Wow.  Today has been both a very short and very long day.  I woke up at 3:30 because of jet lag and couldn’t really get back to sleep after that, then went to school at 6:30 and got there at about 7:30.  Walking through to courtyard was NERVEWRACKING, let me tell you.  My host mom, Jah, led me around to the administrative office (I think?) but on the way I just felt so out of place. Everyone else seemed professional and business-like in their uniforms, and I felt like a trick-or-treater.  In the morning at my school we have an assembly, wherein I think prayers are said and sung, and the national anthem is sung.  Before all that though, a nun (who’s name I don’t remember but want to learn because she is so very sweet) made an announcement and then I had to go up to the mike in front of 5000 STUDENTS and who knows how many teachers, and introduce myself in Thai.  I knew how to say “hello” and “my name is Aria” but the teacher explaining things to me wanted me to say “I come from Canada” as well, and I didn’t know that.  This meant I spent an eternity that was way, way too short trying to memorize two syllables and not pee myself or fall over.  It was the most terrified I think I have ever been in my life.  I succeeded, kind of, at saying what I needed to and then waited in the office while prayers and everything happened because I could not stand in front of those students any longer.  After that I was lead around to the front of the school for a couple photos, which can apparently be found here, and then followed the teacher (I still don’t know her name) to my class.  It turns out that you are not allowed to wear your shoes inside the building and it also turns out that I am not very good at taking off and putting on my school shoes.  Which is awkward.  Especially since I realized I was the only one wearing shoes while standing in the middle of a crowded and small stairwell.  When I got into my class there were only a few people, but soon all 50 students including myself were there.  First period was science and they were working, well, they were supposed to be working on pullies.  I think the teacher might have gotten them to do 10 minutes work all class.  Maybe.  For pretty much the entirety of the class I was just surrounded and being asked so many questions, a lot of which I understood for they were speaking the best English they had, but most of which were the same questions everyone else had asked.  The most popular questions were: What’s your name?  Why did you choose Thailand?  Where do you come from?  Will you eat lunch with me?  That last one was a favorite apparently.  I was asked by the person I agreed to eat lunch with if I would eat lunch with them first every day, then every Monday and Wednesday, then just every Monday.  Super overwhelming, let me tell you.  At one point I was asked if I had a boyfriend, and then I believe the same person asked their friend to ask me if I liked girls or boys.  I think my least favorite question though, was “Do you remember my name?” or “What is my name?”.  I really want to be able to remember their names! They are so pretty and interesting, but I am very, very bad with names.  I can usually just wait for someone else to use whoever’s name in a conversation and pick it up.  Instead I had probably 150 students throughout the day quizzing me on what their name was.  I now can remember 7.  Because they quizzed me repeatedly for about an hour during class and I wrote them down.  This isn’t to say I know who’s face matches which name however. 😛 Tomorrow will probably be harder still.  Anyways, for all that it was fun.  I have finally in the last hour of school managed to unclench my feet and calves and I’ve met some really neat people.  I’ve also learned a ton.  Mostly little things, like how to buy food and where to put my dishes away.  That I need to remember to wear an undershirt tomorrow (Wups!).  How to tie the scarf thing on my school uniform and to bow to the teacher at the beginning and end of class after a particular incantation is said. o.0  Everyone in this school is nigh unto constantly smiling, and I was told how beautiful I was probably 40 times.  My day is almost done, and tomorrow I start following my schedule, which ROCKS let me tell you.  I have French, Thai, and Chinese language classes, Sewing, Origami, Thai culture, Thai dance, Cooking, Thai music instrument,Carving, Math, P.E., and Science.  This is has been my dream for course selection at school for years.  I actually didn’t chose the subjects, either.  I was just handed a schedule.  Anyways, I am looking forward to tomorrow.  I have Chinese first thing! 😀 I’m writing this in my free time towards the end of the day, and I can’t wait to get back home to the 8 dogs. 8.  4 shih tzu, one chihuahua, and 3 Thai dogs.  It’s pretty great.  Thanks for reading, and I’ll try to keep you posted on my time in Thailand!