it's early, i'm all packed and things are in order. two medium suitcases, one roller carry-on and one backpack. i'm ready to hit the airport... in two hours. i wrote a list of things to do this morning, last minute, and did several of them last night in my effort to get some sleep. feeling lots of different emotions... sad, 'ready' to go, hopeful, excited to get home, excited to see dubai, anxious to get to the airport and check in... loads of feelings. it's early.
in the past month i've finished up school, traveled northern thailand and down through laos from north to south and back to bangkok, had an interview for an international school in bangkok for next year, hung out with friends, shopped (a little), visited a thai friend's family for songkran, said my goodbyes and now here i am. i'm ready to go. will i come back? definitely at some point. let's hope sooner than later.
i'm leaving with almost all great memories. the only thing i can think of that wasn't pleasant was being purse-snatched. the rest is all good times and glory. i learned a lot while i was here and continue to learn in the last hours before i leave. thai people are wonderful and thailand is a very unique place. it will be wonderful to see the united states with my new perspective. life is really all about perspective, isn't it? attitude, the way one approaches life and situations that arise and drift past. we are merely boats traveling on the waters of life. sometimes calm and peaceful, sometimes a bit wavy and fun, sometimes stormy and trecherous. it's how we control our boat that will get us through. it's early.
this past three days has been songkran festival (thai new year) and it has been NUTS! some friends and i had dinner out last night and were caught in the largest crowd of people throwing, spraying, chucking, shooting and dumping water or smearing a wet, powdery substance on each other. it was insane. it was like nothing i've ever seen before. i snapped a few photos from the skytrain station. what a sight.
i was invited by a friend from the gym to her family's house for songkran last weekend and it was fantastic! her family speaks little (no) english and i speak very limited bangkok thai. it was an interesting mix of nodding, gesturing, signing and sometimes giving up and just smiling. i had a great time learning about buddhist traditions and tasting lots of new thai food. the only western food i consumed last weekend was the food i brought as a gift. they are a very traditional thai family so i was able to watch and (sometimes) participate in some rituals.
my friend's family lives six hours straight north of bangkok, in petchabun province. it is a gorgeous area with mountains and farms all around. the farmers grow corn, tobacco and rice in cycles on their fields. corn and tobacco were just about finished with rice on it's way during the rainy season. we were able to visit a tobacco farmer and experience the drying process after the tobacco leaves have been shredded. it was fun and interesting. i can say i'm the LAST person i ever thought to be tending to some future person's smoking habit, but nonetheless it was fun.
each day we traveled by car into the very tops of some of the mountains to see sights and visit monuments. on our travels up the hill we passed a small hmong village and, later, their many cabbage plots on the mountainsides. the king sought to replace the poppy/opium fields with something better and cabbage is making them a fair amount of money. i can understand now why the hmong people in MN insist on farming, it's what they know and they know it well.
the final day at my friend's house was the first day of songkran festivities and we put on our brightly colored songkran shirts and geared up to douse people with water. we washed the cars, then put 'blessed' powerdy water all over the car, added the thai national (yellow) flowers to the front with string and then filled up a large barrel with water in the back of a caged truck and prepared for the worst. after spending the day sight-seeing in the mountains with cousins, aunts and uncles, we hopped in the truck and headed to town. there are either people driving around spraying water or people standing on the side of the road chucking water at the passers-by. we were nice, we had warm water. some people had ICE ice cold water. while it is really hot in thailand now, there is nothing like being smacked with icey cold water. we went around and around, re-filling the barrel twice (with a fire hose in the park) and having a great time. we were really cold by the time we actually made it back home. it was so much fun.
being that it's a small town well outside the city i was something of an oddity. people have no qualms about standing and staring at a white person. they love to use the english they know: "hello!" "where you come from?" "beautiful" (which comes out 'beauty-full') "i love you!" "what's your name?" ... it was fun but a bit strange. at one point my we were filling up the barrel and i was crouched down in the truck keeping warm and someone spotted me and a crowd surrounded the truck to 'see the farang! farang farang!' they were touching me and shouting english, then sprayed me (at close range) with the fire hose. ha ha. not full power... but close range! crazy thais!
we took an overnight bus back to bangkok and i've been packing and organizing ever since. it was a wonderful way to end my stay in thailand, with traditional thai people celebrating their new year. what a fabulous time i have had here!!!
it's time to get ready and run some last errands before i'm off to the airport. dubai, here i come!!!
can't wait to see everyone when i'm home on april 20th. thanks for supporting me through this adventure. i'm grateful for it all!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
what a sad goodbye
i sit on the evening before my last official day of working for this school year. i've been doing my re-teaching. it's not that fun. i'm re-teaching some grade 3 and grade 5 boys that failed science and math. it's all over tomorrow! no more thai boys calling "mee beh, mee behhh" (miss beth, miss betttthhhh!) down the hall... no more giggling with the boys about this or that... no more ugly green uniform!!!
