Santhai Claus and His Little Elves

Even though it doesn’t really feel like the holiday season to me, (probably because of the warm weather here), it still feels wrong to be at work during the last week in December.  Some of my friends teaching at other schools have a nice 10-day break, but most of us only have a couple of days off after the New Year.  I shouldn’t really complain though; other than Monday, all classes have been cancelled this week, as the students had Sport Day (again) on Tuesday and Wednesday, and today was Teacher Appreciation Day, with a ceremony and related events in the morning and free time in the afternoon.  Tomorrow (Friday), the students have off, and I’m crossing my fingers for an early dismissal so I can get started on my weekend a little earlier.  One can hope!

As I mentioned in last week’s post, we had a huge all-day Christmas festival at school on Friday.  The festival was amazing; the school, teachers, and students really went all out, and it was probably one of the most fun days I’ve had so far (when you don’t have to teach, school is fun!).  The little girls are so stunning with their perfect makeup and beautiful costumes; the singing, dancing, skits, and contests were entertaining to say the least.  Here are a few select pictures from my day and night.

My special language class- these kids' parents request that they have extra English exposure, so I'm basically tutoring them as a group

So pretty!

Another special language class- these students put on a Christmas skit in English.  Notice all of the 'presents' hanging from the tree; they were empty boxes, and each one had a number written on it.  Students picked a present from the tree, and then got the corresponding numbered gift from a nearby table.  Each teacher brought a small gift to donate to the cause.  Super cute idea.  Side note- check out the twins on the right.

Ladyboy Teacher Pop- he/she is awesome!!  He choreographs a lot of the dances for the students- of course!

 Christmas party on Friday night for staff

This past Saturday was probably the most ‘normal’ Saturday I’ve had in over two months.  I slept in, did some laundry, and went running for the first time since I’ve been here (and was sore for two days afterward…pathetic!).  I then packed an overnight bag and headed to my local beach, Bang Saen.  Bang Saen is only 15 minutes away from me, but I’ve only been there once, and it was at night for the Loy Krathong holiday back in November.  I was anxious to check out the town during the day, and spent a good part of the afternoon and early evening checking out the promenade’s food and vendor stands (it's about two miles long), sitting on the beach, listening to my iPod, and relaxing like it was my job.  On Sunday, Kelsie and Audrey joined me, and we did more of the same; simply enjoyed a low-key Christmas Day at the beach.

I have a couple of days off for the New Year, and have booked a flight to the island of Koh Phangan on Saturday morning.  My friends Kelli and Laura have been there all week (they are a couple of the lucky ones who have an extended Christmas vacation), so I’ll be joining them just in time for the legendary Full Moon Party on New Year’s Eve.  Full Moon Parties typically take place once a month, and on New Year’s Eve, the all-night beach bash boasts over 30,000 attendees.  I heard about this party years ago when I was in Australia, and it’s been on my bucket list ever since.  The island is also supposed to have numerous beautiful beaches, so I’m hoping I have enough energy to do some exploring after experiencing the madness of a FMP.  Happy New Year from the future everyone!!! It’s actually the year 2554 in Thailand, so I can confirm that the world doesn’t end in 2012!  :-) Until next time….Sawatdee kah!

Merry Christmas!

As Thailand has officially entered the ‘cold’ season, I’ve noticed a slight change in temperature over the past week here in Chonburi.  Instead of 90+ degree days, the temperature is hovering around the mid-80s, and a nice breeze has replaced a bit of the humidity.  I am loving the new weather pattern, and it’s made teaching in classrooms which aren’t air conditioned a little more manageable.  On the other hand, my students have started to prepare for the worst; what would happen if the temperature never hits the 80s???  I just have to smile and laugh.

It was 79 degrees when I took this picture at 11:00am...I also have seen kids in puffy jackets with fur collars.  Is heat all relative?

