Back to Reality

I made it back to America safely and after a few days I am finally back to the swing of things. It was very weird to be back at first, but it is crazy how quickly you can just readjust to such a different lifestyle. These last three months have been such a great journey and nothing bad happened, everything turned out very well! The trip answered some very important questions for me:

Yes, I want to go further with my major in Cultural Anthropology.

Yes, I want to join the Peace Corps (or some kind of program that is similar) .

Yes, I am ready to live outside of the country for a long period of time.

The trip also posed many more questions for my soul to figure out on the way. Everyday is one step closer to figuring out my place in this world.

I am now back to work (thankfully!) and I have two weeks to put my portfolio together for my photography class. It is so hard to pic just a few pictures from the trip.

Thank you to everyone who read my blog, it was nice to have an audience! This is a video of Lop Buri and Sukothai. I never had a chance to post it but it is pretty funny because it shows me getting attacked by a monkey.


As for now, I have to think of a way to ever top this trip. I'm thinking South America next but this time maybe for a year. Part of me wants to continue discovering the beauty of southeast Asia. We'll see.

Going back to California-

I'm at the airport waiting for my plane to take off. This will be my last oversees blog. I've become so addicted to blogging, I'll miss it for sure. I am really excited to get back and see everyone and talk to people on a normal basis and not just short phone calls or emails.
I love Asia. I love everything about it: the people, the food, the landscape, the religions, and ideals. I have really enjoyed my trip and would love to return here someday. I have to say my favorite part was northern Thailand, life was so amazing there!
I didn't have a very good welcome to Hong Kong due to the whole hotel thing but the city grew on me fast. It is such a large beautiful city! It reminds me a bit of Vancouver... clean, green, and modern with huge mountains all around. I got to see so much of the city by hopping around on all the different types of transportation- trams, buses, subways, and ferries.

The one day I took the subway to see the "Giant Buddha" It's the bigges Buddha in the world. It was wat up at the top of a mountain on a separate island that that of Hong Kong. I took a cable car that that stretched over a large mountain valley and it raced along a track that was over 300 feet from the ground. It was such a beautiful place that had Zen gardens all around and one large temple at the top. From there I took a bus to a small fishing village to eat some seafood. I got there just at sunset so I sat down to enjoy the view. One of the locals, an older man, came and sat by me and started talking to me. He knew English very well and was very interested to hear what I had to say. I could tell that he must be very lonely. He insisted on showing me around his village and telling me everything he knew. He was excited that I was interested in Anthropology so he wanted to tell me about his culture. We stopped at his house so he could drop off his bags and he invited me in for tea. He lived in a small little house and he wanted to show me everything he owned as well. He kept giving me food to take with me on the bus. He was so nice! We then went to get so seafood- we ate dinner and then it was time for me to catch the bus back. I thought I was only going to be in that village an hour but it ended up being 6. His name was Ping-Ki Lui which means "A miracle will come". He was a firm believer in reincarnation and told me he hopped it to be that way because a miracle never came in this life for him. It was so sad.
Every night at 8pm they had an event called "Symphony of Lights" and the whole city would glow as each building would light up in an array of different colors. I was really glad I got to see this city. Although it was an expensive place to pass the time it was well worth it. All the hills in the city made me think of San Francisco and made me very excited to move up there this fall.
I have more to say but I'd better go catch my plane- I'm about to travel through time.. haha. My flight leaves Hong Kong at 1:30pm on Monday and arrives in Los Angeles at 11 am on Monday as well due to the time change. If all goes well I'll be back in Ocean Beach San Diego by 5pm on Monday night!
America here I come!!!

Goodbye Thailand

I would have been sad that my time in the country I have come to know so well the last 3 months is over, but looking back I realize how lucky I have been. I have had so many authentic relationships and memories that will carry on with me forever, I got to experience life first-hand of a hill-tribe village, celebrate the new year with my host family, spend a month in crazy Bangkok, and about two weeks floating around the islands of the south. The last island I visited, Koh Phi Phi, is by far the most beautiful place I have ever seen- It will take some work to try and top that place! Plus what got my mind of leaving the country was when I was at the airport- I went and checked my email for one very important message..... I am happy to announce that I have been accepted to the University of California Berkeley!! My hands were trembling as I went to check the status and as I waited for the page to load I felt like the whole world stopped- so much of my time and energy has been focused on getting into this school. When the page finally loaded it read: Congratulations! I jumped and hollered with excitement and everyone stared- I didn't know how to say in Thai that my life just completely changed.

