Pollution

Thailand is horrible when it comes to "Saving the Earth."  If anything they are part of the reason we have global warming and all that other crap.  Its unbelievable how poorly they treat "their home".  Garbage is horrendous!  Everyone just throws their garbage out into the street or into their yard.  The above picture was actually taken at one of the temples.  But this is a usual sight everywhere in Thailand.  Places are especially littered with garbage after one of the ceremonies they host.    

Burning is another big issue down here.  They burn down their fields before they can harvest them.  After they have gathered up the garbage that they had thrown into their yards, which may take months or years depending on what "Thai Time" they are on, they burn that as well.  It's also a common occurrence to see them burning the grass.  The government has actually asked people to stop burning so much since at one point you weren't even able to see the mountains by Chiang Mai.

We live right in front of fields which can be a real pain in the ass.  Sometimes we can't even have the windows or doors open due to the amount of ash that enters the house.  The pool also has to be cleaned constantly due to that as well.  The other day I took Bow to Taekwondo on the scooter.  On the highway they were burning the grass in numerous places.  It was disgusting to drive through and I found myself holding my breath part of the way.

Funny Things My Thai Family Does

Mon
While at the market one of the ladies asked Mon if I was her daughter.  When we were walking away Mon said "I wanted to kill her.  I'm not that old."
Mon asked me if I wanted to have some chicken with sticky rice to eat.  When I told her I wasn't hungry she said "You are getting skinny.  When you go back home you will be a sexy lady."

Mike
When we were out camping Mike mentioned to Mon about bringing out a table next time.  He was describing the table to Mon and due to his thai-english habit said "You know the one that folds open."

Taiten
"Taiten how old are you?" I asked him one day for part of his english.  "I'm not old," was his reply.

Bow
I wanted to know how to get to the market from the house so I asked Bow for directions.  "Well you turn right, then left, then go straight and straight again, then turn left, left, right, and then.... park the truck."
I was trying to explain the word spontaneous to Bow so I gave the example of waking up one morning and deciding to go sky diving.  Her reply was "Do you wash your face, or take a shower first?"
Bow and I were watching one of their stupid TV series.  I asked her why she liked to watch them.  "I think this guy is really good looking," she said pointing to the TV screen.  Just as she pointed to the screen it changed to an old bald man who was wearing lipstick.  "You like that guy?!" I laughed.  "NO, NO!!  This one."  And yet again the screen switched again on her.

Sa
Sa, Bow, and I were in the kitchen.  I asked Sa, since she is pregnant how many months she was.  She replied "Five years I have had the baby," patting her stomach.  She soon realized her mistake but it allowed for a good chuckle.

Mama
I was skyping with my mom one day and Mama came into the room.  She looked at me talking to my computer and came to check it out.  I told Mama that it was my mom I was talking to and when she went to get a better look, it looked like she was going to do a face plant into the computer screen, she got so close.

University

Needed to relieve me from this heat!

Sorry I have been neglecting those of you who look to see if I have posted another blog daily.  I have been super busy.  The day after I got back from Chiang Mai the family and I went out camping at the waterfall.  We actually spent two nights out there this time.  It was relaxing but bloody hot!  The week that Songkran is held is during the hottest time of the year for Thailand, which is a blessing.  I guess I didn't feel the heat when I was constantly wet for an entire weekend but holy man did I feel it when I got back to Kamphaeng Phet.  Taking a dip in the pool is only a temporary relief.  Fans sure as hell don't help that much.  My body is sweating in places I didn't even know existed.

Once we got back from camping I have been frantically trying to figure out my travel plans for the next week and a half.  I have plans to go to Phuket for three days, then I am meeting up with a friend, from Sweden who is studying in Singapore, on Koh Phi Phi Island.  For those of you who know Christopher Bohlin, it is his oldest sister that I will be meeting up with.  Her friend, and her friend's friend are also going to join us.  I am going to spend three days on Koh Phi Phi Island before I head over to Malaysia to do a visa run.

Koh Phi Phi

Figuring out my visa run has me pulling out my hair!!!  I have been trying to find a cheap way to go from Phuket to Penang and than coming back to Bangkok.  Trying to save as much money as possible since I got accepted into University!!!!!! :)  Since my parents are in Mexico with my grandparents, Kathy who is looking after our house for us informed us of the exciting news.  My mom asked her to open up the letter to see if I was accepted or not and thankfully I was! :)  I was so excited I screamed, scaring the crap out of Taiten, after which I started to cry.  Bow and Taiten were both very confused but I told them I was crying cause I was really happy.  For those of you who don't know I have been accepted into the registered nursing program in Thomspons River University.  