I found out last week only by being in the right place at the right time that mid-terms were pushed ahead a week, meaning that I had to prepare exams for this week as opposed to the week of the 26^th.  I scrambled to put together four mid-terms in two days, and then realized that there was no way that I could give my Monday classes mid-terms because we had missed two Mondays in a row because of holidays.  I only see my classes once a week, so my two Monday classes are two sessions behind their classmates who I teach on the other days.  My school coordinator said I could push off the mid-term a week for those classes, so I tried to catch them up as quickly as possible this week.  Some of my other classes are behind a class or two as well, simply because there is always some last minute activity (field trip, Sport day) that I don’t know about until I show up to an empty classroom.  It seems to be Sport Day every other day, and I really have no clue how often or when each class is expected to participate.  It’s exactly what it sounds like though- children playing sports against each other. 

Tah, the cute gym teacher, who speaks maybe two words of English but tops up my glass with his own soda during lunch.  Aw.

Not sure how this little cutie got stuck holding the basket

Nothing like a little music on the sidelines to keep the crowd interested.  Of course I asked the DJ to play my favorite Thai pop song!

I also found out recently that students’ grades should be broken down as follows:  20% before mid-term, 30% mid-term, 10% after mid-term, 10% behavior, 10% portfolio, and 20% final.  I told my school coordinator that I can’t grade them on a portfolio because they don’t do homework, so I’m adding that 10% on to their ‘after mid-term’ percentage instead.  I gave all of my students two quizzes totaling 20 points before their mid-terms…

Either I’m the worst teacher in Thailand or these students aren’t listening to me.  Wait……

Hmm…it’s not technically wrong…

In order to pass the class, students only need to earn 50 out of 100 points.  If the student falls short, he/she can do an extra credit project to meet the minimum.  Bottom line- students HAVE to pass the class, which translates into not having any real incentive (that I can see) to listen and/or perform well.  I guess that explains a lot.

Last weekend, I headed up to Kanchanaburi to visit Laura and Kelli, two friends from my program.  There are a lot of things to do in and around Kanchanaburi, like visiting a 7-tier waterfall park, riding/bamboo rafting with elephants, and visiting a Tiger Temple.  Because I have spent pretty much every weekend packing in as much as I could see/do as possible, my only goals last weekend were to see friends, meet new people, and drink some Chang beer.  Kanchanaburi is also known to have a good nightlife and backpacker scene, and based on the fact that I was out both nights until 4am, I would say that the town did not disappoint.

On Saturday, a bunch of us headed to an area where we could swim and jump off of a bridge into the River Kwai.  The group consisted of other people from our program, friends of Laura’s and Kelli’s from Kanchanaburi, and other travelers we met out the night before and at one of the hostels on Saturday morning.  It was a collective crew of people from all over the world; definitely a very fun and relaxing day.

Through a random coincidence on Sunday, I ended up going to see a few of the closer sights of Kanchanaburi with Laura’s and Kelli’s friend Pom.  All in all, a great weekend in Kanchanaburi, and I will definitely go back next time with the intention of doing and seeing a little more.

Death Railway- http://www.visit-chiang-mai-online.com/death-railway.html

In front of the 'Bridge Over the River Kwai'

Though the majority of the Thai population is Buddhist and doesn't celebrate Christmas for religious reasons, it appears that Thai people love the holiday regardless because, as a wise Thai man once told me, 'Thai people like parties.'  Fair enough!  I've seen decorations around Chonburi (including at our school), and driving through Bangkok last week, I noticed beautiful Christmas lights everywhere.  At school on Friday, we are having an all-day Christmas event, and I have to prepare my special English class to dance and sing to ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’.  Everyone is dressing up in red or white, we are having six different activity stations for games and contests (I have to prepare/run one of the stations as well), and Santa and Mrs. Claus should be making an appearance too.  After the kids leave at 3:00, we are having a three-hour party with games and competitions for the teachers/staff, followed by a Christmas dinner and gift exchange/party which goes until 9:00pm.  I won’t be going anywhere too far this weekend, simply because I have to be at school Friday night and I don’t have any days off for the holiday.  Merry Christmas from Thailand everyone!!!  Hope you all have an incredible holiday.  Until next time….Sawatdee Kah!

