I Miss Thailand!

My Last Post

Well, this is it! Now that my Thailand adventure has officially come to a close, my blog will, too. I'm glad I could share and catalog my experiences over the past six months. I especially enjoyed comments along the way from friends and family. Thanks for reading!

Home, Sweet Home

After over 24 hours of traveling, I have finally arrived in Houston. Though I'm already missing Thai food, my Thai friends (especially the Methongs), and the laid-back pace of Thailand, I'm glad to have the comforts of home. My bed is awesome. Unfortunately, I have spent the majority of these last 48 hours in bed since it's so darn luxurious and jet lag has screwed up my sleep schedule. I managed to make a trip to Rice for some catching up since a lot of alums are in town for Beer Bike. Tomorrow I have a practice walk for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The Walk is my latest project. I'm just over halfway to my goal of raising $2000. I think this last stretch of fundraising will be the hardest, but I'll give it my best shot before the event on April 12-13. You can check my progress (and donate) at:

www.tinyurl.com/3bjkc6

I've shortened the website for convenience, though it leads to the same place as the other website from a previous blog. Also, I've brought back 50 scarves from Thailand that I plan to use as a fundraiser. Though I'm not sure where to go or whom to ask, I'm hoping to receive a $10 donation for each scarf. Any ideas? We'll see how that works out... I'm modeling one of the scarves in the picture above while pointing to my home for the last six months- Nakhon Chaisi, Nakhon Pathom (just west of Bangkok). Well, that's the update for now. Stay tuned- I think my next blog post will be my last!

Bangkok Wrap-Up

All ten ETAs reunited in Bangkok for wrap-up sessions on Friday and Monday. It was a blast seeing everyone again and swapping stories. Our discussions helped put the experience into perspective. We all agreed that it will be interesting to see how many of our new-found Thai ways stick once we're fully immersed in western culture once again. On Friday evening, we went to a nice dinner at the Royal Turf Club. Though we had a lovely view overlooking the racetrack and golf course, it started to rain shortly after we arrived. We tucked our table into a corner under some eaves and managed to have a nice meal, complete with baked duck tongue. Fellow ETA Katie and I even rocked out and impressed some newly-elected Thai officials with our karaoke skills. Over the weekend, I squeezed in two final massages before packing my bags and heading to the airport.

Right back where we started from...

All ten Fulbright ETAs have returned to Bangkok for our wrap-up session, and each of us shares the same feeling of disbelief that we've come to this point. I said goodbye to the students, teachers, and staff at Pattarayan and moved my mounds of stuff to the Suksit Nives International Dorm at Chulalongkorn University. Before I left the school, I hurriedly finished an English brochure of the town, an 'assignment' from Ajahn Penny. I've decided to post a jpeg of the brochure on this blog so that you can read/see a little about the town. Though I ran out of time before I could perfect the brochure, I was glad to leave behind something substantive for the school. I also left behind some books, resources, and cultural items for the school library and English Department. My students also received a couple tokens from the US: potato pins from Idaho, pennies, and little personalized notes. It was quite a task assembling these gifts since I have so many students, but the smiles on their faces made it totally worth it. My students surprised me with little presents, notes, and Anime-style drawings of me. I was touched... I'm really am going to miss them!

