The Quick Version

A week or two ago, I started to write a blog post, but held off posting it because, frankly, it was depressing.  Now, I have probably 6 more hours of teaching and a heck of a lot of packing to do, then its Thai Time.  No longer, depressed, but enter: stressed!  A much more productive option, for me at least.

So this was the second half of the semester: not quite as exciting, sometimes frustrating, and, at times, hilarious.  The semester has an altogether anticlimactic end point, with a lingering week of classes after exams in which the students have no motivation or incentive to behave well, much less do work.

Peace Corps paperwork, etc., is progressing.  I have had all the needed labwork done except for the ever-elusive G6PD.  Now its just a matter of how flexible the Peace Corps plans on being with regards to lab results having Chinese written all over them.

Other ongoing events in my life:
1) Recurring trips to our now well-known, usually lovely, occasionally frustrating tailoring shop of choice, FeiFei's.  Between trips to the fabric market, late night/early morning revelations about what I would love to have made for me, and communicating this with the maker of the clothes, fabric has taken on an incredibly interactive and rewarding role in my life.  I have 3 beautiful dresses, a nice tunic-y top, a linen pencil skirt that stretches a little too much when I wear it for more than 15 minutes, and a pair of shorts and a jacket on the way.  What fun!

2) The balcony garden continues to seem fairly self-directed.  Despite both neglect and excessive care, all our mints were determined to die.  On the other hand, the cherry tomatoes insist upon growing up to the ceiling, but are entirely uninterested in producing something edible.  The original basil champ has withered with the mints, while the two basil runts have flourished.  The rosemary does nothing, neither growing nor dying.  I feel like the fate of this garden is directed by some secret garden elf that tells all the plants what to do, no matter what I do.

3) Planning for Thailand: perhaps better put: a lack thereof.  Although John and I like to remind each other that we need to plan, it keeps falling to the bottom of the priorities list.

4) Eating exciting food.  It happens.

In terms of future plans, I will be in Thailand from July 15 til August 4th.  Soon after that, I will be flying to Seattle for Anna's wedding, then I will make my way back to the east coast of the homeland.  After that, things are still pretty up in the air, largely depending on finances and Peace Corps.

Sorry for the long absence and the lack of pictures.  I plan on taking beautiful and exciting pictures in southeast Asia that I am very excited to share with you all, whether it be via blog or in real, live, person.  Happy summers to all!