#BecauseThailand

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for a month. I've gotten into a routine here in Nan. I easily forget that the things, I now find normal, are still not normal to my family and friends. Things like...riding a motorbike in the pouring rain to school at 7:00 am wrapped in a makeshift poncho trying to navigate market traffic, or getting taught a traditional Thai dance by co-workers that we will be performing in front of a retirement party (because nothing is more entertaining than watching foreigners make a fool of themselves), or that one of the classrooms in my school caught on fire overnight last week due to electrical malfunction. All those things still blow my mind and make me laugh when I write them down, but they have all become a part of my daily life. They don't phase me. I've officially adopted the hash-tag "#becauseThailand" as my new reasoning for most things that happen in this country. There are numerous things that have happened while I've been there, and there's just no other way to explain why or how they happened other than saying, "because we're in Thailand that's why". I love it, most of the time at least.

For fun, here's a list of a few of the random things that have happened in my life in the last month...#becauseThailand:

1. I have been called "Godzilla" by one of the cutest and innocent little boys in the world, so who could get too mad at that right?... 
2. I have successfully learned how to use a "squat toilet", if you consider successful still getting a little on your feet every time. 
3. I have met some of the most genuinely kind people. The type of people who will drop everything they are doing to fix your flat tire, even though they don't speak a bit of English.
4. I have had every single Eagles song sang to me by random Thai people at every time of day. Along with the butchered Thai version of Hotel California usually comes the phrase, "America music! America song! You like?"... as if the Eagles embody the entire American music scene. I usually answer, "Yes, I love the Eagles." lol.
5. I have started to use '555' in the place of 'hahaha' when typing to my friends out here in Thailand. The word for 5/five in Thai is actually pronounced 'ha' so 555, when said in Thai sounds like ha ha ha. Clever eh?
6. I have learned how to guilt a student into feeling bad for inappropriate behavior without having to speak a single word. Which is helpful, because most of the time the badly behaved students don't understand English or my broken Thai all that well. 
7. I have overused the word 'Hello' in the best way possible. Almost every student at school will give me a "Hello Teachaa" when passing by. So on an average school day I probably say Hello to 50+ people. How great is that? Think about all the people we pass daily in America, and never take the .5 seconds it takes to give that person a simple greeting. "Hello". Try it, it's a wonderful thing.
8.  I tried some ahh-mazing food, and some not so great food (i.e. Durian). Fun fact: as it turns out, putting coconut in anything makes it much better. 
9. I have missed my family and friends every day, but I have adopted a wonderful group of friends out here that are becoming my second family. I am so thankful for them and their craziness, don't know what'd I'd do without them. 
10. The most important thing that has happened in my life #becauseThailand thus far, is the amount of growth I have had in my relationship with God, and my faith. Living out here has shown me how far God's love and impact reaches. This place, this culture, these people are all beyond beautiful, and I am just in awe daily of how blessed I am to be here. I'm only about halfway, but I can't imagine what else is in store for my time here. 

So, that is just a short list of all the funny stories and generous experiences I have had here, recently but it gives you a quick glimpse into my crazy awesome Thai life. Life is great. God is good. And until next post keep the good vibes rolling. :)

Rolling right along

I've been in Thailand for 3 months now. I honestly can't believe it. I still have moments of "Omg, I live in Thailand", but they are becoming fewer and far between. I have come to love my city, and if you have read any of my other blog posts, or if you follow me on any social media site you know how in love with my students I am. Speaking of students.. because school is where I spend a majority of my time, that's what most of my updates on this blog post are going to be about! So here we go..

First up, SPORTS DAY(s)! If you really know me then you know how excited I was for this, and the first day was great. We have some very talented athletes at our school! I got to watch all the different teams compete in volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, and soccer. But what happened on the second day was something I couldn't have been ready for even if I was repeatedly warned. So quick clarification- Sports Day is a two day long event. The first day is held at the school, and is comprised of all the team sports playing each other in bracket tournaments. The second day is held at Nan professional soccer stadium, and the students compete in individual track events and cheer leading. When you read the words "cheer leading" try to forget every preconceived notion you ever had about the sport of cheer leading. Something was lost in translation between the American style of cheer leading, and Thai style. I can't vouch for which is the correct way, all I can say is they are astronomically different. If there was an entry for "Thai cheer leading" in the dictionary it would look something like this...

