Buddha Buddha Everywhere

I decided to head to Bangkok for the weekend. A bunch of the other teachers from the program were all staying at the same hostel so I decided to tag along. The hostel was nice but in a rather strange neighbor. Little India.  After unloading our stuff we decided to venture out for some Indian food. We managed to cram 7 people into a tuk-tuk (I think that’s the new record!) and we had a delicious meal.

On Saturday a bunch of us went back to the Chatachak market (the huge weekend market). It was definitely much different this time. The last time I went it was a Sunday afternoon when everything was beginning to shut down. This time it was a Saturday morning and we saw what the market is truly about. Stalls after stalls of everything you could imagine. Crowds of people trying to make their way through the narrow aisles. People shouting out prices trying to get you to buy their items. It was totally nuts but totally awesome at the same time. After wandering around for a while we headed off to Wat Pho.

Wat Pho is the temple that houses the Reclining Buddha. One of the most famous Buddha’s in Thailand. Wat Pho was much bigger than I was expecting and equally as grandiose as the Grand Palace. The reclining Buddha statue was amazing. I can’t even explain how big it was. I was literally in awe at not only how long it was but also how tall. The Reclining Buddha is meant to represent the Buddha’s dying moment and the moment he reaches nirvana. I have never seen anything quite like it. 

Wat Pho is also famous because it houses more Buddha statues than anywhere else in Thailand, 394 in total. 

Sports Day

So I don’t know if I mentioned, but my school is really in to sports. Almost every student is involved in some sort of sport and the school will be competing in sports day in November (I think this is why our school started early to allow the kids more time to practice? I’m still not clear on this). On Thursday we were told, around 5^th period, that 7-9th periods were canceled due to sports practice. Then on Friday my last two classes just didn’t show up. When I called my coordinator to ask what was going on she said, “Oh don’t worry. They are just lazy. They would rather practice sports.” Umm….ok?  Sports are more important than education? I am still getting used to the “mai pen rai” (it doesn’t matter) attitude of the school…

Somehow I was convinced to compete in a sport called paytong(?) with a bunch of the other Thai teachers. I really had no idea what the game was or what I had signed up for but on Friday afternoon I was ushered on to the field. I was given an explanation of the game (in Thai), and after a lot of wild gesturing I finally seemed to understand. I was led into position, with all of my students watching and laughing, and handed a ball. The game is very similar to bocce ball in the states so I caught on to the general objective of the game. My team lost but it was actually a lot of fun. I think we play again next week.

Reflection

I can’t believe it has only been two weeks. I have done so many amazing things and seen so many amazing places already. And I get to be here for five months? It is time to take a step back and breathe. The past two weeks have been jam packed; a week of orientation in Bangkok (where I learned a mind-numbing amount of information about teaching and Thai culture), visited the Grand Palace, took a day trip to ride elephants and bamboo rafts, started teaching, and had an amazing weekend getaway. How is it possible that I accomplished all of that in such a short amount of time? I am so grateful that I am here and able to experience all that Thailand has to offer. I can’t imagine what the next 5 months are going to hold for me!

Things I have learned about Thailand so far:

-Thai people are exceptionally friendly. They will go out of their way to help you in any situation.

-Thai people will also laugh at you. A LOT. Everything I do seems to get stares, giggles and out right laughs from the locals.

-Hearing the term “farang” (foreigner) is extremely common. It’s one of the only words I can pick out of a Thai conversation and it generally means they are talking about you. (Interesting fact: farang also means guava. Let’s hope Thai people like to talk a lot about guava.)

-Thai kids have their own form of “LOL”. When texting or chatting they type “555”.   5 in Thai is “ha” therefore they are literally typing ha ha ha.

-Stray dogs are everywhere. Some of them look pretty mean….I am working on making friends with the ones in my neighborhood

-The language barrier is becoming increasingly difficult. Especially when trying to order food. When in doubt always point. Or use words like kaew (rice) and gai (chicken) and see what comes out.