In the evening when I went to the market with Mon I celebrated by buying myself  two pairs of jeans.  They cost me a total of thirteen dollars.  I'm going to be such a cheap bastard when I get home.  I'm going to try bargain for everything, 7/11, Safeway, you name it.  I will be the crazy woman at the cash register trying to get the cashier to lower the price for me.  I can just picture it now.... "1.50 for a bottle of water!?!?  Are you joking me.  In Thailand I can get a bottle of water twice this size for 50 cents.  How about I make you a deal.  I will give you a dollar and I'm not going any higher.  Deal?"  Can you imagine the reaction I would receive.  I might actually go home and do this just for giggles.  I could have a lot of fun back home.  Go back to work at McDonalds and say the amount owed to customers in Thai.  I would need to get really good at numbers though.  I have trouble quickly converting numbers from one language to another.  I just need to keep practicing them and hopefully I will have it down pat  by the time I go home.  

Patara Elephant Farm

Patara elephant farm yesterday was the most amazing day of my life. Yes I have had some amazing days but this topped them all!  Morning started with having breakfast at the hotel where I sat and ate with a guy from Alaska.  We talked until I got picked up by Jake, one of the guides from the Patara elephant farm. We drove to another hotel and picked up Laura who is actually living in Bangkok as an expat wife. Her husband owns Colgate toothpaste company and has been stationed in Bangkok for the next four years.  Silva, Laura's friend, just came down for the week to visit. During the 45 minute drive to the farm we swapped stories and really got to know each other. The first thing we saw when we arrived at the farm was a beautiful field with numerous elephants wandering around. It was like a scene out of a jungle movie. Absolutely gorgeous!  

We walked down to a hut where two mother elephants and their babies welcomed us. After we got changed into our tribal uniforms we got to visit with the elephants for thirty minutes. The babies had a habit of wrapping their trunks around you or pulling on your clothes. They even tried to take our water bottles and had a habit of charging you or trying to knock you over.  After a talk from Pat about the itinerary for the day we got split into two groups of six. Once in my group, which consisted of Laura, Silva, Julie, Josh, and his twin brother Michael, we followed our guide Ben up into the mountains. Once there we got paired up with our own elephant depending on age and personality, and their trainer.

My elephants name was MaeThongKham and my trainer's name I could not pronounce, yet alone spell.  Before you approach your elephant to feed them a basket of bananas you must call their name.   If their ears and tail are flapping you are allowed to approach them, since this is a sign that they are in a good mood. After you have finished feeding them, which requires sticking your hand right on their tongue, you do a health inspection. You must check that they slept lying down since if an elephant sleeps standing upright it is a sign of distress. You must also check to make sure they are not dehydrated and their digestion is regular. To do this we check to make sure the eyes and toe nails are wet, as well as how moist their dung is. Yes we checked their poop. 

An elephant eats 10% percent of their body weight a day. We can tell that they have eaten the required amount by the number of droplets they leave behind. Less than six tells them you haven't eaten enough and that they may be distressed. After that we command them to lay down so we can brush their backs with a bundle of leaves which later becomes a snack for the elephant. We then walk them to the river where we actually get in with them and give them a bath. You brush them off from head to toe and command them to lay down, when you can't reach any higher. You then get to climb onto their backs.

The elephants are very gentle and are always aware of where you are.  No one got stepped on or hurt considering there was six of us and our trainers in the water with six huge elephants. It's absolutely amazing how gentle they are considering their sizes. Once we finished bathing them we had a huge water fight and swam in the waterfall. Lunch was served around this time which was a huge feast!  We ate from a hut looking out onto the river where the elephants played till we were finished. Like it was just one of those perfect movie moment days. In no way did it feel like a tourist activity!

Our whole group bonded very well and it was very interesting hearing about their different walks of life.  Once we had finished eating, the elephants came up to the hut and ate the left overs. They just reached their trunks in and grabbed as much as possible. It was so much fun and hilarious to see. Gosh, you had to have seen it in person to understand but it was incredible. The whole day was incredible!  I shake with excitement just thinking about it.

