What a fabulous year it has been!

Today I have been reflecting on all that I have done this past year...what a memorable year it has been for me. I may even say that 2009 has been my best yet. A few of the memorable moments include...Scuba Diving off Koh Phi Phi, snorkeling around the most beautiful islands I have ever seen (Similian islands), Emmett and Liz coming to Thailand, traveling southeast Asia-especially Angkor Wat in Cambodia, climbing Mount Batur for the sunrise in Bali, Indonesia, and the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, rock-climbing in Krabi, seeing the Buddhist Monk walk down my street every morning doing his daily alms, Theresa in Thailand, Erawan waterfalls, being at Pra Nui's monk ceremony where I was told 'my heart is open', camping, rafting, and planting trees in Khao Yai National Park, a wonderful and perfect visit home, Koh Tao and Koh Naang Yuan, and most of all teaching kiddos English.
Not only do I feel I have grown so much as a person this year, I am in a different mind frame than before. I have found true happiness and joy in the little things and feel so lucky to be where I am at. I have also found that I smile constantly and appreciate those little things in life. I am in such a happy place and moving here was the best decision I have ever made. I am certainly not done growing and there are many things I wish to accomplish this upcoming year...such as 1. Climb a part of the great wall of China (oh yeah this is happening in April...who's with me??) 2. Get a school counseling job (oye resumes, applications, interviews...dear lord help me) 3. Complete a triathlon (looking at doing Chicago's tri in Aug.) and 4. Remain positive (its all a state of mind). I look forward to what the year 2010 brings for me...I hope its filled with lots of adventure, love, smiles and travel.

Sawdee Bee Mai!

Christmas classes!

This week I am only having two days of classes (YIPPIE!) so last week I told my students to prepare presentations about Christmas. I gave them A-LOT of flexibility on the presentations and pretty much told them they can do whatever they wanted as long as they 1. Spoke English and 2. It was Christmas related. WOW. My students rock! One group taught us how to make Christmas trees- which I later wore as earrings...haha. I swear my students probably think I am a nut case.

Some students sang Christmas songs, some talked about the history of Christmas, we also played some games...we played Christmas bingo, a Christmas picture memory game, and a Christmas trivia game...Can you name all 9 reindeers??? **Answer will be at the bottom of this post** One group of girls even got to class a half hour early (kicked me out as I was prepping for the next class) and locked the door...they hid 25 red pieces of paper around the classroom and each paper had a gift associated to it. The more papers you found the more gifts you received...AWESOME! How thoughtful.
And then one kid, Tae, went up to the front of the class and read a little speech. "I have this chocolate as a representative of a Christmas gift to the teacher. The reason I choose chocolate is because it represents the love and care from me to the person I give. It might not be anything very special or expensive but I am very sincere. Finally, I think Christmas presents do not matter about the price, but it matters about how sincere you are." Awe. What a nice kid. MMMM I love chocolate.
Also worth a mention is that there are several Christmas trees around campus and I took a picture of my favorite (now I am defiantly not a white Christmas tree person but this year apparently I am). One of the reasons it may be my favorite is because I added a personal Chicago touch to the tree...Can you see it?


Ha Ha yup its a Chicago Cubs Christmas Ornament!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

**The 9 reindeers are: dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen, comet, cupid, donner, blitzen, and rudolf**

Ko Tao

Beautiful! This is definitely one of the most gorgeous islands in Thailand and I didn't even explore all that much. I headed to Ko Tao (Turtle Island) for a 5 day vacation with me, myself, and I. I loved loved loved every minute of it. I did absolutely nothing and had the time of my life. I took an overnight bus to Chumporn and then a 1.5 hour ferry to the island. While on the ferry it was raining and I was bummed but upon arriving the sun was peaking through the clouds. I quickly disembarked the boat and headed for the hills. I bypassed all the "taxi drivers" and hiked it on foot. I had no idea where I was going so I couldn't really get lost. I walked around aimlessly for a good 30 minutes before finding a cute little place to call home for the next 5 days. I immediately changed into my beachwear and strolled along the beach with a smile on my face. I found a cozy spot and literally laid on the beach for the next 4-5 hours. It was perfect in every sense....I got to people watch, swim, listen to music, read my book...not all at once or in that order. Later in the day I found a seaside resort to have dinner and watch the glorious sunset. An FYI, if you don't already know this about me but I think sunsets over water is one of the most beautiful things on this earth. I love them.

