What can be accomplished in less than 100 days in a new country...
I am so sorry that I have not updated this blog in…two months?! Sheesh, I didn't realize it's been that long already.
I guess I didn't realize it because it really hasn't been that long at all. This realization came to my attention on Monday when the other American teachers and I went to Mae Sai for our 90 day visa run. 90 days? What? It feels like I have been here for a year already! There's no way…Whelp, I guess it's true. Here's some updates on what you can accomplish in under 100 days when you move halfway around the world to Thailand.
Learn enough of the language:
It's pretty cool when you can go to a restaurant and greet the staff, order your meal politely, ask where the restroom is, ask how much the bill is, understand the amount due, pay, say Thank You and leave. It's also cool when you can translate some words in your biology class to help your students understand what in the world you are talking about related to the nervous system. Telling another teacher that you have already eaten and that you "are full" and telling the taxi driver to "turn right, continue straight and stop here!" The list goes on of the few words that I have learned to get around Thailand and it feels great.
Learn how to be a teacher:
I have learned enough about diagnostics, test giving practices, classroom management, making learning fun, lesson planning and professionalism to efficiently run a class. For a long period of time I was unsure how I was performing as a teacher, but a couple of extremely sweet interactions made me feel good about how I am doing.
When we got back from our Christmas break one of my students came into the office and gave me a card with a note written in it. She explained how she appreciates me as her teacher because I explain the content clearly and I make class fun. Little notes like that make all of the hard work and extra study time worth it. I am so, so lucky to have the incredible students I have each day in class.
The same student also included a jade bracelet in the letter. She said that she had gone to the temple with her Grandmother to pray for the new year. After, she got three jade bracelets and wanted to give one to me. I put it on right away exited for the constant reminder around my wrist that although some days when I wonder if my students understood anything at all, to keep trying because I am making a difference for at least one student. Also, when I get back to the US, I hope this bracelet never falls off. I want it to be a constant reminder of the blessings I have had in every interaction in Thailand and the blessings I have every day of my life. There is always a lesson to be learned and a smile that can make someone else's day. Physical reminders are good.
Never eat the seafood in the south of Thailand:
If you follow me on Facebook, you got your fair share of how I was feeling during our trip to Krabi, Thailand; one of the most beautiful places in the world. Christmas night, we were on an island enjoying a kabob BBQ after a long day of rock climbing, swimming and snorkeling when we consumed some BAADD seafood. Kyle made it within 5 minutes of our bungalow before he puked off the back of a pick up truck (our taxi home). I made it to the bungalow, laid down complaining about how I felt and then lost it. The unfortunate piece of shrimp (yea, that small) put us out of commission for two days. Luckily, with some medicinal charcoal, lots of Gatorade and some rest we were back at it a few days later. Words of wisdom - if they offer food on an island, ALWASY tell them you're a vegetarian!
Travel to the south of Thailand:
Besides the food poisoning, our trip was amazing. The beaches were unbelievable, the water was turquoise, the long tailed boats were just like you see in a postcard or on Pinterest…it was amazing. One of the coolest parts of the trip was at the end of our Christmas day snorkeling adventure (right before the illness) our boat captain took is to a dark area and turned off all of the lights. We all jumped in to see bioluminescent plankton in the water. With each stroke of our arm or our leg to stay afloat it looked like our bodies were stirring up magic ferry dust. It was unlike anything I ever imagined I would see in this world.
Harvest coffee with a hill tribe family:
One weekend Kyle and I realized we really wanted to learn more bout the coffee they grow here in Northern Thailand. Thailand is usually known for the Robusta coffee that comes from the south, but up in the north they have Arabica coffee and it is absolutely amazing. We asked the owner of one of the coffee shops we visited often if they would be able to take us to the farm to see how it's grown. In true Thai fashion they immediately asked when we would like to go. Kyle and I jumped into a four wheel drive SUV and went on the rocky road to the farm.
For the day we met and harvested coffee cherries with farmers of the Akka hill tribe. It was amazing. The views from the mountain were amazing, knowing that the cherries I was harvesting would make their way into the cup of a consumer somewhere was amazing and understanding the intense process of harvesting coffee and truly living in the label "fair trade" was eyeopening.
