Just go, C!
I'm Charity, a proud auntie, wine lover, semi-nerd, and dreamer who can't stay in one place for too long.
The weather here has been unpredictable lately, alternating between hot, muggy sunshine and torrential downpours. I'm thankful that I'm nowhere near a hurricane right now, though, and it's been difficult to watch coverage of all the natural disasters happening in the States at the moment. I'm sincerely hopeful that your friends and families will come out of all this safe and sound, and that these events will inspire more stories of generosity, hope, and perseverance. Life has been about as unpredictable as the weather for me, lately. There was some uncertainty as to whether I could continue working here as a teacher or if I'd need to work somewhere else, or if I'd even be able to stay in Thailand, period. I'd been told that as long as the school was willing to work with me, there would be no issue with me staying, but that changed to not being able to stay even though the school definitely wanted me to. It's a longer story than that but the details are irrelevant at this point. I'm very disappointed, as I definitely would have preferred to stay at the same school and teach another semester before going back home to visit. But, as we all know by now, things are always subject to change here in Thailand! When I learned that I wouldn't be able to stay here, I got to work immediately on finding another position in Thailand. I just wasn't ready to throw in the towel and leave the country just yet. I put feelers out to a few places and posted a couple inquiries on Facebook. About 2 weeks and 2 interviews later, I have signed a contract with a school in the Phayao province. Phayao is further north of Tak, and it's about halfway between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai - cha-ching! Two cities that I have absolutely loved to visit and plan to return again once I'm settled in my new home. The town is nestled along Kwan Phayao (Lake Phayao) which is absolutely beautiful especially with the mountains as a backdrop. I visited the school and was impressed with the friendliness of the staff and their approach to education. The students will mainly be younger, like preschool/kindergarten age up to about 2nd or 3rd grade, with a few adult classes sprinkled in. I'll be starting toward the end of October, because in mid-October, I have a trip planned to (drumroll please...) SINGAPORE! And Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur and Penang to be more specific. So the next month is going to be pretty crazy. My students have their finals next week, then the following week I have to do all the grading. I plan to go to Phayao the last weekend of September to find an apartment and move in my things, then I have to return to Tak to judge again in an English competition the first weekend in October, then head back to Phayao for a few short days before my trip. Whew! I have to admit that my inner nomad is excited to live in a new place for a while, but I will deeply miss the friends I've made here, as well as my students, of course. I had a hunch that I would enjoy teaching before I started, but I didn't realize how much fun I would have with my students and how much I would bond with them. It's going to be very difficult and emotional for me to leave them behind. I can only hope I can make it back for a visit when my M6 students graduate next spring. The other possible drawback is that my return to the U.S. could be delayed another couple of months or possibly another six months if I decide to stay longer. Football season has brought on a fresh dose of homesickness so I'm definitely missing some of the comforts of home right now. Absence will certainly make the heart grow even fonder, rest assured! So, that's the latest and greatest with me. Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts and I can't wait to show you more of Thailand and Southeast Asia!
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I've been meaning to post about my trip to Chiang Rai for a while now, but it has been very busy for ol' C lately. All very good things - English competitions, English camps, another trip to Savannakhet, etc. But, I definitely wanted to share my weekend trip to Chiang Rai because I saw some of the most beautiful temples that I've seen since being in Thailand. It was also memorable for me because a few things did not go according to plan and it was definitely an exercise in patience and optimism. I purchased my bus ticket to Chiang Rai a couple of days before my departure date since I had barely managed to get on the bus to Chiang Mai last time. I opted to leave Saturday morning, even though I would have preferred to go Friday night, but most hostels don't allow guests to check in past 11 pm in Chiang Rai and I would have arrived later than that. No big deal, I would still have plenty of time on Saturday to go sight-seeing and enjoy myself. I planned to purchase my ticket back to Tak once I arrived in Chiang Rai, which would have still been a couple of days early since I didn't intend to go back until Monday. Good thinking, C. Way to plan ahead. Sooooo remember that post a while back about making plans in Thailand? HAHAHA yeah. About that. I arrived as expected, went up to the ticket counter and asked for a ticket back to Tak on Monday. "Sorry, full!" Uhhhh, exsqueeze me? I'll try to make a long story short. They were fully booked for Monday because of the holiday weekend (Queen Sirikit's birthday) and everyone returning back to their homes. I would have to either go back on Sunday or leave on Tuesday. Neither of which was attractive to me. I asked about different routes, as well. Nada. I thought I was screwed - I would either have to leave much sooner than I'd wanted, or have to leave Tuesday and miss school, or spend about $160 for a plane ticket to Sukhothai. Pretty crappy options. I kept thinking, there HAS to be a solution here. Then I remembered there was another bus station in Chiang Rai. What if I could go there and check with other bus lines? However, by the time I came up with this idea the bus station had already closed for the day so