In Koh Toa I met an Irish guy on the boat over who was doing the scuba course as well- we shared a room which ended up saving both us us alot of money plus we both went out to the bars together at night to meet people. It was such an amazing 4 days! I'd get up early to watch the sunrise and eat breakfast by the water then walk along the beach to my diving school where there we would head out on a boat and dive in some of Thailand's clearest waters. Scuba Diving was everything I thought it would be and more, the feeling of weightlessness was incredible. The marine life displayed every vibrant color of the rainbow and I got to see so many different species of fish and coral and swim through a cave where there I saw a white-eyed eel. We ended up going to 18 meters which is about 55 feet- the pressure of the water that far was very strong but we learned how to keep your body equalized. There were 6 people in our course: Me from America, 1 from Ireland, 1 from Austria, 1 from Holland, and 2 from Germany. Everyone was very friendly and out going. Our instructor was German would say things like, "Puts zthe regulator in your mouse, somesing like dat" haha It was like having Arnold Schwarzenegger as your teacher. I am now certified to dive anywhere in the world up to 18 meters!

After the diving course I took a boat to Koh Samui where I stayed for just one day. I met some Thais at the Full Moon party and I exchanged numbers with Ao, one of the girls I met. We kept in touch and she told me to come visit her because it was her friend's birthday party. We had so much fun! Her and her friend Ita showed me around the island and then we went to the party where there were about 10 other Thais and we ate incredible seafood and drank whisky. It was so much fun trying to communicate with them and take part in one of their celebrations! After the birthday party we went out to one of the clubs until late in the night and ordered hookah.

The next day I was painfully tired but was able to sleep on my way to Koh Phi Phi. When I arrived on the island, my eyes grew wide- I've never seen such a beautiful place than this before! It was paradise and I didn't want to leave. The next morning I work up early and took a day tour that took me around the surrounding island on a boat full of fun people that blasted reggae tones. The sights were amazing and the boat would stop off at points for us to go swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. One stop was called "Shark Point"- you had to swim about 300 feet to get to it but once there the water was invested with sharks! It was so scary but they said there was no worries about the sharks so I did my best to follow them and take pictures. Then we stopped off at Maya bay-the famous place where they filmed the movie "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio. It was so beautiful but way too many people.

After the tour I sat on the beach and watched the sunset- then I went and got a tattoo! I've been planning it my whole trip but wanted to get it done at the right place- and that place was Koh Phi Phi. There was a variety of places to choose from but I picked this small place that was actually just a bamboo hut and not a big store. I got a traditional bamboo tattoo- it took about 3 hours and I got a basic design but love the way it came out. It was really hard to communicate with Bom, the guy who worked on me but it was a fun process- he was happy that I could speak some Thai because he couldn't speak English. After the tattoo was finished he invited me to hang out with him and his friends. It was such a fun night hanging out with 4 Tattoo-loving Thais. It was a really great end to my time in Thailand and I will remember that experience the rest of my life! As for the tattoo I got "Thailand is Totally Cool" written across my chest.... just kidding- you'll have to wait and see it in person.

My last day in Thailand was spent in Bangkok- I had an early flight the next morning so had to stay near the airport. It was great because I called my neighbor I knew from living here and him and I went out to Lava- a big club on Khoa San Road. It was a really fun night. The next day I was off to Hong Kong. I was arriving on a public holiday so I made sure to book a room well in advance. From the airport I took a but to my hotel and walked my way through the very busy streets with all my luggage. After some looking around I found the place and it was in a very strange building with sketchy security. I got to the front desk and asked to check in. I didn't know what I did wrong but I ended up getting kicked out of the hotel... haha I've never been kicked out of somewhere like that before. I already paid for the room online so I had to wait for a refund which made the owner even more angry. It turns out he was just very stressed out and his place got over booked. That left me to look for a new place with no reservation. The only open room in the city was going for $250 American Dollars!! no way. I ended up finding a cheaper place but couldn't check in till after 10 pm. I had to deal with all my luggage, it was quite a pain. When I booked my ticket to Thailand I was so excited I didn't think much about how visiting an expensive city for 4 days after not working for 3 months might not be such a good idea. haha oh well I am here and my credit card will have to just take one for the team- I have a reason to celebrate, I got in to Berkeley!

I'm off to walk around this crazy huge city and try to avoid spending too much money. At this point I am very excited to go back to Ocean Beach- I have many things to look forward to this summer (like my family visiting! whoop whoop!) and plus I need to get back in the the real world and work alot this summer!

