Week three in Thailand

So we have officially been in Thailand for three weeks now and I could for sure blog about some very bizarre things.
It's still ridiculously hot here. We are still trying to understand why 3/4's of the population in Nong Khai wear jeans and long sleeve shirts when it is a hundred degrees out. It's insane.

Today we went to Udon Thani about an hour from Nong Khai to go to a "mall." Malls here consist of a huge market, discount stores galore and a token Body Glove shop. This mall was 4 floors and rather big. It was packed today since it was so hot. Most people go there to be in the air conditioning not much to shop.

We have finally come to grips with the fact that we are the minority and have several people a day looking at us. It's also easy to get ripped off. I was feel rather confident yeasterday and went to a store down the street to buy some chocolate (Colin is having withdrawl since arriving here); there was no sign as to what the item cost but I found out later that I paid double the price. The common consenses here is that the "white" people are rich and that the locals are first to admit that they will take you for all that you are worth. Most "white" people are referred to as French. I am not sure why but everyone here that is white is called French.
Since we are in such a touristy town we do see quite a few white people walking around the city. Most of them are men older in age between 60-80 years old that have come here for a young wife. Not just a little bit younger - young like barely 20 and up. They are paid quite substansially to be the man's wife and are conpensated by also supporting their families. Somdy says that most of the women here that marry that old of a man have likely been prostitutes for many years. There has been many times that I have seen men who are carrying a baby and they themselves are in their 60's and 70's. It's odd to see.
The other white people that are here own businessess. Usually from Great Britain or Germany. They come and open pubs for a fairly low cost and fratinize with the other white people. Most locals can't even afford to set foot in them.

Last night we were teaching English - going through the alphabet and one of the words was North America. We showed everyone where it was and showed them where we lived. Most people's reaction is that it is cold and they wonder if we are living in a pre-industrial civilization. When we explained to them that people of all colours live in our country; as well as people that are from their own country - they looked at us with wide eyes thinking "ya right." It was great letting them in on the secret of our homeland how it is so diverse and multicultural! Looking at their own country though I can see how they would be so awed. A country of billions and you would maybe see 1 white person per every 75 Thai. There really is no diversity here.
It did feel good to let them know that if one day they did decide to come to Canada to use their budding English skills that they would be welcomed with open arms by someone just like them.