Estimated Time of Arrival in HOUSTON- 5:21pm, Wednesday, March 12

It's Countdown Time

Updates... last Monday I had a surprise photo session with the two Chinese teachers and three students. The students (three of my best in M3) weren't messing around when it came to taking the pictures. We went to a photo studio and had backdrops and everything. I felt bad I wasn't dressed in my best, but it certainly was fun.
Tuesday was Zhou Bo's birthday. He's the Chinese teacher who, like me, won't be coming back to Pattarayan next year (the other three foreign teachers are planning on teaching for another year). We had a great time eating on the Tajeen River as the sunset... a last supper of sorts with the teachers, bringing sadness tinged with anticipation.
On Sunday a handful of teachers had a field trip around the area. First stop- Damnoen Saduk, the famous floating market in Ratchaburi. Though this was my third trip to the tourist-packed place, it was my first time perusing the vendors' trinkets by boat. Since I was traveling with eight Asian teachers, they insisted I wear this ridiculous hat to protect my white face from the sun. After the floating market, we went to a market by the sea in Samutsongkram, the Ampawa market on a canal, and a seafood restaurant in Samutsakorn. In the evening, I had a Thanksgiving-size feast with the Methongs- Pirapong, Waree, and Peach.
Monday was graduation day for the students in M3 and M6 (9th and 12th grade). We had an assembly in the hall. A Thai celebration wouldn't be complete without lots of food and karaoke. I thought it was amazing that the school endorsed placing flaming (huge flames!) pots of tom yam kung in front of the students. In the evening, I went to a Maroon 5 concert in Bangkok with Peach and her brother Joe. I bought the tickets a long time ago as a 'thank you' for all the family has done for me. The concert was really fun and a great way to get excited about going back to the US. Highlights: "Sunday Morning" and "Won't Go Home Without You"

The Best of the Tests

SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM GRADING TEST PAPERS
Q: Describe the picture (above).
- a boy a god
- man is toll love women fat
- He tell. She smell.
- He is smart. She is beautiful.
- She is shot.
- It he and she love so good.
Q: Name these shapes (circle, triangle, heart).
- clicer; sercler; code; squese
- tigerangle; tiger; caper; spatbar (huh?)
- hate; love; hatbeet; hats; health; head (coincidentally, this answer isn't too far from the translation of "jai," the Thai word for 'heart' and 'mind')
Q: Where do you live?
- I live don't.
- I live animal. (and similarly) I'm live rabbit.
- Pattharayan Wittaya (the name of the school)
Q: Fill in the chart. (Drinks- favorite / like / dislike).
- hamdarker (dislike)
- bark (dislike)
- tree (favorite)
- mike; walter (like- maybe milk and water?)
- bake cat (dislike- do you think this means they tried it?)
- grape juice (favorite & like & dislike... same for all 3)
Q: How old are you?
- I am three teeth.
Q: What month is it?
- Yes.
- Febtember
- I'm 50.
Q: What do you know about Christmas?
- I know Christmas like fish and bear.
- I eat Christmas and cantacan (candycane?)
- I'm single in Christmas.
- I do chocolat
- crak
- I don't know. I am Tiwakorn.

Ayutthaya at last!

On Sunday I finally made it to Ayutthaya! As one of the three past capitals of Thailand (the other two being Sukhothai and Thonburi), it's a pretty popular destination. Only 90 minutes to the north by train or bus, Ayutthaya boasts acres of ruins (or should I say 'rai' of ruins-FYI, Dad: 2.5 rai=1 acre). Unfortunately, I took the slowest route possible. I left my apartment before 7am and 'just missed' various modes of transportation all day. I just missed my van and had to wait twenty minutes for the next trip to Bangkok. I just missed a ferry boat to the train station and had to wait 15 minutes. I just missed the 9:25 train (the bell sounded as I bought my ticket) and had to take the 10:05 train which didn't pull out of the station until 10:30ish. Thankfully, I made it to Ayutthaya by noon. Being the penny-pincher that I am, I decided to walk to the ruins and by-pass the over-priced tuk-tuk drivers waiting for fresh meat at the train station. I walk for about 30 minutes in the sweltering, 90+ degree heat until I happened upon a bike rental place. For just over $1 US, I had a bike for the day! I zoomed (well, slowly rolled) across town on my one-speed two-wheeler. I could practically feel the wind in my face! I stopped by the most-photographed site- Buddha's head surrounded by overgrown tree roots. Ayutthaya is definitely a city of ruins: mostly piles of bricks and decapitated Buddha images. By the end of my trek, my face was beet-red, and I nearly passed out from heat exhaustion. All in all, a good day, and I'm alive to tell about it.