Full Moon Party on Koh Pha Ngan

I have been to many full moon parties on Black's Beach in San Diego but this one was no where near the same experience! There were over 4,000 people on Haad Rin beach and the party did not stop until about noon the next day. There were people from all over the world on this beach all here to party the night away. It was almost confusing as to if I was still in Thailand anymore because no one was actually from this island. The bungalow I was staying at that night was farther away so I had to take a boat to get to the party- once we turned the corner to the bay that the full moon party was my eyes widened- it was one huge carnival! The boat dropped a group of about 20 of us off in the shallow water and the rest of the night was spent wondering around and dancing at one of the many dj stations. They had clubs set up along the beach and I hopped from one to the next, each one having its own style of music and crowd.

The party was very intense and required a day of recovery to get back to the normal pace of life. However, I was so glad I made it to the party- it was something I'll never forget. Southern Thailand is quite a dream- the landscapes and beaches are unreal. Everyone around here is traveling and it is very easy to meet people to travel with because someone is bound to be going to the next place you want to go. I have to say that I think I like the north better. I liked being the only faraang (westerner) around and plus the pace of life was slower. Down south it is all vacationers living large and prices are way higher.

I left Koh Pha Ngan this morning and made it to Koh Tao. I started my PADI open-water certificate to scuba dive this afternoon and start diving tomorrow! I have been looking forward to this point of my journey from before I even booked my plane ticket! The water around this island is very very clear with an abundance of marine life. I'm ready to hit the water!

Here are a few pictures from Cambodia..... I loved Angkor Wat so much- I had the biggest nerd smile on my face the entire time I was there! haha

Happy New Year!

After Mae Hong Song I treaveled to Chiang Khong, a border town between Lao and Thailand. I only had a couple days to be in Lao before I had to be back in Chiang Mai and a visa to get in the country was about $45 so I didn't go to mainland Laos but I did go to an Island that is considered Lao territory (it was incredibly cheaper!) I rented a motorcycle and went to see the Mekong river. I hired a boat driver to take me around the river and to the island of Don Sao (Lao) for a half day. When I got onto the island I was offered a shot of whisky that was aged in King Cobra- whisky seems to be the common theme of this trip. The cobra was supposed to help you with fortune and health so I tried it! The island was cool and I was really glad I got to take a mini trip on the Mekong river. I got to ride along the border of Lao, Myanmar, and Thailand all in one trip. After that I rode along the Mekong river on the Thai side until I came to Mae Sai about 40 miles north of Chiang Khong. With songkran coming up, every little village I passed through would through would trow buckets of water on me- it was refreshing becuase it is extremely hot this time of year in Thailand! I came to Mae Sai to venture into one of the large caves in the area. I came to Tham Lot and there were 13 people there. One person who rented out gas lanterns for 30 baht and 12 monks. I borrowed the gas lamp and headed into the cave- it was huge! After about 15 minutes I was actually freaked out because if that lamp went out I would be stranded, as the cave stretched over a mile into the rock. Then I heard voices coming, it was the monks! They came to show me around the cave. They only spoke Thai and I didn't understand what they were saying but it was such a crazy experience. The walked through the cave with only candle and most of them were barefoot. At points in the cave we had to crawl on our hands and knees to get to the next opening- I felt like Indiana Jones!

I then headed back to Chaing Mai for Songkran. This is the Thai new year and it is on April 13-15 every year. The tradition started off as younger Thais sprinkling water over the older generations hands as well as the monks to refresh them for the new year and wish them luck. Today, however, it has become the world's biggest water fight! You walk around and everyone has a bucket in their hand that they toss at you. There is no way of avoinding the water. When I arrived in Chaing Mai at the bus station I had my bags with me and had to walk to the center of the city to a hotel- on the way I got completely drenched! I was very nervous about my camera and laptop but I wrapped everything several times in plastic. For 4 days you would just walk around the city and get completely soaked. I met up with my host family on the second day and stayed with them another 2 days. It was quite difficult trying to meet up in one agreed destination when there is such a large language gap but I was really happy to see them again.

After the madness of Songkran I started my venture south and visited Khoa Yai national park. It is known as South East Asia's best national parks and I camped out in the wilderness. I got to see two different species of Gibbons (hanging monkeys) and about 6 hornbill birds with wingspans of over 10 feet! The next day I hitch-hiked my way 30 miles out the the park and headed to Cambodia where on the bus I met this cool girl who was ready for an adventure. Instead of taking the bus like tourists we hopped into the back of a pick up truck and made our way 5 hours to Siem Riep to visit Angkor Wat along a rough dirt road. We woke up before sunrise and headed to the temple to watch the amazing lightshow from the sun. I think seeing Angkor Wat may be the most amazing part of my trip so far! It was incredible to see the site where some much history has taken place. Cambodia itself is way less developed than Thailand so I felt as if I was in India at points. We spent the day visiting all the surrounding temples and stayed until sunset. From there we hid in the jungle until they lit up the temple to avoid paying the large entrance fee. I snapped a few photos then we were escorted out by the police.