this past weekend i was invited along on a class trip that involved seven boys from my class and their families. it was my favorite experience in thailand so far. it was wonderful to get to know the parents better and spend time playing with the boys i love so much. they are so special!! so creative and smart. i spent some time chatting with my "protege" nuttawut on a boat ride back from the floating market. he was telling me all kinds of things and we decided to guess how much longer the boat trip would take. he guessed forty minutes and changed it to twenty, then finally stuck with "26 more minutes, miss beth. do you have a clock?" so we checked out the time, it was 9:05 pm. "p.m. miss beth. p.m. stands for post meridienem. a.m. stands for anti meridinium." in shock, i asked him to repeat this three more times. he was saying "meridian" wrong but WHOA... i didn't learn that until... well for sure not when i was in first grade. i asked him who taught him that and he mumbled something. i asked if it was his father and he kept saying "no." later i asked his father and he said "haha. he must have learned it from the computer games i buy him." while it is a very impressive story... it isn't abnormal. nuttawut is in love with everything english and comes up with obscure words to ask me about, which always catches me off guard. he has such a serious look on his face when he's curious and it makes me giggle with delight. i have stories like this for each boy. they are so special!! i will really miss them! the parents each asked me why i'm not staying at assumption. how COULD i?! if i can't have my boys again... not gunna do it. sadly, we had to split the classes evenly, so they will be sad to be separated. they're like brothers. awww, i'm so sad that i won't see them anymore!
the weekend was a blast! a family picked me up early saturday morning and we went to a province just west of bangkok, about an hours drive. we checked in (beautiful resort on a river) and waited for everyone to arrive. the boys were so excited to see each other and played like a school of fish, traveling together throughout the resort. it didn't matter what they were doing, just that they were together. they smiled the entire time. siblings were tagging along. it was beautiful, the purity of children that age.
after everyone arrived, we piled into cars and went to a restaurant where our first boat tour would begin. we ate a wonderful thai lunch there and the kids played some more. after about an hour, we went to some docks and got our life jackets, then got into some very shallow boats, semi long tail style. i was in a boat with two families, to give you an idea. we traveled through a "city" of clam farms in the river, then some canals, passing eager monkeys, crabs and these frog/fish creatures that had fish back ends and frog front ends (very bizarre and new), they breathe above water. not too long after passing the monkeys we reached a mangrove where we could get out of the boat and walk through a very muddy bank. there were crabs crawling all around, over our feet, in and out of holes in the mud. it was GREAT! a little freaky, but whatever. the boys were squealing like little girls and most had to be carried to a log above the mud. haha. it was wonderful. some guides gave us some plants to stick in the mud and "plant" with our feet. awesome!
it was humorous to hear the ice cream man's music coming up the canal. . . we had a chuckle. sure enough, he showed up with ice cream in his boat. someone treated the guides to a treat. then we all got back into the boats, after cleaning off the mud, and were given some bananas to feed the monkeys on the way out of the canal we were in. i could tell, on the way in, that the monkeys recognized these tourist boats... the bananas were not a surprise. the monkeys are good catchers and some even got a little feisty.
once back in the river, we traveled the "streets" of the clam farms and went to the mangrove where the princess had planted some ... plants. then turned around and could play in this muddy area of the riverbank with a sled. so i pushed around some of the kids. it's hard work! but, definitely worth it to play in the mud. it was FABulous!
after that we went to a house above the water... where the farmers watch their clam plots at night. we hung out there and had some water, the boys played and played. then we went back to the resort to clean up.
that evening we took another boat to the floating night market in a city about 40 minutes ride from where we were. the floating market was wonderful. i hung out with the boys and their families and tried many new foods. (you see, i tend not to eat thai food because they consider vegetarian as people who still eat chicken and pork, so you're never certain that you're getting non-meat food. but with the parent's help, i was safe.) on the boat ride home, in the dark, we were "firefly sightseeing." it was a new thing for everyone but me. they stayed in certain trees along the riverbanks. it was so cool to share that discovery with these wonderful people. then the conversation (convo in "australianese") with nuttawut happened. it was all too delightful.
the next morning we gathered for an "american" breakfast (Not american) and then saw some sights (temples) around the area of the resort. the first temple was important for several reasons. first, there was a statue and some history about king thaksin. he was the king that fought back some land from the burmese. at this temple there was a building that was hidden in some tree growth. it was 400 years old and held a large golden buddha. the families paid their respects here. another major attraction at this temple was about 100 life sized figures of men posed in the major muay thai boxing poses. some had weapons and some didn't. these figures depicted the way that king thaksin's army fought back the land from burma. very bizarre at first, but very cool, of course.
the last temple we saw had a famous/important monk that had a shrine. in the glass case was a life sized wax figure of him sitting in a chair. behind the wax figure was another glass case with the lying-down semi mummified corpse of said monk. a father told me that he is important to buddhists because he's somewhat a miracle. he had not been embalmed, merely placed in the glass case and looked nearly the same as he did when he first died. he hadn't decayed at all. we had a group photo taken in front of this miraculous man. how fitting.
