Backpack Adventure: Vietnam Part I: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, and Hoi An

So I can't believe I am writing this post in Hoi An, Vietnam! Our backpack adventure has finally begun and we are on our third city in Vietnam. We are traveling throughout the country on their open bus system, 40 US dollars for a 6 city bus pass- pretty sweet deal! Most of the buses are overnight buses.. Our first experience was pretty decent. Although I woke up in the middle of the night with someone sleeping in the aisle next to me - completely boxed in to my seat ! My seat was surprisingly comfortable, but I am lucky that I am short because the seats are not designed for tall people with long legs (aka Ethan). We are departing Hoi An tonight on another over night bus - really hoping its new and clean like the last one ! We are moving on to Nha Trang.. A popular tourist spot that is known for its beaches and snorkeling.

So rewind to last Wednesday, when Alexis and I arrived in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Skye, Ethan, and Emily were scheduled to arrive Wednesday night, but our friends Faith and Emily were already in the city so we met up with them after settling into the hostel. Hanoi is a very overwhelming city- there are absolutely no traffic laws and the motorbike drivers DO NOT STOP! The city is much more condensed and way smaller than Bangkok so it is much more crowded and chaotic. We walked with Faith and Emily to the old quarter of the city and explored the area around the famous lake. The architecture in Vietnam is very european influenced and the city of Hanoi seems much more historic than cities in Thailand. Faith and Emily were catching the overnight bus that night so Alexis and I grabbed some dinner and waited for the rest of our group to arrive. Unfortunately they had a bus mishap- what was supposed to be a 22 hour bus ride turned into 31 hours so we didn't meet up until the next morning. We explored more of Hanoi that day but oddly, all of their tourist attractions are closed on Fridays. We saw where Ho Chi Minh's body is preserved but didn't get to see the actual body. We wanted to visit a military museum but that was closed as well... So we walked around the larger lake and then visited Maison Centrale prison which was used throughout Vietnamese history. One of its most famous uses was for American airforce pilots during the war. John Mccain was wounded and kept in the prison and their was a special exhibit with his army gear and suit. That night we visited the walking street but weren't impressed with the souvenirs. We were impressed with the local dish, Pho, which is a Vietnamese noodle soup. The next day we were heading out of the hectic city of Hanoi to visit Halong Bay on an overnight boat tour.

So far our trip to Halong Bay has been my favorite part of the trip. There are over 2,000 islands in the bay and they are all gorgeous! On our tour, we were sleeping and eating on a small tour boat with 10 cabin rooms and a nice rooftop deck. We stopped at 3 islands on our tour, one to visit a cave, one to do some kayakingC and one to climb 500 steps to a pagoda with amazing views of the bay. The food was surprisingly delicious and it was a very relaxed tour. I wasn't super excited to head back to the horns, whistles, and traffic of Hanoi.

Our next journey was on the overnight bus to Hue, a city that we had heard mixed reviews of. We decided not to stay long and after the overnight bus arrived at 9 am, we grabbed some breakfast, walked around the ancient citadel and then waited for the next bus to Hoi An. I was happy with our decision because Hue didn't seem too exciting and I don't think we missed out on anything by only staying for 6 hours.

After a 3 hour bus trip to Hoi An, we settled into a guesthouse with a very strange vibe. There were notes in our room from previous guests that the staff had stolen from them so we decided to change hotels the next day. The city of Hoi An is much more relaxing than Hanoi or Hue and the chill beach atmosphere makes it easy to settle in. The first night we headed to the walking street which is a historic area of town along the river. There are no motorbikes or cars allowed in the area after 8 pm and the historic architecture is really neat. So far Hoi An is my favorite city - but the journey is just beginning!! Our first full day in Hoi An we rented bicycles and rode 6 kilometers to the beach. The beach is super relaxing and not too crowded. The second day in Hoi An we rented motorbikes and drove about 45 minutes outside the city to visit My Son historic park. These are ruins from the ancient Indochine holy land. The ruins themselves weren't that interesting but the motorbike ride was beautiful (especially because I was on the back of Skye's bike) and the mountains surrounding the park were gorgeous. Yesterday, we hit the beach in the morning and then took the motorbikes to Danang to visit Marble Mountain, about 25 minutes away. Marble Mountain was really cool with caves, buddhas, and temples to explore throughout the mountain. There were some pretty cool views from the top and overall it was a pleasant surprise considering how touristy the local area was.