After sundown there was a movie playing on the beach so I stuck around and watched. After the chick flick movie I headed to my room. Lame I know but I was worn out...a long day on the beach is really tiring. I was in bed by 10pm and miraculously I slept 12 hours ...until 10am the next day. WHAT? Wild. I can't remember the last time I slept 12 hours. Holy crap batman. Perhaps I needed it? WOW. At any rate, in the morning, I hightailed it to the beach for more hours and hours of doing nothing. Man, this is the life. I finally had to give in to my hunger pains and chose a cutesy Thai place for my meal and low and behold there was a TV on...and it was playing one of my all-time favorite movies growing up...WILDCATS with Goldie Hawn. Well you know I had to sit there for 2 hours and watch it. haha. The next day I forced myself not to be a slug on the beach and took a longtail boat over to the next set of islands, Koh Naang Yuan. I went to the top of one of the islands for a stunning view. I stayed up there longer than necessary just staring at this beautiful sight. I got lost in my thoughts. I mean how could you not with such a backdrop?
Finally I headed down and parked my behind --yup, you guessed it...on the beach! The next day I was determined to explore more of the island but when I woke up the sun was shining and I wanted nothing more than to swim in the ocean and lay on the beach and that is just what I did...with a smile on my face nonetheless. I'll explore the next time I go...which will be in early January- during midterms! YAY!

Thanksgiving and the Monkey Party

This year for Thanksgiving a group of us headed to Siam City Hotel for their thanksgiving buffet. It was a plethora of international foods including TURKEY!!! I was a happy little camper...even though there were no mashed potatoes...ho hummm it was okay though, there was plenty of other food. Good food, good friends, decent wine...sounds like a great holiday to me. I was tempted to get another plate of turkey to stuff in my bag for Friday (for a sandwich)...but opted not to...foolish foolish girl! Going to work on Friday was tough as I was still in a food and wine coma but alas I pulled through. I tried to teach my students about the Thanksgiving holiday and we went around the room saying what we were thankful for. I said I was thankful for Thailand as it has opened my eyes to appreciate the little things in life. I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and ate your weight in turkey.

On Sunday, Brenda and I took a train north to Lopburi (about 150 km from Bangkok) for the annual Monkey Party. Lopburi is also known as "Monkey Town". It was quite the comical event to witness. Hundreds of monkeys eating food and running around looking for more. There was a monkey pulling on a woman's skirt as she had some chips and the monkey wanted them...there was also a monkey trying to take an old woman's hat. In the past, I have heard some of these creatures could get violent for food but I think on this day they were so fulfilled with food that they seemed content...kinda like me on thanksgiving.

BKK Film Festival

Last night Shannon and I headed back to Siam Center for the closing ceremonies of the BKK Film Festival. Last year we saw Shine a Light (Martin Scorsese film about The Rolling Stones). This year we saw the film Rocksteady: Roots of Reggae. Same like last year the movie was outdoors for all too see and was free. As if that is not cool enough there was free beer! Yep, free Singha beer! Nice! Needless to say Shannon and I felt good after the movie. Today on the other hand I wasn't. And in one of my classes this morning a student had a bag on her lap and as I went to help her out on her assignment I noticed a box with holes in the bag...I questioned if there was an animal in there and indeed there was. Well that's a first for me, an animal in my class. Oye. What kind of animal you ask? A baby squirrel. A teeny tiny...size of the palm of my hand, baby squirrel. I asked if I could hold it. She obliged. I held it and stared at it intently wondering why in the world someone would want this as a pet. I walked around the room with it and tried to start a conversation with my students about exotic animals and asked the class if they could be an animal what would they be...I first got some wide eyed stares and no one talked but they finally came around and they told me they would be lions, eagles, fish, and even a pig! What a mixture. It was an interesting class to say the least! Its these kinds of classes that bring a smile to my face and make me happy to be right here right now...its these out of the ordinary, not the same run of the mill, day to day shenanigans that I love!

New and Ae

New and Ae are two of my close Thai friends. We have a custom of heading out to to the Ekamaii clubs together and last night was no different. We decided to check out a new club called Demo. It was perfect. I was able to drink my whiskey and dance my butt off. Sounds great for a Saturday night in Thailand! I am going to miss these girls when I leave...I wonder if I can fit them in my luggage?

1 week down, 14 to go.

The first week was a success! I don't want to jinx myself but so far my schedule has not changed once! Perfection. Still have Wednesdays off. Right now I am teaching one academic class (English I) and 7 conversation classes. I dig. However after the 4th conversation class I get tired of repeating the same stuff. And by the 7th class I am delirious with giggles as I have memorized everything we are going to be doing. I am under the assumption that my 6th and 7th classes think I'm nuts....which I am totally okay with...actually I think all my classes think I am crazy. What?!? After my first week of not so hard work I thought it best to head to the beach...I am feeling alittle pale...oh yeah...Ko Samet! Gawd, I love that place.

Pictures from HOME

For those that have not seen my pictures from home...

Adjarn Heidi... third time's a charm.

Today was the first day of school. Oye. And guess who had an 8am class?? Pick me pick me!!! You guessed it. Aren't I lucky? Its okay, I don't mind. At least this semester I am not teaching any 3 hour classes. Thank God! This time around I am teaching English One and English One Conversation. As it stands I have a pretty awesome schedule! I teach Mon/Tues and Thur/Fri SWEET...WEDNESDAYS OFF!! I'll take it. As my friend Shannon said "I'll pay someone a hundred dollars to keep this schedule". But as we all know the first two weeks of classes are insane. Last semester my schedule changed 4 times in the first week. So I'll let you know how it all pans out later. OOOOH oooh and I forgot the most important thing...the best part...wait for it....I am teaching in HUAMAK! I mentioned to some of you how I was going to be teaching at the suburban campus (BangNa) but somehow luck was on my side and I once again got to teach at the city campus! YAY three cheers for whoever made my schedule!!! Rah Rah Rah! Finally I get to live and teach at the same campus!

