coming home.

Oh my goodness. Where to start?! The past week has been a blur of laundry, dealing with jet lag, eating all the foods I’ve missed while being out of the country, meeting my newest nephew, lots of hugs and mini re-caps of the past six months and otherwise avoiding any semblance of reality. There are a lot of emotions coursing through my head and heart at the moment that I don’t know how to deal with, a lot of choices that need to be made that overwhelm me to the point of paralyzation…and I’m sure you’ll hear more about all of that later (lucky you!) For now though, I’m going to regale you with tales of all the adventures of the last couple of weeks and continue to avoid the reality staring me in the face.

The last few days in Thailand were spent packing and prepping for the kids’ Pride Day program and trying to squeeze in enough food, fun and memories to last me who knows how long until I get to have another adventure. It was hard to say goodbye to so many amazing people, the teachers I had the chance to work with, the kids I’d become attached to, and the girls who started out as strangers and quickly became my friends and lifeline.

Pride Day was the culmination of a year of hard work and all the quirks and foibles and cultural gaps all rolled into a couple of hours. The exact date was undetermined until about two weeks before, as were our exact roles and duties for the day. Once those were figured out there were hours spent planning dances and plays, arranging parts, and decorations, most of which were changed at least twice. The day came and the festivities were supposed to start at 9 and by 9:30 we were just beginning to get underway. The kids did their stuff, each class performing a short skit or dance while the ones who weren’t performing ran wild in the audience among the parents who talked the entire time. There were countless photos taken and hugs given and I admit there were even a few tears shed.

That night there were hugs and tears and laughter on the roof of our apartment building, and then a few more early the next morning before I said goodbye and made my way to the airport. It was with very mixed emotions that I watched Thailand shrink below me through the airplane window. I was surprised at how attached I’d become in such a short amount of time. And with so much unknown facing me on the other end of the runway it made it all even more bittersweet. But in between the takeoff and that runway at home was a two-week vacation in Australia and New Zealand. More to come!

the fabulous English teachers

a couple of the hooligans

program's finally underway

a few more hooligans!

the duck in the park (oh, and us teachers)

a favorite place.

I’ve mentioned the park across the street from my house on a few occasions. It’s been the site of festivals, fireworks, concerts and gatherings of all sorts. But it’s a happening place every single day. There’s a walking /biking track along the outer edge that is packed with people every afternoon. Along the fringes there are yoga and aerobics classes, food vendors, cheerleader practices and pick-up soccer games. The streets bordering the park are lined with shops, restaurants, homes and a temple. Inside the park is a large amphitheater, stage, several bridges, more vendors, a couple of playgrounds (with really fun outdoor workout equipment that needs to find its way to America), statues, gardens, street musicians, the lake (filled with creepy, monster fish with teeth! that people are always feeding), and countless people playing various lawn games.

I’ve seen bocce, lawn bowling, a game that crosses hacky sack with soccer and volleyball and another that is a mash-up of soccer and basketball (but reminds me a bit of quidditch) and regular soccer. There are also usually a few crazy fishermen (I wouldn’t eat that fish if you paid me! Though, in all reality I probably have :)) You can rent bikes of all varieties, get a massage, take your picture with the giant rubber duck, have a picnic or just people watch. There’s not much you CAN’T do here. I spend an hour or so here nearly every day walking or running the track and many of my weekends have been spent napping under its trees or celebrating with the locals. It’s one of the things I’ll miss most when I leave.

the end of a long journey.

I’m down to the last stretch here. It’s crazy to think that six months is nearly over. The time has flown by. We’ve finished up the last of the assessments at school and are working on our dance for the big Pride Day program on the last day. I’ve started packing things up and cleaning things out. We’ve got one more road trip planned and I’ve got a list of people I still need to buy gifts for. I’m officially out of here on March 22 but I won’t be back in the States til April as I’m heading home by way of Australia and New Zealand. I don’t know that I’ll get a chance to post again until after I’m home but I’ll have a lot to share once I do. Thanks for sticking around with me on this crazy adventure. I’ll see you on the other side!

a road trip.

This past weekend a few of us teachers decided to take one last road trip. Lao is only about an hour north of us so we headed that direction to get one more stamp in our passports before our time together ends. Friday night we got on a bus to go to the city of Nong Khai where we stayed in a darling guest house, Mut Mee, on the Mekong River. We wandered through a night market/festival for a couple of hours eating some delicious food, watching a volleyball/soccer game (I’ve never been able to figure out what it’s actually called) and doing some shopping. Then we went back to Mut Mee and spent a couple of hours in the floating bar getting eaten by mosquitoes and visiting with the bar keeper, a young British girl who had come on vacation a few weeks ago and ended up getting a job and staying, and enjoying the cool breeze off the river. The next morning we had a delicious breakfast overlooking the river and then set off to cross the border.

