Photos! And a nickname!

I'm not sure if I mentioned this yet in a post, but most Thai people get a nickname that is one or two syllables and easier to say and remember than their given name. Na-ta-lie is not too hard to say, which is why I pronounce all the syllables when I say my name to people who do not reside in the United States. Regardless of how easy or hard my name might be, I need a nickname. Kelly wanted to call me Kai, which means "egg" because our Thai teacher, Ajan Matarot says that I am like a "freshly peeled egg," a German expression that means bright-eyed and well-groomed. Yes, a surprising descriptor for messy me. Jake back at UCR apparently calls me a "good egg." So, Kelly thought Pii Kai (big sister Egg) suits me. But it's sort of weird to be called an egg. So today one of the monks suggested Naa Naa, which means field. I like that better. Plus, I get to keep the N part of my name. Naa Naa it is.

All the photos I have go back to the day I left LAX, so I guess I'll just start at the beginning and narrate as I go.

Alright, so the computers here are reading my files strange, so instead of posting lots of photos in order, I'm just going to post one from yesterday. More to come.

Meat. The little ghosts flying over the raw meat are plastic bags attached to strings, attached to fan blades to keep flies away. There is an abundance of raw meat. Raw fish. Raw de-feathered ducks (with the expression still on their faces).