Being a teacher is easy. Who cares if I play with my phone in the back of the class. 20 minute bathroom break...SURE! As long as I'm quiet I can sleep. The only job of my teacher is to teach. Teachers have no life.
FALSE. FALSE. FALSE. FALSE.
Before I describe the awesomeness that is teaching, let me first apologize to all of my teachers and professors, as well as my mother who always said "teaching is hard work", which I never fully believed. I AM SO SO SORRY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I had to apologize to my coaches for this same thing when I first started coaching. Teaching, like coaching, is not easy; not even close.
Having students play with their phone and sleep in class is annoying and demoralizing, and to their surprise I do have a life (all the classes think Jimmy is so handsome -UGH can't even protect him from the girls in a foreign country- and they give a collective awwwww when they see I have a boyfriend. So surprise, teachers do have lives). So, I will say it again, I am sorry for everything I put you through and every negative thing I have ever said about teaching in general. I came to Thailand to travel, to go on adventures and to find myself. Teaching was the means to the end. However, shocker, like everything about Thailand so far, I was so wrong. Teaching is hard work, and it takes time, effort and a lot of patience but it really is wonderful. My mom sent me an email to catch up, as is the norm for us. In this email a portion was dedicated to her giving me advice on being a teacher, and us trading stories and strategies. In one particularly interesting part she said "I am curious to see what you will do with this after you come home...if you will be interested in teaching ( something you said you were never very interested in)." Well I'll be darned if she wasn't exactly right. See my mom teaches special needs kids (shout out to all you teachers doing that, you are an angel from God and you deserve all the blessings this world has to offer), and I have always said " No way, not me. I could never teach. I am not patient enough."
This is true.
I am not patient, but all of the sudden I am a teacher and I am thrown into a world where I am forced to be patient (God's way of teaching me this character trait I suppose, because I am seriously lacking in this department). I teach English to students who range from the lower levels and saying the alphabet and a few vocabulary words to a YouTube star lady-boy (Which is a totally accepted phrase here and not seen as disrespectful at all) who speaks wonderful English. This entails lots and lots of patience. I go to the and write the sentence 'I need an apple.' Okay, no problem. Except I have to spend 10 minutes getting the students to understand need has a hard 'D' sound at the end. It does not sound like 'kneesd' as they say. Last year I would have thought this would have driven me up a stinkin' wall, but for some reason it doesn't. Interesting plot twist: I love it. Sure I might only be teaching the difference between him or her, but to watch students struggle to push through the initial disappointment of not understanding, to watching the light click on in their head is absolutely fantastic. These students love to laugh and they love to have fun (sometimes right in the middle of my teaching, but a halfhearted stern look reals them back in). I have 6 rambunctious English classes full of students who barely speak English, and I am about 99% positive they talk about me behind my back. One boy looks me straight into my eyes, says something in Thai as soon as I walk away from the table and the whole class laughs...yeah they are so making fun of me for something. Not that I have any clue what they are saying about me, but I am beginning to get good at bluffing like I know exactly what the little bugger is saying. Hey, if the students want to make fun of me then it is on them when they get embarrassed for me "fake" calling them out!!
I can't tell you that I have absolutely found my purpose in teaching, and that this is my life's ambition, but I can tell you that I think I am on the right track, if not for teaching then at least for finding myself.
A year ago being a teacher seemed like torture, this morning I woke up excited for class and enjoying making lesson plans (doubt that will last long though).
I don't know about you, but I like those odds.
Teacher (Ajahn) out!
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
In case you think moving around the world is easy: it's not
I have had a blast writing about all the amazing things that have been happening to me in Thailand, and don't get me wrong here, I have loved it very much. However, the glitz and the glam are starting to wear off and I find that it is time to describe some things that I HATE with a passion: emotions (YUCK!).
First, before we get to the aspects of moving away that aren't alluring or captivating, let me first say that moving to Thailand was the best decision I have made in my life, tied with playing basketball. Both of these things have and will continue to shape me into who I truly want to be in my life. Just like there were things that made basketball hard, there are also things that make Thailand hard.
I was so pumped to leave that it didn't hit me that 5 months is a really long time to be gone until about 3 days before I was leaving, and even then I was more stressed about packing and cleaning my apartment than actually leaving. So clearly I wasn't that worried right? HA WRONG! I sat on the plane and balled my eyes out. The poor lady sitting next to me! I tried to be quiet, but as you all know, quiet is not my strong suit in anything that I do. It is not easy leaving behind a grandmother that just had her 90th birthday, praying to God that nothing happens to her while I am gone, or my parents (who are coming to visit which I am stoked about!). It is not easy missing my brother's college graduation, Kat's birthday, My dad's birthday, Jimmy's Birthday, Rachel's birthday, Christine's birthday, Corey's birthday and so on (you get the point). I miss 4th of July, which is the best holiday ever, I miss the country concerts and the lazy beach days with Rachel where we gossip about drama and books and our relationships. I have to watch a girl move into my room, and get to miss all the amazing memories Kat and Ema are making right now (have fun girls, live it up!!). Basically, I miss out on a lot, not that this isn't totally worth it because it is and I will be around for next year, but it still is brutal when nothing is working out and everyone is asleep because there is an 11 hour time difference and all I want to do is call my parents and ask for help, because despite being on my own and being a fully functioning adult, I still talk to them everyday and I love them so much.