Once everyone was full it was time to go riding . First we learned the commands before learning how to get on them. Depending on where the elephant was rescued from, would determine how you got on. Those that were rescued from the circus could lift you up with their trunk or front leg. Mine, which was rescued from an illegal mining company, would bow his head and I would jump on. Sounds a lot harder than it is. It was actually super easy to get on and off the elephants and even though you weren't held in by anything while riding I felt super secure. We rode the elephants with our knees on top of their ears and our feet resting on their shoulder blades. The higher you sit up on their head the greater the chance of avoiding a Charlie horse. The second time we went riding we sat on top of the elephants head with our legs out in front. Way more comfortable but less secure.

The second trail was through a stream and was pretty flat while the other was steep up and down hill. Not once did I feel there was a possibility I would fall.  Our second ride led us to a temple.  There we fed our elephants again before saying farewell to everyone. No one wanted to leave but we were very thankful for having such an amazing day and could not complain at all.  A few other highlights of the day was when Laura's elephant, which has tusks, lifted us up. During the trail ride Silva's elephant stopped to scratch its ass on a dirt mound.   One of the baby elephants was running around and slipped and fell.  What a thud!  :P

Chai, Josh's trainer, asked me if I was married. When I told him I wasn't, he mentioned my trainer believed I was since I was wearing a ring. A ring that's on my pinky finger. Chai asked me how old I was and couldn't believe I was only eighteen and that I replied in Thai. After explaining why I could speak a bit of Thai and was living in Thailand Chai told me I should teach him English. He also joked about traveling with me for the next two months until I go back to Canada and that when I was done university I should come back to see him.  When I jokingly said I wanted to live at the farm, he told me I could live with him and we could ride elephants together everyday.  Not to bad of a proposal I would say.  He sure was a cutie.
Your trainers are not only there to  help you with your elephant, if needed, but they also look after your belongings and take pictures for you.  Ben is also there taking photos of you from a camera the size of a telescope. At the end of the day you get two CDs, one with photos, and the second with videos.   Again I'm going to emphasize what an amazing day it was and the incredible people I met!!!! <3

Hill Tribe's

After a twelve hour bus ride from Pattaya I arrived in Chiang Mai at seven o'clock the next morning. I left Pattaya at eight o'clock in the afternoon and traveled to Chiang Mai by the VIP bus,which is the best way to go when travelling long distances, especially at night. The seats recline 155 degrees, movies are playing until around ten o'clock, and just like on a plane there is a stewardess. She directs you to your seat, provides you with water and snacks and later brings you out your dinner. For dinner you get rice with your choice of pork or vegetables. I didn't get to pick considering no one spoke English. That was the worst thing about the bus station. When they made announcements on the intercom it was only in Thai and even if it was in English it wouldn't have helped me since my bus ticket was written in Thai. I just had to constantly keep going up to the counter and confirming with them. In the morning you receive breakfast which is a sandwich and almond milk.

The first day that I was in Chiang Mai I checked into the Riverside Hotel, booked the Long Neck Hill Tribe tour through them, walked to old town, and spent the night walking around the night bazaar. While walking around downtown I saw my second motorcycle accident. This one just happened to be a mother and son getting knocked over on the scooter when one of the tuk tuk's cut them off, but it was still scary to witness. I have to say if you are looking to do some budget travelling Thailand is the way to go. Everything is super cheap down here and it's an amazing place with such a rich culture. I have absolutely loved my time down here and will continue to enjoy it until the day I leave.