From this experience, Kyle and I have been brewing up an idea for a business involving bringing Northern Thai coffee to the rest of the world! If you continue to read, you will read about the Kao Jai Coffee company (at the end).
Understand that the Thai diet is much better than the American diet
This is something that has been very difficult for me to understand, yet so simple. I am talking about the difference in the Thai diet and the American diet.
When we first got here we realized that everything is either rice, noodles, or fried. The people like to add sugar to EVERYTHING along with fish sauce and hot sauce or chili powder. Something that was different, though, is that in Thailand (and many other countries) believe in using all parts of the animal. This includes the blood - ah! Each part of the animal provides some kind of nutrients for our bodies.
Trying to stay away from as much fried food as I could, I tried to eat like a Thai. There are not many overweight Thai people and there are many elderly Thai people…something's got to be working for them. As I started to eat like a Thai I realized that my fingernails and my hair were growing faster. When I was preparing my digestive system lesson plan I asked my co teacher if it is common for people to get their gull bladders removed in Thailand, I thought it would be cool to teach the students about that. He said no, no that does not happen here. Interesting.
I have concluded that everything they eat here is fresh and natural. When you go to the market the chickens still have their heads, the fish are still swimming around in the bucket and the eggs are not refrigerated. You know when you go to a local restaurant that the chicken you are consuming was alive in the recent past. Also, I have noticed that Thai people eat all of the time. They snack, and when they do it is often something spicy keeping their metabolism up.
I do not have all of the answers about the diet, but it is fascinating to think about. I am not sure if you have seen pictures, but Kyle has lost 10 kg! About 20 lbs! Something in this odd diet definitely works and Americans need to adopt it!
To bring toilet paper everywhere
In Thailand there are "squatters" in the very Thai areas. In areas where there is a high concentration of tourists there will be a western style toilet. To flush a squatter you take a bucket from an area filled with water, fill the bucket, and pour it in the squatter. After that, it functions just like a western toilet.
The squatters seem to actually be a better, more natural way to eliminate undigested food from the body, but I just don't like them. Maybe that will change during our travels around SE Asia after our teaching contract is over. Hmm…I hope so at least!
Oh, as for the title of this section…I don't know how the Thai clean themselves, but make sure you carry toilet paper at all times. Sometimes there will be the option of a bidet (butt sprayer type)…but they have very hard water pressure and you will be wet, and look like you peed in your pants for the rest of the day if you are not a seasoned user. Careful. This did not happen to me, but I imagine it in my head every time I see one.
Traveling to a tourist area of the country as a self proclaimed "local"
This was interesting. When we took our flight down to Krabi, Thailand we experienced a lot of different kinds of Thai people than we were used to in Northern Thailand. They seemed to not be impressed with some of the tourists and thinking we were wealthy vacationers, they simply wanted our money. To politely wai and say "Sa wat dee kha" to someone when walking into a shop, we immediately separated ourselves from the vacationers. Trowing in a "sa wat dee pee mai kha" as we were leaving from dinner was something that would catch the waiter off guard and they would smile so big. It was fun and refreshing for both parties to speak in Thai and for us to show the Thai people that we adore their country and their culture and that we wanted to learn Thai show them that. Each mispronounced word that came out of our mouthes made their faces light up and in return made us feel great too. It was an interesting experience to see the beautiful areas of Thailand completely taken over by Europeans and vacationers.
My wonderful students
The students here at PCCCR impress me every single day. I often acknowledge that English is hard and that I am very proud of them for trying so hard in class. Each class they come in with notebooks and pens ready to take notes and do their best. I always try to have videos to help them understand what I explain.
Beyond their efforts in class, the students here are extremely well rounded. Just to go to this school, you've got to be one smart cookie. The students have to test in the school and receive scholarships. After that, they test into their class within their grade, the classes are divided 1-6; 1 being the strongest students and 6 being the weaker students (but obviously still very smart).
At the beginning of class the students will come in and one student will tell the rest of the students "stand up please" and they will all say in unison "Good Morning/Afternoon Teacher!" and I will tell them to sit and they will say "Thank you, Teacher!" At the end of class they will all stand up again and say "Thank you teacher, see you again next time!" After which one or more students will help my carry my stuff back down to the office.