It’s always a gamble when you have to deal with various government agencies, especially when you don’t know the language and aren’t quite sure of the procedures. Things aren’t very clearly marked and I have yet to meet an Asian person who truly understands the concept of a queue. But we’d gotten some pretty specific instructions from the owner of the guest house so we made it through to Lao with very little complications. (Coming back was another story!) We stood in line to pay our fees, get our visas checked, get our pictures taken, and board the bus to cross the bridge and then do the same on the other side. We exchanged some money, found a taxi and we were off.

Our taxi took us 15 or so minutes into the county to the capital city, Vientiane. There’s not actually a lot to see but the goal of getting our passports stamped had already been accomplished so we were free to wander and explore without any real pre-conceived ideas or expectations. Lao had been colonized by the French at one point so it has the benefit of some of that influence to this day including architecture, and more importantly, food! We had some amazing bread (the Thais don’t do bread so well and oh, how I have missed it!), French pastries, a smothered baked potato with real cheese and sour cream (the Thais don’t do dairy well either, aside from ice cream), a salad with amazing feta, some pizza, crème brulee and a breakfast bagel. It was a carb-lover’s dream!

We visited the Asian Arch de Triomph (actually called Patuxai Gate and never completed but modeled after the one in Paris with a few obvious Asian touches) which was beautiful. We climbed up to the top for a pretty great view of the city, fountain and gardens in one direction, tree-lined streets in the other. Inside the building itself every corner was crammed with tables and stalls selling fabulous (dripping with sarcasm) souvenirs.

In between our bouts of eating we saw the presidential palace and a few other beautiful and huge buildings we couldn’t identify as well as a few temples and an ancient stupa. We walked along the river (which was almost non-existent in some places due to its being dry season) and through some shops and enjoyed an evening concert at the base of an illuminated fountain.

The next morning we were back across the border after our breakfast but since we hadn’t had the step by step instructions from anyone it was a little more complicated this time. But we made it with relatively little problem, just a lot of waiting in line and not having the correct forms and such to make it a little longer and more stressful than the day before.

Back in Nong Khai we made our way to a large sculpture garden, Sala Keoku, which was pretty impressive. It illustrates many of the tenants of Buddhism which I would love to explain except it was all in Thai so I’d have to just guess. But I’m sure Wikipedia can tell you more! It was all carved by the same man, who is lying in state under a glass dome in a locked room along with a host of his worldly belongings, a myriad pictures of him and even one of his bloody tissues from his final days (yep, kind of creepy.)

Then it was back to the bus station and back home where we all got together for dinner and a viewing of Frozen which none of us had seen yet (it only showed in Thai in the theaters here) but had heard a ton about. We found a DVD copy for about $1 in one of the markets and decided it was worth the splurge! What a fun show. We all laughed and sang (and maybe even cried a bit) all the way through it. It was the perfect end to a fun weekend but a bittersweet reminder that we’ll be done here soon and who knows when we’ll see each other again. I’m going to miss these faces!!!!

volleyball/soccer game

breakfast view of the Mekong

the missing Mekong on the other side

ancient stupa in the middle of the road

the arch

the view from the arch

massive loaf of bread (the two on the right are a little larger than what you'd buy at the grocery store!)

delicious coconut macaron

Sala Keoku

a delicious snack.

One of the great comforts in life is food. I know it shouldn’t be. But darnit, I’m an emotional eater. And when I’m feeling homesick, one of the few things to really make me feel better is a little taste of home. This week I splurged at the import store and bought a box of microwave popcorn. I’ve actually tried to wean myself off of the stuff since it’s full of all kinds of chemicals and who knows what but sometimes you just have to give in.

I’ve also been hording a bag of Reese’s Pieces that my sister brought me at Christmas. I’ve rationed it out pretty well and still have about half the bag left. Since I’ll be leaving soon I decided I could let myself eat two treats at once and I indulged in one of my favorite guilty snacks.

Pop one bag of popcorn and let it cool just a bit. Then pour in some of the Reese’s Pieces. Shake the bag and let things settle for a minute and then enjoy! The salty popcorn balances the sweet candy perfectly and if you time it just right you can keep the outer shell intact but the heat will make the middle all melty. It’s salty/sweet/crunchy/gooey perfection! And if you’re really wanting to walk on the wild side you can throw a few m&ms in the mix. Mmm, good stuff!

What are some of your favorite concoctions? I’d love to add to my list of vices!

By the way, you know you're in Asia when the microwave has an 'Instant Noodles' button but you're on your own for popcorn! :)

a school sleepover.