Since my last post, I:
- voted absentee in the Texas Democratic Primary. I really feel like my vote might count in this one. I sent my ballot on Saturday, but the post office sent it to the return address rather than to Texas despite the fact that I paid for international shipping. Ugh. This time, I highlighted the address and had a Thai teacher talk to the post office, so hopefully, it will get to the US by March 4!
- traveled around with some grad students and a professor from Silpakorn University. We went to a floating market, a Catholic Church, and a few wats (temples). The three Thai women were very nice and excited to practice their English. The Chinese grad student was sleazy and kept throwing pick-up lines at me in Thai. It was awkward.
- went to a monk's funeral, or part of it anyway. Since this monk was under royal patronage, the funeral lasted for seven days. I went to a one-hour prayer session and listened as monks chanted about birth, aging, pain, and death. The picture below shows the funeral display with a huge urn flanked by royal symbols.
- changed the 'comment' settings on my blog. Anyone can make comments (even anonymously), but I just check each comment to avoid spam with links to silly advertisements. So, feel free to comment! I love comments! :)
- have been proctoring final exams!

Hanging Around

My weekend shenanigans began with a field trip and photo shoot. Ajahn Penny, ten M-1 students (7th grade), and I crammed in the school van with our sights set on the wonderful attractions of Nakhon Chaisi. This trip was the second of its kind. Ajahn Penny wants me to create an English brochure highlighting places of interest in the area (i.e. temples, markets, and markets at temples). I had to be physically present because Ajahn Penny wanted to be sure to capture my foreign face in all the shots. It's weird how whiteness is such a big deal here.
First stop: Sisatong Temple- a giant, half-bodied demon changes the luck of petitioners who make an offering of eight black things (coffee, jelly, sticky rice, whisky, grapes, etc.); caged monkeys in the parking lot
Second stop: Klang Kuveyung Temple- located by the Tajeen River; lots of golden orbs; people like to feed the fish (see photo) and the turtles
Third stop: Baang Pra Temple- features a glass coffin (with mother of pearl inlay) containing the decaying body of a revered monk who died five years ago
Fourth stop: Lampaya Floating Market- busy, authentic, not-so-touristy floating market
Fifth stop: Tajeen River at Huay Ploo- delicious chicken noodle soup (10 baht! = 33 cents); great place to get friendly with the huge fish (see photo- you can put your whole hand in a fish's mouth!)

On Sunday I went to the Dusit Zoo in Bangkok. Though it was not nearly as big as the Chiang Mai Zoo, the animals were incredibly entertaining and animated. I spent about 30 minutes staring at the primates. One of the monkeys was totally intentional with all of his actions: he analyzed each of the bugs he picked out of his buddy's armpit; he slumped off by himself to be lonely for a bit; he struck up a conversation with another monkey after a while. I was amazed at how thoughtful the little guy was. I caught another primate planning his escape (see photo). I got a kick out of the playful jaguars, the hungry giraffes, and beautiful exotic birds. Only an inch or two of glass separated me from the giant nose of a lazy hippo (see photo). I have some great pictures, but I chose three of my favorites for the blog. The picture of the yawning tiger barely beat out the picture of a peacock fanning out all his feathers. So even though I stayed close to home this past weekend, I had a wonderful time.

Classroom Chronicles

Despite the bulk of this blog's content (my crazy weekend adventures), I do spend most of my time in the classroom. My kids (all 500+ of them) are both incredibly sweet and terribly frustrating. They greet me with such polite smiles and give me little candies before turning into Thai terrors who spend more time doing makeup and doodling than learning English. However, I do have some stellar students who make my time worthwhile. They visit me after school, ask me for help, practice speaking in English conversationally, and show genuine interest in exploring life outside Thailand.

As for my teaching methods, I try to incorporate a variety of fun activities with substantive lessons. I wasn't given any guidance from school as to what I was expected to teach. So, I took the broad title of each course (Reading, Listening & Speaking, General Knowledge, etc.) and went with it. I've had lessons centered around songs: fill-in-the-blank for "Do You Hear What I Hear?" at Christmas (the Carpenters version) and scrambled lyrics of "The World's Greatest" (R. Kelly, from Kami's mixed CD). Lessons have featured body parts, descriptions, advice, likes/dislikes, cultural stuff, and more. Activities have included games, songs, dances, puzzles, and worksheets. Nearly every aspect of Thai education is handled differently than US education. Students are hierarchically divided by skill level into set sections for the entire year. The sections of 32-48 students vary greatly in ability, with the M1/1 and M1/2 students greatly out-performing the M1/7 and M1/8 students.

