were giggling. Rushing downstairs, I saw the strangest thing. Two dogs were facing opposite directions, stuck together by the arses. Surely, they are having sex, but why in this position, and why were they stuck? I might never know. Dumbfounded and horror-stricken my friends looked on, one proposed that they were tangled by the balls. Realizing, sadly, there was not a thing I could do, I went back upstairs to my roommate again who was cracking up. "This happens all the time in my village he said... gay dogs." Also laughing, the local bar owner and security guard explained this to my friends downstairs. Love is a bitch, and you should be careful when you're desperate; let cupid not stupidly strike us at the wrong time. And I really do hope that someday all dogs will just happily lick themselves in the comfort of a warm home.

Touchdown in Thailand

Hello! How is everybody? It's been a while since I last wrote, probably because I've been trying to settle into Thailand, after leaving my beeyootyfull home, lacasaana, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Somehow it is even hotter and more hectic here in Thailand, at least in the city. Overall. when I stop to think about it, Mexico is constantly partying, but it's pretty tranquilo. Thailand is still developing, and it shows. Traffic is hectic, with swarms of motor bikes weaving through traffic like a pack of bees. Everybody rides motor bikes, from the rebellious college student to the hard working grandma (yaw or yai). There are over 14000 deaths a year on the road and without sidewalks, getting graized by an automovil is a common occurence (don't worry Ma- I always wear my helmet, even when walking. The skies are a mildly smothering shade of gray, I think because of pollution. Right now, I'm living on the campus of Khon Kaen University, which is more like a metropolis. It's a campus of 100,000 academics, with lots of traffic, stores, and bars- also 24 videogaming salons. However, I've already been to one village in the middle of the forest with thatch roofs, community meals (every member sitting in a circle on mats, digging their paws into shared bowls) and a pond for bathing. I've visited an HIV/AIDS clinic where I received instruction on how to employ male and female condoms, AND I got to know my xiao Abe (little abe) better, as I had the opportunity to draw it, (him?) Lastly, I was staying in a slum community, where trash is littered everywhere and houses are made out of tin rather than straw. I had no idea I'd be living in these environments, let alone right at the onset of the program- it blows my mind- everytime I have a pack of kids jumping on my back I feel like a picture from a Peace Corps catalogue. The slum village was a pretty neat place. The main activities are eating sticky rice, watching lots of tv, and just running around. Yelling is a predomninant means of communication but without anger, which reminds me of my Chinese household. Chickens, roosters, ducks, and dogs also like to communicate and sometimes wrestle each other- Mexico's only got the dogs with the occasional rooster. I woke up at about 5 to 6am everymorning, feeling like a king in a royal bed- my drapery is my mosquito net. Unfortunately the net does not protect you when away from the bed- God mosquitos like farangs (gringos)! I have my instant cup of coffee and maybe abnam- bathe or pour water on myself. If I'm adventurous I'll try to use the squatter, toilet paper is rare, and splashing in the right places requires lots of precision- I wish I studied this art with Jalal freshman year rather than mathematics. Later, I walk my kids to school on a sandy dirt road. Once there, they line up on the basketball court, sing the national anthem, and do a buddhist prayer- little buddhas are soooo cute. Come to think of it, little kids living in Thailand are all so cute- maybe as cute as the little dudes in Mexico. Boys wear khaki shorts, white button-ups, and orange shoes- they look like they're all going on a Safari. And while the girls in Mexico have powdered donut smeared on their face, Thais opt for baby powder. One of the most outstanding qualities of both countires is the substantial trust parents have for their kids. They all run around free! And community members look out for each other's kids. Yes, sometimes they do things they shouldn't- like play with lighters or other discarded items found on the ground. But, they're definitely not afraid of dirt. I'm pretty sure they have lot more fun than little Johnny who has piano lessons at 10, creative thinking at 12, nap time at one, followed by some wheat crackers, then bed time by 4. They also are so independent at such a young age. They're also astonishingly mature; as soon as one buys a snack she offers some to me and all of her friends. I was also at the local fair the other night, and this seven-year old helped me find my family... I loved the little guy I was staying with. His name was Fom (foam)- he always had my back (or was climbing my back); he even tried to teach me Thai. As I walked by his side, him wearing my motorcycle helmet, I thought: man, there must be so much more this kid knows than me- I'm really gonna miss him- I'll be back there some day though.