Both times that I have been in Chiang Mai I have stayed at the Riverside house. It's a very quaint place with standard rooms starting at 500 baht, which is $13 Canadian, and working their way up to 800. This price includes a free continental breakfast and the place even has a swimming pool. The staff are very friendly and the girls speak very good English. The Riverside House is perfectly located, being only a five minute walk from the night bazaar and fifteen minutes from old town.
The next day I went off on my hill tribe tour. I got picked up from my hotel late, and from there I spent about half an hour in the vehicle till we finally picked up a girl who came from the Netherlands. We talked for thirty minutes until we finally stopped again were I was instructed to go to another vehicle. I was excited about the tour but was greatly disappointed at the end of the day. I had gone into the day with an open mind considering the reviews that I had read about the tribes basically just being a tourist attraction. I kept picturing us driving up to a gate, and entering into almost a theme park like setting but I kept telling myself to embrace it no matter how the day went. I however am glad to say its rather not that touristy. After driving for an hour and a half we reached a small village called the Ahka tribe. Only then were we informed that they were not wearing their traditional clothing since school was out and it was too hot for the multiply layers that they wear. Then we went to another village, this time the Lisu tribe, where yet again they were not in their traditional outfits. Only when we drove through the town did we see a handful of people in their traditional clothes but since we were driving photo opportunities were limited.
At both the villages we were the only tourists since the company choses to work adjacent from other tourist companies. After that we travelled to the Chiang dao caves and had lunch at a local restaurant. I loved the caves and even though we only got to spend thirty minutes exploring them.  I found that to be the highlight of my trip. After a delicious lunch we drove for about an hour and a half to the Karen long neck tribe. There was a bunch of shops set up with handmade souvenirs and all the girls sitting inside their shops. I have to admit I was absolutely ashamed to take photos and didn't take many because of it. I felt uneasy and so did everyone else in my group. We all just huddled in a circle nervously looking around and wondering what to do. I even felt so guilty about taking a photo of one girl I bought a souvenir as my way of making up for it. I also have to complain that the guide gave limited information and had a tendency to repeat himself a lot. I also found my group to be bland and boring. I however socialized with a father and daughter from Calgary but everyone else stayed to themselves.
It is believed that the Karen tribe wears rings around their neck since back in the day it would prevent a tiger from biting into their neck and killing them. It is also said to make them look more like a dragon by increasing the size of their necks. They also wear the rings since it is a cultural sign of beauty. They begin to place the rings around their neck at the age of five and add a new one every three years until they have reached fifteen rings. At this point they can either decide to continue increasing the rings of stay at the same number. If they choose to proceed past fifteen rings there is a smaller brass ring that is attacted so that the woman are able to move the rings around in order to sleep more comfortably. The women are allowed to take the rings off whenever they please. The rings increase the women's neck size by pushing down on the collar bone and compressing the rib cage. The brass collars cause the women to have bruised and discolored necks which is permanent even if the rings are removed for an extended period of time.

Songkran

Songkran is a festival for the traditional Thai New Year. It's a five day water fight that's starts in Chiang Mai and works it was down to Pattaya. The old belief for this festival was to help with crops. It was thought that Hullabaloo would release rain from the heavens to help ensure a good harvest. The tradition of water throwing comes from the folk tale deriven from an astral myth. It was said that a giant took seven young women hostage. One of the women coaxed him into revealing th secret to his invulnerability when he was drunk. Then when he was asleep she plucked a hair of his head and used it to cut off his head. When it fell to the ground it burst into flames. She woke up the other women and together they threw water to prevent the fire from burning the earth.

Streets are lined with people equipt with water guns, hoses, bowls, and buckets prepared to drench willing and unwilling participants. The backs of trucks are filled with people ready to partake in the celebration. Trucks with water canisters travel around filling up empty water buckets so the games can continue. Ice is even delivered just to give victims even more of a shock factor.
Songkran is based on the astrological calendar and it wasn't until 1940 that Thailand converted to the Gregorian calendar. But despite the calendar change Songkran still remained on the same dates. Songkran brings a bit of relief during the hottest time of the year.

During Songkran banners, named Tung, are dedicate to the welfare of the spirits of ancestors who have passed. This is since they believe that the spirits can catch onto the tails of the banners and come back from heaven. These are carried around on the 15th, which is the first day of the traditional Thai new year, and hung up on trees or poles around the temple.

Sin City

Pattaya a destination that primarily caters to single men who can't get laid. If you fit this description than this is the place for you. They don't call this place sin cit for nothing! Pattaya is also refered to as man's land and Thailand's red district. It's a common occurrence to see men, usually old and unattractive, holding hands with a young Thai women or leading them off to their hotel. This is such usual behaviour in Pattaya that the hotel I stayed in provided condoms for the low price of 70 baht, 2.30 canadian. Pattaya's famous walking street is one of main attractions to find prostitutes. The street is mostly filled with bars and go-go clubs but don't worry this is not the only place to go to get your forbidden fruit. Every street has at least one to four bars on it and you are mostly to find a hooker there or just by walking around. Night life in Pattaya is very lively. More so when I was there due to the Songkran festival which i will describe in detail in my next blog.

