I'm Kind Of A Big Deal

I don't know if you've heard, but I'm kind of a big deal. Seriously- I just got like 50 new facebook friends. Big. Deal. 


Let's back up. Last week, on my daily trip to Baanya's, I was startled when I walked into the cafe and a film crew was set up. Two super cool men, one rocking purple hair, were sitting on the couch and filming their gossip show. And obviously, they couldn't resist asking three farang to get in on the action. So- they gave us their opening line and filmed us saying it. I made my Thai TV debut and it felt so great. But...that was just a preview for the real superstardom I was to encounter. 


EP Night. EP Night has been talked about since they day I arrived at Sa-nguan Ying. It's a night where we celebrate the English Program and all of its achievements. It's a chance for parents to see what the students have done and for the students to be proud of themselves. And they deserve it! They are such hard-workers and a night of fun was just what they needed. 


The students in the EP have worked so incredibly hard, organizing performances, memorizing speeches and making sure this big event would pan out perfectly. Usually, the foreign staff is asked to put on a small performance...maybe sing a diddly, or do a little Thai dance to get a chuckle from the students. But, not us. We went big. Shea, one of the teachers, has a killer singing voice and had been asked to sing Bird's 'Too Much, So Much, Very Much,' which is one of the most popular songs in Thailand. About a week before EP Night, she informed us that aaaalll of us would have to participate in some way. I was all over the dancing. We studied the dance from the video, learned it, added some of our own moves, and practiced our little butts off (kind of). Ally, being such a cool kid, learned the Thai rap in the video and it...was....AMAZING. We kept the performance a secret and so when it was our turn to take the stage at EP Night, the kids went wild. It was a little nerve-wracking to perform a ridiculous dance in a ridiculous outfit in front of hundreds of people, including some of the higher-ups of the school, but I felt like a rock star. It was awesome and the kids loved it. 


Check it out!

Although I loved being a superstar for the night, the kids were the real stars. They worked so hard and put together really incredible performances. They looked absolutely adorable in their outfits and it was so nice to see them in this type of environment. They looked like they were having the best time, donning smiles from beginning to end. I had a lot of fun and I will definitely remember EP Night beyond it being the night I became famous. 

Don't they look so happy to be reppin' the USA?

Students made up and looking pretty to host

The Dancers

How cute are they?

How crazy are they? I love them.

Love.

* Please take note of how many peace signs are happening. I cannot stop. 

I Passed Through the Seven Levels of the Candy Cane Forest...

Is it Christmas already?? Not quite. But I sure got a nice preview for winter on my train ride up to Chiang Mai. This past weekend observed Mother's Day, which honors both mothers (obvi) and The Queen of Thailand. The holiday actually takes place on the Queen's Birthday and it provided us a long weekend...our last long weekend until (dun dun dun) THE END. Ahhhh! But let's not freak out yet- I still have LOTS to look forward to. Anyways, Sarah and I took advantage of the extra day and bought train tickets to go up north. Unfortunately we were a little slow in buying the tickets, so we landed the last two seats, which were not sleeper seats. We geared up for an uncomfortable train ride, but when we saw the seats, we were pleasantly surprised. They were spacious and not bad at all. But an hour into the ride, I was miserable. To be more exact, I was a popsicle. And not one of those delicious ones with different flavors- but a very unhappy popsicle. Sarah was convinced we were in Russia, and we wished the hours away on the train. 12 hours later, I basically pranced into the wall of humidity. Living in the tropics was a brilliant idea. 


I've been to Chiang Mai heaps of times, but it just makes me so darn happy. We ate well, we pampered ourselves, and boy, oh boy, we shopped. We shopped a whooooole lot. I'm ashamed to admit how much I purchased, but let's just say my future apartment is going to be the bomb diggitty. I also may have purchased one of the greatest things to ever happen to me...


Meet Fabio, my new rhinoceros:

Although I could spend forever in Chiang Mai, our main reason for heading up north was to venture to Chiang Rai, which is another 3 hours north. On Saturday morning we got on a bus and made our way further north.  


I had no expectations for Chiang Rai, but it really surprised me. We easily filled up our day and a half there. The highlight of not only this trip, but also one of the highlights of all of my travels, was seeing Wat Rong Khun. I've seen a lot of Wats in my time here, but nothing comes close to the beauty of this white temple. The style is unlike any other since it contains a lot of modern art. It was absolutely breathtaking and definitely worth the long trek. 

Exploring Chiang Rai

Wat Rong Khun

King Triton vibes

Bob fit right in!

