Team Suphanburi

I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, and tell you how I fell into a boat on an island called Koh Samet. (Ohhh, Fresh Prince)

There are forces in the universe that are just beyond our capacity to understand. Do things really happen for a reason? Should Karma be taken more seriously? What separates the mind from the body? Assuming gravity is one of these forces, I begin my descent into a tale of how Thailand broke Laura Guenther.

I had a catastrophic run in with the force of gravity in Koh Samet, an island off the coast of Thailand. First of all, it was a fabulous weekend. I took Friday off and headed to the island Thursday evening (planned on meeting the rest of the crew coming there Friday night). Such a relaxing day on Friday, just laying on the beach, watching as people slowly filtered out of their bungalows, hotels, hostels, and shacks right on the beach to enjoy some breakfast with friends or family. The vendors were getting their ancient bamboo-over-the-shoulder-carriers ready for the day, filled with eggs, fruits, fried chicken, and other foods unrecognizable to my foreign eyes. I got my first "thai massage" since I've been here and it was... orgasmic. I miss my weekly visits with my chiropractor and the chiropractic masseuse that I would see in the States and my body was missing her too. Owner of truly the hardest of all shoulders and neck muscles in the world, I gladly accepted the elbows and feet applying massive pressure to all points on my back, legs, and even my arse. Friday night brought a storm, meaning my friends would be arriving much later than expected. Upon arrival, most were already drunk from their "booze cruise" from Bangkok and their extra drinks while waiting for the "okay" from the boat taxi to take them to the island once the storm had passed. It was a fun night playing in the rain, dancing to OLLLLD american pop music, and meeting random americans also there for a weekend away from their respective concrete villages and school sanctuaries. Saturday was much of the same, nothing too exciting. Sunday was exactly what I wanted... an early start for home because it would be about 4 hours to get to bangkok and then another, almost, 2 hours for me to make my way back to Suphanburi... I wanted to get there before dark because I had a few loose ends to tie together for the following week at school. A group of us were grabbing a ferry at 12:30. I took one step off of the dock, reached for the hand of a friend, and all giggles, not paying any attention to the distance between the dock and the ferry, nor the measure of the drop into the boat, my foot basically missed anything solid and went (i think) in between the two objects and my body flew forward. Having my heavy backpack and huge purse on my right arm probably didn't help my fall, but then again maybe their weight carried me INTO the ferry as opposed to just falling straight down into the water. Unsure of the specifics, I know I hit my left shin hella hard on the edge of the metal ferry step and threw the rest of my body onto my right thigh as I landed on it on something equally as hard. Ouch.

Both legs throbbed and I was in shock.. i thought i broke my femur.. and when i saw the blood it REALLY started to hurt.. then i got dizzy and started throwing up/gagging over the boat and almost passed out while people tried to bandage me and apply pressure to stop the bleeding.
Instantly bruised quad on my right leg and the large gash on my left leg required 3 stitches.
Thank all that is immortal that I had friends with me to take care of me and to "hold my hand" because the hospital was painful.. numbing shot didn't work too well. Anyway, I'm fine. I was more upset about my stupidity and how much this was going to affect my ability to get around. In the end, it was MUCH less painful throughout the next few days than expected. I went to the doctors that I know in Suphanburi that speak english and are parents to one of my students and checked for breaks/fractures, got new bandages, and realized that although extremely painful the first day the pain went away quickly and wasn't as much of a nuisance that I expected. Phew.



Khru Da (who I have talked about quite a bit, which I will refer to as Da, and is probably my best teacher friend at Supaluck) calls me a lot. I am usually hesitant to answer phone calls, even in America, because I just don't like making small talk sometimes and here it is especially difficult to understand a foreigner like myself. Let alone trying to understand the broken english/thai coming from the other end. However, I know that Da means well and she is HILARIOUS. I honestly find her more and more 'western' like by the day. She actually just called me (it is about 8am) and said, "Laura, come to school NOW" and I asked why. She laughed and said "I MISS YOU" Sounds cute, right? I just laugh, because I taught her the word miss and how to use it, like that she "misses" her husband during the week because he stays in Bangkok where he works and only comes home on weekends. We've basically started to refer to ourselves as long lost twins from opposite sides of the earth. At the EXACT same time I had my accident falling into the boat on Koh Samet, she fell off of a chair during the "Teacher Sports Day" and busted up her lip. We wear the same size shoe, love the same food (aka anything spicy, basically everything here), and we have similar senses of humor.

Da: "Laura I have speak with you, have talk...tell you"
Me: "umm.. ok
"next week. you have time? I have time. you have time?"
"time for what?!"
"ummmmmm... have time. weekend this you go koh samet. next week, have time?"
"oh yes.. I have time" realizing she meant to ask if i had plans for the next weekend or not
"we go beach. i tell husband. he say 'ok' ... take children sister, she say 'ok' ..."
"OK!"

Just a little insight to some of our conversations (difficult to try to type out, they are much more confusing and in depth than I alluded to, but once we DO understand each other it is giddy excitement).

So Cha Am Beach, here I come with my new Thai family. The first excursion we went on to a nearby temple and the 100 year old market in Suphanburi calmed my nerves with regard to spending time with this family. Now I'm quite inclined to sing along with the English songs they play while driving... hone in on their thai conversations when I recognize a thai word I know... and tickle the two sons, Leo and Levi, until they almost cry. I've referred to us as Team Suphanburi, and they think it is hilarious. What I find hilarious is their explanations for the nicknames of their sons. Leo, a popular beer in Thailand, and Levi, "like the jeans"
I'm awake and ready for our 4 am departure on Saturday morning, meaning I had a lovely Friday night alone in my apartment. That was sarcasm, in case you couldn't smell it. I was about to pull my hair out I was so bored. After the week (Tuesday-Friday) of teaching requiring me to stand and walk all day left my legs the antithesis of dainty. They were swollen and about to pop and I had some serious fluid build up around my stitches teamed up with new bruising under my right ankle. The thais at my school got a kick out of touching the fluid pocket and stopping me wherever I was walking to tell the nearby thai people about my condition (in thai, so I really had little idea what they were saying, if it even had to do with my injuries at all). I was done with work at 3 pm on Friday so I came home to elevate my leg, knowing this was the best idea ever. I looked at the clock at 4:25 pm and thought I should just take a sleeping pill and call it a night because laying on my bed wasn't keeping me interested. I reached for my book (one of the three I'm attempting to read right now) and read about 2 pages... blah. Turned the tv on to watch yet another random American movie, it was "Teeth" (just a plug about this movie.. which I actually have already seen... it is about a teenage girl that makes a holy vow to not have sex until marriage and her vagina then grows teeth, eating anything that enters its "cave" Not exactly the material I was looking for) so I turned off the tv. Went to my computer thinking I might have a few words to type out, but nothing. So I lay back down, put my leg in the air, and start texting (might as well see what everyone else in Thailand is up to while I self indulge in my solitude). Ultimately, I end up ordering food from "The Pizza Company" and because my salad and bread sticks weren't enough baht for them to deliver, I order 2 salads. And, yes, eat them both. 8:30 rolls around. I drink a beer instead of a sleeping pill and sleep through the night... well, until 3:20 am when my alarm went off. Nothing like magic, my leg had lost about 10 pounds and I was packed and ready for my day at the beach.