that about ended the sight-seeing. we went back to the resort and then met for lunch on the way back to bangkok. while at lunch a water monitor came out of a nearby stream. it was quite an attraction. the whole weekend was all too perfect. a great way to say goodbye to the boys. though not all the boys were there, it feels complete, happy, and good. there will be a place in my heart for each of the boys forever. i wish you could meet them. you would love them just as much. everyone who's met them sees what i see. they're GREAT! *tear* goodbye boys! i'll miss you!!!!
needless to say, i have loads of photos of this weekend, so log in to flickr and check them out.
this adventure is coming to a close soon. i have six more weeks that i'll spend traveling around thailand and possibly other countries. i'm going to cambodia this weekend with some german friends. so, it's not quite over yet. stay tuned.
miss you all, but see you soon!!! more blogs to come....
this past weekend i was invited along on a class trip that involved seven boys from my class and their families. it was my favorite experience in thailand so far. it was wonderful to get to know the parents better and spend time playing with the boys i love so much. they are so special!! so creative and smart. i spent some time chatting with my "protege" nuttawut on a boat ride back from the floating market. he was telling me all kinds of things and we decided to guess how much longer the boat trip would take. he guessed forty minutes and changed it to twenty, then finally stuck with "26 more minutes, miss beth. do you have a clock?" so we checked out the time, it was 9:05 pm. "p.m. miss beth. p.m. stands for post meridienem. a.m. stands for anti meridinium." in shock, i asked him to repeat this three more times. he was saying "meridian" wrong but WHOA... i didn't learn that until... well for sure not when i was in first grade. i asked him who taught him that and he mumbled something. i asked if it was his father and he kept saying "no." later i asked his father and he said "haha. he must have learned it from the computer games i buy him." while it is a very impressive story... it isn't abnormal. nuttawut is in love with everything english and comes up with obscure words to ask me about, which always catches me off guard. he has such a serious look on his face when he's curious and it makes me giggle with delight. i have stories like this for each boy. they are so special!! i will really miss them! the parents each asked me why i'm not staying at assumption. how COULD i?! if i can't have my boys again... not gunna do it. sadly, we had to split the classes evenly, so they will be sad to be separated. they're like brothers. awww, i'm so sad that i won't see them anymore!
the weekend was a blast! a family picked me up early saturday morning and we went to a province just west of bangkok, about an hours drive. we checked in (beautiful resort on a river) and waited for everyone to arrive. the boys were so excited to see each other and played like a school of fish, traveling together throughout the resort. it didn't matter what they were doing, just that they were together. they smiled the entire time. siblings were tagging along. it was beautiful, the purity of children that age.
after everyone arrived, we piled into cars and went to a restaurant where our first boat tour would begin. we ate a wonderful thai lunch there and the kids played some more. after about an hour, we went to some docks and got our life jackets, then got into some very shallow boats, semi long tail style. i was in a boat with two families, to give you an idea. we traveled through a "city" of clam farms in the river, then some canals, passing eager monkeys, crabs and these frog/fish creatures that had fish back ends and frog front ends (very bizarre and new), they breathe above water. not too long after passing the monkeys we reached a mangrove where we could get out of the boat and walk through a very muddy bank. there were crabs crawling all around, over our feet, in and out of holes in the mud. it was GREAT! a little freaky, but whatever. the boys were squealing like little girls and most had to be carried to a log above the mud. haha. it was wonderful. some guides gave us some plants to stick in the mud and "plant" with our feet. awesome!
it was humorous to hear the ice cream man's music coming up the canal. . . we had a chuckle. sure enough, he showed up with ice cream in his boat. someone treated the guides to a treat. then we all got back into the boats, after cleaning off the mud, and were given some bananas to feed the monkeys on the way out of the canal we were in. i could tell, on the way in, that the monkeys recognized these tourist boats... the bananas were not a surprise. the monkeys are good catchers and some even got a little feisty.
once back in the river, we traveled the "streets" of the clam farms and went to the mangrove where the princess had planted some ... plants. then turned around and could play in this muddy area of the riverbank with a sled. so i pushed around some of the kids. it's hard work! but, definitely worth it to play in the mud. it was FABulous!
after that we went to a house above the water... where the farmers watch their clam plots at night. we hung out there and had some water, the boys played and played. then we went back to the resort to clean up.
that evening we took another boat to the floating night market in a city about 40 minutes ride from where we were. the floating market was wonderful. i hung out with the boys and their families and tried many new foods. (you see, i tend not to eat thai food because they consider vegetarian as people who still eat chicken and pork, so you're never certain that you're getting non-meat food. but with the parent's help, i was safe.) on the boat ride home, in the dark, we were "firefly sightseeing." it was a new thing for everyone but me. they stayed in certain trees along the riverbanks. it was so cool to share that discovery with these wonderful people. then the conversation (convo in "australianese") with nuttawut happened. it was all too delightful.
