I can’t believe I’m actually caught up on here! I almost feel accomplished, except for the fact that so much happened this week.
Early Monday morning, Mike left. I was exhausted and tired, and I had to make a lesson plan for Tuesday, because I had to go back to work. So I slept half of my day away, then figured out my lesson. I was soooo nervous to go back. It was like my first day all over again.
Come Tuesday, I was still nervous … until I saw the kids. Ann and Rin (my co-teachers) had explained I was on vacation and I would be back, so they didn’t think I abandoned them (which was something I worried about). I didn’t think I had been there long enough for them to miss me all that much, but they were really excited to see me, which of course, made me feel really good. My students went away to girl/boy scout camp for the rest of the week, so I got to prepare my lessons for next week, and relax a little. I got home, and remembered how alone I feel when I’m there. After 2 weeks of having a companion, the loneliness hit hard.
I had been planning on returning home in mid-January, or earlier should I need to get home and be with my family. However, on Wednesday morning, I made the decision to come home earlier. The fact of the matter is that I can always come back to Thailand, but I can’t always get more time with grandpa. I have accomplished everything I came here to accomplish, and I am proud of all I have done. I have been a teacher, a mentor, a farang, a traveler, a student, an observer, a friend, a baby, and an adventurer. I have no regrets … and I cannot wait to get home! I was able to get a flight back for the 22nd, which means I’ll get to spend Christmas with my family. I will miss so much about Thailand, but I’m ready to be home.
On Thursday, I went to a new school to meet with a Thai English teacher (Bua) who needs some help with her teaching style. I had been there before to meet with her and watch one of her classes, but Thursday was to discuss how I could help. Since I am now leaving so soon, it was decided that I would teach her classes on Friday and she would observe and take notes. So Thursday evening was spent preparing 4 lesson plans for 4 classes I don’t know … which is much more challenging than for my own students.
I got the other school early on Friday, just in time to see the students lining up for what looked like a protest. It wasn’t a protest, but a PARADE! So I got to in the “parade” with them around the block of their school. Apparently they were handing out flyers about a measure the area will be voting on soon … I was just excited to be in a mini parade ☺ When we got back, I started teaching. My first class was P1 (about 1st grade). There were only 9 of them, so I figured it would be the easiest lesson ever … HA! Boy was I wrong. Those 6 year olds controlled me. I barely did my lesson at all, I just stood there laughing, as they all screamed “teacher teacher teacher!!!” I couldn’t keep up. After class, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to help Bua at all, but she and the other Thai teacher said I did great (I think they were just being nice). Next was P2 (2nd grade-ish), and there are only 5 students (remember my classes at Wat Pathumwanaram are 30 to 40 students per class and grades 7 to 9-ish). This lesson went much more smoothly … as did the other two classes (both classes of 15, grades 4 and 5-ish), so I do feel as though I was able to help a little. All in all, it was a really fun and different day.
Today (Saturday), I intended to get out of the apartment and see Jim Thompson’s house, as well as go to the Jim Thompson store for their big sale, but I got stuck on the computer downloading pictures. Tomorrow I will at least get to the sale! Next week I am teaching my students Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and getting ready to leave.
I will be staying with my parents in Eureka when I get back, probably substitute teaching until I have enough money to move and or when I figure out what exactly I should do next.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Mike's Trip To Thailand!
To make this easier for me, I made a list of some of the things Mike and I did during his trip here with some fun/interesting details that I think shouldn’t be left out. Otherwise, I will have carpal tunnel syndrome before I finish. Oh yeah … And I have added pictures to my “living in Bangkok” album as well as pictures Mike and I took while he was here.
Loy Krathong: Krathongs are like little boats made of banana leaves folded into many shapes with candles, incense and flowers. On Loy Krathong, they put their Krathongs in the river and they are supposed to carry their sins away. One of my students brought me everything I needed to make a Krathong, and my other students contributed flowers and whatnot, so I was able to make a Krathong for Mike and I to put in the river, as he arrived on the day of Loy Krathong.
Ban Phe: Had to show him the stomping ground … or at least the “restaurant across the street”, which has moved, but is still as yummy as ever. We rented a motorbike for the day, which worked out quite well, aside from me burning my leg on the muffler (I’m calling it my Thai tattoo). We went to the National Park, TEFL, the Chinese Temple and ate lots of my favorite food.
Kayaking in Krabi: Lots of monkeys … A lot less vigorous than last time (no rain, and we went with the current instead of against it).
Cooking Course in Krabi: mmmmmm ☺
Rock Climbing in Railay: I had never rock climbed before, and my instructor wasn’t doing much instructing, so aside from falling within the first 5 minutes, I really enjoyed it. Mike was like Spiderman, he might have been better than our instructor. I only did a half day, spent the other half at the beach, while Mike climbed all day (my feet would have killed me … point shoes didn’t hurt as much as the rock climbing shoes!)
Muay Thai in Koh Phi Phi: There were no 13 year old knock outs this time ☺
Scuba Diving: HA! I wish I scuba dived. I was going to, but freaked out (claustrophobia and scuba don’t work well together)! I ended up doing some snorkeling, while Mike scuba-d. He saw all sorts of cool fish, and he even saw a turtle!!!
Trekked around Koh Phi Phi: We walked up what seemed like a bazillion stairs to a really cool view point, where I held some one’s baby while they made us fruit shakes. We continued on our trek, and met a crazy old man with a guest house on a cliff with a view … but a lot of mosquitoes.
Cliff Jumping & Snorkeling: For my Birthday, we went cliff jumping (into the sea of course). The highest jump I did was 40ft, but Mike did a 60ft jump! It didn’t look that high, but then I just kept waiting to hear him hit the water … That’s when I decided it was too high for me! Afterwards, we did some snorkeling, and I got to see some awesome coral reefs and fish … It was like being in one of the videos Cahill made me watch in Marine Biology ☺
Massages on the Beach: Mike had never gotten a massage before he got to Thailand. Can you believe that? Anyway, on my Birthday, we had foot massages in cabanas on the beach just after sunset. It was phenomenal.
Krabi Market: Lot’s of tasty food to try.
Night Market/Bazaar in Chiang Mai: I’m broke, but it’s still fun to look ☺
Kings Bday; It was his 80th Birthday, and a celebration the country has been counting down to for the entire year. They love their King. It’s amazing to see a Nation love their leader so much. He is the longest serving current head of state and the longest serving monarch in Thai history. He has done many wonderful things for his people. Long Live the King!