I get to Thailand, all pumped that I will be changing the world. Wrong again, the kid's barely speak English and most will never use it or understand the concept so I have been told. Imagine a balloon with the air being let out where it is making that annoying deflated squeak, yeah that was me when they told me that. However, they did tell me that the kids are amazing and they will listen and play games and they will try very hard. So, shame on me really because I somehow forgot that changing the world is not a drastic task, but a task completed by simply loving individuals enough to inspire them to be better than they ever thought they could be. Somewhere along the way of college and adult life I became much more cynical and I don't like it one bit, so I decided to become free of my cynicism. Not an easy task mind you, but one that needed to be done. I hate it when people say that its okay to guard yourself, it's okay to become cynical because people take advantage if you are to nice. Who gives a flying flip, be nice anyways. When they meet their maker, or whatever they believe in, it will be on their conscience. If I teach all 6 months and not one of them can speak English fluently, but they are all profoundly happier and more confident than before, then I have changed the world, but seriously lets hope they learn English!!!!
Speaking of things I got wrong, and the list is long over my short life, trust me, but Thailand is also nothing like I expected. I imagined it as National Geographic portrays it, all tropical mountains or white sand beaches. I didn't stop to think about what is in the middle of all that, real people who work for a living outside of cabanas and mountain shacks. People think Thailand is this amazingly beautiful place, and it is (take a look at my fb and you will see living proof) but there is a lot of poverty here. A lot of men and women who can barely afford to eat, scraping by on the money of tourists who are so happy that a meal costs less than 1 US dollar, or that I can get a hotel for the night for roughly $3.50. Crazy I know, and I love it too, but at the same time it is hard to see women who are in their 70's and 80's sitting in 95 degree heat trying to support their family. There is no chance in this world that I would let Buzzy do that. Yet somehow the people here are nicer than anybody I have every met. Think going into a country town where everyone smiles and waves. It is like that but even nicer.
Not only is the country different, but living here is different. My apartment is hot and very minimal and at first it sucked, but then (after a good two nights of calling my parents and Corey either crying or being a huge brat) my dad told me " Sarah you have air conditioning and a personal bathroom, you have it better than most people there." Boom talk about a total gut punch. Yes, I was being ungrateful and yes, I was being a spoiled brat because I wasn't close to the beach like I thought and the town was very industrial with nothing to do, my internet sucked, I can't find shoes that fit or clothes that fit, and I have hit my head on more signs and stands than ever before because I am a giant in the land of 5'1 women, but holy cow I was being such a diva. DOUBLE YUCK. Most of you know me, and that is not who I am. It is not who I was raised to be, and I am not the kind of girl that gets all pissy and annoying, I pull up my big girl pants and get done what I need to get done. I was raised playing mud monster in the back yard, sweating on the court and probaly getting most of my friends in trouble because I wanted to go climb some tree or hike some mountain in Utah (mom called the cops for that one-sorry again!) So imagine my disgust when I was acting out some of the very traits I absolutely hate most. I realized I haven't been saying my nightly prayers, I haven't been exercising and I had only been talking negatively. That folks is not a recipe for success. So I figured things out. I got my internet to work by messing around with the IP address, so now that works. I bought two plants and hung some pictures, so now my apartment looks like home, and I just traveled to the most beautiful location in Thailand I think; Erawan waterfalls. I have amazing co-teachers, great bosses and a wonderful school. I can talk to my family whenever I want, and I found a website to watch Game of Thrones (That right there was enough to cheer me up). I also have access to travel to all these amazing places and countries. Now you tell me what the heck was wrong with me; nothing but pure selfish ungratefulness (while I sat in my garden and ate my worms) that's what. A big shame on me for that.
Luckily, I have created some fail safe methods to making sure I don't retreat back into being a brat.
These are:
Using the journal Rachel gave me to become a prayer journal. I've never been great at prayers so this will help make it routine and it will give me a chance to be honest with myself and with God. It will also give me a written reminder of all the good I have to be thankful for and all the bad that I am thankful for getting over.
I am going to set aside a certain amount each paycheck strictly devoted to traveling on my days off. This will ensure that I am still full of adventure and don't get complacent with watching the Vampire Diaries all day long.