After filling our bellies with Khao Soy and doing a little (read: A LOT) more shopping, we hopped on our bus back to Bangkok from Chiang Mai a little before 8pm. The journey usually takes about 9 hours, getting us back to Suphan right in time for school. If all went as planned, it would have been perfect. But it was so far from perfect. After leaving an hour late, I fell asleep pretty quickly, only to be awakened 2 hours later, gasping for air and sweating profusely. The aircon had stopped working and it was a complete sauna, which left a not so pleasant smell lingering in the air. The bus pulled over soon after for what we thought was for a little fresh air. No no no no no. Disaster ensued. The bus driver attempted to fix the problem but took apart some vital parts of the bus in doing so. AKA we were stuck on the side of the road, getting attacked by mosquitoes, for 2 1/2 hours. Around 1am, a replacement bus came to save us. The new bus was not so pretty and the seats didn't recline. Only 9 hours of discomfort to go! By the time we got to Bangkok, got the connecting van to Suphan, and made it home, it was far too late. 17 hours total, and 4 hours late to work. Yikes. 

Despite the horrific transport to and from, the trip itself was great! I saw an amazing Wat, I met Fabio and I basically furnished my apartment.... I think that deserves a BOOYAH!

Sport's Day

Since my beginning days at Sa-nguan Ying, I had been told about Sport's Day. Back in December I experienced mini- Sport's Day and that blew my mind... and that was just a weak preview for the ultimate Sport's Day. But I've been in Thailand for a while now and I'm not as phased by the somewhat ridiculous and over-stimulating things anymore. Sport's Day #2 probably wouldn't be as shocking to me. Also, for Sport's Day #2, the students have been preparing for months- from Day 1 of this semester. Preparation included cheering, dancing, and drum-banging for 12 weeks straight. That's right, every ninth period, for 12 weeks, we were left to listen to the cacophony of multiple drum beats, shrills and chants from the 2800 students and a whole lot of clapping. So, one would think, after all of this preparation, that I would be immune to Thai ridiculousness. 


Welp....Sport's Day came. And guess what? Still shocking. 


I rocked up to school in my pink shirt (the students were divided into color teams and I got to look pretty in pink), and was immediately thrust into a sea of pink, yellow, green, blue, red and purple students. Flags lined the pathways and elaborate sets were placed on the field. What in the world was going to happen? 


It all started with a parade through town. Usually, when there is a big parade, the streets will be closed off to cars, and the paraders can happily and safely march through town. USUALLY that happens. But when you're in Thailand, motorbikes, trucks and tuk-tuks weave their way in and around the children, who (by the way) are dripping sweat and limping because they are wearing extravagant costumes and silly shoes in 100 degree heat, while also cheering and doing their colors proud. 

Reppin' the Pink Team with some of my old students :)

Sunflower Queen for the Yellow Team

Poor boys parading through town carrying that! And look at those shoes!

Loooved the Red's costume

Once the students arrived at the school, the fun began. And obviously, no Thai event would be complete without an over-the-top opening ceremony. A student was elevated on a platform with a lit torch, which she then placed on a wire that set off a spark that shot across the field into a building, which then opened up a poster and set off another torch with colored smoke. This happened five more times for each color. Once the sky was filled with smoke of each color, mini fireworks went off and THEN confetti exploded all over the field. Yea. I love Thailand. 

Opening ceremony rainbow

The following two days were filled with dance competitions (with beautiful performances by girls from each team that wore gorgeous and sometimes super funky Thai costumes), football (soccer), basketball and volleyball games. Students lined the fields, snacked on junk food and cheered for their respective teams, while also trying their best to avoid the intense sun. For the most part, the students seemed so happy. They cheered loudly, sang and danced, and supported their teammates. There were moments where I looked around in disbelief, but I felt so happy and thankful to witness such an event. It was really nice to see the students out of their uniforms and in a fun and athletic environment. It is events like this that make me really happy that I decided to experience a different culture. 

Students avoiding the sun

The winners of the dance competition. They were awesome

Oh Hot Damn, This Is My Jam.

Learning to embrace the Thai music scene has been a challenge. If you asked me back in November how I was finding the music, I probably would have shook my head in disappointment and whined about the lack of good music. Or, I would have sang the Loi Krathong song, because that was on repeat in my head for an obscene amount of time. Very unfortunate. But song by song, and then band by band, I've been discovering really, truly good music. Of course, I am one of the least judgmental people when it comes to rating music (my Itunes varies from Backstreet Boys to the Black Keys to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to Ludacris- and I genuinely think they are all very talented and amazing), so me crushing on some of the Thai pop stars should come as no surprise. 

