[Ham]mocking Real Life

I'm writing this from my iPod touch on a 12 hour journey back to Bangkok. As annoying as the touch screen is, I have not much else to do but twiddle my thumbs, so I figure I might as well put then to use.

My travels have kicked off with a bigger bang than I could have hoped for. Other than a series of unfortunate events, such as my beloved Chaco sandals being tossed out of the emergency exit on a bus in Bangkok and Joann's multiple battle wounds from the week, it has been a great start to my travels & hopefully just the vacation Joann needed from real life in NYC.

It all began on Friday March 2nd at the same place it began in October in Bangkok: Khao San Road. Only now, I felt completely out of place on the packaged tourist streets that I've grown to despise. But, as I am being a backpacker for 2 months, I suppose it is fitting to begin such a journey there.

Farewell, Sriracha; Until Next Time...

As much as I may have complained about being the only foreign teacher at Surasakwittayakom School - at least in my head, as I had no one to complain to - finishing teaching here still feels bittersweet, with with an emphasis on the sweet.

Being the only foreign teacher at a Thai high school has been nothing short of an endurance test. I was constantly ill-informed about crucial announcements, and forced to navigate the politics of the Thai school system on my own. Luckily, I befriended a few co-workers whom, despite their broken English and nearly double age difference, became my informants and friends. Still, not having communication with English speakers at work occasionally felt lonely. On the worst of days, the un-airconditioned classrooms combined with the absurdly humid climate mirrored being trapped alone in a sauna. Responsible for teaching the entire school, the majority of poorly-behaved classes and my unclear duties at times seemed a pointless effort. That being said, the motivated, kind students provided me with just enough inspiration to keep going. Reflecting upon it all, my life here in Thailand has been shaped by this unique experience. Because of it, I have become a better teacher - certainly more flexible, understanding and with the ability to think on my feet, having not been given a curriculum  or any resources. Given the environment, I was forced to learn world's more of the Thai language and culture. Although I leave behind many remarkable students and co-workers, I am eerily excited to have accomplished what I hope to be the more challenging of my jobs in Thailand.

           "Academic Day" at school
                Students selling Thai spicy sausages                                              

Pineapple Shmineapple

Pinapple: that acidic, luscious fruit that in its perfect form is the ultimate blend of sweet and sour. That fruit near and dear to my heart that has always been a pineapple - I can no longer fully accept to be a pineapple. Now that my mind has been opened to the fascinating realm of language – I have learned to accept that all names are arbitrary, and a pineapple is just as equally a ‘suparod,' or hundreds of other names that exist for it.

After years of studying multiple languages by the book in the classroom, I was convinced my brain was just not wired to grasp more than one language. With enough effort and within the right environment, I have found that I am capable of stepping outside of my comfort zone and speaking a foreign language. After living in Thailand for over 4 months in a town where most do not speak English, I have learned enough Thai to get by comfortably. Although I may butcher the tonal aspect despite my best efforts, this is the most of a language that I have ever known or used. I have found my success to be a combination of environment, conscious effort, and most importantly: vulnerability. It is all about putting oneself out there for better or for worse. As my vocabulary knowledge slowly expanded, the intimidation of actually speaking with natives didn’t disappear until I forced myself to repeatedly make a fool of myself.

Moosewood Restaurant does Thailand

The past two weekends I have spent adventuring with two of my former co-workers from Moosewood Restaurant, Barry and Justin.

The first weekend, we headed to Kanchanaburi for a very Ithaca-esque weekend: temple cave dwelling, long sunset walks, visiting the famous "Death Railway" and "Bridge Over River Kwai," hiking and swimming in the Erawin National Park (a beautiful 7-tiered waterfall & national park). The highlight was definitely a 12k kayak down the River Kwai - which we approached as more of a lazy river, taking our sweet time. After a perfect river stroll with a few laughable incidents (Barry tipping over and Justin briefly losing his kayak under a 'floating restaurant'), we indulged in a massive amount of proper Thai food on a river restaurant. It was one of those many Thailand weekends that I couldn't stop smiling about for days.

Barry & Justin in Wat Khao Pun (Cave Temples)

Chonburi Livin'

Weekend of January 13

My first visitors to Sriracha, Chonburi included my dear friend Colette from college and her friend Emily who is teaching in Northeast Thailand. I did not know Emily before, but we bonded quickly over random mutual friends, attending college in the dear-to-our-hearts town of Ithaca, NY (she went to Cornell) and our similar experiences of teaching in Thailand. I was able to show Colette the lovely weekend Night Market of Sriracha where she indulged in Thailand's most talked about late night snack: bugs. (When in Rome, right?!) We enjoyed the nightlife with the company of my Sriracha friends. We rolled out of bed to meet Emily at the bus station at 5:30 AM, questionably still under the influence. After a few more hours of needed slumber, we set off on a ferry to Koh Sichang. This was my first time visiting this island that is only 30 minutes away, but it will not be my last! It is very low key, not touristy and an easy day trip from me. Of course I had to run into a group of my students while I was sunbathing in a bikini (I cannot escape seeing one of the 1200 wherever I go around here). After a quick ferry back, feeding the Koh Loi sea turtles and some deliciously authentic street food, we grabbed a bus to my [far from most] favorite place in the world: Pattaya.

Colette making the bug purchase, Sriracha Night Market

Grow up!

In Thailand, there is an obsession with much of what Westerners deem as childish, to name a few: "Hello Kitty" apparel, big pink hair ribbons, and an obnoxious amount of awkwardly staged photos. I have now learned that these "weird Asian trends," usually don't stand alone. To a foreigner, Thai children, teenagers and even young adults seem to act about half the age they truly are. It is difficult to explain how, but if you compare Thai children with Western children of the same age they may have nothing in common. I now understand that the immaturity and naivety of all Thai children is the product of their sheltered childhood.

You either get it, or you don't get it.

The beginning of my new year has been shaped by multiple Americans friends that are traveling through Thailand. I am lucky enough to explore, travel and host them during their time here. As great as my new friends here are, there truly is nothing like the comfort of a familiar face from my pre-Thailand life.

It was over a beer last weekend in Bangkok with an Ithacan friend that for the first time it was brought to my attention that I have "changed." Even with the positive implication that he intended, I instinctually defended myself: NO, I have not! (I guess some things die hard, like my inherent argumentativeness.) With the lonely work week dragging on, I've had more time to acknowledge that perhaps he was right.