Today is our last day in Hoi An and I am going to miss the peaceful atmosphere and our dinners along the river. In general I really like Vietnam so far, although some of the vendors are more aggressive than Thai vendors, but the local people seem to speak better english than Thai people. At first I wasn't loving Vietnamese food but after being here for just over a week I have discovered that they make delicious spring rolls, pho soup is tasty, and cau lao is a Hoi An special dish with pork, noodles, and sweet and sour soup.

These blog updates are coming from my iphone so I will have to add photos from the journey at a later date! We are moving on to Nah Trang then Ho Chi Minh city then on to Cambodia. So far so good and I am looking forward to the adventures to come !

"Thank You Teachaa"

I cannot believe how fast the past 5 months have gone by! I am officially done teaching and it definitely has not hit me yet. I still feel like I will walk into class next week and have the students welcome me with the traditional "Good Morning Teachaa" greeting. Thursday of last week was officially our last day and the teachers threw us a going away party with lots of traditional Thai food and pizza! It was really said saying good bye to some of our co-workers- they were the only friends Alexis and I had in Salaya! Even with the language barrier and communication struggles, I knew that the fellow teachers in our office would have been there for Alexis or I if we had a problem and they were all very friendly and welcoming towards us. At the farewell party, Alexis and I were presented with certificates and small gifts. Some of the goodbyes were tearful and I will miss them all very much. 

Earlier in the week, Alexis and I had to make a farewell speech to the entire school at the morning ceremony. It was so bizarre because it felt like only yesterday we were giving our introductory speeches!! The Director presented us with fancy mugs that displayed the school Logo and then we had a special goodbye meeting in his office where he told us we were forever welcome at Kanchanapisek and if we were ever in Thailand we could stay with him and his family. That's the thing about Thai people - they are so kind and welcoming! 

Now on to the students. Oh man am I going to miss some of the little cuties that I taught! The last few weeks of teaching were by far my favorite because I was giving conversation quizzes where I got to work with students one on one. Lecturing in front of the classroom I had very little patience with the large group of chaotic children but working with them one on one made me realize that they are all very sweet individuals. Thai Valentine's Day really made me realize how much of an influence I have had on these students and I am very happy to have positive feedback from the students. I will miss playing the games that I played with them, like Hangman, The Hot Seat, Jeopardy, and Scategories. Some of their answers were so creative! Their level of excitement for any mention of Justin Bieber or One Direction will stay in my memory forever and anything Stitch or Winnie the Pooh themed will forever remind me of my students. 

One class in particular really warmed my heart on the last day of class. I teach them on Mondays so last week when I walked into class, instead of saying  "Good morning Teachaa" like they have to, they had prepared a speech for me. The entire class stood up and read off a speech in English saying "Teacher Shannon is beautiful and an amazing teacher. We will remember you always. Thank you Teacher." I was so thrown off, usually I have to respond with "thank you, you can sit down" but I was truly speechless! Tears sprung to my eyes and I couldn't believe they had planned that out together. I was touched by their adorable effort and I wanted to hug every single one of them! 

Although the Thai school system can be extremely aggravating, and there is little to no structure in the classroom, I am going to miss Kanchanapisek very much. I have always loved working with kids, and this experience has brought my love for kids to a whole new level. Between artwork, games, and conversations- I have seen a lot of creativity in these students and I hope each one of them lives a life full of happiness. Even though my time with them was short, this experience will stay with me forever and whenever I am having a bad day I am going to think back on my teaching experiences- young Thai children "wai-ing" me, the laughs that resulted from a poor english translation, and the smiles a simple game of hangman brought to their faces. While teaching was a very tiring experience, the good definitely out weighed the bad and I hope that my basic teaching skills will help these students in some way! Thank you Kanchanapisek for all of the amazing memories and I will never forget this experience <3 

