Teaser...just to let you know that I'm still alive :)

It’s been such a long time since I updated my account of adventures here in Thailand that it’s really overwhelming to start. It’s kind of like starting a paper. I know that the hardest part is the starting, but I still avoid it like crazy. I do all of my other small tasks in hopes that I’ll run out of time to start the blog. I think the best way to do it is in small increments. The last update was the end of September, when we went to the ballet. It’s been nearly a month since then, and I’ve been to Trang, Malaysia, Mae Sai and Chiang Mai in the meantime. I guess I’ll start at the beginning (a very good place to start, from what I hear).

The week after the ballet was full of Thai Song work. The business is expanding and there are so many new opportunities for it. The most recent and exciting include a spot on a popular Bangkok morning show, multiple radio and newspaper interviews, many marketing and speaking opportunities in the US, and a key role in a city-wide advocacy project in Bangkok. The staff have been working like crazy and handling the added responsibilities beautifully. The week after the ballet marked a deadline for Brittany and I specifically, but also for the whole staff. By the end of the week, everything had to be ready for Brittany to go to the US. 

As many of you know, she received an award from her alma mater, Michigan State University, for young outstanding alumni. Here is the link to the awards page:  (http://alumni.msu.edu/programs/grandAwards.cfm) The alumni association flew her to the US for two weeks of awards ceremonies/festivities, and marketing. Needless to say, the trip necessitated a lot of preparation, not just for her, but for the rest of the staff in her absence. I spent most of the week researching and updating the presentation she would use for marketing and advocacy events. It was good to do research on important issues that had value in the real world, not just academia. I put to use plenty of my research paper skills gained in University (who says you don’t learn valuable skills in college?).

The week came off without too many hitches, but not without some stress. Our deadline was not Brittany’s flight to the US, but rather our train trip to Malaysia that Saturday; more on that in the next issue. Gosh, there’s so much to tell!! For now, I guess I leave you here. The week went well, we got pretty much everything done, and Thai Song is amazing!!