I'd have to go back in the morning. I spent the evening trying to enjoy myself and not worry about it too much. I knew that it would all work out somehow as it always does. The hostel I was staying at helped me get a tuk tuk driver to take me to the bus station in the morning. This driver was my ambassador, man. He took me to a few places trying to see if anyone had anything, doing most of the talking for me, trying his best to help me out. But nope, everything was booked. We got to another part of the bus station and I overheard someone talking about a ticket to Sukhothai. Ahh HA! If I could get to Sukhothai, then it would be an easy trip back to Tak since they have vans and buses that go regularly. Sure enough, they had open seats so I purchased my ticket for my return trip. I could enjoy the rest of the weekend stress-free. Although, I wasn't quite done with the transportation snags - when I did arrive in Sukhothai, I had to wait nearly 2 hours for a bus back to Tak because everything else was full. Let's just say I was pretty happy when that bus arrived, even though it was definitely of questionable quality! Didn't matter at that point. Transportation issues aside, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Chiang Rai. It's not nearly as touristy as its big sister Chiang Mai; many tourists don't make a point to visit while in Thailand. On one hand it's a shame because it really does have a lot to offer, but on the other hand it's nice because it's not TOO touristy and overpriced. The same morning I purchased my bus ticket to Sukhothai, I asked my heroic tuk tuk driver to take me to the White Temple. He surely did, as well as take me to nearly every major tourist attraction in Chiang Rai. Bless his soul, he was my unintentional tour guide and bus station diplomat for the day. He was so, so helpful and kind. The White Temple - wow, where do I even begin? Easily one of the most incredible places I've ever visited. Formally known as Wat Rong Khun to the locals, it's more of an art exhibit than a temple, really. The artist who designed it (and is still designing it), Chalermchai Kositpipat, is still alive and doesn't expect it to be fully complete until around the year 2070. The temple is chock full of symbolism - mainly about the dark side of humanity, the consequences of our choices, and as with most religions, a way to enlightenment and immortality. As you can see, looking from a bit of a distance, you can tell the temple is very ornate and intricate, but as you approach and really examine the details, it is completely mind-blowing. As you can see from the images above, the themes of sin, death, and suffering are prevalent here. Literally and figuratively, you must cross through the pain and suffering in order to reach the temple, or "heaven" as it translates. The outreached hands symbolize desire and greed. Before you can enter the temple, you must pass through the gates of heaven which are guarded by Death and Rahu, which is a Hindu deity. Finally, you are allowed to cross over to the temple itself. Photography was not allowed inside, but there were images of Western culture idols like Michael Jackson, Freddy Kruger, Harry Potter, and Neo from The Matrix. You could also see images of terrorism, wars, nuclear war, and human impact on the environment. Essentially, all things indicating humanity's obsession with things that are self-destructive and distracting from enlightenment. The exterior of the main building which is called the "ubosot" is decorated with pieces of mirrored glass and is completely white. The details are stunning and you can't help but be overwhelmed with the intricacy and beauty, as well as the time it took to create. Check out the gold building below. Is that another temple, you ask? Nope. Those are restrooms. The gold color is meant to represent humanity's lust for wealth and possessions. One could certainly spend a full day at this temple, but I was trying to pack as much into one day as I could so my next stop was Wat Rong Suea Ten, or "Blue Temple" as its known to visitors. This temple was designed by a student of Chalermchai (who created Wat Rong Khun), and certainly you could see the inspiration. The Blue Temple was only recently completed in January of 2016. It is quite impressive on the outside, but the inside is equally as remarkable. The blue color is representative of Dharma. Dharma is a pretty broad term in Buddhism, but could be summarized as "the teachings of Buddha" or the "natural laws of the universe." After the Blue Temple, we made a visit slightly out of town to visit Wat Huai Pla Kung, which has a very large Chinese-style pagoda and a very large statue named Guan Yin, which is apparently the Goddess of Mercy. The pagoda is nine floors high. I didn't go inside that, but I did take the elevator inside the Guan Yin statue which was very small and cramped at the top with all the tourists, but still pretty cool to see, and with a nice 360 degree view of Chiang Rai province. Following our visit to Huai Pla Kung, we headed over to a very unique attraction called Baan Dam, or the Black House. A popular but controversial Thai artist named Thawan Duchanee resided and worked here. It's not really one house but a series of buildings which store Thawan's creative works. His art seems to be an intriguing combination of traditional Thai art and architecture, Buddhist influence, and an intense interest in animals and death. I couldn't help but think some of his pieces belonged on the set of the "Vikings" TV series. Thawan himself passed away just recently in 2014, but it's apparent that great care is being taken to preserve his home and art. I could see how his work could cause some discomfort and controversy among the Thais, but people of Western cultures would more likely find it all the more fascinating rather than distasteful. Overall, the weekend I spent in Chiang Rai was unforgettable, and it was definitely worth any headaches getting to and from. I hope you enjoyed the photos - my little iPhone can sadly never do enough justice, but hopefully you can still appreciate some of the beauty that I was able to experience in this underrated city.
