Me and a few of my students.

My four weeks in Ban Mi have come and gone as Tuesday was the last day of school.   I definitely planned on teaching longer than six weeks while I was here, but then again- I guess I didn't really plan at all.  I honestly never looked into when the Thai school term starts and finishes and when they take their holidays.  But after being here, I get it.  March and April are the hottest months (lucky me) so it makes sense for the break to happen during that time.  So after a month that past in the blink of an eye, my time in Ban Mi is over.  Teaching in Thailand was a wonderful and unique experience that gave me the opportunity to see a side of the culture that many tourists don't ever get to experience.  I have been fortunate to be able to participate in the everyday life of Thailand and it truly has been a once in a life time experience. 

Assembly on the last day of school.

The last few days of school were pretty much what you would expect from the last few days at any school.  Kids checked out and not paying attention, teachers giving out busy work to keep them occupied, yearbooks being passed back and forth, pictures being taken and goodbyes being said.  It was hard to leave my students and the faculty in the Foreign Language department who made me feel so welcome, but I think the hardest thing for me to leave behind was normalcy, or at least closest thing resembling it since I've been here.  I was in Ban Mi for four weeks which is the longest I have been in one place in about 3 months.  It felt nice to unpack my stuff, however little of it there is; be a regular at my favorite restaurant; have a routine and just stay in one place for awhile. But if Thailand has taught me anything its not to get to comfortable.  I packed up my suitcase - again - and moved back to the Twinhouse on Wednesday afternoon.  In all honesty, it's very strange to be back.   It still feels like home, but not in the same way as when I first arrived.  There are only a handful of people that I know but I'm not surprised, it has been over 2 months since I've been here.  Same place just different people, and an entirely different vibe along with it.  There are always people coming and going so the mood changes quickly.

I am planning on being here, or at least with the organization, for the rest of my time in Thailand.  I will spend the first few weeks at the local orphanage, painting, cleaning and playing with the kids. I'm really looking forward to spending some more time with Thai children, but also really helping out and getting my hands dirty.  After that I plan on spending a few weeks doing some of the projects that the Twinhouse offers around Thailand.  Stay tuned for an update on my time at the orphanage. 

I started compiling this information not long after I got here and the list has been growing ever since. I wanted to have more of this in my normal posts but I really didn't know how to fit it in.  So instead you get a summary of the Thai Culture in one big post - a la Megan Anton.  I thought it was fitting to post it this week since I have been here for just over seven weeks and I have about seven to go. So here is my take on the Thai culture - smack dab in the middle of my adventure.  Some of this information is common knowledge in Thailand, some I have learned from the experts and some is just my humble opinion.

Religion
Religion is extremely important here.  The country is 95% Buddhist and you don't have to look far to see signs of it. It is said that Bangkok alone has between 400 and 500 temples.  Religion is taught in school, morning prayers are said at assembly every morning and many times there is a small temple on the grounds.  Buddhism in Thailand is influenced by traditional beliefs regarding natural and ancestral spirits.  Offerings of food and water are presented to keep these spirits happy.  Many Thai households own 'spirit houses', a small ornate and colorful house where they believe the household spirits live.  If these spirits aren't happy then it is believed they will inhabit the larger house and cause chaos.  You can find these spirit houses outside of almost every Thai home as well as in public places, where people make public offerings.  Monks are high in the hierarchy of Thai society and demand their own religious protocol.  Thai monks are forbidden to physical contact with women, so therefore women are expected to make way for passing monks to make sure that contact does not accidentally occur.  When making offerings, women place donations at the feet of the monks since directly handing things to the monk is not allowed. 

King
If religion is number one in Thailand, then the king is number two. Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy since 1932 and the current king, King Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX was corrinated in 1946, making him the longest ruling monarch in the world.  The king is well loved and respected through out the country and you can see his picture and flag just about everywhere.   But take this information with a grain of salt for it is a crime to disrespect the king in anyway.  People are still punished for criticizing the king. It is also rude to step on any Thai currency that has fallen on the ground, since the king appears on all money.

Attitude 
As in many Asian cultures, the notion of face is very important in Thailand.  Thai people generally don't show emotion and one should be careful to place blame or do anything to cause another person loose face.  It is very important to stay calm and avoid conflict.  Disagreements and disputes are often settled with a smile and the phrase ‘Mai Pen Rai’ meaning ‘it’s nothing’ or ‘it doesn’t matter.’ This reflects the disposition towards minimizing any arguments whatsoever. The idea of individuality is virtually unknown here.  The society as a whole is more important than the individual members and it is best to follow the crowd.  Children are never taught the phrase 'just be yourself' and 'everybody is special.'  Rather prefer not to stand out from everybody else. 

Head & Feet 
A very important social norm here is the respect shown to a persons head.  It is the highest part of the body and therefor should be respected.  It is rude to touch somebodies head, especially strangers.  (This is a tough one, especially working with children)  It is also considered rude to place your feet above another persons head, mostly because the feet are seen as the least important and dirtiest part of the body.   One should never point with their feet or move anything with them.  You should also never step over people, books or food.  General rule of thumb is to avoid showing the bottoms of your feet to anybody.  (It's harder than it sounds.  I'm always putting my feet on chairs while I'm sitting down or crossing my legs so one foot is flapping around.)

Respect
If the culture of Thailand had to be summed up in one word, for me it would be respect.  Children are taught at a very young age to respect their elders and how to perform a wai, the traditional Thai greeting.  When walking past adults or strangers, children will lower their heads or bend down a little bit.  It is considered very rude to walk proudly past somebody or stand over someone.

