Thai Thanksgiving

Moo Kata (jellyfish on top)

I went into this holiday season knowing it would be different than ones past. I have not been in heat less than 90 degrees, haven't eaten a potato in a month, and am surrounded by people who have never seen snow . Though I have been graced with several days off of teaching, they were not for the intention of spending the day with one's family and gorging ourselves with food (though it seems as though Thai people are constantly eating). I had even come to terms with knowing that I would probably spend Thanksgiving eating Pad Thai on the side of the street with a few of my local friends. It would be different, but I was okay with it--I'm in Thailand!

I was pleasantly surprised when a day before Thanksgiving one of my coworkers invited me, Matthias, and Alex out to a Thai style meal called Moo Kata. We informed him that we would be happy to go to dinner with him, and even happier to have a Thai feast on American Thanksgiving. Moo Kata refers to the pork that is grilled, though the restaurant we went to had a large variety of raw meats including shrimp, chicken, beef, and jellyfish. The restaurant was buffet-style, which is perfect for a Thanksgiving feast, and we sat around for 3 hours gorging ourselves with different cuts of meat with various spices and 2 large beers. I was adventurous enough to have jellyfish, which I actually really enjoyed--so much that I went back for seconds...and thirds.

intestines....ohhh yeaahhh

Though it was a bit of an unconventional Thanksgiving, it was certainly one of the more memorable ones. I was certainly happy that I not only had a delicious meal on Thanksgiving, but have made good enough friends in my short time here to have such a wonderful Thanksgiving day.
But Thanksgiving is never over in one day because there are over leftovers! And since I didn't have leftovers, my friends and I went out to a New Orleans themed restaurant in Bangkok that had a beautiful buffet spread of Western Thanksgiving dishes that I went a little overboard with....but it was so. good.
Though I love Thai food....I miss Western food. Especially the variety we are so used to. It's amazing how much variety that Americans are given with their food choices. I really miss cheese. And bread. And anything that isn't rice based. But I love mango...and green curry...and pad thai (haven't gotten sick of that one yet).

Bangkok has some GREAT Christmas decorations

Thanksgiving this year made me realize what I am really grateful for: good health, a wonderful and supportive family, and amazing friends--old and new--all around the world...oh, and the good fortune of not being in the classroom (or any of my students) when a painter fell through the roof and dropped into one of my classrooms. Which leads me to be thankful for such an amazing opportunity to be living in Thailand and knowing that every day will be another incredible adventure!

TEECHA Laura

fan mail

I am now entering my 4th week of teaching...which is also my first full week of teaching. Despite my sporadic schedule and minimal time with students, I am finally starting to feel like a real teacher. Not only have I been able to have students enough times to review material already learned--and making sure that they retained it--, but I have also graded homework assignments, given students extra help, and always get a slew of "goodbyes" by students I actually recognize when leaving the school. It is pretty wonderful to feel part of a community and feel as if I am actually making an impact on some student's education...even though I can count those students on one hand.
A student in one of my M4 classes (15 and 16 year olds) reached out to me last week and told me that she loves English and would like to meet with me as often as possible so that she can practice her English. I also received my first piece of fan mail: a cartoon drawing of me teaching. I would have been skeptical of the girl's intentions and actual attention given during my class while she created this masterpiece, but she was the only one participating in the class, so I'm more than okay with my desk decoration and her enthusiasm towards me and English.
Even though I have some great students, I also have some SERIOUS trouble makers. There are 2 boys in my younger classes that want to see me lose it and will go to any length to try. I call these the devil spawn because they try to make my classroom feel like their birthplace of hell. One of them loves me so much he snuck into a class he was not supposed to be in and I had to kick him out before he wreaked havoc and made me lose my mind...for a second time that day. I also had not one, but 2 students sprint out of class on 2 separate days. In 2 separate classes.
Between my students that love me and hate me, it's pretty hard to gauge how good of a teacher I actually am.

Not sure if this is a construction worker or a cyborg Michael Jackson

Though I have some real nightmares, I was warned I would be at the naughty school, so having the few students that actually want to learn is extremely rewarding. I am enjoying teaching though, and walking out of a good class puts me in an excellent mood. Even though the novelty of me being one of 3 farangs in the school has not worn off (I get random "I love yous"...okay it's still kind of nice), I am finally finding my comfort zone in both my school and Ayutthaya.

