Chiang Mai

Although I already posted about my amazing time in Chiang Mai, I recently wrote about it again.  CIEE, the program I came to Thailand with, was holding an essay contest.  There were a variety of different questions, but I chose to write about my experience in Chiang Mai.  Fingers crossed for the $500 Amazon.com gift card!

I stood in the Chiang Mai airport, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my best friend, Bri.  When she finally walked through the doors from baggage claim, exactly fourteen minutes after her flight landed, I became completely overwhelmed.  There was so much I wanted to show her, so much I wanted her to experience.  There were so many people I wanted her to meet, and so much I wanted her to learn.

Over the next few days, we experienced Thailand in a way even I had never had.  We stayed in the home of a friend with about twenty other people from our hometown of Khon Kaen.  There was a great variety of people in the house, young and old, mingling in a constant state of happiness during Songkran, the festival of the Thai new year.  We ate amazing meals, something I had become accustomed to over the past six months, but something Bri reminded me not to take for granted.  The hospitality was over the top.  We never felt a pang of hunger, our glasses were never empty, and our days were never boring.

We traveled as a pack, enjoying the tourist spots of Chiang Mai.  But these were far from the tourist spots of guidebooks and western travelers.  We were seeing Chiang Mai as a Thai person would.  We went to the hot springs.  We boiled eggs in unbearably hot water, and then ate them with soy sauce while our feet dangled in less hot water.  We visited the underground temple.  We went to the river, and feasted on delectable food, delivered by a basket pulley system from a stand on the hill.  We ate while a friend stood knee deep in the water, playing his guitar and singing stereotypical American songs.  We were part of a parade!  We danced through the streets accompanying the money trees of the village to the nearby temple.   We were the only westerners wherever we went, we stuck out like sore thumbs, and we were welcomed with open arms.  And it all seemed so normal for me.  This had become my life.

After leaving Chiang Mai, Bri and I headed down south to spend some quality time on the renowned Thai beaches.  We spent hours basking in the sun, and soaking up the culture.  In the middle of one of our ongoing talks, Bri turned to me and said, “I just want you to know how awesome this is.”  I was unsure of exactly what she was referring to, and replied with, “I know.  These beaches are breathtaking.”  But I had misinterpreted.  Bri went on to explain how proud she is of me for coming to this country, completely alone, and making such an amazing life for myself.  I became shy, downplaying what I had actually accomplished, but she continued.

I walked away from the conversation, taken by what she had said.  I had no intention of proving anything to anyone.  I did not come to Thailand to be impressive to my friends and family, I did it for myself.  And months later, I am well on my way to accomplishing what I set out to do.  I have made lasting relationships.  I have learned a bit of the language, and am learning more everyday.  I have a wonderful job that I enjoy.  I have created a life for myself, and I am very happy.  The fact that Bri is impressed, is just an added bonus!

The People in Red Take Khon Kaen

I'm sure plenty of you have been watching the news carefully over the past few weeks, keeping your eyes on the red shirts of Thailand.  And yes, things became far more serious today.

The government gave the red shirts until 3pm on Monday to leave their encampment in Bangkok.  As of this morning, the military entered the encampment with armored vehicles.  And, as of this afternoon, the red shirts set fire to the city hall of Khon Kaen.  The city hall is located directly across the street from my school, and the smoke came billowing over the school as the students were quickly picked up by their parents.  I left the school after my students went home.  I came home to water the plants, and stay away from the action.  There are multiple fires throughout the city right now, but I am safe.

The red shirt leaders turned themselves into the police in Bangkok this afternoon.  Protesters are upset, but they no longer have any power.  Without the leaders and the funding, the protest is over.  There are still fires throughout Bangkok, Khon Kaen, and various other cities, but we have been told everything should be under control by tomorrow.  Bangkok and Khon Kaen have both issued curfews from 8 pm this evening until 6 am tomorrow morning.    

I am still safe.  I promise.  The teachers at school are even positive that we will have class tomorrow!  Personally, I'm hoping for a day off, but we shall see.  

If things become any more dangerous I will leave the country, but at the moment I am just fine.

I promise to keep you updated on the situation.

Love, Meaghan

PS- Only in Thailand will the vendors remain in the streets to sell snacks at a time like this!

Back to school! Back to school!

It's here.  School begins again tomorrow.  My stomach is already in knots.  When I was a student, and now that I am a teacher, it is always the same.  My stomach becomes knotted, and my nerves go through the roof.  I probably won't be able to sleep, but I won't tell myself that.  I will probably begin sweating the second I wake up tomorrow, and have clammy hands all day.  Well, actually, that's what happens every day in the Thailand heat, regardless of the semester schedule.

