Jub Jub Suphan! Chan Ja Kit Tueng Suphan Mak Mak!

The time has come. Suphan has been a wonderful home these past 12 months. Thailand has made me a very calm, blessed and happy person, mee kwarm sook mak loey! Here's just a few of the things that I have loved and will really miss about living in Thailand:

Sights: the wai greeting, cute students, dogs riding shotgun on a motorbike, pictures of the King in every store, restaurant and home, food carts pushing their way down the street, bugs for sale at the night market, elephants walking down the street, geckos climbing all over the walls, standing to watch the tribute to the King at the beginning of movies in theaters, peace signs in pictures, shoes lined up in the hallway, students walking single file into school, Oat climbing all over our table at Dton's restaurant, 555 all over my facebook wall, stuffed tuk-tuks, people sitting on chairs on top of bags of rice on a moving truck, old shirtless men sitting on their stoops late at night, babies on a moped...

Sounds: tuk-tuk motors, chanting monks, the students daily greeting "Good Morning Teacher," the Thai language, the band at Chaba Cafe, old-school Thai music, the Suphan accent, Thaienglish, people yelling "farang" at me, the gecko squeak, the national anthem every day at 6am, 8am, and 6pm, the ding every time you enter a 7-11, motorbike drivers going past yelling out "I love you!," the Thai reactions "oh-hooooo","aow","oyyy!", "chon gow, mot gow" at the bars, traditional Thai tv show at PTL, chup chup!, Grandma babbling in Thai at PTL, 25 Hours concerts...

Smells: fresh coffee, Thai street food, bug spray, loaded up on sunscreen, toasties from ImD. (Okay, I'll be honest, there are more smells here that I won't miss than those that I will...)

Touch: Thai massages, cramming my longish (in Asia) legs into a seat on the public bus, riding on the back of a motorbike, hugs from the students every morning when I walk down the hall, dancing to too much so much very much whenever it comes on, tuk-tuk rides around town, hot and sunny weather all year long...

Tastes: chili peppers, fresh fruit, som tom, Thai style iced coffee, bamee noodles, flower water, rice bread, banana shakes, pocky, sticky rice, pad thai, khao soi, beer with ice, fried donuts, grapow moo, Thai style omelettes, locally grown rice, cornettos from 7-11, kai jiew, siracha sauce...

I've now pretty much moved out of my apartment and I'm no longer an official "resident" of Thailand.  I'm off to live the backpacker life and be a vagabond for the next 5 weeks. Michaela has arrived and starting on Saturday we will head to Bangkok, up through Northeastern Thailand, into Laos, then I'll go back to Chiang Mai, and on to Pai and Mae Hong Son, back to Bangkok to pick up my brother, down to Koh Lanta, one final night in Suphan, and then on to Seoul, South Korea for a few days before I head back to St. Louis, Missouri, USA!

It's been amazing, Thailand. I'll always consider Suphan home and I'm so happy I've got such a big family here to come back and visit. Khop Khun Mak Mak Mak Mak Mak Ka!!

SYEP Good-Bye Ceremony
Photo by Clare

Happy Birthday to my Homeland!

This Monday we threw a party for a very special birthday... America! Happy 235th to my homeland! I've celebrated my favorite day, the 4th of July, in many places- the Mall in Washington DC, under the Arch in St. Louis, and with the Boston Pops by the Hatch Shell - but I've never celebrated the 4th out of the country until now.

I was bummed that I had to work - hello? Don't they understand that no one in America works on the 4th!?! I didn't let teaching stop me from celebrating, though, and I rocked my festive attire to school and had my classes sing "Happy Birthday" to America. We also indulged in some fun games and puzzles,  the students were grateful for an easier day and I was happy to share my love for America.  The Thai staff at our school marked the occasion by ordering the Americans some Kentucky Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and egg tart (this must only be on the Thai menu...) and some Pepsi for lunch, finished off by a Dunkin' Donuts treat brought in by friend Clare from Australia.  It was a wonderful multicultural celebration of America's special day.

