Sometimes....

      Sometimes, when teaching English abroad, after drilling vocabulary and having the 20th kid copy your every word when you ask them, "What's your name?", you need to just throw your hands in the air and embrace the boundless energy of kindergarteners that prevents them from sitting still!  The other day was one of those days! So, with the last ten minutes of class, after the worksheet had been completed and I was ready to tear out my hair, my TT(Thai teacher) and I whipped out the cameras and let the kids run wild! And run while they did! I was far from overwhelmed though, this is the time when the kids are having fun, are relaxed and their individual personalities shine through!
     Recently, I've been asked, "Will you continue teaching?" and I still don't have an definitive answer, but I can say that it is times like these, with 5 year old boys crowding the camera to show you their best karate moves and the girls shyly posing with their hands twisted into the shape of a heart, that I feel like teaching English abroad is not something I want to give up in the near future! As for the other times, when kids say to me, "I like happy!" and 8 kids want to go to the bathroom at the same time and there is only 5 minutes left to complete the worksheet, well, let's just say I'm glad that at the end of the day I get to go home to my quiet and child-free apartment! :)

JJ Market

There is a market in Bangkok called JJ Market and it is the largest market in Thailand; the amount of "stuff" in one area is astronomical and if you're looking for something obscure, there's an 95% chance you will find it at JJ! I venture to JJ about once a month; the sheer size of it is enough to give even a die-hard shopper a headache. When you go to JJ, you don't go with a particular plan in mind; if you are looking for a particular shop, good luck finding it(you need alot, trust me) and if you see something you like, buy it then and don't say you'll come back later because finding the shop again is going to make you tear your hair out.

I feel like the best(and fun) way to explore JJ is just by turning in whatever direction feels right at the moment and keeping your eyes peeled for what you want and hoping for the best.  I went to JJ not once, but twice this weekend! The second time alone and in search of a few things to decorate my room and make it more "homey". I had a few places in mind, and if luck would have it my plan of just wandering worked and I found everything I needed at the shops I was looking for; A beautiful tapestry to brighten up the room, magazines to cut pictures from for my vision board and Nag Champa incense(thanks for the suggestion Ash!).

Durian + A Good Friend!

My love for the exotic fruit called durian and dubbed the "King of Fruits" is shared by many, but one person in particular is my dear friend Ashley! Ashley and I met only 2 weeks ago after chatting online for a few months, but the minute we met it was like we had known eachother our whole lives. It was incredible, and we both feel so blessed to have met eachother. In such a short period of time we have shared countless laughs and made incredible memories that I will never forget and will always remember fondly. 

The other day we shared a meal of durian together and such a simple thing was filled with so much joy and laughter. Durian has this wonderful effect on both of us where we feel on top of the world and vibrate at such a high frequency. We finish eachothers sentences, know what the other is thinking and laugh at the same thing without even verbally awknowledging what we are laughing at. Fruit creates community and everything tastes so much sweeter when shared with another loving person!

Ashley, thank you for being an incredible person and amazing friend! I am so happy for you and Tim that you get to have time together in Thailand after 7 months of being apart. I can't wait to travel the world with you and laugh and laugh and laugh until our bellies hurt and we pee our pants.

hsaueorjbs vbsdjbvjkbdv shdhdgd (I know you understand!)

Phu Chi Fah

I wanted to make a post solely with picture of Phu Chi Fah, one of the places I visited in Northern Thailand because it so incredible beautiful and I can not think of enough words to do it justice.

First Post!

I have been meaning to start a blog about my time in Thailand for the past 3 months, but like many of my intentions, it got lost in the mix of work and daily life. Here it is now though! A blog for anyone curious about my time teaching in Thailand. Mostly it will include stories from school, stories from my travels and the quirks of living in Thailand as a foreigner.

In October of 2010, I traveled to Thailand alone to start a job as an English teacher for a language center in Bangkok. I was nervous; I had never been to Asia, I didn't know anyone in the country and my knowledge about my Thailand was sadly lacking. But, I was excited; really excited! Often people ask me, "Why did you come to Thailand?" and I'm at a loss as to what to tell them because I don't entirely know; what I know is that it just felt right, like it would be a perfect fit and I would be happy there. The feeling has proved correct, I love everything about Thailand; the culture, the people, the climate, the fruit and even the driving that looks like it has no rhyme or reason!



The street I live on

 So far, my 3 months in Thailand have been incredible; I have met some wonderful people, gone on countless adventures, traveled through some remote parts of Thailand, grown as a person, adapted to an "adult" job and have smiled and laughed more than I could have dreamed. This country has given me so many opportunities to learn more about myself and what I am capable of.  I have no doubt that the next 9 months of my time here will give me even more opportunities to grow and learn, and will surely give me many, many more laughs! I plan on updating this blog regularly with stories from school, daily life and any travels that I go on! So, keep checking back! :)