 M. 1/4

 M. 1/5

Hanging with some of the scouts

 M. 1/10

 M. 1/7

 M. 1/1

 M. 1/2

 M. 5/4

 M. 1/6

 M. 1/8

 M. 1/3

 M. 1/9

 English Club

 M. 5/1

 Saying Goodbye to the Director

My farewell speech 

 Accepting my farewell gift from the Director

Koh Chang

Alexis and I had a 4 day weekend so we decided to head south again and visit the island of Koh Chang. We had heard it was about a 4-5 hour journey, but as usual Thai time kicked in and our travels took just over 7 hours. It was well worth it though, I think Koh Chang takes the cake on "favorite destination" in Thailand.

We arrived Friday evening and headed straight for the restaurant Magic Garden, recommended by a friend. The food was amazing!!! We split pumpkin curry with tofu and I had a delicious plate of chicken quesadillas. It was delicious and reasonably priced- right away we noticed that Koh Chang wasn't nearly as touristy or over-priced as Phuket. Everyone was very relaxed in Koh Chang and Alexis and I felt very comfortable in the Lonley Beach area- it was a pretty condensed area so it was easy to settle in. Friday night we were tired from traveling, so we wanted to find a mellow bar with live music to sit and chill. We found the perfect spot- 3 doors down from our hostel was an outdoor bar with hammocks to sit in and a live reggae band. You would think a Thai reggae band would sound pretty lousy, but the lead singer had a very good voice and we thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing evening.

Hammock at the Reggae bar! 

Saturday morning we woke up and had a delicious breakfast of porridge and fresh fruit. The mango was to die for, and there very cute Thai children hanging out in the restaurant. After our enjoyable meal, we attempted to rent a motorbike to ride over to Bang Bao pier. Koh Chang is a very mountainous and hilly island, so when I asked the rental man to teach me how to drive the bike, he showed me the breaks the key. I told him I needed a little more advice, because I had never driven a bike before (or a car for that matter, but he didn't have to know that...) and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He started talking very fast in Thai and repeated the word "never" over and over again. Then his wife came out of their shared office and exclaimed "Ah very bad for you- you will die in Koh Chang if you ride a bike. Very dangerous for you!! No hospital nearby - you will die! I will give you money back- very bad for you!" I swear she told me I was going to die about 15 times!! After that, Alexis and I were rather discouraged from our dreams of riding a motorbike, so we chickened out and paid for a song theaw to Bang Bao. They weren't kidding- it was a very hilly ride!!

It was kind of cloudy on Saturday so Alexis and I explored the shops on Bang Bao pier. Then we decided to rent a kayak as our "fun activity of the day." It wasnt really a beach day, so kayaking was the perfect solution. It was so beautiful, with the beaches and the mountains of the island in the distance. We had some issues steering the kayak against the current, and we saw some huge fish jump nearby, but other than that it was a really fun experience. After our kayak adventure, we grabbed lunch on the pier then did some more souvenir shopping. Then we headed back to Lonely Beach, for my first ever Thai massage!! Even though I usually hate when strangers touch me (like pedicures- eek!) this was actually very soothing. After our massage we headed to the beach to eat dinner and watch the sunset. The restaurant had a "beach party" going on with fireshows and British DJs. It wasn't crowded at all so it ended up being another low-key and enjoyable evening.

Kayak adventures

Dinner on the beach ! 

fireshow

Sunday we decided to book an all day boat cruise of 4 small islands off of Koh Chang. Alexis and I were the only english speaking people on our boat (Monday was a Thai holiday so a lot of Thai families were on vacation) and as a result, we were the only people sitting on the sun deck area of the boat. All of the Thai people sat under the covered area, and everyone went swimming in their pants and long sleeves! Their fear of the sun still fascinates me.