• Thai cheer leading: a sport found in Thai high schools similar to dancing, that includes borderline exotic dancing choreography to numerous well known American pop songs 
• Thai cheer leading dress: inappropriate costumes for anyone under the age of 18; including 5 inch platform heels, corsets, fishnet stockings, glitter, and hair extensions

Curious yet? My portrayal of the event will barely do it justice, but I will give it a go nonetheless. The cheer squads were comprised of around 4-6 girls and 4-6 guys. All of the cheer leaders were high school aged students, so between 14-17 years of age. They all had matching revealing costumes, even the boys. Their "routines" were choreographed dances to songs like "Come & Get It" by Selena Gomez or "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry. Before I go on, I want to give credit where credit is due. These students spent an insane amount of their free time and money to create these elaborate routines, and it showed. They created masterpieces. That being said, it was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I have had in a very long time. I witnessed these young innocent girls and boys that I teach, for lack of a better term, grind on the ground and on each other, and pulling moves that I hope my future daughter never learns. All in front of the entire school and town, parents and teachers included. I was mind blown, and so mortified that naturally I took numerous videos and pictures. Here is a little taste of what I witnessed during Sports Day...

Now that I've undoubtedly skewed your opinion on my students, my school, and the Thai education system, I want to share with you my ASEAN Day experience. ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Day is a full day long event where the Social Studies department at our school coordinates a school fair of sorts. Each of the 10 ASEAN nations had a both that was manned by participating high schools from around the Nan region. Some of the other large nations of the world were included as well: China showed up, India showed it's face, and I think Canada made it to the party too. Naturally, my school's booth was the United States of America. Who knows why. There are some questions that just simply do not have answers. But it was beyond awesome seeing how a group of people who have never been there represented America. The faculty members working the America booth all wore flannel shirts, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots. My fellow teachers were shocked when I told them I didn't own any flannel or cowboy boots so unfortunately I wouldn't be able to match them. Our face-in-a-hole cut out was a nice Native American couple. The booth made American food: chocolate brownies, caramel popcorn, and deep friend mashed potatoes. The brownies were phenomenal, but the fried mashed potatoes was weird. Just weird. Best part of the day was what I like to call "put the Americans on display show". Because there are four American English teachers, myself included, at Srisawat we were told we must sing for ASEAN Day! And "I don't sing" wasn't a viable get out of jail free card. We were given three songs to sing by the social studies teacher. In his mind these songs best represent America- "Country Roads" by John Denver, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by CCR, and "Why Do I love You So?" by someone I don't know. I have very mixed emotions on the idea that these three songs represent America to a decent amount of northern Thailand. We got to pick one of our own songs to sing so of course we went with my girl T. Swift "Love Story". Taylor Swift is really popular among our students so it was a safe bet. So, we sat like good little American's and sang the songs of our homeland while our students and co-workers watched. Overall, the day was great. Whether they were right or wrong, it was interesting to see the tables flipped, and see how people of another land view my home.

I'm gonna end this blogpost with one little totally random piece of advice to everyone: Travel. Just do it. Travel anywhere, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you will be accumulating experiences. You'll gain knowledge you couldn't while staying at home. You'll witness indescribable moments. You'll have interactions that will deepen your faith in humanity. I can't tell you how many beautiful things I have seen since coming here, but the biggest thing I've learned so far is that people are good. Everywhere. "Life is short, God is big." - Louie Giglio. Until next time let the good vibes roll...

