My birthday celebration continued into Friday. I received many e-cards and little gifts from students. A secretary brought some beautiful roses into my office, and then my 3rd year students took me out for a birthday dinner last night. We went to a great outdoor restaurant overlooking a lake. It was very peaceful there, and the weather was perfect. We ate a lot of fish. Restaurants in Thailand serve entire fishes, with the heads & everything. Everyone scoops out pieces of fish, leaving the head, tail, & bones. We ordered 4 fish to share among us last night. We also had some spring rolls and gai pahd met ma muang (chicken w/ cashews in a sweet sauce).

Today I’m taking a bus to another town to attend a wedding. Poom, a friend from NAU, is getting married today. I have a long day ahead of me! I will leave for the bus station at 12:15 and I won’t get back tonight until after midnight.