monkey island

In Hua Hin, we took a boat to a place called Monkey Island where we got to feed some little monkeys. 

the resemblance between the two is uncanny.

not going too far from mom

i miss

this person

this one too

this library

this person and mexican food

this person

this person

and the city where all of these took place: lovely seattle.

rabid attack dogs on the prowl

Things I used to take for granted: sinks and normal toilets. We have a “western” toilet in our bathroom, but the downstairs bathroom has a typical Asian squat toilet as are any toilets available for use in a public place. After using this “facility” which is awkward enough in the first place, you have to take a bucket of water to flush. Even more awkward. No sinks means we wash our dishes in a bucket on the porch and brush our teeth in the shower which is technically not a shower at all save the nozzle coming out of the bathroom wall. I’ve seen/used worse amenities when I was in Africa (holes dug in the ground for a bathroom and bone-numbingly cold showers), but this Thailand stint is going to last about 17 times as long. When Peter (our boss) dropped us off at the house, he told us it has its good and bad sides. The plusses are that our house has never been broken into (the other teachers’ electronics have been kidnapped four or five times). The other bonus is that our house never runs out of water. Hot water? I asked. No, any kind of water. Apparently this phenomenon happens to the other teachers on quite a regular basis with the longest drought lasting five days. The downsides are that we’re farther away from all the other teachers’ houses and that we live in the “slummy area” with rabid attack dogs. I’m not kidding. Our roommate was bitten twice when he was riding his bike. Last night, our second night in good ol’ Surat, Mitch got chased by two dogs. We had been out with everyone else celebrating a birthday, so I may have been a little tipsy, and I may have thought it would be a good idea to try to soothe the dogs that were chasing Mitch. Although it actually worked (the dogs ran over to me and started whining and pawing and licking me), I think it may have been one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had. I named the more aggressive one Sunny. Maybe all of these ferocious dogs in the neighborhood are actually just vying for the attention they never get. I am going to try to befriend as many of these mangy mutts as I can. 

There are lots of creepy animals in our house: cockroaches (blech!), mosquitoes (with a penchant for my legs), rats and mice (haven’t seen these yet and hopefully never will), and geckos (which besides being really cool are helpful because they eat the creepy-crawly bugs). 

Today we had our first day of teaching. Tuesday we observed a few classes and today we were thrown in to teaching a class of 55 extremely rambunctious students. We still haven’t gone through our training yet. All these kids eat on their three snack breaks and lunch period, and all the cafeteria serves I’d like to add, is sugar in its multifariousness. Side note: The only snacks I really like are the fish meatballs and the pork-filled doughnuts. Don’t judge me. They’re are actually really good, and good for you too I’m sure. But back to the kids - these kids are on a never-ending sugar high. And they don’t play outside because their parents don’t want their skin getting dark in the sun. So when they’re in the room, they’re full of energy which has to be harnessed into learning games. I broke them into teams and let them choose their names. I’ve gotten: Team Dream World, Team Mickey Mouse, and Team Banana among others. My first class was a little difficult, but I ironed out the problems over lunch, so my next class ran much more smoothly. I think I’m really going to enjoy the teaching aspect of this trip. Especially next semester (May) when I have the same students every day. Right now, Mitch and I are just filling in for a teacher who had to leave early. 

This weekend is an end-of-the-year beach retreat for all the teachers who have worked so hard, including Mitchell and myself with our two and a half week year. Room, food, and booze included! 

Below are some more pictures from Bangkok. 

baby on a sidewalk 

one of the first things I learned to say in Thai was "no spicy." Their version of no spice still burns your mouth off, but man is it tasty. i miss burritos something fierce though. 

it'll kill ya. or give you sinewy muscles. 

old people everywhere

Mitch and I couldn't buy our train tickets leaving Bangkok fast enough. We were in such a hurry to leave that we didn't bother finding out how we'll know when we're at our stop. We planned to go to Petchaburi to see a couple of wats built in caves. After a few hours on the sweaty train, Mitch started getting up at every stop to see where we were, but since we were in the back of the train, we couldn't see the station at all. I was too distracted with the little Thai boy who was sitting in my lap playing with my camera and looking through my books (upside down I might add). Every time he saw a picture of a wat, he did a little wai which is a bow of respect. The kid was around three years old! Before I got off the train he hugged me, and as it pulled away he stuck his arms out of the window towards me. I was more than a little tempted to bring him with me. As we passed Petchaburi with an "oh well" shrug, we looked out the window and saw an elephant in the street. Now I was a little more disappointed that we hadn't gotten off. I cannot wait to ride one!

We got off at the next stop called Hua Hin which is apparently the place to be if you're a 55+ year old British couple or single man. The place is swarming with them, and let me tell you, they have no shame in flirting with Thai girls half their age. Dragging our suitcases through the tourists' overly tan throngs, we found a place to stay. . . on a pier over the ocean. Falling asleep to the sound of the tide directly under you is not a bad deal. It's about ten degrees cooler here than Bangkok, and the sky once again looks like a sky instead of exhaust fumes.

friend from the train

beach lizard

plus, we're in our new home now, so update coming soon!

it's called the city of angels

I can think of about a million other names that might be a more apropos fit.

Heat, pollution, rooftop bars, kittens, strange and delicious food, tuk-tuks, searches for air conditioning, traffic, wats, and massages. Welcome to Bangkok. This place isn't what I expected. That's ok though; I'm just glad this will not be my new zip code for the next year. 

Tonight Mitch and I and some fellow backpackers are tuk-tuking it to a bar on top of one of the tallest skyscrapers and then to the best jazz joint in town (or so I've heard). After an endless amount of temple browsing, we're going to indulge in the 'spirit'ual side of Bangkok. 

In other news, I have 46 bug bites that itch like the dickens. 

The absence of jet lag has brought back my sense of humor, and I am learning to enjoy aspects of the hottest city on earth. For instance, the massage at Wat Pho was an experience and a half. Traditional Thai massage combines Indian yoga, chiropractic elements, and acupressure. Fingers in stomachs and heels in armpits are sure to delight. Boat rides through the crocodile infested waters of Chao Prahya to the floating markets where you can buy beer among other things could be a relaxing experience for the savvy traveler. Not so much for Mitchell and myself. Or anyone who gets conned into paying 3000 baht per person (that's $90!) for something that never costs more than 600 baht ($18). You win some, you pay out the you know what for some. On this exorbitant cruise we saw colossal iguanas lounging on porches. Pets maybe? Another pleasant element: the BEST pad thai I've ever had has located itself conveniently a mere one minute's walk from our hostel. 

Tomorrow we'll be on a train to Phetchaburi and other towns south of here to experience more of the Land of Smiles. 

the structure on the right used to be a swing where people competed to snatch a little silk bag with their teeth. it has since been banned due to the near 100% fatality rate of the participants. 

there he is: Buddha himself. quite the impressive fellow. 

another impressive fellow. how charming is this restaurant? 

ceiling of a wat. not sure what the ball of string is about, but it may have something to do with the large number of cats who prowl the city. 

you can buy birds to set free in the courtyard of the wats. since i don't want to encourage the entrapment of more birds, i didn't help to propel the market for them. also, i thought i could find better things to spend my baht on. 

my favorite picture so far. that baby was precious and slept like a champ even in the sun and noise. 

more pictures and an ever-improving attitude coming soon!