The islands we visited were very beautiful. 2 of them were snorkeling stops and 2 of them were beach stops.We saw so many fish snorkeling of all different colors and the beaches were very clean and remote. The lunch they served on the boat was surprisingly delicious and overall it was a very pleasant day. On our trip back to Koh Chang, the clouds rolled in and the island looked absolutely beautiful with the mountains in the fog. Koh Chang is HUGE! I have a prediction that in a few years, it is going to develop into a major tourist trap but I am happy we got to experience the island now, with its natural beauty and chill atmosphere.

ready to snorkel

island stop #1

Island #2

Island #3

Island #4

Sunday night we went back to Lonely Beach to have some drinks on the sand. Literally- the bar had small tables on beach mats where you could literally sit in the sand. There was a cool fireshow at the bar and again we had a very relaxing evening.

Monday morning we woke up and booked our van back to Bangkok. We had until 1 pm to hit the beach, so Alexis and I had another delicious breakfast with mango and oatmeal then headed back to Lonely Beach. We rented floating rafts for the morning and relaxed in the sun for a few hours. Then we got lunch on the beach- I had a delicious chicken bruschetta with Mediterranean veggies - so yummy ! Then we headed back to the hostel (which we were happy to leave. The only negative part of our trip was the bungalow had a serious ant problem!!) and grabbed our backpacks to head back to Bangkok. We expected that traveling would be a little delayed because of the Thai holiday, but we were not expecting to have to sit on the floor of an over crowded Song-theaw just to get to the ferry on time! Between the heat and the hills, it was a very unpleasant 45 minute journey!!!

Once we finally made it to the ferry, we had to wait on the other side (in Trat) for a second Songtheaw to the minivan. We finally started heading for the van when our fellow passengers figured out their bus had been overbooked and they no longer had seats. I felt really bad for them but the song theaw driver kept pulling over and negotiating ticket prices with them for a later bus. We finally had to speak up and say we had to keep moving, because our minivan was waiting!! Well, Thai time was not on our side this time, and the van had waited for us for 5 minutes (the one time a van actually leaves on time!) and we missed our ride. We had to wait another 40 minutes for the next van, and it was going to a different BTS stop than the one we needed. It was all very confusing... but I was relieved when the mini van finally pulled up. After about 10 minutes in the van I realized I was not going to be getting any rest on the 5 hour journey home... we were squished in the back row with a french couple (who were very lovey dovey in such a small space..) and the potholes in the road were making for a VERY bumpy ride. I was in the middle seat so my feet didn't touch the ground- so every little bump sent me flying. We finally got back to Bangkok around 9:15 pm where we then had to take the sky train to Victory Monument and a van back to Salaya. By 10:30 we were home safe and sound at CU apartment !

Despite the long day(s) of traveling, Koh Chang was a very beautiful island and I am SO happy we got to go. It was one of my favorite places because it had natural beauty, cheap activities  and very friendly and relaxed people (both tourists and locals). I would like to go back to Koh Chang sometime in my life and see the rest of the beauty the island has to offer.

Cannot believe this was our last trip in Thailand!! Tomorrow is our last day of teaching and one week from today we leave to meet Skye, Ethan, and Emily in Vietnam. I am so happy we have been able to see so much of Thailand- it is truly an amazing country with absolutely beautiful sights to be seen. The time is flying by and I truly can't believe I will be back on American soil in 6 weeks!! So many mixed emotions are going through my head as I prepare for my last day of teaching and start to prepare for our 5 week trip. This has been a truly incredible experience and I can't believe we are so close to the finish line! What an adventure this has been. I am so excited to see what the rest of Southeast Asia has in store for us :)

Lonely Beach

 Delicious Chicken Bruschetta !

 Relaxing on a floatie!

Thailand Through the Eyes of a Farang

I have been meaning to write this cultural observation post for a while now, but I was trying to capture a photo of a family of 4 on a motorbike before I wrote it. Unfortunately, whenever I see a family cruise by, I am not camera ready so I have no photo evidence, but it is VERY common to see an entire family on one motorbike. Including infants and toddlers. Sometimes they even stand up and hold on to the handle bars in front of where the driver sits. More often than not, the riders are helmet-less which is a terrifying thought because traffic laws are basically non-existent here in good ol' Siam. 

