wan yut means off day. day off. =) really hot outside today! I'm glad I had the day off (except for 3 hrs tutroing in the morning) because I'm not feeling well today. my voice is strained all week and it's taking a toll on my throat and i'm really stuffed up so much so that my voice soudns sleepy and nasaly. hahaha. i'm alright though jut a little cold. i'm gonna eat a ton of veggies and fruit (like every day) and drink lots of fluids. that's what mom taught me. (and maybe have popcicles too... they just make you happy.)
the big beautiful butterfly fluttered all around me today while i napped outside on the deck mid afternoon. it was really nice. =)
nothing else new to report as of late.
OH reffa might start a new job at the same school as our friend scott (remember, the man who let us stay with him and has the cute little boy and we hang out with all the time) . that would be awesome. cross your fingers for us!! if she starts it'll be this monday probably!!!
xo
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
fruity tuity
I love bananas and oranges and apples and coconuts and mangosteens and durians and star fruit and dragon fruit. how will i ever live without endless supplies of freshly picked cheap fruits?
I went for a lovely run today by the swamp. (it doesn't sound lovely, but it is)
not this weekend but next we are going to Krabi with our super-friend travel buddies. YAY
I love Thailand very very much today.
temperature: 33 degrees at the peek of the day.
xo
I went for a lovely run today by the swamp. (it doesn't sound lovely, but it is)
not this weekend but next we are going to Krabi with our super-friend travel buddies. YAY
I love Thailand very very much today.
temperature: 33 degrees at the peek of the day.
xo
Sunday, January 25, 2009
buhd hua (headache)
sundays are great and always bring unexpected things. my lesson was cancelled so i had the whole sunny day to myself! but then I got called in to work for two hours with these amazing three ladies. they are adorable!! I just spoke english with them and corrected their sentences when they weren't right. really fun! then I translated a project on bio-diesel oil :S:S:S
now i am tired with a headache and it's dark out and I missed my run again. DOH!! guess I better go lesson plan for tomorrow.
ps . it's about 35 degrees today in the sun. HOT .
xo
now i am tired with a headache and it's dark out and I missed my run again. DOH!! guess I better go lesson plan for tomorrow.
ps . it's about 35 degrees today in the sun. HOT .
xo
Saturday, January 24, 2009
hot
it's getting hot here.
it's hot today.
hot hot hot.
we're not sure where we're gonna be during our two month break, or if we're going to continue living in surat thani. we'll keep you posted!! We have come to a general consensus that we would like to live nearer a beach. we miss it, especially for the hotter season! we haven't really seen HOT weather as it can be in Thailand.
i'm sweaty right now and i have hardly moved all day hahaha I am certainly not complaining though, if only i could be in the sun a little bit! I'm so pale!! hehehe
okay,
I have to go nurse my leg burn. lol
ps. I watched 3 action movies today. I like action movies now! Crank is a great great movie. so is the transporter and transporter 2.
pps I am really really happy for my family who is finally moving into the condo tomorrow. YAYYYY
xoxox
it's hot today.
hot hot hot.
we're not sure where we're gonna be during our two month break, or if we're going to continue living in surat thani. we'll keep you posted!! We have come to a general consensus that we would like to live nearer a beach. we miss it, especially for the hotter season! we haven't really seen HOT weather as it can be in Thailand.
i'm sweaty right now and i have hardly moved all day hahaha I am certainly not complaining though, if only i could be in the sun a little bit! I'm so pale!! hehehe
okay,
I have to go nurse my leg burn. lol
ps. I watched 3 action movies today. I like action movies now! Crank is a great great movie. so is the transporter and transporter 2.
pps I am really really happy for my family who is finally moving into the condo tomorrow. YAYYYY
xoxox
Friday, January 23, 2009
tylenol
My consumption of tylenol has a direct correlation to the amount of time I spend with the Thai children per day.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
thailand warms your heart <3
I had to hold back all my tears today in school.