Celebrity Status

After two weeks in Ayutthaya I am finally getting settled and feeling more and more as if this city of street-crossing elephants, ancient ruins, and few traffic lights, is in fact my home. I have bought a bike, spent a full week at school (minimal teaching was involved...2 days, in fact), and am recognized around town by colleagues, a restaurant owner, and students (for better or for worse). I know the lay of the land, what to buy in Tesco Express versus the oh-so-convenient 7-Eleven, which vendors at the night market are my favorite, and even how to hop on the minibus to Bangkok for one night. It's amazing that I am getting into a routine already and am feeling confident in this once far off land that I now call home.

Cain, a 4 month old elephant

My comfort is not complete, as I do not speak Thai and find it nearly impossible to order food from many street vendors I would like to try. Sometimes my frustrations go so far as to take the easy route and just splurge on KFC. Today I found myself on a 15 minute quest that led me to find that only knowing how to order "pad Thai" leads to finding that not all street vendors make that, many vendors don't want to play charades with a clueless farang, or me not wanting to attempt because what other people had looked a bit iffy. Don't worry though, I finally found a vendor that served soup (and spoke a little English) and had a pleasant street-side meal. After wandering around a section of the city I didn't even knew existed, I realized how comfortable I have become with the small area of the island that I reside.

sports week opening ceremony (a torch and parade were involved)

Along with becoming comfortable in my new surroundings, I feel as if those around me should understand that I live here as well. No matter how long I live here however, I will always be called farang. But up until today, it was kind of cool being a farang--celebrity, almost. Kids would say "hello" to you, flashing back a large smile when you returned the greeting; strangers would tell you you're beautiful or handsome; little kids shamelessly point and smile at the sight of you. Today was the first day I began to take my celebrity status for granted, because no matter how long I am here, I will always be stared at, be given a higher price, or just avoided because it is presumed (rightfully so) that I don't speak a word of Thai.It's a strange feeling being so blatantly out of place, because there is nothing I can do to mask the color of my skin.

The PVC pipe race (and fall)--a sports week event

Though my white skin makes me a foreigner, I am still exploring the island and getting out of my comfort zone (I often find myself in areas where farangs don't venture and I am the only white person). This past weekend, however, was not one of those weekends. My friend Kate and I went down to Bangkok for one night (I will write a Bangkok post soon) and then I headed back to Ayutthaya and found myself on Soi Farang (Foreigner alley) with my western friends. The next day I made my way out to the elephant sanctuary, which is about 10 minutes off the island. All the elephants are domesticated, and they even have dangerous and murderous elephants (these elephants are kept far away and have the largest tusks I could ever imagine). All of the elephants are chained to a tree or a poll, and many are kept behind a large bar--except for Cane. The 5-month-old rascal baby elephant that snuck up behind me and head-butted me in the butt. He is adorable and it was hilarious. I absolutely love elephants, though they are extremely huge and a bit scary because you know it would really hurt if they stepped on your toe.

Elephants crossing the road: a daily occurrence in Ayutthaya

This week is another lax teaching week. Last week, 3 of the days were reserved for sports week(though the third day it looked more like just a giant dance party), in which we had to be in the school but not teach. This week, there is an academic competition going on at our school and the neighboring school, meaning that we don't teach, but again, must be in the office. Next week will surely be a reality check, as we will have 5 whole days of teaching, and the introductory class to our Wednesday classes (yes, I have 5 classes I have yet to see). As tiring as next week will be, I am excited to see what a fresh crop of students--and nicknames--will bring.

A Week in Ayutthaya

Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, the largest of the ruins

Kate, Alex, Matthias, and I are not what you would call light packers

I have been in Ayutthaya, my home city for the next four months, for a week now, and an exciting one it has been. Not only did I move into my new apartment and discover a new city, but I also began my teaching assignment. Overall, week one has been pretty great, with my first 4 days of teaching not being a disaster (huge success).