My wonderful visit home...time to bid adieu.

These three weeks have gone by waaaay too fast for my liking. I do not like to or want to say goodbye. However, I remind myself that I will only be gone for 6...tops 7 months. My contract ends March 31st and then I plan on traveling a bit (Hong Kong, China, and South Korea) before I venture home for good. And when I return home, I will be greeted with 2 new members of my family...my sister is pregnant with her 2nd baby... due in March...AND my sis-n-law is pregnant with her 3rd child...due in April. WOOHOO!

While I have been home visiting with family and friends I have been able to do a lot. I went to the last Cubs game of the season, two Hawks games, Euchre, Bon Iver concert in Wisconsin, Karaoke party, Thanksgiving dinner, went to the movies and much much more. I have had nothing but an amazing time while home. I have missed you all so very much. I can't believe I spent a whole year without you but I am so glad that it seemed like a day never went by. These next 6 months will go by so fast, I promise.

Thank you to everyone who bought me a meal, a beer, or a glass of wine. It has been much appreciated. I ate well while home because of you! God only knows how I would have afforded all those delicious meals and drinks. And thank you mom for cooking some ever so decadent meals.

I wish I would have traveled the world sooner as I may have come to the realization that there is no better place than home. Leaving this second time has been harder than the first. I don't know if I will ever be able to leave again. I wish I had more time to spend with you but school starts on Monday. Big hugs and kisses! I'll see you soon.

Home

Can you believe its been a year? I flew back to Chicago on October 1st and surprised my family....they all thought I was coming home on Oct. 7th. And over the course of 4 days I got to surprise my entire family. Every single one of them shocked to see me standing at their front door. My mom was speechless, my sister tearful, my brother baffled, my aunt surprised, my dad overrjoyed and my little sister screamed!
Not only did I get to surprise my family but I surprised some friends. One in particular was my dear friend Sandra. I knew she was running a race on Sunday morning and I made a "way to go"/"surprise" poster for her and when she crossed the finish line I was there holding the poster. She saw the poster and her eyes bugged out of her head shocked that I was standing there. She hugged me and was elated. I was so happy to be there with her. It was priceless.
I am home for another 2 weeks and trying to see everyone. I will make time for everyone. So if you want to see me...you know how to get in touch!

Krabi Birthday

After classes ended I was on a plane outta Bangkok...headed south to paradise...Krabi! While there I went on a sunset snorkeling trip...which was how do I say??? Absolutely heavenly. I swear sunsets over water never get old for me. I love them. This particular night we were sitting on a sandbar as the tide was low and the sunset was amazing shades of pink. Then I got to swim with phosphorescence...this beautiful greenish light organism that glows when you splash the water around. I now know with 100% certainty what my heaven is going to include...a glorious sunset over water, a million stars out at night and swimming with phosphorescence. I also celebrated my birthday while in Krabi...we climbed up to a viewpoint, we layed on the beach, we drank whiskey, we ate Indian food, we chilled at a Reggae bar and Jenn and Shannon were sneaky little monsters and surprised me with a birthday cake. It was a wonderful day! I am one lucky gal, I've made some great friends out here.

Second semester coming to a close...

I finished my second semester teaching!!! This past semester was a rough one in comparison to the first semester. Not only was I teaching an Academic Grammar English course that I disliked very much but I was also teaching overtime. Last semester if you recall, I was only teaching 2 days a week! These last 3 months I was worn out day after day. And for about 6 weeks I had some serious stomach issues that even brought about an overnight stay in the hospital. I am finally feeling better and back at 100%. And now my classes are over and its playtime (Krabi), proctoring, grading, moving (cross your fingers to the city campus), and then HOME to CHICAGO for 2 weeks!!!
So here are some pictures of my kiddos from this semester. I taught 2 academic classes and 5 sections of conversation. I had some good kids and some not so nice monsters that I could have done without but its all a learning process right??? I can say though that I sure learned my threshold and tolerance for immaturity, laziness, and rudeness this semester. But overall it was a good semester.

Camping, Planting, Rafting...oh my.

A few of us joined www.plant-a-tree-today.org for a weekend camping trip to Khao Yai National Park. We spent the first day rafting on a not so rapid river but fun and entertaining none-the-less especially with Clare and her jazz hands. In the evening we had grilled mmmmm meat by a campfire and drank the night away with our bottles of whiskey. Early the next morning we headed out to the nursery to learn about the trees we were going to be planting. Then we (a total of 30 volunteers and several plant-a-tree staff) headed to the planting site...atop a gorgeous hill with stunning views. During the 3 hours in the hot blazing sun we planted 800 trees! That's about a 30 trees each! It was fun, hot, muddy, spectacular, tiring, difficult and important. Did you know that every minute of the day the earth loses about a football field of trees?