Cooking Course in Chiang Mai: I can’t get enough cooking courses. This one was a bit different, because it is on an organic farm, so we got to pick some of our own ingredients. I plan on starting a garden when I get home. I can’t afford all the ingredients I need, so I’m just gonna grow them!
Lanterns in Chiang Mai: On the King’s Bday, a bunch of people were lighting lanterns (which are like mini hot air balloons), so the sky was filled with floating light. It was beautiful. Mike and I tried to do one; we let go too soon and the lantern almost fell on someone’s head … which could have meant lighting their head on fire! We tried again, and our lantern survived ☺ After that we walked to the celebration “center” and watched the Prime Minister give a public address. I love how much the Thai people love their culture, their country, their King, everything … and I love watching them in the thick of it, like that night, cheering and smiling and taking pictures. This is definitely in my Top 5 memories of being here.
Elephant Trekking, Hiking to Waterfalls, White Water Rafting and Bamboo Rafting in Chiang Mai: It was a busy day! It was a long, dusty songteau ride to the elephant camp. We rode elephants, hiked to a waterfall, did a short white water rafting trip and then jumped onto bamboo rafts. I was expecting the bamboo rafts to be a bit more exciting, but I guess I can’t get thrown into sewer water too many times while I’m here.
Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai: Great view, great people watching.
Democracy Monument in Bangkok: It was in full swing for the King’s Birthday. Lights, water shows, and a ton of people. Mike and I spent quite a bit of our two evenings in Bangkok just people watching, talking and taking pictures.
Chatuchak Market in Bangkok: Mike needed souvenirs … I brought him to the Market … I have never been so exhausted in my life (OK that’s an exaggeration … but I was really tired). We spent 4 grueling hours bargaining, looking and walking.
Grand Palace in Bangkok: I hadn’t been to the Grand Palace yet, because the last time I tried was when I first got to Thailand and I got taken advantage of by the “bird feeders” … Who I saw on the way there! It was a Palace ☺ And the infamous Emerald Buddha was green, but much smaller than I was expecting. Nothing too exciting, but I’m glad I can say I saw it.
Wat Pho in Bangkok: I just love this place. I don’t really know why. Maybe because I get to put coins into alms bowls and it makes a cool noise ☺
To sum it up … It was an action packed wonderful 2 weeks, and I was very sad to see him go.
Loy Krathong: Krathongs are like little boats made of banana leaves folded into many shapes with candles, incense and flowers. On Loy Krathong, they put their Krathongs in the river and they are supposed to carry their sins away. One of my students brought me everything I needed to make a Krathong, and my other students contributed flowers and whatnot, so I was able to make a Krathong for Mike and I to put in the river, as he arrived on the day of Loy Krathong.
Ban Phe: Had to show him the stomping ground … or at least the “restaurant across the street”, which has moved, but is still as yummy as ever. We rented a motorbike for the day, which worked out quite well, aside from me burning my leg on the muffler (I’m calling it my Thai tattoo). We went to the National Park, TEFL, the Chinese Temple and ate lots of my favorite food.
Kayaking in Krabi: Lots of monkeys … A lot less vigorous than last time (no rain, and we went with the current instead of against it).
Cooking Course in Krabi: mmmmmm ☺
Rock Climbing in Railay: I had never rock climbed before, and my instructor wasn’t doing much instructing, so aside from falling within the first 5 minutes, I really enjoyed it. Mike was like Spiderman, he might have been better than our instructor. I only did a half day, spent the other half at the beach, while Mike climbed all day (my feet would have killed me … point shoes didn’t hurt as much as the rock climbing shoes!)
Muay Thai in Koh Phi Phi: There were no 13 year old knock outs this time ☺
Scuba Diving: HA! I wish I scuba dived. I was going to, but freaked out (claustrophobia and scuba don’t work well together)! I ended up doing some snorkeling, while Mike scuba-d. He saw all sorts of cool fish, and he even saw a turtle!!!
Trekked around Koh Phi Phi: We walked up what seemed like a bazillion stairs to a really cool view point, where I held some one’s baby while they made us fruit shakes. We continued on our trek, and met a crazy old man with a guest house on a cliff with a view … but a lot of mosquitoes.
Cliff Jumping & Snorkeling: For my Birthday, we went cliff jumping (into the sea of course). The highest jump I did was 40ft, but Mike did a 60ft jump! It didn’t look that high, but then I just kept waiting to hear him hit the water … That’s when I decided it was too high for me! Afterwards, we did some snorkeling, and I got to see some awesome coral reefs and fish … It was like being in one of the videos Cahill made me watch in Marine Biology ☺
Massages on the Beach: Mike had never gotten a massage before he got to Thailand. Can you believe that? Anyway, on my Birthday, we had foot massages in cabanas on the beach just after sunset. It was phenomenal.
Krabi Market: Lot’s of tasty food to try.
Night Market/Bazaar in Chiang Mai: I’m broke, but it’s still fun to look ☺
Kings Bday; It was his 80th Birthday, and a celebration the country has been counting down to for the entire year. They love their King. It’s amazing to see a Nation love their leader so much. He is the longest serving current head of state and the longest serving monarch in Thai history. He has done many wonderful things for his people. Long Live the King!
Cooking Course in Chiang Mai: I can’t get enough cooking courses. This one was a bit different, because it is on an organic farm, so we got to pick some of our own ingredients. I plan on starting a garden when I get home. I can’t afford all the ingredients I need, so I’m just gonna grow them!
Lanterns in Chiang Mai: On the King’s Bday, a bunch of people were lighting lanterns (which are like mini hot air balloons), so the sky was filled with floating light. It was beautiful. Mike and I tried to do one; we let go too soon and the lantern almost fell on someone’s head … which could have meant lighting their head on fire! We tried again, and our lantern survived ☺ After that we walked to the celebration “center” and watched the Prime Minister give a public address. I love how much the Thai people love their culture, their country, their King, everything … and I love watching them in the thick of it, like that night, cheering and smiling and taking pictures. This is definitely in my Top 5 memories of being here.
Elephant Trekking, Hiking to Waterfalls, White Water Rafting and Bamboo Rafting in Chiang Mai: It was a busy day! It was a long, dusty songteau ride to the elephant camp. We rode elephants, hiked to a waterfall, did a short white water rafting trip and then jumped onto bamboo rafts. I was expecting the bamboo rafts to be a bit more exciting, but I guess I can’t get thrown into sewer water too many times while I’m here.
Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai: Great view, great people watching.
Democracy Monument in Bangkok: It was in full swing for the King’s Birthday. Lights, water shows, and a ton of people. Mike and I spent quite a bit of our two evenings in Bangkok just people watching, talking and taking pictures.
Chatuchak Market in Bangkok: Mike needed souvenirs … I brought him to the Market … I have never been so exhausted in my life (OK that’s an exaggeration … but I was really tired). We spent 4 grueling hours bargaining, looking and walking.
Grand Palace in Bangkok: I hadn’t been to the Grand Palace yet, because the last time I tried was when I first got to Thailand and I got taken advantage of by the “bird feeders” … Who I saw on the way there! It was a Palace ☺ And the infamous Emerald Buddha was green, but much smaller than I was expecting. Nothing too exciting, but I’m glad I can say I saw it.
Wat Pho in Bangkok: I just love this place. I don’t really know why. Maybe because I get to put coins into alms bowls and it makes a cool noise ☺
To sum it up … It was an action packed wonderful 2 weeks, and I was very sad to see him go.
Friday, December 14, 2007
November's Adventures in Teaching
The beginning of November, I left Ban Phe for Bangkok. The position that I mentioned in August working for the Princess came back up. After telling them I did not want to commit to a long term position, I thought that gig was out the window. However I received an email the last week of October, saying they really needed someone, even if only for a short while. So I met up with Su, the woman I had been communicating with about the position (who is wonderful). After a quick discussion about commitments, Su got her driver and he took us to the school ... which is not teaching monks, and it is the nicest school I have ever seen, in Thailand or the US. It is in the middle of Siam, which is an area flooded with high class, fancy, Vegas-ish malls (without the clubs), but the students are all from very low income families. Basically to cut to the chase … I took the job, after making sure they understood that my family comes first, and should I need to come home, I would leave, and I needed two weeks off for when Mike was here … Not a problem. They were awesome and understanding about everything. Here is a link to an article about the school telling about its history http://bangkokpost.net/education/site2007/cvnv0607.htm. One of the women they talk about, Adisai, is the head of the English department … A lovely lovely woman.
So I moved into the Princess’ Palace the next day (yup … the Palace). So what if I don’t actually live on the same side of the compound as Princess Sirindhorn? I live with the people who work on the grounds (and their kids … some of which are my students). The place is awesome. I have a separate living room, a kitchenette, a bedroom, a bathroom, a TV, a DVD player, a stereo, a couch, a dining room table, a balcony, a bed, extra blankets, a fridge, pots, pans, silverware, washing machine, dinner delivered to me nightly, a fruit basket delivered every other day ... need I go on? It does have its down sides … I have to wear a collared shirt and long pants or a skirt any time I leave my room, and in the beginning, the kids would come in and take over my apartment without much regard to the fact that I live here. I finally hung up posters for them so they would know how to ask for things and whatnot (that is some of my only décor, aside from the pictures they draw, of course). I also cannot have visitors past 8pm (although I don’t know who I would invite over anyway) … Which brings me to my biggest con … It’s lonely. I am the only westerner at the Palace and at the school and no one speaks English well enough to have a fluid conversation without any explanation, which is exhausting. In turn, I haven’t really met anyone but the kids, and my co-teachersin Bangkok. Some times I’m fine with it, and some times I’m bored and lonely.
The day after moving into my place, I started teaching. I am teaching 6 classes over the course of 10 hours every week. They are all M1 to M3 (which is the equivalent to about 7th grade to 9th grade). They are a blast. I am by far most happy when I’m at the school with them. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I second-guessed my desire for teaching after college. Unfortunately, I love it, and I know I’ll be overworked and underpaid, but I really don’t care.
My second week of teaching, I got to see Princess Sirindhorn. It was an amazing experience. I walked out with Rin (one of my co-teachers), wearing one of her XS purple suit jackets (I couldn’t move my upper body), to the temple in front of the school to see a red carpet that we could not walk on and floods of people. We had front row spots, because we are teachers at the school. Guards came around perfectly lined us up, and I was “taught” how to curtsy when she walked by. When she pulled up (she rode in an S500, in case any SBAG-ers are reading this ☺) the crowd roared with cheer. I have never seen anything like it. When she walked by, she made eye contact with me, which Rin thought was the really cool … And so did I, but I also I thought I stood out like a sore thumb. I stood about 3 inches taller than everyone around me and was wearing a bright yellow shirt with a really small, bright purple jacket. It was an amazing experience despite being hot, immobile, and looking out of place.
I was able to spend one weekend in Ban Phe with Jenny, and one night out with some of the TEFL-ers from one of the courses I observed in October … So it hasn’t been all work and no play.
Stay tuned … I haven’t even gotten to Mike’s 2 week visit yet!
So I moved into the Princess’ Palace the next day (yup … the Palace). So what if I don’t actually live on the same side of the compound as Princess Sirindhorn? I live with the people who work on the grounds (and their kids … some of which are my students). The place is awesome. I have a separate living room, a kitchenette, a bedroom, a bathroom, a TV, a DVD player, a stereo, a couch, a dining room table, a balcony, a bed, extra blankets, a fridge, pots, pans, silverware, washing machine, dinner delivered to me nightly, a fruit basket delivered every other day ... need I go on? It does have its down sides … I have to wear a collared shirt and long pants or a skirt any time I leave my room, and in the beginning, the kids would come in and take over my apartment without much regard to the fact that I live here. I finally hung up posters for them so they would know how to ask for things and whatnot (that is some of my only décor, aside from the pictures they draw, of course). I also cannot have visitors past 8pm (although I don’t know who I would invite over anyway) … Which brings me to my biggest con … It’s lonely. I am the only westerner at the Palace and at the school and no one speaks English well enough to have a fluid conversation without any explanation, which is exhausting. In turn, I haven’t really met anyone but the kids, and my co-teachersin Bangkok. Some times I’m fine with it, and some times I’m bored and lonely.
The day after moving into my place, I started teaching. I am teaching 6 classes over the course of 10 hours every week. They are all M1 to M3 (which is the equivalent to about 7th grade to 9th grade). They are a blast. I am by far most happy when I’m at the school with them. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I second-guessed my desire for teaching after college. Unfortunately, I love it, and I know I’ll be overworked and underpaid, but I really don’t care.
