New Acquisitions

So, I know many of you are probably wondering where my "First Day of School" post is, and where my "First Week of School" post is, or maybe where my "First Week of School is Over" post is. Well, all of those posts have yet to be created. I suppose part of the delay is due to not wanting to bring work home, and somehow writing about work seems like...work.
Anyway, if you're waiting for those kinds of posts, I'm sorry: this is yet another non-school-related post.
My older brother sent me a wonderful package in the mail; it contained three great posters, something I need a LOT because these prison-issue walls do nothing for me. I went to the store and bought concrete nails (yes, the walls are solid concrete) and a hammer and put those babies up:



You can't really tell because of the glare from the camera flash, but Stitch is now happily hanging above my bed. Homer is in the "kitchen" and the Pokemon are by the door.

I also got a microwave when I was at the store, because it was on sale. I was going to wait until payday (tomorrow) but I figured I was there, it was there, it was meant to be.



I forgot to get a vase, though.



This is a new fruit I tried in the last week: mangosteen. It tastes nothing like a mango, or anything I've ever eaten for that matter. It is delicious but messy: the skin (actually, it's almost like a shell) is really juicy and the juice turns a dark dark purple after a while and stains. The fruit inside is white and delicious.

Now, I told my mother that I wouldn't post any more gross pictures of my ailments, but I can't resist posting about myself. I don't know the source of this bite, but on the weekend it got REALLY bad- it burned and ached and got all swollen and hard. I went to the pharmacy for some treatment and the lady working there just pointed and stared. Then she called over her two coworkers and together, they pointed and stared. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I told them I would see the nurse in the morning. The lady nodded and sold me some cream indicated for staphyloccoccus infections. Hmmm?



This picture doesn't really show the true ugliness of this bite. When I saw the nurse in the morning, she said "Oh, you burnt yourself on a motorcycle". Women often have a burn mark on their legs in the spot where I have the bite- they accidentally brush against the hot engine when getting off the bike.
"No", I told the nurse. "It's a bug bite". She gave me the same look that the pharmacist did.
The good news is she didn't seem terribly concerned. She told me if it got worse I should see a doctor, but for now just use the cream and monitor it. The Thai people are very aware of physical appearances- my students are all worried about making things "beautiful", and generally the first comments upon meeting new Thai people have to do with my appearance. I think that explains the surprise of people who see my bites- they know that I am certainly not going to win "Miss Legs Bangkok".
Oh well. Another life goal down the drain...

Until next time,
Heather