UPDATED 2/26/2013 I cannot believe I forgot three of the biggest cultural observations/differences in Thailand when I first wrote this post! The first thing I have to mention is whitening cream. Thai people have naturally tan skin, but all of the actors/models are insanely PALE WHITE. They think that being white is considered beautiful, and many of their skin care products are "whitening" products, they bleach their skin to look pale! I suppose its similar to Americans wearing bronzer... but every time I purchase body wash or deodorant  I have to examine the label to make sure it isn't a whitening product!! I want to be tan ! When Thai people go to the beach, they cover their entire bodies from the sun and sit in the shade! They are terrified of catching the sun and all wish to be pale and white. Very interesting. Another observation is how socially acceptable being gay is here in Thailand. For a conservative country I was pleased to learn that being gay is very common, and harassment in school is nothing compared to America. I have many male students as young as M.1 (age 12-14) who are openly gay and it isn't made into a big deal at all. Lady boys are another common occurrence in Thailand- when boys dress as girls. Not like drag shows or for spectacle, its just a very common thing for boys to dress and act like girls. They are surprisingly good at doing hair and make up!! The final thing I forget to mention is squatter toilets.... They are bowls in the ground with two elevated areas to step on. It was a big adjustment at first, but I have gotten pretty used to them now. I still prefer western style toilets, some of the squatters can get a bit smelly because they don't flush! You use a scooping pail to add clean water and manually flush down the contents in the bowl. And toilet paper is nonexistent! Everyone carries around little packs of kleenex. The last thing I will mention is that I pretty much forget about the existence of shower curtains. Our shower is freestanding in the bathroom - very different than the tub unit I have back home ! 

Alexis and I ride motorcycle taxis to get  to nearby destinations. We learned how to say bus stop in Thai ... which sounds something like "Nah-more" and then we hop on the back of the bike and cruise to the local van stop. We also ride a motorbike to and from school for .33 cents. Other modes of transportation include tuk-tuks, which are very small vehicles with bench like seats and bizarre decorations. Song-theaws are another popular option for tourists which are like pick up trucks with bench seats facing each other in the bed of the truck. Most of the time you can bargain the price of a ride in a tuk tuk or song-theaw but in tourist destinations they really love ripping us farangs off. (Farang is the Thai word for foreigner or westerner- can't remember if I mentioned that before...) Getting on any type of vehicle is always an adventure in Thailand. The traffic laws are nonexistent and the traffic is SO heavy in Bangkok. Motorbikes weave in an out of traffic to avoid waiting and red lights are commonly ignored. When there is a traffic police officer on duty, he is usually on foot and blowing a whistle. Thai people LOVE blowing whistles and honking horns. Whenever Alexis and I are walking around Salaya, we get beeped at by truck drivers.  Its actually highly agitating and scares me when they come up from behind! Another fun fact about Thailand traffic is they  drive on the left side of the road like in England. I was unaware of this until I got in a van at the airport in Bangkok. 

Another observation I have made during my 5 months here in Thailand is that Thai people will eat ANYTHING you put in front of them. And 90% of the time the food is made with fish, or at least cooked in some type of fish sauce. There is no such thing as breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. Meat, rice, spicy soup, chicken feet, chicken's blood, fish on a stick- they're all fair game at any hour of the day. I have seen all of these things be consumed by Thai people and I have to say the chicken's feet thing really gets me. Also, one time when our school was serving a staff breakfast, Alexis and I were hoping for some tea or coffee. Instead, we were given a bowl of noodles with shrimp, squid, pork, and chicken. They added broth to the noodles and when I looked in the pot, there were 2 full chickens floating in the hot soup. The broth had a nice flavor but I was a little disturbed by the concept. You have to turn a blind eye to a lot of things here in Thailand. I have eaten around my fair share of ants on my plate and even though I ask for no fish and no shrimp in my meals, I have consumed a few dried shrimps in my pad thai. Even though Thai people love to snack, Alexis and I have concluded that the food here is way more natural than American processed snacks, which is why Thai people are generally so tiny. Alexis and I have discovered a new love for coconut flavored things here, and one of our favorite desserts is dried shredded coconut with natural flavors from Thai flowers. 