Until next time... Oh "mai" goodness, did I have fun in Chiang Mai! Those of you who are lucky enough to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram were completely inundated with photos of my weekend excursion to this beautiful city, the 2nd largest in Thailand. Chiang Mai is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, and for good reason. Here, you have a wonderful mix of Western creature comforts that all of us "farangs" (foreigners) love, plus a taste of the unique culture of northern Thailand. Sprinkle in what seems like a billion temples, and you've got an absolute tourist haven. Living in Tak, I have the advantage of being near a hub for many of the bus routes throughout the country. Normally, the bus station here is pretty quiet, but apparently everyone and their aunt's cousin decided to venture out for the weekend and I was barely able to squeeze into a bus with a few of my farang teacher friends. Quite literally, we sat on the floor at the back of the bus. Let's just say that my ass now knows first-hand (or first-ass?) that the roads in Thailand could use a little work. I stayed in a hostel called Muan Hostel which I would highly recommend to other visitors. It was modern, very clean, and the staff spoke English very well. They have an all-female dorm with a "cubby" feel for the beds with curtains you can close for extra privacy. The price was a little higher than some of the others in the city at about 400 baht (about $12 USD) per night, but I was literally across the street from the Tha Pae gate which made it incredibly easy to wander around the historic center of Chiang Mai, and it's also the starting point for the Sunday Night Walking Street Market. After breakfast on Saturday, I wandered through some of the side streets in the Old City and walked into a couple of used book stores. There are several bookstores scattered throughout the city for anyone who needs their book fix! It is pretty difficult to find books in English outside of the bigger cities. My next stop was at Wat Chedi Luang. I didn't see the massive pagoda (or chedi) at first so when I did see it, it totally hit me like a Keanu Reeves "Woah!" moment. I took several pictures but it's definitely someplace you'd need to see in person to fully appreciate. Efforts have been made to restore the ruins, but no one has reconstructed the spire because no one is really sure what it looked like way back when. Additionally, no one is certain of how it was destroyed initially. Some speculate there was an earthquake in the 16th century; others suspect that cannons could have destroyed it during the attempt to reclaim Chiang Mai from the Burmese in the late 18th century. The chedi was originially built in 1441. It used to be the home of the Emerald Buddha (now housed in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok). Elsewhere on the compound were other beautiful temples and architecture, and a reminder of the struggle of women in some parts of the world (red sign): After Wat Chedi Luang, I headed over to Wat Phra Singh, which loosely means "temple of the Lion Buddha." There were many Thai people here praying and making merit, most likely due to the fact that it was the weekend of the Buddhist religious holiday Asalha Bucha, which Buddhists celebrate as the anniversary of Lord Buddha's first sermon over 2,500 years ago. The skies were getting dark and cloudy with the impending rain, which made for a beautiful backdrop to the gold chedis and temples. Later in the day, I visited Wat Suan Dok, which was a much further walk away from the historic center of the city than I was aware, so I made a pit stop at a local coffee shop to take a break. Fortunately, the temple was only just around the corner once I realized where I was. Ha! Wat Suan Dok is most notable for its white mausoleums which house the ashes of the members of the Chiang Mai Royal Family. I capped off the day by taking a hard-earned nap back at the hostel then heading over to the Night Bazaar to get my fill of "shopping" - and when I say "shopping," I mean I look a lot and don't buy anything. Stuff costs money, and memories are free! Sunday, I got to hang out with one of my hostel roommates. Her name was Megan and she was from Taiwan. We were both casually chatting about our plans and it happened that we both wanted to see Wat Doi Suthep, so we decided to go together. Normally I consider myself a lone wolf of sorts and I often prefer to do things solo, but I will admit that it was really nice to have the company and it ended up saving us both some money on transportation. One of my favorite things about traveling is meeting people from all over the world that you just "do stuff" with. Hard to believe that I would have never met some of the people I've been able to meet if I'd never taken the leap to travel. Before Doi Suthep, we stopped by Wat U Mong which is a 13th century temple located just outside the city, surrounded by beautiful lush forests. Wat U Mong loosely means "temple of the tunnels" and it was fascinating to imagine monks humbly walking through the tunnels and meditating in silence. The temple also has an interesting backstory - supposedly, it was built for a monk named Thera Jan, who has a bit of a reputation in modern times for being a little cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs back in the day. But the king at the time, King Mengrai, regularly consulted him. One of the theories states that King Mengrai wanted to accommodate Thera Jan by giving him a place of silent solitude where he could meditate, and thereby the tunnels were built. Other (more entertaining) reasons indicate that they were built as sort of a maze to keep Thera Jan from wandering off in a moment of madness. I like to think that both theories are true. Our next destination, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, had an even more legendary tale behind it. This, according to sacred-destinations.com, is the story of how it all began: "According to legend, a magical relic multiplied itself just before it was enshrined at Wat Suan Dok in Chiang Mai. A suitable place therefore had to be found to shelter the new relic. Unable to decide on the site, the king placed the relic in a portal shrine on the back of a white elephant and waited to see where the animal would take it. Eventually, the elephant walked up to the top of Doi Suthep mountain, trumpeted three times, turned around three times, knelt down, and died. The temple was immediately built on the miraculously-chosen site." Doesn't get any more legendary than that, eh? If I ever climb up a mountain and die (a likely scenario if I were to climb a mountain), then I hope someone builds a shrine for me. Because I f-ing deserved it. The temple is accessed via a 300 step all-uphill staircase. My dear friend Megan told me that her knees