This tenth update comes from Laurel Lozzi, Junior Art major from Westmont College. Laurel comes from Falbrook, CA.

Lots of new pictures can be found at:
community.webshots.com/user/ajarnmike100

Dear Friends and Family,

So far, our trip in Thailand has been full of numerous transitions: getting familiar with a new culture, people, and city, living with a new family, and learning a new language. There has been one transition after another and on Tuesday I could feel the onset of another transition.

Last Tuesday in the early morning we (the students) said goodbye to our host families. I'd say it was a bittersweet moment. Most, if not all of us were ready for the return of our American independence and the change of pace. But, on the other hand we were leaving the people we have spent the last two months with. They have given to us and created space for us in their families. For that, we are thankful and many will miss their families--at least for a short time. Many students have been receiving daily calls from members of their host family and some are invited (or
expected) to stay with their families when we return to Chiang Mai.

Since we have left our Thai families to embark on exploring other parts of Thailand, the students have become the new family, yet everyone in this family speaks English. We have been travelling together, exploring the ancient and present day glories of Thailand: Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok. This past week has been a blur of wats (temples), ruins, heat, sweat, bathing suits, exhaustion, and good company. Here are a few highlights:

We have been staying in some of the nicest hotels in each city we have visited. Each hotel has been equipped with swimming pools and air conditioning. As we travel south, the weather has gotten hotter and stickier. So, after each long day of sightseeing most of us have immediately changed into our bathing suits and taken advantage of the perks of fancy hotels. From my perspective as a woman and a native Californian, I am thankful for the opportunity to expose the areas of my body that have been hiding from the world the last 2 1/2 months (because of social
standards)- like shoulders and knees.

On our second day of travelling, we rented bicycles and rode around the ancient city of Sukhothai. As we biked, we were surrounded by ruins more than 2000 years old. In the midst of history, we felt like kids as we rode on the bikes. I've asked a few other students what their favorites moments have been and this has been one of them.

The Talking Buddha in Sukhothai is also a popular temple among the students. As we walked through the old walls of this wat, a huge Buddha statue towered over us. It's hand might have been more or less as tall as our bodies. We have seen so many Buddha images and statues in the past week, but this one was definitely one of the most beautiful.

After Sukhothai we made our way to Ayutthaya, where we toured the city by boat. As the sun was setting, we ate dinner on the boat, sang karaoke songs, and enjoyed the cool breeze. The city was beautiful from the water, but the people made the evening memorable. We bonded with one another as we embarrassed ourselves by singing and dancing. Sanook maak!

Bangkok. The vibe in Bangkok reminded me of many of the large cities in America (like NYC or LA--more than 14 million people in the daytime). The traffic was heavy, buildings took over natural wildlife, people were everyone either selling goods or seeing the sights. The city seemed to be endless. There were so many things to see and places to explore, but most of us were there for less than two days. Thankfully Bangkok, known as the "Venice of the East," has boat taxis and water transportation which helps relieve the scorching heat. We toured some of the old canals in Bangkok where many people still live. There were a few people who would float from place to place selling goods to people nearby. It was beautiful and the waters were teaming with fish.

Last, but definitely not least, we started spring break from our time in Bangkok. We are now on our own and many of the students left for various islands. I happen to find myself on Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand with seven other students (Micah, Hanah, Allison, Melina, Little Sarah, Dominique, and Ben). It has been wonderful to feel the warm waters of the tropics, hear the foam washing up to shore, and feel the sand in between my toes. All of us are already a shade darker or redder.
Tomorrow, we plan on snorkeling on the nearby island of Koh Tao and exploring the world beneath the sea. It is beautiful and picturesque.
But we are only here for a short time, six days, until we go back to class in a remote village in the north of Thailand. Adventures continue!

We love you all and miss you. I hope this email meets you in good spirits.
Thanks for being apart of our lives even though we are physically so far away.

Chook Dee!
Laurel Lozzi
SST and Westmont College Art Student


Lots of new pictures can be found at:
community.webshots.com/user/ajarnmike100




Group Field Trip--Pittsanoke and Ayutthaya