the next morning we gathered for an "american" breakfast (Not american) and then saw some sights (temples) around the area of the resort. the first temple was important for several reasons. first, there was a statue and some history about king thaksin. he was the king that fought back some land from the burmese. at this temple there was a building that was hidden in some tree growth. it was 400 years old and held a large golden buddha. the families paid their respects here. another major attraction at this temple was about 100 life sized figures of men posed in the major muay thai boxing poses. some had weapons and some didn't. these figures depicted the way that king thaksin's army fought back the land from burma. very bizarre at first, but very cool, of course.
the last temple we saw had a famous/important monk that had a shrine. in the glass case was a life sized wax figure of him sitting in a chair. behind the wax figure was another glass case with the lying-down semi mummified corpse of said monk. a father told me that he is important to buddhists because he's somewhat a miracle. he had not been embalmed, merely placed in the glass case and looked nearly the same as he did when he first died. he hadn't decayed at all. we had a group photo taken in front of this miraculous man. how fitting.
that about ended the sight-seeing. we went back to the resort and then met for lunch on the way back to bangkok. while at lunch a water monitor came out of a nearby stream. it was quite an attraction. the whole weekend was all too perfect. a great way to say goodbye to the boys. though not all the boys were there, it feels complete, happy, and good. there will be a place in my heart for each of the boys forever. i wish you could meet them. you would love them just as much. everyone who's met them sees what i see. they're GREAT! *tear* goodbye boys! i'll miss you!!!!
needless to say, i have loads of photos of this weekend, so log in to flickr and check them out.
this adventure is coming to a close soon. i have six more weeks that i'll spend traveling around thailand and possibly other countries. i'm going to cambodia this weekend with some german friends. so, it's not quite over yet. stay tuned.
miss you all, but see you soon!!! more blogs to come....
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
most recently...
hello, happy wednesday!
i'm writing during some major downtime at school. we are in our last week of the school year, exam week. there are many small projects here and there. i've done nearly all of them. this place is so organized, it's insane. like nothing else. very, very cool.
well, let's start with the "big" news. i was walking home with a friend around 10 pm on sunday night and two cowardly thai fellows drove by on a motorbike and snatched my purse out of my hand. the driver stopped, the guy got off the back of the bike (behind me), grabbed my purse and they zoomed off. i didn't even stand a chance. i, of course, ran behind them screaming at the top of my lungs, waking the entire neighborhood. they were long gone before two kind thai guys hopped on their own motorbike to chase down the criminals... but to no avail. it's gone. there wasn't much of value... cash ($30), money cards that can be replaced (which i cancelled immediately), cell phone (most annoying), lip gloss (a gift from student), a gift certificate worth 1500 baht (bummer), many business cards i wanted... and not much else to note. very, very luckily, i had emptied a lot of the other things i was carrying (ipod, camera, extra cash, some jewelry) that i would've really missed. i'm safe and life is moving forward.
school has been glorious, in the classroom. the staff room is a completely different, torturous story which i will spare you from. the boys have brought me so much joy on many levels. i wish i could have them all next year and years to come, but alas, i cannot. i'll move on to a new school, hopefully in bangkok, and new class. they have been so much fun and so adorable. some have taken to drawing steering wheels on paper and "driving" around school, they love cars. it's just too much. others are still into playfighting and running around like nutballs. all of them are speaking english enough to communicate most of their thoughts. they certainly know all that they've learned for school and they understand almost everything i say, if it's not complicated. they've also got classic american accents, thank you very much. none of this aussie mess, 'g'day mate.' pft. i'm very sad to say goodbye to them. i will see about seven or eight of them this coming weekend as the parents have organized a class trip for the families and have included me and the thai teacher. it will be great fun, i can't wait. on the itinerary i saw some "activities in the mud." need i say more? it's gonna be good.
my plan. boy oh boy. i'm still not locked into a set plan, but the general plan is to finish school next tuesday and then see cambodia that weekend. come back to see sister Katie off to america (and hopefully send some luggage home) then head out to vietnam for two weeks. after that, it's all a toss up. i'll get myself to some islands and beaches and chiang mai again... then plan to head home mid-april to see all of you!! i'm very excited to catch up with you all. i hope you are well! i will most likely be found in some sort of vehicle with cat in one arm and taco bell in the other. find it sick, i don't care, i have craved taco bell for an entire year. of course the cat will be loved beyond belief. she might even get sick of ME for a change. if you invite me over for dinner expect her to come along. just kidding. apparently she has 'taken' quite nicely to my parents and i "might not get her back." that is a direct quote from the least likely of my parents to say it. oops. i wasn't supposed to tell. tell who? all joking aside, my parents have made the cat more than comfortable, so she might just ignore me altogether. we'll see where her loyalties lie. haha.
in the past month i have been hanging out with many new friends. i took a trip back to koh samet (island i went to with my mom) with an aussie collegue and her german friends. it was a wonderful weekend away from the city. i've also recently made some israeli friends and enjoy spending time with them. they are really interesting and fiercely loyal. it's been so wonderful to see how people of other nationalities live and it can be tricky at times since we all tend to think the way we do things is "right" or automatic for everyone else. that has been a big lesson for me while away from home. i have enjoyed getting to know people from around the world and feel like i have many new places to visit.
