Living in and near cowboy city, the purchase of cowboy attire is a must. Having resisted any such purchases for 4 years, I was finally issued with my own cowboy shirt by my department at school...which is the same as the other 40 members, but hey ho, I will wear it with pride to any number of the cowboy events that I happen to attend in this busy season.

The Thais love to party and December is the season of festivals- the biggest being New Year. Every local town, worth it's salt will have a cowboy festival to celebrate- and no matter how many, there always seem to be enough cowboys to go around. For anyone visiting the Khao Yai at this time of year, I recommend that you seek one out. They're free to attend- just turn up, find a table or hay bale to sit on, buy a tower of beer and some food and enjoy the show- both on and off the stage. If you are a westerner and appropriately dressed (cowboy shirt at the least), then you are certain to get a lot of attention, all positive, and often in the form of offers to join another table or to accept a glass of beer or two. 

Even though the Buddhist Thais do not celebrate Christmas, they are happy to get into the spirit of things if there is a foreigner around who does celebrate it. The Christmas celebrations include dressing up as Santa Claus, or a cowboy of course, and then having the best Santa Claus competition and best Santee competition (not pictured here). I had not come across Santee until I came to Thailand...she's not your traditional Mama Claus, but more of a young, pole-dancing wayward niece of Father Christmas. 
A true indication of the lengths Thais in this area will go to, to make you feel welcome came this Christmas. Having gone around to the relatives of Deaw to give them cookies and chocolates for Christmas, I had a complete surprise on Boxing Day when his entire family tuned up at the hut to wish me a Merry Christmas. They were armed with Christmas gifts and handmade cards from the children and it really did make this festival for me.

So, if you are in Thailand in the next month or two and fancy combining a jungle trip with a taste of real Thailand, then get in touch and come and visit. At this time of year, the days are lear, dry and bright and Pakchong provides a welcome break from the heat and humidity of the rest of Thailand....the 7th best ozone in the world didn't you know?

There are also some great festivals left in the pipeline, the next one being the Muak Lek Cow's Milk (and therefore cowboy) festival in January. So saddle up and come join us :) 

Happy New Year to Everyone...and may 2013 be a great one for you.

A poor excuse I know- but almost the truth! November has been a very busy month with lots of welcome visitors and guests.
The month started with some visitors from the  'old country', and Polly, Richard and Hannah all qualify as true hut-dwellers now having spent 4 nights with us. Poor Richard was relegated to a tent, with the huts being full- but he managed admirably and we promise a proper room next time in our new guest hut. 

I can honestly say that they got to experience the 'real Thailand' and, whilst not quite as glamorous as their resort in Phuket,  gave them a balance to what Thailand is about. In addition to heading out into the National Park and jungle for the day , they headed into a different jungle altogether- the local school. Here they were taught a few Thai phrases by my Mathayom 1 students before gamely being interviewed by them. The students were very excited to be talking to some 'real foreigners' (I somehow don't count anymore and am as interesting to them as an old shoe) and when Hannah admitted to not being able to speak Thai or Thai dance, was signed up for some lessons by the students, whether she wanted to learn or not. "Ok- I teach you" being the phrase of the morning. The morning ended with a photo shoot befitting  rock stars.

Our Dutch guests visiting a welcoming party for the new director of Pakchong School. They got a taste of Thai life in all of it's glory, making for a nice contrast to the day they had spent with the wildlife in the jungle.