First, it was Gun The Star 6 who came into my life. Some of the M2 students fawned over him, so I obviously had to stalk it out, to find out he was a looker with a voice of an angel (yes, that is an exaggeration), but he was good! He is the Thai Enrique. And then, thanks to some friends, I found out about Bodyslam and 25 Hours and Singular, and my world was rocked. These bands are huge superstars in Thailand because they own the incredibly popular 'punk rock' scene here. Although I can only understand about 12% of the songs, I really enjoy their music. There is a huge gang of these rock bands, that are uber-hipster and ultra-cool, whose faces grace the the advertisements of everything from Pepsi to whitening cream to a bird's saliva health drink (vomit). And the cool thing is that I've seen a few of them in live performances. Superstars are a big deal here, but they are more willing to play a free concert for a big event. I've happened to be in the right place at the right time for a few of these shows, and they put on really good performances. A few months ago I was lucky enough to go to the Legend of Rock concert (Thanks, Wat!) and I was so impressed with their rock n' roll skills. Between their smooth moves, soothing voices and harmonious beats, I was sold on Thai rock. 

Toon from Bodyslam. So cool!

Gun The Star...what a cutie!

When it comes to Thai rock, however, no one does it better than Carabao, the most popular band of Thailand. And it's well deserved- their music is the bomb diggity and loved by everyone. If their music comes on the radio, everyone around will raise their hands up in Carabao pride and sign along. 

Carabao

And then there is Bird. The man who defies age with his fit body and killer dance moves. I believe he is 53 years old, but he looks like he is in his 30s. His music has been extremely popular in Thailand for the past 25 years and he shows no signs of stopping. One of his more recent songs, 'So Much, Too Much, Very Much Right Now,' has not only consistently stayed in the #1 spot on the charts, but it has also managed to find its way into every. single. conversation. because of it's catchy beat and English phrases. Well done, Bird, well done. 


So, ask me now if I like the Thai music scene and my response will be much more enthusiastic. I can recommend bands and tell you my favorite songs of theirs. Heck, I can even give the songs to you because I own them. I happily put them on my Itunes so I can rock out to them in my bedroom when I'm bored (yea, that happens). I wonder how this music would translate in America, but for now, I'm quite content making up my own words and dancing like a fool to Thai music.  


Here are the videos for some of my favorites!

What the....?

A few weeks ago I had reminisced about my time in Thailand and realized that many cultural shocks had no longer phased me. But, as I thought back on all of my experiences and looked at my current lifestyle, I realized that there is still a handful of things that leave me saying  "What the.....?" So, just so I can indulge myself in my love of lists, here are some of those things that just haven't settled in quite yet. 


Cold showers: Yes, I live in the tropics and complain about the heat and humidity every day,  but cold showers still kill me. I've gotten much better. I no longer feel the need to whine and complain about it every chance I get, but I still dread going into a cold shower. At first, I would literally force myself to do some jumping jacks or run some 'laps' around my room to break into a mini-sweat before convincing myself to suck it up and take a shower. But now, I just walk into the bathroom, turn on the water and jump in before I have a chance to realize what I am doing. Most days I take a shower while saying "I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. This is awful. Make it stop." BUT, on the bright side, my one hot shower a month at a hostel is GLORIOUS. 


Squat Toilets: Ohhhh squat toilets, you are so grody. They are such a big part of SE Asian traveling and one has no choice but to hold your breath, tiptoe through the dirty, nasty water on the floor and just squat while doing some kind of balancing act, holding your bag and digging around for some toilet paper. Is this too much information? I apologize, but its my life. Squat toilets don't really bother me so much any more. It's just the way it is. But, they made it to the list because I just had the shocker of the YEAR. For 9 months, I was doing it completely wrong. I mean- picture this (or don't). You walk into a toilet stall, see a toilet bowl in the ground and are left to your business. The bowl faces the same way as a Western toilet, so one would assume you use it the same, but...well....lower. But noooooo.  I was recently informed that you face the wall. What?!?!!?! Seriously- my mind= blown. That little piece of knowledge changed my life. Squat toilets aren't as bad as I thought. This may seem silly and kind of gross for all you lucky Western-toilet users out there, but use a squat toilet once and then come back and thank me. 

Ahh........yea

Stray Dogs: If you know me, you know I love dogs. You know that I will spot a dog a mile away and comment on how adorable it is. I can't not say anything about them and I always want to stare and pet them. Ask Sarah- she loves it (AKA hates it because she hates dogs). But in Thailand, this is difficult and not such a good idea. There are stray dogs everywhere. They are in the streets, in front of apartments, in restaurants, at Wats, in the mountains, on the beach, in the rice paddies, and everywhere else you go. They are unavoidable. And they are never in good condition. Some of them are missing giant chunks of fur that reveal some gory patches of skin. Others have limbs bent out of shape and they are left to hobble and hop around. Others are just revealing a little too much down below because none of them are spayed or neutered. It is heartbreaking to walk down the street and see all of these dogs tattered and torn and with no place to go. Luckily, they are not under-fed. In fact, many of them are rather plump from all of the excess rice and noodles getting thrown away. But, it is against Buddhist belief to "fix" this problem, and so the dogs are left to suffer for their entire lives. I wish there was something I could do, but I can't afford to bring hundreds of dogs to the vet and I don't have space to adopt them. So, I just have to turn my head the other way, and give love to the ones who look disease-less. Being a dog-lover, it is impossible to ever get used to seeing this. 

