Breathing Easy

Back from a long weekend getaway with some friends.

Four of us rented a car, and cruised 3 hours west of Bangkok to the town of Kanchanaburi, in the province of Kanchanaburi near the Burma boarder. We stayed at a resort just outside the town, in this cute two bedroom 'cabin'.

It was nice to escape the city, even just for a few days. Breathing fresh air again is always a wonderful feeling.

Our resort was right on the famous River Kwai (which I kayaked down again).

The resort really reminded me of the lake- complete with old bicycles to cruise around in, playgrounds, and wildlife.

Flowers adorned the fronts of vehicles. A blessing for the new Chinese year.

As usual, we ate a ton of delicious food.
Pictured here is a traditional Issan (a region in northeastern thailand) dish.

The bridge over the River Kwai.

Advertising for the local zoo.
The leopard was real, and very overheated.



A crazy looking iguana roaming the streets.

I couldn't stop staring.

We went to one of the two war museums.

 

I saw one of the biggest trees I have ever laid eyes on.

Saw crops of all kinds.

Sugarcane.

 

Sheep at our resort. A bit random, but cute.

 

We went to an old Khmer temple. It was not as grand as the temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, but still quite amazing to see. Right in Thailand nonetheless.
Since we have Thai work permits, we got in for 60% less than what foreigners usually pay. The bonuses of working here.

On the temple grounds, human remains. It was quite surreal.

Had to watch out for crossing goats.

 

We also checked out a Thai temple up in the caves.

 

The last interesting thing we saw was a nun meditating in water. Something I never imagined I would see.



And to end the trip- throw a coin in the Buddha belly button for good luck.

We Remember

Today is Veterans' Day in Thailand, which is the equivalent of our Remembrance Day. However, it is not a public holiday, and is surprisingly acknowledged by very few people. In fact, many people have no idea the day even exists. Although I did not partake in any of the ceremonies that were held downtown, I did wear a poppy.

Some things I did this past week...

I made cupcakes with my class. It was a first for most of them.

They were amazed, and so proud. The students must have each took at least 30 pictures of their cupcake.

Even Mr.Andy got a cupcake made for him (see left).

Two of my favourite things: Starbucks and tuk-tuks.

Went out for drinks with friends.

It's the Little Things

Just like my old kindergarten students, the grade 7 students always keep me on my toes. They are forever chatting, laughing, screaming, and playfully shoving each other. In order to keep your sanity, as a teacher, it is necessary to pick your battles when running the class. Sometimes I have to look the other way, or pretend I didn't hear the string of swear words coming out of a kid's mouth (whether in English or Thai).
Some days when I think my pubescent students have gone over the edge and entered the dark, attitude ridden world of teenagers, they do things to completely catch me off-guard (and let me breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they still are little, adorable kids). The little things they do helps remind me of why I love my job.

What I found in my classroom after one sick day. They did it during their lunch break, without being forced by a teacher!!

 

A long-neck woman pencil holder from a student.

A Musical Sunday

Taking my first sick day of the school year. Having a cold in +30° weather is not fun. I do think it is better than a cold in -30° which I hear a lot of people at home are currently dealing with!

On Sunday a small group of us had a picnic at Lumphini Park, one of the most popular parks in Bangkok. 

The park is known for its reptile residents, monitor lizards.

Fish food.

Catfish chompin' away.

The reason for our picnic: every Sunday during the "winter months", the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra puts on a free concert in the park. They were simply amazing.