my sister has been traveling all over SE asia. she started in bangkok, went north to chiang mai, then into laos, down to cambodia and back to bangkok. she's now down in southern thailand seeing the beautiful beaches and islands. she'll be around for another two weeks. i can tell that she has thoroughly enjoyed her trip. she is so happy. i love seeing such a big smile on her face. beautiful!! it's been wonderful having her close by and seeing her on the other side of the world. poor mom and dad are empty-nesters (but only temporarily as both katie and i will be home within the next two months). matt (my brother) is at sea on different missions with the navy, so none of us are even in the country! how funny. who would've ever thought such a thing? but why not?! we're lucky enough to have these experiences. it will, surely, be nice when the five of us are all back together. it's been a while!
as i finish this, it's pouring rain outside. the weather has been gloomy and rainy for about two weeks now. i guess bangkok has a second mild rainy season, according to someone's thai girlfriend. whatever, it's a nice break from the heat. it's been reasonably cool (80s) lately. i'm really going to miss the great weather. but, i'll be back home in time for spring and summer to apply for another job in thailand and come right back to bangkok. say a prayer and we'll see what i can score.
finally, a little request... i'll be looking for jobs when i get back (mid april), any jobs. i might also try to "rent" a car from someone instead of buying one straight away (i don't know how long i'm staying). if there is someone that you know who would be willing or able to provide either of these things, please let me know. i'd be so appreciative of any connections you might offer. thank you!!
lots of love, i'll sign off now. please keep in touch as i love hearing how things are going at home. i haven't forgotten a single one of you and very much look forward to seeing your beautiful face! smiles for everyone!!!!!
i'm writing during some major downtime at school. we are in our last week of the school year, exam week. there are many small projects here and there. i've done nearly all of them. this place is so organized, it's insane. like nothing else. very, very cool.
well, let's start with the "big" news. i was walking home with a friend around 10 pm on sunday night and two cowardly thai fellows drove by on a motorbike and snatched my purse out of my hand. the driver stopped, the guy got off the back of the bike (behind me), grabbed my purse and they zoomed off. i didn't even stand a chance. i, of course, ran behind them screaming at the top of my lungs, waking the entire neighborhood. they were long gone before two kind thai guys hopped on their own motorbike to chase down the criminals... but to no avail. it's gone. there wasn't much of value... cash ($30), money cards that can be replaced (which i cancelled immediately), cell phone (most annoying), lip gloss (a gift from student), a gift certificate worth 1500 baht (bummer), many business cards i wanted... and not much else to note. very, very luckily, i had emptied a lot of the other things i was carrying (ipod, camera, extra cash, some jewelry) that i would've really missed. i'm safe and life is moving forward.
school has been glorious, in the classroom. the staff room is a completely different, torturous story which i will spare you from. the boys have brought me so much joy on many levels. i wish i could have them all next year and years to come, but alas, i cannot. i'll move on to a new school, hopefully in bangkok, and new class. they have been so much fun and so adorable. some have taken to drawing steering wheels on paper and "driving" around school, they love cars. it's just too much. others are still into playfighting and running around like nutballs. all of them are speaking english enough to communicate most of their thoughts. they certainly know all that they've learned for school and they understand almost everything i say, if it's not complicated. they've also got classic american accents, thank you very much. none of this aussie mess, 'g'day mate.' pft. i'm very sad to say goodbye to them. i will see about seven or eight of them this coming weekend as the parents have organized a class trip for the families and have included me and the thai teacher. it will be great fun, i can't wait. on the itinerary i saw some "activities in the mud." need i say more? it's gonna be good.
my plan. boy oh boy. i'm still not locked into a set plan, but the general plan is to finish school next tuesday and then see cambodia that weekend. come back to see sister Katie off to america (and hopefully send some luggage home) then head out to vietnam for two weeks. after that, it's all a toss up. i'll get myself to some islands and beaches and chiang mai again... then plan to head home mid-april to see all of you!! i'm very excited to catch up with you all. i hope you are well! i will most likely be found in some sort of vehicle with cat in one arm and taco bell in the other. find it sick, i don't care, i have craved taco bell for an entire year. of course the cat will be loved beyond belief. she might even get sick of ME for a change. if you invite me over for dinner expect her to come along. just kidding. apparently she has 'taken' quite nicely to my parents and i "might not get her back." that is a direct quote from the least likely of my parents to say it. oops. i wasn't supposed to tell. tell who? all joking aside, my parents have made the cat more than comfortable, so she might just ignore me altogether. we'll see where her loyalties lie. haha.
in the past month i have been hanging out with many new friends. i took a trip back to koh samet (island i went to with my mom) with an aussie collegue and her german friends. it was a wonderful weekend away from the city. i've also recently made some israeli friends and enjoy spending time with them. they are really interesting and fiercely loyal. it's been so wonderful to see how people of other nationalities live and it can be tricky at times since we all tend to think the way we do things is "right" or automatic for everyone else. that has been a big lesson for me while away from home. i have enjoyed getting to know people from around the world and feel like i have many new places to visit.