The School
The secondary school that I am teaching at (2,700 students between the ages of 12 and 18) in Ayutthaya is a government school. I am teaching M1(12/13 year olds) and M4 (14/15 year olds). Within 45 minutes of my first day, I was in front of a podium in front of the entire student body giving an introduction of myself in a language most students barely understood. Promptly after my all-school debut, wondering if any of the students could even understand me, and what they thought of the three new (and only) foreign teachers, I taught my first class. In a few of my classes I have a Thai assistant, but they are generally there for classroom control, not for clarifying my instructions. I found myself alone in a room yesterday explaining to a class of 50 students what a question was. I have quickly had to learn how to simplify everything that comes out of my mouth, and I am generally still too complicated for beginner speakers to understand me.
 Going into my teaching assignment, I was told that it was going to be a "challenge." The biggest challenge I have faced so far is not being able to speak a word of Thai. It is not only frustrating because I cannot translate anything I am saying to help the students (though they would probably manipulate me and pretend that they didn't understand anything in English, forcing me to say most things in Thai), but I cannot reprimand them or defend myself if they say something rude in Thai. I just smile and nod. Oh, the life of a clueless farang (Thai for foreigner). Though I give my students a lot of grief, some of them are incredibly bright, others don't have enough basic English to be in a classroom with me, and others just can't stop staring at one of the three non-Thai teachers--sorry, people-- in the entire school.

I don't have any pictures of my school...but this is by my apartment

Though I feel a bit clueless 60% of the time, class is often fun and exciting. This first week I have been playing games with the students, and once they understand the rules, their competitiveness and laughter quickly fills the room...along with their interesting English nicknames (Oil, Arm, Cucumber, Beer, and James Hunter--he is Thai and barely speaks English-- are some of my favorites). The foreign language department is also very welcoming. We all sit in an air-conditioned office together. The Thai English teachers are eager to practice their English and will accompany the Foreign English teachers (me, Alex, and Matthias) to lunch and answer any questions about the constantly changing rules and days off.

Elephant tours

Working at the school a mere four days has already got me used to the Thai phrase, "mai pan rai," which means "no worries." If your students are 15 minutes late, go with it. If the rest of this week (Wednesday-Friday) is sports week and there are no classes, so be it. We have a 3-day week next week? Awesome. Class was cancelled midway through? See ya later, kids. I have never in my life had to "go with the flow" so much as I have in the past 4 days. Though it has been a challenge (sometimes more so than keeping a class's attention for more than 5 seconds), I am becoming more and more accustomed to the relaxed Thai way of life.


Quick Facts on Ayutthaya:

• The capital of Siam between the early 1300s and the late 1700s
• Was once the largest city in the world
• Some of the temples are architecturally similar to Angkor Wat in Cambodia
• It's technically an island since it is surrounded by 3 rivers
• Usually seen as a day trip from Bangkok to tourists 

Elephants on their way to work.

A mere block away from the guesthouse I am living in (called the Grandparent's home...and yes, it's owned by an old couple) are red clay and brick ruins from the ancient capital of Siam. Wandering around Ayutthaya you will stumble upon old, unmarked ruins next to shops or hidden behind billboards. The touristy areas (which house the most famous wats in two large parks) are surrounded by wide avenues. Getting closer to the rivers, however, farangs are rarely spotted and the roads narrow and are lined with street vendors, small shops, and markets. I spent the weekend in Ayutthaya, one day by foot and the other on bike. It's a beautiful, flat city with historical ruins on (or between) almost every corner. I was actually a bit overwhelmed by how much there is to see on the island. I thought it would have seen the entire city in a day on a bike, but heat and curiosity of side streets and markets got me, and I am only familiar with about half of the island. My wandering led me to wats, parks, markets, and many many elephants both doing shows in a park and giving tours around the city. Though quiet at night, the city is vibrant during the day. It is a great place for a teacher to live as it is only an hour and a half (and 60 baht) from Bangkok, has many cheap food options including a night market every night a block away from my apartment, and historical significance to Thailand.