-Even when you try to speak in Thai, most people still can’t understand you.

-Thai students are really cute. When you walk by they will shout random English words that they know.  

-In Thailand, most buildings and homes have spirit houses. Thai’s believe that all things have spirits so they build these little houses and make offerings to keep the spirits happy. Even the most run down buildings and areas of the city you will see beautiful, elaborate spirit houses outside.

-Nobody in Thailand walks. Anywhere. You will get strange looks if you are walking down the street. Maybe I should get a scooter??

-Transportation is surprisingly easy. (Unless you are attempting to get a van from Victory Monument…anyone else have this problem??)

-Food stalls are amazing. You can get a great meal for about $1

Beaches, Snorkeling, and a Full Moon Party

Such an amazing weekend! I found out on Friday that I had Monday off (random holiday?) So I decided to head for the beach. A couple of other teachers I met during the program were already there so, on a whim I hopped on a van, a bus and a ferry to the Island of Ko Samet. Our hotel was right on the beach and it was beautiful. I found out as soon as I got there that this weekend was a full moon and there was going to be a "Full Moon Party". Apparently there are huge parties on various beaches throughout Thailand every month to celebrate the full moon. Probably one of the craziest things I have seen. It was essentially like a New Years Eve party including fire dancers, fire works and a countdown. I can't believe they do this every month! The party started right after the sunset and lasted until 6am (I did not make it to 6am, not even close lol).

On Sunday we went snorkeling. We took a speedboat tour that took us to five surrounding islands. We snorkeled, explored the islands and visited a fish farm (with sharks and turtles!). The three of us were the only farang on the boat (Ko Samet is a popular weekend destination for local Thais due its close proximity to Bangkok) and I am pretty sure we were the laughing stock of the boat. The locals thought we were completely ridiculous. We managed to crash a Thai family picnic (we didn't know we weren't supposed to eat the food) and I managed to step on a sea urchin. I showed one of our Thai guides that I had little blue pricklies in my foot and the entire boat surrounded me and looked on in horror. The Thai man proceeded to hit my foot with the end of the snorkel gear and then put some mysterious liquid gel onto my foot. "Ok" he pronounced. Ok? Umm....Ok. Guess its not life threatening. We then almost fell into the water at the fish farm because one of the boards broke beneath us. Pretty exciting trip I must say.

On Monday morning Sandra took me to a nearby Wai (temple) that she had stumbled upon earlier in her trip. There was a gigantic Buddha statue that came out of nowhere! We were walking around admiring the temple and the Buddha statue when we were approached by a Monk. He spoke very good English and showed us how to light incense and candles to make an offering to the Buddha. He then let us walk around inside the Wai. It was a pretty amazing experience.

Overall, I would say a pretty fantastic weekend!

apartment flooded? Oh its normal.

So last night it literally rained buckets for a soild hour. We went to the school to use the internet because we do not have wireless set up yet. I did not realize how bad it was until I walked back to my apartment. All of the neighbors were standing in the street and the water was up to my shins. I couldn't even get into my apartment because the water level was up past the door. My Thai neighbors attempted to explain to me that I could not go in because I might get electrocuted. They were also appalled that I lived by myself. Luckily I was able to stay with Olivia and Elana at their place (which also flooded but not as bad). We called our director to see what we should do but she couldn't help us because the streets were all flooded. One of the vice directors came by (I guess he lives near by) and he came to look at it. He basically waved it off and said it was no big deal. Apparently this is pretty common (especially in the rainy season) and he said it is usually worse. The water level went down after about an hour so I went to check on my place. The whole bottom level had been flooded but now was just filled with dirt and debris. Luckily all of my personal belongings were upstairs in my bedroom. There was no electricity so I had to stay with the other two girls. I am now going to go attempt to clean up everything! Oh adventures of living in Thailand.