3.5 hour drive. Not bad at all. You don't see many thai people wearing bathing suits, especially women. Boys wear tight shorts and a shirt usually, to protect them from the sun. I had my bathing suit on but wore a dress, well knowing that I would likely not be flaunting my American skin as a guest with this fam. I actually wasn't supposed to go in the sea at all because of my stitches but the doctor gave me a waterproof bandage so I managed to get in just enough to splash with Leo and Levi, and what do ya know... ran into one of my students there. Very random when you are 200+ kilometers away from your school and you hear "TEACHAAA LARRRRLA" It was the first time for Leo and Levi to see or be in the sea and they loooooved it. We ate tons of seafood and upon further review decided it would be best to go back to Suphanburi that evening instead of spending the night in Cha Am. That way, we could all go to BuengChawak (http://www.hotsia.com/suphanburi/bueng%20chawak.shtml) on Sunday! (They all knew how badly I've been wanting to go there, so I was absolutely for it and very appreciative) We went to some more beaches, they names escape me, and had some lunch, stopped at a crazy candy shop where I definitely overindulged, and headed back, where I made them take us out for dinner so I could treat. OH MY GOD. I love the food here. But I seriously need to stop eating so much of it.

Funny I should mention that... I WILL HAVE to stop eating it come next week when I get my first Wisdom Tooth pulled out, thai style. Oh yeah. Bring on the local anesthesia (I asked for general just to see, and they laughed). It's an "easy" case for the specialist, seeing as my tooth has already shown its nasty little white head, and honestly, I'm not that nervous/scared/worried at all. I'm actually kinda proud of myself, maybe for my parent's sake, that I'm saving so much money in getting it done in Thailand. Medicine, Dentist visits, and teeth pulling (all-inclusive) will cost me around 100 dollars max. Holler.

At Bueng Chawak - Indigenous Gardens
(Leo, Da, Me, Sin)

Definitely picture worthy.. A fish named Gunther!

Watching the Thai scubadiver feed the big ones...

Jan, one of my fellow Kindergarten teachers. Such a nut.

Da's son, Leo, wearing my glasses on our trip home from the beach.

Da, her mother, and myself

Bald Eagle Pride

quick photo i got of my stitches in the hospital 3 days after the "incident"

props to the thai ER doc's in Rayong... pretty decent job!














Koh Samed; a bit overcast so it is hard to see the beautiful rolling hills/mountains in the
background


















My Kindergarten 3-2 class on "casual friday"

















A few photos of the "thai" Independence Day...































Beer and a free mug!















The infamous Katy Trunckwalter and myself at the "cold bar" in Bangkok... given the name by us Farang only because it has air conditioning and is a much needed relief from the heat outside... even though the prices are ridiculously too high

















MMMMMM... Best breakfast ever.

Mai Rue

So quite a bit has happened since my last post... Well, naturally. I hope that you all weren't expecting a dull and adventure-less update from me (I use the word "you" with a grain of salt not knowing at all who I refer to, but alas not the point). I cannot believe that it is already July. Independence day right around the corner, the corn just about up to the knee, and here I am in the middle of my first semester of teaching in Thailand and am finally swinging comfortably like the monkeys in the trees that I teach my children about. I don't know where to start with this update so I'm just going to type and hopefully it rolls off the keyboard making some sort of haphazard sense.

I like the idea of being alone but not alone at the same time. I love that I can come home to my apartment after school or at lunch and just be. Have some time to think. I really do cherish this time, but have been realizing lately that I don't NEED to go home and be by myself because there are many other things to do. I'm often asked to go for dinner or to sit and talk english with some of the thai teachers and parents at my school but have often declined thinking about how it will interrupt my "safe" time. It is soooo tiring after teaching 6 classes to think about using your native english in a dumbed down way to get adults to understand you for hours afterward. However, I've realized it is very much worth it. I've become very good friends with several of the thai teachers, including the principal and vice principal at my school (they are sisters). Monday evening I went over to their house, which is just up the road from Supaluck school, and ate dinner with them. Their house is AMAZING for Thailand, obviously, because they are loaded beyond belief. Tuesday, after my "after-school" class that Chin, the little boy I tutor, decided to join to see if having peers around him would encourage him to pay more attention, I went for ice cream with Chin and his mother to celebrate. Wednesday, I finished at school around 5 and was sitting around the outdoor cafeteria near the play garden talking with some teachers and letting the students climb all over me until about 5:45. Da, the teacher that I've become very good friends with and talk to daily, "forced" me to go with her and her son, Leo, to eat dinner. She always orders the best food so naturally I was dropped off at my apartment around 7 pm with a full belly. I am thoroughly enjoying the relationships I'm making here. I think a lot of it has to do with the humor that comes out of it. I am constantly being laughed at... not in a bad way, but I just do crazy things in class and make faces at the children to get their attention in a way that isn't common for Thai teachers... additionally, I try to speak thai all the time and I goof up a lot. I love making them laugh, especially when I'm the one laughing at them for them trying to speak english. One of my favorite things, and I honestly can't help but laugh when they do it, is when they grunt in agreement. The thai language is very tonal and a lot of times it sounds like they are talking out of their noses, so when they are doing the equivalent of our "ah, yes" agreement, it is more like a solid grunt, or throat clearing noise. It gets me every time.

Ok, let me backtrack a few weeks and talk about what I've actually done and where I've visited lately.