There is a stairwell and pathway to cross over the road (think of a bridge) and I will get up in the morning and run the stairs and the pathway to stay in shape. One, because exercise is good for the soul. Two because I value my body and I want it to be the best it can be. Three, because my six back is now barely a 2 pack and I felt my thighs jiggle a bit more than normal while hiking to the waterfalls and I WILL NOT HAVE THAT, because that makes me sad.
I was told that there would be a low point while I am here, where it really hits me that I am not at home and that this will be hard. I have decided that the first week was going to be my low point, even though really it wasn't that low. I will go up from here because I am soooo soooo blessed to be here, and I truly am grateful for everything I have been given here, and I know that I have the greatest support system a girl can ask for; a loving God, a wonderful family, friends who will tell me how much they miss me and also tell me to get over myself, a supportive boyfriend and a stronger than steel willpower that will ensure I am on the right path. Hooray for finally getting over myself and making a choice to stop being the most annoying person on the planet. It is bad when you have to work, live or see an annoying person all the time, it is sooooooooooo much worse when the most annoying, irritating and bratty person is in your head. Not no mo'.
Toodles to you brat, and welcome back to the old me. It's been a while and I missed you.
First, before we get to the aspects of moving away that aren't alluring or captivating, let me first say that moving to Thailand was the best decision I have made in my life, tied with playing basketball. Both of these things have and will continue to shape me into who I truly want to be in my life. Just like there were things that made basketball hard, there are also things that make Thailand hard.
I was so pumped to leave that it didn't hit me that 5 months is a really long time to be gone until about 3 days before I was leaving, and even then I was more stressed about packing and cleaning my apartment than actually leaving. So clearly I wasn't that worried right? HA WRONG! I sat on the plane and balled my eyes out. The poor lady sitting next to me! I tried to be quiet, but as you all know, quiet is not my strong suit in anything that I do. It is not easy leaving behind a grandmother that just had her 90th birthday, praying to God that nothing happens to her while I am gone, or my parents (who are coming to visit which I am stoked about!). It is not easy missing my brother's college graduation, Kat's birthday, My dad's birthday, Jimmy's Birthday, Rachel's birthday, Christine's birthday, Corey's birthday and so on (you get the point). I miss 4th of July, which is the best holiday ever, I miss the country concerts and the lazy beach days with Rachel where we gossip about drama and books and our relationships. I have to watch a girl move into my room, and get to miss all the amazing memories Kat and Ema are making right now (have fun girls, live it up!!). Basically, I miss out on a lot, not that this isn't totally worth it because it is and I will be around for next year, but it still is brutal when nothing is working out and everyone is asleep because there is an 11 hour time difference and all I want to do is call my parents and ask for help, because despite being on my own and being a fully functioning adult, I still talk to them everyday and I love them so much.
I get to Thailand, all pumped that I will be changing the world. Wrong again, the kid's barely speak English and most will never use it or understand the concept so I have been told. Imagine a balloon with the air being let out where it is making that annoying deflated squeak, yeah that was me when they told me that. However, they did tell me that the kids are amazing and they will listen and play games and they will try very hard. So, shame on me really because I somehow forgot that changing the world is not a drastic task, but a task completed by simply loving individuals enough to inspire them to be better than they ever thought they could be. Somewhere along the way of college and adult life I became much more cynical and I don't like it one bit, so I decided to become free of my cynicism. Not an easy task mind you, but one that needed to be done. I hate it when people say that its okay to guard yourself, it's okay to become cynical because people take advantage if you are to nice. Who gives a flying flip, be nice anyways. When they meet their maker, or whatever they believe in, it will be on their conscience. If I teach all 6 months and not one of them can speak English fluently, but they are all profoundly happier and more confident than before, then I have changed the world, but seriously lets hope they learn English!!!!
Speaking of things I got wrong, and the list is long over my short life, trust me, but Thailand is also nothing like I expected. I imagined it as National Geographic portrays it, all tropical mountains or white sand beaches. I didn't stop to think about what is in the middle of all that, real people who work for a living outside of cabanas and mountain shacks. People think Thailand is this amazingly beautiful place, and it is (take a look at my fb and you will see living proof) but there is a lot of poverty here. A lot of men and women who can barely afford to eat, scraping by on the money of tourists who are so happy that a meal costs less than 1 US dollar, or that I can get a hotel for the night for roughly $3.50. Crazy I know, and I love it too, but at the same time it is hard to see women who are in their 70's and 80's sitting in 95 degree heat trying to support their family. There is no chance in this world that I would let Buzzy do that. Yet somehow the people here are nicer than anybody I have every met. Think going into a country town where everyone smiles and waves. It is like that but even nicer.