Good Morning Teacher

I had my first day of class today! It was pretty crazy. I had three different classes. The first class was great. I was surprised by their level of English. They knew a lot more words than I was expecting (although I was teaching pretty basic stuff). It is so weird to be teaching over 50 kids in one class! When I walked in the door all of the kids stood up and said "good morning teacher". My second class was awful. The kids were really "naughty" (as all the teachers keep saying). The kids literally just talk through class and don't pay attention to what the teacher is doing. I think that this is pretty common, even with the Thai teachers. It is extremely difficult to control the class and keep their interest when there are so many of them. That was a pretty tough class. All the good girls sat in the front and all the loud rowdy boys sat in the back. I did my best to try to include all of the students but it is definitely going to be a challenge. My third class was great. They are so funny! They thought it was absolutely hilarious when I tried to pronounce their name (they all have Thai nicknames because their real names are ridiculously long.) Even their nicknames were hard to pronounce! They thought it was funny and they were teasing me all of class. They are really cute kids. Later after school I was walking by some students and they all said "Hello my name is" and then ran away laughing. I think it is going to be difficult but I also think it is going to be a lot of fun. I am glad that I got my first day out of the way and now I have a better feel for what I am supposed to be doing. Thai schools have WAY less structure than American schools which is going to take some getting used to. Overall a pretty good first day.

U-Thong School

So I arrived in U-thong on Tuesday afternoon. My school coordinator is wonderful and she took me and the other two teachers to the market so we could buy everything that we needed. She showed us around the town a little bit and then took us out to eat. On Wednesday I was able to take a tour of the school. The house where I will be living is about 1 minute walk from the school which is great! I am living in a little house by myself at the moment. It has everything that I need including a washer and dryer and hot water for showers! Amazing. I will eventually be sharing the house with another teacher from China. She is coming to teach Chinese at the school. Apparently there is a large Chinese population in U-Thong...

The school is huge and there are about 3,000 students. I got to see where my classes were going to be and we met the vice directors (there are 4). Everyone I have met here so far has been so friendly and accommodating. A few of  the Thai teachers speak English but most do not. It was really interesting walking by the students because they literally stopped and stared at me like I was an alien. My coordinator told me that they view us as celebrities because there are not a lot of foreigners in U-Thong. The kids here are SO cute and they are so curious about us. Totally bizarre. I will be teaching mateum(sp?) 2 and 5. Mateum 2 is 13-14 year olds and mateum 5 is 16-17. I am excited to find out their level of English. I will be teaching about 18 classes a week, all with 55+ students. Its going to be intense! Can't wait for the first day!

Elephants and Bamboo

The group took a day trip to Kanchanaburi, a near by province. On the way there we stopped at the "bridge over the river Kwae" which is a famous bridge from World War II. The next morning we got up early and took a trip to the Tawanee Elephant Camp. Here we all got to ride an elephant! It was such an amazing experience! It was kind of scary too. I felt like I was going to fall off of it. We took a loop that brought us through the local village and down to the river. It was so much fun!

After riding the elephant we were loaded onto a truck and driven about a mile to the river where they had local Thai guides ready with bamboo rafts. We loaded on to the rafts (about 6 of us on each one) and we just floated down the river. It was so peaceful and the scenery was amazing! We got to jump in the shallow parts of the river which was nice and refreshing on such a hot day. It was also the first day of true sunshine we've had since I have been here. Overall the whole morning was amazing. I am so lucky to have had both these experiences. I would really like to come back to Kanchanaburi. It is close to U-Thong where I will be living.

After riding elephants and bamboo rafting we were taken back to the hotel where our school coordinators were waiting to pick us up. It was kind of sad to say good-bye to the group. I met some really great people that I hope I will stay in touch with (and travel with). 

Pictures are coming soon!

Roller Coaster

We went to the Grand Palace on Friday which is the most amazing place I have ever seen! It was built by the King of Thailand and dates back to the 1700's. Here is where they keep the Emerald Buddha, which is the most famous Buddha in Thailand. Only the King is allowed to touch the Buddha and they change his outfit 3 times a year depending on the season. It brings good luck to the people. I posted some pictures of the Grand Palace and some from Bangkok!