The Amazing Race- Chiang Rai Edition

Last weekend, I flew to Chiang Rai to meet up with Holly, a friend from my program.  I headed to Bangkok on Friday night, caught the first plane out on Saturday morning, arrived at the hostel by 9:30am, and by 10:00am, we were off and running.  We approached a tuk-tuk driver, pulled out a list of things we wanted to see, negotiated a price, and started our self-tour of Chiang Rai. 

The White Temple- Wat Rong Khun.  They gave me a white skirt to put over my legs because I was wearing shorts.

Statue/Memorial of King Mengrai the Great

Wat Phra Singha

Wat Phra Kaeo

Black House- Baan Si Dum (Museum)

We saw four hill tribes.  This is the Long Neck tribe (Kayan tribe).  The members of these tribes are actually refugees from Burma (Myanmar).

This is the Palong tribe.  The earrings create huge holes in the earlobes.

On Sunday, we planned to head to Phuchifa Mountain to catch the sunrise.  They showed us a picture of Phuchifa during orientation, and since then, it has been one of the top things I wanted to do in Thailand.  The sun is supposed to rise through the clouds, illuminate the mountain, and create an almost ocean-like effect over the mountain tops. Phuchifa is two hours from Chiang Rai, and unless we wanted to leave the day before at 1:00pm and spend the night there, we had to go with a tour or find some other way to the mountain on Sunday morning.  The hostel hooked us up with Tom from the agency next door, and he was willing to drive us for a decent price.  We woke up at 2:30am, left by 3:00am, started our way up the mountain at 5:00am, and stood there in the cold and mist for two hours, anxiously waiting for the sun to make its appearance.  We were hoping to see something resembling this (thank you google images).....

Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating, and all we saw were clouds and mist.  SUCH a disappointment   :-(

Holly and I at the lookout point, still hopeful that the sun will come out....

The hundreds of others who joined in our disappointment.  Sunrise FAIL.

Exhausted from getting up so early, but not down for the count, we continued our tour of the area.  On our way back from the mountain, we made a couple of stops.

Trying to ride an ostrich.  FAIL. 

Phu Sang Waterfall- it's a warm water waterfall





We arrived back in Chiang Rai around 1:00pm, and Holly decided to take a well-deserved nap and check out the Hill Tribe Museum in town.  I continued the tour and made a few more stops.

The Golden Triangle- where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet at the Mekong River.

Wat Prathat Pukhao.  I liked the dragons outside of this temple more than the temple itself.  My last name Vishab means Dragon, so I thought this picture was appropriate.

Opium Museum

I really liked Chiang Rai and I definitely feel like we saw a lot in two days.  Two notable points; it's kind of cold in the north of Thailand!  It wasn't freezing, and I expected it to be cold on the mountain, but on Sunday, it was chilly walking around, and I wore a sweatshirt for the first time since I left the US back in October.  In Chonburi where I live, it's a lot hotter; I didn't mind the break from the heat, but I'd prefer a middle ground somewhere.  Also in Chiang Rai, I noticed a lot of travelers in their 40s and 50s (not people on vacation, but actual backpackers).  I saw some older couples, but many solo travelers too.  Before I began this trip, I was a little nervous about being in my 30s as opposed to my 20s; it's been a while since I've done the backpacker thing and I wasn't sure I could hack it again.  Seeing travelers in their 40s and 50s confirmed for me that you are never too old to take some time off to see the world!  I still stay in hostels, but get a private or double room with an ensuite bathroom as opposed to a dorm room with a bathroom in the hall.  With a few adjustments (if you require it like I do...haha), backpacking is still an incredible experience.  And in case you were considering doing the same thing, here's some extra motivation  http://www.ridiculouslyextraordinary.com/21-reasons-you-should-quit-your-day-job

Plans for this weekend are up in the air at this point.  I have a few options and am trying to figure out which one makes the most sense.  There's so much to see and do here that it's pretty hard to make a bad decision.  Until next time....Sawatdee kah!