My second week of teaching, I got to see Princess Sirindhorn. It was an amazing experience. I walked out with Rin (one of my co-teachers), wearing one of her XS purple suit jackets (I couldn’t move my upper body), to the temple in front of the school to see a red carpet that we could not walk on and floods of people. We had front row spots, because we are teachers at the school. Guards came around perfectly lined us up, and I was “taught” how to curtsy when she walked by. When she pulled up (she rode in an S500, in case any SBAG-ers are reading this ☺) the crowd roared with cheer. I have never seen anything like it. When she walked by, she made eye contact with me, which Rin thought was the really cool … And so did I, but I also I thought I stood out like a sore thumb. I stood about 3 inches taller than everyone around me and was wearing a bright yellow shirt with a really small, bright purple jacket. It was an amazing experience despite being hot, immobile, and looking out of place.
I was able to spend one weekend in Ban Phe with Jenny, and one night out with some of the TEFL-ers from one of the courses I observed in October … So it hasn’t been all work and no play.
Stay tuned … I haven’t even gotten to Mike’s 2 week visit yet!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
October
I will try not to bore everyone with every detail of the month … considering it was over a month ago (sorry!) But if I know myself at all … it will still be a novel.
After a month of travels with Bean, it was time for me to settle down and make some money ☺ I went back to Ban Phe to work for and live at TEFL International. It started out as a small job, observing trainees and giving them feedback, however after a week, I a few more opportunities for work popped up, and I raised my hand. I started teaching English to two French men who came to Thailand to do an immersion program (yeah … they came to Thailand to be immersed in English … What a world!) I got to do some one on one teaching with one of them in the mornings, and then we would go out with another English teacher (Janet) and do an activity together in the afternoon (visiting temples, cooking classes, watch movies, etc.)
A few highlights from the month were:
Working with monks at a temple in Ban Phe. All of the teaching practices took place at a temple, teaching monks. It was so great to watch these little monks, who you expect to be enlightened perfect beings, turn into real teenage boys by the end of a long day at school. The monks were really fun to work with. They are anxious to learn English, so they were constantly wanting to sit with us and pick our brains, and in turn, we got to pick theirs a little. One monk I became particularly close to is named Sum. He is 17 and from India. I’m still not sure why he is in Thailand or how exactly he got there, but he misses his family like crazy. He knows very little Thai, in fact, he probably knows more English than Thai, which secludes him from the other monks a bit. One day he broke into tears talking about his family and being lonely. Since he is a monk, I cannot touch him in any way … I can’t even get too close to him … but all I wanted to do was hug him. Our last day there, he made us cards and made sure he had our email addresses. I can’t wait to hear where life takes him. With a heart like his, he’s sure to do big things.
Eating crocodile with some of the TEFL Staffers. Not sure if I like it. Tasted like chicken, but had the texture of fat. Meh.
Janet’s house warming party (Janet is another English teacher from the Philippines with the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen), featuring a whole roasted pig, the Macarena and endless karaoke.
The next weekend I went to Khao Cha Mao with my “Frenchies”, Janet, Ree (lovely, lovely Ree … He drives us where we need to go for these adventures … He’s truly wonderful), Joy (ahhh crazy Joy, anther Thai TEFL Staffer … She’s crazy, but that’s why we love her), Helen (she took the TEFL course and did observations with me. She and I have been through a lot together over the last few months … Not sure what I would’ve done without her) … So with all those intro’s, I got lost, which means you’re probably lost too, I’ll start over. The next weekend I went to Khao Cha Mao with my “Frenchies”, Janet, Ree, Joy and Helen. Khao Cha Mao is a beautiful National Park with many waterfalls. We just hiked and splashed around all day; it was great.
Later that night we went to Jenny’s Birthday party at Tia’s (Jenny is a brilliant Aussie English teacher … She’s been a great source of support for me while I’ve been here. Tia is the masseuse I have come to love for more than her massages … She is one of the funniest, loveliest people I have met here. Her place is across from the school, next to Spicy’s and Mama’s). We danced and karaoked the night away. I think everyone who is anyone in Ban Phe was there … including the mayor … that’s right, the mayor ☺
Later in the month, Ron (Mike’s dad) came to Bangkok. We met up with Dan (get ready for this one … Mike’s aunt’s co-worker’s son who lives in Tokyo, but was in Bangkok for the weekend) and went to the Chatuchak Market (the biggest weekend market in Thailand selling just about anything you can imagine … the trick is finding it), Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Jim Thompson Store (my favorite store in all of Thailand … a silk shop with lots of pretty pretty silky things). It was so great to have a familiar face around. I soaked it all up. I felt so lucky to have him here.
And the last highlight for October: Halloween. TEFL Intl is also an English school, so on Halloween, I painted students’ faces and we went to the neighborhood where my bosses live and trick or treated. I haven’t gone trick or treating in years, and I certainly wasn’t expecting to trick or treat this year, but I came home with a ton of candy. It was a blast.
All in all, October was a great month. However, it wasn’t without it’s down days. In mid October we found out that Grandpa Ayers’ Merkel Cell Cancer has returned, and it does not look so good this time around. He has chosen not to take any treatment, and I can’t say I blame him. I still think he is Superman for his strength … both physically and emotionally.
So … It was a month of fun and learning … Now let’s see if I can get November up here … I do not know how I was so good at this blog thing, then suddenly became so terrible at it.
After a month of travels with Bean, it was time for me to settle down and make some money ☺ I went back to Ban Phe to work for and live at TEFL International. It started out as a small job, observing trainees and giving them feedback, however after a week, I a few more opportunities for work popped up, and I raised my hand. I started teaching English to two French men who came to Thailand to do an immersion program (yeah … they came to Thailand to be immersed in English … What a world!) I got to do some one on one teaching with one of them in the mornings, and then we would go out with another English teacher (Janet) and do an activity together in the afternoon (visiting temples, cooking classes, watch movies, etc.)
A few highlights from the month were:
Working with monks at a temple in Ban Phe. All of the teaching practices took place at a temple, teaching monks. It was so great to watch these little monks, who you expect to be enlightened perfect beings, turn into real teenage boys by the end of a long day at school. The monks were really fun to work with. They are anxious to learn English, so they were constantly wanting to sit with us and pick our brains, and in turn, we got to pick theirs a little. One monk I became particularly close to is named Sum. He is 17 and from India. I’m still not sure why he is in Thailand or how exactly he got there, but he misses his family like crazy. He knows very little Thai, in fact, he probably knows more English than Thai, which secludes him from the other monks a bit. One day he broke into tears talking about his family and being lonely. Since he is a monk, I cannot touch him in any way … I can’t even get too close to him … but all I wanted to do was hug him. Our last day there, he made us cards and made sure he had our email addresses. I can’t wait to hear where life takes him. With a heart like his, he’s sure to do big things.