weren't faring well as of late so we opted to take the elevator up, instead. I totally would have gone up the stairs otherwise. No, really. Ahem. The higher elevation gave us a much-welcomed reprieve from the hot and sticky Thai climate. The views were beautiful; the entire city of Chiang Mai was visible. The compound was really lovely, decorated with flowers - although fake, they provided some nice pops of color. The gold chedi was really stunning. I would be remiss if I didn't mention my obsession with the delicious dish known as Khao Soi. This dish is uniquely northern Thai with a Burmese influence. The base of Khao Soi is a coconut curry soup, and it typically comes with boiled egg noodles and a topping of crispy egg noodles. The dishes I had contained a couple of chicken drumsticks. It's also garnished with lime, shallots, and pickled greens. It's absolutely delicious and I ate it at least 3 times while I was in Chiang Mai. As the sun was setting in Chiang Mai, I headed with my farang teacher friends to the Sunday Night Walking Street Market. The market ran from one end of the Old City to the other. It got crowded very quickly. Everything you could possibly imagine was at this market - clothing, hand-made jewelry, toys, soaps, musical instruments, street performers, and of course, food food FOOOOOOD. I found shelter from the swarms of people in a tent where I paid less than $10 USD for a 1.5 hour foot massage. Hell. Yes. I think I'm still sore from that, actually. The Thais don't F around when it comes to massages.
All in all, it was an incredibly memorable weekend and I am hopeful that I can come back for another visit before I leave Thailand. There is just too much to see and do there for just one visit. Please add Chiang Mai to your must-see list whenever you visit Thailand! Yesterday, I was able to visit Sukhothai Historical Park in the Old City area of Sukhothai. It was incredibly hot, which is typical Thai weather, but it didn't rain, so it was the perfect day to explore a part of the country I'd been dying to see since I first arrived to Tak! A bit of history: Sukhothai was the first official capital of ancient Thailand, established in 1238. This was a very important period for Thailand. Many Thais consider this period to be the official beginning of their history. You begin to see documented historical accounts of religious and political events. The Thai language was officially established during this time. Art and Buddhism flourished during this time, often integrated with each other as is visible today in the Historical Park of Sukhothai. The kingdom didn't have a long life - it dissipated around 1350 when the beloved King Ramakhamphaeng died and the Ayutthaya Kingdom gained power and absorbed the former Sukhothai Kingdom. When you understand the history a little more, you really appreciate what remains today. Living in Tak gives me the convenience of being just over an hour's bus ride to Sukhothai. And, my apartment is only about a 5 min walk to the bus station, so what excuse do I have, really? The bus actually takes you to the bus terminal in the new city of Sukhothai (there is an old and a new Sukhothai), but for only 30 baht (about $1 US), you can take a public songtaew to the Park. It's about a 20 min ride which gives you an opportunity to look around you and enjoy the sights and smells of Sukhothai. Once I arrived at the park, it was around noon, so my stomach told me it was time to grab lunch. I stopped at a restaurant near the park that featured both local and Western food. I ordered what I thought was pork larb (a popular dish in the eastern region of Thailand known as Isaan) and steamed rice. Apparently I need to brush up some more on my Thai because while I did receive the larb, I also received another entrée that was a chicken and noodle dish with a coconut broth. Since I believed it was fate that ultimately decided my meal and not my terrible Thai speaking, I enjoyed both dishes. And, a yummy coconut shake to wash it all down. After I enjoyed my delicious mistake, I walked a short distance to a bicycle rental shop. There are several around the park. Another 30 baht got me a bike rental to enjoy for the full day. If you ever decide to visit the park, I would highly encourage you to rent a bicycle. It's not only cheap, but it's the best way to see the park, in my opinion. I spent the next few hours exploring the park, my mind being blown pretty much the entire time. Please enjoy some of the many photos I took while exploring Sukhothai Historical Park! Comparing the Thai educational process with the one in the States has been an education in itself. One major example of how the Thais view education and teachers is the Wai Khru celebration held annually in every Thai school. "Wai Khru" basically means "respect teacher". The day before the ceremony, the students at my school took the afternoon away from class to create their own flower arrangements designed with specific teachers in mind. Some of the creations were absolutely mind-blowing. On the morning of the ceremony, all of the students gathered together in the assembly area where authentic Thai music was playing courtesy of some of the students. All of the teachers were asked to go on stage while the students recited their previously-rehearsed chants of respect for the teachers and for the country. I didn't understand any of it, of course. And one of the students sang a song that was absolutely beautiful, whether or not I could understand the words. There was a processional of sorts where the students who created the flower arrangements came up on stage to present them to the applicable teachers. The whole thing was incredibly entertaining, but also very humbling as a teacher from a foreign country. Some students did give me flowers and asked for a blessing, which is common for teachers to do on this day. As an American, I couldn't help but think, "Wow, it would sure be nice if we had the same attitude toward teachers in my own country." In Thailand, the teachers are regarded very, very highly. They are viewed nearly as highly as monks. You don't see the teachers-are-glorified-babysitters attitude which (I feel) is common in the U.S. It seems to me that in the U.S., teachers are expected to do a lot but are heavily reprimanded if there is any kind of discipline or disagreement between the school and the parents. In Thailand, there is a partnership of sorts between the parents and the schools. The parents have the ultimate responsibility, but the expectation is that the children will behave at school exactly how they would be expected to behave at home, and if any issues occur, the parents trust the schools enough to take them at their word and handle the discipline at home. In many cases, the parents also trust the schools to handle the discipline themselves.