Thai culture is also very polite.  When speaking with others, especially strangers, Thais will always add Kha (females) or Krap (males) to the end of the sentence.  After a few exchanges the Kha/Krap is dropped and the conversation carries on.   Sometimes it is used to say 'yes' or agree with somebody; or to mean 'this one please' when pointing at something.  There is no translation for it and it is strictly for politeness. (My boss at my school in Bangkok would often use it even when she spoke English.  I often heard her say "Good Morning Kha")

Beauty
Appearance is very important to the Thais, especially women.  They take pride in their appearance and will go to great lengths to keep their skin out of the sun.  Women often wear removable sleeves when in direct sunlight, and guard their face with umbrellas, newspapers, large hats or whatever they can find. (although this does seem to help with the heat somewhat)  They even go so far as to whiten their skin.  Almost all beauty product come with some sort of whitening agent in them, and I mean all beauty products.  Lotions, sunscreens, face wash, body wash, even deodorants have whiteners.  I have to spend extra time in the beauty department reading labels to make sure I don't accidentally buy something with a whitener in it.  I'm not comfortable bleaching my skin mostly because it's not good for you, but also because I feel like I am pale enough already and I don't need lotions to make me any more pale.  Frankly I'd like to try to get less pale while I'm here if I can.  

Food & Drink
Thai food is notoriously spicy and full of robust flavors, and with over 40 different ethnic groups- Thai food is extremely varied with many different ingredients and preparations throughout the country.   They use a variety of spices such as lime, garlic, lemongrass, basil, cilantro, as well as various types of chilies and curry pastes.  Pork, shrimp, tofu, sausage and chicken are the most common 'meats' in any dish.  It is very rare to find beef here as Buddhists don't believe in eating anything bigger than yourself.  Staples include eggs, rice, and noodles. Vegetables include eggplant, potato, cucumber, tomato, pumpkin, morning glory and bean sprouts.  Thai fruit includes your well known apples, bananas, pineapples and grapes as well as rose apples, guavas, mangoes, limes, coconuts and many many others.

Pork fried rice; red curry soup with chicken, vegetables, and white rice; a spicy papaya salad called Som Tam which features tomatoes, garlic, chili, cucumber and long slivers of papaya; Pad Thai, a fried noddle dish with bean sprouts, egg, cilantro, lime, fish sauce and peanuts are all among my favorite Thai dishes. 

In my opinion, Thai iced tea and coffee are the best there around.  The Thais make a mean iced tea, brewed from strong black tea and sweetened with condensed milk.  Thai iced coffee is brewed using strong black coffee and sweetened with sugar, heavy cream and quickly poured over ice.  Both are sweet, cold and cheap and feel amazing in the sweltering Thai sun.  God bless the Thais!

One of the best parts of eating in Thailand is the condiments.  A variety of sauces and spices are served with each meal such as sugar, sweet chili sauce, dried chili flakes and nam pla (literally means chili water) consisting of fish sauce, garlic, lime juice and chopped chilies.

Thai food is eaten with a spoon in your dominant hand and fork in the other. The fork is used to push food onto the spoon, which is really an efficient system for shoveling tasty Thai food into you mouth.  Chopsticks are only used for noodle dishes or soups.  It is almost impossible to find a knife. 

It is impossible to sum up variety and diversity of any culture's cuisine, especially Thailand.  I have left lots of important things out, (street food, desserts, fried foods, alcohol, I could go on) but this is just small sample of what I have found to be my favorite. 


Other Random Facts: 
Family is very important, as reflected in the language.  There are 4 words for aunt and 4 words for uncle alone, depending on whether it is your mother or fathers older or younger sibling. 

When beckoning people or hailing a cab never gesture with your palm up, rather with your palm down, palm up is reserved for dogs. 

In the Buddhist calender it is the year 2555, but calendars with include both years.  The number 5 in Thai is pronounced 'ha' so sometimes this year is referred to as the laughing year.  Likewise, when Thai's need to shorthand laughing on Facebook or Skype chat, instead of writing 'hahaha' they write 5555.  Kinda cute huh?

Wednesdays are considered to be unlucky in Thailand.  You are advised not to get your hair cut, get married or buy a lottery ticket on Wednesdays.  In the country many shops are only open for half the day or completely closed.  (I'm not quite sure why but I think it has something to do with odd numbers being unlucky) All days of the week carry a significance, with their own color, moon and God and the day of the week you were born on is said to have an influence on your personality and your lucky days and colors.

Maybe it's a case of the Mondays, but today has been as they say 'one of those days,' and those days are not easy to have when you are an outsider.  Needless to say, I stick out here.  At 5'6" I'm a bit taller compared to most Thai people, especially the women and I have long blonde hair and fair skin.  Of course I stick out, and I knew I was going to.  I knew what I was in for when I came here and honestly that was part of the appeal.  I wanted to challenge myself by living in a culture that was completely different than anything I'd ever seen.  Most days, it's great, but some days being an outsider is frustrating.  Now that I live in a small town with only a handful of other foreigners, I stand out even more.  Just by walking around town I can attract unnecessary and unwanted amounts of attention.  While walking to the grocery store today I couldn't help but feel like everybody was watching me; surveying me; trying to figure out what in the heck this white girl was doing here.  All I wanted to do was throw a bag over my head and run home.  Generally, people are friendly about it, they look at me with a smile as I pass, and I try hard to muster a smile in return, knowing they are somewhat skeptical of the newcomer.  But it's hard to ignore the all too common shouts of "FALANG, FALANG", which is the slang word for foreigner in Thailand.  It's not derogatory in anyway and it's not meant to be mean, it's just what they call us, sometimes we even use it to describe ourselves.  But after awhile, it starts to wear on you.  Every time I hear it all I can think is "Yes, I'm a foreigner, thank you for telling everybody what they already knew."  Basically, "Thank you captain obvious."  (I did learn how to say "that's correct" in Thai as a comeback, but I haven't gotten up to courage to use it yet.)  I think the hardest part for me is the fact that I can't do anything about it.  Thailand is a place where displaying emotion, especially anger and frustration, is unheard of.  It is seen as a sign of weakness and will get you nowhere.  When I get annoyed or irritated by all the staring and whispering; all I can do is bite my tongue and try to force a smile.  The concept of 'saving face' has definitely been one of the hardest parts of this culture to learn for me.  I don't mean to complain or sound ungrateful, I love being in Thailand and it's people are generally warm and friendly, but sometimes to really love a place you have to learn to take the good with the bad.  Some days that's harder to do than others.