Eating crocodile with some of the TEFL Staffers. Not sure if I like it. Tasted like chicken, but had the texture of fat. Meh.
Janet’s house warming party (Janet is another English teacher from the Philippines with the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen), featuring a whole roasted pig, the Macarena and endless karaoke.
The next weekend I went to Khao Cha Mao with my “Frenchies”, Janet, Ree (lovely, lovely Ree … He drives us where we need to go for these adventures … He’s truly wonderful), Joy (ahhh crazy Joy, anther Thai TEFL Staffer … She’s crazy, but that’s why we love her), Helen (she took the TEFL course and did observations with me. She and I have been through a lot together over the last few months … Not sure what I would’ve done without her) … So with all those intro’s, I got lost, which means you’re probably lost too, I’ll start over. The next weekend I went to Khao Cha Mao with my “Frenchies”, Janet, Ree, Joy and Helen. Khao Cha Mao is a beautiful National Park with many waterfalls. We just hiked and splashed around all day; it was great.
Later that night we went to Jenny’s Birthday party at Tia’s (Jenny is a brilliant Aussie English teacher … She’s been a great source of support for me while I’ve been here. Tia is the masseuse I have come to love for more than her massages … She is one of the funniest, loveliest people I have met here. Her place is across from the school, next to Spicy’s and Mama’s). We danced and karaoked the night away. I think everyone who is anyone in Ban Phe was there … including the mayor … that’s right, the mayor ☺
Later in the month, Ron (Mike’s dad) came to Bangkok. We met up with Dan (get ready for this one … Mike’s aunt’s co-worker’s son who lives in Tokyo, but was in Bangkok for the weekend) and went to the Chatuchak Market (the biggest weekend market in Thailand selling just about anything you can imagine … the trick is finding it), Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Jim Thompson Store (my favorite store in all of Thailand … a silk shop with lots of pretty pretty silky things). It was so great to have a familiar face around. I soaked it all up. I felt so lucky to have him here.
And the last highlight for October: Halloween. TEFL Intl is also an English school, so on Halloween, I painted students’ faces and we went to the neighborhood where my bosses live and trick or treated. I haven’t gone trick or treating in years, and I certainly wasn’t expecting to trick or treat this year, but I came home with a ton of candy. It was a blast.
All in all, October was a great month. However, it wasn’t without it’s down days. In mid October we found out that Grandpa Ayers’ Merkel Cell Cancer has returned, and it does not look so good this time around. He has chosen not to take any treatment, and I can’t say I blame him. I still think he is Superman for his strength … both physically and emotionally.
So … It was a month of fun and learning … Now let’s see if I can get November up here … I do not know how I was so good at this blog thing, then suddenly became so terrible at it.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
I'm Alive!
I've added some pictures, but obviously I haven't written in the last month and a half. While I don't have a good excuse for October (aside from being lazy), I haven't updated this month because my internet it incredibly slow, and it takes ages to type anything out. Which is why I'm not going to update much right now :)
A very quick update is that I am now living in Bangkok and teaching 10 hours a week at a school in the middle of Siam (which means it's in the middle of everything!) Things are going well, and Mike will be here in a week, which excites me to no end! I'll update soon, it's long overdue.
A very quick update is that I am now living in Bangkok and teaching 10 hours a week at a school in the middle of Siam (which means it's in the middle of everything!) Things are going well, and Mike will be here in a week, which excites me to no end! I'll update soon, it's long overdue.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Cambodia
I have most of my pictures up on Flickr now, however I was using Bean's camera a lot in Cambodia, especially in Siem Reap, so I'll have to add those later.
Bean and I took a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap ... It was a long day. We boarded the bus at 7AM, arriving at the border around 2 (I think), at which point we had to get our Visas settled and whatnot. This would have been an easy process had the rain not come out of nowhere, delaying our bus and preventing the immigration officers from wanting to leave shelter to go across the street to get the actual Visa.
Once we got on our bus in Cambodia, we drove through torrential rain on a terrible road. There are rumors that a Thai Airway is paying off the government so that they won't fix the road to encourage flying (I can now see why this might work). The road was like driving in a really bad, pot hole infested alley way for 5 hours. We didn't get much rest on this leg of the trip :)
When we got to Siem Reap, we found a guest house very quickly and went to bed. The next day (Thursday) we went to Angkor with a French girl we met on the bus, Charlotte. We started at Bayon, which is a temple with many faces "built in" to the temple. (Bean has all of these pictures, so I'll have to add them later.) All of a sudden, it started pouring rain again. So we found shelter and bright colored ponchos (since we all forgot our rain coats) and moved on to the next temple, which was Preah Khan. Preah Khan is less visited by tourists, and since it was raining, we basically had it all to ourselves. This temple was less well kept (aka it was kind of falling apart, and trees were growing through it). I really enjoyed this place, I think in due part because we felt alone there. We then went to Ta Keo, which is the tallest of the temples in Angkor. Charlotte and I decided to just walk around the temple since it was still pouring and the stairs were very steep, while Bean ran up and took pictures :) Next, we went to Ta Prohm, which is known for having been left for the "jungle to swallow" (in other words, it should have been in worse shape than Prah Khan). While it wasn't in good shape, and there were massive trees growing through it, it was being worked on, which was slightly disappointing. We ended our day at Angkor Wat. I can pretty much sum it up with one work: HUGE! It was truly amazing to see. All of the temples were incredible in one way or another, and if Angkor Wat wasn't flooded with tourists it would have been my favorite hands down, but I really couldn't decide at the end of the day which one I liked the most. I loved being able to go just about anywhere in the temples, there are few places that are off limits. I felt very free to explore :)
We went to dinner in Siem Reap that night. Bean brought a bunch of balloons to hand out to the kids when they tried to sell us stuff. I could not believe how much fun these kids could have with a balloon! These kids who we see nightly here working, always selling something, suddenly turned into a child who was their own true age. They were having fun, instead of tediously begging people to buy something. It was such a good feeling to know that something as simple as a balloon could still make someone's day. The next night, they all remembered us, and we were thrilled to be able to give them more balloons.
The next day, Bean and I just walked around Siem Reap. We got some Mexican food (a burrito for Natalie ... which didn't come close to comparing to Speedy Taco, but they gave it their best), massages and did a little shopping. It was a good relaxing day.