The Wai Khru ceremony was such a beautiful tribute to the teachers and it was very humbling to be part of this experience, and it was very gracious of the school to allow the foreign teachers the same experience as the Thai teachers. Just recently, I had what I consider to be my first real bout of homesickness.
Sure, I've gotten a little wistful every now and again since starting this journey, and I've had my share of WTF-am-I-doing moments, but this episode hit me a lot harder than the others. Honestly, it has caught me off guard. Why now am I finally experiencing this? It's been over six months since I left home. You'd think I would have had my "episode" by now. I don't think it was triggered by any one thing. I think it's been a combination of things, and it's all sort of snowballed. I think I've been so busy adjusting, especially to Thailand, that I haven't really had the time or energy to look behind me. I think I wanted the change SO badly that I forgot who and what I left behind. And "forgot" is probably a poor word choice - I think I've distracted myself from thinking about it/them. Right now, it's summertime back home. Around this time every year, I usually go camping, kayaking, road tripping, and winery visiting. I usually make it to one or two of my friends' backyard cookouts. I catch a few outdoor concerts. I bask in the joy of being able to wear flip flops on the regular. I put the heavy winter coats away by stuffing them into the nether regions of my closet, secretly wishing I wouldn't have to pull them back out in another 4 months. I miss all of that. I really do. Yes, it's hot here every.effing.day and I can wear sandals to my heart's content, but it's all of that anticipation and excitement for the change of seasons that I miss. My sister is going to have her 3rd baby in a few weeks. I won't be there for it. I changed my oldest niece's diapers when she was a baby. I will never forget the day that same niece, around 3 years old, handed me a sonogram photo and said, "That's my baby brother!" I visited my sister in the hospital after she had him and deeply sympathized with her after seeing how huge my nephew's head was. I won't be there for my new baby niece's birth, nor for her first few months, possibly years, of her life. I deeply miss my (former) dog. He is in the absolute best hands and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome for him. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss seeing his uncontrollable excitement whenever I walked in the door, or his snoring. The guilt that I had for leaving him behind has been incredibly hard to shake, despite how happy he is now. I'm watching some of my friends go through some really epic life changes. I admit that I tend to be an extrovert by day and an introvert by night, and can often be people-avoidant, but I still wish I could be there in person for some of them, to give them a huge hug, maybe shed a few tears with and for them, bake them some cookies and cupcakes... Speaking of which, I really... REALLY... miss having a kitchen. I miss being able to cook a meal for myself, and of course I miss baking, because truly that was my way of giving of myself to others. I realize this is all sounding like a sob story and I do not feel sorry for myself, nor do I want or expect anyone to feel sorry for me. The reality is, I have a lot of fucking cool things going on right now, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. But, I just want people... YOU... to know, that I do miss you. I miss talking to you. I miss being able to see your face while I talk to you. I miss laughing with you. I miss you laughing at me. This homesickness, I believe, is not about wishing I were back home living the old life. It's about really appreciating - no, loving - what I did have. I'm sorry I had to leave to understand that, but I'm still glad I'm understanding it now. PS. I really fucking miss Amazon Prime. Thailand and I recently celebrated our three-month anniversary. To honor this milestone, I took a lovely weekend trip to Laos. Sorry, Thailand. I'll make it up to you. Savannakhet, Laos I had to go to Savannakhet to obtain a Non-B Immigrant visa so I can legally work in Thailand. The process is complicated, but fortunately I work with agents who handle most of the paperwork process so I didn't have to. The timing kind of sucked, though, since I had just finished my first week of school, but hey, call it a forced vacation. There is a double-decker bus that runs from Tak directly to Mukdahan, which is the Thai town on the border of Laos. (Mukdahan and Savannakhet are divided by the Mekong River.) I had no idea what to expect from the bus, since I've heard all kinds of weird and wonderful things about buses in Southeast Asia, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was actually fairly comfortable and uneventful, despite the fact that it was 12 hours long. (Sincerest apologies to my bum.) Even though Savannakhet is much like a typical Thai town in several aspects, the first thing that screamed at me was the architecture. Laos was colonized by the French between the late 19th and early-mid 20th century. The French Colonial architecture is a trademark of the city, even though it's been (understandably) slow to be embraced by the locals as a tourist attraction. Savannakhet also has a large Chinese population, as well as Vietnamese. The number of Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants (and temples) is indicative of the diverse population of the city. There are also several restaurants featuring French-inspired cuisine. I was able to visit a few of the temples, the most memorable being Wat Xayaphoum. This temple was built in 1542, making it one of the oldest (if not THE oldest) temple in the Savannakhet province. The picture at the top of this blog post and the one below are from the "gate of temples" surrounding the actual temple. Some of them look pretty rough, but I actually appreciate being able to see the age. It's rainy season in Southeast Asia, which is great when it means you are the only person in a 4-bed dorm in a cute hostel. It's not so great, however, when a huge storm rolls in and knocks out the power for a couple hours and turns said hostel into a sauna. Good for the pores, I guess? Overall, I had a lot of fun in Savannakhet and best of all, I was able to get my visa without a hitch. Mae Sot, Thailand Just yesterday, one of my fellow English teacher friends and I went to Mae Sot, which is on the border next to Myanmar. The trip from Tak to Mae Sot takes about 1.5 hours through beautiful mountains and forests. It was a winding road with a lot of construction and virtually no guardrails which can make things even more interesting. The town was bigger than I expected, and despite it raining all morning, was buzzing with activity. The best part of the town are the markets. They seem to sort of blend into each other, and sell pretty much everything you could ever imagine, from flowers to frogs. Yeah, you read that right. There's another market along the river called Rim Moei which sells cheap cigarettes, whiskey, gin, and even knock-off Viagra. We walked through there and Rebecca (my teacher friend) got some booze. I managed to stay away from the Viagra. The eels, frogs, tortoises, insects, etc. were not on my personal menu for the day, but we did sample some delicious curries from a local while we were in the area.
We visited the Wat Don Chai temple, because you can never get enough of temples! (Let's see if I'm still saying that a year from now.) We relaxed in a cute coffee shop, did plenty of walking around, and were exhausted when we left. Not a bad day trip, if I do say. The great thing about Tak is that it's a hub for buses, and it's within a few hours of some really fun and amazing towns. I can't wait to explore them all! Until next time, I leave you with some photos of Wat Don Chai: I'd been thinking lately that it was time to update my blog, and initially thought, why? Nothing has really "happened" in the past few weeks, so why bother when I don't have any entertaining stories to share?
But actually, that's not true at all - a lot has happened in the past few weeks that I've been in Tak. But maybe I believe that in order for me to get people interested in reading my blog, I have to have some kind of daring adventure story to share. I don't have a daring adventure story to share, so if you want to stop reading and get back to scrolling through Facebook, I totally understand. Otherwise, allow me to tell you what I have been learning and experiencing these past few weeks. I'm learning that I really, REALLY enjoy teaching. I haven't actually started at my school yet (Monday the 15th is my first big day), but I've had the opportunity to do a weekend camp where we just played games all day, and also did some side teaching with some 18-year-old students who have a decent amount of English proficiency, and I've absolutely loved all of it. I've designed my own lesson plans, chosen my own topics, created a few of my own worksheets, all of which has given me a nice creative outlet that I think I've needed for a long time. I'm also learning that I was right about one thing about me - I'm definitely more of a minimalist. I'm not saying I'm extreme by any means and I certainly still have American consumer tendencies, but I have really enjoyed my little studio apartment and having only what I use regularly in the apartment. It's tidy, not cluttered, easy to clean, and just enough space for me. I'm grateful that I had the experience of owning a home, but it just never really felt "right" to me. It was just too much space for one person. Having too much space meant having too much "stuff" and I think that was taking its toll on my psychological well-being. I subscribe to the whole "cluttered space, cluttered mind" philosophy, I think. I don't judge anyone who owns a big home with a lot of things, but I think it's a better suited lifestyle for some than for others. It's just not for me. I'm learning that all of the things that have brought me the most joy are the simplest things. I think we all understand that is true in theory, but I don't think it really ever clicked for me until I got here to Thailand. Every day, something very special happens. A couple of days ago, a man just down the alley from my apartment saw me walking by and he came out and said hello to me and spoke a few English words. He was smiling so big and he shook my hand, which is not customary here, but he knew that it was where I come from so he made the effort. It just warmed my heart. The little kids in my neighborhood say HELLO! and GOODBYE!! every time they see me riding by on my bicycle. They will usually run after me for a short distance. I love the sound of them playing outside. It's apparent that their families don't have much money, but you would never think