I did an activity with the children of 5/1 (that's the best selection of students for the age group that is equivilant to grade 5) . The topic was "how to describe people" so I wrote up on the board "he/she is _____ and he/she has ___ ____" with columns that came after with things such as beautiful, fat, thin, short etc etc for the first one and blue/black/brown/soft/rough/dark/light skin/hair/eyes etc
the students' task was to fill in these blanks as a group describing a character which i assigned to groups (famous singers and cartoon characters etc) they had a lot of fun doing it. when i divided up the groups I had trouble deciding where to put the one autistic child. He is really intelligent but wanders aroudn a lot and cannot be depended on for working with the group. Anyways, I just placed him in a group with three girls.
Not only did they not complain when I put him in their group, they worked on the assignment (while he wandered and didnt' pay attention) and everytime they got a new answer they would go get him and take him by the hand and bring him back to the group and read to him what they found!!!! it was ADORABLE. If that wasn't enough to make you feel warm inside, then certainly what happened next will. The students, who were not paying attention to each other while they presented their findings (nothing out of the ordinary... ) looked up when this particular group came up to the front. The little autistic boy DID THE PRESENTING!!! He read off the groups' answers to the whole class, loud and clear and did the best out of the entire class!!! the whole class burst into a huge cheer and clapped for him.
AMAZING. If that doesn't open your eyes and make you feel a little special I don't know what will. I think the Western world has a little something to learn from Thai children. They might jump on desks while you're teaching... they might yell over top of you while you're presenting, they might throw things, knock over desks, leave the classroom and do other work during your english class.... i might come home with a sore throat everyday but at the end of the day these children.... they accept everyone. they love everyone. they call you fat, but it's not an insult... it's just a fact and then they move on. if a person is missing a hand, they say "why don't you have a hand" and the person is not offended, they explain the accident and then they are friends and they move on.
if a person is crosseyed, people don't awkwardly look away, they look into their eyes the same as anyone elses. if a child is autistic, they don't avoid him/her, they include them and giggle when he/she doesn't do something the same. not making fun of him, but just enjoying his presence and different take on things. I hope to bring home with me some of this delicious and accepting innocence.
I did an activity with the children of 5/1 (that's the best selection of students for the age group that is equivilant to grade 5) . The topic was "how to describe people" so I wrote up on the board "he/she is _____ and he/she has ___ ____" with columns that came after with things such as beautiful, fat, thin, short etc etc for the first one and blue/black/brown/soft/rough/dark/light skin/hair/eyes etc
the students' task was to fill in these blanks as a group describing a character which i assigned to groups (famous singers and cartoon characters etc) they had a lot of fun doing it. when i divided up the groups I had trouble deciding where to put the one autistic child. He is really intelligent but wanders aroudn a lot and cannot be depended on for working with the group. Anyways, I just placed him in a group with three girls.
Not only did they not complain when I put him in their group, they worked on the assignment (while he wandered and didnt' pay attention) and everytime they got a new answer they would go get him and take him by the hand and bring him back to the group and read to him what they found!!!! it was ADORABLE. If that wasn't enough to make you feel warm inside, then certainly what happened next will. The students, who were not paying attention to each other while they presented their findings (nothing out of the ordinary... ) looked up when this particular group came up to the front. The little autistic boy DID THE PRESENTING!!! He read off the groups' answers to the whole class, loud and clear and did the best out of the entire class!!! the whole class burst into a huge cheer and clapped for him.
AMAZING. If that doesn't open your eyes and make you feel a little special I don't know what will. I think the Western world has a little something to learn from Thai children. They might jump on desks while you're teaching... they might yell over top of you while you're presenting, they might throw things, knock over desks, leave the classroom and do other work during your english class.... i might come home with a sore throat everyday but at the end of the day these children.... they accept everyone. they love everyone. they call you fat, but it's not an insult... it's just a fact and then they move on. if a person is missing a hand, they say "why don't you have a hand" and the person is not offended, they explain the accident and then they are friends and they move on.
if a person is crosseyed, people don't awkwardly look away, they look into their eyes the same as anyone elses. if a child is autistic, they don't avoid him/her, they include them and giggle when he/she doesn't do something the same. not making fun of him, but just enjoying his presence and different take on things. I hope to bring home with me some of this delicious and accepting innocence.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
quote of the day : "mee plah yai for a sewer"
sooo.