All the kids here in Thailand starting in first grade are mandatorily involved in scouts. Every Thursday up through high school they wear their uniforms and do all sorts of scouty things. Last weekend all of the teachers were enlisted to help out with scout camp at the elementary school. Like everything else in the country it was more than a little unorganized and more than a little over the top. But it was also really fun.

We all met at the school at about 7 Saturday morning and divided into groups to venture out into the jungle (ie the fields and trees surrounding the school) to play games. Each class took turns rotating through our wilderness adventure games and fighting off the heat and the bugs for a couple of hours before snack time and a crowded van ride back to the school grounds. Next was lunch and some more games like a balance beam, a log roll, an army crawl with water and face painting at the end and an intense obstacle course where the kids climbed over a wall, ziplined over a river, slid down a muddy bank back into said river and then crossed over the river again on a tightrope of sorts before making their way back over the wall. They were all tired, wet, and filthy muddy by the time they were done. And they loved it!

After some showers and much-needed clean up everyone gathered back in the cafeteria to make dinner. The teachers supervised but the kids did a lot of the grunt work cutting veggies, cooking eggs and meat, and getting everything all ready for our massive meal. Clean up took a bit of work and then we had performances, singing and skits around the campfire followed by a run through a crazy maze of cardboard boxes before settling into bed.

The kids bedded down on the mats used for naptime but the teachers were stuck with the tile floor which meant I ended up getting about half an hour of sleep that night and the 7am wake-up call Sunday morning came way too early. Some of the more coherent risers joined in group aerobics before breakfast and then we had to clean everything up and get ready for parent pick-up. All told it was only a little over 24 hours and felt like three days. But the kids all had a blast and it was fun to interact with everyone in a more casual setting. You get to know people on a different level when you see them covered in mud and sleep deprived!

Just one more great set of memories to take with me back to ‘real life’ in a couple of months.

a random cultural gap.

The Thai’s have interesting levels of modesty. In the few swimming experiences I’ve had they all wear shorts and shirts. When working out they rarely go sleeveless or wear short shorts. And even tourists aren’t allowed into a Buddhist temple if they aren’t covered properly. Yet, like most other places in Asia (I’m basing this on the more authentic Asian experiences I’ve had in the US so maybe I’m off) they are also very free and open with their naked bodies. At local baths and spas and things there are no clothes worn at all.

At school after lunch the kids have nap time. They come back upstairs from the lunchroom, have a drink of milk and then strip down to their nothingness to brush their teeth and wash up before putting on pajamas and lying down. This in itself wouldn’t be all too terrible except that they’re four. Therefore they run around wrestling, touching themselves (and each other…and then me!), hugging me, engaging in ‘sword fights’ and the like before they eventually get their clothes on.

Not being warned of this in advance and coming upstairs after the process was well underway that first day I was greeted by dozens of naked babies running everywhere. It was quite the sight! Just another day in Thailand. Mai pen lai. :)

And just one more thing, in a list of so many that seemed strange at the beginning of my time here that I've gotten used to since then. 

(and in an effort to not promote child pornography I will show you this random picture of a Thai orchid instead of naked children at nap time!)

making a list.

It’s hard to believe that I passed the half-way point here a few weeks ago. Time is flying faster than I could have imagined. I’m trying not to spend too much time focusing on all of the things I’m going to have to do when I get home (ie, look for a real job) but enjoy the time that’s left here. Of course, I’ve got a few things that I really miss that I can’t wait to have access to again.  But there are a few things here that I’ll miss just as much. Curious?

Things I Miss From Home (besides the people, of course!)

• Carpet
• Watching TV without subtitles and with more than four channels
• Understanding announcements, eavesdropping on conversations and being able to read signs 
• Central air/heating
• Winter/seasons
• Having a kitchen
• sandwiches, toast, bread
• fresh-from-the-oven cookies
• real butter
• Mexican food...this list is only the beginning!
• Having more than 8 outfits to choose from
• Crafting/creating/scrapbooking
• Singing at the top of my lungs (I love singing along with the radio in my car, you just can't quite pull that off on a motor bike)
• my car
• Real, live books!

Things I’ll Miss About Thailand

• My motorbike and the lax safety laws
• Going barefoot
• Always knowing what the weather will be
• Always knowing what to wear
• Paying less than $2 for a full meal, $150 for rent, and $3 for a tank of gas
• All the street markets, awesome food and exotic fruits
• My park
• The ready smiles and friendliness of the people

Things I WON’T Miss

• All the bugs and critters that find their way into my house.  Current pest?...Ants!
• Constant bare, filthy feet and the lack of available pedicures
• The lax safety laws
• Many of the smells
• Not being able to recycle
• Squatty potties
• Not being able to understand announcements or eavesdrop on conversations
• Unidentifiable meat products
• Not being able to read signs, newspapers or most of the things around me
• Everything, from the music at school to announcements and all in between, being done at the highest decibel level possible
• Morning Announcer Guy

Yes, I realize that there’s a lot of overlap/repeats of the same things falling in different categories. But isn’t that how life is? The things that drive you crazy are the same things you miss when they stop; the things that give life its flavor and keep it from being complete drudgery at times or give you the consistency and stability when everything else is chaotic.  What are the little bits of your day that make you nuts? And what are the bits you can't live without?