Caves Are Cool

School is plugging along, and though I’ve become a little more used to the system here, I am still facing the same challenges I faced a few weeks ago.  Even with a Thai teacher in the classroom, most of the older kids have no interest in listening to what I have to say, so I’ve resorted to writing stuff on the board, walking around the classroom telling them to ‘copy, copy, copy’, and hoping they retain some of the information when I give them a mid-term in three weeks.  My special language classes, teacher training class, and kindergarten classes are good for the most part; it’s only my high school classes that are difficult, and unfortunately, I have a lot of them.  Silly bands and scratch-and-sniff stickers are pretty good rewards for the more attentive students in class, but for the majority, I’m just rolling with it, trying not to strain my voice in the process. 

I’m learning key Thai vocabulary/phrases on a daily basis, and have picked up a good bit along the way, even surprising myself sometimes.  I had a defining moment in my language class when I attempted to separate two boys who wouldn’t stop talking.  I pointed to one of them, said his name, pointed to a chair closer to me, and said, “Mah ti-ni, yudt ti-ni”, which essentially means, “Come here and stay/stop here.”  One of the other boys in the class said, “Ahhh, teacher speak Thai.”  My response to him?  “Chi kah, nidt-noi” (Yes, a little).  I patted myself on the back for that one :-D

Last weekend, a bunch of us headed to Hua Hin for the three-day holiday weekend.  Alex and Katie had a friend visiting from England (Chloe), and the three of them picked up Audrey, our friend Kelsie (who is also teaching in Chonburi), and me for the 5 hour drive.  Traffic is absolutely awful in Thailand, and coupled with a holiday weekend and having to drive through Bangkok…it was a long ride.  Another friend from our program, Sarah, met us in Hua Hin, bringing our total number to seven for the weekend.
 
On Saturday, Alex and Katie started their three-day kite surfing lesson; as you can see, it’s a perfect place for the sport.  I am dying to try it, but still couldn’t go in the water because of my foot, so I’ll have to do it another time.

Kelsie, Sarah, and Audrey went to Khao Sam Roi Yot NationaI Park, and Chloe hung out on the beach all day.  I hit the beach in the afternoon, but planned a half-day morning trip to a nearby town called Phetchaburi.  Phetchaburi had been on my radar for a while; the first stop was Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park.  Set high up on a mountain (you have to take a tram to get to it), the palace was established by King Rama IV in 1859 (http://www.thailandbuddy.com/travel/province/phetchaburi/Phra-Nakhon-Khiri-Historical-Park.html)

There are a million monkeys running around freely

He looks like he's thinking, "Don't steal my spotlight Shorty!"

Next, I went to Khao Luang cave. I was really excited to see this cave, and the pictures say it all.  The structures in the cave are massive; so cool!  Apparently, Nicholas Cage filmed part of a movie here called ‘Bangkok Dangerous’ (one star in America; five stars in Thailand).

Sunday, Sarah, Kelsie, and Audrey went back to Khao Sam Roi Yot, and this time I joined them.  The park is made up of caves, beaches, wildlife, and mountain scenery (the name means ‘300 Peaks’).  We had a vigorous one-hour hike up to the Phrayanakhon Cave; it was a good workout.

The view during our hike (see all of the peaks?)

Making friends

Hard to tell but we are actually inside of the cave here

The nightlife in Hua Hin was pretty much like the nightlife in a lot of areas in Thailand…old white men trying to pick up young Thai women/prostitutes. It’s really, really sad; I can only stand to be in that environment for so long before I call it a night.  I don’t think I even took one picture at the bars.

We have another long weekend this weekend (something like Constitution Day), and I am taking my first flight in Thailand up to Chiang Rai in the north.  There are several other people going this weekend and doing a three-day excursion, but I really want to see Phu Chi Fah mountain, which isn’t offered on the tour booked by the others.  I think a few others are up for seeing the mountain, but I guess I’ll find out when I get there.  I’m really looking forward to checking out this town; the north of Thailand is supposed to be really beautiful.  Until next time….Sawatdee kah!