Bugs: Not much needs to be said here. I'm over bugs creeping and crawling all over me. I'm over getting attacked by mosquitos. I'm over having a gazillion scars on my body from random critters. Please, bugs, just JUMP BACK and leave me alone. 

10 months in and I just can't seem to get over these things. It just means when I get home I'll take really long hot showers, love my dogs a little harder and appreciate the bug-less environment even more. 

A Million Thanks

Dear Koh Mak, 
  It's only been 36 hours since I've left your beautiful island, but I can't stop thinking about you. We got off to a rocky start - the 3 hour van ride to Bangkok, waiting around for another 3 hours at the bus station to get on an 'overnight' bus that dumped us off on the side of the road at 4 am, just in time for a songtaew to bring us to a pier where the five of us girls promptly whipped out our sarongs, bundled up and fell asleep on the concrete benches...for about 30 minutes,forcing us to find ways to pass the next 5 hours until the speedboat came to take us away to paradise, was hard on the body...and the heart. But not as brutal as the speedboat ride. I was happy that I got a spot in the open air in the front of the boat, but was quickly wishing away the time as we hit every single wave, which jolted us into the air and then slammed us back down into our seats, sending my organs in a frenzy. It was like the rides at the local carnival- we were all smiling and having fun, but we weren't 100% sure that we were going to survive. Needless to say, you had a lot to make up for. 
  And then...there you were, glowing in all your glory. The sun was beaming down on your crystal clear water and the palm trees danced with the island breeze. I immediately forgot about the torture I had to endure to make it to you. From that moment on, it was true love. Thank you for being off the tourist radar and offering only hammocks, warm water and coconut trees. I truly enjoyed spending 80% of my vacation nestled into my hammock, reading a book, while looking out onto the shimmering ocean. The fact that this image was framed by beautiful tropical plants was an added bonus. You would. I love that you only have dirt roads. I love that nobody else was around and I was able to experience real, natural silence. We had you all to ourselves and it was amazing. 
  I feel I owe you a million thanks. Thank you for your delicious curries and pineapple shakes. Thank you for having a hostel as incredible as Monkey Island with its reggae vibes and bumpin' beats. And thanks for moving our friend out of her bungalow because of the threat of a coconut falling through the roof. It was a funny little reminder that we were on an island in the middle of the ocean. Thank you for letting us have a gorgeous beach to ourselves. Thanks for providing hammocks to accommodate our afternoon torpor after a day in the sun. Thanks for letting us frolic (and cartwheel) along the sand and in the water. Basically, thanks for being you. You rock.


        Forever Yours, 
             Nell


PS: Bob says 'thanks', too. She really enjoyed herself. 

Bob loving life

  

It's Time to Jam Now

 It's Midterm week, as in MID-term, as in there are only 10 weeks left of this semester! Where the heck did the last 9 months go? It's hard to believe that I only have 2 1/2 months left in Suphan before I go on a 6 week adventure before returning to the States. But let's not get all crazy here- I still have 4 months to enjoy and take advantage of SE Asia. Four more months of sweating and hair-frizzing. But, more importantly, four more months of tropical islands, banana shakes, elephants, authentic Thai meals for $1, beer with ice, market shopping, TRAVELING, meeting fellow backpackers, insane rain storms, amazing Thai pop music, weekends in Chiang Mai, Tinglish, fresh mangosteen and pineapple, and much, much more gloriousness. And you better believe I am going to soak up every last second- at least 67% of it in a hammock.

I almost forgot just how sublime my life is with how busy I've been. I have been swept up in schoolwork and "real life" planning, and my weeklong headache stood in the way of happiness. And then I remembered that I'm in Thailand, I have a 4 day weekend coming up and I can go to an island of my choice for a handful of baht. So guess what? After this crazy week of reviewing, testing, grading, evaluating and researching, I'm making my way to Koh Mak, swinging in hammock on the water, reading a book and sipping on a banana shake because I can.

And don't worry- the kids are getting a break, too. After their midterm, I'm rewarding them for a job well done by showing them the greatest movie known to man...Space Jam. That's right- we're kicking it old school with a little Bugs Bunny, Michael Jordan, 'Whoomp There It Is..." action. If I wasn't already their favorite teacher, I just secured my spot.