I'll miss the butterflies...but not the moths!!!

just a few of the great street market wares-mangosteen fruits

more market goodies

road trip.

Because I’m in a decent sized city and I don’t leave it very often, I sometimes forget that there are some natural beauties to see in the countryside. Just a couple of weeks ago the other teachers and I took a little road trip about an hour northwest to see one such place.

Phu Phrabat Historical Park is dry and barren compared to the green jungle-like regions surrounding it that are more typical of Thailand. The area reminded me a little of southern Utah though these rock formations aren’t quite as vast or stunning as the ones back home. But they’ve been used by various groups of people throughout the area’s history for temples and homes and other things and you can still see the remnants of those uses today; including prehistoric cave paintings, ruined buildings, and old Buddha statues.

We spent a good couple of hours wandering among the rocks and along the trails and at times it almost felt like being at home in the mountains or the canyons. And the weather was beautiful. It had been unseasonably cold for the past month or so (and while I know many of you are still dealing with polar vortexes and the like and this in no way compares, when you come prepared for 80 degrees and you’re stuck with a consistent 60 degrees—no jackets, no heaters, very few socks and no way to ever warm up—well, that starts to feel really cold after a while!) But this particular Sunday the sun came out and finally brought the warm with it, making it a balmy and perfect afternoon for our long motorbike ride, picnic lunch and some light hikes.

a celebration.

Yep, another celebration. They really like to party here!

There’s a rather large contingent of Chinese here in Thailand (about 15% of the population) and lunar new year is a big deal. Actually, I think lunar new year is the more pc term we’ve had to adopt in the US but here it’s not necessary to differentiate, they just call it Chinese New Year. The Thais celebrate their own new year in April, Songkran, their biggest festival, and one that I’m going to miss by a couple of weeks,

darnit! But, never ones to pass on a celebration, the whole city turned out for the Chinese New Year festivities that stretched over these past couple of weekends. There was a huge streetmarket, of course, with tons of food and stalls for shopping. There were fireworks and dances, booths for painting and crafts, places to give offerings to the monks and places to take photos just to name a few.

And it's never a bad idea to start fresh. So, if you've messed up on your other new year's resolutions already (who me?!) here's your chance to try again!

a festive weekend.

This past weekend my city, Udon Thani, celebrated its 121^st birthday. Since the Thai’s look for any opportunity, large or small, to throw a party this was the perfect opportunity to dance, set off some fireworks, set up a festival and disrupt traffic.

Saturday morning I went with a couple of my coworkers to watch a couple of the other girls participate in a huge Thai dance. They had women from many of the surrounding cities (Udon Thani is the name of the province as well as the name of the city which is the capital—like counties and the county seat) gather together in the street to perform traditional Thai dances in an effort to set a world’s record.  People were there from the Guinness World Records to witness the event.  They’d anticipated just over 5,000 participating but the rumors were they ended up with over 20,000.  It was beautiful madness. The streets were a sea of orange.

We have three large traffic circles in Udon; one with a clock tower, one with a fountain and one with a statue of Prince Prajak (25^th son of King Rama IV, born back in 1865.) The event took place in the five streets feeding into the statue circle, orange spilling out in all directions like spokes from a wheel.  It was quite an impressive sight.

Later that night there was a fun street market filled with food and wares of all sorts.  One of the girls I’m here with decided that she would try her luck at panhandling. People here are fascinated with ‘farangs’ (foreigners) and will constantly stare, giggle and even ask to take our pictures.  We’ve commented more than once that if we made people pay even 5 baht (the equivalent of about 15 cents) we could easily make enough money for dinner.  So, she made herself a sign and she walked around the market propositioning people for photos.  She ended up making 30 baht and gaining a new hat and making a lot of people laugh. We followed up those escapades with a fireworks show over the lake in the park.

The next night there was another dance performance.  This one was even more traditional. The dancers dress up in elaborate costumes (demons, monkeys and such) and the dances often tell a story of some sort. It’s sort of like a cross between ballet and hula in my brain, every once in awhile you’ll get full body movement (usually from the men) but often it’s very small steps, turning in circles, and lots of slow, graceful hand movements.  They performed out in front of one of the nearby temples which made for a dramatic backdrop all lit up under the black sky (though killer for getting any sort of decent photo.)  It was a lovely way to spend an evening.