Hindsight.

Everything seems different in hindsight. Space and time to reflect is always an important part of any life-changing experience.

It has been just over 2 months since I travelled to Thailand to teach English in a school for the same duration, yet it feels like an entire lifetime ago that I was there. I seem to have been in a permanent state of denial since my return; denial of my inevitable future after university, delving into the unknown.. Having spent a lot of time developing my first ever skill-based professional CV, I find myself using this experience to show all of the skills I have learnt. I am tempted to add 'invincible' to the list, as that is exactly how I felt when I stepped back onto British soil. A pretty good transferable skill, no?

I'm not sure if my few-and-far-between blog posts alone have actually shed any light into the real challenge I felt throughout the 'journey' as I will now refer to it as. From beginning to end and without any doubt, it was the most difficult thing I have ever been through; but that's just it.. I DID go through it, I 'journeyed' and I came out of the other side a better, more well-rounded and confident individual - just read my CV! (Please hire me).

When applying for this role, we were told we would be English Teaching Assistants (ETAs), with the promise of an English-speaking mentor who will care for you, both emotionally and practically, with issues varying from how to catch a bus to where to buy a coconut. I think it's fair to say we went in with an open mind; we were warned to expect basic accommodation, squat toilets (the bane of my life) and inevitable stomach upsets. However, nothing that could be told, warned or advised would have fully prepared us for the real thing. Thailand is unique. A magical, enchanting place that needs to be embraced and explored in order to truly appreciate the culture. It is for this reason that I'm pleased my experience was not smooth-sailing; I explored backstreets, I rode stranger's motorbikes, got lost more times than I can count, cried more times that I can count, was intimidated by packs of stray dogs, ate things I wish I could forget about but, ultimately, I have seen things I have always dreamed of seeing and I have done things I never dreamed I would do.

The bad: teaching was diffcult and mostly solo - without any interjection from a Thai teacher. When it came to teaching the kindergartens aged 3-5, I had to seriously use my imagination and learn to think on my feet very quickly (queue initiative and creativity skills). In hindsight, I can just about open up about the serious doubts I had of myself during this time. Could I stand up and teach one more class? Was I strong enough? It wasn't so much that the teaching itself was problematic - though it was - but this promise of a mentor to seek support was never carried out in my experience. I was moved schools halfway through the project - and in both cases, an English-speaking mentor whom to confide in was non-existent. This meant that the already apparent issues I was faced with where not being balanced out by the support of someone to help me through. The accommodation was isolating and the evenings were pretty lonely. During the first half of the project, I was in the middle of the country in a tiny city with not much going for it but the surrounding rice paddies which I saw on my trips to and from the school (a highlight of my day). The weekends were hard. I felt trapped, I hadn't made any ETA friends at this point and had no idea where I was in relation to anything else, other than that I was 6 hours from Bangkok. Taxi's didn't exist in these parts and I didn't know where any bus stations were. It was only when I was moved closer to Bangkok that I began to meet other ETAs, share stories and felt more engaged in the project.

The good: If anything, this entire thing has taught me to embrace the moment and enjoy the good. Everyday I took a moment to reflect on what had happened, what I could learn from it and what I will take with me. One day, on the car journey to school, I saw an elephant wandering down the side of the road. Another day, whilst driving in torrential monsoon rain late one night, a teacher at my school I was driving with haulted the car, ran into the middle of the road, picked up a tortoise and got back into the car, holding the tortoise the rest of the 45 minute journey home, worrying that it would have been crushed. The following week, on viewing one of the many geckos racing up an exposed wall in the house we were at, a teacher pointed at it and said "Baby crocodile!" The food was incredible; an experience all by itself. The tropical fruits, freshly picked, were unlike things I've ever had before - custard apples, dragon fruit, mangoes, coconuts, rambutan.. The combination of sweet with savoury is something I took a liking to - mangoes with chili flakes in sugar, for example. Pumpkin, tofu, nuts, honey, deep fried everything, plum sauce, rice.. so much rice. I am forever trying to recreate Thai flavours, but it never seems the same. As for the land itself - I was in awe. I have always enjoyed and respected Buddhism, having adopted a few statues myself and visiting a giant Buddha and temple when in Hong Kong - but Thailand is something else. Everywhere you turn there will be a temple of worship, a scent of incense drifting in the air and a Buddha watching you from afar. I became so accustomed to seeing these beautiful creations on a daily basis that I almost took it for granted - oh, just another breathtaking example of exquisite architecture? The landscape is both mountainous and flat, filled with rice paddies, lotus flower lakes and lush greenery. The air is warm, hot and sticky with an average temperature throughout the year. Even in the rainy season, it cooled only slightly, and you can forget opening a window as an attempt to lesson the room temperature. The people are friendly. As a young solo female traveller I can say I never felt intimidated, threatened or frightened in any way. If you smile, you will get a smile back. If they stare, it is only because they are curious to know more about you. Most of my interaction with Thai people were at markets, that seem to run wild but thrive at night. There is an atmosphere to them, unlike anything I've experienced before. During the last few weeks in my spare time I began to aim to get lost and uncovered beautiful things. Sometimes things are the most wonderful when unexpected.


I am stronger than I think. I am determined. I am not afraid of change. I have an open mind, willing and yearning after new experiences and opportunities to learn. I view things with a different perspective now, there are no obstacles, only opportunities to overcome and become a better person. I never once willed myself to come home during the hard times. I can't wait until my next adventure, the good and the bad, to learn a little more, expand a little further and delve a little deeper. I suppose the real question is whether I would ever return to 'The Land of Smiles'...?