Street food is actually very delicious, despite the hesitations Alexis and I had when we first arrived. I have mentioned before that everything here comes in a bag- and when I say everything I mean it. If you order food from a street vendor it will 100% be given to you in an air-tight plastic bag tied off with a small red rubber band. Soups come in bags, salads come in bags, SODA even comes in bags and and you stick the straw right in! One day after school a snack vendor was selling soda in a bag and I had to try it. Something about it tasted extra refreshing, but it was probably all in my head....

Another comment on street food- if it doesn't come in a bag- it comes on a stick. I have eaten many chicken on a stick dinners. They are very delicious but what I do NOT like is when I see someone gnawing on a full fish- bones and all - like its a stick of cotton candy. There is a market not far from our apartment and when Alexis and I go there to buy fruit, we only walk around certain areas. The areas selling fish and meats are what we call the "danger zone." We have seen some pretty frightening things on sale at the market, like the skin of a pig's face and pig's feet. The smells are literally un-describable.  Raw meat in the Thai heat is a terrible combination.  

Ah, the smells of Thailand. Between the seafood, the heat, the street dogs, the curries, and unidentifiable puddles of liquid on the sidewalks, I have smelt some pretty rancid smells. They sell inhalers at 7/11 that are menthol flavored to help with vertigo... but Alexis and I use them to block out the foul smells. We call them sniffy tubes. When I first got here, I swear I thought people were openly snorting drugs on the street, until a woman in our office explained their use to us. 

Animal sightings are a common occurrence here in Thailand. Alexis and I have had more than a few unwelcome guests in our apartment ranging from ants to geckos. We also see chickens on the side of the road in very random locations. Like side of the highway, near the train tracks, and even some walking around school grounds.  The other day, on the way home from the restaurant we eat at everyday for dinner, something to the left caught my eye and there was a HUGE lizard walking down a long driveway. It looked like a komodo dragon and was easily 4 feet long. It was cool to see but then I got nervous and walked home quickly to our apartment. 

Everyone in Thailand goes by their nickname, which they choose at a young age. When I first arrived, all of my students wanted to know what my name was and what my nickname was and they were very confused when I responded with "just Shannon." Some of the nicknames that stuck out to me when reading my student rosters were Jasmine, Max, Ken, Cartoon, Mickey, Potato, Big, First, and Boss. Other common Thai nicknames include Ploy, Tang Mo, and Aum. Many of them I cannot pronounce and the students always laugh at me when I call their names in attendance. 

Thailand has a very conservative culture. Wearing tank tops and short shorts/skirts is not socially acceptable in rural areas of the country. Because Bangkok is a more westernized city, its okay to wear whatever you want, but in Salaya I try to wear maxi skirts and short sleeves when I am out and about. I'm sure there have been times when I am traveling to Bangkok in jean shorts and a tank top that I have stood out, but its so hot here I can't help it ! Being polite is very important in Thailand and Alexis and I make sure to "Wai" (the traditional Thai greeting) each of our co-workers every morning and the few phrases of Thai we know we always end with "kha" - the polite female ending of a phrase in Thai. Thai is a very difficult language and I am mildly amazed at myself that I have lived and worked in this country for 5 months with only the knowledge of "hello, thank-you, bus stop, how much?" and the numbers 1-10. Hand gestures and charades are newly acquired talents I have developed while living in Thailand. 

Disney is all the rage here in Thailand, which I LOVE. You can buy pretty much any item in the world Disney-themed here and I caved and bought an adorable Winnie the pooh phone case. Its strange though because films that are popular in America are not that well known here, but Stitch can be found on anything and everything. Other fads that are way more popular in Thailand than in America include (but are not limited to) Furby, Crocs, platform sandals, Korean Pop Music, scrunchies, Gangnam Style, denim overalls, and angry birds. Also, I think every single one of my female students is obsessed with One Direction and Justin Bieber. 