Pra Nui

At 6:30 in the morning 10 of us (not so awake) crammed into 3 taxis to head to what we envisioned a small, quaint, ceremony at Wat Dhamakaya but unbeknownst to us it turned out to be a grand affair...12,000 men getting ordained as monks. A friend of the group was being ordained. As we walked lost among the million of Thais dressed in white, I felt uncomfortable in my bright blue skirt and gray sweater. We found Nui's family and quickly got settled in. Of course all the people around us stared at the 10"farangs" (Thai for foreigners) not only cause we were there but we clearly were wearing an array of colors and not the required head to toe white that every other person was wearing. Nui's mother passed the bright orange robe around for each of us to say a prayer and bless it. As it passed my friends hands I anxiously awaited my turn. When I was handed the robe, I closed my eyes, said a little prayer and my first tear of the day was shed. Then the procession began...in walked the monks, two by two, dressed in all white. When Nui stopped in front of us, his 3 year old nephew (Bing) immediately started calling out Nui's name...begging for him to turn to us...Bing could not understand why Nui was not paying attention to him. Next, in unison all the monks sat in front of their family and friends and chanted a prayer. After that, Nui's family placed his new monk robe in his arms, then in a flash he stood up, and all the monks filed out. As they walked away I looked at some of their faces...some were happy, some were sad, some where lost in thought, and some were crying...and tears once again streamed down my face. Next there was a 5 hour break while the new Monks changed and meditated. All the visitors were provided free food, coffee, and water. Food at temples are considered the best food as people only donate the best food to the monks. As 8 members of our group decided to leave Lauren and I decided to stick it out and stay. And I can not even begin to explain to you how utterly happy I am that I chose to stay. Nui's mother invited us to her home to rest. There she gladly provided Lauren and I some white attire. At 4pm we made our way back to Wat Dhamakaya to watch the remainder of the ceremony. Immediately I saw a sea of orange and for the third time, I teared up (Yet another one of those breathtaking sites of Thailand). Then the procession of the monks began again...they walked two by two again and stood before their family and friends and then they sat before us and started chanting. I closed my eyes and listened to the world around me. I understood not one word of the chant but I was very much in the moment and a feeling of calmness washed over me and you guessed it...I cried again. At this moment I knew I was a part of the most amazing, beautiful, peaceful, thought provoking, and selfless ceremony I had ever seen. After the chant, the monks were able to talk with their family and friends for a few minutes. Lauren turned super shy (the very opposite of her personality) and I sat there quiet as a mouse trying to take it all in. We agreed on meeting Nui after the ceremony at a designated area to talk in more detail about the monkhood. And before we knew it, it was time for the monks to head back. After the ceremony we indeed met Nui and one of his monk friends to learn more about the Buddhist religion. As a newly ordained monk and us as lay people we must be lower than the monk, so Nui and his friend sat on chairs as we sat with our feet pointing away from him on the ground. As we relaxed, the questions started coming...how to focus while meditating, daily alms, the 227 monk rules, etc. We sat there for hours asking question after question. When we mentioned how emotional we had been throughout the day, Nui simply smiled and said that "our hearts are open". Most foreigners who witness such an event, watches from a distance and walk away unscathed but we were so fortunate to have an up close and personal front row seat to it all, we were able to let it all soak in. We finally said our goodbyes and well wishes to Nui and his friend. Looking at the time it was 9:30pm as we stepped into the taxi (where did the time go?). Lauren and I started a discussion about the days event and a flood of emotion overtook me and I started sobbing. I could not believe what a magical, serene, tranquil ceremony I just attended. In the end, when we returned home, Lauren instantly sat at her computer and started typing her thoughts of the day as I laid in bed pondering life. Lauren asked me if she could read me what she wrote and I closed my eyes I listened to the words she so eloquently wrote and since my emotions were already on overtime the tears naturally came. I was so happy to be party of such a spiritual, uplifting, and glorious day.

One year Smoke Free!

How exciting is today? 365 days ago I finally gave up the destructive, deadly habit that was SMOKING! However, it feels like only yesterday I would get up...go walk Allie and have my first cigarette of the day. And that one cigarette would lead to several more throughout the day...and don't even get me started about the weekends and nights out...oye! Now I don't ever, ever think about smoking....ha ha what a joke! I think about it alot...but I haven't messed up once. YAY ME!

Statistics tell us that only 7% of those who quit are still smoke free at the end of their first year (about.com). Help me celebrate this awesome milestone! GOOOOO ME!!!

And if YOU want to quit check out this website:
http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/preparetoquit/u/quitting.htm

If that website doesn't interest you...learn how to quit smoking from my students...they had to write a 'how to' paragraph using sequence adverbs...(typed exactly as they wrote it).