For my M4 and M5 (10th and 11th grade) students' final project, I'm having them creatively retell a fable in English. My M4/2 students rocked my world when they whipped out giant posters, skits, and even a DVD slideshow with hand-drawn pictures and voice-over narration. They truly wowed me. Then, the very next period, my M4/3 students showed up completely empty-handed. Seriously, NO one turned in a final project. I was floored. The other teachers have stressed that I'm not supposed to fail any students (if my grades even matter), but how was I supposed to deal with their unabashed disregard for the assignment? The students (in the most challenging class I teach) finally got the message because they suddenly fell silent and listened. I agreed to give them until Friday to put something together, an attempt at redeeming themselves after three weeks of inaction. They spent the rest of the period working like busy bees, so I think they got the message. There's a brief update from the teaching front. While teaching has its highs and its lows, I am definitely still glad I came.

Pause for a Cause

With a month to go in Thailand, I'm looking ahead to an event the month after I return to Houston- the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. If you have a moment, please take a look at my support website:

http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1420&px=3873265

I'll be walking over 39 miles in two days and raising $2000. I read about the walk in a magazine that my sister sent me, and I thought it would be a great way to honor the memory of my Aunt Jane Rasmussen. Though I don't intend to turn my Thailand blog into a bunch of solicitations, I think this cause is worth the pause. :)

Parents, Part Two

On Monday we went our separate ways: my parents went on an eco-tourist adventure in the jungle, and I trudged through the treacherous terrain of Thai secondary school. While my parents rode elephants, I battled the beast of uninterested students. Then, I woke up to the sound of machine guns on Wednesday. On my walk to school I realized that the scary machine guns were, in fact, fun red firecrackers. The noise scares away evil spirits who bring bad luck on the eve of the Chinese New Year. After school I went to Chinatown in Bangkok with one of the Chinese teachers and rang in the Year of the Rat. While wandering through the congested streets, we saw crowded Chinese temples, the color red everywhere, people burning gold paper, and more!

Mom and Dad arrived in Nakhon Chaisi on Friday afternoon. They observed my teaching expertise (hah! a third of the students showed up five minutes before class ended). They looked in amazement at the giant Valentine's Day poster I made. They graciously greeted my fellow teachers who were shocked by Dad's height. They endured the stares of curious Thai students who had never seen so many Westerners (with such pointy noses!) at once. They waited patiently and sighed through waves of frustration at the school's slow internet connection. It was the complete afternoon of 'a glimpse into Becky's daily life.' Then we went to the river and fed the catfish. We ate pomelo, my town's famous sweet grapefruit-like commodity. Then we ate the world's best pad thai and a variety of other Thai delicacies (kao lam or honey-infused sticky rice in bamboo, a Thai dessert of taro in milk, roti, et cetera, et cetera).

On Saturday we went to Ratchburi's floating market, visited the Siriraj Hospital Museum, and indulged two-hour Thai massages. Over the course of these excursions, we gathered many memories and funny stories about the culture clash between East and West. Finally, on Sunday we went to the Grand Palace and the flower district. We spent dinner with my friend Peach and her parents. I think everyone really enjoyed this gathering despite the language barrier. I couldn't help but smile through the delicious home-cooked Thai meal as I was surrounded by five of my favorite people from around the world. The evening made it all the more difficult to bid farewell to my parents, who headed to the airport as I headed to school this morning.

Explore, Examine, Exhale

My parents and I left Koh Phi Phi on Monday morning bound for Krabi. While we were waiting for the hotel room to be cleaned for check-in, we called my brother Sam in Idaho. It was fun to put him on speaker phone and hear the updates on the Superbowl and the weather (with all the snow at home, it's a good time to be in Thailand). When our room was available, we stashed our stuff and took a boat trip up and down the river. We stopped at a neat cave where Japanese soldiers camped out during WWII.

