Today is the first day I've ever felt uncomfortable while walking around the town or campus. For some reason, I've noticed everyone staring more today, or saying things about us (quite obviously) then laughing with each other. I don't know why... it's really strange.

By the way, I'm going to interrupt myself for a second. Have I mentioned how unbearable it is to be in a classroom with Thai students? Believe it or not, their level of respect is so far below the standards we have at Goucher, it's a joke. Students talk with each other the entire time in class, refuse to talk when the teacher asks them a question, and barely take notes or pay attention. It drives me crazy! You could NEVER get away with that behavior in the United States, yet they preach about how respectful their culture is, how to be proper to those older and wise than you. If that was the case, I wouldn't have to shoot them the evil eye every time they distract me from taking notes.

For example, my friend Colin and I are in a computer lab on campus to check e-mail and whatnot, and there's several Thai students in here, doing some survey for an English class... or pretending to do the survey, rather, because all they're doing is watching movies and music videos until the teacher walks in, then they close those webpages and pull the survey back up like they've been working the whole time. Aren't they supposed to be in college? Isn't that something a high school student would do...?

It's just strange, and seems very hypocritical, that Thai students can get away with acting the way they do in an educational setting. I'm very grateful that two of my classes are all foreigners, all exchange students or people on my program, because I can actually hear everything the professor is saying without being distracted every 5 minutes.