Okay well I think I have rambled on long enough. I know I have left out a lot of things but I wanted to provide an insight of what it is like to live in Thailand as a farang. This has been a truly fascinating experience and I am so thankful that I was able to have this once in a lifetime opportunity. I truly can't believe Alexis and I only have 3 days of teaching left. Time has gone by SO fast- this trip has been a whirlwind of adventure. And the journey will continue, in less than 2 weeks Alexis and I will be flying to Vietnam to meet up with our friends Skye and Ethan (and Ethan's younger sister Emily! Woop Woop new friends!) where we will be traveling throughout Southeast Asia for 5 weeks. We are traveling from Vietnam to Cambodia, then back to Bangkok for a few days, then flying to BALI for a week and then flying to Singapore for 3 days. Then its back to Bangkok and Salaya for 3 days to pack up our lives and head home. I am SO excited for our travels, we will be seeing so much of the world and an amazing variety of beautiful locations. I can't believe in 7 short weeks I will be boarding a flight back to America, this trip has gone by in the blink of an eye, but I am so thankful for all that I have seen, all that I have learned, and everyone that I have met. I am so sad to say goodbye to my students (more on that later) but I am very much looking forward to our travels. 

Below is a random assortment of funny/cultural photos I have randomly acquired throughout the semester. 

 Random sign on a tuk-tuk or local taxi

 The modes of transportation in Thailand never cease to amaze me

 SODA IN A BAG.

 "Carrotcake" ... same same but different.

 The Furby fad is all the rage

Spotted: random chicken on the side of the road at school.

Thai Valentine's Day !

Valentine's Day has been my favorite holiday to celebrate here in Thailand so far. Mainly because it is the first "western" holiday my students have actively participated in. Alexis and I decided to be festive and wear red and pink to school, and we even passed out home-made valentine's cards with mini M&Ms inside to our co-workers in the office. I wasn't expecting much in return, because it is a western holiday, but I was pleasantly surprised when Eye and Ice, two of the student teachers in our office, placed stickers on my shirt and explained that in Thailand, if you "love" your friends you give them a sticker to wear on their clothes. I was happy with the two stickers I received from them, little did I know they would be lost in a sea of pink hearts within the hour. 

The second I stepped out of my office, students were flying at me with stickers, saying "Teacha Love You!" Students I didn't even teach were sharing their sticker love and I was absolutely loving it. There was a very happy vibe throughout the school. Girls were walking around with roses and HUGE stuffed animals from their boyfriends. (Thai students are not allowed to show any sign of affection in school, so it was strange to see a boy give a girl flowers and stuffed animals, then turn around and walk away. No hugging, no kissing- I don't think they can even hold hands in school. Very different from American teens!) Some students spelled words out on their shirts with all of their stickers and some even jazzed up the rims of their glasses. I was so happy with the simplicity of the stickers, I was almost moved to tears when a small M.1 student came running at me in the hallway and gave me a single red rose. I was so happy I hugged her! Hopefully not violating any school rules of showing affection! I received three more roses throughout the course of the day and each one made my smile bigger and brighter. I only spend 40-50 minutes a week with these students, but they went out of their to think of me on Valentine's Day. It was really sweet. 

For my classes on Valentine's Day I kept it simple- games, games, games. "The Hot Seat" is a crowd pleasing game where I randomly select a student to sit in the "hot seat" (a chair facing the rest of the class) and write an English phrase, movie, or famous person on the board. The class then has to explain to the student in the hot seat what I wrote- in English, without saying the words. 75% of the time they end up yelling everything in Thai, but the students enjoy the game so I let it slide.. In my M.1/3 class the students put me in the hot seat and explained "a beautiful young woman who wears a pink shirt in the winter." I wasn't trying to be arrogant, but I was wearing a pink shirt so I guessed myself- I got it right! I turned around and the students had written a special note to me saying "We will remember you forever :)" SO CUTE! I have one more class with them next week, but it was adorable nonetheless. My other classes enjoyed hangman, a word search, and some failed attempts at the hot seat. Some students even gave me Lindt chocolate truffles !   Overall, Valentine's Day was an extremely memorable holiday that I shared with my students. I can't believe that as of today, February 19th, I only have 3 more days of teaching!! Where did the time go??? I will be sure to write another post about my final reflections on teaching, and I also have some cultural observations to share. This week is final exams week, so we have lots of free time in the office- aka lots of time for blog writing !