First, you have to reduce quantity of cigarettes. Second, you have to think about your parents because they care about you very much. Then, try to do other activities like sports, reading books, etc. Next, removing all of your tobacco in your house. Then, don't stay with friends who are smokers. After that, forgetting that you've ever smoked. Then, use lemon juice because it can make you don't want to smoke. After that, trying to think that smoking can destroy your health, the environment, and people around you. Next, do not buy any tobacco again. Finally, keep living your life without smoking!

Queen's Birthday aka Mother's Day

Last Wednesday was the Queen's birthday here in Thailand (Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 77th birthday) which is also known as Mother's Day....which is also known as a public holiday! YAY, no work on a Wednesday! So I was going to head to a Wat that I have been wanting to see....for oh I don't know about 10 months now...but on my way I saw hundreds and I mean hundreds of people wearing blue. Perplexed, I got off the bus to check it out...Ah a parade in the Queen's honor. Cool. So why the blue? In Thai tradition, there is an astrological rule that assigns color for each day of the week. The color is assigned based on the color of the God who protects the day or Navagraha. For example, King Bhumibol was born on Monday, so on his birthday throughout Thailand will be decorated with yellow color (Wikipedia). And the Queen was born on a Friday...hence the blue.
Anyways I hung around the area walking up and down waiting for the parade to start...and when it did...it was amazing.

Then as nighttime drew near ropes of lights (think Christmas tree lights) turned on...it was beautiful. As I was heading back to find my bus stop to return home fireworks lit up the sky! What a great day.

Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi, about 150 miles northwest of Bangkok, offers a fascinating mix of nature, history and adventure. Kanchanaburi is an important historical town as this is where the famous Bridge over the Rver Kwai sits. Kanchanaburi is best known for it's history during World War II... the Japanese Army began construction of the infamous "Death Railway" which included the Bridge Over The River Kwai. In total, over 100,000 POW's lost their lives building the railway, tunnels and the famous bridge between 1942-1943.

About 40 kilometers outside of Kanchanaburi is the Erawan National Park. Here is the most glorious waterfall...7 levels. This stunning waterfall drops 1,500 m. down steep-sided cliffs. It is surrounded by a beautiful forest. There is a trail as far as the 6th level and from there you have to scramble up the cliff to reach the 7th level. The climb was worth the effort...the sight of tumbling water, spraying off the boulders into the deep pool below...beautiful.



P.S. The last few pictures are of Jenn and I bored on the bus...

A girl named Heidi...

I had my students write stories during one of my classes. I recieved various topics such as...Dracula, Chiang Mai, China, The Hunters Adventure, and this one...my personal favorite...typed exactly as they wrote it...

"A girl named Heidi, was about to complete her Masters in Arts. But after completing the graduation she came to Thailand. Now she is doing her job over here. She is now a teacher of ABAC. She wanted to have an experience at teaching outside of USA. Among the English teachers, we've got the best teacher. Because during her period of teaching, she wanted the students to learn something, to be punctual in the class, and to be honest. She is against dishonesty and indiscipline. She teaches us through a well process. She teaches us with great sincerity. She is like an angel to us. We think that without her presence in our student life our student life shouldn't be completed. We love her very much."

Too cute!

Theresa in Thailand!

I had soooo much fun with Theresa. The week went by waaay too fast but we did a lot in a very short amount of time. We jam packed as much as we could in...not only did we sight see in Bangkok but we went to Chiang Mai, Ko Samet, and Ayutthaya. It was absolutely amazing to have her here...it was great traveling with someone who was seeing Thailand for the first time...it was cool to see things again in this perspective.
After I picked her up at the airport at midnight we headed to the bar...yes we may have had a few drinks and woooohoooo we played Euchre with Clare and Russell! YES! The next day we went to Chatachuk market (the world's largest outdoor market) and after went to Khao San Road. Very early the next morning we flew to Chiang Mai (northern Thailand). We did the usual touristy stuff...temples, massages, ate Kao Soy, night bazar, trekking, elephant riding, and white water rafting...On Wednesday, back in Bangkok, we went to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha), and went to the Liverpool vs Thailand Football game! Once again, very early the next morning we jumped in a van to Ko Samet Island for two days. Lots of food, fire dancers, coin flipping, and fun was had. And Saturday we took a train and went to Ayutthaya for a morning of visiting the ancient capital which now is in ruins. When we came back we headed to Lumpini for last minute shopping. Lastly, I told Theresa she was not allowed to leave this country until she had a Thai massage...and so whats better than an hour massage??? A two hour Thai Massage!!!

Smiling

Today I was on my way to work and noticed that I was smiling....smiling yet again. I had no reason for this smile planted on my face, it was just there. And I believe that when you are a happy teacher your students are happy...and that is just what happened. I had an amazing class. I played a really fun game with them. Now yes it may have been a drinking game but shhhhh I neglected to tell them that. Now instead of drinking when they messed up I had them tell a story. After explaining the directions only a few times they got the hang of it. And we had an entire hour full of laughter. After the game, I was wishing them all good luck on their midterms and that I will see them in two weeks. And almost in unison the class waiied me. Remember that waiing is a sign of respect. It was a very touching moment for me. And I still have this smile on my face!

It's official!!

