I was cold this morning...

I hate to admit it.... but as I walked out of my condo this morning... I was chilly and was wishing I had a sweater... granted it was only 6:30am and the sun hadn't been out for long and I quickly warmed up.... but what does this mean. Is part of me becoming Thai? I don't get it. It's hot out. What's with this being cold business? I can't be like the Thais who wear scarves and long sleeves and toques (not that they know what a toque is). I'm hoping it was just because I got up on the wrong side of the bed and tomorrow things will be back to normal.

Normal... that's another thing. I'm sure you have all heard about Thailand in the news. Frankly, you probably know more than I do. As it stands, we are here and not going anywhere fast. Nobody is in a hurry to solve a problem. The airport remains closed. For how long? I don't know - but I, as well as many other staff members, have a flight booked out of Bangkok on December 13th. Here's hoping...

Just what is cricket?

I realise that a cricket is an insect and in my head that was good enough.. but last week we had an inter-school cricket match... and it made me question... is cricket really a sport? I don't understand. I mean, I got the basic gist of it while watching.. and perhaps it's a spectator sport because there seemed to be more action coming from that side than there was from the field. Granted, we were playing cricket with a group of 7-11 year olds. Perhaps it would have been quite different if adults were playing. How did I, growing up in Canada, miss out on what is supposed to be a great sport? I need some answers here. Perhaps some confirmation that my life was completely satisfied playing soccer, basketball, volleyball... this cricket thing seems highly over-rated.

That is my thought of the day. I hesitate to publish this post in case some avid cricket player reads it... but they probably wouldn't know a hockey game if it stared them in the face.

Winter has arrived!

No - I'm not kidding.
No there is no snow.
But it's only 29 degrees today.
The children are freezing.
The parents are questioning how I could possibly be comfortable walking around in a short sleeved shirt.
Bring on the parkas!
It's bizarre. It's as if overnight everything changed. And it is cooler. I promise you that. 29 degrees is much cooler than 35. And there's a breeze. You'd think it was from the arctic.

In other news I did something crazy last week. I went on a class trip for three days and two nights with 30 children. Will I be doing that again anytime soon? No. Was it fun? Yes.
We took the kids, ages 7-12, to a National Park about 3 hours outside of Bangkok. There were deer right up close and monkeys. Gibbons swinging in the trees. Overall a good time. But I would like to say that trying to get 30 excited or hysterical kids to go to sleep is not fun. And it's not fun once they go to sleep either. They like to cry. And they like to get up. And they like to sleep with their parents. Children!

All else is well. The sights and sounds of Christmas are all around Bangkok. We're starting rehearsals for the Christmas play. I'll be in Canada before you know it... and I'll be bringing the Thai weather with me. (I have to work on a means of doing that)

Luxuries

I've just had my hair blow-dried. It's a beautiful thing. Walk in, ask for a blow dry... get a head massage and your hair shampooed and conditioned, and walk out with perfectly straight hair and a hair style that doesn't need to be re-done for three days. And what did this cost me??? about $3. I can't complain... although my Starbucks coffee still costs me a lot. I could complain about that but some would just say stop drinking Starbucks coffee. (but I like it too much). Other luxuries include manicures and pedicures. I don't remember the last time I did my own nails.
I'm sure there are many more.... but I am having thinking troubles right now.

I love yellow flags

Yellow flags. Good things. Amazing things. You'll never guess what they mean. They're everywhere. In the supermarket, on the street... unfortunatley only for a limited time, but.... they mean.... that the vegetarian festival is on in Banngkok - in all of Thailand in fact. So... you want some foood, you see a yellow flag, you can eat it without asking what's in it. It's beautiful.
There's a stand right outside of my school. Haven't seen anything close to home, but I can deal with that. So instead of my typical lunch of milk, or yogurt or something similar, I can have vegetarian food from the cross for less than $1. I realise that I could eat the lunches at the school... there is a vegetarian option.... but I'm protesting for whatever reason. I'm sure there was a good reason at some point and now I just stick with it.

Not much else to share. I've discovered that I have paid a bill late... well, I still haven't paid it. I don't know how to pay it now but they wouldn't let me pay it at the normal location. The last thing I want is for my electricity to be cut off. No A/C.... that would be treacherous.

That's a day in my life. Just a normal Monday.

Time flies

It was recently pointed out to me... thanks Paul... that I have not updated my blog in awhile. And it's true. I've definitely been lacking in the posting bussiness. So... I'm trying to start doing it again. Keep everyone updated about life in the BKK.

So... I have moved, I have started a new job, I haven't been anywhere, but life is good. Teaching year 4 is great. The kids are lovely and I'm settling into the profile of classroom teacher. I'm also teaching music throughout the school at a more intense level than last year. So... everyday is a challenge. Good challenge, but a challenge all the same.

It's rainy season in the lovely country of Thailand. One day I actually walked home in knee deep water. That's when you don't even let your mind think about what could be floating in the flooding waters of Bangkok. I won't even talk about the rat I saw floating by.

My thai is getting better and better and I do try a lot harder than I ever have before. It does make life so difficult, but I try to ask questions just for the sake of asking them, and hope that I can understand the responses.

There was a state of emergency declared in Bangkok a few weeks ago. Stupidly I assumed that mom and dad would have heard about it on the evening news. So, when I called them saying I was okay and nothing to worry about... I naturally started something. It was calm cool and collected. I saw no evidence of this state of emergency, but I also stayed clear of any area that could be problematic. Politics politics politics.

So... there you go.... a mini update and I promise to do a much better job in the future.

What's in a name?

I have been sleeping in my new flat for what will be my fourth night tonight, and I can't help but wonder... are the people who live on floor 12A really convinced that they live on 12A? I mean seriously between 12 and 14 comes 13 no matter which way you look at it. But in my new building, 13 does not exist, but 12A does. Luckily, I do not live on 12A. I live on the 15th floor. No superstitions to be worried about.

So, I have a new flat - all to myself. No flatmates. It's good though. I like it. It feels like home. Moving was a pain, but I am basically done. I will make one final stop tomorrow to pick up the last few things. Photos are to come including the semi-view that the 15th floor provides.

I have been back at school in this past week preparing for children on Monday. The thought sends shivers up my spine. Not ready... but I have to be. Seven children are in my future, plus a school filled with music students and a handful of students with English as an additional language. I'm in for a busy year.

Summer has come to an end all to quickly. 9 weeks of teaching before we get a break. I think we will create a weekend away. Or two... or.. many. Sanity is needed.

Q-Tips

Things I miss about Canada... (note the word 'things'....allow me to be vain and selfish. All you people out there know that I miss you too.)

• John Frieda Shampoo and Conditioner
• Aveda hair straightening serum
• Aveda hair serum for curly hair (don't ask)
• Shoppers Drug Mart
• Peanut Butter M&Ms (thanks mom for helping me with this one)
• Fuzzy Peaches (thank you Amy for your contribution)
• Swedish Berries
• Not having to check labels for chemicals that help whiten your skin
• The Body Shop (they have it here... it's just not very big)
• Vancouver
• Montreal
• Toronto
• Terrace *note... these cities are not necessarily listed in order*
• Chocolate
• Sheet sets that come with a sheet to fit over your mattress and a top sheet
• Clothes Dryers
• The walk left, stand right rule on escalators
• Q-Tips

Now, I'm sure there are many things I have left off this list, but let me tell you about Q-Tips. First of all, nobody knows what Q-Tips are. Apparently they are called "Cotton Buds." I came to Thailand almost exacly one year ago... August 30th I think) and I came with a full box of Q-Tips... and I ran out last week. So I went hunting. What I found will not suffice. I am in mourning over my loss of Q-Tips.

Which city do I live in again?

It's really strange how cities, regardless of the province, country, or even continent... can have pieces that make you feel right at home. You feel like you are going to walk around the corner and see a certain building. Or get on the bus at the end of the day and go for pizza with your friends.

Today I went to Suan Siam. Yes... that probably meansy nothing to anybody reading this, and I failed to take any pictures even though I had my camera. To clarify... I am in Bangkok, but there were moments today where I thought I was in Toronto, or then Vancouver, then even Montreal. (Terrace didn't really make the list) Suan Siam is like Canada's Wonderland, or La Ronde, or Playland. (the travelling carnival that comes to Terrace doesn't hold the same memories) It's amazing though... some of the roller coasters are even the same. And the set up is so familiar. Now... what should have been a cotton candy stand, was selling som tam (papaya salad) and instead of mini donoughts, you had phad thai. But that's to be expected in Thailand.

This evening I went out to the cinema. Only the second time I have been since being in Thailand. I saw the new Batman movie. Really enjoyed it, by the way. That too, was like being anywhere else. No, I take that back. The cinemas here are really clean. And really comfortable. And really cheap. And before the film starts everyone stands to watch a tribute to the King. It's really quite beautiful.

I have never really understood the power the King has in this country. I know that everyone loves the King and everyone from children, to the elderly wear bracelets saying "Long live the King." It was explained to me in some way today. Thai people as a whole believe in past lives - and what you do in your past life leads to what and who you will be in your next life. So being born a King is pretty amazing. He must have been an amazing person to come back as a King. He has been this country's King for 60 years. The King was born on a Monday. Yellow is the colour of Monday. So the streets are flooded with people wearing yellow on Mondays. I think next Monday I'll wear yellow too.

From Another Angle

So... my last couple of posts have had a certain quality to them. Some might call it a negative quality, to others a frustrated quality, and to some perhaps a quality of absolute hate. But, that's completely unfair.

I took a taxi yesterday... even though I vowed that I wouldn't do so. And the taxi driver took me exactly where I wanted to go. We had a lovely conversations in Thai. He dropped me off exactly where I wanted to be dropped off and even offered to wait for me. I declined, but it's the thought that counts.

I also have become addicted to fruit and fruit juice. The fruit is amazing. Dragon Fruit...fresh pineapple, mango, mangosteen, rambutan, chom poo, the list goes on and on. And in my quest to find my favourite juice I have discovered guava juice, white grape juice with aloe vera, pomegranate juice... that list goes on too.

Going to the hairdresser's here is incredible. They wash and blowdry your hair for you, for maybe $5 or less - depending on the place.. and you have two people, each with a blowdryer, working on your hair.

And you meet amazing people. My Thai teacher runs an amazing overseas volunteer program to help orphanages, or to run schools in places that were devastated by the tsunami.

They love me at Starbucks... two Starbucks stores in fact and they know my drink. I woke up at 4:30am today... don't know why, but I made a trip to Starbucks to get started. My barista's name was Cartoon. How can a day go wrong when the first person you talk to is called Cartoon?

More Bangkok Madness!!!

Simple plan... take package to post office... not very far away. Mail it to England. Come home. Sounds easy, right? Apparently not.

First.... Bangkok traffic lights like to stay on red for ages. 5 minutes... sometimes more... and then when it finally hits green it stays green for maybe 10 seconds. My taxi driver today actually reclined his seat and closed his eyes at a traffic light.

Then... he had this brilliant plan to get me to where I wanted to go. We went through an alley way... a two way street barely wide enough to fit one car down, then add the street vendors, the motorcycles, the stray dogs, the children running around.... I'm surprised we made it through.

On the way home... I gave lovely directions to the taxi driver. In Thai... he understood. It's an easy place to find. But... of course, he missed my street and while I was shouting at him in Thai to turn he ignored me. So... scenic route it was. Then... traffic light problem again. I should have gotten out and walked. Then when we arrived at my place... I gave him ample warning to turn and he ignored me until I shouted STOP! (in English for added effect)

I'm staying away from taxis for awhile.

Get me out of here!!!!

Whistles blowing. Cars honking. Motorcycles zooming. Pedestrians pushing. People begging. Darting in and out of traffic. Opening your window to not so fresh air. Sweating everytime you leave the house. Parts of animals being cooked on the street. Buildings. Skytrains. Subways. Foreign languages. Near death experiences just to get to the 7-11. All I want is water. Thieves. Trust not a soul. Smiles everywhere, but are they sincere? Pay rent here. Pay some more rent here. Pay for someone else to live in your flat. Elephants... seen them... been there, done that.

I need out of Bangkok! There are things to love and things to hate... and right now I'm about to burst. A beach stretching for miles with the sea a few steps away. No noise. Just peace. Just quiet. Just relaxation.

Singer? Teacher? Both?

I know I want to sing. I want to be a performer on the stage. I can see myself doing it. It is what I want more than anything. It's what I want to be when I grow up. Music, unlike anything else I have encountered, has the ability to touch your soul. Music is the same in any language, in any country, in any continent. Musicians are the same too. Musicians are all in it for the love of it.

I saw a fantastic performance of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra the other night. Huge orchestra, predominantly Thai, but some farangs. They played, I listened, and it made me smile. It touched a part of me that has been sleeping for a long time. It was incredible.

Yesterday, I had the absolute pleasure of seeing "We Will Rock You" live in Bangkok. It was a touring group - I believe from Australia or New Zealand. But it was a fantastic show. By the end I was in tears. I couldn't cheer for the amazing performances, because I was crying. It was so amazing... but those people are who I want to be.

Sooooo... back to the real world. Two weeks of summer holidays - GONE!! I'm starting to look at planning for the start of a new school year; I'm about to sign a new contract for a new apartment; I'm taking on a voice student (which I hope will lead to more voice students); I'm giving up another year's worth of performance opportunities.

But not all is lost. I am in the crowd with Bangkok Opera. Bangkok Community Theatre is doing a G&S production after Christmas. I will find the opportunites wherever they may be. I will hunt them out.

Music is where it is at. That's where I want to be. I am masquerading as a teacher. But this won't be forever. This won't be all. There will be so much more to add to my resume. I will find a way.

Life begins again

So.... school is over... for 6 weeks anyway... and I am free - at last. The last week flew by... I was $given some lovely gifts including a lovely bottle of red wine and the kids put on a terrific show. Parents were happy, the children were happy, and the director of our school was happy.... so.. it went off without a hitch. I have had to include some images. The kids were adorable. The first picture has the Year Two Class in the background dressed up as dalmations - singing Cruella De Vil. In front of them are the Reception Class. They sang the Bare Necessities. The second pictures features the kindgergarten class (3 year olds) dressed as bugs, and fairies etc... dream like creatures singing "A dream is a wish your heart makes." In the background is the year 3/4 class, singing a song from Grease. It was all fun and games... but it had to end - and then the parties began.

There was a goodbye party that night for one of the teachers who was leaving. The following night we had a goodbye party for the same person, but it included our staff as well as other friends in the city. The next day was a leaving/goodbye brunch for another girl at a posh hotel... where if you don't drink wine - it's not worth it. Last week was basically just a fun week at school which culminated with a lunch for the staff which included a farewell to three teachers. Two of them we weren't allowed to say farewell to before hand for political reasons but they have left as well. They were both good friends.... as was the third who is my best friend in Bangkok. It will be different next year, that's for sure.

I had an incredibly busy day on Saturday which forced me to ride around on a motorcycle. Weaving in and out of traffic... cars surrounding me... grazing side view mirrors as we drove along. (sorry dad, I should have warned you not to read this). I got everywhere safely though. That's the most imporant part. Saturday night, as a leaving present to my flatmate, and very good friend we went for dinner at a restaurant on the 61st floor of a hotel. It has an amazing view and despite some intense wind, which came with complimentary hair ties, we had a lovely time. The first photo is a view of one side of Bangkok... and the second is of a "complimentary" fireworks show in the distance.

So... today was my first day of not getting up on a Monday morning for school. What a lovely feeling. I started the day off with a swim in our pool and relaxed reading books, watching movies... I plan on being more active in the days to come.

I must say that I see pictures of places like Hawaii (thanks Dawn) and Vancouver (thanks Louis) and I do get jeaouls. Even though I am in a beautiful country with beautiful people with amazing things to do, I still miss what seems ordinary. Okay, maybe Hawaii isn't ordinary, but...

I do miss home - and if all goes according to plan, I should be in Vancouver on December 14th or thereabouts. Not sure exactly.

I'll keep you all updated over the summer. Enjoy your summer wherever you may be.

One year almost done...

I can't believe I have almost lived here for a whole year. Well... 10 months but as we have just a week left of school... it feels like an end - only to start all over again 6 weeks later. Doesn't look like Canada is in the cards for the summer... but c'est la vie. ( I should learn how to say that in Thai)

I had a wonderful trip to the North of Thailand a few weeks ago. Went bamboo rafting...sat in some hot springs took a foot reflexology course, and a thai cooking course. All so much fun and all things I have been wanting to do since coming to Thailand. Well, the bamboo rafting wasn't exactly something I had been dying to do... but when opportunity comes your way... why not take it. And well, in 35 degree heat, who really wants to sit in a hot spring. But I did... it was hot. Not what one would call refreshing. Before anybody gets too excited... no that is not a tattoo on my arm... just the remnants of a night out at the Ting Tong bar. And I included the second picture because I thought everyone should take notice at how beautiful my carrots are.

So... a week left of school including a production tomorrow night. Stress Stress Stress... but that will soon be over. I haven't made any plans for the summer, but I am considering taking some diving lessons. Could be a lot of fun.

Anyway... that is life on this side of the globe. I will try to post more frequently, and with the exception of bragging about how cute the kids are going to be in their production... my next few posts will have nothing to do with school/teaching/children as I plan to think nothing of it for 6 weeks.

This is my life

Twinkle twinkle traffic light
On the corner shining bright.
Red means stop.
Grean means go
Amber means go very slow
Twinkle twinkle traffic light
On the corner shining bright.

Decisions, decision...

There is nothing like having to walk by the head teacher of your school several times in one day, whilst trying to avert her gaze in order to avoid making a decision. That was me until last week. The decision... to stay or not to stay? Pros, cons... lists were made. Many lists were made. I thought about every possible scenario. But how does one really make a decision to stay in a foreign land for a full year? Then again, I did it once, why not do it again. It's not so bad.
So... with much trepidation, fear and anxiety, I approached my head teacher and announced that, yes... I would stay on teaching for another year. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders. So... I made a decision and although I haven't signed my name to any piece of paper yet, it looks like I will be here for another year. Sure, I miss home. Who wouldn't? But, there is something about this place that has been good for me. I know that home is only a plane ride away. Not a big deal. Life in Thailand will be good. I will be teaching, brace yourselves now, Year 4, (grade 3) EAL, (what I am currently teaching) and music. Sounds like a lot, I know; but I made sure it wouldn't be too much. I will do what it takes. I hope to finally start a choir in the school. Something I had hoped to do this year, but it didn't seem to work out. Things are moving along. I am learning a lot. I work with a great staff who will all help me in this crazy year ahead.

I hope to be home in the summer. By home I could mean several things. I would like to go to Terrace, Vancouver, Toronto, maybe even Montreal. Toronto and Montreal may be difficult, but we shall see.

So that's the scoop from my part of the world. I am heading on vacation tonight to the north of Thailand. Then there are about 4 weeks left of school... and then 6 weeks of summer. Counting down the days.

International Day

How does one share the best of Canada with children ages 3-11 in 30 minutes? It's impossible really. I don't believe one can truly experience all that Canada has to offer without a roadtrip through the rockies, or a drive through the Prairies, or a day in the bustling cities of Toronto or Montreal, or through an adventure in the Maritimes. Canada has so much to offer. How does one choose a single part of it to teach a group of children from a variety of backgrounds about? The answer: nearly impossible.

My answer, considering the time constraints, the ages being dealt with, and my lack of desire to delve too far into something I wouldn't be able to get out of, was simple. With my younger children, ages 7 and under, we learned how to say Bonjour (language: Canadian) and we made hats (thanks Dawn) with the maple leaf as the outstanding feature. Most kids calld it the Canada leaf. That was good enough for me. I wore red and white.... and the classroom was decorated in red and white. This is a picture of the Reception Class (age 4-5) with a mixture of Thai, Norwegian, Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, Laotian, and Sri Lankan. Clearly we are not in our normal school uniforms on this day, as children were allowed to dress in costumes from their individual cultures if they so desired.

With Key Stage Two, years 3 through 6, we played some rousing games of ball hockey. Minor injuries occured, but there was no "Bertuzzi" incident... and any injury seemed to be settled with an offer of an ice pack and the promise of a yummy maple candy at the end. (thanks Marg). Really, I had nothing to do with the injuries. I played full on - but was sure to stay clear of injuring any childrenn in the process. They took care of that aspect of the game themselves. This class is a mix of Thai, Japanese, Korean, Swiss, Austrailian and Philipino... many of whom were in traditional dress. It was quite the thing to play hockey, especially with the girls, but they enjoyed it.

Anyway, it was all in good fun. We sang (well, I sang) the national anthem to begin the hockey game and we were off. And I left a messy classroom which is always a sign of good fun. And I had children asking me for more maple candies today. (again - thanks Marg).

The children had a wonderful day of visiting, Australian, the Netherlands, New Zealand, England, Japan, France, Canada, and Thailand.... with passports to go with it. The

Canadian passport stamp was the beaver. How appropriate!

What a strange country!!

Well, I have been living in this country for coming up to 9 months. It never ceases to amaze me what strange things can happen.

The other day... a newspaper article stating that it is now illegal to use a cellphone while driving. (this in a country that doesn't where helmets on motorcycles or seatbelts in cars). Hands free is okay, but no holding a cellphone to your ear. If you are caught doing this... you will be fined 400 Baht. No big deal. But then the article goes on to say that if you attempt to bribe the police, indicating that bribing the police occurs frequently, you will be fined 400 Baht. But when you talk to people who have actually been pulled over, they say you have to bribe the police. It always works in your favour. Maybe I should try that upon my return to Canada. Well...

There are moments when I wish I had a camera. There are hilarious signs in this country. Some that make no sense. Some that specifically say: "Foreigners, use other door" But we came across a funny sticker-sign in a taxi the other day. A picture of a man sitting down. Coming out of his rear-end was a "puff" of smoke and then "rays" coming out of that puff of smoke. We came up with only one conclusion as to what this sign could mean. No farting in the taxi. It brought us great amusement for the ride home from work.

I have been doing double duty this week at work. Teaching ESL but also teaching Year One. It has actually been quite the pleasure having a whole class to teach all day. It has been stressful, mind you considering that I have been doing two jobs, but enjoyable nonetheless.

A great decision lies before me: I think I need a sign telling me what to do. What do I do next? I am coming to the end of my contract, but the head teacher (principal) really wants me to stay and has offered me a new position, better position, better pay. I could also return to Canada. Toronto? Vancouver? maybe even London?

It is amazing seeing the world and amazing living in new societies.

Anyone with any advice - please reply.

Phuket: Honeymoon destination? I think not

So... our two week vacation ended in Phuket. The beaches were lovely; there was tons to do. It was a hopping place. Now, I'm hardly planning a honeymoon anytime in the near future... but this is hardly a place for honeymooners. I'm tempted to tell mom and dad not to read this blog entry, but they will anyway... so here it goes.

Phuket...

how do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

I love thee for thy beaches, white and sandy.

I love thee for thy calm welcoming sea.

I love thee for thy Irish Pub... that welcomed us with open arms.

I love thee for thy lady boys... everywhere you turn

I love thee for the invitations to Ping Pong shows... everywhere you turn

I love thee for the invitations to Gay Go-Go Dancing Shows

I love the for having a bar called, "Big Bob's Ago-Go.

I love thee for the desperate men who huddle in the corners of bars, seeking out a willing female.

I love thee for not being interested in three lovely single girls.

I love thee for just letting us have a good time.

I love thee for this bar (Lime Bar) that was none of the above and just let us have fun and dance and not be disturbed. (uncless you count the distubances by the highly intoxicated Australians sitting at the table beside us).

Anyway, that's my story on Phuket. Bought some lovely jewellery, had a shot of cranberry vodka in an ice bar. It felt just like home. I walked in saying, "Bienvenue a Canada," while everyone else was begging to get out.
I hope you have all taken notice of the lovely tan that I have developed. AHHH.. Thailand. How do I love thee?

Songkran

So, I've had the past two weeks off of work. A blessing really. It was either going to be me or one of the children who wouldn't make it out safely. But all is well; I'm alive and so are all the kids - last time I checked anyway.

Anyway, the reason for the two week holiday was for Songkran; aka. Thai new year; aka The water festival. Emphasis on the water festival. We left our hotel in lovely Koh Lanta and had a ride in the back of a truck to the pier to head off to our next island destination. We were primped and pretty, ready to enjoy a lovely boat ride. Little did we know what was coming our way. Yes - we were armed. With ultimate super soaker water pistols..... but our defence was nothing compared to army that faced us. Buckets upon buckets of water were poured over our heads... by complete strangers saying, "Happy New Year, Happy Songkran." Absolutely insane. Then there are the people waiting to through powder on your wet clothing which is meant to be a sign of good luck. And some of the powder was red... we were a real mess. Drenched... passports, phones, and ipods included.

Upon arrival in Koh Phi Phi, we were met with much the same madness. However here, I think they were waiting for white people.... and pure ice water was thrown in our path. We finally made it to our room, where we had to completely unpack our bags and hang everything we owned out to dry.

We went out that night... armed and dangerous. Songran shirts, water pistols, and aviator sunglasses to complete the look. Nobody was getting in our way.

More on our fabulous vacation to come...

Family

When you are so far away from home and phone calls seem to be near impossible, and the only means of communication is email - it just plain stinks. It's not so easy to jump on a plane and fly to Vancouver. You don't get to click your heals and say "there's no place like home" and just arrive there. There are times when you just wish you could be with your family, not just for you but for them too.

I constantly ask myself, "What am I gaining by living here?"
The answers are many. I could go on and on. I am gaining so much by living here. Personally, mentally, spiritually. The list would go on and on. I'm learning so much and am experiencing things I never would have dreamed of.

But at the same time as asking the above question, you also ask "what am I missing by living here?"
Again, the answers are many. One can't even make a pros and cons list to look at the two questions. They are incomparable.

For all of those reading this, please say a prayer for my Uncle Lawson, who now lies in peace. And say a prayer for our family.

There's no place like home.
There's no place like home.
There's no place like home.

Holidays are Here

So... today was the last day of the second term of school. One more term to go!!! But before all of that must commence... two weeks vacation. Beach - here I come.

Today was actually a really fun day at school. It was the Songkran festival celebration. Songkran holiday is around April 13th, but we celebrated today. It is the Thai New Year, the hottest time of year, and what follows is the much anticipated rainy season. We started the day off with a somewhat solemn ceremony where the children each, one by one, wished us luck and a Happy Songkran. Then the fun began.

The rest of the day was pure fun. Water games, swimming, throwing flour. All in good fun. And for some reason I was constantly hearing, "Get Miss Teresa," where I would then be chased by classes of children with water pistols, or another group trying to throw me in the pool. It was good fun - exhausting, but good.

So, as of tomorrow, I will be at the beach, working on my tan, and enjoying every second of rest. I am going to Koh Chang, where I went in October. Then to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, and Phuket. I'm really looking forward to the vacation... and I'm not even thinking of the fact that it only lasts for two weeks.

hot hot hot

So, yes, I know. It has been a long time since my last post. That's not to say that nothing has happened in the past month; believe me, there are many adventures which have been had. I suppose I have just become lazy.

I apologize to all of you, especially those of you who have been waking up to snow on the ground. It is hot here. I mean REALLY hot. I had to do playground duty today - and would have enjoyed jumping in our pool... although the pool isn't built yet. It's hot. Blistering may be a good word. My upcoming vacation (2 more sleeps) is forecasted for temperatures between 40 and 45 degrees.

Speaking of hot - we had a fire drill at school the other day. First one of the year. Now... only in Thailand would a fire drill proceed as follows:

• an alarm that can only be heard if you are in the hallway, and people in the hallways, running into classrooms to inform the teachers of what is happening
• children taking the time to put on their shoes as shoes aren't allowed inside.... but we had to wait while 12 three year olds put their shoes on.... and many other small children
• having personal nannies walking with their children with umbrellas to protect them from the sun.
• school maids holding large beach umbrellas to shade the children from the sun.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but if the school was on fire - one would think getting the children out quickly would be more important than them putting their shoes on. It would also be important to actually hear the fire alarm. And one would hope that the top priority would not be shading the children from the sun. Maybe that's only my opinion.

Sometimes I have to shake my head and say "only in Thailand."

Laos - Vang Vien

Let me just say - the first week back at work after a week off is not fun... It takes forever to go by. Time could not have passed faster. The children drove me so crazy I was almost afraid that either them or me wouldn't survive. Time passes a little faster when you hear of a story of a little girl (three years old) asking one of her teachers why boys have tails. It brought us endless hours of entertainment in the staff room. They still drive me crazy.

Back to Laos. The midle part of our trip was spent in Vang Vien. A real backpacker's town. Very alive. Lots to do. A little strange as there is an 11:30pm curfew and it is actually rare to even find a place open that late. It's a lovely quaint little town where every five steps there is someone selling banana pancakes on the side of the road (so delicious). Had a really good time there. We had a lovely view of the river from our guest house. One day, we went tubing down the river. It is actually more like a pub crawl down the river. Good fun. But slow.... The fastest part would make Kleanza Creek seem like a still lake. A lot of paddling was necessary.

The next day we rented bicycles and it's true what they say. You never forget how to ride a bike. We biked through some little villages and saw some adorable children. The purpose of our bikeride was to go for a swim in a lagoon and visit a spooky cave. Mission accomplished - it was all good fun. This is a picture of the lovely lagoon we visited and went for a swim in. The two little boys were our tour guides for the cave we went to. They coudln't have been more than 7-years old. They were sweet. It was quite funny. We walked through an old land mine field to get to these caves, crawled up steep ladders, and scrambled through the jagged rocks of a dark cave. We were actually quite thankful for the tour guides.

Vang vien was an amazing little town. I would defintiely go back. Met a great number of people travelling through and actually met some other Canadians. I dno't meet Canadians all that often. Besides the ones I already know. I would recommend Laos to anyone. It has it's problems, but what country does it. I would love to go to Cambodia. I have been told that it is amazing and well worth the trip. Soon perhaps. Maybe not until the summer. It's hard to say.

We would have spent many more days in Vang vien, but we had to move on. I nice little bus ride to the next city for the next phase of our adventure. We coudld have gone spent much more time there, but we only had a week. Fun weeks go by so fast. Work weeks drag on and on. Such is life.

Laos - from the beginning

Our Laos adventure started with a flight from Bangkok to Udon Thani which is in Thailand, but right at the Thai/Laos border. Smooth sailing so far. We then had to get on a mini-bus to take us to immigration. That's when I got mad. I mean - really mad. Just because I have a Canadian Passport - I had to pay $7 (American Dollars) more for my passport than anyone else. I could eat for three days on that amount of money. I'm curious to know what Canada ever did to Laos. Anyway, the whole process was ridiculous. Having to pay a little money here, a little money there; put a stamp here, put a stamp there; pretend you're staying at one guest house, then pretend you're staying at another. Finally, we walked across a line and we were in Laos. Immediately we were bombarded by men wanting to drive us into town for ridiculous prices. Luckily our bartering skills are quite good, we refuse to be ripped off, and the Laos language is quite similar to Thai, so we were able to do quite well. We agreed on a fair price and were off. (The Laos man travelling with us went for much cheaper). We arrived at our guest house - the driver of our Tuk Tuk tried, once again, to rip us off, but I would have none of it.

We had arrived in Vientiane... the capital city of Laos. Laos is a former french colony. A very underdeveloped country, currently under communist rule. Nothing familiar is there. No McDonalds, no 7Eleven, no Starbucks (AHHHH!!!!) Anyway, many people in Laos do speak French, so that helped a lot too... and made me realize how much french I actually know when I put my mind to it.

We trudged along the streets of Vientiane, looking for a place to stay, but all was booked up. So, we ended up at a fairly high-end hotel. Mind you, it was only $48/night... for a pretty nice place. It had been a long day of travelling and after a Mexican meal (???) we had an early night, knowing full well, that we would be up early the next morning.

The next day we went to Buddha Park... which is just that. A park with a lot of Buddha statues. It was beautiful though. The grass was bright green, beautiful flowers... a cave that you could climb to the top of and see a view of the whole park. It was quite lovely. We hired a Tuk Tuk for the day and he actually didn't try to rip us off, and as a result, we gave him a nice tip at the end.

That was the end of Vientiane. For a capital city there was very little to see and very little development. There were some paved roads, but many were half paved, half gravel. The ride to Buddha Park was bumpy to say the least. We had read a lot about the city prior to going, and it didn't sound like there was a whole lot to do... so we got out of there. Next stop... Vang Vien... backpacker central.

Laos - Backwards

So.... I could have started my stories on life in Laos at the beginning.... I mean, that's where most stories begin, but it seems much more fitting to start at the end... maybe tell a little bit from the middle, but basically go back to front.

So, I am home safely.... one piece.... one day late, but I'm home.

As we sat at the airport yesterday waiting for a flight to land in Laos, that would then take us to Bangkok... we saw a remarkable sight. A little bit of a crash landing. Tons of smoke... a slightly lopsided airplane, and a lot of shrieking coming from people at the gate. Turns out a whell on the airplane, burst or something like that.... anyway.... after thinking they could fix the problem in an hour or so... they came to the conclusion that, no, they couldn't - so we were sent on a bus to a hotel for the night. As we pulled up to the hotel, it was beautiful. Probably the nicest hotel we had seen in Laos. But no. That wasn't for us. That was for the Thai people. Us farang were sent walking to a guest house... 45 minutes away. When we arrived there -- there was no room for us, although we had been assured that there was. We did eventually find a place - around the corner. Hectic situation.. trying to figure out what time our flight would be in the morning... but all worked out. The flight home was a little brutal, particularily the landing. I had never been jolted so far forward in my seat upon landing before, and the entire descent was quite wobbly. Mike - come work for Bangkok Airways. Or Doug - if you are reading this - come work for Bangkok airways.

Anyway, what was supposed to be our last half day in Bangkok was quite lovely. It started out quite early - 5:30am to be exact. We were told we had to participate in the alms-giving to the monks... so we did. We were given out pots of sticky rice, and gave it to a line of approximately 300 monks as they walked past us down the street. There were monks of all ages... some probably as young as seven. Afterwards was a photo opportunity for all of the Thai people to have their photos taken with two Western girls. We then were taken to the morning market.... which, too, was quite a sight. Anything you could possibly imagine was there to buy, food wise anyway.... including frogs, rats, beez for fresh honey... it was a sight. Piles and piles of vegetables and chilis. And meat.... displayed in ways that would make anyone want to be a vegetarian (personal opinion perhaps).

Anyway, the rest of that day was basically spent killing time until our trip to the airport. Had we had a premonition about the cancellation of our flight, we would have done something interesting, but instead, we sat in cafes... wandered through street markets... nothing too special.

So... more to come on this delightful trip to Laos. Perhaps I will start at the beginning next time.

As I live and breathe (or try to anyway)

So.... my life... in Bangkok. Some would say it's as though I never left Toronto (or Montreal, or Vancouver... definitely Terrace) but.... life as a Bangkokian (I think I just made up a new word) is certianly not like life at home. This my school. One shot from the front and one from the back. It's quite tiny... lovely and quaint, with extensions being built asI write this. The Thai flag at the front is flying at full mass. I took this picture quite awhile ago. Currently Thailand is amid 100 days national mourning after the death of the King's sister, (Princess Galyani) so the flag flies at half mass until the beginning of April. There were 15 days of mandatory mourning at the beginning of January when we were only allowed to dress in black, grey and white. That has changed, but the country is still in mourning.

This is my oh so lovely classroom that doubles as the library. We probably have the worst organized library around... but there are books, and people are trying to add more books. What is a school, really, without any books?

So this is where I spend my days and some of the children who I spend my days with. Life just keeps on going and going. We have such a tiny school, but slowly it will grow. They are currently in the process of building a swimming pool, and then an "early years centre." They will also be building a secondary school onto our existing primary school. We currently go up to year 6, but those children have been promised a year 7 class next year. A new head teacher was appointed this week, so there will be more changes to come I am sure. And of course, it being an international school, there are frequent changes in students and teachers. They are currently working on the assumption that I will be around next year. I have yet to truly make that decision. The school is great and the children really are lovely even though there are days where you aren't sure if you are going to make it. Time will tell what I will do. There will be a position open to teach reception or year 1 next year ( Reception is about preschool age and year one is Kindergarten). I would enjoy either one of those - perhaps more than what I am doing now....

So... this is my life.... and I'm trying very hard not to make it my whole life... more to come...

ooh - and as a side note

I did promise Paul some pictures of my new flat. Funny - I am here everyday and never think to take pictures. I would go do it now... but it's pushing on midnight... and 6am comes much too early.... so I promise... to Paul and to anyone else who is inerested... photos of normal life in the near future.

For the brother

I write this in honour of Big Brother Dave's 28th birthday. Happy Birthday big brother. Really, there is no reason why this blog is in honour of you, other than to wish you a happy birthday and perhaps remind a few other people of the special day.

life is life. Bangkok is Bangkok... work is work.

Hectic as always. Who would have thought that getting a new passport in a foreign country could be so difficult. And who would have thought that the process of reinstating simple visa stamps would be so hard? It took ages. Not a process I hope to ever go through again. Then there was the case of the people in my old building "throwing out" half of my things. I put that in quotations marks, because really - they just stole it. They didn't throw out things that are clearly useful. I had a Thai friend come with me to try to sort things out, but they just lied to our faces. We threatened to contact the police... but this is Thailand and chances are they would do nothing... or be paid off by the building manager. So... one more thing to deal with.

Chinese New Year has come and gone, but the sights and sounds still continue apparently for a couple of weeks. Oddly enough, in the mall by my flat there is still a Christmas tree... confused by that, but I have learned not to question things in Thailand. Well, I haven't really... I think I still question numerous things everyday.

I chose this picture to include in my post, just so all of you living in freezing cold temperatures wouldn't feel so bad. This is a stormy weekend on an island - not enjoyable. No need to feel jealous.

The next trip is to Laos, in just under a week. Can't week, won't be the typical beach vacation.. should be quite exciting.

Sometimes the beach is just not fun

So, I have written numerous accounts of lovely weekends away at the beach... and they truly have been lovely... but last weekend was an exception to that.

We arrived on Koh Samet on Friday night... the evening was lovely... random details made it not so enjoyable, but the night itself was great.

Then we woke up Saturday morning to rain. And it rained ALL DAY! This is not rainy season... And this particular island is basically made for lying on the beach, swimming in the sea, and eating at outdoor restaurants. So that was a bummer. Saturday night it had cleared up.... but there was no sun to aid in my tan needs.

Sunday morning, although no rain... it was dreary... the water looked as if a storm was coming... and halfway through breakfast... the rain came again. So... it wasn't the weekend I had hoped for.

Ah well... it can't all be perfect - I can only dream. There is always next time.

Bangkok is fun too!

So... just to prove that there are good times to be had in Bangkok, as well as in lovely beach towns around Thailand... I thought I would fill you all in on a regular Bangkok weekend.

Friday: 1. enjoy a lovely massage to take all of the week's worries away.

2. go out for dinner at a place called "The Witch's Tavern" and drown out our

sorrows from the week behind over some lovely Sangria.

3. on the way home, stop by a Japanese karaoke bar and sing Celine Dion (to honour Canada) and Spice Girls (to honour Britain) before being kicked out for not buying enough drinks.

4. play with a giant bouncy ball with the new security guard, who doesn't speak a word of English, who now clearly thinks the crowd in 7B are crazy.

Saturday: sleep in AT LAST!!!!! seems like that never happens. Go out for a traditional English breakfast at a local pub (no beer, no beef...) pick up a coffee from Starbucks and wander through a lovely Thai park. Take a nap, just because I can.... then go out for a manicure at the place next door. Get ready and go out for dinner among a row of vegetarian restaurants... so rarely do I have so many choices of what to eat. It was Australia Day and somehow we were named honourary Australians... so we joined in with them on the party.

Sunday: sleep in AGAIN (yay) and decide, for a reason I still don't understand, that going for a run would be a great idea. Then wander through the mall, do some food shopping and come home for an afternoon of movies and doing some minimal prep for school. All in all - a lovely weekend. Good times were had by all and minimal money was spent in order to save up for the next weekend away.

3 Weeks Back

So... it has been three weeks of school - three LONG weeks of school... but much to my enjoyment - I have already had one beach vacation, and another one planned for next weekend.

Last weekend, for my birthday, myself and three girlfriends flew to the south of Thailand, to a place called Krabi, for some lovely sunshine, beautiful water and whitesand beaches... and Krabi delivered.

Our hotel, not five star, but not too shabby, was a bit of a walk from the beach, but that was okay. We flew into Krabi right after school on Friday - and spent Friday night going to different bars around the beach. We played many rounds of Jenga... who knew Jenga was so much fun!

For the day of my birthday we went on a boat cruise of the Phi Phi Islands (pronounced pee pee). That is where the above picture was taken from. It was absolutely gorgeous. The boat cruise wasn't so much of a cruise - some rough waters, but we had fun.

I've got a new mission - and that is to learn to dive. We had an opportunity to go snorkelling... something I don't remember ever doing before, and it was a amazing.

We were swimming in this crystal clear water, you could see right down to the bottom, and there were fish swimming all around us. Truly amazing... so now I want to learn to dive to experience these things even more.

Anyway... the weekend was lovely - it came to an end much to quickly and I will definitely be returning to Krabi.

It's great living right in the city now. It was so mind-numbing having to take long taxi rides to get anywhere exciting. Even though the pollution is bad - I'm dealing.

That's it for now - until the next adventure. (trying very hard not to even THINK about school until Monday morning)

Back in Action

Well... I have been slacking on this blog business... but I'm back at it and hope to keep you all up to date in the future.

It was so nice to be home in Canada for Christmas... I believe the opening line to "Little Women" is "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," but I made the decision that Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a little snow, cold temperatures, homemade food, friends, and most of all - my family. I mean - it had been 4 months since a brother had sat on me, or tapped me numerous times on the forhead. You get to miss that stuff.

Anyway, I'm back... in a much more agreeable temperature... renewed and refreshed. I have a new apartment which is just lovely - and two great flatmates to go with it. I'm living right in the city now, which means a bit of a commute to work, but it all seems worth it. The new place is wonderful and I have even, for the first time since moving here, cooked for myself. It's a luxury I hadn't realized I missed so much.

I'm not one for making New Years Resolutions, but I have decided to destress myself this term. Not take on so much. Relax... enjoy life a little bit more. As much as the school would like to push me and push me - I am learning to say no. So many more important things than getting up and going to work. It's bizarre, but this more relaxed approach has made me much more organized and calm at school - go figure. Remind me of these words when I am pulling my hair out in the next few weeks.

This weekend - in honour of my 26th birthday - and just because we can... we're heading to the beach. I can taste the salt water already. This time we are going to the south of Thailand to a place called Krabi, and hopefully a day trip to Koh Phi Phi. Should be exciting... and my tan is fading. We can't have that.

Stay tuned... there is never a dull moment in this wonderful place... and I will keep you up to date.