Hua Hin Jazz Festival: An absolutely breathtakingly beautiful beach on the Eastern border of Thailand. Took about 4 hours to get there by bus from Suphan Buri, longer than necessary because we had to make a stop to get the correct bus in Bangkok. Arrived Friday evening just in time for the USA World Cup game (I'm very sad that there are no longer USA games to watch after Saturday's pitiful display of football... err, soccer). Saturday was spent laying on the beach with friends where we were bombarded by vendors selling everything from hairbands to bed spreads to horses. Really didn't allow for much sleeping, but it was a wonderful day and AWESOME to be back on a beach, especially because it was a much smaller group than our normal 20+ posse. I rode a horse along the beach for a bit, ate delicious food, and come dusk, the music began and people came out of every corner and piled on top of each other amidst food stands, bright neon lights, port-a-pottys, and the sound of rushing waves as the tide went down. The music was phenomenal, I mean it would have to be the equivalent of all the live shows I'm missing back home (ahem... serious sad face) but it really was great. I declared it more of a Jam/Blues/Funk/Jazz Fest, so yeah, right up my alley. Sunday was the trek back home (after VERY little sleep in a hot box of a room) and so I was completely down for some American therapy with two girls from my training group, Randi and Katy. We got dropped off at a huge mall on the outskirts of Bangkok - 6 stories (wait, maybe 4?) with a water park on top. We ate some delicious dim yum and tofu soup and who knows what else, followed immediately by ice cream sundaes from Swensen's. Walked around the mall, obviously being gawked at not only because we were the only farang in the area, but we were trekking with huge backpacks wearing our finest backpackers apparel and eating enough food to feed a small army. People tend to smile in delight when they see us though, it's interesting, like "hey, people like our country, so they come to our mall?!" Anyway, the main attraction of that Sunday was going to the movies. LOVE THEM. It is a wonderful and relaxing way to spend 3 dollars in Thailand. We saw Prince of Persia. I'm telling you, the theatres in Thailand are twice as nice as America's and I'm not just saying it because they are a mere fraction of the cost. They really are great. They have sooo many flavors of popcorn, and best of all they have the national anthem that plays before every movie so you get to stand up and pay respect to the country (geek alert). All in all, a fabulous weekend and another Sunday that I didn't want to make the trek back to Suphan Buri.

The week after, Katy (from New Jersey), didn't have classes all week (LUCKY!!) so she came Tuesday to stay with me for the night. Suphan Buri is a bit more of a trek for people who live in the greater Bangkok area, so it was nice that she had a few days off and could come up. Naturally, my lovely apartment and hospitality and great company lead her to stay for what ended up being 4 days, followed by her impeccable persuasion skills to return back to Bangkok with her on Friday after school. We're a duo straight from the nut house. Seriously.. (Katy, if you are reading this, you know I mean this in the best, and most hilarious way) Aside from Katy's arrival to Suphan Buri, there was much more chaos in my school life. YWAM (Youth With A Mission.. formerly Cowboy's With A Mission) had entered my Supaluck School bubble, which would last two weeks. I was aware of there arrival weeks ago, but still didn't understand their purpose as missionaries in a private school in Thailand. Either way there are about 13 of them, from Canada and USA mainly, that come from a discipleship school in Montana. The school is 5 months and the last 2 are spent abroad. Anyway, 2-3 of them follow me around all day, thank goodness I came to the conclusion earlier that I didn't NEED to be alone haha.

For a little taste of home, a friend coordinated a 3v3 basketball tournament at her pad (obviously, she has a full court basketball court in her apartment complex) the following weekend. It was an intense Saturday, especially after an intense Friday night of drinking in Bangkok, filled with too much sweat, skinned knees and elbows, and sheer realization of how out of shape I am. Nevertheless, my team won! 300 baht richer, we decided to end the day with free margaritas (for girls, haha) and some mexican and some odd dancing at a few places. I planned to take a 6 am bus home, so I didn't make arrangements to 'sleep' anywhere. I typically find that when I actually do make arrangements to sleep somewhere in Bangkok, I don't usually end up getting anything close to being defined as sleep. More often than not, I find myself awake by 6 or 7 in the morning after getting in around 3am, and waking others up to join in my solitude. Either way, I got a tad bit of shuteye on my bus ride home. I suppose I should mention my reasoning for taking such an early route home... I had made plans with a thai teacher and her family to go visit a nearby temple and visit Suphanburi's infamous 100 year old market, Samchuk. I was told I would be picked up at 9am and didn't want to be late. On just a few moments of sleep I had a fabulous day and was very thrilled to have seen a few other parts of my town and to have a wonderful family to share it with, all ending with a delicious meal, several souvenirs, and a multitude of pictures. I even got to present gifts to a monk and chant with the family in a buddhist ceremony. The rest of my Sunday was spent sleeping, leading into my next week to be named "Laura's sleep-a-thon"

I literally spent more time asleep than awake. Averaging about 11 hours each night, and at least one nap (usually during my lunch period) each day, I had no idea what was going on with my body. Mono? Again? Did basketball really tucker me out that much?! Or was I bored? I welcomed my new hobby remembering the sleepless nights I spent on countless occasions throughout my college career and life in general. It really is amazing how the mind can just shut off sometimes. Not only was I sleeping through this week, I wasn't doing much of anything else, including my typical journaling or meditating or exercising or reading or general moving at all.

So, I've vowed to give up killing for a week. Jokes aside, it is difficult. I'm used to swatting at any insect (i.e. mosquito that tempts me with the possibility of typhoid if bitten) that lands on me and when I see a spider in my room or ant on my balcony my first instinct is to end it's life so I don't have to look at it anymore. Let me tell you HOW many ants live on my balcony. I could spend hours just watching them march around on and between the cracks of my walls. They line up and begin a descent to the ground, but there is always one or two that is going in the opposite direction. Interestingly enough, it stops and "chats" with each and every ant on it's way. I always wonder what they are saying, or maybe they are just kissing good-bye? "Hey man, I'm pretty sure you're gonna get killed by that white giant down there, but don't let me be the one to squash your dreams.. pun intended!" Yeah, I guess I'd like to think that even the smallest of animals have a sense of humor. Or maybe, "Hi, what's your name, what tribe do you come from? Oh, okay, well have a good look around and we will meet at the tribal festival at dusk." Anyway, I've decided that in karma induced enlightenment to no longer kill these little guys. I was speaking with a thai friend about how for 4 years she stopped killing mosquitoes around her and she is no longer bothered by them. According to the Buddhist way of life, each ant/insect/bug/snake/etc could have been my (or your) mother in a previous life. Either way, it has been haunting me (at least I think so). I haven't been attacked by so many bugs/mosquitoes/i don't know what's since I've been here (well, maybe except for when I slept outside on Phi Phi Island and woke up with what I thought was severe chicken pox on my legs). I'm constantly scratching my legs, shoulders, neck, and head, but I'm confident that this is just a test - I'm sure there must me some sort if hazing or initiation for such a vow. Ha. I even had to shower with a spider the other day. Then again maybe I'm just going crazy; I couldn't find my deodorant this afternoon and later found it in my fridge?! Cooly fresh armpits might be my new favorite thing.

