Posts (page 2)
Hello all! I just got through an exhausting day of school. I taught a class in the morning and one in the afternoon and the students have so much energy that it's hard to keep up.
I have been in Phitsanulok, Thailand for three nights and I am slowly getting used to the routine 6 o'clock wake-ups and heavy meals. The food here, as mentioned, is very delicious. I think I've said the word, "aroy!" (delicious) too many times to count. I have also been told that the King of Fruit resides in Thailand! It is called, "durian" and it tastes fairly sweet.. but the smell 0_0, the smell is another story :). The Thai people joke about the bad smell of the durian a lot and once one smells it, one could probably understand.
The Queen of fruit, one I have not tried yet, is the "mangosteen." And I really do want to taste that- I've heard it's absolutely delicious.
Yesterday I visited Wat Yai (wat = temple). It houses the "most beautiful image of Buddha" in Thailand, and arguably, the world. And indeed, it was very beautiful. However, the temple was not quite how I'd imagined. I'd imagined a much more closed and even cleaner looking temple- one that was safe kept because of it's sacredness. Around the temple, however, I found many carts trying to sell tourists items, food; I found trash around the area; and inside, where the Buddha was, it looked like many people were just there to take pictures with the Buddha. However, this is just an opinion looking in-- though I wish I knew the perspective of the monks who were also walking around the temple.
Thailand is wonderful so far and I cannot wait to visit the markets and test out my bartering skills.
Above: Sitting with my host mom (Khun Mae) in front of the beautiful Buddha image at Wat Yai. The temple was filled with a lot of people, many of whom were praying or posing for a flash-driven picture. There is a sign outside that says, "no standing when taking pictures" and so everyone sits in this fashion or in a cross-legged fashion.
It turns out that I am not teaching today. Instead, I will begin teaching English tomorrow for children levels 5 and 6.
Today, however, I ventured about the school with another English teacher and taught two classes some American songs. The Thai children here are so adorable! They are open to anything and everything and participation is not a problem. Dressed in the school uniform, the girls have a standard short hair cut (as do the boys).
Every morning the children line up in rows in front of the flag, the picture of the King and Queen and a statue of Buddha. They then sing the Thailand Anthem, a Song for the King and end with a prayer to Buddha. The flag, as my host mother explained, has three colors--each symbolizing a piece of Thailand. Blue represents the King, White represents Buddhism and Red represents the Thai nation.
Thailand is absolutely wonderful. My host mother and father are so generous and treat me extremely well... and I am being fed nearly every second! The food here is more splendid than I had imagined. Th
ough a bit spicy, the Thai cuisine has a unique flavor and is "a-roy" (delicious). Oh, and the fruit? There are no words to describe the sweetness and tastiness of Thailand's fruits. My favorite so far is the Rambutan!
Ah, and something less sweet... Thai toilets! Haha. I squatted over my FIRST Thai Toilet in a bus station in Bangkok. It was quite the experience, mind you, I looked at the toilet with a confused expression. I knew the toilets looked like this but I was at a loss of how to go about using it. After much quizzical pondering I finally just did it, though I'm not sure if I will ever get used to it. :)
I miss everyone in America very much but I am growing very attached to Thailand.
Well, I am off with my host mother to try out a Thai massage! Wish me luck with the dengue fever for I have no mosquito repellent! Till then- sa wat dee ka. :)
Hi everyone!! I am so sorry that I didn't update for such a long time. There was no internet to use :( But I have finally found one in the very school that I will be teaching in! I am typing at 7:41 in the morning (a few minutes before school will start) and it will be my first day as a teacher.
To say that I am "freaking out" would be an understatement. In a few minutes I will have to stand in front of a large crowd of students and introduce myself in Thai! Sa Wat Dee Ka, Di Chan Cheu Cecilia! Chan Mah Jjah America. Haha, I hope everything goes well.
Just a quick update: MY HOST FAMILY IS THE BEST. They are so generous and loving and they have confirmed that Thailand is, indeed, the "land of smiles."
I'm so sorry this blog update is so short and sparse but I have to start school soon so I must get going. I will update as soon as I can.
Sa Wat Dee Ka :)
Hey everyone!
I'm here at the Hacienda Hotel in Los Angelos (borrowing a laptop from a friend).
Can't write much today but I had a good flight and will be flying again to Thailand for around 18 hours, according to sources.
I'm getting SUPER excited to meet my host family and start the community service. :)
Plus I have met many interesting people from all over America (mainly from California). It's very cool to meet people with the same mission as yourself: to interact with a different culture and promote a positive change.
-CC
Hello everyone! This is my first official post on my Thailand blog. Woo Hoo!
Yesterday was my farewell dinner with friends. Fun night filled with movies, spaghetti and hard hugs. I'm so incredibly sad to be leaving Hawaii for 7 weeks (I'll be taking off to LA on Monday then to Thailand).
However... as sad as I am... I'm so very excited for this experience. I am staying with a host family in Thailand (all the family members look so friendly!) and will be assisting teachers in teaching English at a primary school. This is quite the experience for me, seeing as how my dream career is to teach children in a foreign country. And for that, many thanks are sent out to my family, friends, teachers and AFS for the opportunity.
So the agenda for today (I'm leaving tomorrow!) is to lounge around my house and PACK. Lots of packing to be done... My main worry is that I'll pack so extensively that I'll forget to bring the most important things. In the blur of my excitement and packing frenzy, I might forget to bring my traveling documents... or a toothbrush! Ah, now that would be a traveler's hell.
So far, after lightly researching the Thai culture, I have a very surface-level expectation of what Thailand will be like. I say "surface-level" because I can only imagine what my Thailand travel books tell me. "The Land of Smiles," the books praise, is filled with smiling Thai folk, spicy foods, and wonderful cultural events. And, it's definite: I am beyond excited to immerse myself into this culture and meet, talk, make bonds with the people there. I do hope they are as friendly as the books say.
Current Mood: Excitement.
Mood after 3 seconds: Nervousness.
Gosh.. I'm actually really nervous about this trip. I hope everything goes alright: the flight, the volunteer work, my interaction with the host family...
Ah, but even if they don't, I'll just keep something my friend said to me in mind: that no matter what happens, it will still be an experience and that this experience will be life changing and very valuable. Words of inspiration straight from the turtle's mouth :)
I will definitely post again once I get to a computer, but till then- wish me luck on the flight!
-Cecilia
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