Two Cool Cities: Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai

There really aren't words for how awesome the past two weekends have been, but here goes nothing... I'll start with my Chiang Mai trip that I took the July 4th weekend. So, Chiang Mai is the second biggest city in Thailand, second only to Bangkok. Tricia(my roommate) and I left after school on Friday the 4th, and it's around a 5 and 1/2 hour bus ride from Nan to Chiang Mai. We got into Chiang Mai late, so naturally we headed straight to McDonalds. I figured if I couldn't be in the States to celebrate the 4th then I might as well do the most American thing I could do while in Thailand. It was totally worth it. Saturday we got a group together to go head out to the Mae Sa Waterfall and Wat Doi Suthep. Our group was comprised of 3 Americans, 2 Europeans, and 2 Thais, great dynamics to say the least. The first stop was the Mae Sa Waterfall which has been one of my favorite waterfalls I've been to since coming to Thailand. Despite the baby leeches that a few of the group members found on their legs, the waterfall was perfect. Next stop was Wat Doi Suthep. A quick sidebar to for a necessary explanation: Wat means temple in Thai, and Doi means mountain. Basically Wat Doi Suthep is a temple on a mountain. A pretty large mountain. The temple itself is magnificent, and it is situated perfectly so it has a breathtaking view of the city of Chiang Mai. We ended the day with some drinks and dancing at a well known local spot in downtown Chiang Mai with the group. I fell in love with Chiang Mai that weekend. I would consider it the "Atlanta" of Thailand. Even though it's a large city, people are still kind, and not too pushy, unlike Bangkok. 

I can't wait to go back :)

Then there was Chiang Rai. This past weekend was a 4 day weekend because of the holiday of Buddhist Lent. So, we got a group of girls that all teach English in Nan together and got on the road for Chiang Rai Friday morning. The bus ride from Nan to Chiang Rai is about the same length as the Chiang Mai bus ride, but that is the only thing that is similar. The bus ride from Nan to Chiang Rai is straight through the mountains in northern Thailand. Let's just say it's not for the faint of heart. For the first night we planned ahead and booked a large room for our entire group to stay in at the Akha Hill House. The Akha Tribe is an old hilltribe that has lived in the northern region of Thailand for many generations. We stayed about an hour outside of the city in the Akha village. We slept in a room with 7 mattresses laid on the floor, so of course it pretty much became a giant sleep over. You know how girls work. When we woke up we had half of the day Saturday to explore the hills around the village before we headed back into town. As we were exploring we found another waterfall, and this one was big! It was impressive and gorgeous. After getting our share of nature in we headed back to the city for the remaining two nights. Saturday night we went to the walking street and night bizarre, which are large night markets where you can find anything from cheap food to beautiful Thai silk scarves to brand new tupperware sets. Sunday was by far my favorite day of the entire trip. Ever heard of an "open tour"? Well, they're awesome. Instead of being tied down to the structure of a typical tour with a tour guide spilling out facts left and right, we were driven to the desired destinations and given a limited amount of time to explore on our own. It really was awesome. Our tour destinations included: The Black House, a Monkey Temple, the Mae Sai border market/ the Northern most point in Thailand, The Golden Triangle, and the House of Opium museum. My personal favorite was the Golden Triangle. It is a spot where you are standing on Thai soil but you are able to see into Myanmar and Laos. It's 3 countries in one picture. It might just be my weird love of geography, but it was totally mind blowing. I'm still a little sad be back in Nan, but work calls. I had a wonderful time in both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and I'm glad I have some pictures so I can share the moments with all of you. Until next time :) Good vibes y'all! 

With a heavy heart

Yesterday marked one of the best and worst days I have had in Thailand thus far. I found a church that felt like coming home to me, and I also received news that Phillip Lutzenkirchen passed away. I am beyond relieved to have found a place of worship that is as inspiring and energetic as Nan Christian Church is, but I am burdened with a heavy heart over the loss of Phillip and for the grieving of the Lutzenkirchen family. I am struggling to understand how two such extreme experiences can exist within the same day. There is nothing more I want at this moment then to put my arms around my family. Even though, it is easy to get fixated on the sadness in moments like this, I know that moving forward is the only choice anyone ever has. I know God has put me in this place for a reason, and finding a church that allows me to share my faith is comforting. I thank God for a new church home, and I thank God for the impact Phillip Lutzenkirchen left on this world. Heaven gained one amazing angel. 