Happy 4th of July to everyone... I am now continuing this post on July 5th. I had a decent weekend; some definite highs and lows. Passed through my largest bough of homesicknesses. Not at all certain what triggered it as I have had a wonderful week where I really realized how great the relationships I've made here are. Spent a lot of time with different teachers and thai families doing "cultural" things around Suphanburi, and eating out with them at various "restaurants" with the best food. I did, however, unfortunately get to experience a thai funeral as well. A very good teacher friend of mine, who actually spent a few years living in California so hwer english is great, lost her brother just a few days ago. The cermony was during the evening so I went with a few other teachers to show support. Of course, I was the ONLY America, but because I was surrounded with people that knew me (and would actually talk to me... i.e. weren't actually embarrassed to be associated with me [what a nice feeling! ha j/k]) I didn't feel that out of place. It was interesting, especially in the end when everyone got a surprise box. Thinking we would offer the food/drink inside to the monks in honor of the recently deceased, I didn't think much of it. Then I asked... and soon found out... we got to feast! Cultural surprises make my time here very interesting and fabulous.

I spent my 4th of July weekend a bit differently than normal, even for me here in Thailand. I actually stayed (gasp) at home in Suphan Buri friday evening. Wasn't feeling the best after the week of nonstop sleep and was talked into going out with a fellow kindergarten thai teacher that is about my age and some of her friends to "dance" and meet her sister who was visiting from Switzerland. Long story short, dinner was FABULOUS, and everyone was very nice, especially after a few 'towers' of Leo beer followed by some slushy whiskey/vodka concoctions that kept coming like kids in a candy store. I swear, I could have just stood up and everyone in the place would have burst out in laughter, oh wait, that DID happen. There are a plethora of videos and pictures documenting my night with the thai locals, none of which I have access to... scary. A few of them that were captured on the phone of one of my co-workers surfaced in the middle of the funeral... this being the one where we were eating a chocolate bar and made it cover our teeth so we looked like homeless and dirty old men. Classy, really glad people here are starting to get to know the 'real' me?! Saturday I headed for Bangkok and met a few friends at an International school that was throwing an "Independence Day" fiesta for all the Americans in the area. It was interesting to say the least. The beer was delicious, and so was the free Dairy Queen ice cream cones, but I was realllllly bummed that I didn't win the egg toss. :( Pretty uneventful 4th of July... the evening was fun, though, ending in more dancing and chanting the National Anthem while running the streets holding the America Flag.... oh, crazy americans.




The GIANT dragon in Suphan Buri. I traveled inside it, which is a vast trek into the history of Chinese and Thailand relations reaching farther back than "The Art of War" times...













My little buddy, Chin, and I inside the dragon... I'm wearing the super trendy American/English tourist gear to get the full enjoyment out of my little adventure.











My 6th grade class. Oh so excited to learn... NOT














Wat Mueng (literally translated to 'Purple Temple')

"Achita, will you please come up and touch 'ball'?"

I almost lost it while reviewing with my Kindergarten 2 class after announcing what has been deemed the title of this blog. No, obviously none of the 5 year olds, nor the 3 other thai teachers and assistants in my classroom at the time understood my immature nature while acknowledging this phrase. I still get giddy when I draw all the toys I've taught those little shorties on the board and call them up one by one to "touch" the toy that I say. Achita, well that is just a name that sticks with me. It is so fun to say, try it - achiiitaaaaa. Not to mention he has no upper teeth right now and loooooves to smile. He also, during a thai class one day, drew a picture of me when they were asked to draw their favorite teacher. What can I say, out of 150+ students, someone has to like me, right??

So I want to talk about the little boy, Chin, that I tutor for and teach swimming lessons to (although I don't think there will be a lot of swimming going on because my schedule is very busy). I love him, but I sometimes cannot stand his attitude. I understand he is 3 1/2 years old and that must be tough. His attention is about that of a goldfish and his mother is nothing less than spoiling him. She continually tells me now how much he is to handle and I absolutely agree with her. However, her showering him with compliments and giving him whatever he wants isn't teaching him any sort of morals let alone discipline. If I try to scold him at all he will run away, refuse to hold my hand, or talk bad about me in thai. I want to tell this mother to get firm with that damn boy, but alas, there is more to the story of parenting that I obviously know. Her husband, Chin's father, lives in Bangkok for the week and comes home only on Fridays. I can't even imagine how hard it must be for her to only have her son all week without any help and NOT want to spoil him to make him love her (not that he wouldn't already, because he does). I'm not thanking my mother for scolding me in the supermarket or slapping me in the head when I made rude remarks or acted out foolishly in public (when I was his age... although I'm sure there have been several times during my "adult" life my mother has wanted to slap the daylights out of me... but we will leave that for another story time) but I do understand the magnitude of such discipline and the character traits each person might or might not develop dependent on the type of parenting or influences they have at a young age.
Anyway, I just got back from my first pizza hut excursion in Thailand with Chin and his mother. Yummmm. But those asians seriously eat one SMALL piece and are done - I could have eaten way more than the two pieces and chicken wing and salad that I had, but since I wasn't paying I was trying to be polite :) Chin has a GREAT memory so I am constantly quizzing him on items such as table, chair, square, triangle, etc. I thought it would be convenient to teach him how to say knife and fork considering they were on the table with us. However, after trying to get him to pronounce 'fork' I had an obnoxious 3 year old screaming "FUCK, FUCK.... FUCK" in the middle of this western restaurant. Oops.

I once read in a book, "..in order to make somebody laugh, you have to be interesting, and in order to be interesting, you have to do things that are mean. Comedy comes out of anger, and interesting comes out of angry; otherwise there is no conflict." However, we forgive comedians for their judgmental statements and one-sided explanations for life problems. Many people use comedy to express their anger. I think this it is funny and quite acceptable and healthy. But I'm not here to write any life rules; it is pretty consuming just living one's life.
The most recent comical situation I've been a part of would have to be a recent morning at school in my Primary 6-1 classroom. We were talking about vacations and it morphed into how long the kids have lived in Thailand. I thought I'd bring my experience to the conversation, considering I was supposed to be leading it, and said I've lived in America for... I paused thinking how many years... and one of the kids yelled out "40 years!!!" I was like, whoa. You think I'm THAT old?! SO another kid says, "35 years" then "30" Finally, I told them I was going to cry and screamed that I'm YI-SIP-SAM (thai for 23). Sheesh, maybe my hippie style flowy teacher clothes and my hair in a bun complete with glasses look isn't really benefiting my appearance. Then again, it is nice waking up and not worrying about how you look because regardless of what you wear, you WILL stick out like a sore thumb. You are a farang, Laura. Embrace it, even if it means you must age 15+ years.