Come Saturday, we took a boat from Siem Reap to Battambang. We sat on the roof of the boat, in the direct sun (my nose was BRIGHT red), and dodged branches (the
"path" was so narrow in places that we had to jump out of the way when tree branches and bushes came at us). We rode through a number of floating villages. It was incredible to see that people still live in places like this. They are huts on the water, many of which get flooded whenever a boat goes by ... But they don't seem phased. We felt like we were in a parade for a good hour or so, because as we rode by, we would hear all these kids helling and screaming "HELLO!!!!" and we'd look over to find dozens of naked children waving like their lives depended on it.
Upon arriving in Battambang, we got a bit to eat
and went to bed early. On Sunday, we took a half day cooking class where we made 3 Kmerr dishes and visited the local market. After that we took a nap (food comas are the best), and then took a tuk tuk around for an hour to see the city. We ate dinner at the hotel, then set out to find a happening place to hang out for the night (which didn't happen).
Monday we took a bus to Pnom Penh. Besides the poor mother and son combo who were sick the whole bus ride, it wasn't too bad. We got in to Pnom Penh, ate and walked around. We saw Wat Phnom, which is on top of the only hill in Phnom Penh, listened to some music in the park, then watched movies on the lake at the guest house in hammocks the rest of the night. On our way to the guest house we were in our first fender bender of the trip (which is nothing less than a miracle considering the way they drive) ... A Land Rover-ish car scraped the side of our tuk tuk ... It was great, the driver looked back, said "Sorry 'bout that" and moved on ... No harm, no foul I guess.
Tuesday was a depressing day to say the least. We started out at Choeung Ek (also know as the Killing Fields), where we looked at mass graves,
human skulls and "killing trees". Words can't describe how terrible it felt to be there. Not to say I didn't want to be there, but it's not exactly a place I'd like to go daily. Afterwards, we went to the Tuol Sleung Genocide Museum (the S21 Prison). This is where they were tortured before being taken to the Killing Fields. There are exhibits with pictures of prisoners that took my breath away. Some women had babies in their arms, some looked terrified, others looks as though they were doing everything in their power just to stay strong. While this made for a depressing day, if I'm going to be in Cambodia, I better see why they are where they are.
Yesterday we travelled back to Bangkok. All in all, Cambodia was more of an eye-opener to me than anything else. I am so lucky to have the things I have, in terms of material things and opportunity. It was a beautiful country that needed to be seen, and hopefully I'll get to go back again, but I am glad to be back in Thailand. We'll be staying in Bangkok until Saturday or Sunday, then Bean flies to Australia, and I go back to Ban Phe to start work. I'll be observing new teachers and giving feedback for the month of October with TEFL Intl ... Back in my little room with Leo Lizard :)
Bean and I took a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap ... It was a long day. We boarded the bus at 7AM, arriving at the border around 2 (I think), at which point we had to get our Visas settled and whatnot. This would have been an easy process had the rain not come out of nowhere, delaying our bus and preventing the immigration officers from wanting to leave shelter to go across the street to get the actual Visa.
Once we got on our bus in Cambodia, we drove through torrential rain on a terrible road. There are rumors that a Thai Airway is paying off the government so that they won't fix the road to encourage flying (I can now see why this might work). The road was like driving in a really bad, pot hole infested alley way for 5 hours. We didn't get much rest on this leg of the trip :)
When we got to Siem Reap, we found a guest house very quickly and went to bed. The next day (Thursday) we went to Angkor with a French girl we met on the bus, Charlotte. We started at Bayon, which is a temple with many faces "built in" to the temple. (Bean has all of these pictures, so I'll have to add them later.) All of a sudden, it started pouring rain again. So we found shelter and bright colored ponchos (since we all forgot our rain coats) and moved on to the next temple, which was Preah Khan. Preah Khan is less visited by tourists, and since it was raining, we basically had it all to ourselves. This temple was less well kept (aka it was kind of falling apart, and trees were growing through it). I really enjoyed this place, I think in due part because we felt alone there. We then went to Ta Keo, which is the tallest of the temples in Angkor. Charlotte and I decided to just walk around the temple since it was still pouring and the stairs were very steep, while Bean ran up and took pictures :) Next, we went to Ta Prohm, which is known for having been left for the "jungle to swallow" (in other words, it should have been in worse shape than Prah Khan). While it wasn't in good shape, and there were massive trees growing through it, it was being worked on, which was slightly disappointing. We ended our day at Angkor Wat. I can pretty much sum it up with one work: HUGE! It was truly amazing to see. All of the temples were incredible in one way or another, and if Angkor Wat wasn't flooded with tourists it would have been my favorite hands down, but I really couldn't decide at the end of the day which one I liked the most. I loved being able to go just about anywhere in the temples, there are few places that are off limits. I felt very free to explore :)
We went to dinner in Siem Reap that night. Bean brought a bunch of balloons to hand out to the kids when they tried to sell us stuff. I could not believe how much fun these kids could have with a balloon! These kids who we see nightly here working, always selling something, suddenly turned into a child who was their own true age. They were having fun, instead of tediously begging people to buy something. It was such a good feeling to know that something as simple as a balloon could still make someone's day. The next night, they all remembered us, and we were thrilled to be able to give them more balloons.
The next day, Bean and I just walked around Siem Reap. We got some Mexican food (a burrito for Natalie ... which didn't come close to comparing to Speedy Taco, but they gave it their best), massages and did a little shopping. It was a good relaxing day.
Come Saturday, we took a boat from Siem Reap to Battambang. We sat on the roof of the boat, in the direct sun (my nose was BRIGHT red), and dodged branches (the
"path" was so narrow in places that we had to jump out of the way when tree branches and bushes came at us). We rode through a number of floating villages. It was incredible to see that people still live in places like this. They are huts on the water, many of which get flooded whenever a boat goes by ... But they don't seem phased. We felt like we were in a parade for a good hour or so, because as we rode by, we would hear all these kids helling and screaming "HELLO!!!!" and we'd look over to find dozens of naked children waving like their lives depended on it.Upon arriving in Battambang, we got a bit to eat
and went to bed early. On Sunday, we took a half day cooking class where we made 3 Kmerr dishes and visited the local market. After that we took a nap (food comas are the best), and then took a tuk tuk around for an hour to see the city. We ate dinner at the hotel, then set out to find a happening place to hang out for the night (which didn't happen).Monday we took a bus to Pnom Penh. Besides the poor mother and son combo who were sick the whole bus ride, it wasn't too bad. We got in to Pnom Penh, ate and walked around. We saw Wat Phnom, which is on top of the only hill in Phnom Penh, listened to some music in the park, then watched movies on the lake at the guest house in hammocks the rest of the night. On our way to the guest house we were in our first fender bender of the trip (which is nothing less than a miracle considering the way they drive) ... A Land Rover-ish car scraped the side of our tuk tuk ... It was great, the driver looked back, said "Sorry 'bout that" and moved on ... No harm, no foul I guess.