Not only does Pattaya host Thai prostitutes but also indian and Romania and Moldova. Not only do females make Pattaya's sex industry sky rocket but males and ladyboys do as well. All though male and ladyboy prostitutes are move rarely seen they do their part at contribution to this growing fantris. Even sadder than women and men selling their bodies to stay alive children do as well. Just as illegal as prostitution is everywhere else, it is given a blind eye due to the amount of money that it brings into the town. I was actually ashamed to see men have a young women wrapped around their arm knowing they paid for this intimacy. I felt sorry that the women had to resort to this kind of work just to keep themselves and their family's afloat. This is their means of survival.

But don't get me wrong, Pattaya is a destination for everyone. Families, backpackers, and everyone inbetween can find something to do to entertain themselves during their stay. This could be: soaking up some sun on the beach, or walking through the floating market, to taking a boat over to the islands. There is plenty to do in this hustling and bustling city apart from the night life. I had the pleasure of going to a hand craved waht and the Nong Nooch Botanical Garden. Both were spectacular sights and I definitely recommend going to see them if you ever get a chance. The Nong Nooch gardens also include an elephant show, Thai culture and dance performance, a mini zoo, and a sports car collection. You can either walk the gardens, go on an elephant, or have a long golf cart take you around.

The hand carved waht also known as the Sanctuary of Truth is based on the ancient vision of earth knowledge and philosophy. There are four wings respresenting the four elements: earth, water, wind, and fire. The gods that conquered this four elements are Brahma, Shiva,and Vishnu.
Shiva, the god of earth, stays on top of Krailas mountain, and has a third eye in his forehead. When he opens his third eye anything he sees will burn, so he controls fire. Vishnu sleeps atop of Ananta Nagaraj in the middle of the sea of milk. He is the god of water. Braham who rides a swan is the god of the sky. The carvings depict episodes from the Krishnavator the 8th reincarnation of Vishnu. The Sanctuary of Truth is still being built and it is predicted it won't be finished for another twenty years since ever piece is hand carved out of wood.

Another must do is taking a walk down Walking Street. It's not anything spectacular to my standards but again this is an attraction mostly for men. Walking street is mostly known for its bars and prostitutes but it's an attraction to see just to say you have been.
Not only once but twice I saw a father/son team pick up prostitutes and take them home. It puts a new spin on father/son bonding that's for sure. One occasion at Vic's bar two women, a mother and a daughter, showed up only with enough time to negotiate a price with a father and son, and terms of payment, before leaving the bar to go to the hotel.
The rest of the time I was in Pattaya was spend relaxing on the beach, hanging out at Vic's bar, and participating in the Songkran festival.

Troublesome Taiten

When you look into those big eyes you can't help but melt.  While, that's true for the times when he is well behaved, Taiten can be a charmer but he has his moments of terrorism.  On this particular day Taiten wanted to have things his way and lets just say I wasn't going to let him.
Getting Taiten to do english is like getting a porcupine to do tricks.  Painful!  I'm blessed to have extraordinary patience and determination.  Doing the flash card game with Taiten worked wonderfully.  He was entertained and would do it for hours.  It was the getting him to sit down at the table and try writing that was the problem.  He has a very small attention span and likes to do what he wants to do.

Step1: Got Taiten to sit down.
Step 2: Got him to write three letters.
At this time he decided he was thirsty so he asked Bow to help him get a drink of water.  Then he came back and sat down only to be distracted by every single thing that happened in the house.  About two minutes later he got up and started to walk off to Mon's room.  I told him he wasn't finished and needed to do five more minutes, after which he could do whatever he wanted.  He continued to slowly walk away even though I politely informed him he still had five minutes to do.  I told him I would count down to five and if he didn't come back to the table I would go and get him.
And this is how I spent my next hour.  I would politely ask Taiten to come back to the table, he would wander off to someone's room to watch TV, I would count down from five, and at zero I would go get him.

The first time Taiten tried to hide in Mon's room.  He slammed the door in my face and locked it.  When Mon opened the door I found Taiten glued to the TV.  I again informed him he needed to do five more minutes of english and that the sooner he did it the sooner he could watch TV.  Since he gave me no respond I unplugged the TV on him.  This made him upset, and the waterworks began.  I again informed him that he needed to do five minutes of english and that he could either come voluntarily or I would carry him.  So I carried him out to the kitchen where again he took off.  This time to Mama who was in Bow's room watching TV.  Again I counted to five and again had the door slammed in my face.  This time though I was quicker than he was and caught the door before he could lock it.  He ran and hid by Mama who picked up what was going on rather quickly.  Yet again I had to unplug the TV on Taiten and explain over and over that all he had to do was five minutes of english with me and I would let him go.  But until then I would continue to do this no matter how long or hard he cried. To my surprise Mama was on my side.  When I forcefully picked up Taiten and took him out to the kitchen Mama followed and even grabbed Taiten when he tried to escape.  I continued to repeat that he needed to do five minutes with me and then he could go free.

