Celebrating Small Victories

I remember that in my first "cultural transition training" in Buenos Aires we were told to 'celebrate the small victories', meaning take pride in the things we are able to do that may seem small, but are actually great victories in the world of cultural transition.  So today, I am going to take this moment to celebrate some small victories from my day:

• My mimio pen (the electronic pen I use to write on my electronic white board) stopped working today in the middle of class and I was able to fix it all by myself.  Usually, an event like this would necessitate a consult with another math teacher, or an email to IT, at the very least. 
• I found the medical clinic without getting lost.  Not even one bit.
• I successful went to my appointment without messing up the system.  Helps that it was a British one-doc clinic instead of a massive Thai hospital, but still, we're sticking with small victories here people.  
• I got blood drawn. I confess, this has nothing to do with transition, it's just a personal victory anytime I let them suck my blood.  
• I rode a moto-taxi by myself in a skirt (side saddle) without falling off. Does it matter that I was holding on for dear life like a maniac? No. 
• I caved in a bought a "Christmas tree".  It's fake.  But I suppose it had to be, seeing as there just aren't many evergreens around here.  I got a few lights (need more) and a few ornaments (need more of those too) and got it put up while listening to Luciano Pavarotti belt out Noel and Ave Maria and other favorites on LP.  
• The taxi driver on the way home (I couldn't very well get on the bus with my tree) complimented my Thai.  For real.  Now, all I'd really told him was where I was going and where to turn and stop and such, but still, this was perhaps the greatest victory of the day.  In Argentina, I frequently heard that my pronunciation was very clear, and I'm beginning to hear that here as well. I hope this makes up for my lack of correct tones all the time and for using the wrong words here and there...

The picture didn't come out wonderfully, but here's my little tree all aglow.