New Years in Laos

New Years was spent at 4000 Islands (Si Phan Don) in Laos and it was pretty sweet.

We took a bus to the boarder,  a songthaew to a parking lot where we caught another songthaew and shared a several hour trip packed in with 20 some people, 2 baskets of pigs, a bag of fish and flat chicken on a stick.  It was so crowded strangers just slept on each other.

We stayed on a small island that was a combination of old hippies, new hippies and the Laos families living there.  Children took us on their boat to watch a beautiful sunset, we rented bikes and road around the island, visited a gorgeous waterfall and had the best new years ever.

I hate this blog.  I cannot figure out how to add pictures so they look nice, so here is a list of random photos from the trip.

Our child boat drivers

We were taken to an island to watch the sunset where a family lived and grew crops.  

random dogs

scary bridges we rode bikes over

The water buffalo were out to get me.  They would stand at the edge of the path and walk out as soon as I came by on my bike.

The Students and Christmas

So, what are the students like?  I feel they can best be described by the Christmas show that they put on.  There was some Christmas in it.  They had the poster and some classes sang some tunes.  I was quite disapointed by Deck the Halls.  They only sang the chorus and their 'l's were quite audible.  No fra ra ra ra ra at Benchama.  

They are similar to any other pre/early teenager (about 11-14).  Friends, free time, snacks, in their own world and stress about too much homework and exams gets them, but in other respects, they couldn't be more different.  I'd love to find a talent show back home with dances like some of these...

So the kids start out as cute and innocent.  Let's all "awwww."  Look at them in their uniforms, as Santa and Frozen.  How could that possibly not be so precious!  I bet they are angels in the classroom too... 

They put on a show, each class sings and dances.  

And there is Diamond, the dancing King.  He can bust quite the move.  Put on some music and that boy is going all out.

So it goes from nice to a little weird, topped off with the odd item of clothing that would never fly in the U.S.  The kids are fluent enough to know what it means, though he did ask what comme des meant.  

And then it just gets downright weird.  

I urge you, if you do nothing today, at least watch the videos.  You won't be disappointed.  

Today I couldn't get the kids to calm down enough to play a game.  That, I believe, are the students in a nutshell.

Sam Pan Boak

3000 holes or 3000 shallow lakes.  It is a rock reef that is covered for half of the year by the Mekong River.  During the dry season you can see it.

There isn't too much in terms of natural attractions in Ubon, this is pretty much it, and a good 2 hour drive away.  We went in November and I don't think it was far enough along in the dry season to really see the rock bed.

One month...

I have been in Thailand one month.  Just a few points...

• I have not used a squatty potty yet and I am very proud.
• A porta potty squatty potty (great new tongue twister) might be the grossest thing ever.
• Kids are the same everywhere.
• As are office politics and catty women.
• I will never get used to washing dishes in the shower.
• No matter what pretty scenic picture you see, just a few feet away will be the gut retching stench of sewage.  It is good to keep things in perspective. ;)  What a gorgeous walk to work!  Just don't breathe in.  
  
• Thai food is not healthy.  At all.  Not even close.  If I want to fulfill that fantasy that I'll come back slightly fitter, I'll have to eat like a westerner.  Fried chicken, fried fish, fried rice, fried noodles with a side of 7/11 snacks is a common breakfast lunch and dinner.
• There is no salt, but a bowl of sugar will be provided at most tables.
• They love sweetened condensed milk.  At home, unless holiday time, I can maybe find a dozen cans?  This is only a portion of the sweetened condensed milk aisle.  There was much more.
  
• I could willing live off of Isaan sausages, pineapple, persimmons
• and Koala Cookies.  
  
• If it weren't for the occasional Black Friday commercial on Pandora, I wouldn't believe it is November.  I'd have a hard time believing it is even September.
• It is pretty sweet here and I've met some great new people.

Settling In...

I had a long ranty post written.  We (two other girls teaching at the same school) arrived at about 3am on Thursday and were told "I'll pick you up at 7 am tomorrow for school."  We get there and there are no lesson plans, no syllabus, no course outlines, no curriculum.  It took half a week before somebody could even figure out what one of the classes I'm supposed to be teaching was.  I just have to make up what I think the students should learn and create everything from that.

I miss home, I miss Ed.  I miss calling my family and friends at any time (I'm 13 hours ahead, now).  I miss the every day conveniences of life that I'm so used to.

The oodles of stray dogs howl every night.  If I slept at all, the roosters would wake me up way too early.  There is no bug spray that keeps the mosquitoes away from me and nothing helps the itch.

But then it dawned on me, things aren't so bad. My apartment has a/c, as does the school.  I have a western toilet at both places (I haven't used a squat, yet)!  I have a fridge and a water heater, a computer and wifi.

Perhaps best of all, I have several other English speaking people here that I don't mind hanging out with.  There are two other girls from OEG, a few who already work at the school, and I've met a few from another school.
I don't think I could have done this alone.

I've read some sad lonely stories from others at OEG and I really don't have a reason to complain.





So what have we been up to?  We have ventured to all of the malls and big stores, stocking up on household needs and food that can be cooked with hot water (instant noodles galore)!  We walked by a gorgeous cultural center, across from the university.






 November 6th was Loi Krathong, the festival of lights.  An English speaking Thai teacher took us to the local festivities.  We lit lanterns and set off krathongs in the Moon River.  Of course, like anywhere else, there was some douchebag to ruin it.  Some people put money in the krathongs as an offering, and right where we set ours in the river was some guy under the bridge ripping through them all trying to find it.

A few days later we ventured to another area of Moon River and ate at a floating restaurant.

Kanchanaburi

Our last couple of days at orientation were spent in Kanchanaburi.

It was so much nicer than Bangkok.  I didn't explore Bangkok at all, but what I saw was smelly and dirty.  Would not recommend.





Kanchanaburi was much nicer.  Here is the view from our hotel room.




In Kanchanaburi, we visited the Taweechai Elephant Camp and the Bridge over River Kwai.

We first took a raft down the river.  It was so relaxing and gorgeous.

Next came the elephants.  I'm always conflicted about animal places.  I love animals and I want to touch them and hug them and play with them and smashing my face against the glass in a lion den at a zoo is the closest I'll ever come, and the selfish in me is ok with zoos and elephant camps and the like, but then on the other side, I know an elephant isn't meant to be treated like a dog you can ride.  

But we went to the camp, and I rode an elephant and I touched and hugged one and I was happy.

I did have a pretty sweet experience, I wasn't holding on well and almost fell off the elephant.  I had my phone between my knees, but for some odd reason, I decided not tumbling to my probable death was the thing I should focus on and instead, my phone fell.  But all was good because the elephant behind us came up, sucked up my phone with his trunk and handed it back to me.

There were also baby goats that I pet.  Hooray.







After that, we went to the bridge over River Kwai.  It was the most disappointing experience. Of course it isn't the original bridge and the only piece of remembrance is a small placard.  The rest of the area is a really trashy tourist mall.  I thought it would be a sad place, and it was, but not at all for the reasons I would have expected.