Not only is the country different, but living here is different. My apartment is hot and very minimal and at first it sucked, but then (after a good two nights of calling my parents and Corey either crying or being a huge brat) my dad told me " Sarah you have air conditioning and a personal bathroom, you have it better than most people there." Boom talk about a total gut punch. Yes, I was being ungrateful and yes, I was being a spoiled brat because I wasn't close to the beach like I thought and the town was very industrial with nothing to do, my internet sucked, I can't find shoes that fit or clothes that fit, and I have hit my head on more signs and stands than ever before because I am a giant in the land of 5'1 women, but holy cow I was being such a diva. DOUBLE YUCK. Most of you know me, and that is not who I am. It is not who I was raised to be, and I am not the kind of girl that gets all pissy and annoying, I pull up my big girl pants and get done what I need to get done. I was raised playing mud monster in the back yard, sweating on the court and probaly getting most of my friends in trouble because I wanted to go climb some tree or hike some mountain in Utah (mom called the cops for that one-sorry again!) So imagine my disgust when I was acting out some of the very traits I absolutely hate most. I realized I haven't been saying my nightly prayers, I haven't been exercising and I had only been talking negatively. That folks is not a recipe for success. So I figured things out. I got my internet to work by messing around with the IP address, so now that works. I bought two plants and hung some pictures, so now my apartment looks like home, and I just traveled to the most beautiful location in Thailand I think; Erawan waterfalls. I have amazing co-teachers, great bosses and a wonderful school. I can talk to my family whenever I want, and I found a website to watch Game of Thrones (That right there was enough to cheer me up). I also have access to travel to all these amazing places and countries. Now you tell me what the heck was wrong with me; nothing but pure selfish ungratefulness (while I sat in my garden and ate my worms) that's what. A big shame on me for that.
Luckily, I have created some fail safe methods to making sure I don't retreat back into being a brat.
These are:
Using the journal Rachel gave me to become a prayer journal. I've never been great at prayers so this will help make it routine and it will give me a chance to be honest with myself and with God. It will also give me a written reminder of all the good I have to be thankful for and all the bad that I am thankful for getting over.
I am going to set aside a certain amount each paycheck strictly devoted to traveling on my days off. This will ensure that I am still full of adventure and don't get complacent with watching the Vampire Diaries all day long.
There is a stairwell and pathway to cross over the road (think of a bridge) and I will get up in the morning and run the stairs and the pathway to stay in shape. One, because exercise is good for the soul. Two because I value my body and I want it to be the best it can be. Three, because my six back is now barely a 2 pack and I felt my thighs jiggle a bit more than normal while hiking to the waterfalls and I WILL NOT HAVE THAT, because that makes me sad.
I was told that there would be a low point while I am here, where it really hits me that I am not at home and that this will be hard. I have decided that the first week was going to be my low point, even though really it wasn't that low. I will go up from here because I am soooo soooo blessed to be here, and I truly am grateful for everything I have been given here, and I know that I have the greatest support system a girl can ask for; a loving God, a wonderful family, friends who will tell me how much they miss me and also tell me to get over myself, a supportive boyfriend and a stronger than steel willpower that will ensure I am on the right path. Hooray for finally getting over myself and making a choice to stop being the most annoying person on the planet. It is bad when you have to work, live or see an annoying person all the time, it is sooooooooooo much worse when the most annoying, irritating and bratty person is in your head. Not no mo'.
Toodles to you brat, and welcome back to the old me. It's been a while and I missed you.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Eastern Technological Institute versus American Schools
Today is the first day of orientation in which we will meet all the students in the business department. E. Tech is a vocational school where students can come to master a trade and then be placed in a job in the local community. There are technology programs, automotive mechanic trades, IT trades and business trades throughout this school. Sounds fairly simple right? Wrong! This school consists of about 10,000 students all rambling about to get to class, as slowly as possible of course. If you haven't heard about my family and our inability to be on time, I will tell you we run on what is called "Tabb Time." Where being somewhere at 2, really means about 3; its a given. Except when food is involved, then we rush to get there around 2:30. Trust me, its bad. My mom is famous for doing the laundry or starting to vacuum 5 minutes before we are set to leave, and now I find myself doing the same thing. "Oh you can't leave the house with dirty dishes in the sink" or "Well let me just do this one thing really quick!" I used to think I was incredibly punctual because if we were late for practice or meetings we ran. If we didn't power walk to class, we ran. If we didn't do what the coaches wanted, we ran. You get the point! We ran a lot! So I came to Thailand with a mix of Tabb Time and terrified punctuality, only to find that Thailand runs on "Thai Time". Okay, I can dig that, except when it comes to school. In America students are expected to be punctual and on time. Roll is called when the bell rings, and if you aren't there then too bad. Thailand, however, does not work that way. The students are not given time to walk to another class or any form of breaks in between. One class will start at 10 and go till 10:50 and the next class will start at 10:50, while the students mosey on in when they feel like it. They have 10 minutes out of a 50 minute class to get there before they are marked absent. Crazy! That is 1/5 of the class time! Not that I plan to be the teacher that marks students late at 10:00:30 but still. We have been spending this last week doing orientation and mock teaching lessons, and the main things that we have been told are 1. The students will cheat, and there is nothing you can do about it. We are to try to discourage it, but all students cheat in Thailand. EXCUSE ME! This is being told to the girl who cheating in Kindergarten (Also, I never knew kindergarten was spelled with a t and not a d, learn something new every day I guess) on a quiz and when my gym teacher game me a "Good Job" sticker I ripped it up because I felt so bad. 2. That the students will talk with each other through the whole class, and we are just supposed to teach over it. Granted I am a loud person, but to me this just seems rude. It is weird the different cultural norms that are present in different countries, but I am sure that there are weird things that I do that they don't understand. For instance, waving. The Thai do not wave they wai, which is putting your hands together like praying, bringing it to your face and bowing. Think the Karate Kid when we would first meet Mr. Miyagi and he would bow! I have been walking around all day today waving at students and saying hello and they look at me like I am insane, but hey different cultures right. I will have to adjust. Honestly, walking around orientation, in a crowd of thousands of students and parents, is like a circus "freak" being paraded around, but the moment people see me they give a huge smile and it makes being a giant American in a world of shorter Asian people seem wonderful.
