Farang Friends

On Thursday night, I meandered around town a little bit by myself. I walked to a place that sells pad thai and managed to order myself some vegetarian pad thai (quite a feat for me since Margo wasn't around haha). I sat down and started eating. A few minutes into my meal, another farang (westerner) showed up. The cook looked over at me and pointed "Friend! Friend!" Of course, since we are both farangs she assumed we were friends. So the cook insisted that this other farang sit with me, who of course must be my friend. It turns out that she (Kay) used to teach at my school, and after leaving and living in Australia for a few months came back to Lampang and is teaching again at a university. It also turns out that she had heard of Margo and met some of the other farang teachers in the area. Farang news also travels. The next day, Chris, another English teacher, had heard that I met Kay. Its such a small community of Farangs that everyone knows each other.
This weekend Margo, Apple, and I went to Apple's house in Thoen, which is in the country, where we met her parents, grandparents and some of her extended family. Saturday we hiked to the top of a 7-tiered waterfall. We brought some food and beer and had a little picnic at the top.

Before heading back to her house, we stopped at her farm and got a bunch of pomelos (grapefruit like fruits that aren't as sour) (see picture below)

and lots of other vegetables and fruit to bring back to Lampang. I must say I had the most local meal I've ever had. We had sticky rice for breakfast while their rice field was just steps away. It was so awesome to be in the country and see the "real thailand" that most tourists who visit the beaches in southern Thailand don't get to see. The pictures I have of the rice fields and mountains are just as pretty as pictures of the beach.

Margo & I definitely want to go back, so we'll just have to invite ourselves back to Apple's house :)