Each morning upon arriving to school each smiling face will feverishly wave to us and excitedly say "Good Morning teacher!" as we walk to our office. During class if I was to show any sign of being cold, a student would take off their jacket and give it to me. They always want to help and they are so kind. But, this is not only to me, they are like this with their peers too.
Toady we had Children's Day. So, similar to Fathers Day and Mothers Day, there is Children's Day in Thailand. The school held a big celebration with games and presents for the students all morning. It was fun to watch them all smile and giggle as their grade competed against the other grades. But, to give you an idea of how the morning went, I felt like I was on a movie set. Every student on campus was there and every student was EXTREMELY enthusiastic about everything that was happening. Each time the M4s beat a team in tug-of-war they would blow the roof off cheering. Each time any student won a prize, all of the students would cheer. That is the best part about Thailand, the kids have extremely competitive spirits, but they know how to lose and are very respectful. They will go into the competition fierce, but if they lose they will always congratulate the other team and clap for them. The support from all students is amazing here in Thailand.
A sad, but true reality hit when I was trying to explain to some teachers about bullies in America. They were horrified at what I tried to describe, there is absolutely nothing like that here in Thailand. The attitude of acceptance and support and respect is just overwhelming sometimes.
I think that's enough for right now, though I have a lot to update on. Keep tuned for more about upcoming Sport Day, Teacher's Day and other fun activities!
Lots of Love,
Meg
PS If you would like to learn about Kao Jai Coffee, read below! This is the email I sent to TOMS shoes. The person who received my email has been talking to "Elite Members of the TOMS staff" and they will be emailing me soon. I hope they follow through!
Harvest coffee with a hill tribe family:
One weekend Kyle and I realized we really wanted to learn more bout the coffee they grow here in Northern Thailand. Thailand is usually known for the Robusta coffee that comes from the south, but up in the north they have Arabica coffee and it is absolutely amazing. We asked the owner of one of the coffee shops we visited often if they would be able to take us to the farm to see how it's grown. In true Thai fashion they immediately asked when we would like to go. Kyle and I jumped into a four wheel drive SUV and went on the rocky road to the farm.
For the day we met and harvested coffee cherries with farmers of the Akka hill tribe. It was amazing. The views from the mountain were amazing, knowing that the cherries I was harvesting would make their way into the cup of a consumer somewhere was amazing and understanding the intense process of harvesting coffee and truly living in the label "fair trade" was eyeopening.
From this experience, Kyle and I have been brewing up an idea for a business involving bringing Northern Thai coffee to the rest of the world! If you continue to read, you will read about the Kao Jai Coffee company (at the end).
Understand that the Thai diet is much better than the American diet
This is something that has been very difficult for me to understand, yet so simple. I am talking about the difference in the Thai diet and the American diet.
When we first got here we realized that everything is either rice, noodles, or fried. The people like to add sugar to EVERYTHING along with fish sauce and hot sauce or chili powder. Something that was different, though, is that in Thailand (and many other countries) believe in using all parts of the animal. This includes the blood - ah! Each part of the animal provides some kind of nutrients for our bodies.
Trying to stay away from as much fried food as I could, I tried to eat like a Thai. There are not many overweight Thai people and there are many elderly Thai people…something's got to be working for them. As I started to eat like a Thai I realized that my fingernails and my hair were growing faster. When I was preparing my digestive system lesson plan I asked my co teacher if it is common for people to get their gull bladders removed in Thailand, I thought it would be cool to teach the students about that. He said no, no that does not happen here. Interesting.
I have concluded that everything they eat here is fresh and natural. When you go to the market the chickens still have their heads, the fish are still swimming around in the bucket and the eggs are not refrigerated. You know when you go to a local restaurant that the chicken you are consuming was alive in the recent past. Also, I have noticed that Thai people eat all of the time. They snack, and when they do it is often something spicy keeping their metabolism up.
I do not have all of the answers about the diet, but it is fascinating to think about. I am not sure if you have seen pictures, but Kyle has lost 10 kg! About 20 lbs! Something in this odd diet definitely works and Americans need to adopt it!