I am staying in Thailand longer. I have extended my contract and staying until March 2010. I just signed my new contract! I am so excited, relieved, and happy! Best of all...I get to miss another Chicago winter!

So this gives you more time to save your pennies and get your butt over here! Come visit me! Southeast Asia awaits you!

If you can't make it over here that's okay...I will venture home in October for a week or two. So make sure you play hookie one day and spend a day with me. Scheduling will begin soon. HAHA.


My roomie and I at the FREE wine night atop the Millennium Hilton- the views were spectacular...too bad my camera sucks.

Burger and beers!

Fourth of July in Bangkok?!? Hey its just another day here...that was until I walked into the American School of Bangkok...and Wooosh, yup, I feel like I am back home! WOW. I have not seen so many farang (Thai for "foreigners") since I left the USA. And hello red white and blue! I tagged along with the Loyola Marymount teachers/students as I was the only Depaul teacher who went to the picnic. So I bought my coupon book of food/beer tickets and immediately headed for the beer stand...American beer please...hello MGD oooh how I have missed thee...I'll take 3. hahaha. I ordered a burger and sat down with my all American meal...beer and Burger for the fourth of July...can it get any better than this? Now only if there were fireworks I would have been happier than a pig in mud!!!

And the kick ass band that played lots of oldies but goodies!! Including one of my all time favs...Mustang Sally! Where are my maracas????

A good place...

I am in a good place in my life. Thailand has been good to me. I enjoy the fact that I walk down the street and see something so simple and insignificant and it makes me smile. This makes me so happy.

However, I do have my homesick days. For instance, the other day I was having a serious missing home day! All I really wanted was time with my nieces....I wanted to make silly faces with Mary Clare, I wanted little miss Nora to tackle me like Urlacher, and as for Emerson all I wanted was to pinch her little chubby cheeks. And well once I started thinking of the munchkins and home... I started thinking about how much I really really wanted a turkey sandwich...a beer at a Cubs game...a Euchre night...a night dancing with my girls...a Carols adventure...a homemade dinner cooked by ME...a walk with my dog...and the 4th of July fireworks (MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY).

Last year I remember biking it to the Lakefront along with the million of other fools just to watch the fireworks...I swear I act my shoe size when fireworks are going off. I am going to miss that this year. At any rate, HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! Be safe and enjoy the holiday!

Stop. Look around. Appreciate the little things.

Every morning as I walk to work I see a Buddhist Monk doing his daily alms. Most days I am running late and rushing down the street to get to class ontime...however this day was different. First of all, daily alms is giving and receiving ritual. This is often perceived as giving laypeople the opportunity to make merit. Most Buddhist people donate food to the monks to gain merit and improve their karma.

Oh karama!

The monk is always dressed in the trademark bright orange saffron robe. You can see him coming a mile away. So the other morning as I am walking past I see a little girl (about 6 or 7 years old), placing an envelope in his bowl. She bends down to wai him and pray to him. I overhear him say something in Thai to her. This whole exchanged lasted only moments but it stopped me in my tracks and took my breath away. I smiled at the simplicity of it, the meaning of it, the importance it has in peoples lives.

I have been noticing a chance in myself lately. I have noticed I have a smile on my face a lot and its those little things that are making me smile. It took me a while to get here but I am happy.

Wai Kru Ceremony

Wai Kru Ceremony is a Thai ritual in which students pay respect to their teachers in order to express their gratitude and formalize the student–teacher relationship. The ceremony is usually held shortly after the beginning of the first term, on a Thursday, as Thursday is traditionally the day of Bhaspati, Vedic god of wisdom and teachers. The students recite the wai khru chant, which expresses respect for and gratitude to the teachers, and asks for the teachers' blessing of their studies. Following this, a select number of students, usually the representatives of each class, will present the teachers with offerings of flowers, candles and joss sticks (Wikipedia). I saw one of my students, Bomb, before the ceremony and he was a class representative for his major/faculty (Bio-technology). He is one of the students in the video below! Watch it!


I snuck in the picture of me, so you can see my pretty smiling face! Ha Ha! I know how all of you love it when I take those kinds of pictures.

Balagan

Saturday night I headed out to the Impact Arena to watch the World Acrobats Show, Balagan!!! It was everything I was hoping for and more. I am a big fan of these kinds of shows...Cirque de Soleil-esque. It had a variety of acrobatic movements, athleticism, comedial choreography and rhythmic dance. I am so glad I went. And there was a little girl sitting in front of me that made my night! She could not have been more than 2 years old. And at one point, she was asking for something and when she did she waied (I know I told you about waiing before, its when you put your hands together in prayer like and bow your head, in a sign of respect). She had this little innocent angelic face which was so precious. I would sneak a look at her from time to time during the show and every time I did...you could see the happiness and excitement in her eyes. She would light up, giggle, and laugh...it was so beautiful and genuine. It really made me miss my nieces ever so much more than I already do.