    In a h.e.a.r.t.b.e.a.t

                                                                           

Island life..

My second week at this school has been and gone.. soon I was looking forward to another fun, adventure filled weekend - this time, a trip to my first ever Thai island, Koh Samet. This island is not too far from Bangkok and much smaller than the others such as Koh Chang or Koh Samui.

After a bit of twisting of arms and advice from both the British Council and my parents, I decided to head to the island early Saturday morning to meet a group of ETAs already out there. I was feeling very apprehensive about the whole thing - travelling a long distance across sea on my own to meet people I hadn't actually met or spoken to before, not to mention sharing a room with one of them. I'm happy to report that my apprehension was dismissed as soon as I set foot on the island and began what was the best weekend I've had since arriving in Thailand..

My journey started with a taxi to the skytrain followed by a few stops to the main minivan station. As soon as I got onto ground level again, loads of Thai drivers start shouting various locations at me in desperate need for business.. After taking a deep breath and buying a very sweet banana smoothie, I ventured around the corner to find the right van heading to Ban Phe pier in Rayong. 200 baht later and I literally bumped into 2 ETAs in the local 7/11, one of which I'd met just the night before at an organised meal for Bangkokian ETAs. They were heading to Hua Hin so I assured them it was a lovely beach and good weekend trip whilst waiting for what seemed like a lifetime for my van to appear. After last weekend, I was more than a bit worried about the minivan journey.. My worries were reaffirmed when I got into the van with a madman. He drove like a maniac. The roads were so bumpy once outside of Bangkok that we skimmed the air multiple times. It was a very tense and very quick journey. Once I got to the pier, a ferry was leaving to the island only 15 minutes later, so I was happy and relieved to see things go to plan. It was only 100baht for a return trip to the island, about £1, which took around 45 minutes. I spent these minutes lounging on a colourful deckchair, admiring the oncoming mountains and the fading city backdrop with the occasional glance at the local Thai's taking numerous photographs of themselves in various poses - they LOVE taking selfies!

On my arrival to the beautiful island I was welcomed by stormy dark clouds and an eerily empty pier.. I couldn't get through to the other ETAs so hopped on the back of a pick up truck taxi that took us down windy dirt tracks until we came to a forested canopy near the beach. Koh Samet is a national park meaning it is protected and you usually have to pay an entrance fee. By some lucky series of events, the man I had sat next to on the ferry ride spotted me looking confused and lost after getting off the taxi and very subtly came over, told me to keep my head down and walk quickly straight on to the beach - this was to avoid the small shed office where you paid the entrance fees. My casual, looking-like-I-knew-what-I-was-doing ploy was a success and as soon as I came to the beach I spotted the group of ETAs! Perfect. 2 friendly girls came and introduced themselves as Anna and Megan and took me to the hotel where we were staying for a few nights. They were instantly so welcoming, kind and easy to talk to - all the worry I had slipped away.. 

We were soon exchanging stories of our time in Thailand whilst heading back to the beach. I introduced myself to the gathering of 10 or so before picking up one of my favourite thai sweets - a roti, a bit like a pancake stuffed with banana and topped with condensed milk (I can't get enough of the stuff!). Despite the glooming clouds, the sea was calling and I found myself slipping into warm waters once more. It was only when I was in the sea that I truly felt I was on an island - on looking back to the beach you could see the jungle-like backdrop and the edges of the peninsula. 

Some of the group wandered off to browse for trinkets or go for a nap - why not!? We arranged to meet back on the beach in a few hours time to grab dinner and drinks. The area we stayed in - Saikaew beach - was very small so made for a perfect relaxing getaway, even bumping into other ETAs on our wanders. Dinner was filled with inspirational travel table talk. I found it so interesting listening to where others have been in the world, including Shri Lanka, America and India. It made me realise there really is so much to see..I will continue my travels as soon as possible. Since living in Thailand, my views, perspective and general outlook on a lot of things have changed. Travel is a key one. In Thailand, if people talk of travelling for a few hours on a bus, it feels like the equivalent of 20 minutes.  In England, we frequently complain of these few hour journeys, but here time is no object that stands in our way. Many ETAs, including myself, have travelled 6 + hours to explore. Thailand is a vast, beautiful country with something for everyone, you just have to find it.. When I get home, I will make a much bigger effort to travel locally - I will make the most of free weekends by using my time to explore rather than see the short weekend as an obstacle. I left dinner in high spirits feeling inspired and excited about life's opportunities. 

My philosophical bubble was burst when we ended up at a strange smelling loud bright bar on the beach, complete with pole dancers. Needless to say I felt a little uncomfortable, but it is good to be out of your comfort zone once in a while otherwise you will never be able to grow or learn - people change all of the time so its important to explore yourself to see what your likes and dislikes are. This day, however, I still didn't like a noisy, fluorescent, tacky bar. At least I tried! I managed to (very easily) persuade my dinner travelling-talk companions to head a little further down the beach to a quiet bar, made even more appealing by the array of giant bean bags lining the entrance. It was lovely to go a little deeper into conversations and we all found the comfiness hard to part from..

The next day was Sunday and most headed back to their schools in various locations. Myself and 3 other girls managed to get the Monday off school however, we after a tasty breakfast of scrambled egg on toast, we decided to do a day trip island hopping on a speedboat. Best. Decision. Ever. This ended up being my favourite day since arriving in thailand.. It was perfect from start to finish! We hopped on the front seats of the speed boat and soon set off to the first island. I would describe it as paradise.. White sands, crystal clear waters, mountainous surroundings - pure bliss. We even found wooden swings hanging from a few trees, setting the scene and completing tranquility. It made for the perfect photoshoot..