Tuesday was a depressing day to say the least. We started out at Choeung Ek (also know as the Killing Fields), where we looked at mass graves,
human skulls and "killing trees". Words can't describe how terrible it felt to be there. Not to say I didn't want to be there, but it's not exactly a place I'd like to go daily. Afterwards, we went to the Tuol Sleung Genocide Museum (the S21 Prison). This is where they were tortured before being taken to the Killing Fields. There are exhibits with pictures of prisoners that took my breath away. Some women had babies in their arms, some looked terrified, others looks as though they were doing everything in their power just to stay strong. While this made for a depressing day, if I'm going to be in Cambodia, I better see why they are where they are.Yesterday we travelled back to Bangkok. All in all, Cambodia was more of an eye-opener to me than anything else. I am so lucky to have the things I have, in terms of material things and opportunity. It was a beautiful country that needed to be seen, and hopefully I'll get to go back again, but I am glad to be back in Thailand. We'll be staying in Bangkok until Saturday or Sunday, then Bean flies to Australia, and I go back to Ban Phe to start work. I'll be observing new teachers and giving feedback for the month of October with TEFL Intl ... Back in my little room with Leo Lizard :)
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Koh Phangan, Krabi and Railay
It's been yet another fun filled week and now I am back in Bangkok en route to Cambodia (we don't really have a plan yet, but that will come with time). I posted a link to Kyle and Shannon's pictures from the trip, although it's with a different website than mine (it's called Snapfish). Don't be afraid to sign up for it, you might get a couple of emails from them, but it's a harmless website if you want to check the pictures out. The computer I'm using won't let me download my pictures, so I'll try to get to that another day.
Bean and I took another overnight bus to Surat Thani where we were to catch a ferry to Koh Phangan. We arrived around 4:30AM, completely exhausted, where we sat at a restaurant for 2 hours waiting for the songteau to pick us up and take us to the port. When we finally arrived at the port, I realized that in my zombie state, I forgot my purse with my credit card as well as Bean and I's passports. Ooops. I begged the driver to take me back straight away and he gladly helped me out. Luckily, it was sitting exactly where I left it, untouched. I was a lucky girl to say the least!
We finally boarded the ferry and started our 3 hour ride to Koh Phangan. It was beautiful, but I
was so tired, I didn't really stay awake long enough to enjoy much of it. Kyle and Shannon were scheduled to come in a couple of hours after we arrived, so we sat at a small restaurant and waited ... Trying to gather our composure after virtually no sleep for 2 nights (we took the overnight bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok the night before ... the day I wrote the last blog). When they got there, we quickly found a guest house and hit the beach ... Where I passed out (not a huge surprise!) The water was great, although there were a few little jelly fish that creeped me out, so I stayed on the beach for the most part (I'm a wuss, I know).
After the beach, we went to dinner and enjoyed some of the night life that Koh Phangan is known so well for ... Buckets on the beach :) They sell buckets with bottles of alcohol and mixers, you just pour it all together and enjoy a drink out of a bucket. It was a fun night with a lot of laughs. Bean entered an arm wrestling contest, claiming he was Canadian, until he kicked butt, then he was no longer afraid to be American. 
Most people didn't get it, the next day, we could hear people walking by saying "that was the Canadian". It was great fun. Shannon and I left around one in the morning, because I was ready to fall asleep standing up, but the boys didn't find their way back until almost 4AM. They apparently went the wrong direction when trying to get back and ended up in the jungle (I think it was on purpose ... they needed more jungle trekking!)
Tuesday, I woke up with a terrible earache. I knew I was getting an ear infection and picked up ear drops the day before, but this pain was nearly intolerable. I went to the pharmacy and
picked up some ibuprofin and amoxicillin and prayed it would heal quickly. Luckily the ibuprofin helped out with the pain, but it was a damper nonetheless. Kyle and Bean rented motorbikes, while Shannon and I went to the beach and rented rafts to float around on. I didn't last long on the raft, I ended up in the shade fast asleep, avoiding any contact I could with my ear. When the boys returned, Shannon and I decided to brave the motorbikes and go for a ride with them to a quieter beach they had found. In order to get to this beach, we had to go up and down 20% grade hills ... Shannon and I walked part of the way back because we were afraid of sliding off the back of the bikes :)
Tuesday night there was a "Black Moon Party". Koh Phangan is also known for it's raging parties based on the moon cycles (most notably the full moon). What a black moon is, I'm still not sure, but with my ear in the condition it was, I (begrudgingly) went to bed while the others forged on.
We left Koh Phangan Wednesday, travelling (or waiting for a bus to start moving) most of the day. It started with a ferry that took off on time, then we loaded onto a full bus with poor A/C, then we sat and waited ... and waited ... and waited ... for our next bus to pull away from the station. We boarded the bus at 3:30, the bus did not leave until 5:30, and until there were about 10 more people than there were seats. The bus then proceeded to stop every 10 minutes to let someone off/on. This was tolerable, since we had seats .... Until they started BLARING Thai music so loud that we couldn't hear our music on our iPods. Not to mention, my ear infection was not feeling any better (hence the toilet paper in my ear!)
We were relieved to get off the bus in Krabi, until we were told there was possibly a tsunami heading our way ... Grrrrrrrreat. We quickly made sure we were on a hill or far enough inland to be safe, then found a guest house with the same requirements. We stayed at a great guest house with a really nice family who translated the public announcement that we were all going to be safe and sound.
We got up early on Wednesday and jumped onto a longtail (a boat with a Chevy engine block
sitting on the back, and a 15 foot rod with a perpeller attached at the end .... kind of like a weedwacker ... the engine and propeller look like something that could be used quite effectively in a horror movie, while the boat itself looks 
like it is straight out of a travel magazine) to Railay. Railay is beautiful ... Absolutely stunning. Limestone cliffs everywhere and clear blue sea. We enjoyed another beach day with a better view than we could have imagined. Shannon and I got foot scrubs and foot massages on the beach while Kyle and Bean "explored" and that was about the extent of our day. It was great.