It's only fitting that right after I told you about my 'normal day' as a teacher, the next is anything but.  Just when you think you have settled into a routine, gotten the feel for your new surroundings and started to feel comfortable, Thailand throws you a curve ball.   Today that curve ball came in two forms- Valentine's Day and a monkey.

First off, Valentines Day is a big deal around here.  The kids walk around with sheets of shiny, heart-shaped stickers, adhering them to anybody and everybody they pass.  It took Lauren and I twice as long to walk back from lunch today because students were stopping us left and right, yelling "teechur.. teechur" and affixing the small hearts to our shirts, delivering the best "Happy Valentine's Day" they could muster.  By the end of the day I could barely recognize the shirt I was wearing under all the stickers I had accumulated throughout the day. Presents and candy are plentiful and girls carry around massive bouquets of flowers, making them look like they just stepped of the stage of a Miss America pageant.  It's extravagant, to say the least, and puts even our most die-hard V-Day enthusiasts to shame.

The second, more unusual incident today happened during second period.  Students were trickling in to the classroom, I was sitting at the desk waiting for class to start, when a monkey scurried along a railing outside.  A few students shrieked but the monkey didn't show much interest in us so I didn't think much of it.  (Lopburi, the closest city to Ban Mi, is home to the famous 'Monkey Temple', a major tourist attraction in Thailand and is absolutely crawling with them.  Occasionally they do find their way here, but rarely. So, although I was surprised to see one in Ban Mi, they are not too hard to find.)  About 20 minutes later in the middle of my lesson, the little guy was back and up to something.  He got brave and climbed onto one of the small, shutter-like doors that swing out of the wall, then swung into the window to sit. Many of the students sitting along the windows immediately and justifiably, screamed and ran to the other side of the room. The curious little thing, scared by the commotion, quickly ran off before he had a chance to get into any more trouble.  All I could do was laugh, and when things had settled down many of the students were laughing with me.  I think they could tell from my dumfounded expression that a monkey entering the classroom was quite the foreign concept for me.  Stealing an expression from a friend, all I could think was.. Normal people don't have these problems!  Normal people don't have monkeys climbing into the windows of their classrooms!  As soon as I think I've got this place down, something completely unfamiliar ambushes me and I'm left with my jaw gaping wide open.  It's just another example of the ways Thailand is always coming up with ways to surprise me.

6:45-8:00
I wake up around 6:50am and get ready for school.  Eat breakfast, my only 'western' meal of the day, usually consisting of peanut butter toast, yogurt or fruit.  I pack up my backpack and meet Lauren in the hall around 7:25.  We walk downstairs, grab our bikes and cycle the 5 minutes through town to school.  This is one of my favorite parts of the whole day.  I love peacefully rolling through town, over the train tracks past the park and rice patties; kids crowded on to motorbikes rushing by, making their way to school.  We arrive at school at 7:30, drop off our things off in the Foreign Language office, work on a few last minute things and then go back outside to sign in and wait for the morning assembly.

8:00-8:20
The whole school is outside in the center of the campus, shaded by tents and trees.  The students sit on the ground by class while teachers mingle around the perimeter.  A few announcements are read, the flag is raised while the national anthem is played by the school band and morning prayers are said.  Students are dismissed around 8:20 and they slowly make their way to class.

8:20-10:00
I teach for the first two periods today.  Students are slow to get to class, so by the time all of the students have arrived its 8:40 and there is only 30 minutes left of the 50 minute period.  This is obviously nothing like the 6-minute hustle I experienced in high school, were sometimes all you had time to do was go to your locker and sprint to the next class to make it on time.  It's just another symptom of the laid back attitude of the Thai people and something we playfully refer to as "Thai time", as in 'I'm-taking-my-time-and can't-be-bothered-to-hurry' time.  (This all could very possibly be due to the fact that most of the time it's too darn hot to move fast)  It's taking some getting used to, especially since I have been known to be just a tad impatient, but I'm reminding myself that things move a little slower here and I need to adjust to how they operate, and not the other way around.  I teach period one from 8:40 to 9:10 and period two from 9:30ish to 10:00.  Since I have come in to the semester so late, I am mostly working on review with the kids.  It's hard to teach new material to 24 different classes (4-5 classes a day and never the same class in a week) without knowing their skill level or what exactly they have worked on so far, all with little to no time to prepare.  The first 3 days I taught an introduction lesson.  Most of the kids seemed interested to learn about where I come from, my hobbies, favorite food, etc.  They really got a kick out of the fact that I came from a place where it was -8 degrees Celsius and snowing.  After introducing myself, to get a better feel of skill level I have the students write down a few things about themselves and if there was any extra time we played a vocab game. (yes, already on the first day)  Lauren was nice enough to give me some of her leftover worksheets so this week I am teaching a lesson on articles of clothing.  I start with an activity on the board to get students to group articles of clothing into different categories like summer, winter and footwear.  Then for the last 10 minutes I pass out a fill-in-the-blank worksheet.  I adjust the lesson for each class's skill level as I need to and taking out parts that didn't work and by the third or fourth lesson I usually have it down.

