Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

                                                                 My little elves

                                                                Teacher sport day
                                                                (Christmas eve)

Ass grabbing and motorbikes

Wednesday December 15th

So the traveling has been good, the culture is interesting, the people are so nice, but the teaching is so difficult. I have such a hard time being taken seriously. I speak and they just look at me. Even when I think I am being mean they think I'm funny. It has shown some signs of improvement but it is still exhausting. I come in every day with lessons planned and rarely do I get through an entire one. Just when I give up planning lessons and I don't do much for the next day, that's when the kids decide to behave themselves and listen to me and I don't have enough prepared. I have to plan a lesson every day like they are going to sit there and listen and then cross my fingers.

My kindergarten classes don't show up or if they do it is an hour or so past the time they are scheduled. I am really trying to go with the flow but it's hard. I thought I was good at going with the flow. This is testing all kinds of patience. I thought working behind a bar would prepare me for this but I think it's the other way around. The kids here are like a collection of small, very intoxicated customers. At least I can have customers thrown out. They frown upon that here, I tried once.
The kids told one of their teachers that they like me because I look like a barbie doll. Not something you want your grade school kids saying about you. One kid keeps trying to look up skirt and one of my 2nd graders pinched my ass yesterday. I guess they are more like bar patrons then I thought.

Tomorrow the school has sports day which means they all go downtown for a parade and they march to the river. I think it ends in some sort of sporting even (I would assume) but I'm not sure. The school band has been practicing all week which has been cool to watch. If there is one thing the Thai people know how to do it's put on a parade. They go all out. It should be interesting.

The other weekend in Lopburi was just what I needed. I have been a little discouraged about my time here and about being out in the middle of nowhere by myself so to actually get out and travel and see other teachers (who speak english!!) was great. I think that city is more like what I pictured I would be living in. I like my town it's just a lot more difficult to get around. In Lopburi you are within walking distance or a short songtaew (pick up truck taxi)  ride away from everything. I luckily have very nice people around me who are looking out for me. I have a motorbike that I borrowed and am getting more comfortable with that. I drove it into town to the market by myself the other day. That was very exciting. Its nice to not have to call someone to take me into town when I need water or food or toilet paper. I really like riding it because when I have my helmet on, I think that they can't tell I'm foreign. I'm sure I still stick out but its the only time I think that I might blend in a little.

Long weekend in Lopburi

Monkey Temple in Lopburi

that's not really what it's called, but they have taken over

Lopburi (monkey city)

Carl, Patrick, Emer (AYC teachers)

hitching a ride

Sunflower fields (Lopburi)

Afternoon at the lake

My motorbike 

(I'm still learning)

My first attempt at doing laundry!! I think it was a success.

These pictures are from the first week here in Kamphaeng-Phet. 

 The local temple

                                                                         Temple

                                                                      My house

                                                                   My classroom

Learning to ride a motorbike                                                                    

Pictures finally!!

So Just to catch up with some pictures... These are week 1 from Bangkok. Most are from the Great Palace which is unbelievable. It is so massive and amazingly detailed. I traveled around like a big tourist through Bangkok with the group of other teachers from AYC during the orientation week.

Week four begins...

I have officially been in Thailand for a month. I can't believe how fast the last couple of weeks has gone. Things are definitely getting easier or maybe I'm just learning to let go a little. I don't care so much about the lizards anymore. That's a good sign.

The annual Loy Krathong festival was last night. It is held on the night of the full moon in November. People gather at the river and release 'Krathongs' into the river with lighted candles on them and burning incense as a way to give back to river for what the river provides to them. They also light lanterns and set them lose into the sky. They are sort of like mini hot air balloons. The river and the sky are covered in glowing specks, it's a beautiful sight to behold. Ten there are fireworks over the river and beauty contests and food and games and a lot fun. I went downtown yesterday with the teachers and walked in a parade behind a float that the students from the school had built. I think I was the only white person walking. There were many cameras filming and a lot of them stopped on me cause I was so out of place. I may have made the local news:) We walked about 3 Km to the river where all the floats stopped so they could be displayed. It was such a fun night and a great experience. I released a krathong into the river and watched it float away and mix with the hundreds of others. I also lit a lantern and released it into the sky. It was such a  to be apart of this ritual. One of my kindergarten students came in 3rd in the Miss Noppamad kid contest. She was adorable. One of the teachers at the school got the most popular award in the Miss 'Lady-Boy' Noppamad competition which is a drag beauty contest. I felt like I was back on Halsted Street in Chicago! This night was a really great chance to witness the beauty of this culture. I'm finally able to put up some pictures!!! These are from last night but I'll get more up soon!

Thursday, November 11th

I just had an epic battle with a giant black spider... to the death! Luckily I’m the one still standing. I feel like this journal is more of a journal on my war on bugs and lizards than anything else. I guess its fitting because that mostly sums up my free time here. I actually factor it into my schedule: after dinner plan lessons for tomorrow; battle the creature of the night; brush teeth; go to bed. 

One more for the bug journal... apparently for the last 20 minutes, I have been eating a Pringles can full of cashews and red ants. As i’m still finding bits of cashew in my mouth I can’t help but think i’m digging tiny ants out of my teeth. I’m thinking that chugging hot black coffee with wipe out any that survived ingestion. And the saga continues....