We were free to snorkel around the island where, despite some battles with the snorkel and a few tasters of the salty waters, we saw beautiful, tropical, colourful fish. The water was even warmer and the sand even softer. A few hours later we headed to a different, more remote island. Here, we ate our included lunch of fried rice and fresh fruit. More swimming, relaxing and sunbathing was done.. 

Our next stop off was in the middle of the ocean where we free to jump off the boat into the open waters. The 2 tour boat guides began throwing the remainders of our lunch and fruit into the sea, where hundreds and hundreds of amazing fish came rapidly up to the surface to feast! It was amazing but I must admit I did freak out almost every time I touched a fish, which was almost every second.. They were just beautiful and it was a really incredible experience. The tour guides had a lot of fun when they started to strategically throw fruit in my direction so the fish would surround me, my limbs flailing. 

The last island was the least picturesque but had a thick jungle backdrop and views overlooking the other islands. Still pretty enough for a sneaky photoshoot round 3...

We all felt so chilled out that the speedboat back to the main island livened us up a little and we were soon giggling and chatting away once more, feeling so happy with our day and expressing how surprised we are that we got all of this for only 600 baht - around £12. Not too shabby!

Our day ended with 2 of the girls getting tattoos..a brave, admirable thing in my eyes that didn't seem to phase them in the slightest! Me and Megan had manicures around the corner followed by a coconut oil massage for her and an hour long foot rub for me. The two newly tattooed ladies came to join us after to round off the adventure-filled day. I think its safe to say each of us slept soundly, deeply and happily.

We arose early next morning to make our way back to our schools. Megan had to reluctantly split from us, having bought a different ferry ticket, so me, Anna and Laura sat awaiting our ride. A few moments later, a young fresh looking male Thai came over to us and explained that he wanted us to be in his documentary - what!?? The next 20 minutes were just hilarious. We were made to walk along the pier doing numerous takes with 3 giant cameras and microphones pointing at our faces, complete with clipboard. We had to have a mini interview about the island of Koh Samet, encouraging tourists to visit and to assure them that there was no sign of the recent oil spill (although this actually happened on the other side of the island..). The ferry was full and they were made to wait for us! Laura gave them her email address, so maybe we will have a little preview of fame in the next weeks to come...

Once we arrived back at the pier in Rayong, we realised that Megan had been dropped at a different pier completely. As it turned out, there are 7 piers that all fall under the same name. This is so very 'Thailand'.. Eventually, we did reunite and split off again to make our journeys back to the big city. We were all in agreement that it had been the best send off for the last teaching weekend. The beauty of the islands and the kindness of the people made me feel a little emotional and for the first time in a long time I felt truly content. 

An unexpected journey.. Free food and Hua Hin

Friday 2pm marked the end of the last lesson and the end of possibly the most challenging and draining week since my arrival in Thailand. This was mainly due to being thrown into the deep end of solo teaching in my new school; no curriculum, no resources, no plan, no instruction.. Whilst I know some other ETAs face the same thing, I still find the pressure daunting having had no experience before. Teaching 3-12 year olds is difficult, despite how many times the director (head teacher) of the school insists its "easy, easy for you!" With the youngest, the concept of 'teaching' English was out of the picture the moment I stepped through the door. I had prepared a lesson plan based on colours and secretly enjoyed spending my evening creating pictures for the class to colour in, or in this case colour around and use a completely different colour then intended. There is a teacher in most of my classes, hovering at the back with eagle eyes. Generally they don't speak any English but are there to keep the class under control or shush them if they get a bit too loud. I'm grateful for their somewhat inconsistent but occasional intervention, however with kindergarten (3-5) they just seemed a bit harsh! If I see a young child smile, laugh or talk from an activity I've made up or something stupid I have done (the latter happens 90% of the time) then this pleases me immensely and makes all of the tension and worry melt away.. Until the Thai teacher shouts at the little ones, shocking them into (very temporary) silence and the pressure to teach quickly returns. Needless to say, this week has been a tough one and I can't believe I've got through it! The weekend was welcomed with open arms.. Little did I know that the weeks challenges weren't quite over yet...

The evening of the 23rd was our arranged UWE meal for both current students and alumni living in Thailand. I paired up with another ETA, Alex, to share a room in a hotel nearby afterwards before heading to Hua Hin on Saturday morning - a fairly small beach resort 2-3 hours South of Bangkok. I booked us the hotel based on the 58% off deal that made it sound like it was luxurious as if we struck a great deal. I read tripadvisor reviews after booking - a rookie error. Many said it was difficult to find and not worth the trip but I stuck by my positive thinking (ish) feeling confident with my google maps screenshot on my phone. This was the first hurdle of the weekend and in hindsight, the journey to the hotel was laughable. After a 35 minute taxi to my nearest skytrain I hopped off a few stops later feeling pleased with myself at the ease of navigating the skytrain. However, by this point it was hammering with rain and flip flops proved impractical footwear.. Google maps couldn't have been more wrong and I ended up stranded by the side of a motorway at peak traffic hour in pouring rain for over an hour trying to find out how the hell to get to the hotel. I asked numerous taxi drivers who more often than not would wave their hand in dismissal or deny me because of the traffic. I managed to gain a helper of a Thai man who kept hailing taxis for me, but despite his best efforts no one seemed to have heard of it. Alex was still on her way via taxi, and I was naturally freaking out, praying that this free meal would be worth the hassle, wondering if I would ever make it or should abandon ship and go back to school.. Eventually, mid-panic-crying-meltdown, a motorbike taxi saved the day and before I really knew what was happening, he whisked me in and out of Bangkok traffic at top speed, causing a lot of enemies in doing so. My eyes were closed for the duration of the ride and I feel this was a good decision. It felt refreshing and invigorating in the downpour. I was so grateful for him to take me to my hotel that I think I would have paid in gold but settled for a reasonable 100baht (£2). On entering our room of the hotel after an eerie lift, I think Alex summed it up nicely when she said it was like the place you go to commit suicide.. It was pretty dingy and not exactly the 'studio' we had in mind. We didn't care too much as we went straight out to meet everyone at the meal held at a rather fancy hotel a few skytrain stops away. It was good to meet other ETAs from my university and exchange stories. When it came to the dessert buffet I was in my element - hello 3 helpings! 