Since there are a few American farangs in Suphan, we decided to create our own party that night by taking over my friend's restaurant and filling the grill with American goodies like hot dogs and burgers.  We also whipped up some pasta salad, puppy chow and other peanut butter chocolate goodies, cheese, and a few bags of American style chips - no spicy squid or seaweed flavors at this party! My sister Emily had sent over a box full of decorations including necklaces, a headband, a festive tank top, a lantern, and some garland - so we really set the mood at the restaurant.  Nell mixed up an amazing playlist that featured the Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America, Proud to be an American and even Country Grammar by Nelly. It was the perfect way to bring a bit of America to Thailand, the only thing missing was fireworks, which is actually surprising since it seems like there's always someone shooting off fireworks in Suphan - just not on this day! I hope everyone in the USA had a grand ole' 4th (and a not so terrible 5th if you had to go back to work!)

Backyard Barbecue: Thai Style

Hi friends! Reading everyone's blogs and emails from the USA about Summertime and Memorial Day barbecues has me missing summer back in the States. Of course, living in the land of eternal summer, or so it seems, has its benefits too! This week my friend Wat invited several teachers from the English Program out to a local barbecue place for dinner.  Now, when Thais say barbecue, they mean Thai-style, which back home means Korean-style.  So, while in the USA barbecue means steaks, hot dogs, seed-spitting contests, corn on the cob, and a Budweiser, over here in Thailand we do barbecues with jellyfish, spring-rolls, photo hunt, Beer Singha and chopsticks!

In Thailand, barbecue means a hot-pot on the middle of your table - with coals on the bottom, water in the rim and a piece of fat in the middle to grease up the pot.

Next, you head over to the raw-meat bar to pick up any fixings you would like: beef, pork, chicken, jellyfish, you know, the usual.  While you're there you can also grab some appetizers: mini hot-dogs, spring rolls, and french fries! You can also grab some greens and noodles to add to the barbecue soup that you make while the meat is cooking.

After you head back to the table you add the meat piece by piece with your chopsticks and bbq it until it's cooked to your liking. Since I'm not a fan of touching raw meat, and I don't really understand how it's ok to touch the meat with your chopsticks and then eat off of them, I usually let someone else "man the grill."

From there it's a free for all, whoever grabs the meat first with their chopsticks gets to enjoy it! You can also add some spicy sauce - because it wouldn't be Thai if it didn't leave your mouth on fire.


Finally, there's no better way to finish the meal than a couple of scoops of ice cream to cool things down because, trust me, sitting outside in the 100+ degree heat with the smoke from the hot-pot added in does not make for a super pleasant eating experience and by the end everyone at the table is mopping sweat off their bodies.

Same Same, but different.

I feel like I took a trip to America this weekend - Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok - it hosts many major American retailers and all of the world's top luxury brands.  After a lot of traveling and teaching and Thai food over the past 2 months, this weekend I treated myself to some things I've really been missing - goldfish crackers! Mexican food! pretzels! bagels! Starbucks Peppermint Mocha!  It was expensive by Thai standards - but a great shot of home on Thanksgiving weekend as well as a good dose of Holiday cheer since I was able to enjoy Bangkok's Christmas lights, trees, and Santa decorations.  I even got to meet a famous Thai singer in the process - I have no idea what his name is, but everyone else was playing paparazzi so I figured, why not?

Celebrity Sighting: His hair is a work of art. 

I also hit up Chatuchak Market - one of the world's largest outdoor markets (over 10,000 stalls!) and quite possibly the most overwhelming place I've ever been.  It takes Christmas shopping to a whole new level - if I can figure out how to ship a box to Switzerland the Rall fam's Weihnachten in der Schweiz could have some Thai flavor in my place.

For anyone looking to impress the staff at their local Thai joint - see below for a few of my fave phrases in Thai - there are days when I feel like my Thai is really coming along, and then I listen to a Thai conversation and find that I understand maybe 1 in every 80 words...yikes.

Hue how/Im leau = I'm hungry/I'm full.  Thais like to eat, and, why shouldn't they - their food is aroi mak (very delicious) aside from being jing-jing prik (very spicy).  I've noticed that there's no bad time to eat - the vendors seem to always be open - and anytime you want gai or moo (chicken or pork) on a stick, you barely have to walk 5 feet to indulge, of course over-indulgence (and maybe it's the excess amount of khao (rice) as well) lead me to alternate between being either very hungry or very full.

Bai nai? = Where are you going? I get this all the time when I'm walking around, especially in The Soup.  Tuk-tuk drivers and moped taxis along with shop-owners and random people - everyone seems very interested in my destination.  People also like to yell out random English phrases - I admit it will be a rough transition when I go back to the States and don't hear people yell out "beautifulllll" as I walk down the streets.  I've already perfected the Miss America wave and I'm loving every minute of my current fame, 555 (hahaha)!

