Good First Impressions

I have just now arrived in the city where I will be living for the next five months. It is called Phetchaburi (Pet-Boo-Ree) which means "The Diamond City". I just arrived so all I know so far is there are lizards everywhere and I have a mango tree and a banana tree in my backyard. Oh yeah, I have my own two bedroom house...strange.
Orientation was a whirlwind week. I rode an elephant, went bamboo rafting, swam in the River Kwai, saw a Muay Thai Boxing match, learned how to teach english, learned how to speak British, ate seaweed flavored chips(not good), and visited the Grand Palace of Thailand. All in all it was an amazing week and I feel extremely blessed to be here. The Thai people are amazingly kind and welcoming.
The collision here, and it can only be described as a collision, between eastern and western cultures is bizarre and hilarious. At Lumpini park in Bangkok there is a musical performance everynight on a huge stage that is about nine feet high and about the area of half a football field. Everyday at about six the show starts and they play/cover the exact same songs every single night. My favorite part of the show is when they play "My Lumps" by the Black Eyed Peas followed by a techno-version of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan. Both songs involve about six back-up dancers and are accompanied by the WWF being projected on a movie screen at the back of the stage. A collision indeed.