We got an early night ready for our early start to find the minivan station and meet 6 others who were going that we recruited from the night before. After picking up some snacks on the way, we 
were soon ushered into a minivan by a very enthusiastic thai. Soon we stopped to pick up a few more 
passengers which made the van "cosy" to say the least. I managed to nab the middle seat  in the back, meaning I could stretch my legs out across the scatters rucksacks lining the middle. We were about half way to Hua Hin, mid-conversation, when suddenly hurdle number 2 arrived when we crashed into a motorbike in front of us. It was one of the worst experiences of my life; my first car crash. Everyone saw the glass window smash in front of us and 2 people roll off the bike - one under the wheel. Most of us went into a state of shock whilst the two boys jumped out to see what they could do to help - very admirable. Personally I felt frozen and helpless and couldn't believe what had just happened. A Thai woman next to me had gone into a hysterical fit, crying and crying. We were right in the middle of a huge motorway and when the rest of us slowly ventured out of the van we saw two bodies lying still with blood.. By some absolute wander, they were both alive and we all could breathe again. One had a helmet but the passenger didn't - he went under the wheel and looked in pretty bad condition. It was a horrible thing to happen - i cant imagine how the passenger felt seeing her friend/husband/brother in that state.  We are all counting our lucky stars that it wasn't any worse- the impact was intense and most of us saw the flash of bodies flying past. If we were in a car I think things would have turned out a lot different. Having experienced my first motorbike taxi only the day before in full knowledge that I was not wearing a helmet, I am taking this as a sign and will be avoiding any associations to motorbikes from now on. In Thailand, the rules are too relaxed; there should be forces in place to ensure every driver or passenger absolutely wears a helmet. My previous journey was only a matter of minutes, but had it been any longer I would not have felt safe. One thing that I am still in awe of is the significance of where we crashed. It had a police station on one side and a giant statue of a Buddha surrounded by a beautiful garden on the other side of the busy motorway. We could have crashed on a dirt track in the middle of nowhere, but we were truly so lucky; thank Buddha, as my wise parents said.

We had to wait at the side of the motorway for another van to pick us up - we were all hoping it would be a different driver and once more luck was on our side. The journey to Hua Hin took an hour and a half from there (in Thailand this is practically a few minutes) but was probably the most tense 
journey I have ever been on - including the previous motorbike taxi. Every bump, brake and slight alteration to speed made my heart skip a beat - no doubt everyone else felt the same way. We were all so relieved when we arrived at the resort and took another few minutes drive to find our guesthouse where a few of us had booked for the night. It was the sweetest place in a quiet part of Hua Hin filled with tiny carved wooden intricacies and fish and even tortoises outside our rooms. Almost spot on our arrival however, the heavens opened and it hammered down. It didn't last long so we ventured out to find some food and explore. It was eerily quiet but we chose a place by the beach to order food whilst others decided to go further along. With happy bellies, we made our way to the beach and walked around the corner to find a huge stretch of sand with palm trees and several sky rise buildings in the distance, it looked very picturesque and was my very first glimpse of the sea! Despite the dark clouds glooming over us, we managed to meet up with other ETAs who had arrived the night before and arranged to meet later on for a meal and to have drinks. This ended up being a plate of deep fried potato wedges and many Muai Thai cocktails. A good combination in my eyes.

After wandering around we went to a few different places before settling on a bar right next to where we first ate. They had a chilled area with cushions that the girls gravitated towards instantaneously. Numerous cocktails later and a few of us, myself included, had gained a Thai friend. I'm fairly sure she was going through a mid life crisis after she continued to introduce us to her 19 year old daughter sitting opposite, looking fairly and understand embarrassed at her mothers behaviour. She had us all 
dancing and bought us cocktails, before then introducing her girlfriend. It was a very funny evening! By around 3am we left and most wanted to go McDonalds. This still phases me but I went with it. By this point all I wanted was to go to bed. It had been a pretty draining day in more ways than one and I liked the idea of going back to our cosy guesthouse. We didn't actually arrive until about 4am but set an optimistic alarm for 9am to make the most of our day since we had to leave to go back to Bangkok by 6pm. We ended up awakening before the alarm feeling fairly fresh and were soon off to buy breakfast around the corner - bagels with cream cheese and a green tea! Amazing. As soon as the last bite was taken we scooted off to the beach; the sun was shining, our tummies happy once more and
our headaches denied. The sea was gorgeous and warm and it felt so amazing to swim in the big ocean at last. It wasn't quite the picturesque mountainous post card image of Thailand - but we all knew this and all I cared about was sun, sea and sand. I felt very happy and it was a really good day. By late afternoon we said our goodbyes to a few others who had managed to nab days off school so decided to stay another night, and walked away feeling envious. We ate at a really nice shack right on the beach with cheap, near-street food prices and all enjoyed our meal before setting off for the minivan back. 