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38-39

 Nan Christian Church, Thailand 

Phillip Lutzenkirchen 1991-2014

Meet and Greet

This post is dedicated to my students here in Thailand. Like I have mentioned previously, I only see a majority of my classes once a week, and I have a total of 19 classes. That's a total of approximately 450 students I see in one week, compared to a typical 150-200 students an American teacher has per year. So, I have a ton of students. Minus the typical handful of problem students, these kids are beyond awesome. Here are a few of the highlights of my one and half month of teaching these rascals so far:

• Their nick names. Obviously the full Thai names are just too outrageous and impossible to pronounce, therefore, every Thai student has a "nick name". I am still unsure of where their nick names come from. I have heard that they is given to them by their parents when they are young, but some of these names are so cruel/hilarious to be given by a parent. So the verdict is still out on the origins of the nick names. The nick names are typically just random English words with a few random traditional Thai sounds mixed in. Here are the best names from my group of students: Cake, Poo, Pee, Big Boss, Upgrade, Beer, Arm, Champ, Bootzii, Chomper, Captain, Not, Stang, Ask, F, Q.....you get the picture. These are the names I get to call my students without any chance of  repercussions for my actions. And that's awesome.
• I hear at least once a day "Ohhhh, Teachaa beautiful", which will always put a smile on your face. These kids are the best at complimenting. BUT the intended meaning of some compliments often get lost in translation. For example, I have also had a student say straight to my face, in a completely excited and genuine tone, "Teachaa tall, like Godzilla!". So yeah, there's a lot of miss communication going on.
• Wai Kru Day (Teacher appreciation Day) was an awesome experience. It's a day where the students show their appreciation to the teachers by creating these elaborate flower arrangements and presenting them on stage to each individual teacher. It is unlike anything that takes place in the United States. It is a real testament to how highly Thai people view the teaching profession. 
•  PICTURES. These kids, not unlike American kids, are obsessed with pictures. If there is any downtime in class or between classes there are pictures being taken. It actually works out well for me, because it seems I love pictures just as much! haha. I have captured some unbelievably beautiful moments with these kids so far. Here are a few of my favorite student shots I've taken at school...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Needless to say, my students are the bomb, and I'm enjoying getting to work with them everyday. It is definitely a challenge dealing with the communication barrier, but it is turning me into such a better teacher already. I am excited to see what the rest of my time with these crazies will bring. Good vibes are flowing out here for sure! Until next time..

The 1 Month Mark

I have officially been in Thailand for 1 month and 3 days. So much has happened in the past month, it has honestly been a whirlwind. I have explored the cities of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Nan, and Chiang Mai. I have ridden an elephant and floated down a tropical river on a float made of only bamboo. I have stood in front of a class of 40 students that, to put it bluntly, have no freakin idea what I am saying. I have taken a motorbike ride to explore rain forest caves, and see breathtaking views that made me feel like I was in a movie. I have experienced my first rookie motorbike accident (it was not my fault) and I live to tell the tale with only two bruises to show for it. I have experienced a Thai massage, and do not let the word “massage” fool you, Thai massages are like a deep tissue massage mixed with a forced yoga session. They basically twist you into the most bizarre positions and rub forcefully on your body. I have met some of the most generous and sweet people in the world, and I have built amazing new friendships with the three girls who I live and work with- Hannah, Tricia, and Aubrea. If all of this was only the first month, I cannot wait to see what the next 9 months have in store for Teachaa Jessica :). 

I have also been able to explore Nan, and take some amazing pictures of the surrounding landscapes. Take a look! (yeah those are cows, cute right?!)

Military Coup, Who?