To bring toilet paper everywhere
In Thailand there are "squatters" in the very Thai areas. In areas where there is a high concentration of tourists there will be a western style toilet. To flush a squatter you take a bucket from an area filled with water, fill the bucket, and pour it in the squatter. After that, it functions just like a western toilet.
The squatters seem to actually be a better, more natural way to eliminate undigested food from the body, but I just don't like them. Maybe that will change during our travels around SE Asia after our teaching contract is over. Hmm…I hope so at least!
Oh, as for the title of this section…I don't know how the Thai clean themselves, but make sure you carry toilet paper at all times. Sometimes there will be the option of a bidet (butt sprayer type)…but they have very hard water pressure and you will be wet, and look like you peed in your pants for the rest of the day if you are not a seasoned user. Careful. This did not happen to me, but I imagine it in my head every time I see one.
Traveling to a tourist area of the country as a self proclaimed "local"
This was interesting. When we took our flight down to Krabi, Thailand we experienced a lot of different kinds of Thai people than we were used to in Northern Thailand. They seemed to not be impressed with some of the tourists and thinking we were wealthy vacationers, they simply wanted our money. To politely wai and say "Sa wat dee kha" to someone when walking into a shop, we immediately separated ourselves from the vacationers. Trowing in a "sa wat dee pee mai kha" as we were leaving from dinner was something that would catch the waiter off guard and they would smile so big. It was fun and refreshing for both parties to speak in Thai and for us to show the Thai people that we adore their country and their culture and that we wanted to learn Thai show them that. Each mispronounced word that came out of our mouthes made their faces light up and in return made us feel great too. It was an interesting experience to see the beautiful areas of Thailand completely taken over by Europeans and vacationers.
My wonderful students
The students here at PCCCR impress me every single day. I often acknowledge that English is hard and that I am very proud of them for trying so hard in class. Each class they come in with notebooks and pens ready to take notes and do their best. I always try to have videos to help them understand what I explain.
Beyond their efforts in class, the students here are extremely well rounded. Just to go to this school, you've got to be one smart cookie. The students have to test in the school and receive scholarships. After that, they test into their class within their grade, the classes are divided 1-6; 1 being the strongest students and 6 being the weaker students (but obviously still very smart).
At the beginning of class the students will come in and one student will tell the rest of the students "stand up please" and they will all say in unison "Good Morning/Afternoon Teacher!" and I will tell them to sit and they will say "Thank you, Teacher!" At the end of class they will all stand up again and say "Thank you teacher, see you again next time!" After which one or more students will help my carry my stuff back down to the office.
Each morning upon arriving to school each smiling face will feverishly wave to us and excitedly say "Good Morning teacher!" as we walk to our office. During class if I was to show any sign of being cold, a student would take off their jacket and give it to me. They always want to help and they are so kind. But, this is not only to me, they are like this with their peers too.
Toady we had Children's Day. So, similar to Fathers Day and Mothers Day, there is Children's Day in Thailand. The school held a big celebration with games and presents for the students all morning. It was fun to watch them all smile and giggle as their grade competed against the other grades. But, to give you an idea of how the morning went, I felt like I was on a movie set. Every student on campus was there and every student was EXTREMELY enthusiastic about everything that was happening. Each time the M4s beat a team in tug-of-war they would blow the roof off cheering. Each time any student won a prize, all of the students would cheer. That is the best part about Thailand, the kids have extremely competitive spirits, but they know how to lose and are very respectful. They will go into the competition fierce, but if they lose they will always congratulate the other team and clap for them. The support from all students is amazing here in Thailand.
A sad, but true reality hit when I was trying to explain to some teachers about bullies in America. They were horrified at what I tried to describe, there is absolutely nothing like that here in Thailand. The attitude of acceptance and support and respect is just overwhelming sometimes.
I think that's enough for right now, though I have a lot to update on. Keep tuned for more about upcoming Sport Day, Teacher's Day and other fun activities!
Lots of Love,
Meg
PS If you would like to learn about Kao Jai Coffee, read below! This is the email I sent to TOMS shoes. The person who received my email has been talking to "Elite Members of the TOMS staff" and they will be emailing me soon. I hope they follow through!
- Conversation started December 10, 2013
