the beginnings of march and acceptance. icu.

how the semester has progressed to its halfway point is for the most part a complete mystery. the first days and explorations of this foreign terrain seem only hours past but in actuality 2 months have gone. any feelings of yearning for home have long passed and life here has taken on an aspect of comfort that can be associated with where my roots have reached the asian soil. while i'm starting to see more and more of what it actually means to be here the other aspects still win overwhelmingly. the past weeks have brought many changes and finally a more consistent integration with the thai students. in part due to my participation in the customs class. a couple hours in front of a group of peers detailing the aspects of the civil war, the american flag, and other traditions of the like. these interactions broke through a barrier of sorts and mutual recognition now ensues as i trek my way across campus. all of these aspects of daily life are helping to accustom me into this world i never thought i could access. my work through freedom house has also led to many of these new facets of assimilation. as the community is so small here the number of people i know is growing by the day, with the number who know me is even greater, a strange concept to say the least. this weekend was spent working on the new school, primarily painting, staining, and all other sorts of cleaning. while it was laborious work many of my friends came to assist us and other volunteers from all over came to help. this sort of communal project i'm realizing is more plausible and typical here than in any other area i've ever worked in. while the weekend has left me utterly exhausted the experience has been more than worth it with many new friends and a whole world of insight behind me.