Nee arai? = What is this?  I find myself asking this a lot, mainly with food, but especially when I see a version of the Thai dessert.  Thais are really into jelly in all its forms, sweetened condensed milk is used in excess, they love to mix flavors, and rarely does a dessert taste like it looks - let's just say I really miss brownies.

Meuan ghan = Same Same  - one of my favorite Thai phrases. Thais say this, both in Thai and in English, all the time.  This weekend in Bangkok I saw shirts that read "same same, but different" - this pretty accurately depicts the true meaning of the Thai saying - they always say same same, but they really mean, not at all.  This bus will get you to Bangkok just like the minivan, same same - but different, because you'll stop and pick up every other person standing on the road for the 100 km drive and it will take 3x as long, mai pen rai!

Christmas Decorations in Bangkok!

635 Baht for a box of Cheerios...yep, that's more than $20!

A very happy gal with my Starbucks PepMocha!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day to those of you in the good ole' US of A.  I had almost forgotten it was Thanksgiving - maybe it has something to do with the 95 degree weather here.  There will be no turkey for me this year, no mashed potatoes, and no pumpkin pie - but you can be sure there will be rice!  Some of my fellow American teachers living in the Soup are getting together for a makeshift Thanksgiving meal, but I will be in Bangkok for the evening on a boat trip down the river with my school's English Program.  Perhaps I'll try to explain to my Thai students why we celebrate this day in America.

Since it's the day we usually toast to what we're thankful for, I thought I would share a few things that I'm grateful for in my new life in Thailand after my first month and a half here:

• Thai people and culture:  They are so friendly and kind and generous - I have learned so much from them already and how they handle every situation with a "Mai Pen Rai" (no worries) attitude and a smile.  I'm also obsessed with the tuk-tuks they use to get around, the "wai" they use to greet each other, and their deep love of karaoke.
• Travel opportunities: There are so many beautiful sights to see in this country, I've already seen so many great sunsets, waterfalls, elephants, mountains, beaches, and rice paddies, and there's so much more to do.  I'm super thankful for easy and cheap transportation and lodging that allow me to explore this country, even on my teacher's salary.  
• Meeting vagabonds: I love meeting people from Israel, South Africa, Italy, France, Switzerland, New Zealand, Scotland, Australia, Germany, Ireland, South Korea, China and England as they travel around the world for 2 weeks or 1 year - it's such a great cultural exchange and I've met some really cool/interesting/inspiring peeps.
• My students: These kids provide endless entertainment, they are sweet, full of energy, and occasionally terrors - but they make me laugh and they challenge me every day to come up with new and exciting ways to teach them about my three favorite activities - reading, writing, and talking! 
• My BFF Nell/Deej/DJ/Jill: It's so nice to have someone to share this crazy journey with - we travel, grab meals and test our ever-increasing tolerance for spicy food, take outdoor Jazzercise, commiserate and celebrate our lesson plan failures and successes, and practice our Thai together - it would be a much bigger adjustment here on my own.

And last but most certainly not least:

• My family and friends: I was worried I would lose touch with some people being so far away and out of contact, and then there's that whole 12-15 hour time difference to the States, but everyone has made so much effort to keep me updated. I am very, very thankful for all of the cards, packages, emails, facebook messages, tweets, g-chats, skype calls, etc that have been sent my way.  I hope you enjoy your turkey and all of its' stuffings, go wild on Black Friday, and watch lots of football! Khob Khun Ka! 

I'm ready!

It's really happening...

After months of preparations and a good-bye tour that took me from Boston to New York to Chicago to St. Louis, I'm finally ready to board the plane to Thailand to start the next phase in my life!

The preparations have been never ending, in the past few weeks I've had to get my vaccinations (Japanese Encephalitis, Hep. A, Typhoid, Polio Booster, Tetanus Booster, Flu Shot), I've seen 4 different doctors and my dentist for final check-ups, I've had to fill out multiple forms to change my address from Boston to St. Louis, I've packed up, sold and donated all of my belongings except for 2 suitcases, I've cancelled my cell phone service, deferred my student loans, and made several trips to Target, WalMart, and Sam's Club for any random supplies I might need in the next year.  I've visited all of my favorite people and all of my favorite places.  Finally, it's time to take off...

Peace out, America. Bring it on, Thailand.