Buddhas that surround the main part of the temple at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

Island Hopping

The middle leg of my 3 week break between my TESOL training and teaching placement in Ayutthaya led me to three islands in the Bay of Thailand: Koh Samui, Koh Phagnan, and Koh Tao. All these islands are known for their beauty and individual personalities. We spent one night on Koh Samui, 3 nights on Koh Phagnan, and one night on Koh Tao. It's easiest for me to go through all of these islands one by one.
Koh Samui

The view after the "crawl" from our bungalow

We arrived on the famed paradisical island in the Bay of Thailand around 5:30 PM. The sun was beginning to set and it was completely dark at the end of our 45 minute tuk tuk ride to our beachside resort. I was aware that Koh Samui was the most built up out of all the islands in the Bay of Thailand, but I was shocked to see how much it resembled Phuket, a town I had visited earlier in my trip (recall the vegetarian festival), and was shocked that "island life" on Samui was more resort life. There is a road that goes around the entire circumference of the third largest island in Thailand that is lined with stores, markets, and travel agencies. The characteristic that made Samui much more islandy was the fact that motor bikes outnumbered cars by a long shot, and the markets on the side of teh road accommodated to this by sellingliters of gasoline in empbty Hong Thong bottles (a spirit that is quite popular and is described as "blended spirits) for 40 baht.

Our touristy tour around Phangnan

Upon arriving to our hotel, the hotel manager greeted us and informed us that we had "the shittiest room, but you can crawl to the beach." We were completely okay with this since it is what we were looking for, and settled into our completely fine bungalow. Our resort was on a beautiful stretch of beach bookended on either side by rounded rocks. Resorts line the entire beach, except where there is the occassional cluster of bars. My friend Alicia and I decided to venture around Samui on our one day there and went to a waterfall, pet some elephants, and went to a Buddhist temple overlooking the ocean. We ended our whirlwind day by napping on the beach before catching the last ferry to Koh Phangnan.
Koh Phangnan:

Neon art at the Half Moon party.

We sat outside and in the front of the ferry for the entirety of the 40 minute ride. Shortly after we began our journey, we were able to see the mountainous island known for it's wild full moon parties appear out of the haze. As soon as we got to the port of the island, it had an entirely different feel from the resort island of Samui. We decided to stay on Haad Rin Beach, the most built-up part of the island, and the area where the full moon party takes place. Though we were arriving to the island 6 days before the party (which we did not attend), flocks of young people were getting off the ferry and jumping into mini buses taking them to Haad Rin area. We handed our luggage to the minibus driver, who threw it on top of the van. When we got to our hotel, we were shocked that our luggage remained on top of the bus, which went up and down steep hills that were just barely drivable and impossibly sharp curves. Our stay on Phangnan consisted of a couple days of rain, snorkeling with luminescent and electric-looking fish, a half-moon party in the jungle, eating at a restaurant that always screened movies or the TV show friends, and a day at the beach. I'm glad I went to Koh Phagnan, but wish I had had the resources to go to the less popular beaches, though the infamous sunset beach is quite nice. I will admit: I have become a HUGE beach snob after this vacation. Sunset beach had a few pieces of trash on it (expectedly, since it is a party beach), and I could not believe how much it disgusted me. I was also a little disappointed at how rocky Samui was. SO OBNOXIOUS. I KNOW.
Koh Tao

Cloudy (but beautiful) Koh Tao

Though similar geographically to Phangnan and Samui, I found this diver-centric island oddly more beautiful. It rained the entire 24 hours while I was there, so I didn't even get to go snorkeling, but I loved the laid-back feel of this island that had the same feel as a ski resort, but instead of being filled with families and ski bums, it was filled with really attractive people, mostly under 30, and all obsessed with fish. I made my trip to Koh Tao during my stay on Phangnan (I went Samui--> Phangnan-->Tao-->Phangnan--> Bangkok), and on our way to Bangkok we stopped on Koh Tao to pick people up on the way to Chumphon. It was a perfect day (of course) and I could see the bottom of the ocean about 500 feet away from the dock. I am now determined to go back to Koh Tao and get my diving certification there (it has some of the best diving in the world, and almost all of the resorts on one of the beaches is owned by diving schools).

I've gotten behind in my blogging, but this entry concludes my 5 week run on beautiful beaches and idyllic scenery. As sad as I am to be leaving paradise, I am SO EXCITED to see Bangkok and my new home of Ayutthaya (spoiler alert: I love both). I will get my act together this week and write about my 4 days in Bangkok and my first week in Ayutthaya which includes teaching the "naughty" children and living in a city amongst monks, temples, and elephants.