Muay Thai

I've two Thai buddies that I was randomly assigned at an event organized to better integrate foreign students and locals. I neglected to ask them about their potential vacation homes in Pattaya. I remain hopeful. We should have won the dance competition.
I am one of the few girls in the Muay Thai boxing club. I joined on a whim but I actually really, really enjoyed it. The plan is to stick with it, hone my skills, bring them back to the states and start the revolution.
Field trip number one with the Thai Language and Culture class was this past Friday, and none of us are really sure exactly what the place was called nor the purpose it served. I'd call it a palatial yet somewhat smaller museum full of works of art completed for members of the royal Thai family. I had no idea that beetle wings were used as decoration, they were used in virtually every other piece. Gold was also abundant and the level of detail was phenomenal. The silk woven tapestries looked like paintings.
I literally burned my ass on the kiddie slide at the pool on Saturday. I am a moron. For nearly four hours the pool was monopolized almost entirely by Green Park students, it was awesome. Famous Cabbages and Condoms restaurant for dinner, they have condom everything and decent food. I spun the wheel of sexual fortune and I'm sure you will all be glad to know that I did not land on Aids. That night I saw my first drag queens up close, this was also amazing. I got my picture taken with a few of them free of charge, but when the boys in the group did the same they demanded tips, which was also very amusing. The queens were gathering just outside of the pool hall we spent much of the night at, which was apparently also a popular high school hang out.
Today I went into the city with Bonney, Lane and Julia to see the snake farm, Wat Pho and the Grand Royal Palace and to get Thai massages and the massage school. We took water taxis to get around, which are essentially buses on the water, it's incredible and super relaxing. The snake farm was interesting, we were initially told by the ticket booth woman that we would each have to pay 200 baht to see the show. We countered that with the fact that we're students and apprehensive looks. While we were standing in front of the booth just trying to make up our minds as to whether or not we should pay the seemingly official price that wouldn't budge for students when she suddenly decided that our business was wanted, 100 baht each later we were watching snake handlers skrew around with cobras. It was crazy. After the show the crowd was allowed to hold the python around the neck and of course I had to partake.
The Grand Royal Palace looked amazing from behind the high white walls and that was about as close as we were allowed to get in order to save the 350 baht entrance fee. Just a short walk down a street littered with vendors is Wat Pho, entrance fee 50 baht and home of the biggest reclining Buddha I've ever seen, plated in gold and looking happy and chill like Buddha always does. The surrounding temples were beautiful.
Thai massages are amazing and somewhat awkward. You are in a small U-shaped room in a small section of 3 beds or so laying side by side, and chances are you're sweaty and have dirty feet from walking around all day, I really felt bad for my masseuse. They don't really mess around, they hit you deep and where it hurts and afterwards you feel amazing. Julia said it was the fastest 30 minutes of her life, and I tend to agree. Next time I'll spring for the full hour.