SO, it has not been a secret that Thailand has been experiencing some political unrest since the beginning of 2014. Recently things have elevated beyond the point of a few protests monthly. The Thai Military has officially executed a coup, and has taken over control of the country. I know I know that sounds dramatic and extremist. It is a fact that the country of Thailand now has the head of the military acting as interim Prime Minister until future elections, but it is also a fact that Thai soldiers that are occupying the streets of Nan (the city I live in) are letting foreigners take pictures holding their guns and smiling. I am not trying to distract from scariness that is a military coup… All I am saying is that if I had to be living in a country during a military coup Thailand would be one of my first choices, probably behind Switzerland. The only repercussion I have felt is the countrywide curfew that has been imposed from 10pm-5am, which has totally cramped my style this weekend! Ugh. As for the upcoming week I assume it will be business as usual, and back to school for this English teacher. More information on the political situation to come later, but first........ let me take a military coup selfie. 

Welcome Home: Nan, Thailand

Life is awesome in Nan, Thailand. I just want to start by stating that fact. Since, I arrived last Tuesday everything has been a whirlwind. I have moved into my, by Thai standards, amazing house, and I can now say I am finally settled in. My roommate, Tricia, is great! She lived and taught in Nan for the previous school year and decided to stay for another year. So, she knows the lay of land here in Nan, and has been beyond helpful answering all my dumb Farang (Thai word for foreigner) questions. Nan is a smallish town, but there are so many things going on. Every street corner has a some type of delicious food spot or cute little shop. The weekends bring the night markets where streets are closed starting at sunset, and the entire town walks the streets buying the latest Thai attire or getting a to die for coconut milk ice cream. The people are friendly and the lifestyle is laid back. I am really digging the vibes that's for sure :)

Bahn kohng chan (My house in Thai) 

The Nan River that runs through my backyard

Wat Don Kaew right across the street from my house

It's easy for me to forget sometimes that I am not here to only eat delicious food and see beautiful things, but I also have a job, Srisawatwittayarkarn School, aka Srisawat, is the school where I am teaching. The school is a secondary school, which is the equivalent to middle and high school combined. There are three other American English teachers in the same school, all female, and all awesome people.  The administration at Srisawat is great, but minus the morning greeting of "Sawatdee Kha" I don't have to deal with the higher ups much. I spend most of my time in the classroom or in the English department office, which consists of the western teachers and the Thai teachers that are teaching English as well. See, the way the English programs are set up in Thai schools the students have a teacher that is That but understands the English language well enough to teach them basic vocabulary and grammar. On top of that, the students spend one or two hours a week with a western native English speaking teacher to building pronunciation and conversational speaking skills, that is where us Americans come in. It is our job to encourage Thai students to listen to and speak the English language. The schools here are very laid back, and I am free to do whatever I would like to with my students as long as they are getting practice with English. The opportunities are endless...

I have not even been in Nan for a week yet, but I know I am where I am supposed to be. Change is always a challenge, but this is so worth it. Good vibes coming at you from Nan!

Chang! Chang! Chang! - Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Monday, May 12th, 2014 ranks as one of the best days I have experienced in my life so far. It started at our beautiful hotel, Pavilion Rim Kwai Resort in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Our group of 60+ future English teachers woke up early in the morning, and set out for Taweechai Elephant Camp. It wasn't a surprise that we would be seeing, touching, riding elephants, and we were all acting like big children as we headed towards Chang (Chang=Elephant in Thai). We got to the Elephant Camp about 45 minutes later, and I was immediately overwhelmed with pure happiness at the sight of three baby elephants running around and playing with each other. Throughout the day we watched an elephant show, staring the three baby elephants, and got to ride on top of the grown elephants. The elephant I got to ride along with Hannah, a girl that will be teaching at the same school in Nan as I, was named Uun. BUT on top of all the awesomeness that I experienced while being with the elephants that wasn't even my favorite part of the day. To wrap it all up we rafted/floated down the River Kwai, and when I say rafted I mean we sat on bamboo pieces held together by rope that was navigated by and very cute young Thai boy. We were told we would be allowed to swim at some point in the river, but about 3 minutes into the ride our Thai speaking navigator motioned us to jump in the water. So I jumped in. The water felt indescribably amazing, and as I got pulled by the current around every bend in the scenery was straight out of the movie Avatar. I've never been so awestruck by the God given beauty of this world. I am beyond blessed with this opportunity, and days like Monday, May 12th, 2014 remind me of that.