10-1:20pm
Today I have the next two periods off, which I spend in the office working on lesson plans or catching up on e-mails.  Around 12:30, Lauren and I walk to the Canteen across campus to get lunch.  It's always white rice with a choice of stir-fry topping.  I usually go for a chicken curry or something with lots of vegetable that's not too spicy.  It costs 18 Baht ($.58) and honestly it's pretty good for a school lunch.  We eat in the air-conditioned office, escaping from the heat and the kids, and relax until its time for class again.

1:20-3:50
Most afternoons I teach the last three periods of the day back to back, and an after-lunch slump combined with the heat and humidity often makes for a long afternoon.  Luckily, most afternoons I am in my favorite classroom, 443 on the top floor of building four.  It is my favorite classroom because it has the best views of the surrounding area.  To the left side of the classroom are two steep hills covered in lush forest and to the right- its rice patties and palm trees as far as you can see, red and golden roofs of temples sprinkled onto the landscape.  The city of Bangkok was loud, confusing and sometimes just plain suffocating.  With all the congestion, noise and a seemingly endless supply of skyscrapers, it often felt I could be in any major city in the world, but seeing the Thai countryside again is a breathtaking reminder of where I am and how lucky I am to be here.  Needless to say, I am loving being back in 'real' Thailand again.  Just as London isn't really 'English' nor is New York City authentically 'American,'  Bangkok isn't 'Thai'.  It's not that I don't love Bangkok; it's a great city, packed with action, history and tons of entertainment, but I don't feel like the city does Thailand justice.  That's also not to say that I even know what the real Thailand is or what would do it justice, a more accurate way to say it might be Bangkok isn't my Thailand, the Thailand that I fell in love with the second I arrived.  I teach my last three classes with the fan fixed on my face to keep cool and dismiss my students at 3:50. 

3:50-5:30
I go back to the office, gather all of my things and cycle back home.  As soon as I get to my apartment I turn on the air conditioning for a much needed blast of cold air and spend the next couple hours relaxing.  I usually read, watch a TV show on my laptop or like today, do some laundry.

5:30-6:30
Dinner time.  Since my kitchen only consists of a fridge, toaster and hot water kettle, I almost always eat out for dinner.  Some nights Lauren and I might cycle to a restaurant to enjoy some pork fried rice or red curry soup, other nights dinner is as simple as instant noodles from the 7-eleven downstairs, but today is Monday  and around here Monday means night market.  So around 5:30 we hightail it across the street to grab a plate of Pad Thai (me) and Sushi (her).  Wondering how were affording all this eating out business on a teachers pay?  Well true to it's reputation, Thailand is quite cheap.  A bite to eat from the night market will run you about 30 Baht ($1) and dinner at a restaurant costs about 100 Baht ($3.30) depending on what you eat of course.  I am quite spoiled here yes, but if my 100 Baht means more to the local restaurant owner or shopkeeper than it does to me, then I'm happy to spend it. 

6:30-10:00
I spend most nights relaxing, writing, editing pictures or watching a movie or show on my computer.  I do have a television in my room but I've only turned it on once to confirm that all the channels are indeed, in Thai, so my computer and books have been my largest source of entertainment thus far.  I shower and get ready for bed, which comes pretty early around here.  Most of the time I fall asleep before ten.  It's not the most dazzling or thrilling life but it's both rewarding and humbling. 

I had a wonderful weekend in Bangkok, but mostly lazy.  It's hard to get a lot done in this heat.  I dragged my heals as long as I could on Sunday, but around 7 that night I begrudgingly hopped in a cab back to Bangbon. 

Monday morning I received the much anticipated call from my project coordinator, Phil.  He said that he had found me a school in Lop Buri, 3 hours north of Bangkok, and that they wanted me to start right away.  That afternoon I gave my boss my notice (yes, only one day) and went home to pack, spring in my step.  Tuesday was my last day at Sarasas and the only thing I was sad to say goodbye to was the kids.  The little ones are full of so much energy and spunk.  They are always smiling and waving to you in the halls, saying 'hello teacher' or 'good morning Teacher Megan' if they feel like showing off their English skills.  (I have to admit, I will also miss my 'contraband' 15 Bhat ($.50) iced coffee purchased through the school fence everyday at lunch.  That stuff was good.)  Tuesday after school, I turned in my key and left without looking back.  

My new school is called Banmi Wittiya School, located in Ban Mi, Lop Buri.  To my delight it couldn't be more different from Sarasas if it tried.  Its a in small town, but that's seriously preferred over the cramped and dusty city; it's a public school, Sarasas was private; my new school is a secondary school so I am now teaching high school instead of 1st and 2nd graders; I am one of two foreign teachers instead of being one of fifteen; there is no curriculum for the English department so now I am making my own lesson plans instead of teaching from a pre-approved book.  Most importantly, the atmosphere here is relaxed and informal.  Foreign teachers aren't expected to sign one year contracts like at Sarasas, and they understand that we are in Thailand not just to teach, but to travel as well.  It is so relaxed in fact, that by the time this school term is over, they will have had four different teachers in my position.  The Thai faculty don't seem to mind, I think they are just happy to have us here.  Maybe it's the fact that I am in a significantly smaller school or that I'm now 50% of the English department, but I definitely feel like I am more appreciated here, which is always a nice feeling.  The other 50% is Lauren, a 23 year old (Rachel McAdams look alike) from Manchester, England.  She has been teaching at Banmi Wittiya since the beginning of the term in November and has been nice enough to show me around.  We live right next door to each other so we bike the 5 minutes to school every morning, and back home again after school if our schedules match.  Having her around has made for a effortless transition.

