ducks have lips

being in the land of smiles for a little over a week now there are some things i have noticed. so, the following are some preliminary observations.

• when thais say "not very spicy" it is about 4 chilies on the american menu (at least to me).
• not only do thais drive on the other side of the road, they drive according to who is pushiest. scooters have free-reign, there are no lanes for them. changing lanes may be a traumatic event.
• there are some new and unheard of items on thai menus, such as fried duck lips (actually not bad), but meat such as turkey is unusual.
• thais love to eat. meals usually happen every few hours, with snacks in between. it is social. the meals are the same for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• thai fashion uses very interesting english phrases, like: "married with tissue" or "to be in love is to cease to by". they are acutally quite thought provoking!
• thai doors are not as beautiful as european doors, and i definitely cannot photograph them like my sister!
• picking your nose is not uncouth, but picking your teeth is. therefore, instead of toothpicks, many people have a very long pinky-fingernail for their nose.
• community and relationships are important- it seems rather easy to make friends, or at least good aquaintences.
• "there is nothing to do in thailand but shop," local thai.
• i am an english teacher as a default of being a native english speaker. the students we work with will introduce us to other students and say, "he/she would like you to teach him/her english," and walk away. what a learning experience!
• rainy season is cooler. it was 85 degrees this morning at 7:30.
• thai salesmen/women are very pushy.
• squatty-potties are to be expected. sitty-potties are a luxury. bring your own t.p.
• i love thailand and the people!