I may be a giant and I may never fully adapt to Thai time, cheating or constant talking but I do know that the Thai people are awesome, and that my classes will be filled with amazing young men and women (thing 10th and 11th grade) that will absolutely change my life, and I cannot wait to get started.
P.S. For anyone thinking of coming to teach in Thailand, apparently only dark colored clothes are aloud, pants are not the norm and mostly frowned upon in the classroom for women, and shoes are only to be closed toed heels or ballerina flats. Guess who brought none of those things! This girl! I brought one navy skirt and then bright paisley colored skirts, floral dresses and all sandals or wedges. I'm from the coast of Virginia with a hint of beach and a dash of southern, black is not in our summer wardrobe, and neither are closed toed heels (although I do have them, I just never expected to wear them in a country who's temperature is a solid 95-100 everyday). Anyways, for all you future teachers, when they say teachers dress it is really corporate board room style not Southern Virginia coastal style. OOPS! Mai Pen Rai (Think Hakuna Matata or It's all good in Thai!)
I may be a giant and I may never fully adapt to Thai time, cheating or constant talking but I do know that the Thai people are awesome, and that my classes will be filled with amazing young men and women (thing 10th and 11th grade) that will absolutely change my life, and I cannot wait to get started.
P.S. For anyone thinking of coming to teach in Thailand, apparently only dark colored clothes are aloud, pants are not the norm and mostly frowned upon in the classroom for women, and shoes are only to be closed toed heels or ballerina flats. Guess who brought none of those things! This girl! I brought one navy skirt and then bright paisley colored skirts, floral dresses and all sandals or wedges. I'm from the coast of Virginia with a hint of beach and a dash of southern, black is not in our summer wardrobe, and neither are closed toed heels (although I do have them, I just never expected to wear them in a country who's temperature is a solid 95-100 everyday). Anyways, for all you future teachers, when they say teachers dress it is really corporate board room style not Southern Virginia coastal style. OOPS! Mai Pen Rai (Think Hakuna Matata or It's all good in Thai!)
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
The first 8 days
Ohhhh where to start...
I have now been in Thailand for 8 days but I have been away from home and everyone I love for 11 days, and it feels like a freaking month! The last week or so has been a blur of orientation: meetings, Thai lessons, classroom lessons and cultural etiquette. It has been insane, but I cannot begin to count the blessings that I have been given in terms of people I have met. Everyone in our orientation group were amazing; sure there were different friendships and group dynamics, but all in all it was filled with lively beautiful people, who just like me are searching for some adventure.
Everyone talks about Thailand like it is some amazing place, and it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, but it is also very bleak in some places as well. We went to Khao San Road in Bangkok, and it was a sensory overload. You walk down this one strip of bars, all playing western music with all white tourists and Thai vendor stands and all you can think is "Holy S*** it is so hot" and "wow I didn't know there were so many white people in Thailand." There are stands for fresh fruit (which is amazzzzinnnggg), clothes for the gaucho elephant pants, which I broke down and bought, but not with elephants but sea shells ( I couldn't be that much of a tourist). The road was filled will all different smells and critters to eat. I ate a scorpion, which really wasn't that bad, just like an extra extra super crunchy kettle chip. So not great, but definitely worth trying once! "When in Rome" I guess! Most of you might be wondering how this ties in to the bleak part of Thailand, and I will tell you. Many of you joked or were serious in the warning "Don't get sold into sex slavery." Ha real fully and back at home we laughed and joked about me being the next star of Taken, but here it is not really that funny, or funny at all. There were young girls lining these streets and guys with signs saying "Pussy Ping Pong Show." While I am tempted to see it because it is a staple in Thailand, the part of me that was raised by my slightly feminist mother screams not too. Most of the guys that went to see it came out saying it was interesting but they would never go see one again, and that they would never want to see their girlfriends or wives try the activities that were done. I will let you make your own judgement call on the shows, because like I said, I am torn, but even threw that it just seems very disturbing knowing that is going on so close to where I live.