 "The Hot Seat" The students put me in the hot seat and gave me a surprise message! 

 My shirt was covered in stickers from Thai students who "loved" me 

Flowers, Cards, and Stickers- a very happy Valentine's Day for teachaaa Shannon :) 

Hope everyone back home had an enjoyable Valentine's Day as well!! Another western holiday has come and gone and I haven't been able to share it with friends and family. It is a bit of an odd feeling, but I will be home in less than 2 months and I am very much looking forward to it! Love and miss you all- SEE YOU SOON! <3

Traditional Thai Sunday

Sunday morning our coordinator asked Alexis and I to come to school early and we were going to have lunch on a traditional Thai boat at a floating market. When we arrived at school, we found out that we were going to be participating in a ceremony to welcome monks to our school. Alexis and I were given traditional Thai skirts that belonged to Pi Ju (our coordinator) when she was younger. We weren't told much, but next thing we knew we were upstairs surrounded by female students in traditional Thai costume. I didn't even recognize some of my students because they had beautiful make up and costumes on... in their uniforms at school they all look so young! We were given cover up and blush to look like the dancers, but I was hoping for the dramatic eye liner and mascara (no such luck). Next, we all migrated downstairs where we were told to line up in the welcome parade and dance with the students. Traditional Thai dancing is a very beautiful thing to watch, but Alexis and I completely butchered the angelic moves. Struggling to keep up with my graceful students, I couldn't keep from laughing as we marched along trying to mimic the arm gestures of the students. Everyone told us we looked "beautiful" but I felt very clumsy and awkward. It was a really fun experience though, and I am glad we got to participate in an event that brought us closer to both the students and our co-workers.

After the monks came and blessed our school (which was the longest prayer session I have ever sat through..) we ate lunch in the school canteen. As usual, I had chicken and rice, but Alexis had a very unique dining experience. Thai people will eat anything you put in front of them, and I have seen them snack on some pretty repulsive things (such as chicken feet and dried squid). There was a brown substance in my chicken curry that I was avoiding because the consistency looked funny. My coordinator told me it was her favorite part of the curry. Alexis reached across and took a bite from my plate, just as Pi Ju said the words "chicken blood." I thought it was an organ of some sort  and Alexis thought it was a mushroom... but it was cooked chicken blood. It kind of looked like a dark block of tofu ... and Alexis said it really wasn't bad tasting, it was just the idea of eating chicken blood that made it gross. Needless to say, I was all set with lunch.

After lunch we headed to the floating market where Pi Ju and another teacher, Pi  Supah, bought us Thai snacks and treats. We bought the snacks and headed onto the traditional Thai boat. We enjoyed a nice cruise up the river and from the boat we saw a beautiful temple and local fisherman doing their work. Some of the buildings and docks were sinking into the river, and I felt like I was on a ride at Disney World. The rotting wood and sinking docks made it feel like I was on the jungle cruise, but it was all real, and I was reminded of the simplicity and the historic culture of Thailand. It was cool to observe local Thai people in their natural environment. Some local kids were swimming in the river and a few times I spotted people just hanging out in the tree tops, enjoying the peacefulness of the river. It was a really relaxing experience and again, it was nice to spend time with our co-workers. I think we are going to do another boat tour of a local farm where we travel up small canals to observe flower gardens and what it takes to work at a local farm in Thailand. The floating market was really close to our school, and I am very grateful that we have local Thai people to show us these hidden gems that Alexis and I would never find on our own.

 Alexis and I with Pi Ju 

 With Pi Ju and the director of Kanchanapisek

 Students in traditional Thai costume

 We blend right in, right? 

 With our fellow teachers 

 Struggle.

 They asked us to move to the front- I felt bad because no one could see the talented students behind our clumsy moves !

 The fish in the river were HUGE! No swimming for me ! 

 

Local Thai fishermen 

 Looked like a scene from a fake Disney ride. 

Temple in Nakhon Pathom we saw from the river