Today I met up with a former student I tutored and we went to the movies. We saw a Thai film, Roommates. Now generally Thai movies have English subtitles ahhhh but not this one. Haha. Yup all in Thai. It was an interesting two hours. But I am one smart cookie and was able to figure out what was going on.

Which reminds me, last week I saw an independent Thai film, Wonderful Town. Sponsored by the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. It was decent. Nothing spectacular. What was spectacular was the wine that they were serving up...mmmmm wine from a Thai winery. I dig.

Tomorrow starts week three of the semester. Let's just hope that it goes better than the last two crazy weeks. I am looking forward to Thursday though...its the Wai Cru Ceremony...I'll tell you more about that later.

Patience Heidi Patience.

I told you last week that my schedule changed four times, right?! Let me tell you it has already changed twice this week and its only TUESDAY!!! Can we say... frustrating?! UGH. I start teaching a class, start learning names, read over the syallbus, create classroom rules, start building a rapport with students, etc... just to find out the class has been cancelled or I have been switched to teach another section.

Patience Heidi Patience.

If I had to name something I have learned here it is... be flexible!

On another note, I am heading to a screening of a Thai film "Wonderful Town" on Thursday night. That should be exciting! I'll let you know how it goes. I am hoping it is as good as the other Thai film I saw "A Moment In June" which reminds me I need to buy a few copies and send home...it really was a beauitful movie and I am sure some of you would enjoy it!

Reporting to duty...Ajarn Heidi Part Duex

The first week back is over! YAY! What a week. Okay so my schedule is not that bad...except for Fridays (teach 8am-5pm). They changed our schedules about 4 times this week...it was quite chaotic. I am teaching more classes this semester including one English grammar course. Oh if Ms. Smith (6th grade English teacher) could see me now. I spent better part of the week re-learning subject-verb agreement in order to teach it to my students. I may know the stuff but when it comes to explaining it...I can't. Great. Its going to be an interesting semester. Next up, determiners...

Back to School

I start the next semester tomorrow! AAAAH!! But in all honesty...I am ready. WHAT? Ready?!? Yes...the summer was amazing and couldn't have asked for a better one...but I am ready for what the new semester brings...new bosses, new lessons, new courses, new teachers, new students, new changes, etc.
And today I moved into a new apartment in the city. If you recall I was renting a townhome in the city with 3 other girls and our lease was up so my friend Lauren and I moved into a smaller apt. I still have my dorm in BangNa and will be there occasionally...because YES YES YES I am teaching in the city campus again (Huamak)!!!! So happy! I will get my final schedule tomorrow so not sure of what I'll be teaching or when I'll be teaching. Nothing like waiting until the last minute...and I thought I was a procrastinator.
Also Theresa booked her ticket to Thailand and I can't be more excited! I am looking forward to seeing her and hanging with one of my hometown buddies!

Cameron Highlands and Malacca, Malaysia

We stayed at this remarkable little guesthouse on top of a serene hill (overlooking Tanah Rata town) in the Cameron Highlands. The mountains, the greenery, the trails, the waterfalls, the hikes, aaaah the cool weather, the couches, the TVs, the strawberry fields, the rose gardens, the tea plantations...it was just the place to relax. On our first day there we dove right in...we took the 3 minute walk into town and ate some delicious Indian food and then went for a walk. Cool crisp cloudy overcast weather...perfect! That night, there was a chill in the air...and I was actually how do you say...COLD! Man am I going to be in for a rude awakening come winter...Anyways...the next day we set out for our hike. We chose trail 10 however missed the marker and ended up on trail 9...which spit us out at a tea plantation...okay cool...but the only way back to town was either back up trail 9 or on the main road...we decided since the trail was trying enough lets take the main road...yup 3 hours later we finally arrived back into town...and found ourselves back at the yummy Indian restaurant. Yes, I'll admit it, the remainder of the day I stretched out on one of the 8 couches and watched 2 back to back movies! It was fantastic! The next day was a wash...the tea plantations were closed so it was either another hike or lounge at the guesthouse on the couches watching movies and drinking tea...we opted for being slugs. I enjoyed it thoroughly! The next day we headed for the rose garden, the butterfly garden, a Chinese temple, a strawberry field, and the BOH tea plantation! All very beautiful!


After some well needed rest in the highlands we headed south to Malacca (Meleka)...snoooooze. We should never have left the highlands! Boring. Not sure what put this little town on the map. It is a UNESCO world heritage site but nothing spectacular about it...it was a blah town. Eh. In the midst of our udder boredom walk we spotted a movie theater...what better way to waste some time! We sought out the only English speaking Malaysian movie (movie name: Sell Out) and bought two tickets. Gawd, I just wasted 2 hours of my life I will never get back. Horrible! Eh, needless to say Jenn and I were more than ready to head back to KL to catch our flight back to BKK!

Cameron Highlands

Malacca (Meleka)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

First stop in Malaysia was Kuala Lumpur. Right off the bat I headed to Central Market to see some Doctor Fish...yup that's right...I had some fishies suck off the dead skin of my feet...hee hee it tickled!