Speaking of living, I have finally moved into my new apartment and I will be honest, the first moment I saw the city I was living and the apartment I would be spending the next 5 months in I sat on my bed (which feels like sleeping on a dirt packed floor with a sleeping bag when I used to go camping) and cried for a good 5 minutes. I know I do cry occasionally, but I will deny it if you say anything!!!! It is not anything like I expected and it threw me for a loop, but I took a shower, in my bathroom that is conjoined with my shower with a shower head that feels like I am being stung by needles and it gave me a better perspective on how grateful I should be. Somehow I will need to figure out how to take a shower without soaking my toilet paper, which is not a feat I have accomplished yet, as I went to use the bathroom last night after my shower and it was soggy. If you don't know that feeling, it is GROSS! I got a plant for my room and unpacked which has made my room come to life a little bit, and we are going to Kho Samet, which is a beach island! SO STOKED FOR THAT! We have two days off and you can bet your butt I will have mine plopped in the sand or swimming in the ocean for the entirety of those 2 days. Unless of course I decide to go eat at a local seafood restaurant or need to purchase a new frozen beverage of some kind. The point of this blog is to basically tell you and myself that Thailand is great, but different than I expected and even though I have done some amazing things and met wonderful people there is still things that I have to see and do before I leave. First and foremost, teaching. My school seems wonderful and the classes will be great I believe. The students (who I will start teaching in 10 days or so) are in the business side of the vocational school and have very low levels of English, but I have been told I will love every minute. As excited as I am to talk about the school and the students, I feel as if I should wait a bit because, just like everything else in this trip, I am sure it will be nothing like I expect and at some point there will be a huge curve ball thrown in.
All in all, I am in freaking Thailand and it can't get much better than adventuring!!
I have now been in Thailand for 8 days but I have been away from home and everyone I love for 11 days, and it feels like a freaking month! The last week or so has been a blur of orientation: meetings, Thai lessons, classroom lessons and cultural etiquette. It has been insane, but I cannot begin to count the blessings that I have been given in terms of people I have met. Everyone in our orientation group were amazing; sure there were different friendships and group dynamics, but all in all it was filled with lively beautiful people, who just like me are searching for some adventure.
Everyone talks about Thailand like it is some amazing place, and it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, but it is also very bleak in some places as well. We went to Khao San Road in Bangkok, and it was a sensory overload. You walk down this one strip of bars, all playing western music with all white tourists and Thai vendor stands and all you can think is "Holy S*** it is so hot" and "wow I didn't know there were so many white people in Thailand." There are stands for fresh fruit (which is amazzzzinnnggg), clothes for the gaucho elephant pants, which I broke down and bought, but not with elephants but sea shells ( I couldn't be that much of a tourist). The road was filled will all different smells and critters to eat. I ate a scorpion, which really wasn't that bad, just like an extra extra super crunchy kettle chip. So not great, but definitely worth trying once! "When in Rome" I guess! Most of you might be wondering how this ties in to the bleak part of Thailand, and I will tell you. Many of you joked or were serious in the warning "Don't get sold into sex slavery." Ha real fully and back at home we laughed and joked about me being the next star of Taken, but here it is not really that funny, or funny at all. There were young girls lining these streets and guys with signs saying "Pussy Ping Pong Show." While I am tempted to see it because it is a staple in Thailand, the part of me that was raised by my slightly feminist mother screams not too. Most of the guys that went to see it came out saying it was interesting but they would never go see one again, and that they would never want to see their girlfriends or wives try the activities that were done. I will let you make your own judgement call on the shows, because like I said, I am torn, but even threw that it just seems very disturbing knowing that is going on so close to where I live.