my sister has been traveling all over SE asia. she started in bangkok, went north to chiang mai, then into laos, down to cambodia and back to bangkok. she's now down in southern thailand seeing the beautiful beaches and islands. she'll be around for another two weeks. i can tell that she has thoroughly enjoyed her trip. she is so happy. i love seeing such a big smile on her face. beautiful!! it's been wonderful having her close by and seeing her on the other side of the world. poor mom and dad are empty-nesters (but only temporarily as both katie and i will be home within the next two months). matt (my brother) is at sea on different missions with the navy, so none of us are even in the country! how funny. who would've ever thought such a thing? but why not?! we're lucky enough to have these experiences. it will, surely, be nice when the five of us are all back together. it's been a while!
as i finish this, it's pouring rain outside. the weather has been gloomy and rainy for about two weeks now. i guess bangkok has a second mild rainy season, according to someone's thai girlfriend. whatever, it's a nice break from the heat. it's been reasonably cool (80s) lately. i'm really going to miss the great weather. but, i'll be back home in time for spring and summer to apply for another job in thailand and come right back to bangkok. say a prayer and we'll see what i can score.
finally, a little request... i'll be looking for jobs when i get back (mid april), any jobs. i might also try to "rent" a car from someone instead of buying one straight away (i don't know how long i'm staying). if there is someone that you know who would be willing or able to provide either of these things, please let me know. i'd be so appreciative of any connections you might offer. thank you!!
lots of love, i'll sign off now. please keep in touch as i love hearing how things are going at home. i haven't forgotten a single one of you and very much look forward to seeing your beautiful face! smiles for everyone!!!!!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Happy New Year!!
this is the statement that most Thai people i encounter lately love to close with, "happy new year!" i also keep receiving New Year gifts from my students. it's fantastically different than home. though, they don't celebrate Christmas... so... our way is good, too. i like the "happy new year" touch a week after the actual date.
2008. it should prove to be a good year. 2007 was pretty spectacular so if 2008 is better, well i'm one lucky gal! i'm so grateful.
i'm writing to send out a quick update. i've been getting such kind, awesome emails for holiday cheer and haven't been quick to respond. my friends from home, Barb and Sarah D are visting me! they've taken a plane to see chiang mai while i work this week. i'm so happy they've gone to see such a great place! i wish i was there, too! so, if you're someone who emailed me and has been waiting... i'm sorry i've been playing hostess and it won't slow down any time soon. my sister, Kate, arrives tomorrow night! i'm so excited to finally show her some of asia!! i will, however, do my best to reply to all of your fantastic messages, just give me a day or two. THanks!
since Barb arrived just after Christmas, she and i spent New Year's on the island of phuket. it was AMAzing! we met anelda down there and enjoyed time at the beach the first day. the second day barb and i joined a guided snorkeling adventure and had a blast! i've never snorkeled before and i have to say it was a little intense for me. i'm not super coordinated yet and blush a little at the "heavy breather" i was the majority of the time. it was a bit of a panic to see SO many fish and creatures that you'd never notice from just normal swimming. we were in the middle of schools of small and mediums sized fish. i opted not to buy the underwater camera but will splurge next time i snorkel. it's amazingly beautiful.
we were able to snorkel at three different locations and made many stops. first we stopped on a small island near phuket and snorkeled in very shallow water. we didn't last long after i spotted a sea urchin (large black ball with MASSIVE spikes that will hurt you. HURT you.) just below our feet. that was the first time i gurgled sea water. what a gag-alicious experience that is. Blech! (i'm such a klutz.)
the second stop was in a deeper location and we really enjoyed diving down under the water and doing the whale-blow thing upon returning to the surface. i laugh at the thought of shooting that water behind us to land on... who knows who. ooops! BUT, it was also where i got a little cocky and ended up SWALLOWING an entire tube full of salty sea water (and i saw fish poop floating around everywhere). i still gag at the memory and it took a few minutes of spitting and gagging to recover. *shiver* that was the most memorable stop for snorkeling. it was deep enough to float on the surface and enjoy immense beauty. i had no idea!! (i didn't see it happen, but barb also swallowed and gagged on the water. i giggle at the thought of hearing her gagging behind me and saying "oof." ah ha ha.)
our lunch stop was on koh phi phi (phi phi island) which is where we had intended to spend new year's and couldn't get a place to stay. everything was overbooked or they raised the prices to ridiculous heights. peak season, who knew?? however, upon wandering after lunch (they made me special vegetarian dishes. how nice!) i realized that i much preffered phuket as it had more than the "scuba dude" atmosphere to offer. phi phi was gorgeous for views and amazing dark teal waters. WOW! i hope i never forget it.