that they were missing out on anything. There is a tuk-tuk driver that all the Western teachers call on when they need transport. His name is Lung. (pronounced "Loong") I call him the Silver Fox and he just eats it up. He is a handsome gentleman in his early 60s who dresses nicely and takes pride in his appearance. He knows some English so he likes to talk to me in English and teach me a few Thai words when he picks me up and drops me off. I saw him just today at the market, and he came over and said, "You look happy. When you are happy, I am happy!" He's still learning how to say my name, bless his heart. Before my classes this week, one of the young Thai teachers would pick me up and take me to the school I was teaching at. Every time I got into the car, one of the first things she would say to me is, "Teacher! Did you eat?" That is probably one of the first things any Thai person will ask you when you first meet them, by the way. I love it. Nearly every evening, I make a point to look out the window or go out and see the sunset. The sunsets here are incredible. The sun goes down at the perfect point behind the mountains and creates this beautiful shadowy effect. It's especially lovely down by the river with the reflections. These are just a few of the moments I've cherished during the past few weeks. I think I'm just in a general phase of self-discovery and re-learning. I've spent over 30 years of my life trying to be someone else's idea of a perfect person. The perfect daughter, the perfect friend, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect employee, etc. Of course, I was never perfect, but I allowed that pursuit to completely own my sense of self-worth. Now, I'm figuring out what is really important to me, and what kind of person I'm really interested in becoming. I believe that these simple, beautiful moments are teaching me something powerful. I want to cherish them and I want to be completely changed by them. Well, friends, I've made it to Tak! And, I'm settled in. In fact, I'm typing this right now as I sit on the bed in my new apartment. I thoroughly enjoyed my travels through southern Thailand and already miss that beautiful water. However, I am beside myself with excitement for the days ahead. I have an agent whom I work with for the teaching placement, and her husband (who is British) helped me find an apartment while she was out of town. It was a pretty painless process; I was able to get one that is just a few minutes' walk from the school I'll be teaching at. Thankfully, he is also fluent in Thai so he basically took care of all the logistics for me, including arranging a tuk-tuk to come pick me up from my hotel, bring me to the apartment to drop off my backpack, and take me to the Big C store (which is kinda like their Walmart or Kmart), wait for me while I shop, and take me back to my new apartment with my purchases. My impressions of Tak so far: It's not a huge city but it's bigger than I expected it to be, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. It's beautifully situated near some mountains, and of course having the river nearby is really nice. So far, I've found the locals to be very friendly, though I've only had a few interactions. I am looking forward to spending more time with the people in my neighborhood and throughout the town. It's burning season here in northern Thailand, which means either rice farmers are burning off what's left after a harvest, or hill tribes could be clearing some farm land, maybe both? Either way, it creates a haze over the city and shrouds the mountains, which is kind of a shame since it blocks the otherwise beautiful views, and probably causes problems for people with asthma. But, I will say that it seems to keep the sunlight in check and also seems to be driving away some of the mosquitoes, since I haven't been bitten since arriving here (knock on DEET-covered wood). Meals and transportation are quite cheap, which is great. However, my apartment is a bit of a distance away from the markets so at some point I will need to invest in a bicycle or motorbike to get around since my options are very limited otherwise. The apartment itself is modest by American standards but quite nice by Thai standards. It boasts a Western-style toilet (thank GOD), a hot water heater (not that it will get much use since the Tak province is one of the top three hottest provinces in Thailand), and A/C. Honestly, it's everything I need and I think it's just perfect. My rent and utilities, which include electricity, water, and WiFi, will run me about $150USD per month. Definitely a bargain, but of course I'll also be living on a Thai salary so it'll all work out in the wash. I will still be able to put aside some money every month to fund my future trips! Earlier today, I walked past the school just to check out where I'd be teaching for the next several months. It's very quiet there now, but it'll be buzzing with kids in just over a week. It's just surreal to me to think that I'll be in those classrooms at that school, hopefully making a difference with some of these kids and getting some personal fulfillment in the process. There are so many thoughts and feelings running through me today. I am so proud of myself for making it this far. I just sit here and shake my head and think, "Holy shit. I'm in this small town in Thailand, in my very own apartment, about to start teaching kids in one week. Is this real life?"