Speaking of living, I have finally moved into my new apartment and I will be honest, the first moment I saw the city I was living and the apartment I would be spending the next 5 months in I sat on my bed (which feels like sleeping on a dirt packed floor with a sleeping bag when I used to go camping) and cried for a good 5 minutes. I know I do cry occasionally, but I will deny it if you say anything!!!! It is not anything like I expected and it threw me for a loop, but I took a shower, in my bathroom that is conjoined with my shower with a shower head that feels like I am being stung by needles and it gave me a better perspective on how grateful I should be. Somehow I will need to figure out how to take a shower without soaking my toilet paper, which is not a feat I have accomplished yet, as I went to use the bathroom last night after my shower and it was soggy. If you don't know that feeling, it is GROSS! I got a plant for my room and unpacked which has made my room come to life a little bit, and we are going to Kho Samet, which is a beach island! SO STOKED FOR THAT! We have two days off and you can bet your butt I will have mine plopped in the sand or swimming in the ocean for the entirety of those 2 days. Unless of course I decide to go eat at a local seafood restaurant or need to purchase a new frozen beverage of some kind. The point of this blog is to basically tell you and myself that Thailand is great, but different than I expected and even though I have done some amazing things and met wonderful people there is still things that I have to see and do before I leave. First and foremost, teaching. My school seems wonderful and the classes will be great I believe. The students (who I will start teaching in 10 days or so) are in the business side of the vocational school and have very low levels of English, but I have been told I will love every minute. As excited as I am to talk about the school and the students, I feel as if I should wait a bit because, just like everything else in this trip, I am sure it will be nothing like I expect and at some point there will be a huge curve ball thrown in.
All in all, I am in freaking Thailand and it can't get much better than adventuring!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Starting a blog: how hipster of you...
First off, I am about as far from a blogger as anyone you could ever meet, as I assume you already know because it's not like I have followers so I'm guesing your a friend, relative or some random person on Facebook that I met years ago, thought you were awesome but now have no recollection of how we met. Either way, thanks for reading!
I am starting this as a way to keep in touch with everyone I love back home as I am on the adventure of a lifetime; teaching English in Thailand. I am also starting this because, as you all know I am te clumsiest person on the planet except maybe Rachel (who if you don't know got stuck on my fence by her pant leg and was face down in the dirt with her legs stuck in the air on a 6 foot fence. IT WAS AWESOME!), and want to fill everyone in on all my OMG and WTF moments that happen. I can assure you there will be many!
Most people have been asking about the flight and how it went, so let me tell you. I leave Sunday, May 3rd in which I almost miss the flight and Kat walks through security like she is a total Bad a** and asks people to let me through because I will miss my flight-thanks Kat! that flight leaves at 5:20, just for your time calculations. I have a layover in Charlotte, easy peasy. Board the Charlotte to NYC flight and fall asleep right away, as it is 10:30 and I'm an old grandma. I wake up and it is 12:15 am which would have been fine except I was supposed to land at 11:57 and we haven't even touched down yet and I have an hour an a half to navigate through freakin' JFK. I MEAN COME ON! Luckily I had stopped by in charlotte to make sure my bags got rerouted to the plane to Bangkok (FML). I get off the plane and full sprint theough this huge airport, which in all honestly is the most sprinting I have done in a long long time. I'm sweaty and panting when I pull up to Cathay airlines. It's 1:10 and my flight is supposed to leave at 1:30 am. HA it gets delayed until 6 am becaus wod mechanical issue. I am stuck in the middle with my knees touching the chair in front of me for unholy amounts of hours. Not only and I smushed by Mother Nature decided to be a huge brat right when I was leaving (sorry boys but really be greatful, cramps suck!) and my stomach was upset. Talk about unfortunate We then have to make a pit stop in Seoul to check the engine-because that is not terrifying.... This makes me and my flying compaion and friend Deirdre miss our connecting flight from Homg Kong to Bangkok. Lucky the airline gave us new tickets for a flight 2 hours later, and we get on that. We finally arrive in Bangkok to a total of approximately 39 hours of traveling and my bags aren't there. ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!? So I mosy over to the desk that deals with baggage and fine the sweetest Thai guy every who studied abroad in NYC and he lets me know my bags didn't get on the plane in NEW YORK so I would have to wait a whole day to get them. LOL OKAY. I then go to change my money into Baht and the lady won't take it because some of the money had red smudges on it; at this point I'm just laughing because this would only happen to me. I finally get my money figured out and hop into a taxi with Deirdre and realize we have an hour long ride which went by fast enough. We get to the hotel and it is nice enough but the bed is like sleeping on plywood but hey it's a bed so I fall asleep after my shower in about 3 seconds. We tried street vendors for dinner and yum yum it was delicious. We had pork and rice which sounds safe enough but the lady had half a pig sitting on her cart, pig foot and all so I was expecting to be puking in 10 minutes but no such luck an it was amazing.
We ventured today and it was cool but not at all what I was expecting. It is huge and hot, like Santan's asshole hot (sorry mom for the language but it is necessary and when you get here you will understand). I finally get back to the hotel and my bags have arrived!!!! I could have cried tears of joy, of course I didn't because crying is for suckers and I refuse to get that attached to my teddy Bears that Corey so thoughtfully packed in my bag as a surprise to remind me at home (aww). However, for the finally of wtf baggage travel issues, I had narrowed Corey's bookbag because my suitcase was overweight and the first thing he said about it was " don't lose this, it's been on all 5 deployments with me so keep it safe). Oops all my body wash, half a ginger ale (not sure how that got in there) and all my cough syrup has exploded. I mean seriously the cough syrup had a child proof lock on it which half the time I struggle to open. This means that bag took a serious beating, or someone opened it and just dumped it in the bag, which at this point I would be surprised. Everything is sticky and bright red , including the journal Rachel got me but hey it just adds character right?