So far, the only downside to the new arrangement is that its not going to last.  The school term ends on March 2nd so that only gives me three full weeks of teaching.  I will just be getting settled by the time I have to leave again, but by now I am getting rather used to it.  It seems like as soon as I get comfortable with my new surroundings I have to repack my suitcase and relocate. (although one of those times was of my own choosing) At the end of the term I will most likely go back to the Twinhouse and volunteer at the orphanage, but I have no intention of deciding that today. Right now I am an English teacher, worrying about lesson plans and grading papers. 

I am also happy to report that I have entered the 21st century and have internet in my room so I will be able to update you more on teaching and my daily life here.  I'm also working on a link to see more pictures.  Stay tuned. 

Two weeks have passed since I moved away from the Twinhouse and into my new ‘home’ and to say the least, it has been a rough transition. It was a rude awakening to leave a place where you were always surrounded by people and then suddenly be dropped into an old, empty apartment. It’s definitely something I haven’t adjusted to yet. My first week was slow and boring, but I chalked it up to the lack of work at school and hoped it would improve in my second week. I tried my best to look busy and waited as patiently as I could for the weekend.

Saturday morning I was up before dawn, accompanying several of my new co-workers and boss to and awards ceremony in Lompini Park in downtown Bangkok. The school had received some sort of award so I was asked to come along for the ride, but I think mostly just for show. Something I have picked up on so far is that foreign teachers are often times just a ‘marketing tool’ for the school, especially large ones like Sarasas. The more foreign teachers a school has, the more a school shows them off and the more parents want to send their kids there. The quality of the English program itself often isn’t even taken into consideration, just the fact that we are there looks good for the school. The ceremony was uneventful and the fact that it was in Thai made it feel infinitely longer than it probably was. Things weren’t improved by the stifling temperatures and rising humidity. By the time we left at 10am, I was sticky, tired and ready for some air conditioning.

After lunch (on the boss) at a nice Japanese restaurant downtown, I parted ways with my coworkers and headed off to meet my friends. It had just started to sprinkle as I crossed the street and hailed a cab. You know that saying ‘When it rains, it pours?’ Well I think they were talking about Thailand because but by the time I reached my destination 45 minutes later, the streets were all but flooded. When I stepped out of the cab I was met with mid-calf high water and the fattest drops of rain I have ever seen. I quickly dipped under an awning with rest of the unlucky ones stuck in the unseasonal downpour and waited for my friend to meet me. I kept myself occupied by avoiding the critters looking for dry land and watching the few souls, shoes in hand; brave the street of ever of rising water. A patchwork quilt of tarp and plastic covered stalls lined the street as shopkeepers struggled to keep the water at bay with brooms. Thirty minutes and too many cockroaches later, a very wet Tobias showed up and we ventured out into the rain and a foot of water, towards the hostel. On any other day I would have been grouchy and complaining that I was drenched, but I was finally in Bangkok with my friends and not even a flash flood could kill my spirits. I was on cloud nine and would be for the rest of the night.

Tobias and I at 'Happy Bar'

After the water subsided a few hours later and the streets were mostly dry, life went back to normal, as things often do here in Thailand. Tobias, the resident Bangkok expert, and I spend the afternoon mindlessly wandering the ins and outs of Khao San, the infamous backpacker’s paradise of Bangkok, sipping Carlsberg’s and relaxing with foot massages (best $3 I ever spent). We met up with the rest of the Twinhouse gang for dinner and needless to say it was great to see everybody again. Spending time with everyone again was exactly what I needed after a week of boredom and monotony. That night you could find us either wandering up and down Khao San road, Chang in hand; or at Happy Bar, a favorite reggae-themed hangout of the Twinhouse gang. To top off a perfect evening, we relaxed with 3am foot massages (spoiled, I know) and lazily wandered back to the hostel, drunk with happiness.

The dreaded Sunday morning came, and whether I liked it or not I had to leave my friends and go back to school. All I wanted to do was go back to Sing Buri with my friends but instead I was left to take the 45 minute cab ride back to Bangbon by myself. When I got back to my empty apartment that afternoon I started counting the days until next weekend.

For the first few days of this week, I shadowed different teachers and was slowly given some classes of my own to teach. I taught mostly English and Phonics classes to grades 1, 2 and 6. I definitely prefer the younger ones; although their English is minimal they are so enthusiastic and love to participate. Getting a 6th grader to contribute is like pulling teeth, but when I ask a question to a grade 1 or 2 class, almost all their little hands shoot up in the air. Other than that, things at school this week have not improved as much as I had hoped. Spending time in Bangkok and having such a great time made me realize just how unhappy I am here at school.  I am not going to ramble about all the reasons why I don’t like it here, I feel silly complaining while I’m in Thailand. Basically I am finding it unwelcoming and lonesome, especially being one of a only a few teachers my age, and the only female. The other teachers are always complaining and the work environment seems overly political and tense. I constantly feel as if I am walking on eggshells.  For the past week I have gone back and forth several times, deciding whether I want to stay or not but there are so few pro’s to outweigh the many con’s. I have tried to stay positive and give the school the benefit of the doubt but I also know I don’t want to spend my time here unhappy. The teaching is great, especially the younger grades but that is about the only positive for me and I know the teaching will be great other places too.  Ultimately, I have decided that Sarasas is not the best place for me.  I have contacted my program coordinator and he is currently working on finding me a new place to teach.