Check back in soon! In the mean while....enjoy these amazing pictures taken in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Arguably the most beautiful place in the world.

Made it to the Land of Smiles!

Good Morning America! So I am officially in Thailand, Bangkok to be exact. I couldn't tell you what time it is locally or at home, or even what day it is. Because somewhere in the process of my 21 hours of flight time I have lost the ability to understand time zones. So it goes without saying that I am EXHAUSTED. Other than the jet lag, Thailand is amazing so far. The people in the organization with me are phenomenal people! I’m sad that I will only be able to spend the next 6 days with them before we are all split up to our respective cities/towns/villages where we will be teaching. And because I will be teaching and living for the next ten months in Nan (located in the Northern Region of Thailand...northern as in 10+ hours away from the closest beach) I am looking to take in as much of Bangkok as I can over the next week. Here is what I have learned so far in my 2 days of being here: 1) I am not that much of a giant here. I am tall like usual, but I did expect to stand out much more than I do. 2) There are no such thing as traffic laws… more like suggestions. I have yet to see a speed limit sign, and I have seen what was constructed as a three lane highway be turned into a five lane highway by use of the shoulders as lanes. Needless to say the roads are a bit terrifying to be on. 3) Every Thai person smiles. I have never seen such happy people in my life. I have been told this is because they are very shy in general. So, smiling is their defense mechanism if you will… I am sure I will be adding to that list as time goes on. Right now I feel overwhelmed by the way my life will be changing next Wednesday when I begin my teaching in the Srisawat School, in the Nan Province of Thailand. I am so blessed with this opportunity, and I just am trying to take it all in. As for right now I’m going to go get some dinner!

Countdown to Departure

    Welcome to the first official blog post of my career as a master blogger. A quick recap for the audience- I have accepted a ten month teaching position with the Srisawatwittayakarn School in the Nan Province of Thailand to teach English to Secondary School aged Thai kids. Okay that being said, I guess this is where I should talk about how excited and anxious I am as I get closer and closer to my departure date. Then take you through the process of packing for a ten month trip (which is impossible), but then I thought I don't really want to do that. So, I thought I would start by talking about why I'm embarking on this adventure in the first place. It all started with a simple idea I got one day around the 2013 Holidays. I thought, "Oh traveling? Yeah that sounds like something I'd like to give a whirl", but this decision has developed into so much more since then. Deciding to live and teach in Thailand for a year is giving me an opportunity to expand my experiences, my understandings, and my faith. Instead of sitting in a nice comfortable house in East Cobb, Georgia, looking at breathtaking pictures and reading beautiful quotes on my Pinterest boards, I will be the one on the other side of that camera lens the pictures come from, and I will be the one writing beautiful words about my experiences. On top of all the personal experiences I will gain, I am also presented with the opportunity to give back to the world community. I will be spreading the power of the English language with hundreds of Thai children and teenagers. No, I'm not helping heal sick children in the Bush of Africa, but I am still given a chance to change the life of the children I will be teaching, and that is enough for me. And God willing I will be able to share some of my faith with the people I meet along the way.

    So does the idea of living in a place with millions of people who speak a language I do not yet understand and surely cannot speak scare me? Duh. But it's exhilarating at the same time. I've never been in an unknown place alone, and had to rely solely on myself to figure out how to get by. I have had tremendous experiences throughout my life, but I have a feeling that nothing is going to compare to this one. I've been told I will learn 10x more about myself and life by traveling/living internationally. I can't say for certain that's a true statement but I'll let you know in ten months, and until then I'll keep bringing you only good vibes on this blog thing.