I'm nervous to meet my new students.  I'm nervous to teach older students.  I'm nervous to see my new schedule.  Heck, I'm even worried about what I will wear tomorrow!  Despite the nerves, I know this year will be great.  I was moved to a third grade class with the best Thai teacher.  And that is no exaggeration.  Teacher Saew is known as the best Thai teacher by every foreign teacher in the school.  She is very fun, easy going, and a great teacher.  She and I get along very well, and I know we will enjoy this year together.

This year, the English Program has also changed the class schedules, so I will be teaching two classes.  Instead of teaching my 33 students in every subject, I will be teaching both grade three classes.  I am splitting the classes with the other grade three teacher.  I will spend this year teaching math, health, sport and art.  Sweet, right?  I know.

Have I prepared for my classes?  Ehhh, not quite.  I have become swamped with far more important things to do over the past few weeks.  For example, I moved into my new house.  And when you move into a new house, you have to unpack, so of course I did that.  Then, once I was unpacked I had to celebrate the new house, so I threw a housewarming party.  And to throw a housewarming party I had to do lots of food shopping.  Once the shopping was finished, we partied all night!  So, of course today I was very tired.  And what is the perfect thing to do when you are tired?  Watch a movie on the great couch in your new house!  So Paul and I watched a movie.  As we were watching, it began to rain.  Obviously Paul wasn't going to drive home in the rain, so we put in a second movie.  When I did finally sit down with my computer and my subject frameworks, I realized that I hadn't posted on the blog in a while.  It seemed to be the perfect time to post, as my lessons sit beside me on the table, untouched.  Now that it is almost 8 pm, I should probably go to sleep soon in preparation for classes that I haven't prepared for.  It has been the classic "if you give a mouse a cookie" situation, but mine should be called, "If you give Meaghan a new house."  Maybe someday I can have my own series of children's books.  "If you give Meaghan a new motorbike," "If you give Meaghan a new friend," "If you give Meaghan an oven."  Gosh, the possibilities are endless!

May Eighth

It's beautiful today.  Bright blue skies and billowing clouds, both uncommon in this part of the world, but just as it should be.

Thanks, Gigi.

Awesome Things

I am a huge fan of Post Secret.  Post Secret started years ago as a social experiment where people were asked to anonymously send their secrets on one side of a postcard.  The experiment exploded, and has now been made into multiple books, and an ongoing blog that is updated every Sunday.  I check it every Sunday, religiously.

Through this blog I found another new personal favorite, 1000 Awesome Things.  This blog began in June 0f 2008 and is updated every weekday with a new "awesome thing."  After reading this blog over the past two weeks or so, I have decided to make my own list of awesome things.

So, at this very minute, here are my awesome things, in no particular order.

1.  Getting an extra dumpling in my noodles from my favorite noodle stand.  4 dumplings and an entire bowl of delicious noodles for only 35Baht?!  Fine by me.

2.  Making it back to my apartment seconds before the rain starts coming down.  Because being on a motorbike in Thai rain is painful.

3.  Having a cool breeze hit me when I open my door to the balcony.  It doesn't happen very often, so it makes the event that much more awesome.

4.  Having the Asian Food Channel on my cable.  The station lineup is constantly changing, and the AFC is amazing, and always a wonderful surprise while channel surfing.

5.  When people comment on my blog.  I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty for not commenting!  I promise!  I just really love getting comments.  It makes me realize that people actually read what I write... uh oh.

6.  Talking on the phone with my grandma.  It is even better when Grandpa is on the phone at the same time.  Those conversations are never boring.

7.  Having my grandma end our phone conversation prematurely because she doesn't want me to waste so much money on her.  No matter how many times I tell her the calls are free, she will not listen, and still hangs up on me after her routine "be safe.  Don't do anything I wouldn't do.  And if you do anything crazy, invite me!"

8.  When my magicJack phone rings.  I don't often keep it plugged in, so receiving phone calls is totally awesome!  Especially when it is someone other than my parents, no offense, Mom and Dad.

9.  When my friends call me while I am at Paul's house.  They can hear my motorbike coming down the road and they know when I stop and park at Paul's.  When my cell phone rings and New demands I come to hang out with them, I love it.  It is a small reminder of the real friends I have made here.

10.  Being able to read something in Thai.  That's right!  I have taken on the challenge of teaching myself to read and write Thai.  It's not easy, but it is oh, so rewarding!  It is a thousand times better when I can actually understand what I read, but I'm taking it one step at a time.  Someday, someday.

And, number 11:  Having Bri come to Thailand.  Awesome, in every way possible.