A whole new world

Sorry for not getting on Skype last night.

I've had an interesting past 2 days and yesterday got an offer for a free ride up to Supong, and took it.

I am at Cave Lodge and will be leaving to go into the jungle to the school shortly. The school is in the Hoo Hang Village and I will be with the Laho people, not the Karen... But I'm so excited cuz the average class age is around 10 to 15! Should mean lots of games, and goofing off learning English, which makes me stoaked!
I won't have Internet or even paper in the village, so I might just need to send mail here to the lodge considering it's the most modern/primitive place within a 15mile radius. I plan to get a Thai phone asap.

I've met so many hippies in Pai. Two nights ago I was at a bookstore buying Catcher in the Rye and met this curly headed guy from Vancouver named Brenden. We went out to dinner, walked around town, then went to a party around a bond fire, and played music until 6am in the morning. He is so talented and smart. He is in a band back home, and gave me the link, I'll post it soon.
The next day everyone in Pai was up early because there were 1010 monks in town selling things they had made, and visiting the North. People (except me) haha, got up to see them. I got up, met a guy from Toronto, and also talked with one of my Thai friends Surat, who was telling me his friend from Supong moved to Chang Mai and abandoned his guesthouse/bungalows there. He offered for me to stay there for free, and clean up the bungalows. I could have parties, teach English, or do whatever I wanted.
So I was really excited to go and check it out!
I went into town, got some breakfast, then came back and we left for Supong. The bungalows are on the side of a mountain across the river, and are really nice! Everything is abandoned, but there is so much potential. My friend Surat is so crazy talented, and smart! We started clearing on bungalow and cleaning it, setting the old blankets in the sun.
There is also a full kitchen with pans, beans, gas stove, running water, and electricity! It is dirty, but we cleaned up and made it livable. I felt like I was camping. He said he would cook dinner for me, and we drove on his motorbike to the local market where we bought eggs, spices, oyster sauce, veggies, tofu, salt, and other stuff I didn't know what it was. We went back to the bungalow, and started cooking. A couple minutes later he made a huge pot of fluffy white rice, tofu veggie stir fry, (even found a tomato plant, and chillies near the kitchen on the hill), and we were eating dinner! It was so delicious! Savory and spicy!
Nearby were mango, lime and lemon trees, and I had the great idea to make tea. He took this random plant with blossoms and said I could boil the leaves to make a tea, so I used that too. My little pot of tea took 2 hours! I felt so inefficient, compared to Rambo's skills. He had already started a fire, set out 2 mats for beds, prepared dinner, blankets, and pumping water from the stream for the bathroom, and in that time I had made a pot of tea, feeling so proud over my humble accomplishment.
I used my Steri Pen, and bandanna to make sure it was safe to drink, and that was the most primitive camping skills I got to use. Geeze! I have nothing! He also found a random vine hanging from the tree, sliced with a knife and started drinking water!
When it was getting dark, we curled up on our mats and I pulled out my books to read. He kept talking about art, and we sat by the fire until I couldn't keep my eyes open, then fell asleep.

This morning, I woke up, and stayed in the covers. When I walked out of the bungalow, I saw a huge roaring fire going and he was walking back from the kitchen. Does Bob Marley have a son? Cuz if he does, this would be the spitting image of Surrat. Tall, dark and a thin Thai with a stash like Buffalo Bill. Flare jeans with little blue stars printed on the bottoms. A chonic around his neck, and smells of pattuli and menthal. He had woven some shells in his dreads and tied them in a bandanna, and was carrying this log towards the fire. As I said good morning, he greeted me with the same and said "I've already started warming the rice for food." He had started breakfast! Wow. I wiped the sleep from my eyes, and stumbled towards the kitchen feeling very well taken care of, and just in awe....lol.

2 hours later, I had cleaned the kitchen, made use of the old spices left over from the old owner, Surat had made eggplant and warmed our veggies from dinner,(so delesh!) which we had for breakfast. He started making something with a bunch of flowers, while I was cleaning up, and as I walked back to the bungalow to get my stuff, he had a cup of coffee with sugar sitting there waiting for me. I laughed to myself thinking...is this really happening right now!?!...so cool! I thanked him and asked if we could leave soon for the school.
We left half an hour later, and I am at the Lodge blogging. Such an adventure, and as soon as I finish, I'm riding on a dirt bike up this mountain pass to this village to meet the teacher and visit the school. I'll try to get the address to the school, where I'll be staying and post it later, so I can receive mail.

I wish I could have Skyped, but will just have to keep in touch through occasional blogging, and snail mail.
Love you all!
I keep having to pinch myself to see if this is all real. I'm so happy, blessed, and thankful, and having the time of my life!