It's weird when I think about how I wanted a super professional maybe corporate job and compare it to what I'm doing now... it is hard to sort out your emotions when everything around you and everything in your life is moving so quickly. I can honestly say that I'm not sure what "job" I want. I do know what I want with respect to fulfilling my inner need to explore, expand, and learn.
I'm a habitual over-thinker. I have sabotaged more than one relationship or even just different opportunities in my life because of it. I simply often get lost in my own head and get detached from reality. I'm not trying to imply that I'm also a habitually unsatisfied person but I swear my apartment is either too bright or too cold. I have these horrendous rotten lemon/stale urine colored drapes on my wall that is, yes, made entirely of windows. Pair that with the 7 am sun and it makes it almost impossible to sleep. However, come 6 or 7 pm and my lights aren't bright enough and make me feel like I'm in Amsterdam chilling out at a "cafe" on a Sunday evening. Additionally, I'm either sweating like a heroine addict in rehab or like an ice cold water bottle sitting on asphalt in Houston in July or I'm freezing in my air conditioning like Scanner Dan on State Street on a blistering winter day in December.


Today (June 2nd) I was sitting on my balcony at lunch and was thinking about how I originally had thought that I would only stay teaching here for a couple months and come home. How I had talked with friends about being back early and being able to maybe move to Chicago, and being able to go to the Badger game in Vegas in September, and being able to make it to some of the weddings in September, and being able to see Megan Grundahl's baby (she is so beautiful!!!). However, while sitting in 95 degree heat I couldn't think of another place I wanted to be (probably had a lot to do with the fact I was 6 inches from air conditioned paradise). I began at one small moment to not worry about "missing out" on things at home. However, today (June 7th) I had the absolute opposite, well maybe not 'absolute' but something along those lines, feeling. My life has interestingly enough been taken over by small children and my ability to teach them simple english sayings, making props to make their learning more entertaining (and maybe like me better as a teacher), relearning grammar to engrave into my 6th grader's heads, and preparing for quizzes and tests (aka making sure I know WHEN they are and that I actually have enough of them copied and the students are somewhat prepared for them). Wow. Is this what I'm supposed to be doing? Should I even care?

Thank GOD (or Buddha?) Kindergartners LOVE me (not to toot my own horn, but seriously, 4/5/6 year olds love everyone...). I don't think I'd be able to come back everyday without ending each day with several hugs from these tiny ferocious balls of... hmm can't really think of an appropriate word here so I'll leave that up to you. its kinda ego boosting having your name chanted as you leave and enter school and have tons of kids running up to you to hug you
"teacher larrrla"
i'm sadly obsessed with small children. People in my group are telling me it is becoming a problem, but maybe it's my christian upbringing showing it's true colors?

Buddhists everywhere say that the essence of all reality is dukhka, which translates as “suffering through incompletion” - the idea that nothing is ever enough. Some people experience this through obvious addictions to drugs or alcohol, but sometimes just the right about of something seems to eliminate all the dukhka for a while. I think a few sips of a nice cold Spotted Cow might take away all of my dukhka for a few solid minutes… I sometimes, however, get this feeling when I travel to new places, see new lifestyles, or embark on a new life mission (most of my missions are short-term, but I like to think that things like striving to be more organized like others is somewhat of a mission). I realize, like a chill, that all of this had been going on without me: Thailand was here and had been pumping away all while I was in America studying, while I was in Spain exploring, and while I was laying in the green grass on my farm - not to mention the rest of Asia, all of the Monks and Buddhists, India, Australia, etc. All of this has been going on without me. And no one cares whether I came or went, no one cares what I did or felt. This is a freedom that I find both rewarding and frightening. Everyone wants to be an individual, but realizing how easy it is to get lost into the crowd of the world is mind shattering to say the least. No one knows that I’m laying on my bed right now, books scattered everywhere because I can’t read just one book at a time, typing this message on my laptop. No one knows how I am perceiving the thai lifestyle or the strange construction workers I see everyday across my balcony. No wonder so many people crave fame - I suppose it allows you the illusion that you are someone. On the same note, a book I once read touched on this subject, “No wonder people need to pretend that God is watching them all the time. Any illusion would be better than this loneliness, this awareness of infinitesimal existence..” Hmm… time to start living I guess, stop talking about doing it, and stop talking about what I am doing, just do.


I'll end with that. Happy summer to you all. Didn't even realize that in America summer is upon you all, seems as if everything has continued back home as it was in April when I left, but then again, we know that isn't the case. Enjoy the cookouts, cold beer, friends and family, and most importantly, yourselves. XOXO

A case of the herbs...

An actual argument that I participated in with a few english folk and one new zealand kiwi. How to pronounce 'herb' and whether you can call someone an 'herb' - assuming it is like making fun of them (you tard! quit acting like an herb!). wtf?! Obviously, I pronounced it with a silent 'h' whereas the rest said it like a freaking name (i.e. Uncle Herb - short for Herbert?). The last straw was when miss kiwi, Hana, called me an herb and said I'd better like it. "You're such a rosemary" "That is such Basil talk" "Stop acting like Oregano" I just don't get it... To me it sounds like you are telling someone they just got a sick STD. Hence, a case of the herbs. Or maybe I'll start using it to describe the heat rash I've acquired on my shoulders - which I have been calling my shoulder AIDS. They're awkwardly fun to pick at. ewwww

Sloppy seconds in Bangkok. I was there for a few short, but wonderful, days before my training in Phuket. The second time around was a bit more lively - mainly because I had a crew that wasn't, unlike Sean Lopez, sicker than a dog. I made it there Friday afternoon and met up with Sean and a few of the kids from my ATI (American TESOL Institute) course at a hostel near Khao San road. It was sooooo good to see familiar faces, especially one that I've known through college. Everyone loved Sean, of course, because they compared him to my "craziness" whatever that means... :) We went out that night and caught up (I was the only one that had already taught for a full week) and stayed at a hostel in Bangkok. It had been quite some time (lets say.... a week) since I've had more than one or two beers in a sitting so needless to say I was well on my way to liquor heaven. It ended up being a much earlier night for me than the rest, but I was pretty happy about that because I got a full day on Saturday of shopping around Bangkok and also headed that afternoon to Mike and Esterina's (two people in my training class) pad in Bangkok where they have a swimming pool on the 4th floor - I bought a pair of togs (I've resorted to calling them this after spending so much time with Austrailians, New Zealanders, and English... and by togs I mean bathing suit or bikini) on Khao San because it was so unbelievable hot and I neeeeeeeded a dip in a cool pool. Great apartment. Great people.