Then we visited a fish farm and saw a variety of tropical fish. The old man running the place put on a nice show for the three of us. He fed the hungry shark-like fish, let us touch the slimy and spiky fish, and provoked three different types of puffer fish to blow up like balloons. Though a bit inhumane, it was very interesting. Then we got back in the boat to see more wildlife in their natural habitat. We saw a couple monitors (the family of large lizards including the Komodo dragon) and four funny monkeys playing and monkeying around on the beach. Hopefully, the video below works! (*NOTE: since I couldn't get the video to work, I've substituted a different monkey picture from a different day*)

Before I knew it, I found myself at the tiny Krabi airport waiting for my delayed flight. I took the chance to read, look at the beautiful scenery, and prepare for the week ahead. Despite the 'adventure' content of this blog, I do, in fact, spend most of my time teaching English to Thai children, haha. While flying above the cloud cover, I was suddenly very glad for the delay because my timing was perfect for the sunset. Watching the breathtaking scene unfold, I felt incredibly lucky. I feel like the last 4+ months have been a welcome pause... a refreshing breath of time to think, relax, evaluate, and recharge before coming back to my old life with new eyes.

Parents, Pampering, Paradise!

Friday, February 1 marked the auspicious and much-awaited arrival of my beloved parents. For our first night together, my parents went all-out and sprung for a room at the Oriental. When Mom and Dad checked in, they found out their room had been upgraded (yay!). After 24+ hours of traveling to Thailand, they freshened up in their room overlooking the Chao Praya River. A butler waited patiently outside to tidy their room any time they left- bringing in fresh tropical goodies like ripe mangoes and passion fruit. Because I had secretly given the hotel a heads-up about my parents' 30th Anniversary (FYI, actual date- 10/22/07), presents began popping up in the room including a little cake, a breathtaking bouquet of orchids, and a heart-shaped display of rose petals. When I finally caught up with my parents for our gourmet dinner (picture above), they were ready to pass out from all the traveling and pampering. While they slept soundly, I spent a few hours exploring the amenities of the super-sized bathroom. I'm not kidding.

My parents' trip marks their second journey to the Land of Smiles. Some things haven't changed since the time they were here eight years ago: terrifying traffic, exposed electrical wires dangling in the streets, Bangkok's pollution, crazy drivers, and tourist traps/scams. In an effort to provide a different view of the country I've called home for the past four months, I deemed myself their personal cultural guide. Though my Thai language skills are shaky at best, I hoped to provide an all-encompassing experience beyond the bounds of the guidebook. Lesson One: Make an offering to the spirit house (the colorful little birdhouse-type structures next to the buildings they protect).

On Saturday we flew to Phuket for some island-hopping fun. Immediately, I experienced a dizzying wave of sticker-shock in this tourist hotspot. I could not believe how expensive everything was- from the transportation to the meals. In the afternoon we visited a sobering memorial to 8,000+ people who died in the tsunami on December 26, 2004. Then we stopped by the beach and dipped our feet in the Andaman Sea. Finally, we spent some time by the swanky swimming pool at our hotel before retiring to our bungalow.

On Sunday we took a ferry to Koh Phi Phi, home of Leonardo's utopia in The Beach. We spent most of the day slurping fruit smoothies, wading in the crystal-clear water, sipping beer, and reading on the white sandy beaches. Unfortunately, we soaked up a bit too much sun and ended up with a painful, pink reminder from head-to-toe. Nonetheless, we took our sunburned selves out to a seafood dinner on the beach. We watched sun sink below the horizon and paint the island paradise with warm shades of orange, red, pink, and purple before revealing a glittering display of stars. Ahhh...

Teachers Take a Trip

A rowdy bus full of Pattarayan's teaching staff made our triumphant return to Saraburi (home of the Scout/Red Cross Camp we visited around Halloween). Along the way we stopped at Thailand's longest dam and a waterfall (which was really just a bunch of rocks because the water levels were low). While we were at the dam (see photo above), one of the Philippina teachers had to excuse herself from the excursion. While the bus took her to the nearest bathroom, the Thai teachers went on and on about 'Bella's diarrhea.' This lack of privacy is pretty standard in Thailand despite the embarrassment it creates. Though I would have been mortified, Bella handled it like a champ and smiled through the stomach cramps and audible whispers about her bowel movements and eating habits.