Obviously much has happened since I last posted, but that's what happens when you don't have internet readily available.  Hopefully I won't have to wait so long to post again.  Spending another exciting weekend in Bangkok with friends and hopefully hearing some good news regarding a new placement as well.

Cheers!

Celebrating a birthday in Thailand was nothing short of a dream come true. I had my last day of TEFL classes but the other girls in my program surprised me with a birthday cake at lunch. The instructor Phil even had ‘happy birthday’ in Thai written on it for me. It was truly a surprise and so incredibly sweet of them. I wanted to spend the night relaxing across the street with a couple beers and call it an early night, but it being my birthday, my friends made sure that didn’t happen. After a complimentary birthday beverages were set in front of me, everybody took turns singing happy birthday in their native languages. English, Swedish, French, Welch and Danish! It was so heartwarming and something I will never forget. We ended the night at the bar next door, listening to a the latest international hits and sipping Mai Thais next to the river. It was a great birthday, as well as last night in Sing Buri.

My Thai birthday cake

The few days leading up to Monday morning I thought I was ready to leave. The other girls in my program and I talked about how we couldn’t wait to move into more permanent homes, truly unpack our suitcases and feel completely settled again. But when Monday rolled around all of the sudden I didn’t want to go. The Twinhouse had quickly become my home in Thailand and I had made a new family full of people from all over the world. The first two weeks in Thailand was the first time in my life where everything was 100% foreign to me. The Twinhouse became a place I could go that felt familiar and people knew my name and all of the sudden, I was being ripped away from that and thrown back into the uncertainty of solo traveling. But whether I liked it or not, I had to say goodbye.

Three other girls in my teaching program.  LtoR Megan (England), Ceris (Wales), Andrea (Australia) & Me

After an extended bus ride to Bangkok (our bus broke down and we had to wait for one to come pick us up) I arrived with not a soul to pick me up. I was told I was going to be meeting a representative from the school at the bus station who would bring me the rest of the way but when I called her, she said I had to take a taxi to the school. Awesome. My blonde hair and fair skin already attract attention here but add an awkward suitcase and me uttering the words “You want me to get a cab?” to the mix and taxi drivers flock. I was approached no less than 6 times while making my way to the taxi cue. Sometimes I wish I had brown hair.

Monday was a holiday because of Chinese New Year so instead of touring the school when I arrived, I spent the day with the director and her husband. They took me to lunch at the mall which honestly, was a bit of a culture shock after being in rural Thailand for 2 weeks. It was the first time since being here I had experienced air conditioning and no rice with my meal.  After lunch we went to the grocery store (I could write a post about the Thai grocery store alone) and I was shown my new place. My apartment is decent. It's simple and a bit dated, but the shower is hot and the air conditioning cold, so I'm not complaining.

I have a full week at my new school under my belt and honestly, it has been mostly uneventful. The kids are testing this week so instead of shadowing other foreign teachers or observing lessons I have been proctoring and grading tests. It’s a necessary evil of teaching but I’m looking forward to seeing a real class day and what the English program entails.

Heading to Bangkok for the night to see some friends from the Twinhouse and I'm really looking forward to it. Stay tuned for a post about it and more on teaching!

Love from Thailand

-Meg

Is it Friday night already?  This week has gone by in a flash and my days here at the Twin House are numbered.  As of now I will be leaving bright and early Monday morning to catch a bus to Bangkok. But this is Thailand so plans may change, possibly more than once, between now and then. 

This week we have mostly focused on our TEFL course which has left me feeling like I'm in school again, much to my dismay.  Maybe it's the heat, the new environment or the dry material but I'm finding it hard to concentrate for a full day again.  Thankfully on Thursday we took a break from TEFL and started a Thai culture course.  It's a requirement for all foreign teachers in Thailand, but the course isn't standardized.  Our course jam packs language, art & music, culture, etiquette and customs into three busy days. 

Thursday morning was devoted to language.  We learned basic phrases and some words that will be helpful in the classroom as well like "sit down" "great job" and "where is your book?"  Learning Thai is incredibly tedious since it almost needs to be translated twice.  The Thai language uses a different and very intricate alphabet (around 50 characters) so the word needs to be read aloud by a native speaker, then the sounds need to be translated into the English alphabet, then paired with the corresponding English word.  Confused?  Yea, so am I.  Basically, since you can't read the word in Thai for boy or dog, you have to focus on sound the word makes, so noting the rise and fall and length of time each sound is held becomes incredibly important.  Studying Thai is so daunting but I'm determined to learn enough to get around confidently. 

Thursday afternoon was not much of a break as we had a lesson in Thai etiquette. We started the lesson by receiving a thick packet with all of the different ways to perform a wai (pronounced why). The wai, or bow, is the traditional Thai greeting and takes a different form depending on the status of the people involved.  In simple terms, the higher the hands, placed in prayer form, are in relation to the head and the lower the bow, the more respect or reverence the giver of the wai is showing.  Hands placed on the forehead is reserved for the king (although they said you would most likely be on the ground in that case); hands between the eyebrows for a monk; at nose level for elders and bosses; and the chest for children.  In all honestly, it's a practice I find stressful and overwhelming.  I am so worried about forgetting to do it, doing it to soon, placing my hands to high or too low, not bowing enough, etc.  Seriously, how am I going to remember all this?  Children here learn to wai at a very young age so it comes natural to them, but I am still so intimidated
 by it. Three more months to practice!