Best part was probably going with Hana, the solo kiwi in our group, to meet up with her father and family friends that moved to Bangkok a few years ago. I love meeting peoples parents... I think it shows so much about someone's character and I'm definitely a person that asks tons of questions and is so intrigued by just about anything that is different from my norm (a norm that is vastly expanding and morphing). Her father and family friends were so welcoming. We went to the 26th floor of a baller hotel downtown Bangkok (think Wayne's World - Benjamin's apartment... "you could really hawk a loogie from up here" - yeah, I said that) for a few mojitos and then to a Mediterranean joint that had the BEST falafel that I've ever had. YUMMMM. I'm sure many of you (if there are any of you?) are wondering about all the hype that Bangkok is producing for worldly news. In my opinion, it is a tad blown out of proportion and the story being told on CNN or BBC isn't even close to the whole story. Things in Bangkok are looking pretty shaky, but I'm not super worried about it. The media is being quite sensationalist about the protests, and that is making things worse. If you're not up on the news, check this out: http://bangkokpost.com/news/thaksin-judgement-day/ The shit is about to hit the fan in Bangkok, but something needs to be done soon. Bangkok businesses are losing 6 million US dollars a day from the protests, and the actual losses from the loss in tourism and foreign investment are innumerable. Make no mistake about it though, this is between rival factions in Thailand and has nothing to do with farang (their term for foreigner). Only a very tiny area is plagued with violence, and they are easy to avoid. Demonstrations here are limited to a small area -- usually right around the government buildings. Simply avoid going to those areas, and you will never know anything is out of the ordinary. In 99% of Bangkok, life goes on as usual.

And now I diverge:
As humans, we all have a storytelling problem. We're far too quick to come up with explanations for things we don't really have an explanation for or don't understand. Why did I even come here? I tried to come up with a reason months before my move - probably just to make myself feel more centered and certain of my decision. Think about what woman always say they want in a man, and then look at the type of people they are actually dating or attracted to. Doesn't usually match up. Sigmund Freud once said: "When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vital matters, however, such as the choice of a mate or a profession, the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves. In the important decisions of personal life, we should be governed, I think, by the deep inner needs of our nature." For me, decisions aren't something that always come easily. Sometimes the most random things stress me out, like what color I should paint my toenails, or if I should even paint them or not. Other times decisions that should probably stress me out don't. Why can't I just make a damn decision and understand that there are so many times that decisions are made and there are a myriad of possible responses, so decinding the outcome of each possible response is not only a waste of time and near impossible, but also not my style at all. Things make me nervous. Change being one of them. Relying on my unconscious that happens in a split second without my knowledge isn't exactly reassuring to me. It is like standing at the edge of a mountain ledge with a one foot railing. I will always be tempting myself in my head to jump; I'm not sure I trust myself enough to step out on such a ledge. I think Thailand might be this ledge for me. The truth is that for the most important decisions, there can be no certainty.

And I'm back:
After my first week and a half I was more than surprised (and not to mention thrilled) that my school was so relaxed and they teachers for the most part were very cool and helpful with keeping the kids in line, which was really only needed for my Kindergarteners. Having the freedom to leave at lunch (or whenever, really), no requirement to attend morning assembly (most of the other foreign teachers at other schools in Thailand need to be at school around 7:30 and canNOT leave until around 4), no one monitoring what I am teaching or how I am doing it, and being done by 3 everyday and able to rush home makes my life here so fabulous. I don't think I would be able to handle HAVING to be at school from 7:30 - 4:00 everyday. But then again, I never have been a fan of rules. Anyway, after said week and a half, I ran into the School Director after lunch and she said she wanted to talk with me after school (shit). I was totally thinking that this was the time when I got spoken to about my dress (I mentioned before that it is much more relaxed as well and I can wear pants, flip flops, and keep my piercings and dreads in) and about my class conduct. I was less than excited to embark on this "discussion" but low and behold... she just wanted to chat! She seriously asked if I was worried about Bangkok, if my apartment was okay, if I had everything I needed to teach, and that she wanted to take me out to lunch the next day and show me around. Hella sweet lady - positive crunch (I'll site the source - Sean Lope). So I met her for lunch the next day and her three nieces were in the decked out SUV that picked us up. We drove around, grabbed some fried bananas and syrup and went to a noodle restaurant. Jan, the daughter to my English Head Teacher, Supamas, was with and the other two girls were great. Didn't want to talk english to me at all, but they warmed up. Actually, the younger of the two, Sam, came into my last class of the day (being the Principle, Supaluck, daughters they know most of the teachers and can do whatever they want) and made me laugh so hard because she went to the back of the room while I was teaching and started chopping her hair off! Apparently she wanted bangs and her mother didn't want her to so she did it herself! I mean SHORT SHORT bangs. She had hair stuck all over her face when she ran up to me... "Ok?? Too SHORT?! Can you help me?!" I had to stop class I was so hysterical but luckily they turned out ok. So at lunch we were talking about the markets and randomly decided to all meet at 5:30 after school and walk along the river and to the fresh open night markets because I hadn't been to them yet and wanted to know where the river was. Sam, Jan, the School Director (Ni) and myself went on quite the adventure. Needless to say Sam warmed up to me and her english is great. I honestly have been more than adopted by the family that owns/runs the school. It is the three sisters (however, this is far from a Cinderella story, but I'm still ruffling with those feathers at the moment and don't at all want to get into political drama with my school) that basically run it and they all have taken me under their wing. Michael and Supamas (and Jan) took me around my first week which I thought was unnecessary but much appreciated, but now this... I must have done something good to deserve this? I mean just a few days ago I broke my first mirror. So my fridge is now stocked full of fruit and salads and I have eaten many a meal FO FREE. Yes, Mom, I offered to pay but was declined. Oh, and Sam's sister requests my presence for lunch tomorrow (I feel like royalty, or maybe being asked to the princess' ball). They love me, they realllly love me.

In addition, I've made several new friends in Suphan Buri, somewhat thanks to my damn A/C breaking in my room. Met a large handful (I guess that would be two handfuls?) of Americans (and one Tazmanian gentleman) that are all my age teaching in the area and live a few floors above me. Never knew I had other whites in my building - yay. We went to dinner, errr I just jumped in front of them as they were leaving the building and invited myself. They're taking me to their favorite "club" on Friday as a welcoming. Song Sam whiskey and coke here I come! The larger part of tihs story should include that my A/C broke. In 100 degree weather. Where I sweat 'til I can't sweat no morrrrre. The ladies at the front desk gave me a fan. Thanks. For the plastic excuse for a wind producer just to make my hair/clothes/bedding stick to my overly sweaty extremities. I can't complain though, well I can, but I shouldn't.


Thais are blunt. Jan, the daughter of the head english teacher (Supamas) is constantly being told by her family and aunts and teachers at my school that she is fat. Straight out - Jan, you are fat. No more eating; more exercising. Then they point at her forhead and make fun of her in thai... to which I'm assuming is talking about her acne. She is 16 - who DIDN'T have acne then!? I wonder what they can say about me for buddha's sake! I can't even find clothes big enough to fit my big ass here, let alone shoes! And sweating this much canNOT be attractive to thai people at all...

