Orientation begins!

Last night Ceci and I arrived in Chiang Mai, marking the end of our 2 1/2 weeks of wandering travels and the beginning of my orientation for VIA (Volunteers in Asia). Starting the program off on a fun note before the packed full days of TESOL/cultural/NGO work training ahead of us, the VIA directors gave us a funny scavenger hunt around the Chiang Mai today that included getting a Thai massage at the Women's Prison, photos with locals and at sights around the city, learning Thai phrases, and trying different local foods. Exhausted afterwards, Ceci and I got some dinner (I finally caved for some Western food) and then we checked out the city's popular night bazaar. While we managed to grab a few souvenirs, it was an entirely overwhelming yet disappointing experience as we were constantly being harrassed by vendors whose goods all hinted at the same manufacturers. Still, the excitment of today has come with the relief to finally just be in a city without having to think about the next move or repacking my backpack and just knowing I will get to explore the city pretty thoroughly during these next couple weeks. It is also a lot of fun to see all the other participants after our San Fransisco orientation last April and meet the new program director for Indonesia, a real chill Aussie guy with years of experience in Indonesia! I was relieved to learn that noone else has been studying Indonesian and we have come together over discussions on the lack of amenities we will be facing, the trips we want to take, what we packed, and the immunizations we still should get. However, bright and early tomorrow morning mandatory TESOL training starts, even for the NGO volunteers like me, so its time for me to go to bed. I will be posting some photos to the blog soon though!