After arriving at the retreat area, we frolicked in a nearby waterfall. In the evening we sang karaoke, gambled, and played rummy until 2am. Bad news: I lost 15 baht, or about 50 cents, in a game similar to blackjack (instead of 21, the magic numbers are 8, 9, 18, 19, 28, or 29). Good news: I won 3 out of 4 rummy games. Bad news: nobody will play rummy with me anymore. In the morning we gambled a bit more. I won 15 baht and decided to quit while I was even. Then an adventurous group of us went to the ATV place again and took an ambitious ride over some dusty terrain. On our way back to Nakhon Chaisi, we revisited places from the last trip- a vineyard and another dam. I hopped off the bus in Bangkok and hurried to meet up with my parents at the Oriental!

Hair today, gone tomorrow

I got another haircut. It's awful. See for yourself. I call this photo, "Peach and Becky pretend to be serious models who actually like their new looks."

Ok, so it's not the worst thing to happen to me since I cut my eyelashes with scissors when I was 8, but here are some reactions:
- "Did you cut it yourself!?"
- * silence * (the classic rejection from a Thai)
- "You are a cutie!" (from a 16 year old boy- huh?)
- "How much did you pay for that?!"
- "Dedt pom" (aka 'haircut' - stating the obvious)
- A shy smile from one of my students who used to call me 'beautiful' everyday

Rockin' and Rollin'

On Friday evening, the teachers had their New Year party. Don't ask me why the party was 25 days after the New Year... some things in Thailand simply can't be explained. Perhaps the planning committee was shooting for the mid-point between the official New Year and the Chinese New Year (by the way, the Thai New Year is in April). All of the teachers ate family-style in the assembly hall while prizes were raffled off and folks sang karaoke. Yes, I did sing 'I Will Survive.' I pretty much brought the house down (just kidding, but I definitely caught some teachers off guard). Some of the teachers got pretty tipsy, which was hilarious. One of the PE teachers took off his shirt at one point! I won a towel, which will come in handy when my tiny apartment turns into a super deluxe hotel room for my parents' visit. No frayed towels for the parents at this luxurious 5-star establishment. I'll be giving the Oriental (one of the world's best hotels in Bangkok) a run for its money. Riiiight...

On Saturday I gave a presentation on the US education system to a class of PhD students at Silpakorn University. I had to speak very slowly, which is quite a challenge for me at times. I went from having a rocky start to feeling like a rock star by the end of the presentation. At the end of my presentation I received a really nice piece of painted china and a pretty shawl. After lunch, I walked around the beautiful campus and worked on my interim reports for the US Fulbright office and the Thai Fulbright office.

Sunday's big even was a train ride from Nakhon Pathom to Nam Tok on the infamous Death Railway with Ajahn Penny (who helps me read Thai), and Bella and Liza (the Philippina English teachers). Though I had seen some of the sights in Kanchanaburi before, it was fun visiting them again and seeing them from the train. We went to the bridge over the River Kwai, the cemetery for WWII POWs who worked on the Thai-Burmese railroad, and the Sai Yok Waterfall. I took about a trillion pictures as we rolled along the tracks. By the end of the day trip, dirt had flown in the open windows and completely covered me. I'm still picking grit out of my eyes, ears, and nose!

Isaan Escape

This weekend I ran away from home. I packed a bag and headed to the Northern/Northeastern bus terminal in Bangkok with only a faint idea of where I would end up and a backpack on my shoulders. I bought an overnight ticket and arrived in Ubon Ratchathani the next morning, where I met up with fellow Fulbrighter Katie. She showed me around the rural province she has called home for the past three months. We spent the first day on a farm, eating ripe starfruit straight from the tree and snacking on sticky rice from a handwoven basket. Just before lunch, we were joined by an elderly couple, who had previously done mission work in Thailand for the Mormon Church. While the husband fished (to the point of wastefulness!), the wife told me her life story... everything from her daughter's hysterectomy to the floor plan of her timeshare in Cancun to her thoughts on the fate of Russian orphans.