Jenn and I took a city bus to visit 'the must see' Batu Caves...which houses a Hindu shrine. eh. We did walk up all 272 stairs and saw lots of monkeys monkeying around. The next day we walked all over the city from Merderka Square to the KL Tower. And of course we headed to their prize twin towers, Petronas towers. We even got there early morning to score free tickets to the 41st floor skybridge.

Asia Poem by Jenn and Shannon

If its not diarrhea its constipation
Headaches and ear infections
Bed bugs and mosquito bites
Heat Rash and gastrointestinal infections
Motorbike accidents and shitty hospitals
Toiletpaperless bathrooms and squatter toilets
Cold showers and rock hard beds
Flesh eating diseases and shitty smelling streets
Mystery meats and fish balls
Chicken tendons as appetizers and rancid fly ridden markets
---your choice
Tuk-tuk driver scams and general transportation chaos
Logiclessness.
Elephants in downtown city streets and runaway monkey thieves
ASIA’S NOT FOR EVERYONE….

Bali Indonesia Pictures

Kuta beach and Ubud




Mount Batur

Bali, Indonesia

Bali was very beautiful and amazing....Don't I say that alot? I am not lying when I say that southeast Asia really is a sight to see!! So Jenn, Shannon and I flew to Indonesia from Bkk and immediately headed for the beach. We then met some friends (Lauren and Carly) for dinner in Jimbaran Bay. It was our last southeast adventure with Lauren, as she headed back to the states.
The next day, Shannon and I took surfing lessons. HA HA HA HA My instrustor Ari was a hoot. "Okay standby....GOOOOOO!!!!!" I fell over more than I stood up...but had a blast...and only minor bruising. Surfing apparently is NOT going to be my new hobby.
Anyway, the next day we headed to Kintamani/Danau Buyan area. The scenery was absolutely stunning - mountains, greenery, volcanoes, rice paddies... Jenn and I decided to trek up Mount Batur (1717 meters = 5633 feet OR in simple terms I climbed about up about 4 Sears towers or wait whats it called now Willis tower?) at 4:00am to see the sunrise. The hike took about 2 hours-in the dark, and I had no flashlight but thank goodness for our guide, Newman, who took my hand periodically to help lead me up the mountain. The top of the mountain was cold and our sunrise was a bit cloudy. We ate hard boiled eggs and banana sandwiches that were cooked in the volcano. MMMMM. We then hiked over to see some craters and then down. Back to our guesthouse by 10:00am. Six good hours of hiking!!!
Next up was this cute little town Ubud. Which is known for their artistry, wood products and their babi guling (Balinese suckling pig dish). Jenn and I stayed a few days and probably ate the best Indonesian food ever. We then ventured back to the beach, this time away for the chaotic Kuta and towards a more low key place, Seminyak. This beach had some rough currents and we weren't aloud to swim...booo....so therefore we moved back to Kuta beach as we wanted to play in the waves before we headed up to Malaysia.

I will post pictures when I get back to Bangkok.

Krabi, Thailand

After several weeks of traveling Southeast Asia, I decided what better way to relax then go to the beach. I headed south to Krabi, Thailand. Ah, yet another absolutely beautiful place. You must simply come for a visit!

The first night there, there was a rock climbing and fire contest. Which was pretty cool. There were live bands and Job 2 Do performed. What? You don't know who Job 2 Do is??? He is only like the top Thai Reggae performer. HA. It was pretty sweet.

The next day consisted of lounging at the beach, getting sunburn (not on purpose) and watching the sun go down over the water (It never gets old, I love sunsets).
So the next day I ventured over to the rocks. Yay, rock climbing. WOW. Now why have I never done that before? It was a lot of fun. I attempted 5 climbs and completed 3 (meaning I got to the top of 3). Hey not bad for my first time out there! So that's me, all the way to the right. There are lots more pictures in the slideshow below.

And well after that I pretty much relaxed on the beach for the rest of the my days. Lazy bum! On the last day me and a few people I had met took a longtail boat to a couple islands and went snorkeling. Then I headed back to Bangkok. So now I am here, packing up for another trip...I am heading to Bali, Indonesia and then Malaysia for a few weeks! Yahoo!

Angkor Wat

We started at 5:30am to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat. The sun was suppose to come up from behind the temple, and reflect itself in the ponds below but it was a bit cloudy and rainy...so no glorious sunrise for us. It was breathtaking regardless. And standing there was pretty tranquil. Oh man what a sight. So amazing. So beautiful!!! Angkor was built in the 12th century as Cambodia's ancient capital, one of the man-made wonders of the world.

Since we were up so early we ventured to several other wats. We had a tuk-tuk driver for the day and Mr Thou took us wherever we wanted to go. We headed to Angkor Thom, the faces of Bayon. There are 54 towers with four faces each, totaling 216 faces. Can you see the faces in the stones? You should be able to see two of them---one right above me and one side profile. Look straight above where I am standing...you should see a nose. Can you see it?

Ta Prohm is where we ended our day...it is best known as the temple where huge trees have been left intertwined with stonework. Another gorgeous site!