after lunch, or maybe before?, we visited Monkey beach and saw the monkeys (gibbons) that live there and which you can feed. we laughed because this one fat one just sat on a log and people would sit next to it and take a picture. just like my cat does, it would look up at you and just look away. i wonder what on earth it was thinking. the other monkeys were playing with each other or eating the many gifts that tourists were chucking their way (how lame!). that was a short stop but very fun.
there might have been another stop that i'm forgetting but i will not forget the hour we were able to spend on Leonardo's "Beach" beach... it's called Ma Ya beach and it is stunning. white, powdery beach and unbelievable teal waters. i walked around (ever the celeb/movie obsessed) and searched for the evidence of a movie set. there was none, but there were really nice bathrooms and several trails. it was overcrowded with people from other tour boats, but still fun. i have to watch the movie again to recognize where i was. it was very beautiful. (we snorkeled there but there wasn't much to see other than a scary looking cave entrance underwater.)
an excellent and recommended adventure should you find yourself in phuket (which i hope you do). phuket and phi phi were severely hit by the tsunami however the only remaining evidence are the "tsunami evacuation route" signs. i can't imagine what that was like, though i tried. oye.
after the snorkeling (on new year's eve day) we met up with anelda to celebrate on the busy street and have dinner. it WAS INSANE! i have to say that my safety was compromised many times. illegal fireworks (the big ones) were sold to send off from the beach ... for anyone who would buy them and people could buy these long lines of cracker-things. and they were stupid enough to set them off in the MIDDLE of a very crowded street. silly string and foam spray were some people's idea of entertainment and we were innocently sprayed several times. i ended up in a foul mood for a while after i was giddy to light and send off a beautiful glowing lantern and almost had my head burned off by IDIOT australians who found it very hilarious. jerks! i dropped to my knees and saved thine head of hair. grrrrrr. the mood was over for me after that. although the night was still fun and we met lots of new people.
the next day we returned to BKK and i had to get back to work (on the 2nd - teachers don't always have so much time off). barb was able to see a little bit of bkk on her own and i enjoyed seeing my boys again. they are so adorable!! (barb even said so. i made her come to school to meet them.) Sarah D. arrived last Friday and we spent the weekend in Hua Hin, the beach town just south of Bangkok. it was super fun and relaxing. i love having my friends here!!!! can't wait to have the sis here, too!
that brings us to now, today. monday night. it's been a wonderful few weeks for the holidays. i'll never forget it, though missed all the traditions and food from home. i missed my family and friends. holidays are meant to be with the ones you love.
quickly, christmas was fun and action packed. Anelda, Luke (passing through to India again) and I went to brunch buffet (mmmm), ice skating (melty ice but FUU-UN!) and a movie. (Golden Compass. i liked it. it's a fantasy story with lots of details. i'm not sure what people are complaining about. it's also a the first in a trilogy, which many don't know.) it was a long, full day and we enjoyed it all. i was glad to have friends to spend it with and many things to do. luke gifted me a "Bad Cat" book and we laughed over the pictures and sayings for days. Thanks Lucas!
i hope this finds you well and with many of your own great holiday memories! i love seeing your photos, thanks for sending them! i plan to be home around April/May-ish. (for at least a visit... i choose not to go back to my school for a second year but hope to find another school to try another year in Thailand... we'll see, maybe.) i look forward to being home very very much! MEOWSERS, momma's coming hoooome... soon (put your party hat away for another few months). (i will miss Thailand/Asia which is why i hope to return for a second year. it's a wonderful, wonderful place.)
have a great day! i miss you!!
so it wasn't such a "quick" update. i'm known for my non-short short stories. the details are important! haha
2008. it should prove to be a good year. 2007 was pretty spectacular so if 2008 is better, well i'm one lucky gal! i'm so grateful.
i'm writing to send out a quick update. i've been getting such kind, awesome emails for holiday cheer and haven't been quick to respond. my friends from home, Barb and Sarah D are visting me! they've taken a plane to see chiang mai while i work this week. i'm so happy they've gone to see such a great place! i wish i was there, too! so, if you're someone who emailed me and has been waiting... i'm sorry i've been playing hostess and it won't slow down any time soon. my sister, Kate, arrives tomorrow night! i'm so excited to finally show her some of asia!! i will, however, do my best to reply to all of your fantastic messages, just give me a day or two. THanks!
since Barb arrived just after Christmas, she and i spent New Year's on the island of phuket. it was AMAzing! we met anelda down there and enjoyed time at the beach the first day. the second day barb and i joined a guided snorkeling adventure and had a blast! i've never snorkeled before and i have to say it was a little intense for me. i'm not super coordinated yet and blush a little at the "heavy breather" i was the majority of the time. it was a bit of a panic to see SO many fish and creatures that you'd never notice from just normal swimming. we were in the middle of schools of small and mediums sized fish. i opted not to buy the underwater camera but will splurge next time i snorkel. it's amazingly beautiful.