I went to areobics yesterday. Thai style is CRAZYYY . I'm used to my nice even steady step and pump, this has like super fast music and tiny insignificant twirls and stuff. they expect women to be all like graceful and beautiful over here- well family and friends, you should've seen the giant white me among the 40 tiny little quick moving thai girls. UGHHH ahhahahahahahahahaha omg. It's hilarious to be the giant foreigner. I wish I had a video of myself doing it for you to see.
I also got burnt yesterday really badly on a motorbike- the hot exhuast thing. I have a big fleshy white/almost reddy purple circle on my leg (as if the insect bites, leech stains, scratches and dry skin weren't ugly enough) LOLOLOL omg I'm a mess!!!! don't worry though, all of our neighbors are obsessed with adopting us and taking care of us. They drive us places and we have one neighbor (who has previously been referred to as "crazy neighbor". .. ) and she has really grown on us. She's the lady with the autistic child next door? her husband left her and gives her a monthly allowance for thw two of them to live on and basically is stuck at home all the time... she really likes to get into our business. at first we were annoyed- but the other day reffa and I were napping on our front deck wrapped in our pure thai silk blankets and giving each other thai massages and she came over and taught us how to do it better and then took a nap on our deck with us. she's just tired, lonely and needs some friends so now we like her very much and are completely willing to tolerate her nosiness.... she needs us. everything happens for a reason right? why did we end up being her neighbor?
our other neighbors gave me all kinds of coconut/aloe vera extracts to put on my burn and it's acutally heeling rather quickly considering i'm in thailand (not even my mosquito bites heal here)
also, reffa isn't sure if she has 1 job or 3. we'll keep you posted. that lady that we were really excited about hired someone else less suited for the job just because reffa didnt' blow off her current job the DAY she asked her to. (she asked her the day of to be there in like an hour and ref said she had to teach and this rich lady got mad and wouldn't give her another chance.... ) anyways. we'll see. we'll keep you posted.
okay tah tah for now! ps. miss you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went to areobics yesterday. Thai style is CRAZYYY . I'm used to my nice even steady step and pump, this has like super fast music and tiny insignificant twirls and stuff. they expect women to be all like graceful and beautiful over here- well family and friends, you should've seen the giant white me among the 40 tiny little quick moving thai girls. UGHHH ahhahahahahahahahaha omg. It's hilarious to be the giant foreigner. I wish I had a video of myself doing it for you to see.
I also got burnt yesterday really badly on a motorbike- the hot exhuast thing. I have a big fleshy white/almost reddy purple circle on my leg (as if the insect bites, leech stains, scratches and dry skin weren't ugly enough) LOLOLOL omg I'm a mess!!!! don't worry though, all of our neighbors are obsessed with adopting us and taking care of us. They drive us places and we have one neighbor (who has previously been referred to as "crazy neighbor". .. ) and she has really grown on us. She's the lady with the autistic child next door? her husband left her and gives her a monthly allowance for thw two of them to live on and basically is stuck at home all the time... she really likes to get into our business. at first we were annoyed- but the other day reffa and I were napping on our front deck wrapped in our pure thai silk blankets and giving each other thai massages and she came over and taught us how to do it better and then took a nap on our deck with us. she's just tired, lonely and needs some friends so now we like her very much and are completely willing to tolerate her nosiness.... she needs us. everything happens for a reason right? why did we end up being her neighbor?
our other neighbors gave me all kinds of coconut/aloe vera extracts to put on my burn and it's acutally heeling rather quickly considering i'm in thailand (not even my mosquito bites heal here)
also, reffa isn't sure if she has 1 job or 3. we'll keep you posted. that lady that we were really excited about hired someone else less suited for the job just because reffa didnt' blow off her current job the DAY she asked her to. (she asked her the day of to be there in like an hour and ref said she had to teach and this rich lady got mad and wouldn't give her another chance.... ) anyways. we'll see. we'll keep you posted.
okay tah tah for now! ps. miss you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
14th
Hey Grampie!
No updates for now other than we haven't hit super hot weather yet, but its coming soon! It's been 24-30 degrees all week....which i guess you guys are wishing you could have right now!
Sorry!
I maybe have a new job, I will know before Friday hopefully.
xoxo
No updates for now other than we haven't hit super hot weather yet, but its coming soon! It's been 24-30 degrees all week....which i guess you guys are wishing you could have right now!
Sorry!
