So I tried putting up a video, but it wouldn't load. These pictures will have to do for now. At least it should give you an idea of where Dan and I are living. We each have a little studio with a queen bed, wardrobe, desk and television (we also have cable and get American movie channels, seriously we're living the dream!) Dan just commented on how he liked that I called the place a "studio" instead of a closet... it can get pretty small, especially when its messy (and by that I mean when my clothes are everywhere). Dan and I spend most of our time in the apartment that I took the pictures of. We got lights at the market so it looks more like home. We put up maps of Thailand on the wall and we also have a picture of King Rama IX (as I mentioned before, he's a pretty big deal here). All in all its comfortable. We still need something to sit on however, because all we have now is a bed and a tall block of wood they call a "chair." Dan keeps telling me that one day I will come home and there will be a huge sofa in the room. 
Our neighborhood is VERY residential. Dan and I draw a lot of attention to ourselves walking down the street because we are clearly not Thai. Very few people speak English but the good news is that my Thai is improving and ordering food is becoming easier. For instance, tonight Dan and I ordered some really good wanton soup... to get that far at a restaurant would have been pretty tough 3 weeks ago. The only thing that really bothers me about our area (and many parts of Thailand in general) is that we frequently get charged more for things because we are "farang," even though we are not tourists. It makes me mad and I hate the feeling that I am being taken advantage of. 
This picture is the outside of our place. It looks nice but its in a "shady area" (and it literally says that on the pamphlet advertising the place!) Below I posted one of the pictures from our balcony and you can see the little tin roofs we look out on to. It looks kinda scary, but really its not. I feel very safe walking down the streets. I've come to accept the fact that the majority of Thai people really don't care about what their buildings look like on the outside so long as the inside is nice. I always think when I walk to school, "This neighborhood would drive my dad crazy!" because everything needs a paint job and some fixing up. 
This is the alley that leads to the main street. Our neighbors in the middle of the road have a rooster, so I get to hear it crow on the walk to and from school. Its pretty funny. Dan and I are trying to figure out if they keep it to eat it or just as a pet. Also, everyone has about 5 dogs or cats that just hang out outside. There are a lot of animals in this neck of the woods.
Our place also has a pool, which I used for the first time today! Its nice and pretty secluded with lots of plants surrounding it. I arrived when the woman was finishing cleaning it so I feel confident that the water is good for swimming and not just looking. Hopefully I'll snag a picture of that soon as well.
(Last but not least) This is the picture from our balcony. It sounds amazing when it rains because of the metal roofs. Also, somehow thunder storms here are SO much louder than the ones at home. When they arrive, I wake up jumping out of bed because the boom just gets into my brain. I think the rainy season will be 5 months of pure thunderstorm entertainment. 
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