On a sidenote: Kindergarteners are soooo intriguing to watch. Ultimate people watching every day for me. For instance, when I let them color their "quizes" when they are done. Some of them attack the paper with one large crayon in about 10 seconds and run up to me... "Teacher Laura.. done!" As if being the first done allows them a prize of some sort. Others take their time, picking up each color and making the smallest mark ever, basically unnoticeable, and tilting their heads while looking at what they have to assume is a masterpiece of fine art and won't even let me look at it until they are finished. Some kids just plain like to draw with pencil... interesting. I wish I could ask them if they are colorblind? The teachers have really warmed up to me - one wants to talk to me everyday in English (this being the one I was actually scared of in the beginning because she was so damn strict with her students and didn't seem to understand a word I was saying) so that is a good feeling.

Hana and I (at Benjamin's apartment)

Tractors... in Thailand!

See, Mom. I'm still messy when I'm not at home!

The Ladyboy romance of Pinky

For lack of a better name for this blog, I chose this one. Thursday was a national holiday in Thailand so there were no classes; I found out Wednesday evening. So I found myself ecstatic and happy as a clam for my first day off. Went to a Thai barbeque with one of the head english teachers at my school and two other teachers from another school right next to ours. Me and three older men. It was kinda like hanging out with my Dad and his buds... but not really quite as entertaining. I've come to find out that the Province, Suphan buri, that I live/work in isn't at all extrememly touristy, so any and almost all white people you see here are working and/or teaching, and apparently most of them are older men. By older I don't necessarily mean 40s or 50s like my father, I just haven't come across any other females or 20 somethings. I do work with one man whom I would guess to be around 30 that is from Minnesota. Everyone is extremely friendly, and we actually were discussing over dinner techniques for teaching younger children. Anyway, after dinner with the men, I came home to my apartment and looked online for somewhere to explore the next day. I decided on Chai nat - seemed like a nearby place that is still part of my province (i think) and there was a very interesting looking lake and wildlife extension center that I realllllly wanted to see. Finalized. That was my plan.

Skyped with the madre in the morning and took off for Chai nat, only to find that the tuk tuk was going to charge me 1,000 baht (YEAH, RIGHT!) so I told him to take me to the bus station. I figured I should learn now how to use the bus station anyway. On the way, the driver dropped the price to take me there himself down to 700 baht. Got to the bus station, where again no one spoke english, and jumped on the next bus to Chai nat for 60 baht. What a bargain, eh? Needless to say, I had NO idea when to get off as the buses stop about 34 times between the two places... I saw the lake area that I wanted to go to and got off a few stops after... was warned by the thai bus worker to come back on the bus and I tried to tell him that I just wanted to get off here (it looked pretty lively, and I didn't want to get too far from my intended destination). The bus ride was great. Such a beautiful landscape here - I've heard that about Supan buri but haven't had the chance to experience it. It pretty much is the academic capital of Thailand. We passed so many universities, research centers (totally thought of you, Uncly Jerry, when we passed that) and completely open green fields and rolling hills. I do not, however have any pictures. The bus was wild. I felt like I was back in the 70s riding on a Greatful Dead groupie bus. Fans on the ceiling, mirrors everywhere, obnoxiously colored, etc. I noticed that all the windows, although open, had serious cracks in them. I was assuming that the bumpy ride might have caused them to slam shut at some point so I was too scared to extend my arms past the bus interior. My sentiments were echoed when the bus worker collecting fares came on and only had one arm. I'm not saying it was a bus incident per se, but hey, I wasn't about to head to the Thai hospital just to send you freaks some likely blurry pictures of landscape you can just google.

Which brings me to Pinky. Sitting in front of me were what I assumed to be a thai high school couple. They got pretty comfy during the bus trip. A woman (there is always a good samaritan in this part of the world to help out helpless tourists like myself) talked to them in thai and told them I needed to get off at Cha nat. I was, however, unaware of this conversation. Ten minutes later Pinky jumps off the bus and when he comes back he brings me a Pepsi - I was shocked. He then asked me my name.. and told me his, which I will now be referring to as he/she. I'm not saying thai men are by any means masculine like our beefy American boys, but sometimes woman just have features, such as teeth, that are quite unique in presenting themselves as very feminine. Pinky had femmy teeth. And he/she was much smaller than his/her 'partner' with a much higher voice (I should not base judgment on tone of voice because we all know I'm a bit deeper than most girlies). It was an interesting and up close and personal engagement with a ladyboy. I figured I could just take the bus all the way home because that was about enough enjoyment for one day in Thailand alone, but I got off anyway... The way I see it, there shouldn't be a problem if some boy wants to dress like a female, play with his long and luxurious hair, or even find love with a female classmate. I mean, half of the marriages in the world don't even work out, probably weren't even meant to be. Love, in the end, will not, despite what they tell you, conquer all... so whatever works. Life isn't on paper, and if it were it would be much less boring. I would, perhaps, have less panic attacks when making small decisions because they would be made for me, but I'd even prefer my freak out sessions to bounded copy of my predetermined life.

MY SCHEDULE:
Monday/Friday:
8:30 Kindergarten 2-2
9:50 Kindergarten 2-1
10:50 Kindergarten 3-2
11:40 Lunch (yessssss)
1:00 Kindergarten 3-1
2:00 Primary 6-1

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday
8:50 Primary 6-1
9:50 Kindergarten 2-1
10:50 Kindergarten 3-2
11:40 Lunch (yessssss)
1:00 Kindergarten 3-1
2:00 Kindergarten 2-2

Holy monkey balls. Teaching Kindergarten is a trip! The first day was chaos. Laura = not prepared for kids of this literacy level in 100 degree weather. Thank god some of the classrooms were air conditioned. I literally didn't have any direction and was only told that the first week I should get to know the kids, etc. Well, the name game doesn't work if they don't know their own names (I actually had a 6th grader today tell me he doesn't know how to spell his last name?!). I ended up trying to repeat a lesson from our training that I had to do about the jungle. I acted out as many animals as I could (elephant [a noise and action that I am not at all timid to say I have mastered/perfected], monkey, frog, cat, lion, snake, etc). The K classes laughed so hard at my immaturity as their new english teacher. I only have about 25 kid in each of my four classes of Kindergarten, which is much smaller than most people (at least that is what we were told) and around 16 kids in my 6th grade class - wayyyy small, which is nice. I can't imagine having 30 or 40 Kindergarteners in one room and trying to do ANYTHING. After my first day I came home and passed out for a few hours - my legs are literally burning. So sore. I feel like I used after high school track practices. Yes, Hensler, I just compared teaching K to your 2.5 hour conditioning drills. I was going to look for a gym in the area but I'm thinking I'll never make it seeing how active I have to be every day. I do run some mornings and have my therapy band to do my weight stuff and do quite a bit of yoga in my room (I used to do it on the beach but now I'm no longer withing walking distance unfortunately).