This time I am extremely happy to report that the van journey was exactly A to B. 4 happy sleeping ETAs arrived safely back in the big city, ready for the week ahead and wherever Thailand will take us next.

The start of something new..

Friday 9th August - the start of a new adventure.

After requesting to move placements after multiple issues at the school, by Friday I was packed up and ready to start the remaining weeks in a new place with new experiences. Due to the long weekend since it was the queens birthday/mothers day on the Monday,I had to do a 12 hour journey to Khon Kaen - North East of Thailand, to meet with the thai ministry of education to discuss my next move. They were all there because of a huge spelling competition and wanted me to help out. Direct flights were all booked up, so I began the journey with a 6 hour coach trip down to Bangkok. I sat at the window seat with a women's dirty feet slid up the gap between the bus and my chair so that was interesting! The aircon seemed to have been out of order so it was a pretty stuffy coach, but I enjoyed the transition from countryside views to city skyline. When I arrive in the main bus station - Mo Chit - I was hit with a wave of panic. From the tiny place I had been staying in for the last 3 weeks where no one spoke english, to arrive to aggressive business drivers yelling at me for taxi, grabbing my suitcase and harassing me over where I am going.. I felt a little overwhelmed! After having to call a member of the British council to help me find the genuine taxi station, I managed to hop on a taxi in the most efficient 3 lane taxi procedure I've ever seen.. It was all go go go quick quick quick now now now! 

The next part of my journey was the hour flight from Donmuang airport (a smaller airport in Bangkok for domestic flights) to Udon Thani airport. Here, I met Brian from the British council who was really nice and supportive of my situation. We managed to have a really good chat about everything, since our flight was delayed because the royal family happened to be flying in so they had to close off the airport! Quite an unusual situation! We flew with Nok Air and although the flight was short they gave us a snack and drink that pleased me immensely. Once we arrived, we hired a car and had to drive for about 120km to Khon Kaen in the dark. During the drive I felt very chatty and got to know Brian a little bit through his tales of his life before Thailand - including living in Vietnam and having to endure bizarre foods and flavoured rice wine.... Flavours being gecko, lizard, squirrel and BEAR. !!!!!

Unfortunately as we were approaching the big city of Khon Kaen, we witnessed a motorbike accident in the lane next to us only a few feet away. After a day of travelling on little sleep, this seemed to top off my emotions and I felt physically sick and paralysed at the incident, especially as we just kept on driving..

We got to the convention centre hotel at about 9pm - in the lobby there was a money tree I've seen frequently, as offerings to Buddha, but right next to it was what I can only describe as a stationary tree.. There were scissors, mugs, highlighter pens all hanging from this tree as offerings! Who knew Buddha fancied doing a bit of arts and crafts. After checking into my room which had an amazing view of the city, I met up with Brian and 2 other members of the British council called Oil and David. They were all friendly and funny and we took a mini bus to this gastro pub at the top of this strange empty building. It had been pouring with rain so it was completely empty but we had great food. Oil has an incredible assertive nature and managed to chop and change the menu into veggie friendly meals, I like her style. We didn't get back to the hotel until just before midnight - at this point I could have fallen asleep standing up so was very happy to see bedtime.

The next morning was crazy. Turns out that the competition was a huge deal - so many important suited and booted people arrived along with 600 students between 10-18 years old. There was an opening ceremony of beautiful Thai dancers, speeches and an ASEAN flag movement. It felt amazing to be a part of it all.. I was briefed on what my role was for the day, so spent the morning as an invigilator with 5 other peace core volunteers from the US in a huge convention room, making sure everyone knew what they were doing and weren't cheating! We then went to a back room to mark all of the papers - it was so funny being on the other side of education and I quite liked the power and red marking pens..!!

After lunch, I met with the thai ministry of education who, after discussion, decided she would be willing to move me to a new school even though we are halfway through the project. She had a few ideas where but had to wait for the long weekend to find out. By 3pm Brian and I had to whisk away for the flight back down to Bangkok, but I managed to squeeze in a delicious takeaway ice cream sundae that I happily ate in the car like a little kid. The flight seemed quick and Brian very kindly escorted me in the taxi to the accommodation the British Council were putting me in for the weekend before I'm moved. I asked Brian in the taxi what the accommodation is like. He said he hasn't been but that he has heard it was "fine".... Turns out it is an executive suite complete with double bed, futon, 2 flat screen TVs and kitchenette/lounge....!?? After so much worrying and travelling this was the most perfect thing to arrive to on Saturday evening. A few hours later, another ETA,Charlie, (mentioned in previous birthday post) came to hang out and stay since she needed to be in Bangkok for Tuesday anyway. We were both overjoyed with the room.. I actually opened the door to her in my complimentary robe and slippers. Charlie the suggested we wander around the corner to grab some Indian food as she had been craving it.. I happily agreed and we stumbled into a vegetarian Indian restaurant only 5 minutes down road. It was so good and we made a point not to order rice, replacing it with stuffed naan, lentil pappadums and chippatis to accompany a lentil Dahl and spicey okra dish. Aroy!

We got back to the apartment by 11.30pm and stayed up chatting and watching hilarious thai TV until the early hours of the morning. A great end to a great day.

Coconuts and Anecdotes.