On Sunday, Jessica (a Fulbrighter teaching in nearby Sisaket) joined us for the day. We went fabric shopping for silk and watched women weave beautiful cotton at the tedious rate of a meter a day. We went to the main attraction of Ubon- a large golden candle in the middle of a park honoring the King. Then we went to a wat tucked away in a peaceful forest. After dinner together, we had to part ways at the sound of duty calling; we each had morning classes in our respective provinces. Though the weekend was too short, I had a marvelous time seeing two friends and another (wonderfully tranquil) side of Thailand.

More Scary Stuff

I hate to be Debbie Downer, but since my visit to Pattaya, a serious of odd events have taken place.
The Serious Stuff:
- Four students at Pattarayan crammed on one motor scooter and had an accident. One M2/5 (eighth grade) student died, two are still in the hospital, and one is recovering at home.
- I've been hearing a bunch of sad news from home: a Rice student/Hanszenite went missing; another Rice student is in a coma; a Baylor med student died; bad car accidents in North Idaho (plus a man severing and microwaving his hand?!).
The Not-So-Serious Stuff:
- Over the weekend I went to Suphanburi with my friend Peach and her father Pirapong. We stayed at Peach's maternal grandmother's house, where Peach's family lived for about 20 years before they moved to their home in Nakhon Chaisi two years ago. It's quite common for extended family to live together, but I was surprised at how the four of them fit in one tiny room. Here's the strange part- we went to hell. Seriously (sorry, Mom, I know you hate that word), we went to a temple complex that had a beautiful temple, a HUGE Buddha, replicas of India temples, a yard filled with over a hundred Buddha statues, and HELL. If you don't believe me, see the picture above of just one of the gory scenes. It was totally gruesome, vulgar, and barbaric as demons mutilated people, vultures riped out their guts, and diseases infected their bodies. Ick.
- The Suphanburi market was filled with fish. All sorts of fish were flopping around in the streets waiting to be chosen, hacked up, and eaten for dinner. Other delicacies were available, too, like various insects and even rodent rotisserie.

Despite all the absurdity of the past week or so, life is good. I'm enjoying myself despite the occasional bout of homesickness and can't believe that I'll be home in only two months!

XXIII

Older? Yes. Wiser? Maybe. Feeling like a 23-year old? Absolutely not.

I had a very nice birthday yesterday (though I technically have 30 minutes left of my birthday on the West Coast). I received some very nice emails, facebook messages, mail, and even a couple phone calls. The other English teachers were very kind and showered me with presents and food. I definitely need to go to aerobics, definitely. One of the Philippina teachers (Liza) had her birthday on the 7th, so we celebrated together (with several other teachers) at a nice dinner, complete with a cake! We look like we're dressed for a funeral or some sort of posh black-and-white party because all of Thailand is mourning the death of the King's 84-year old sister. All government employees are wearing black and white for the 15 days following her death on January 2. So, I'm alternating my two black outfits every other day for two weeks straight. Thank goodness What Not to Wear only films in the US, or I'd be getting a call from Stacy and Clinton.

Thailand's Ugly Side

This past weekend I caught glimpse of the ugly side of Thailand... and I'm not just talking about the woman's backside in the picture above. On Saturday morning I hopped on a bus headed for Pattaya, a tourist hot spot known for its balance of family-friendly beach activities and the super-scandalous sex trade. I wasn't expecting to run into much of the indecent proposals... thinking that sort of underground operation happened in a dark alley setting. How wrong I was! As soon as the sun went down, girls (young, YOUNG girls) and men moonlighting as members of the opposite sex took their posts on the street, beckoning passers-by into their skeevy establishments. I scampered away from the scamps and tramps as fast as I could, but was no less scarred. I hid in my hotel room, ready to take the first bus back in the morning. At 2am I awoke to a man banging at my door saying something in Thai about the police and my 'friend' and something else I couldn't understand. Since I stupidly came to Pattaya alone, I informed him that I didn't have any friends, I didn't know what he's talking about, and I just wanted to go back to sleep. SCARY! Thankfully, I made it back to my little town in one piece and will never return to Pattaya again. Sheesh.