I know I've said "surreal" already, but it is so surreal to me. That's the best word I can use to describe it. I often think back to what I was doing a year ago, or a few years ago, and how much my life has changed since then. You know, I just had this feeling several months ago when I left Omaha that as frightened as I was, that I was about to do something that was WAY bigger than my fear. It was going to be an incredible experience for me and it was exactly what I needed to do. And I am experiencing that feeling all over again, sitting on my bed in my Thai apartment. I just KNOW that things are about to become even more amazing. I've covered a lot of ground (and sea) since leaving Hua Hin about 2.5 weeks ago so I wanted to share some of the highlights of my pre-teaching vacation! Along the same vein as the last post, I've planned very little, and it's turned out incredibly well thus far. From Bangkok, I chose to fly to Krabi Airport, since I figured that would be a good place to start my southern Thailand exploration. I flew via Thai Lion Air, which I'd never even heard of prior to coming to Thailand, but the reviews online seemed pretty decent and it turned out to be a really good experience. $40 got me to Krabi without a hitch. Let me get off track for a moment to plug an app called Momondo. I'm planning on devoting a blog post at some point to my favorite travel-related apps, but for now, make sure that you download Momondo and check it first when booking flights. I always check it first when price comparing flights and every single time have gotten the best prices off this app versus other apps/web sites. Where was I? Oh yeah, Krabi. I actually stayed in Ao Nang which is a popular beachy touristy area in the Krabi province. Here, I had my first experiences with the iconic longtail boats you often see on the Thailand postcards. I also had my first bout with food poisoning from a TOURIST RESTAURANT in Railay Beach. And you thought it was going to come from one of those sketchy carts I mentioned in the previous post! Nope. It's actually more common from the restaurants that cater to the tourists. Go figure. So that kinda sucked but it was a nice way to lose a couple pounds, haha. My lodging in Ao Nang was in a bungalow, which are very common in Thailand, that had a massage parlor and two restaurants and a bar on site. $20 per night for a nice big bed, shower with actual hot water (still right next to the toilet, of course), and they provided toilet paper. What more could I have asked for, really. While in Ao Nang, I was trying to figure out where to go next (like the day before I was supposed to leave) and read on a Facebook group that Koh Lanta was a nice place to go. I am definitely not a party-girl anymore and have sort of had my fill of drunky, hormonally-charged backpackers so that kinda ruled out Koh Phi Phi and even Phuket for me. I wanted something more laid-back that would have some of the tourist appeal but without sacrificing local charm. Koh Lanta turned out to be perfect for that - it is a larger island than I was expecting, but it's in that in-between phase of no longer being off the radar but it's not too touristy (yet). One day in Koh Lanta, while I was lounging on the beach, sipping a Caipirinha, learning some Thai words on my app, I look over to my left just in time to see a snake coming RIGHT AT ME. I'm not exaggerating, it was heading straight in my direction. For those of you who might not be aware, I have major ophidiophobia (phobia of snakes). I hadn't seen a snake for many years prior to this, but I had managed to successfully avoid situations that might involve snakes and probably just got lucky. One of the reasons I've traveled to Ireland and New Zealand early in my traveling days is because there are no snakes in either country. In Australia, I purposefully avoided hiking most of the time because I was afraid of hiking alone and a snake biting me. Australia has many of the world's most venomous snakes so my fears weren't completely unfounded. Fortunately this fella wasn't a cobra or python (both of which are found in Thailand/SE Asia) or anything monstrous like that, or I probably would have really lost my shit. I felt a scream coming on but all that came out was this pathetic little shriek, and I jumped up into my chair which felt WAY too close to the ground at this point, and he probably sensed the vibrations from my little jump and changed directions. I'm someone who definitely believes in messages from the universe/God/whatever, so I think this is a sign that it's finally time for me to move forward from this phobia. (And on a deeper level, move on from ALL the fears that have been holding me back in life.) My placement is in and near rivers and mountains so there is a good chance I'll see more snakes. So hopefully while I'm in Thailand I'll make some strides, but make no question, I am NOT looking forward to seeing more of them. So regardless of this little incident, I still had a great time in Koh Lanta. I stayed in another bungalow owned by locals, again about $20/night, and the owner was probably THE nicest Thai person I've met yet. When I arrived, he had me "sit and rest" and served me coffee and fresh watermelon. He gave me rides into the village when it was raining and even came and picked me back up. On the day I was supposed to leave, he misunderstood the operator of the ferry I was supposed to be leaving on and I wasn't able to leave until the next day. He gave me another night in the bungalow for free. Just the nicest guy. Every time I would "thank you" to him, instead of saying "you're welcome," he would repeat it back to me in his quiet little voice, "thank yoooouu"... I decided at the last minute (again) to come to Koh Mook. I can't even remember how I heard about this island; it could have been simply a matter of looking up the islands around Koh Lanta on Google maps and thinking hmm, that one will do alright. It's been the best place I've visited yet. It's a much smaller island with very few tourists, which gives you more of the "local" experience. I'm staying at a hostel for $11/night which considering the price is actually very good quality. I'm rooming with two young German girls who are here enjoying some time away before they go to "Uni" later this year. They also traveled to New Zealand and Australia before coming here. It's been nice having company to hang out with on the beach. Never thought I'd hear myself saying that I'm enjoying the company of a couple 18-19 year olds but there you have it! These past couple of weeks have been some of the best days of my life, no exaggeration. I'm really starting to feel myself becoming enamored with Thailand and the Thai people. Admittedly, I wasn't sure it was ever going to happen in my first few weeks, but there is definitely something magical about this place. I'm also feeling a lot of transition happening within myself. I'm gradually learning to fully relax and enjoy the present, something that has never been easy for me to do. I just know that things will work out and I don't worry too much about where I'm going and how I'm going to get there. Everything has worked out well thus far, and there's no reason it won't continue to do so. I do still ask myself sometimes what I plan to do "someday" and if I want to keep traveling, go back home, get a "real" job somewhere, etc. etc. but it's just too early to tell at this point and I don't think that it's necessary to make those decisions right now. After this, I'm heading to Trang to hang out with a few of my TESOL classmates for a couple days before heading up north to eventually spend time in Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Samui before finally heading to Tak about a week before school starts. If you have any questions about Thailand or anything in general, leave a comment! Thanks for hanging with me! |
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AuthorHi! I'm Charity. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, USA. I quit my job in October 2016 to travel the world. Archives
June 2022
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