Happy New Year!

Its a bit late, I know, (it's already the end of the second day of 2012 here in Thailand). But Happy New Year everyone!! Our little family split ways on Friday, Mae Chan and Mae Pete took their kids to their homes in the village (which is about a 20 minute drive away). Walai took me up to see them briefly on Saturday afternoon and when we got back, we got P Ui's girls and went to hand out snacks to the homeless. After that rat filled outing (there were dozens of em!) we went back to the house to prepare for the Ggreat Coming of the New Year. As I was helping the girls to write out their resolutions, we were joined by this little cutie.

I would like everyone to meet Fai numero 2. She attends a boarding school here in Nang Rong that has a break for Christmas and the new year and no one at home to watch her during said break. So we are taking her in for the next 10 days. She is talkative, spunky and cute as a button. She joined in our resolution writing and then we taught her how to play ol' maid, go fish and how to make card houses. We watched the Timesquare Thai version of the ball dropping (in case you are wondering, Thai's don't drop the ball, mainly because there is no ball to be dropped) as well as pop starts shimming and singing up and down the stage.

Today, Monday, Walai took P Ui's house, Ging, Fai numero 2 and I back up to Mae Chan's village because she is building a new house and the stars are in line and call for a blessing from the monks. We arrived to a party already in full swing.

These cars were blasting music so loud I immediately assumed most of the guests were very hard of hearing, this was not the case. 

Ging, Mae Chan, and I 

We were then ushered into the new house: 

I am in love with the ceiling

No celebration in Thailand is complete without massive amounts of good food (even if it is only 9 in the morning).  Note- the picture below is 1/3 of what was laid out for us, plus rice. 

After dinch (diner and lunch combined. Cleaver, I know;) we went outside to play while waiting for the monks to arrive. 

From left to right: Khalam, Mint, Fai, May

Aye had an adversion to being photographed today  

Dancing 

Isn't she cute?! 

Walai, Salee, Mint and Fai numero 2 

Plha Nim, Noona, me, and Khalam 

Paa

Maaaaaay 

Little Pim doing a drive by while Mint puts on her best ghetto face

The monks arrived and before I could get in and a seat, they started chanting and everyone stopped what they were doing to pray. Since it is very very impolite to step over people, I settled for leaning through a window to watch. 

Unfortunately you can only take so many photos from one angle. The monks were chanting in the ancient language (no that not just because I couldn't understand it. They really do chant in an ancient language) and holding onto the string, the meaning of which escapes me right at this moment. When they were done blessing the house we packed it up and drove back to the property. Fai numero 2 up chucked three times in half an hour so Ging, Plah, and I took her to the hospital. While we were waiting for the IV to drip in (why they gave her an IV for minor upset stomach I'm not sure), Ging took me to KFC for dinner. Now many of you don't know this, but for my 2011 resolution I gave up all meat except for fish, and I made it, 356 days without chicken. It nearly killed me! Tonight was not the first night I had chicken, Walai, Ging, and Add took me to KFC last night (the 1st) but since Ging was craving KFC we went again tonight. So that's what's been going on here. I hope everyone had a very happy new years!