After touring the Grand Palace we had a welcome dinner were we met our school coordinators. I was surprised to learn that there is really no curriculum or text books so I am not really sure what I am going to be teaching.... From what we have learned so far Thai schools are very different from American schools so it is definitely going to be an adjustment. There are two other teachers at my school so that will be nice. I am not sure what to think but I am trying to keep an open mind!

Today is my last day in Bangkok. We are taking day trip outside the city tomorrow and then I will be picked up by my school on Tuesday. Excited to see where I will be living for the next 5 months! 

Orientation

I started orientation today! There are 80 other teachers here! I have met so many people from all over the US. It is great because everyone is so spread out across Thailand so I will definitely be able to make some connections and be able to visit people around the country. We got a crash course in Thai today. It was extremely helpful learning the pronunciation. Now I just need to practice some of the phrases I learned! We also got some tips for teaching in the classroom. I am excited but also really nervous to start teaching. I get to meet the coordinators from my school tomorrow which will be nice and I  met the other two girls that are teaching at my school. Tomorrow we are going to visit the Grand Palace! So excited!

Sawatdee!

Wow what a crazy couple of days! I arrived in Bangkok Tuesday night. I met a couple of girls at the airport and we took a taxi together to the hotel. We managed to cram 4 people into a tiny car with all of our bags piled on top of us. Traffic here is crazy! There are tuk-tuks and scooters everywhere that weave in and out of traffic. I think I have almost been run over about 20 times already as there are no pedestrian walkways. There don't seem to be very many traffic laws here at all! On Wednesday I met a bunch of other teachers from the program and 22 of us set off to explore downtown Bangkok. Our hotel is pretty far from the actual city of Bangkok so it took us quite a while to get there. Imagine a huge mob of Americans walking down the Thai side streets lol. Ended up taking a commuter train that took us to the center of the city. We walked to Siam Square which is the shopping district of Bangkok. They have a HUGE shopping mall there and also a bunch of outdoor clothing markets. I  had my first taste of Pad Thai from a street vendor and it was delicious! I am definitely experiencing some culture shock. The language is so difficult to understand! Bangkok is a very overwhelming. I am really glad that I am not going to be teaching in the city. I am excited to be outside of all the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.  I have met some great people so far and I am excited to start orientation tomorrow!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Tomorrow morning I officially start my journey to Thailand! After about 24 hours of traveling time (ugh) I will arrive in Bangkok where I will begin a week of orientation. During this week I will  be able to meet fellow teachers, tour Bangkok and learn tips and tools for teaching English in Thailand. I am excited to learn more about the country where I will be living for the next six months! After orientation everyone will be taken to the schools where they will be teaching . I will be at the U-Thong school in the Suphanburi province outside of Bangkok.

Over the past few days I have felt an overwhelming number of emotions. I am sad to be leaving my friends and family but I am excited for this new adventure.  After packing and re-packing (about twenty times) I finally feel like I have everything that I need. I can't wait to begin this amazing journey! Well, its off to bed so I can attempt to get a good nights sleep before beginning a LONG day(s?) of traveling. My next post will be from Thailand! Hooray!

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing things because we are curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Let the Packing Begin!

So, turns out packing for 6 months abroad is really difficult. I am stumped when it comes to what clothes to bring, what kind of shoes to wear and what other supplies I will need. Everything I have read and been told says not to pack a lot of stuff. You can buy everything over there and it will probably be cheaper. It just feels wrong to bring a half empty suitcase to the other side of the world. I have started packing the essentials so we will see how it turns out!

I am starting to get really anxious about leaving. I am ready to get on the plane already! I feel like I have been preparing for months now and I am ready to get started! I am not as nervous as I thought I would be, although  I still have a few more days for the jitters to arrive. I meet some people (through facebook) who are arriving around the same time and we are going to share a cab to the hotel together. I feel much better about arriving into Bangkok so late. I'm feeling good about things and can't wait to get on that plane!

"Own only what you can carry with you; know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag"