Haven't Blogged In Forever But Ya Can't Say Never

I have received a few messages, emails and notes in regards to this very blog, which I have seemed to throw to the curb. In all honesty, it just hasn't been a priority BUT makes my heart sing to know that people are trying to keep on the up with me, hence this entry.

Life has been BUSY!!! I haven't left Bangkok in months and by the time the weekends hit I am usually more excited about my bed then the adventures down the road. School has been nuts, which we were all warned and told to expect. Since my last blog, I have completed two University courses and went through final exams with my little munchkins. I was also a part of Lertlah's Sports Day which was beyond exciting and will backtrack and blog about another day.

Today, in 3 hours actually, I am jumping on a plane and heading north... CHINA!!! I am SO SO SO excited. We all have 2 weeks holidays, divided up throughout October and I'm in the first batch. The plan is to hit up Beijing and the Great Wall first, working our way down through the Terracotta Warriors, rice fields and Hong Kong. I really am SO SO SO EXCITED!!!

This entry is short indeed, but figured that a quick catch-up is better than none at all. I will be sure to post pictures and stories about my China adventures once I get back!

Till then!

Ms. Karyn as a teacher... enough content for a double feature!

It's been 3 months in Thai Thai and about 2.5 months in the classroom with the kiddos. I have finally found my groove and am taking ownership of what goes down in Ms. Karyn's class. Quite an exciting feeling to get to this point but baby steps are still necessary. I feel as though my kids, almost all 52 of them (who am I kidding, definitely not all, but an ok chunk) get me and we can even offer out silly laughs, for the same reasons, from time to time. My acting skills are also drastically improving. I will totally be able to kick some major patootie at charades when I'm finished here.

Here is an idea of what my day at Lertlah looks like:

6:20 am - Alarm rings, snooze is hit.

7:00 am - En route to find a hopefully decent taxi to get us to school... us consisting of Sarah, Anthony, Ramon (my blog designer) and myself. Taxi rides are never uneventful and always worth a spot on Reality TV. We have made cars bottom out, have had conversations with the drivers, as they speak Thai and we speak English and have also been in an accident. Adventure always begins in the morning.

7:30 ish am - Arrive on the side of the road near the school, telling the driver to pull over, or at least we think that's what we're telling the driver, walking past the same old construction crew who is used to us by now and doesn't point as frequently, avoiding soi dogs (dirty street dogs), making the occasional stop at the fruit man for guava and signing in with the fingerprint scan.

8:30 am - The anthem is heard throughout the school which signals the time for us to make our way up the stairs to our classes.

8:30 - 11:10 am - Classes. I am either teaching English, Science or Math to 2 different grade 2 classes, of course the occaisional prep thrown in there. I do a lot of "please stop talking!" and attempted pictionary on the board to somehow explain "the natural environment of an organism" to children who cannot spell "frog". Responses consist of crumpled foreheads, tilted heads and the ever-expected "what it is Ms. Karyn, what it is?"

11:10 - 12:00- lunch. Lunch varies from a can of chicken noodle soup, to cashew chicken from the soi (street by the school) to mystery meat and rice at the cafeteria. Seems as though the caf is either a semi-hit or mega-miss.

12:00 - 3:30 - back to classes. By afternoon the kids are chatty-er than ever, longing for a break and finished with their attempts to understand my purpose in their little lives. It is getting better, or I am at least getting used to it, but the afternoons are not as dreaded as they once were.

3:30 - 4:30 - Some suckers, I mean fellow teachers, are sent off to teach homework classes. Because I have a full schedule this becomes my down time as I attempt to finish marking, plan for the next day or simply recoop. My desk is a heap of unmarked work, drawings, projects and to-do lists, but I've accepted it all as part of the decor.

4:30 - The hopeful sign out by fingerprint scan. Hopeful as there are days when it's necessary to stay for a little bit longer. I don't make a habbit out of staying late but when marks are due, exams are on the way or books have overtaken more than my own workspace, it's time to come up with an action plan and get it done.


The evenings usually involve the eventful taxi ride home, dinner at Mem's (our favorite little place by the apartment... she makes great chicken fried rice and pad thai), laundry, watching an episode of "House" online, a little bit of marking and checking the apartment for roaches. There are also the occaisional University courses, like now, which take up the entire evening and totally add a drag to the day... But, can't complain... I did make this choice afterall.

All in all, seems rather routine when I write it out this way and quite ordinary. I guess it's the random comments from the kids, the bets made over the dish at lunch, the office drama and occaisional elephants on the side of the road that take the ordinary right out of it.

I'm enjoying my days, I love being a true-blue teacher and as for right now, I really wouldn't change it for the world.

What a Score, Heard the Real Roar!

A weekend unlike any other that I have yet to experience in my mere 27 years... I was off to Kanchanaburi this past weekend, which is a two hour ride north of Bangkok. The adventure began immediately as we missed the bus, waited for a few hours on the side of the road for bus #2, which never arrived, and ended up taking a taxi with two guys who were unwilling to wait and got themselves a little "tipsy" along the way. Of course, the taxi driver had no idea where he was supposed to take us, which did add to the drama. But of course, as most things do work out, we got there just fine and dandy in the end.

Saturday morning was all about chilling with some animals. Among the masses included an ostrich, elephants, crocodiles, birds, zebras, tigers, lions, camels and giraffes. The giraffes were the definite highlight and were not all about playing shy. They literally put their heads right into our bus for some bananas and such that we had saved for them. It was so fun and I really could have stuck around with them all afternoon. What animals! So gentle yet so determined! After the giraffes we hung out with the elephants and held the tail of a crocodile. This Park was very unlike North American parks... you don't just look, you touch!

From the Safari Park we were then headed to the Tiger Temple. Here we walked around with the animals once again. What's the excitement in these branch-eating animals... we headed for the ones with fangs and ended up sitting beside tigers. I had two rather "interesting" moments. I touched a smaller tiger on the belly. The previous tigers really ignored my little pats, but this tiger turned right around, paw first, followed by a little growl and teeth. I froze, the people around me said, in somewhat panicked voices, "don't move! don't move!" I left unharmed and stopped by a few more tigers for some pics, so I wasn't really that traumatized. The next moment was with a little 4 month old cub who did graze me with his teeth. Again, no skin tore, no blood shed. But I'm tempted to create the story as I did in fact get bitten by a tiger... that is kinda cool.. no?


I left later that evening and didn't even rest the eyes on the van ride home. It was an adventure and I'm excited for the others to come!

She Sang Soprano While I Played Piano

A cute story! I'm so excited to have stumbled upon a cute story!

I miss my piano, any piano in fact. I miss being able to relax with the ivories and just zone out in the key of D. Today I had to go to the doctor's for a "medical" in order to finalize some paperwork for my permanent work VISA. I heard a few interesting things about this doctor, so I wasn't quite excited to go. I arrived, the doctor's husband greeted me, I think their daughter was behind the desk and their son was in the back doing homework. Quite the family affair. This little office was all-inclusive, your business being everyones business. I then noticed something off to the side.

"Is that a piano?" A piano indeed! (Well, an Electron to be exact). They had me play a few songs, then pulling out Thai songs, the doctor singing in her best singing voice right beside me. Her son then played a few songs for me. A family heirloom, violin, was pulled into the mix, exam requirements for this instrument shown to me, music galore and the history of certain songs. I was in my glory! The doctor made me promise to return, insisting that I could visit and play anytime, any day and they would never ask me to leave.

Forty minutes later I left the office, the ability to play the piano apparently sufficing as a healthy medical check, only to return the following afternoon for the next show. I love these moments!

They Mock and Won't Stop the Talk

The teaching has begun. I am teaching two grade 2 classes, with a total of 54 students (who I might add have rather interesting names to learn). From Boss, to Titee, Smart, Ice, Dong, Punch and Prince, my life has become busy with many new little "friends". The kids are more chatty than I really ever thought possible and the language barrier is beyond challenging. How do I explain the germination of plants when I can't even get them to stand up without using actions? This, my friends, is going to be a challenging year to say the least. I am more stern than I ever really hoped to be, but it is worth the sanity in the end. I did receive a note the other day, which for some reason totally made my day; "Ms. Karyn is a crab". Goes to show just how "mean" I'm being, but I do get the random hug and plenty of smiles to make up for the crabbiness. I'm looking forward to getting over the first week, the awkwardness and into the teaching and fun. Will keep you all updated!

Koh Phi Phi, Heart of the 2004 Tsunami

Part of my journey thus far has taken me to the island of Koh Phi Phi. This island was devastated by the December 26th tsunami of 2004. My visit to the island was not only filled with relaxation but accompanied with thought, remorse and empathy towards those that not only witnessed the disaster but continue to rebuild their homes and their lives.

Before this visit my thoughts in regards to this event included the faces of foreign tourists and adults. I had never questioned the affect or whereabouts of the children. I met a few children on the island which somehow restructured my entire memory of the event.

The contrast on this island is quite unlike anything I have ever witnessed. This is the most beautiful spot on earth that I have ever visited, yet such tragedy and heartache blend into the beauty. I climbed a mountain (in flip flops), seeing people clean and build along the way. At the top of the climb I was overcome with awe. What a world we live in, and what steps need to be taken to reach the final resting places.

Over-stepping with the prepping?

The fun and games have come to an end (for the week). Down to business as we are now at the school day in and day out, prepping for our up and coming first day of school. There was a minor bump in the road, as I was assigned kindergarden, but Martyna generously swapped so I am now teaching to grade 2 classes. I feel pretty good about this as I just finished a teaching block in grade 2. I'm not quite sure what to expect, or even how to prep. Seems as though I'm wasting most of my time making calendars and stuff like that. I do love the school though, its so beautiful! I'm excited for the kids to come, that'll make the "reality TV vibe" vanish a bit... I hope at least.

There must be more to see... Candid Camera or Punk'd on MTV?

This weekend we went to Kanchunaburi for a team building opportunity for all of the teaching staff at Lertlah School. The resort was BEAUTIFUL and the party was well organized as a whole, but I could not believe that I was actually a part of reality, and if I was in fact still in "real life" I truly began to wait for candid camera to pop out from the bushes.

The day began with 300 teachers, both foreign and Thai, in a room, sitting in the circle. We, the foreigners, smiled at the MC, which of course was all in Thai, so we had no idea what it was that we found so "funny". We moved from sitting on chairs to sitting on the floor for a couple of hours. The reason this was also so funny to me was because there is no way that this would ever happen in Canada. The day progressed as we were all placed into teams and had to walk around the grounds (the team remaining in a giant circle of yarn), moving from station to station. The stations included everything from rolling in fridge boxes to jumping along on crazy carpets. We were also led through army ant hills and were again asked to sit on the grass, which resulted in hives for us crazy white folk.

The candid camera crew totally lucked out in the evening when we hit up karaoke and dancing. CRAZY!!! I of course did my share (I will Survive) but Anthony stomped us all with "Sex Bomb". Amazing really. Karaoke is also taken quite seriously. We were rewarded with beer and booze for our team efforts from the afternoon and then joined in on the dancing. This was also crazy. At one point a few of us simply began yelling "loud noises, loud noises". Nothing is fazed. Cranberries "Zombie" is also another favorite around here, so that too was simply crazy. Everything is crazy and I sometimes feel that there is little need to even try and explain.

Good times, good times! The adventures continue...

The all-encompasing bathrooms... where the budays second as wash brooms.

WARNING: This blog may been deemed by some as fitting into the too-much-information-category. Turn back from this site now if you are at all hesitant as I'm sure some posts will only get more "uncomfortable" in time.

There are a lot of adjustments to make in regards to living in Thailand. Some of the obvious ones are the climate, the food and the "wildlife". One of the strangest things, that I truly wonder if I'll ever get used to, are the washrooms. First of all, as a warning, pack your own toilet paper when traveling through Thailand. This simple act can save many an awkward moment. Second bit of advice, work the thigh muscles as squatting may in fact become a regular occurrence. Third bit, invest in rubber boots.

Now, some of the things I have come across in regards to the washroom situation include signs saying "please do not stand on seat". This, in my little bubble of a world, is simply strange and random. I still do not comprehend the request. The next odd bit is the shower. In most bathrooms that have a shower, there is no separation between washing and "unloading". There is simply a room with a mirror, sink, toilet, shower head and drain. The drain is often in the center of this little room, meaning that all water will somehow, and in its own time, make its way out of the room. Seeing as how this is a one room one deal type of thing, when showering, all becomes very wet. Another bit of advice, allow the person you are traveling with, or rooming with to use the facilities before showering.

Now, the oddest thing for me (and don't blame the western up-bringing) is the no flush policy. Let me explain. You can flush your "business" but you can't flush paper. Therefore, there is a little hose beside each toilet which is used to "wipe" and "clean". There is also a little pail beside each toilet to collect the paper. Paper is either decoration (oh, and must be collected before entry into a stall) or simply for drying. When using public washrooms, you may here sudden bursts of rushing water, which might just catch you off guard, but no worries... this is the norm.

Us Westerners are having difficulties adjusting to the idea of utilizing the "buday". We also have problems not flushing the paper, sometimes not collecting paper before entry, and have in result caused problems for the plumbing as well. There are few who have ventured into the territory of the mysterious hoses, but not for the purpose which they have been created for. Apparently, the buday is a great source for hosing down the all-inclusive bathroom. This idea may also take a while for me to agree with...

Note little hose by toilet. This is in my apartment.

Went to the soi to eat, met up with an elephant on the street

I have said this more than once... my life right now would be a great reality show. Half the time I'm convinced that I am in fact living through the lens of candid camera, because so many things are so random and just plain old weird. I have problems believing it all to be real, still trying to simply go with the flow.

A couple of us were leaving our apartment for dinner today and what did we see? Well an elephant of course! A busy street with cars and people and businesses, and of course elephants. Who am I to think this is weird or strange? Just that my world, my Canadian world, had the extent of squirrels in the yard and bears at the dump. Elephants weren't a frequent in Manitoba.

Before this occurrence I was quite sure that my life was "ab-normal" but no more convincing is necessary. Now I simply know.

Interested to see what tomorrow brings. A giraffe perhaps?!?

Vocabulary Bobabulary

I am really trying to grasp some of the Thai language, but it's hard. I think the challenge is fantastic in the sense that I have a little glimpse at what my students will be going through with English. Here's what I can remember so far:

Sawadeka - hello, goodbye. If you are a male you have to end your words with "cap", therefore, sawadekap.

Kapkunka - thank you. Again, males would say kapkunkap

Wai - a greeting, folding the hands together, lowering your face to your fingers and a slight bow. Where your fingers meet you face depends on the status of the person you are wai-ing.

Sy - left, good for directing taxi drivers

Quoi - right, again for the taxis

Soi - street and we use this regularly. I would never say I'm going to the street for lunch, but the soi.

Song - 2, as in the number. This is also important for the taxi rides. We live on Road 2, sum is 3 and I have confused a few taxi drivers by saying sum over song

Farang (pronounced phalang) - foreigners or westerners (whities). I don't use this one, but here it directed towards me often.

Koh (Ko) - island... nice to know when thinking about long weekends

That's about as far as I've gotten so far. I have been to a few Thai classes for the foreign teachers at the school, but still can't remember how to say chicken, slow down or bathroom. It'll come I'm sure.

Can't help but grin, off to Hua Hin

So far so good here in Bangkok. The weather will definitely take some adjustment, as will the food. I just returned from a weekend get-away in Hua Hin, which is a few hours south of Bangkok. All of us Winnipegers jumped into some vans, making the journey, excited about the beach. Beyond the beach, the greatest treat was definitely the monkeys. We ventured up to Monkey Mountain, joining the monkeys in random walks through the grounds and Buddhist monuments. It was all very surreal and quite an adventure. Ramon was scratched, now requiring rabies shots and Richard was bitten, also recquiring immunizations. Lucky enough for me, I only had a monkey stop on top of my shoulders for a momentary banana snack.

The jet lag hit me this weekend. I had many problems falling asleep at night, then ending up rather exhausted during the day. The lack of sleep also made my irritable stomach that much more annoying, so I hid out in the room for extra zzz's Saturday evening.



I loved the market, still cannot get over the people and am quite sketched out by the random "old western men" who seem to prey on young Thai women. That totally disturbs me. All in all, this weekend was an eye opener and a good introduction of what my life may just look like this upcomming year. Oh man, I can only imagine...

Quite the Flight

April 29th, 2008
07:06 UTC/GMT -6 hours
My parents kindly ventured the 8 hour drive south to take me to the airport Tuesday morning. It was a good farewell, joined by fellow 151ers (classmates) and family galore. Some tears were shed, by some I mean many, as the group of us, being about 24, jumped on our first flight from Winnipeg to Chicago.



April 29th, 2008
09:10 UTC/GMT -6hours
I arrived in Chicago and was quick to participate in the amusement park that O'Hare truly is. We took the roller coaster train ride to the next terminal and headed to security and customs, expecting a minor show as Coco Man and his family were joining us through check-in. "She has a pair of coconuts in there." We tried to stand as long as we could, taking Coco for a walk, before heading onto our next never-lasting and all-eternal flight over the Pacific.



April 29th, 2008
12:15 UTC/GMT -6 hours
And so it begins. Three of us attempted to sit next to one another, soon discovering that the following 13 hours would be anything but enjoyable if we were to remain that way. Martyna was able to find a row to herself, enabling us all to spread out and get a little more comfortable. The flight was not all that bad and the lack of sleep made everything a little bit more funny, as it tends to do. We watched movies, played cards, tried out the crazy video games, took pictures and ate interesting eats. I was also quite intrigued by a random man who managed to pass out for the ENTIRE flight, minus one escapade when he awoke to sneeze as loud as he possibly could, scaring me half to death.



April 30th, 2008
15:00 UTC/GMT +9 hours
Tokyo. Made it. Instant dripping as the humidity hit in a wave. We arrived tired and not really all that anxious to get onto another 6 hour flight. This day, these 2 days, really felt quite surreal and obviously never ending.

April 30th, 2008
16:15 UTC/GMT +9hours
Leaving Tokyo, but on a nicer plane, comfy seats and more movie options. Luckily, I made the earlier flight which somehow had enough space to spread out once again. We buckled Coco Man in, put on "P.S. I Love You" and prepared our bellies for yet another eventful meal. This flight was not dramatic, in a good way, and went by rather quickly, especially in comparison to the previous flight.



April 30th, 2008
20:50 UTC/GMT +7 hours
I made it to Bangkok! Once again, hit with the humidity, but the fatigue helped in convincing my mind that it really wasn't all that bad. There were people from our school ready to greet us and throw us into vans, taking us straight to our new homes and apartments. The traffic was another experience and one that I may not get used to all that quickly. The best advice I have for those who one day venture into Thailand traffic is to close your eyes and never ask for clarification on road rules (as there are few). The apartment was a nice welcome, especially the air conditioner.

And so...
the adventure begins...