I wanna ROCK right now

Backtrack to...

Big Buddha: The province of Phuket is building a huge statue of Buddha on the highest point of the island. It's closest to heaven so that's why it's way up there. The road is treacherous, but beautiful. Elephants on the side of the road, atv tracks, and only half of it is paved. The inside is concrete and the outer layer is made of marble. The crazy part is that it's being built completely on donations. 100%. Wow. For 300 baht(9 US) you can buy a marble brick for the outside. You can write whatever you want on the outside. The things other people asked for made me cry. Some were goofy, some were selfish, but most that I could read were deep. Buddha is very giving and loving. Most people ask for good luck or money, and that's quite ok apparently. Back to Big Buddha. It was such an emotionally overwhelming experience, I haven't had the balls to go back alone. We went inside underneath of the statue to a little hidden cave and people were putting some kind of gold sticky paper on the supports of it for good luck as well. I don't know what I believe, but I know for a fact that I felt something there that I've never felt in any church. At the end of our visit we went inside the temple underneath the statue and offered and prayed to Buddha in front of the monks. In class we learned how to bow(wai) properly and to give all due respect to the monks and Buddha so I'm starting to freak out that I'm going to do it wrong. Like I said, I don't know exactly what I believe but probably better not to push any God or prophet of whatever's buttons or be disrespectful. (I think I mentioned some of this in my past blog but I wanted to expand a bit now that I have the time) In Bangkok, I lit 3 identical sticks of incense (the color red for luck) and offered them to the city Buddha of Bangkok. As I said earlier, reflecting on my past few years is something that has definitely hit home and I feel something I need to tackle, and as I have already found in the states self hypnosis and meditation are my friends and I feel that way even more here.

Enough of that. Beer and beaches. MMMMMMMM (insert phone text voice here). So I mentioned that I was the first of the group to leave - I literally left right after our last day of practice teaching. So, I spent some time drinking beer on the beach on my last night - I'm not going to have the luxury of a beach across the street from my apartment or school, much less the company of everyone in my class. So I'm heading to the bus station in Phuket to catch my 5:20 bus, right? My cab driver, even though I'm already running late, asks me if we can stop at his house quick... wtf?! Sexual innuendos aside, I obviously said no and he proceeded to tell me how I was his first cab customer of the day and that normally he charges 500 baht for a trip to the bus station and only charged me 450 so I was special to him. I was gagging at this point, and ended up giving him a 500 baht and running away to catch my bus. Yeah, I had to bang on the bus drivers window to stop the bus and let me in. Damn crazy Americans. I was starrrrrving because I hadn't eaten all day so I ran across the street to a food vender and got some quick friend noodles to eat on the bus. Found a seat and opened my feast just to have a bus worker tell my it smelled too bad and I would have to eat it outside. Fine. I packed my stuff up and found a seat and put my head down and shoveled the steaming heap of noodles into my mouth. Looked up just as my bus was pulling away. What. A. Day. Finally found my seat and thought someone was in it... he didn't look thai so I cracked a joke, wasn't received too well so I sat in the empty seat in front of him. 5 minutes later, said man practically sat in my seat with me and began discussing the ingredients to the apricot juice box we all received upon leaving the bus station. Then he commented me on my shirt and felt the buttons - realizing he had just grabbed my boobs, he haphazardly apologized and gave me a book of his to keep. "Gordon Ramsey's Playing With Fire" How did he know I was juuuuust looking for that copy in paperback?! Anyway, we chatted all night and I forgave him for his sleeping pill drunken behavior (we've all been there, right? I mean he was a beautiful british man with half a beard, crazy hat, and mouth watering accent) and discussed green energy in Australia, selling Budweiser in clubs in Bangkok, and his house in Costa Del Sol, Spain. Next thing I know, I'm asleep and in Bangkok. Yay!

I bum out at the bus station in Bangkok since I don't meet with Pod, the assistant to Pook (director of the company that has placed me) until 9. I make it to this random gas station and sit and wait. Get a few hello's, a fell weird looks, but hey, I'm sure I look how I feel - like a dirty stray dog hoping that I wasn't led to rape alley to fend for myself. Pod finally comes and we cruise in her BMW to Suphan Buri, the province where my school is.

"things aren't always as they seem"

"don't judge a book by its cover"

Open-mindedness is a virtue. Yeah, so is patience, but I already know that I don't have an abundance of that and I'm okay with it. Sure, I'd like some more, especially when it comes to long bus rides, 30 hyper 6 year olds, and people that take foreverrrrr to get ready (yes, ladies, we all know I'm the fastest shower-er in probably the world). On the surface, a lot of Thailand looks dirty and unwelcoming. Yes, parts are absolutely breath-taking, but some more city-like dwellings aren't necessarily so lively looking. It kind of reminds me of Morocco in a way, with the abandoned food huts, begging people on the street, and small children everywhere that should be in school but are out selling themselves or their families products just to buy some food for dinner. It hurts me that some people might just look at this surface and shudder, never to enter such a place and make judgment on the people that inhabit it. Peace love and understanding are a 3 legged stool. If you don't have 1, you can't have the other 2. I understand the difficulty of many of these families, and I make sure to respect our differences as much as I know how. When you try to get to know the people in a new place, this can drastically change. Which reminds me, I just got back from a walk after school to a nearby temple - very beautiful and met a few monks there. However, I also stopped in this tiny hippie/indie shop that I've been to a few times just to say hello to the woman that runs it. Upon entering I ALWAYS hit my head on the little welcome sign she has hanging in her door and we both laugh at the awkwardness of my height and how I always forget it is there. I've bought a few things from her now but this time I just came to say 'hello' even though she doesn't speak a lick of english. We literally laugh when trying to talk because we have so much to say to each other buy nothing more than gestures and a calculator to translate our feelings. Anyway, she motioned for me to sit down, so I did. Not sure what possibly we could 'chat' about, but she gave me a juice box thing... it looked weird from the get go but I wanted to be polite so I opened the straw and stuck her in only to taste what I'm sure was ground bone and wooden spoon in a liquid state - with what the box told me was "Hi- Calcium"

Juice boxes are a fad here. Well, straws in general in all drinks are a fad. Drinks in a bag? Sure! Wait, what am I talking about? ADHD much? You betcha!


"maybe all that you want to be is all that you have to be" - maybe the disco buscuits said it best?