So basically anything that could go wrong has gone wrong but hey that's what makes adventure worth while. Any ways it's 12:18 here and orientation starts tomorrow at the crack of dawn so it's bed time, but thanks for reading! Love you guys so much and hope to keep y'all (someone asked me if I was from Texas because of the way I spoke HAHA) updated and I would love to hear from y'all!
Night night
I am starting this as a way to keep in touch with everyone I love back home as I am on the adventure of a lifetime; teaching English in Thailand. I am also starting this because, as you all know I am te clumsiest person on the planet except maybe Rachel (who if you don't know got stuck on my fence by her pant leg and was face down in the dirt with her legs stuck in the air on a 6 foot fence. IT WAS AWESOME!), and want to fill everyone in on all my OMG and WTF moments that happen. I can assure you there will be many!
Most people have been asking about the flight and how it went, so let me tell you. I leave Sunday, May 3rd in which I almost miss the flight and Kat walks through security like she is a total Bad a** and asks people to let me through because I will miss my flight-thanks Kat! that flight leaves at 5:20, just for your time calculations. I have a layover in Charlotte, easy peasy. Board the Charlotte to NYC flight and fall asleep right away, as it is 10:30 and I'm an old grandma. I wake up and it is 12:15 am which would have been fine except I was supposed to land at 11:57 and we haven't even touched down yet and I have an hour an a half to navigate through freakin' JFK. I MEAN COME ON! Luckily I had stopped by in charlotte to make sure my bags got rerouted to the plane to Bangkok (FML). I get off the plane and full sprint theough this huge airport, which in all honestly is the most sprinting I have done in a long long time. I'm sweaty and panting when I pull up to Cathay airlines. It's 1:10 and my flight is supposed to leave at 1:30 am. HA it gets delayed until 6 am becaus wod mechanical issue. I am stuck in the middle with my knees touching the chair in front of me for unholy amounts of hours. Not only and I smushed by Mother Nature decided to be a huge brat right when I was leaving (sorry boys but really be greatful, cramps suck!) and my stomach was upset. Talk about unfortunate We then have to make a pit stop in Seoul to check the engine-because that is not terrifying.... This makes me and my flying compaion and friend Deirdre miss our connecting flight from Homg Kong to Bangkok. Lucky the airline gave us new tickets for a flight 2 hours later, and we get on that. We finally arrive in Bangkok to a total of approximately 39 hours of traveling and my bags aren't there. ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!? So I mosy over to the desk that deals with baggage and fine the sweetest Thai guy every who studied abroad in NYC and he lets me know my bags didn't get on the plane in NEW YORK so I would have to wait a whole day to get them. LOL OKAY. I then go to change my money into Baht and the lady won't take it because some of the money had red smudges on it; at this point I'm just laughing because this would only happen to me. I finally get my money figured out and hop into a taxi with Deirdre and realize we have an hour long ride which went by fast enough. We get to the hotel and it is nice enough but the bed is like sleeping on plywood but hey it's a bed so I fall asleep after my shower in about 3 seconds. We tried street vendors for dinner and yum yum it was delicious. We had pork and rice which sounds safe enough but the lady had half a pig sitting on her cart, pig foot and all so I was expecting to be puking in 10 minutes but no such luck an it was amazing.
We ventured today and it was cool but not at all what I was expecting. It is huge and hot, like Santan's asshole hot (sorry mom for the language but it is necessary and when you get here you will understand). I finally get back to the hotel and my bags have arrived!!!! I could have cried tears of joy, of course I didn't because crying is for suckers and I refuse to get that attached to my teddy Bears that Corey so thoughtfully packed in my bag as a surprise to remind me at home (aww). However, for the finally of wtf baggage travel issues, I had narrowed Corey's bookbag because my suitcase was overweight and the first thing he said about it was " don't lose this, it's been on all 5 deployments with me so keep it safe). Oops all my body wash, half a ginger ale (not sure how that got in there) and all my cough syrup has exploded. I mean seriously the cough syrup had a child proof lock on it which half the time I struggle to open. This means that bag took a serious beating, or someone opened it and just dumped it in the bag, which at this point I would be surprised. Everything is sticky and bright red , including the journal Rachel got me but hey it just adds character right?
So basically anything that could go wrong has gone wrong but hey that's what makes adventure worth while. Any ways it's 12:18 here and orientation starts tomorrow at the crack of dawn so it's bed time, but thanks for reading! Love you guys so much and hope to keep y'all (someone asked me if I was from Texas because of the way I spoke HAHA) updated and I would love to hear from y'all!
Night night
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