justTripn wrote:Well, I can make my official announcment! My foreign exchange student is here, and so far so good! I may have the perfect exchange student. She is from Thailand, where I lived once upon a time--25 years ago for two years. She brought me the most recent Carabao/Parn concert DVD! Caraboa is my favorite rock band of all time (I've been a fan for 25 years) and Parn is a much younger female artist with a voice like an angel. This was a concert I was severly tempted to jump on a plane and fly to Thailand to go see. The concert happened only a few months ago. Well, turns out I DIDN'T MISS the concert afterall. I have it on DVD forever!!!She also brought me the complete collection of songs by Scrubb, two guys with a really fresh, artsy, retro sound. This because I posted a Scrubb YouTube on facebook saying, "I love everything this band does." And she brought me some 1st-grade type books for learning the Thai alphabet. (I never learned to read or write Thai, only speak.) She did all this just GUESSING these would be EXACTLY what I would want. YES!
She is very upbeat and outgoing and hardworking from what I can tell. We just got her room replastered and painted right before we got here and when she arrived, it was one day short of being livable. She had to sleep the first night over at my mom's house. Just now, Par and I just finished cleaning and fixing up her room together. She seems very happy. It was quite stressful hoping everything would come together in time (and realizing it wouldn't). I will spare you the long story about negotiations with the workmen.
Tomorrow we go out to see the sites in Pittsburgh and to experience American culture! I can't wait.
I know how long you've been waiting for this opportunity Ann, I'm so very happy for you
We got our American culture for the day by touring the University of Pittsburgh campus and watching an episode of Wife Swap. And I've started learning the Thai alphabet. There are six different letters for the "t" sound . . . ????? I'm sure it will all become clear as I go. I was asked to define the words "24/7" (which is easy) and "kick-ass" (not so easy, lol). When I looked at the clock and said, "I can't believe it's 9:00," she said, "Time flies when you're having fun." 
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Those people are usually MUCH crazier than I am.