I maybe have a new job, I will know before Friday hopefully.
xoxo
bitter sweet
you know our sweet little puppy?
Champoo... got hit by a motorcycle and is now in heaven with Molly.
We are okay, just a bit sad. That's the reality of wild dogs and wild driving in this country.
on the bright side, we foound out that we have Friday off this week because it's "teacher's day" where everyone pays respects to their former teachers!!! awesome eh? ref and I are either going to Krabi with our travel friends (who you must be starting to get to know by now hehe) or we'er gonig to phuket for a cheaper holiday. we'll see and we'll definately keep you posted!!!!
another interesting update: we might get to go to Japan for a 10-day trip with some students and the lady who employs me!!!!!!!!! (she's really cool.. not intimidating or anything) she has a million connections so we could go at student price. awesome!!!!! we'll keep you posetd on that too.
I'm starting to focus on eating more healthy TODAY. well, all my meals are healthy . fruit for breakie, veggies for lunch and either eggies or veggie stirfry for dinner, but i need to cut out the extra little thai specialties that stumble their way into my belly each day!!! everyone just gives you food all day long every day... yikes! I'm cutting out the sugar TO DAY. hahaha
okay miss you. xo
Champoo... got hit by a motorcycle and is now in heaven with Molly.
We are okay, just a bit sad. That's the reality of wild dogs and wild driving in this country.
on the bright side, we foound out that we have Friday off this week because it's "teacher's day" where everyone pays respects to their former teachers!!! awesome eh? ref and I are either going to Krabi with our travel friends (who you must be starting to get to know by now hehe) or we'er gonig to phuket for a cheaper holiday. we'll see and we'll definately keep you posted!!!!
another interesting update: we might get to go to Japan for a 10-day trip with some students and the lady who employs me!!!!!!!!! (she's really cool.. not intimidating or anything) she has a million connections so we could go at student price. awesome!!!!! we'll keep you posetd on that too.
I'm starting to focus on eating more healthy TODAY. well, all my meals are healthy . fruit for breakie, veggies for lunch and either eggies or veggie stirfry for dinner, but i need to cut out the extra little thai specialties that stumble their way into my belly each day!!! everyone just gives you food all day long every day... yikes! I'm cutting out the sugar TO DAY. hahaha
okay miss you. xo
Saturday, January 10, 2009
children's day in thailand
It's one of those days where I just can't get enough of Thailand.
Every year, on the second Saturday of January is a day called children's day. On this day, children are permitted to go and do anything they want for free. they get free ice cream all day, balloons, toys, games, rides etc etc free alllll day. There was an entire island (rather small and beautiful island which is more commonly used on a daily basis as a large outdoor gym complete with equipment and tracks etc ) marked off for childrens activities. It was just amazing ... the respect and fun that was offered to the kids!!! =)
best of all, the kids that I teach privately chose to have my lesson rather than go to this huge once-a-year event... and then when I got there their mother had a hand made BEAUTIFUL reversable cloth bag to give me. I nearly burst into tears in gratitude. The parents appreciate you as a teacher and respect you a million times more than I've ever seen offered to a Western teacher. It's amazing. If only I felt this accomplished after teaching in my government school on a weekly basis- there, it feels absolutely hopeless.
I went with my friend Scott and his son Sebastien to go see it, but we both had to work for one hour so we left, worked and raced back but we had missed most of the big events and stuff but it was still cool to see.
I like it here very much. This friday is teacher appreciation day! I think we get Friday off, so Reffa and I might pack up our bags and either go meet our friends in Phuket , or have them come meet us to go on vacation to one of the islands or something. =) =)
miss you all. xoxo
Every year, on the second Saturday of January is a day called children's day. On this day, children are permitted to go and do anything they want for free. they get free ice cream all day, balloons, toys, games, rides etc etc free alllll day. There was an entire island (rather small and beautiful island which is more commonly used on a daily basis as a large outdoor gym complete with equipment and tracks etc ) marked off for childrens activities. It was just amazing ... the respect and fun that was offered to the kids!!! =)
best of all, the kids that I teach privately chose to have my lesson rather than go to this huge once-a-year event... and then when I got there their mother had a hand made BEAUTIFUL reversable cloth bag to give me. I nearly burst into tears in gratitude. The parents appreciate you as a teacher and respect you a million times more than I've ever seen offered to a Western teacher. It's amazing. If only I felt this accomplished after teaching in my government school on a weekly basis- there, it feels absolutely hopeless.