That night we went out and explored some of the night life, where Bean and I ran into 4 fellow Santa Barbarians. I recognized one of them and stopped them all dead in their tracks. I recognized her because a good friend of mine (Nikki Campbell) used to live with her ... Small small world.
We woke up Thursday to rain, lots of rain. Kyle and Bean decided to do some rock climbing (that's what Krabi is known for), while Shannon and I sat and waited for the rain to go away, hoping for another couple hours on the beach. Since the rain didn't subside, we took a longtail back to Krabi and hit up the Night Market where we indulged in all sorts of amazing food.
Bean and I took another overnight bus to Surat Thani where we were to catch a ferry to Koh Phangan. We arrived around 4:30AM, completely exhausted, where we sat at a restaurant for 2 hours waiting for the songteau to pick us up and take us to the port. When we finally arrived at the port, I realized that in my zombie state, I forgot my purse with my credit card as well as Bean and I's passports. Ooops. I begged the driver to take me back straight away and he gladly helped me out. Luckily, it was sitting exactly where I left it, untouched. I was a lucky girl to say the least!
We finally boarded the ferry and started our 3 hour ride to Koh Phangan. It was beautiful, but I
was so tired, I didn't really stay awake long enough to enjoy much of it. Kyle and Shannon were scheduled to come in a couple of hours after we arrived, so we sat at a small restaurant and waited ... Trying to gather our composure after virtually no sleep for 2 nights (we took the overnight bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok the night before ... the day I wrote the last blog). When they got there, we quickly found a guest house and hit the beach ... Where I passed out (not a huge surprise!) The water was great, although there were a few little jelly fish that creeped me out, so I stayed on the beach for the most part (I'm a wuss, I know).Tuesday, I woke up with a terrible earache. I knew I was getting an ear infection and picked up ear drops the day before, but this pain was nearly intolerable. I went to the pharmacy and
Tuesday night there was a "Black Moon Party". Koh Phangan is also known for it's raging parties based on the moon cycles (most notably the full moon). What a black moon is, I'm still not sure, but with my ear in the condition it was, I (begrudgingly) went to bed while the others forged on.
We left Koh Phangan Wednesday, travelling (or waiting for a bus to start moving) most of the day. It started with a ferry that took off on time, then we loaded onto a full bus with poor A/C, then we sat and waited ... and waited ... and waited ... for our next bus to pull away from the station. We boarded the bus at 3:30, the bus did not leave until 5:30, and until there were about 10 more people than there were seats. The bus then proceeded to stop every 10 minutes to let someone off/on. This was tolerable, since we had seats .... Until they started BLARING Thai music so loud that we couldn't hear our music on our iPods. Not to mention, my ear infection was not feeling any better (hence the toilet paper in my ear!)We were relieved to get off the bus in Krabi, until we were told there was possibly a tsunami heading our way ... Grrrrrrrreat. We quickly made sure we were on a hill or far enough inland to be safe, then found a guest house with the same requirements. We stayed at a great guest house with a really nice family who translated the public announcement that we were all going to be safe and sound.
We got up early on Wednesday and jumped onto a longtail (a boat with a Chevy engine block
like it is straight out of a travel magazine) to Railay. Railay is beautiful ... Absolutely stunning. Limestone cliffs everywhere and clear blue sea. We enjoyed another beach day with a better view than we could have imagined. Shannon and I got foot scrubs and foot massages on the beach while Kyle and Bean "explored" and that was about the extent of our day. It was great.That night we went out and explored some of the night life, where Bean and I ran into 4 fellow Santa Barbarians. I recognized one of them and stopped them all dead in their tracks. I recognized her because a good friend of mine (Nikki Campbell) used to live with her ... Small small world.
We woke up Thursday to rain, lots of rain. Kyle and Bean decided to do some rock climbing (that's what Krabi is known for), while Shannon and I sat and waited for the rain to go away, hoping for another couple hours on the beach. Since the rain didn't subside, we took a longtail back to Krabi and hit up the Night Market where we indulged in all sorts of amazing food.
Friday morning we went kayaking. Which, 
to date, might be my favorite thing we've done this month. We did about 3 or 4 hours of sea kayaking through mangrove forests. We not only saw monkeys, but interacted with monkeys. The guides put pineapple on our kayaks and they would jump right on and munch away. I had one sharing my seat with me while he tried to get to the pineapple behind me ... It was awesome.
Somehow, after kayaking and a great lunch, we ended up at a catfish farm. Yes ... A catfish farm. We had no idea this was part of what we paid for, but apparently it was, and boy was it weird. There was a place where we could look at tarantulas and scorpions ... The guide lifted a pot to reveal a tarantula ... I nearly jumped out of my skin ... I wanted OUT! We made it out alive, and my ear was finally starting to feel better, so things were moving in the right direction. Kyle and Shannon flew back to Bangkok so they could make their flight on Saturday. I was sad to see them go, but I had so much fun having them here.
Bean and I slept in on Saturday. It was raining again, so we decided to put on our rain gear and take a walk in the rain. When we returned to the guest house I "played" Connect Four with a 4 year old ... He ended up spitting on my pants while laughing hysterically, I'm still not sure what that was about, but within 2 minutes of the incident, he decided he needed to pee right then and there, so I was just thankful I only had saliva on my pants.
Our intention was to leave yesterday (Sunday), but after checking out and packing our things, we were told about a BBQ at the guest house that we couldn't pass up ... So we got our room key back and decided to stay. I got a lot of reading in and a couple of naps, staying was a good decision. We even found super cheap flights from Krabi to Bangkok so we didn't have to take another overnight bus! The best part about buying our plane tickets ... We didn't enter a credit card to purchase, we went to 7 Eleven with a confirmation number and paid there. It was awesome.
The BBQ was well worth waiting for. The people we met at the guest house were great, guests and staff alike. We sat around eating more prawns than I've ever seen in my life and played some drinking games. It was a blast
This morning 6 of us woke up for the same flight, struggling to stay awake through breakfast, we made quite the impression at the airport, I'm sure. We were all asleep at the gate, completely lethargic.
Now we're in Bangkok, about to plan the next leg of the trip ... Cambodia.
I've got a minor case of homesickness that I'm hoping will pass soon. Not quite sure how that happens when I'm having so much fun, but I guess that's just life for ya.
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