Home, Sweet Home

After two weeks in our new house and after being overwhelmed with questions from family and friends about the state of my new digs, I figured it was about time to write about the little house I now call home. And what better way to learn about my new residence than to see it with your own eyes in this short virtual tour:

While the house might not be as spacious as some of the McMansions popping up throughout America, it is plenty big enough for two recent graduates who have not yet acquired years’ worth of unnecessary stuff. In all honesty, I would have to admit that this new home is actually nicer than most of the places I called home throughout my four years of college.

Last night we cooked our first proper Thai meal in our kitchen with the help of one of the English teachers, Thong Soi. The evening had a more eventful start than anticipated, as our single gas burner was not properly connected to the tank and began emitting a pretty dreadful sound when we tried starting the flame. Luckily, Thong Soi was able to call (literally, she just walked outside and started shouting for someone to help) another teacher who knew how to fix our little problem and in no time we were back on track to becoming world-class Thai chefs.

The night’s tasty menu consisted of rice, egg omelet with mushroom soy sauce and oyster sauce for seasoning, long beans and eggs, and morning glory with garlic. Knowing that our American palettes still hadn’t adjusted to Thai spices, Thong Soi allowed us to add only a few chilies to the long beans and eggs. Kendall, thinking that she could maybe handle the heat, bit into a whole chili and immediately darted into our bedroom. After hiding in the bedroom for quite an extended period of time, she emerged holding a nearly empty one-liter bottle of water and with watery tears still filling her eyes. I guess adjusting our taste buds to Thai cuisine’s love of spice might take a little longer than I originally thought.

All in all, our home is wonderful. It’s clean, cool, and conveniently located near the main academic buildings and the entrance to the school. We even have some house pets in the forms of little geckos that can be found hiding behind our refrigerator or along our doorframes. I’m continuously thankful to the school for setting us up with such a nice space and I’m excited to call Mae La Noi Daroonsik my home for the next year!