Today is Wednesday the 31st, making tomorrow the first day of a new month. July has felt like the longest month I have ever had! Waiting for Thailand took its toll and the endless to-do list became a chore - since arriving in Thailand, the days have become longer with the early starts and every hour brings a new experience, big or small. The constant battle with language is actually quite draining, much more so than I thought it would be. This, along with 5/6am wake up calls and no recovery time makes for a very sleepy Teacher Faah by 9pm. August is finally here- who knows what this month will bring?

I wanted to share my unusually bizarre evening. I was told there was going to be a party afterschool as one of the teachers is leaving - main point being that I couldn't put a face to a name, so I assumed it was one of the older teachers as I knew she had a name beginning with S. I had to write a message on a giant piece of paper with 2 anime style thai children drawn on either side - I could have written anything and they wouldn't have a clue so I went with a civilised "Good luck and best wishes from England". It wasn't until about half way through the party that I clocked I was completely wrong and it was a different teacher leaving.. Whoops. I've taught with her twice, both times with an assistant (the one I thought was leaving) who doesn't speak a single word of English. I am wondering what the immanent plan is for how the younger kids will be taught English altogether (after an hour I established that the fruit "grapes" is impossible to teach kids of 4 years old and ended up applauding their efforts of any attempt with any of the letters in the word, even a "ssss" received a cheery well done and thumbs up).

Back to this evening.. After twiddling my thumbs (recent hobby) for a good few hours since I finish class at 2.30pm, I found myself placed next to a monk. I felt like I was sitting next to some kind of celebrity and kept stealing glances at him at every opportune moment, especially since earlier today I had read up on the 227 "rules" monks live by (mostly about robes and rice) that fascinated me but left me wondering how, exactly, one functions as a monk. I have seen this monk before as he lives next to the school, unfortunately he has one of those faces that looks as if he has killed or is about to kill 

someone which I find mildly amusing and ironic. I can happily say I had my first interaction with him as one of the school dogs came and sat between us, making use of the ceiling fans. The monk was trying to usher the dog away and I pointed at the fan and said "hot dog!" and put on a great charades of being hot and smiled and it was a magical moment I will cherish.

By 5pm I was taken to sit at the table with a view of a giant fried fish and was given egg fried rice and pineapple, before everyone else ate. Slowly people began arriving into this hall where 3 tables were set up, each complete with a bottle of whiskey, water and some fizzy drink. I spied green fanta on another table that I tasted and hope to never taste again.. I still don't know what it was but it had the aftertaste of soap. Most were drinking whiskey mixed just with soda water, others opted for whiskey with fanta.. Can't say ive heard of this combination, perhaps ill test it out when on UK soil. Either way, all of the teachers and all of the village that seemed to arrive were drinking. From nowhere I was given a coconut with a straw to drink from - think I got the best deal.

All day it has be incredibly hot and the sun has been shining, but during the party suddenly it started hammering down and it never stopped.

 **** insert anecdotal story **** my mentor, another teacher and I were driving back late at the night the other weekend when the heavens opened Thai-style. It was pitch black and hard to see but suddenly a commotion occurred and we pulled over the side of the road, my mentor hopped out to the middle of the road, came back into the car holding a rather large tortoise! They were both very concerned for the safety of the tortoise, so my mentor sat in the back holding it for the further 45 minute drive back to her house where she gave it to her neighbour to put in the river. Bizarre!!! I have a photo to prove it!

 Once I had eaten, they set up a screen and a few teachers went up and did a speech, a speech that I had to smile dumbly through and match my laughing to everyone else's and time my applaud correctly.. My friend the monk went up and handed something to the kneeling teacher who was leaving, I don't know what it was but it must have been quite a big deal as so many photos were taken. The monk then seemed to disappear and the director took his place. He said something and again more photos were taken, when I noticed the director was tearing up with a wobbly lip and red eyes! I have to admit it was quite funny to see this tiny Thai stern man so emotional, he had to walk off crying with tissues. That set it all off - every teacher was crying! We were all given a rosé to go and hand to the teacher. It was awkward as I didn't know when I was supposed to be going up but eventually was pushed up and had to wind my way between crying faces to the front of the hall to give her this rose. I actually felt a little emotional myself, something about being in a room full of tears or perhaps like when a baby sees another baby crying and starts mimicking the crying themselves.. Either way, I gave the rose and then had to endure standing on the outside of a semi circle of teachers singing what sounded like a very slow, sad song. I didn't know what to do as I couldn't leave so I just stood there with a neutral smile whilst every teacher was belting their lungs out and crying their eyes out. When it was over I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down. 

Suddenly karaoke or "KaraOK" as it was written on screen, was in full force with the art teacher singing many songs and the music teacher, too. I must insert that at this point the room was full and I was constantly being pointed at and talked about - my cheeks and jaw began to ache from the smile I had glued to my face to get through the night! A man I've seen around school kept asking me to sing a song, sing a song! I kept saying no no no no no no, but he was so persistent, them they all started asking me. I protested, until suddenly I was grabbed by arm and forced to go up to the front with the director to sing a song. But first they made me introduce myself with the mic.. Didn't know what to say but managed to sneak in that it was my birthday just gone and they all broke into s chorus of happy birthday! The director then made me sing a song I've never heard of in my life, he gave me a microphone and there were words on big screen I had to 'sing' along to - I think I laughed more than sang and every time I caught someone's eye they were either pointing or laughing at me! I definitely felt like the clown. Once my ordeal was over, I was then made to dance with some of the others. Yes. Dance. To strange thai music that wasn't exactly dancey.. More smiling and laughing commenced from myself and there was 1 teacher who probably drank a bit too much whiskey and fanta and was dancing like a crazy person, which is when I broke into my classic dance moves of holding your nose with one hand and waving the other in the air as well as a few grease lightning style moves. There was an uproar of laughter but I figured if you can't beat them, join them, so I became an actual clown temporarily. When a few songs finished I practically ran back to sit at my table, where I found everyone was still eating cold fried fish..