Mama told me, after Taiten still continued to cry, that I should let him go and do english with him tomorrow.  I said no and told her he had to do english with me today and that just because he was crying didn't mean he was going to get his way.  I explained to the whole family that I wouldn't let him go just because he was crying since that encourages him to perform the same behaviour next time he doesn't get his way.  An hour and a half later Taiten sat down and not only did five more minutes of english but 10.  When I told him he was finished he was bewildered that time had gone by so fast.  I asked him was it worth all that crying to which he replied no.  Ever since, all I have to do is mention time for english and he goes straight to the table and sits down.  He doesn't complain and only leaves the table when I tell him he can.  I have to say, not to shabby on my part considering I didn't raise my voice once and continued to be persistent.  And I'm happy to say my persistence paid off.  Taiten treats me with a lot more respect and understands I don't mess around.

Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping is a little different down here in Thailand than it is back home.  Big C, which is the equivalent to Walmart, and Maoko the equivalent to Costco, are the only two big department stores here in Kamphaeng Phet.  When entering the parking lot of a department store there is a security booth in which a guy will hand you a card.  Do not lose this card since it is your ticket out.  This card is so that no one can steal your vehicle.  As long as you take this card in with you shopping (which we don't) if someone tries to take your vehicle out of the parking lot the guard will know.  Also there are people directing traffic in most parking lots.  They even have people designated to traffic control in some restaurant parking lots.  Since scooters are a big thing down here they always have designated areas for them.  They also have a toll both and cards which verify your not stealing.
For meat and vegetables you must take them up to a special counter were they weigh and label them for when you go to the checkout.  Depending on how much money you spend you are able to redeem back some money next time you go shopping and receive free items.  You take your receipt to a certain counter where they give you your free items.  Usually the items aren't that great, such as coffee mugs or tupperware containers, but the kids love them.  Even when you go to the gas station and have your vehicle filled up you receive water for free.

 

Potato Picking

I finally convinced Mon to let me go work on Peelawon's potato fields.  She didn't believe I could stand the heat, let alone do the work.  Believe me I didn't think so myself but I was going to give it my best shot.  We got out to the field around seven o'clock in the morning where we met up with Sak and Peelawon.  Their initial reaction when I got out of the car was to laugh.  At this particular field we had to load the potatoes into the back of the tractor for Sak to take back to the village.  Once that was done we moved to another field where we met up with two other girls from the village who were already busy cutting down the potato plants.  Again both of them laughed at the fact a white girl had come to work.

It took me a little while to get the hang of using the machete but once I did things went rather smoothly.  About three hours in everyone had stopped laughing at me and were rather impressed at how I was doing.  They kept saying "good job" and giving me the thumbs up.  I not only surprised everyone there but I even surprised myself.  I am proud to say that I managed to keep up with the other women and worked steadily all day, even with blisters the size of quarters and multiple scratches.  The heat didn't bother me even though it was 28 degrees out, and I even managed not to get burnt.

The next day I went back out again despite Mon's concerns that I wouldn't be able to do the work with yesterday's injuries.  Today was 35 degrees which felt like 40.  Today the heat bothered me but again I worked steadily throughout the whole day.  I had no problem keeping up and even gave the girls a run for their money a few times.

After we had cut down the potato plants yesterday we tied them into bundles and carried them to the end of the field were Sa, Mama, and Tha cut them into smaller pieces.  Those smaller pieces are what we  planted today.    We started off with having three people laying the sticks out, while the other three placed them into the soil.  I was one of the ones who laid the sticks out, since there is a specific way you have to plant them.  I eventually learned that as well.

Both days we finished around six o'clock.  It's incredible to think this is how the majority of the people here survive.  They work these long hour days, doing gruelling phsyical labour in the blistering sun, and for their effort they receive 200 baht a day, which is only seven dollars Canadian.  I had a lot of fun but I sure as hell wouldn't want to do that all my life.  An amazing experience. :)