I went with my friend Scott and his son Sebastien to go see it, but we both had to work for one hour so we left, worked and raced back but we had missed most of the big events and stuff but it was still cool to see.
I like it here very much. This friday is teacher appreciation day! I think we get Friday off, so Reffa and I might pack up our bags and either go meet our friends in Phuket , or have them come meet us to go on vacation to one of the islands or something. =) =)
miss you all. xoxo
Sunday, January 4, 2009
home again home again jiggity jig
back to the grind tomorrow. nice to sleep in our bed!
Reffa and I have really bad colds now, either from being outdoors orrr each other? I'm not sure where they came from but our sinus' and throats are really bad and we feel like we've been hit in the face with bricks. ugh! too bad, but that's alright it's sure to go away soon!
we're getting a bit of hot weather! yay for rainy season being done soon.
only two months until we have a two month break from work. going to save save save so we can travel around and see laos camboida indo and maybe the phillippines! (if we can save that much money ! )
xo missing you all. happy new year!
Reffa and I have really bad colds now, either from being outdoors orrr each other? I'm not sure where they came from but our sinus' and throats are really bad and we feel like we've been hit in the face with bricks. ugh! too bad, but that's alright it's sure to go away soon!
we're getting a bit of hot weather! yay for rainy season being done soon.
only two months until we have a two month break from work. going to save save save so we can travel around and see laos camboida indo and maybe the phillippines! (if we can save that much money ! )
xo missing you all. happy new year!
Friday, January 2, 2009
3 hour hike in the rainforest
yup... at least 3 hours? maybe more? we just got lost in a rainforest.. it was a blast. we saw two wild snakes and a really cool lizard (photos on facebook) . there were millions, millions of LEECHES!!! I will never complain of the lake leeches again you guys... seriously! we all had bloody ankles, and they don't live in the water they live on the damp ground. they stand up tall and wait for you to walk by (or climb by... the terrain was NOT an easy trek!!! ) and they latch on to you!!! they're crazy!!
ugh.
what a BLAST. we're gonna eat/sleep good tonight!
going on a night safari first!
xox
ugh.
what a BLAST. we're gonna eat/sleep good tonight!
going on a night safari first!
xox
Thursday, January 1, 2009
happy new year!
What a fantastic way for Reffa and I to start 2009.
We spent the day with four of our friends at a national park only 2 hours from our house. It's called Koh Sohk park. It is so amazingly beautiful!! mountains all around us, and endless amounts of rainforest terrain. There's a river right beside us and best of all , our bungalo is actuallya TREEHOUSE!!! how awesome is that? It kindof stinks, and there was a cockroach in Reffa's bed last night- so it certainly has it's limitations but overall it's really really cool. hahaha these creatures and scents are to be expected in the middle of the rainforest no?
We've been eating wonderful Thai food (it's a bit expensive here... averaging 3 canadian dollers per meal rather than the 1 dollar that we're used to.. ) but it's delicious and it's a new scene so it's worth it! our bus ride was only 2 hours and costed 4$. the bungalo each night is about 6$ !!! so overall it's a really cheap 5 days away in paradise!
We drank and relaxed in the hammocks last night to ring in 2009, all the while thinking of our friends and families. we hope that you had a lovely evening! If only you could hear the frog croaks and the monkey squaks and the bug clicks... grace, erin, carson's and my rainforest noises at the cottage don't hold a candlestick to the racket at night here!! hehehehe!!!
Today, January 1st 2009, we slept until we woke up, ate delicious food, and then decided that we wanted to tube down a river. 20 minute slater we each had our own tube and we were packed onto a big truck, just the 7 of us with 2 thai guys- and off we went for a 4 hour tubing down the rapids (which they described in the brochure as "rabbits" LOLLLLL) so that was really relaxing and so so much fun!! I wish you could all have come with us.
