Details on Culture.. and culture shock.

Okay, instead of reciting what it is that we have done so far (I will do that another time), I wanted to mention how different their culture is from ours.
- everything is open here. There are barely any doors into markets on the sides of streets.
- There are grass and bamboo huts everywhere, and they're not even that bad.
- the streets are incredibly narrow and other than taxis and the odd car owned by one of the few rich people here, everybody drives scooters or motorcycles. They drive with no helmets, stop signs barely any lights and often with two or 3 people on one scooter. And amazingly I haven't seen one crash yet. To get across the street you pretty much make a run for it, nobody will stop for you.
- We often ride around in the back of trucks that we call taxis. It's closed in and there are benches, but it is not always comfy. I have a pic for you.
- Dogs wander the streets amliessly around here. You are never quite sure if the dog belongs to anyone, they are everywhere.
- There are food vendors at every corner that are often attached to a scooter or a bike so they can just drive or push their food for sale down the street.
- The people are just plain small.. I tower over almost all of the girls.
- At night in certain parts of each city they have a night market where little vendors are set up to sell some sort of item. Anything from traditional Thai and Chinese lamps, to shirts, to purses. Think the Forks Market second floor where all those shops are along a norrow corridor. It's jam packed and hard to move around sometimes. But there are great things to be bought.
- You barter with the poeople you buy stuff from. They will always lower the price to about half if you start walking away. I have become pretty good at it.
- There is poverty. Not as blatant as say downtown WPG but there is. I have seen numerous little girls trying to sell flower wreaths they have made to try to earn some money for their families.
- We went to see a long neck colony where they put rings around the girls necks as a way pf protecting them from spirits or the tiger (a part of their culture). These women then have really long necks and up to 27 golden rings around their neck.
- There are temples everywhere. I know in Canada there are churches everywhere but not like this. Almost all temples are beautifully decorated and adorned with statues and engravings. All the temples we've seen have something special about them, like a crystal , jade or emerald buddha, some great history to it, or the newest all white and silver temple that resembles heaven on earth.
-Buddhist people are really respectful. You put your hands together at your chin and bow your head to say thank you, good bye or hello. John and I are not allowed to show any affection in public as it is frowned upon because we are not married. Many people just assume we are because at my age most girls, especailly within the tribes, are. I am not allowed to go into temples without my knees and shoulders covered and at some bathing places and pools the girls have to cover up and are not allowed to wear their bikinis. Us girld have eluded that rule, always picking pools we can wear our bikinis' at. Also, you can never touch the head of someone else. This is considered an insult to the Thai and Budhist people because they believe that a part of Buddha resides in their heads. It is the most holy of their body parts and the feet or the most dirty, so you can also never point your feet at someone. that is also an insult.
- the fruit here is amazing, I even like the bananas.
- A jug of beer is like 3$, and you can have a beer anywhere, they even sell them at 7-11.

As much as the Thai culture is different, we have gotten used to it really quickly. It is an accepting culture and easy to adapt to. And we still have 2 more weeks!! Can't wait to see what the south will bring!!