Today as part of our culture lesson we visited a local school for their Activities Day (I used to call it Field Day) celebrations, and being English teachers we were there as distinguished guests.  As soon as we got into town were were rushed into the middle of the craziness.  We had sashes to represent our home country thrown onto our shoulders, flowers put on our heads and were swiftly shoved into the parade. We marched on forever carrying a banner and getting our picture taken by what I'm sure was every single person in town until we finally arrived at the outdoor assembly.  Since we were English teachers, we were invited to meet the school director (my first test at the wai - it could have been better) and sit in the tent with the other teachers and big shots.  The speeches were long, especially so when you don't know what they are saying, but I was just thankful to be sitting down and out of the sun.



The real fun started and the children performed a few traditional Thai dances, in full costume and make up in the 90 degree heat mind you.  It was impressive and beautiful.  Most of the children were wearing shorts and t-shirts, ready to compete for their respective teams, but many of the girls looked like they would feel right at home on the stage of a beauty pageant or the streets of Brazilian Carnaval.  They wore large headpieces; detailed costumes full of feathers and jewels; and loads of make-up.  The costume and spectacle for a school activity was new to say the least, but this is Thailand and they will find any excuse to have a party.

After all of the song and dance it was time to play.  The first game up was a form of hot potato, but instead of a ball, the children pass around a bottle of talcum powder.  Adding insult to injury, the one stuck holding the bottle when the music stops has to cover his or her face in a handful of the stuff.  Really hilarious to see.  I wish we could have stayed longer to watch more games but it was lunch time so once again we were whisked away.  The whole day was a bit surreal and strange but can easily be summed up by the mantra "just go with it."

One more day each of culture training and TEFL and then I'm off to my new school.  I'm sad to be leaving the comfort of the Twin House and all of my new friends but I am hoping to meet them in Bangkok for a weekend before they leave.  I am looking forward to not living out of my suitcase, having a real address again and finally feeling settled.  Stay tuned for a birthday post and more pictures.  For now I need to go study some Thai so I can go across the street and have a beer. 

Love from Thailand
-Meg

Bangkok - In a word, the city is chaos.  It's loud, vibrant, colorful and full of personality.  It's also incredibly hot!  I'm not sure what I'm going to do when April rolls around and temperatures can easily climb into the 100's.  Saturday morning was the start of our bike tour around Bangkok.

Andrea and I - tossing our bikes on the boat.

An early start gave us an opportunity to see the streets of Bangkok wake up.  We biked through the market, winding streets and back alleys. I still don't know how our tour guide didn't get lost.  It felt like we were constantly turning and weaving around corners, a new sight and smell at every turn. It's hard to describe everything that I saw but I was able to snap a few pictures along the way.  They are not the best quality unfortunately since my camera died and I had to use my iPod.  I had been using my camera so much all week and I forgot to charge it before we left Friday afternoon, oh well, lesson learned.

Our boat through the canals of Bangkok.

Cycling past rice paddies.

View from the the rooftop bar.

Saturday night the the other two women in the tour group (both also in the same teaching program as I am) and I had drinks at the rooftop bar of our hotel which gave us a great vantage point to see the city come alive for the night.  For dinner we took advantage of our excellent location and hit the hectic streets of Chinatown and had some authentic Chinese food and Tsingtao beer.  Yum!

Streets of Chinatown, already decorating for Chinese New Year.

Sunday was a day of travel back to Sing Buri, which for me means more opportunity for me to observe Thai life and culture.  As certain big picture things become more familiar I am starting no notice smaller details of Thai life, like the effects of the recent flooding that hit most of the country.  You can see signs of the flood on trees, buildings and road signs.  The bottom of  just about everything coming out of ground is a slightly darker color, stained from flood water.  In some places its only a few inches but in others its as high as three feet.  At times it looks as if the bottom foot and a half of the country just needs a good power washing.  The solid line is a constant and eerie reminder of what they say was the worst floods in fifty years.  Things are improving slowly but Thai's are notoriously slow about many things.  They also have a carefree and laid back attitude toward life so they certainly didn't let a bunch of water get to them.  They make do with what they have and get on with life.

The weekend came and went and Monday was the first day of our TEFL course.  Most of the course work is easy enough and fairly common sense.  It focuses on how to manage a classroom, writing lesson plans, how to keep kids engaged and how to break down the language into easy to learn chunks.  We went into more depth about Thai culture and values, the Do's and Don't of society and the school structure.  Too much to share now but I plan on writing a big 'Thai Culture' post soon.

The most exciting thing that we learned today though was what school we will be teaching at.  I was incredibly nervous about what my assignment was going to be, I had so many unanswered questions.  Where was the school going to be located? Where is my new house going to look like? Would I like the community?  Would I fit in?  My anxiety was not at all alleviated when I was told I was going to be placed in Bangkok.  Not only was I not expecting to be placed in the city, 2 hours away from my new home of Sing Buri, I was being placed alone!  I was the only one placed in Bangkok, three of the girls were going to be placed in Sing Buri at two different schools, and another girl is going to be in Chang Mai which is about 9 hours north of Bangkok. 

My fears were quelled when I got back to the Twin House, got on my computer and looked up my new school.  It turns out that I will be teaching at the largest bilingual school in Thailand!  It's located on the southwest edge of Bangkok but it's hard to tell just how far outside of the city.  The school looks more like a university, it has a half a dozen buildings, around 8,000 students and about 150 foreign teachers alone!  Definitely not at all what I was expecting but I am excited about this new opportunity.  Last I heard we are moving to our new schools on Saturday, should be exciting!  After seeing the school it has all started to get much more real.  In only a week I will have a new home and a classroom full of Thai children to teach.