One of the teachers husbands sat opposite me and was incredibly worried about me not drinking my fanta (this was after I had drank green fanta, water, a whole coconut and orange fanta - I also hadn't been able to relieve myself due to downpour of rain and toilets far far away). He made a big effort to walk around the table and try to mime "cheers" and then taking a drink together like a celebration, in an effort to make me drink. I played along at first but then I really was bursting and couldn't consume any more liquid, TMI but its the truth! He continued to do this whilst trying to communicate to me in Thai several occasions and it started to just make me feel very uncomfortable, I was practically shouting "Mai chai!" at this man but of course sustained a big grin in doing so (an art I have perfected). I was then made to dance again, this time the "sing a song" man insisted on trying to dance with me, although Im not sure you could call it dancing.. I tried to avoid eye contact and in doing so caught everyone else having a great time laughing at my blatant uncomfortable-ness!!

All the teachers were very loud and I didn't understand 99.9% of the evening (unless you count where it says "street of Thailand, plan of life" in a big poster hanging at the front but the lack of coherence in this trying-to-be-profound poster in English just made me irritated). This left for a lot of time to observe. However, I clearly missed something as it was reaching 8.30pm and all I could think about was going back to get into bed and eat Tim Tams (Australian chocolates like penguin bars) when suddenly the "cheers!" Man went over to the "sing a song" man and was massaging his back and a crowd forming around him. It wasn't until he got up that it clicked - this man is the next down from Director of the school and was absolutely wasted. He had to be carried out and lost the use of his legs. Everyone looked very serious and worried about him, but again my sympathy failed me and I found it quite funny that this highly respected man had drank so much alcohol he had to be assisted and continued to throw up outside. I tried to catch the eyes of others to gain mutual "isn't this a funny situation!?" Looks but failed. I was then very quickly escorted into a teachers car and driven back at top speed without a single goodbye. And that was the end of that!

I got my Tim Tams and slept deeply with the knowledge of more amusing tales under my belt.

Happy Birthday to me!

I am writing this post from an outside patio area of my hotel room, lounging on the sofa after I just had huge quantities of buttery breakfast.

I have had a bumpy ride since my arrival in Thailand..Bangkok seems a lifetime ago and I can barely remember the journey here! Without consistent, reliable Internet I haven't had the time to update the online blog, but I've found myself with a few hours to kill so I can give an update.

Yesterday was my 22nd birthday. I spent the morning feeling sorry for myself, alone in my new city accommodation with no one around. I didn't know I would be there on my own so I had made no arrangements. After a manic birthday eve trying to think of everything and anything I could do (I was going to travel 6hours to Bangkok just to see a familiar face)  I managed to get in touch with another ETA who was visiting my province and meeting another there too, and decided to meet up. However, during my manic stage, I had a time lapse moment and decided to spend all of the money I was given for my first part of being an ETA to travel to the nearest big city, Phitsanulok, and stay the night at a fancy hotel and spa resort. A great decision. My bus was at 12, and I was meeting Charlie(ETA) at the bus station, but since I had only been showedthis once whilst driving by, I really had no idea how to get there..after asking the first friendly faced person I saw, a kind Thai man with child offered to give me a lift on his motorbike! The heavens had opened and it was pouring down - we drove no more than 5 minutes but he was holding a giant umbrella in one hand with a small child I front of him and me behind! He spoke a little English and I was so thankful.
It was so lovely to see the other ETAs, if only for a short time since I had to get my bus. I was greeted with a birthday card and a palm sized marble cake! A really thoughtful gesture. We grabbed a drink around the corner and it was ah loy (delicious - picking up Thai!) an iced peach tea. It was a refreshing experience having a conversation without mime (I am becoming an expert at charades...).
After hopping on the bus, it only cost 36 baht which is about 80p for a ride that lasted 1 hour 45 minutes! I then got a taxi, had to negotiate as they refused to put meter on and ended up paying 60 baht for a further 10 minute journey.
The resort is beautiful. Lots of Lilly pads, palm trees, pool and I felt like a princess in my big bed, not to mention the size of the bathroom and the height of the ceilings! I have always enjoyed staying in hotels and I am easily pleased (Premier Inns are great) so with the blessing of my parents I settled in and had a really good afternoon/evening. I booked in an aromatherapy massage by a tiny Thai lady which was fantastic..swam in the pool and used every facility and revelled in the shower gels/lotions etc..bliss. During my swim one of the staff came over with a complimentary birthday mocktail for me! I have no idea what it was but it was so yummy and I had to laugh out loud at the situation I managed to create after a really tough week.
I skyped my parents and my mum made me a cake and I got to 'blow out' the candles! It really cheered me up being able to see and speak to them on my birthday. I went to the on site restaurant and was the only person there (awkward) but had a delicious meal.. I ordered Thai lemonade, vegetable spring rolls as an 'appetiser' (there were 10, I unashamedly ate them all) and very flavourful  pesto spaghetti! Having only eaten rice and vegetables for most of my main meals, the idea of spaghetti pleased me immensely. I went to bed happy and full.
Today I went for an early morning swim in the rain - it is raining now and quite regularly, but it is the rainy season and it is still warm. I then ordered breakfast to the room but I don't think Thai's really understand continental breakfast since they eat rice and fried fish, so it was a little haphazard but I got to eat one of my favourite Thai fruits - dragon fruit!
I have a free day now so will see if I can wonder around the city and try to get a bus back. It's daunting travelling solo where I can't communicate with anyone at all (unless they want to know if something is delicious). My parents told me they are proud of me and it makes me so happy to know that.
When I get back to Phichit city, where my accommodation is, it is quite isolating. It is the 4th accommodation I have stayed in since I arrived at my placement - I stayed with the director of the school in a bedrooms  without a proper window but it was all clean and efficient and I had a Finding Nemo blanket. Then I was told to pack a bag for 5 nights and was moved to my mentors house next to the school where I slept on the floor in a mosquito net den in the front room, complete with a Hello Kitty pillow. It was so cosy and although there were barking dogs outside (dogs are absolutely everywhere - they sleep in the middle of the main roads and are not at all phased by cars, they are also almost all injured in one way or another) and a tiny house, it felt like a home and I enjoyed it. I was then ushered off to the next place, another teachers house which was wooden on stilts next to the river and plenty of fruit trees - I had fresh coconut water! She lives with her mother, father, sister, sisters child. They didn't seem to have any bedrooms but I did sleep in the only room with a door and another giant mosquito net den, this time with a children's lamp and teddy bears. After this, I was told I had to live in the city accommodation where my mentor slept on the floor next to me... It's essentially a block of rooms. I have a double bed, small fridge, desk with mirror and a wetroom, and a view of the hospital and a car park... After speaking with the pastoral carer for my area, Mam, (she is the most lovliest person and will bend over backwards to try to help), we communicated that my mentor would leave me to it, so she stayed 2 nights then left. It's so daunting after having someone look after me and buy me food to sudden complete isolation somewhere I've never been where no one can speak English. The English barrier is incredibly difficult as my mentor, nor any of the teachers (even the English teacher) speak coherent English. Every conversation is a huge challenge, a deep breath and count-to-10 experience.
It's now nearly 10am and I am going to enjoy the power shower and lounging before I am kicked out at 12!. I have been in Thailand over 2 weeks now and feeling quite homesick as I haven't managed to settle anywhere yet and everything seems very up in the air. I will update very soon and will try not to leave it so long - I will also attach photos when I can! 


