School

School started at Payap University for all of us this week.  We have 10 hours of Thai language insruction, several hours of Thai culture (primarily do's and don'ts for now) and instruction about village life to prepare us for home stays with northern hill tribe families in Mae Chaem next week.  In the first picture, most of the class is outside the dormitory waiting for the "sky blue" (the overgrown golf cart) to take them to their first morning of classes.   In the second picture Sarah Stout makes an "oops" in her first speech in Thai, while Ajan Noi laughs heartily at Sarah's tonal inflections.  "Ajan" means teacher, so at Payap, I am Ajan Pat or Dr. Pat.  After an exhausting day of embarrassment, Kelsey Johnson, Sarah Stout, and Jorie Landers walk back to the dorm.