To Beauty from Devastation

January

January was a slow month for me in Thailand. I was working on a very small budget after purchasing an iPad and and catching up from all of my spendings the previous month. One trip we did take though was to Khao Lak, which resides on the West coast of Southern Thailand in the Phang Nga Province. It is situated right on the Adaman Sea, and it is defiantly in my top 10 of favorite Thailand places. The trip to Khao Lak was bittersweet. Just shy of ten years prior, much of Thailand's coastline was hit by a tsunami that decimated the area, hitting the town of Khao Lak the worst.

 

Let me start by explaining our "adventure" before the adventure. Our itinerary for getting to Khao Lak included catching a charter bus from the bus station on Talad Mai Rd all the way into the town of Khao Lak. It seemed simple. But, as I have now learned, nothing in Thailand is a simple as it seems. Our tuk tuk dropped us off at a small bus departure area away from the actual bus stop, where a woman proceeded to tell us that there was not a charter bus to Khao Lak until later in the afternoon. When you only have a weekend to travel to different places around Thailand you start to value every hour that you have. Apparently, the scheduled buses were not there because of the protests in Bangkok, and there was no way for us to get one any earlier.

So, she offered for her driver to take us in his personal 4-door Honda Civic, but for a price. After several bouts of negotiating, we all decided the price was worth getting there as early as we could. So we all hopped in his little car with our fingers crossed.

I think we spent the majority of the three hour ride on the wrong side of the road or nearly flying off the cliffs on either side. I had to lookout the window the entire time so I didn’t spew my breakfast all over the girls. I also pretend that I was a nascar driver and moved my body with each jerk the driver made. It was terrifying! We were so glad to finally arrive, safely, and stand on our own two feet. Never again, please!

Khao Lak was beautiful. The town was my favorite of all the places we’ve visited. It wasn’t crowded, but there was enough people for it to be exciting. The roads and sidewalks were huge, and you didn’t feel like you were constantly bumping into someone or falling in a pothole like other overcrowded tourist areas we have visited. It was great! Our hostel was really nice too. At Seaweed Hostel the rooms were big and the price was small. It was a great deal! Four of us shared a room and became creative with the divider curtains during our pregame session and 90’s dance show.

My goal for the trip was to find a surf spot or at least somewhere to rent a SUP board. I quickly realized surfing wasn’t going to happen due to the lack of waves. I eventually found a really nice Aussie guy who had SUP boards I could rent from him. I was so nice to finally get in a paddle, and all of the other teachers enjoyed the experience as well.

Khao Lak was also where I saw my first amazing sunset in Thailand. We sat on the beach for over an hour just watching the sun slowly disappear behind the endless sea. It was beautiful!

Our night out was defiantly one for the books. It started with a great Mexican meal and then endless hours of playing the song/artist guessing game. It’s the little things that will keep us entertained for hours! I am sad to say I probably will not be back to Khao Lak before I head back to the states, but hopefully, one-day, I will be able to bring family and friends back to share these great experiences (and awesome food :)

January ended with the much anticipated and planned Beer Olympics. On a side note, it’s March 14 and my house still has a hint of beer smell to it. Gross! It was a great night, and I’m pretty sure my team, should have, won!! J O well, next time. The last weekend of January also introduced us to Dieter and his amazing hospitality and German food!! It was a perfect 'low-key' weekend filled with activities around Surat, including; finding a lake and a swimming hole, hitting a few balls, 'off-roading' and divulging in loads of sausages and sauerkraut. 

XoXo

Thailand and Technology

December

Hi All! It's been awhile, and I blame most of it on my technology issues here in Thailand. Let me just take a moment to vent. It all started when my iPhone decided to turn off at random battery percentage; 75%, then 80%, and eventually it would only work when plugged in, until one day, it just wouldn't turn on. No big deal right, I still had my Mac and an iPhone 3 that worked, but takes a whole minute to type two words. Well, I may have jinxed myself, because not a month later, my Mac decided it was going to not work anymore either. Great! And I digress...I am now an iPad owner and I love it! I still miss typing impeccably fast on a real keyboard, but no more complaints. Let's see, where have I left off? December in Thailand was crazy busy. Between buying a motorbike, practicing for The Joy school New Years Show, actually getting used to the classes, visiting Koh Samui, trying out flying yoga, having a 'family' Christmas with all of the teachers and planning a trip for our five day New Years Break, my mind (and bank account) were checked out!

 [Flying Yoga - my new favorite way to stretch-it-out; don't mind my dirty Thailand feet]

 [LL Cool J - Lime Lightening Cool Jenn :)]

Christmas in Thailand was actually pretty amazing! All of the teachers went in on an amazing Christmas dinner. It was really like being at home. Chickens, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, mac'n cheese, cheese platters and so much more. I went home with a big stomach and an even bigger heart! :)

We also had some really fun celebrations the entire week of Christmas at The Language. All of the staff dressed up as Santa's helpers everyday and we did fun activities with the students, and they all had a gift exchange. There was a lot of Christmas coloring by numbers and decoration making workshops going on in my classes the entire week.

The Joy School New Year's Show was interesting, to say the least, but the kids had a great time getting dressed up and their make-up done. It was a day filled with Thai music, dancing and lots of yummy, sugary, food.

The next day started our New Year's Break. We journeyed early Saturday morning, on a private bus that played the loudest Thai/techno combination of music imaginable, to Ao Nang. Upon arrival, we had to get a taxi boat over to TonSai where we would be staying for the next five days. I really enjoyed the long tail taxi ride. TonSai was a lot of fun. It truly is a rock climbers paradise. The sheer immensity of the cliffs that surrounded us was amazing. I constantly was playing "where is Waldo?" with the climbers. We had a lot of adventures on this New Years trip, including; kayaking through and around limestone cliffs, deep water soloing, and Maggie's and my favorite, getting really really sick on New Year's Eve. We didn't let it ruin our fun though, and we were able to enjoy a nice Mexican meal and let off paper lanterns at the strike of midnight.

As 2014 let loose and I realized how much time was flying by, it was time to start planning the rest of my stay here in Thailand.

XoXo

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