When we came back we decided to try a new place to eat called "welcome" . They treated us really badly, so if you ever manage to go to koh sohk boycott it for us will you? they gave our friend the wrong food and then yelled at him for not eating it and made us pay for it (inappropriate anywhere in the world, but extremely uncommon and unacceptable in thai culture to get angry AND charge for unwanted food... strange). anyways. bad experience won't be going there again!!!!
it's early evening now so we're just going off to lay in the hammocks for the night and get into bed early.
Tomorrow we have a rough plan to go on a day safari/hike. It will be a 9 hour adventure through the rainforest with endless sight seeing, exercise and cool experiences. we're pretty excited ! It's about 10 $ for a guide. Parrots and Monkeys and waterfalls etc!
Also on the agenda is the night time safari (really cool, all the night time animals come out like tigers and stuff. ! ) and at some point before we go home we want to see koh sohk lake. one of the largest and most popular lakes in thailand. It's a huge tourist attraction because of it's beauty.
Wish us luck! I would do anything for you all to be here with us. I will take videos and pictures of everything and post them for you within the week so that you feel like you're here.
miss you all so much. ps. mom and dad, when you come here one full suitcase will be dedicated to taking home hammocks-- rememvber how expensive those ones were that we looked at by peggy's cove???? they are better quality here and only like 6$!!!!!!!!!!!! and I cannot live without a hammock ever again after this weekend.
XOXOXOX keep in touch ya'll.
We spent the day with four of our friends at a national park only 2 hours from our house. It's called Koh Sohk park. It is so amazingly beautiful!! mountains all around us, and endless amounts of rainforest terrain. There's a river right beside us and best of all , our bungalo is actuallya TREEHOUSE!!! how awesome is that? It kindof stinks, and there was a cockroach in Reffa's bed last night- so it certainly has it's limitations but overall it's really really cool. hahaha these creatures and scents are to be expected in the middle of the rainforest no?
We've been eating wonderful Thai food (it's a bit expensive here... averaging 3 canadian dollers per meal rather than the 1 dollar that we're used to.. ) but it's delicious and it's a new scene so it's worth it! our bus ride was only 2 hours and costed 4$. the bungalo each night is about 6$ !!! so overall it's a really cheap 5 days away in paradise!
We drank and relaxed in the hammocks last night to ring in 2009, all the while thinking of our friends and families. we hope that you had a lovely evening! If only you could hear the frog croaks and the monkey squaks and the bug clicks... grace, erin, carson's and my rainforest noises at the cottage don't hold a candlestick to the racket at night here!! hehehehe!!!
Today, January 1st 2009, we slept until we woke up, ate delicious food, and then decided that we wanted to tube down a river. 20 minute slater we each had our own tube and we were packed onto a big truck, just the 7 of us with 2 thai guys- and off we went for a 4 hour tubing down the rapids (which they described in the brochure as "rabbits" LOLLLLL) so that was really relaxing and so so much fun!! I wish you could all have come with us.
When we came back we decided to try a new place to eat called "welcome" . They treated us really badly, so if you ever manage to go to koh sohk boycott it for us will you? they gave our friend the wrong food and then yelled at him for not eating it and made us pay for it (inappropriate anywhere in the world, but extremely uncommon and unacceptable in thai culture to get angry AND charge for unwanted food... strange). anyways. bad experience won't be going there again!!!!
it's early evening now so we're just going off to lay in the hammocks for the night and get into bed early.
Tomorrow we have a rough plan to go on a day safari/hike. It will be a 9 hour adventure through the rainforest with endless sight seeing, exercise and cool experiences. we're pretty excited ! It's about 10 $ for a guide. Parrots and Monkeys and waterfalls etc!
Also on the agenda is the night time safari (really cool, all the night time animals come out like tigers and stuff. ! ) and at some point before we go home we want to see koh sohk lake. one of the largest and most popular lakes in thailand. It's a huge tourist attraction because of it's beauty.
Wish us luck! I would do anything for you all to be here with us. I will take videos and pictures of everything and post them for you within the week so that you feel like you're here.
miss you all so much. ps. mom and dad, when you come here one full suitcase will be dedicated to taking home hammocks-- rememvber how expensive those ones were that we looked at by peggy's cove???? they are better quality here and only like 6$!!!!!!!!!!!! and I cannot live without a hammock ever again after this weekend.
XOXOXOX keep in touch ya'll.
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