we were able to snorkel at three different locations and made many stops. first we stopped on a small island near phuket and snorkeled in very shallow water. we didn't last long after i spotted a sea urchin (large black ball with MASSIVE spikes that will hurt you. HURT you.) just below our feet. that was the first time i gurgled sea water. what a gag-alicious experience that is. Blech! (i'm such a klutz.)
the second stop was in a deeper location and we really enjoyed diving down under the water and doing the whale-blow thing upon returning to the surface. i laugh at the thought of shooting that water behind us to land on... who knows who. ooops! BUT, it was also where i got a little cocky and ended up SWALLOWING an entire tube full of salty sea water (and i saw fish poop floating around everywhere). i still gag at the memory and it took a few minutes of spitting and gagging to recover. *shiver* that was the most memorable stop for snorkeling. it was deep enough to float on the surface and enjoy immense beauty. i had no idea!! (i didn't see it happen, but barb also swallowed and gagged on the water. i giggle at the thought of hearing her gagging behind me and saying "oof." ah ha ha.)
our lunch stop was on koh phi phi (phi phi island) which is where we had intended to spend new year's and couldn't get a place to stay. everything was overbooked or they raised the prices to ridiculous heights. peak season, who knew?? however, upon wandering after lunch (they made me special vegetarian dishes. how nice!) i realized that i much preffered phuket as it had more than the "scuba dude" atmosphere to offer. phi phi was gorgeous for views and amazing dark teal waters. WOW! i hope i never forget it.
after lunch, or maybe before?, we visited Monkey beach and saw the monkeys (gibbons) that live there and which you can feed. we laughed because this one fat one just sat on a log and people would sit next to it and take a picture. just like my cat does, it would look up at you and just look away. i wonder what on earth it was thinking. the other monkeys were playing with each other or eating the many gifts that tourists were chucking their way (how lame!). that was a short stop but very fun.
there might have been another stop that i'm forgetting but i will not forget the hour we were able to spend on Leonardo's "Beach" beach... it's called Ma Ya beach and it is stunning. white, powdery beach and unbelievable teal waters. i walked around (ever the celeb/movie obsessed) and searched for the evidence of a movie set. there was none, but there were really nice bathrooms and several trails. it was overcrowded with people from other tour boats, but still fun. i have to watch the movie again to recognize where i was. it was very beautiful. (we snorkeled there but there wasn't much to see other than a scary looking cave entrance underwater.)
an excellent and recommended adventure should you find yourself in phuket (which i hope you do). phuket and phi phi were severely hit by the tsunami however the only remaining evidence are the "tsunami evacuation route" signs. i can't imagine what that was like, though i tried. oye.
after the snorkeling (on new year's eve day) we met up with anelda to celebrate on the busy street and have dinner. it WAS INSANE! i have to say that my safety was compromised many times. illegal fireworks (the big ones) were sold to send off from the beach ... for anyone who would buy them and people could buy these long lines of cracker-things. and they were stupid enough to set them off in the MIDDLE of a very crowded street. silly string and foam spray were some people's idea of entertainment and we were innocently sprayed several times. i ended up in a foul mood for a while after i was giddy to light and send off a beautiful glowing lantern and almost had my head burned off by IDIOT australians who found it very hilarious. jerks! i dropped to my knees and saved thine head of hair. grrrrrr. the mood was over for me after that. although the night was still fun and we met lots of new people.
the next day we returned to BKK and i had to get back to work (on the 2nd - teachers don't always have so much time off). barb was able to see a little bit of bkk on her own and i enjoyed seeing my boys again. they are so adorable!! (barb even said so. i made her come to school to meet them.) Sarah D. arrived last Friday and we spent the weekend in Hua Hin, the beach town just south of Bangkok. it was super fun and relaxing. i love having my friends here!!!! can't wait to have the sis here, too!
that brings us to now, today. monday night. it's been a wonderful few weeks for the holidays. i'll never forget it, though missed all the traditions and food from home. i missed my family and friends. holidays are meant to be with the ones you love.
quickly, christmas was fun and action packed. Anelda, Luke (passing through to India again) and I went to brunch buffet (mmmm), ice skating (melty ice but FUU-UN!) and a movie. (Golden Compass. i liked it. it's a fantasy story with lots of details. i'm not sure what people are complaining about. it's also a the first in a trilogy, which many don't know.) it was a long, full day and we enjoyed it all. i was glad to have friends to spend it with and many things to do. luke gifted me a "Bad Cat" book and we laughed over the pictures and sayings for days. Thanks Lucas!
i hope this finds you well and with many of your own great holiday memories! i love seeing your photos, thanks for sending them! i plan to be home around April/May-ish. (for at least a visit... i choose not to go back to my school for a second year but hope to find another school to try another year in Thailand... we'll see, maybe.) i look forward to being home very very much! MEOWSERS, momma's coming hoooome... soon (put your party hat away for another few months). (i will miss Thailand/Asia which is why i hope to return for a second year. it's a wonderful, wonderful place.)
have a great day! i miss you!!
so it wasn't such a "quick" update. i'm known for my non-short short stories. the details are important! haha
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