entering our last month in Mancha Khiri

Lately it has become apparent to Tony and me that we're darn comfortable in this little town in northeast Thailand. We are settled into a sweet house on stilts (refer to photos above -- including an outdoor squat toilet house where Tony is washing his clothes & a separate, fabulously rustic kitchen). It is so pleasant to lounge on our deck or underneath in the hammock, listening to crickets in the evening, birds during the day. We have at least one enormous spider in our toilet house and an oversized gecko in our bedroom (Tony is still trying to identify it--well, and draw it, of course). Other than those, we have squabbling pigeons on our tin roof and loads of mosquitoes during the night (thankful for a mosquito net for sleeping!). Inside are quite a few framed pictures of the king & queen, as well as old family photos of the folks who are renting this place to us. It really is a delightful home... I have also been excited about setting a bit of a running routine for myself, and I really do like it because it is so beautiful out on this red dirt path that winds through rice fields and a roaming lake. I pass hardworking fishermen and farmers and children tending to water buffalo and cows, admiring the footbridges and dwellings that are nearby while I take in the glory of the setting sun and its reflection in the water. The other evening I came across two young men who had JUST shot & killed an enormous snake, at least five inches wide & plenty long. It was lying there just short of my path. Whoa, that thing was massive! Tried to show it to Tony the next morning, but it was not there... Also in recent news, Tony & I took part in "The Best of Mancha Khiri" which happens every January along with the orchid festival. People come from everywhere & it lasts for three days. We were asked to participate in a Thai fashion show--sounded harmless enough, until we spent three hours in a beauty shop where they made us even more white, stripped me of my eyebrows (well, not entirely, but more than I have ever wanted taken off). Anyway, we paraded our new selves for the awe of the town and now our photo is on a large banner hanging over the beauty salon on the main street! Our students thought we looked sooooo beautiful. I wasn't much in to the attention, especially being stuffed into that green gown, and I missed being paraded in front of the audience because I was off trying to find my shoes when they announced Tony's name.OOPS. But what I did love was the drama production-- the story of how Mancha Khiri came to be (immigrants settling here, etc)-- and all the dancing, performed by our students. Altogether it was quite the festival, including luminaries sent off into the night sky. I am so impressed that the town comes together like this every year, demonstrating their community spirit & pride... Really, I just dig walking around this place, soaking in the lifestyle of the people here. It is an easy place to live and appreciate simplicity amidst smiling faces and a relaxed pace. Can I get an "A-MEN!"? A-men...love, Becca