Ok, I want to back up and tell you all a little bit about where I am and what my group will be doing for the five weeks I'm here.

I'm staying in Khao Lak ["Kaw Lak"], which is in the southwest of Thailand, about an hour north of Phuket. Khao Lak is a sort of fishing village that's slowly mutated into a tiny strip of a tourist town, with a few 7-Elevens, some tailor shops, a Scandinavian/Thai restaurant ("The Viking") and a couple of semi-broken ATMs. An interesting mashup of Western and Asian culture (no fear Mom, crocs are in ample supply here). The actual resort I'm staying in has a sort of rugged Jurassic Park feel to it - if Jurassic Park was real, set next to the beach and populated by smiling Thai people instead of T-Rexes. There are 15-foot tall fronds outside my bedroom window, mysterious and slightly scary flying bugs (a juicy black thing just landed on me) and this sort of constant muggy, wet feeling, thanks to three or four (or five) daily torrential rains. I can hear the waves of the Andaman Sea crashing as I write this. Check out the picture (left) I took at the beach this morning.

For most of the next month I'll be traveling around the province of Phang-nga ["Pang-Nya" or something to that effect], using photos and audio to tell the stories of the people who live here and how the 2004 tsunami affected their lives. I'm not sure what my specific assignment is yet - until Wednesday, my group has orientation (don't point your feet at Thai people, never touch their heads, never sit higher than monk, don't touch a monk if you are a woman, don't wear shorts in Buddhist temples . . . .). We're learning to "Wai" which is a basic greeting that involves bowing the head with your hands in a prayer position. There are all sorts of rules on how to wai, depending on your age/position etc.

We did have time to venture into town for dinner, though. Fried vegetables at the Viking. Delish. (See photo at right - Abby waits for little motorcycles to pass before crossing the street in downtown Khao Lak).

More soon! Sawat dee kah (that's "hello" or "goodbye" in Thai).

XO Julie