Sawadee Ka [Hello!]

Okay there is a lot to catch-up on, and due to the constant rainy weather for the past week, I am staying in Surat this weekend to do just that!

After my first post, my dad came out to visit for the weekend! It was soooooo nice having him there especially because I was still getting used to everything. I showed him around Surat in about half a day, and tried to find other things to do the rest of the time. On Saturday, we ended up taking a tuk tuk, which my dad absolutely LOVED ;), an hour and a half to Khanom. The weather wasn't the best, but after lunch it cleared up a little and we were able to walk on the beach. It truly is a beautiful place. [I think my dad enjoyed Bangkok a little more, but I am so grateful he came to help me out!] Love you Dad. Can't wait until everyone comes out in May!

The following weekend was Halloween, and we, once again, made our way to Khanom. We stayed in the cutest little bungalows at a place called Jam Bay. All the basic amenities were provided; bed, fan, toilet, and even a shower, perfect! Jam Bay was hosting a Halloween party, so we all dressed up in our 'fancy' attire. It was a lot of fun, and we even went swimming at night, hoping to see the phosphorescents. Basically, when you move around in the water, it glows! Brilliant! We were able to see a little, but because of the waves, I don't we we saw it's full potential! We'll just have to go back to Jam Bay again so experience the whole thing. :)

Last weekend, even though it was raining the whole time, was the best weekend in Thailand so far. On Friday we had a Loy Krathong celebration at school. All of the teachers were dressed up in traditional Thai attire and we played games, listened to Thai music and learned how to make krathongs. Loy Krathong is on the full-moon day of the 12th lunar month, many Thais float their krathong down a river or even a pond to pay respects to the Lord Buddha and seek forgiveness from the goddess of water for any misdeeds against her. The word loy means "to float" while krathong is a lotus blossom-shaped vessel containing candles, incense sticks and flowers. The festivities were so fun, and the little kids were so cute, it was nice to learn from the students for a change. :) 

 On Friday night Rachel, Caitlin and I caught the night boat to Koh Tao island. After hearing horror stories about the night boats from fellow teachers, I was prepared for the worst. The eight hour ride wasn't actually that bad though. There were a few moments where I thought that I was in The Perfect Storm and our boat was going to capsize in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand, but that heart wrenching fear only last a few seconds until it was calm again. Stepping off of the boat at six in the morning was the best felling ever though. We made it to Koh Tao! The "taxi" drive to Sairee Beach was the next feat. Because we are foreigners the taxi drivers tried to charge us 100 baht for the ride. "No, no, no. Bed sip" was all we would say back. We were told not to pay more than 80 baht for the ride, and using our fabulous skills from Thai lessons, we shocked the drivers with our knowledge. I LOVE the taxi's on the islands, because they are just pick-up trucks that you sit in the back of and watch the amazing scenery as you drive. (Luckily, the rain halted for this part of our journey). We had a great weekend on Koh Tao, getting to see Ness and Shane and their friend Emma, laying out on the beach, eating 'American' food [I had the best cheeseburger!], seeing a ladyboy cabaret [interesting, very very interesting], and taking a water 'taxi' to Nang Yuan island to snorkel. My FAVORITE part about Koh Tao is that it's a diver's paradise. I CANNOT wait to go back and get my advanced open water certification, and do night dives and hopefully see WHALESHARKS!! Ahhhhhh the adventures!

On a less adventurous note, it's been over a month now in Surat Thani, Thailand, and I'm just now starting to settle in. I rented a moped, which was a milestone in itself. It has been a lot easier getting around though. As an American, the hardest part about driving a moped in Thailand is doing it on the opposite side of the road. It hasn't been a problem with all of the drivers on the street, but I'm still nervous for that moment when it's just me on the road and that second of confusion will sink in if I am supposed to be on the right or the left. I did get the infamous 'Thai tattoo' though. Not a pleasant experience, and I am hoping I am not 'scarred' forever.

(mine is actually black and white :)

(ewwwww)

Teaching in Thailand has also been a stressful, scary and eye opening experience. The kids never understand me, it's in their culture to talk when someone else is talking and remembering 80 Thai kids names will defiantly add to an experience I will never forget. On that note, because us foreign "farang" teachers would never in a million years remember their actual Thai names, we get to have kids who are named Gut, Donut, Thing Thing, Oak, Nut, Poom 1, Poom 2, Benz, Krem, Cartoon, and so on. It's actually fantastic!

(Title and Pun Pun)

Joy School, the school I teach at Tuesday through Friday mornings/afternoon, is actually really beautiful. There's three main buildings that form a U and in the middle in a big open area where the kids congregate for lunch/sports/and Thai culture singing stuff. :) The open area is also the ONLY place where shoes are worn. So, when I get to work I take off my shoes to go into the teachers office. When, I leave for my first class (P1) I put on my shoes, not only to take them off 20 steps later. After my P1 class, I find my shoes at the bottom of the stairs, put them on, and then take them off again before going into the office. It must be the price you pay for not having to wear shoes at school. I'm not complaining. Although, my Toms have now turned into 'slip-on' Toms. The 'toilets' are another story. I've been fortunate to have 'regular' toilets that I can sit on in my house and almost everywhere else, but at Joy we get to use 'squatter toilets'. The name basically explains it all. There's a little hose next to the squatters, they call 'bum guns', and they're used for…well I bet you can guess. It's all so primitive, but I won't have issues the next time I go camping. :S

(Joy School)

(The Language)

(My P2 class at Joy School)

After all of the stress of the week, the weekends are what I am learning the foreign teachers live for! No one really ever stays in Surat, because really, there's not much to do. That's when all of the adventures happen! So far I have been to Khanom, which is a beach area on the gulf (east) side of Thailand and Koh Tao, a diver's paradise in the Gulf of Thailand.

I am overwhelmingly excited for my future weekends away. I know places such as Krabi, Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi, James Bond island, and adventures, including; rock climbing, scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, and  much more await! Just what I came here for! My never-ending career as a world traveler is in full motion.

Cheers!
xoxo