Fun across the street I have to attend to! Cheers.

It's Friday afternoon and my introduction week is drawing to a close.  I had nothing less than a hectic week traveling all around central Thailand.  (Still can't believe I'm here sometimes.. wow!)  I saw ancient ruins, spectacular temples, played with monkeys and elephants, made new friends from all over the world and ate amazing Thai food.  I've learned about Thai customs, language, religion and history but I think it would be safe to say that during the past week I have learned the most while traveling to and from the various sites.  Sitting in the back of our truck has given me the opportunity to observe the real undisturbed Thailand.  It's raw, magical, beautiful and at times, sad.  Thailand in a word, is a place of opposites.  Thailand is a place where big box stores sit next to the local market stalls, shinny new cars wiz past a mother and her two children on a single scooter, Buddhist monks talk on cell phones, ornate and colorful temples stand in the middle of the harsh and dirty city.  Thailand is a country in two worlds at once, old and traditional yet at the same time new and modern.  I have so much to learn about this country and it's people, I wish I could give it more than the three months is deserves.  You could spend a lifetime here and not learn it all, but I guess that's true of anyplace.

Heading south to Bangkok for the weekend.  I will be on a tour with three girls from teaching program, Andrea from Australia, Avril from the UK who we are meeting in Bangkok and myself.  I am looking forward to spending some time in Bangkok since I was whisked away so quickly last weekend.  I'm also looking forward to getting to know the girls in my program better since I will be spending lots of time with them in the next couple months. They only have a boat and bike tour planned for us tomorrow so we will have plenty of free time to take in the craziness of Bangkok.

Love from Thailand
-Meg

Good Morning from Thailand.  Woke up early today so I'm sitting at the main house, sipping my coffee and feeling very content.  It's nice this time of morning, the the air is crisp and not yet too hot.  Kids bike past the house in clean uniforms on their way to school, the morning news is playing from a loudspeaker atop a telephone pole for everyone to hear, locals are watering their gardens and our 'house moms' are busy making breakfast in the kitchen.  It's an amazing time of day in Thailand, I think I might start waking up early every morning. 

Two more days left of introduction and I have no idea what they have planned for us.  Possibly a busy weekend too, as I might be heading to Bangkok with a few other volunteers, I haven't decided yet.


Love from Thailand
-Meg

Hello all out there!  I have been in Thailand for a few days now and every second has been incredible.  The journey here was unexpectedly stressful and long.  I accidentally missed my flight while in Shanghai... oops!  Mostly my fault, but I'm here now and all is well.  I'm just going to think of it as practice for The Amazing Race someday.  Arriving in Bangkok hits you with a sensory overload.  The city is hectic, lively, colorful, messy but still fascinating.  I was quickly whisked off to Sing buri, just north of Thailand, about 2 hours north of Bangkok.  My new home, called the Twin House, is located 10 minutes outside the city.  It is tucked into the community which really makes you feel like a local.  The complex is made up of a main house, which is open and is the common meeting area for everyone here.  The bunk houses are located behind the main house down a cute little path.  The whole complex is simple and charming, I plan on making a video of it soon so you can check out my new home. 

So far the whole experience feels like summer camp, just in Thailand.  There are kids from all over the world, mostly ages 19-22 and there are always people coming and going, staying for various lengths of time.  The most common nationalities here right now are Swedish and Dutch, which I guess is pretty common.  I am one of two Americans and there are only a few other native English speakers, we are definitely the minority.  There are also kids from Belgium, Norway, Korea and France but everybody speaks great English so communication is no problem.  Although, conversations do occasionally break out into Swedish or Dutch, and I am left listening to gibberish.  Once in awhile friends will accidentally start speaking Dutch to me because they forget I only speak English.  I think I should start learning Dutch instead of Thai.

Our 'summer camp' activities so far have kept us busy.  We have been to gorgeous temples in the city of Ayutthaya, the old capital of Thailand.  We have met some of the local children at a nearby school, they even came by the Twin House Monday night to give us a welcoming ceremony.  We've also gotten to do a little shopping and eat some amazing food.  Nights are usually spent hanging out at one of two bars across the street from the Twin House.  Relaxed atmosphere, warm weather and cheap beer have made for some great nights so far.

After this week of introduction, everybody in the group will disperse into various programs.  Some are going north to help at an elephant camp, some are going to help paint at an orphanage and others are going to learn about Thai culture and Buddhism.  My program is a little bit more involved.  After this week I will spend some time learning how to teach and get my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate.  After that I will be placed in a school in Sing buri town, so not too far away from where I am now.  I will live there for about 2 and a half months.  There are four other girls in my program but we don't know yet what schools we will be teaching.  I don't know much yet, but not everybody in my program is here yet, so when they all arrive we will all get more information.

Many more activities planned for this week including Thai cooking lesson, visiting a monkey sanctuary, some Thai language lessons and visiting some more Buddhist temples.  I have to get going, the fun across the street is calling my name. 


Some pictures of life in Thailand so far. 

The Twin House- my new home for a few weeks.

The way our group has been traveling so far this week.

 

Giant Buddha on our way to Ayutthaya.  It was almost in the middle of nowhere

A Buddha at Wat Mahathat.

The school down the road from our complex, we visited and met a few of the children during our introduction week.

Welcome ceremony from some of the local school children.

Lighting insense to place at Phra Mong Bophit.

Phra Mong Bophit, the largest of its kind in Thailand, located in Ayutthaya.

Buddha head in tree roots at Wat Mahathat also in Ayutthaya.