Every day is a new adventure. Sending love and hugs to my family and friends, I miss you all! 
Frances <3

Living and breathing Thai.

Sawadee kap and a warm welcome to my little cosy internet home for the next few months!


I hope to use this blog to share my experiences of life as an English Teaching Assistant in Thailand where I will be working in a school for 8 weeks. If and when I am able to connect to the world wide web I will upload photos and document my journey for the benefits of my memory as well as it being an easy place for my friends and family to keep in the know. Today marks the 1 week countdown until I fly.. It has come around so quickly since I accepted my place! There are around 200+ students from around the UK who have been given this incredible opportunity to become an ETA. We will be dispersed around Thailand either in pairs, small groups or solo - minus the 3 (dangerous!) southernmost provinces. As of yet we have not been told which area of Thailand we will be teaching in.. little apprehensive as the placement begins on the 16th of July and I would love to research places nearby..but I have an open mind and will embrace and make the most out of my time out there, wherever I am, whoever I am with. Consider this formal evidence!

I have always, always, always wanted to visit Thailand.. It looks stunning and I've heard nothing but kind, lovely and beautiful words about the place and the people (not to mention the influence from 'The Beach' - who wouldn't want to visit after watching that film!? side note: minus murder/drug scandal/extreme moral issues). Over the past few weeks there have been so many things to organise and it has taken a lot of time as we have had to wait for the information to be slowly, pain-stakingly trickled out to us via e-mail.. bit of a headache for my planning and organisational mindset! However, with a week to go I have just received my special shiny visa in the post and have taken out some Thai Baht, so legally and realistically I am ready to go! Waiting for the thumbs up that my DBS check is all a-okay, hopefully that will come through in the next couple of days, and I am sorted. I know it will all be worth it when I step off that plane.

I think it's fair to say my emotions have been somewhat of the whirlwind variety since this trip has become all-consuming.. But I am, above all else, so SO very excited and truly over the moon about this experience. I have never travelled this far indepedently or for this length of time - with the trip being organised by the British Council, I know we are in safe hands and that the embassy will sort us out if we get into trouble, which is very reassuring for my worrying mind! I never thought I would get such an amazing opportunity, especially not this quickly as I had plans to do the big packpacking travelling after I graduate, so this is my first toe-dip into the big wonderful world of independence, culture and exploration - I cannot wait! The main bulk of important things have been done, so it's now down to the last few bits and pieces I need to pick up and decide about - How many snacks are socially acceptable to carry in hand luggage? Is it too late to book in a fringe trim before I go? Do I really need to succumb to a bum bag? - The big life questions.

Having completed a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) course earlier this year, I feel that I have a little bit of insight to back me up with the teaching, but I'm lacking real, practical experience so I'm excited to see how it works and compare the culture differences within a Thai school. I am armed with a mini, pink-rimmed whiteboard (probably my favourite purchase), post-it notes, coloured pens, notepads and am planning on making up some flashcards to take with me and if all else fails I have heard "Heads, shoulders, knees and toes" is a firm favourite with the Thai kids. Brilliant!

Unless something incredibly important comes up between now and next week that I need to report on, I think I better leave it there. May send a wee update when I arrive at London Heathrow, but if not then I will check in when I reach the land of smiles..!



See you on the other side!
Frances <3