The next morning (today) I hopped on a bus and met a friend to travel to the islands of Thailand. First stop, Ko Phan Ngang for the notoriously large full moon party. My time in Thailand is going quick so I will update when possible but am trying to soak up every minute! I am of on an overnight bus trip in 2 hours to then take a 3 hour boat ride to the islands. I've worked very hard so far on my trip so now I am on vaction and am going to get some rest and relaxation.

May 1st, I am off to Hong Kong!

Oh the places you will go.....

So I've been absent lately, but it is because I have really been out of city life. Living in the mountains has been wonderful, I loved waking up to roosters before dawn every morning to watch the sun rise over the mountain peaks with the rustling of pots and pans and birds singing in the background. The whole village would be waking up and getting ready to start their business for the day. But first and most importantly, you must have breakfast with your neighbors. "Na mon!" I hear my host mother yell and that means it's time to eat.

The family I lived with really opened up to me and made me feel so comfortable living with them. I guess my volunteer program was to send me to a new village every week and I heard the other villages were larger so I decided to stay in Pha Nok Kok. I found it very interesting to slowly put together how everyone was related and learn more and more everyday about life in a hill tribe. Plus I became really attached to the children I taught every day. I loved to see them around the village and have them run up to me screaming my name. All the parents appreciated that their kids enjoyed me being their teacher. It was a great volunteering experience as it was really up to me what I brought to the community.

I would ask my host family if I could stay another week and they responded (I had to have someone translate this) "You can stay one more week, one more month, one more year, or the rest of your life. We consider you part of our family and want you to learn as much about our Hmong village as you can. We may not have large amounts of money but what we do have are large hearts- you are welcomed to stay." Everyone else in the village would say things to me like, "After you stay here for about 2 months you will be able to speak Hmong fluently", or "When you come back to visit us we'll have to work on building a house". I felt very comfortable staying in the little village up in the mountains. However the 3 weeks was up and it was time to leave and see the rest of Thailand. I ended up up staying longer because I was invited on a road trip with one of the families( see below) The village knew that I would be in Chaing Mai for Songkran (the Thai New Year) and they said, "It would be a shame if you were so close and we didn't get to see each other again" haha so I am going back to visit them in a week. It's cool because now I have friends to celebrate Songkran with- it's supposed to be the world's biggest water fight!

Long story short I kind of went out on a date on the last full moon with Ya, the other teacher at the school. She invited me to the nearby Buddhist temple that was celebrating the new lunar month and they had a mini carnival with games, music, bands, dancing, food, you name it. It ended up just being us two walking around together, it was a lot of fun! Since then I have been eating dinner with the family and even helping out in their garden (farm). She was the one who really pushed me to stay longer and she always was inviting me to new things. She even invited me on her families road trip- I am really glad I went because it ended up being a very unique event!

Her older brother Imbla (the one in the picture) has been married for one year and in the Hmong culture this is a very big deal. The man is to throw a party of honor the event for good luck for his future. The father of the wife is to re-name the husband and give his 2 names instead of just one. We went to Chaing Rai (about 5 hours north of Pha Nok Kok) to pick the wives' family. There the celebration started. We brought 2 chickens from a local farm to offer to the wives family, and then we prepared them for supper. Imbla took one and I had the other and I learned how to kill it, drain the blood, de-feather it, clear out the organs, then cut it up for cooking. It was kind of crazy but it made me feel better about eating meat if I do all the work and not just buy a package at a store. After we prepared the chicken Imbla had to stand up in front of the family that was sitting at the table and they kind of did a "roast" on him where each person would say something about him and he would bow to them. When they all spoke the wive sat next to him and the parents offered them each two small glasses. I asked Ya what it was and she said beer- but it was clear so I knew it was just a miscommunication. Then the family motioned me over and gave me 2 glasses as well. I threw the first one to the back of my throat and no it wasn't beer- it was homemade jungle whisky (thai moonshine)! It burned so bad and then I had to take the next one right away. This was the only drink that I had in the whole 3 weeks of being in the village (well besides the glass of "wine" my host brother gave me that was really just fermented strawberries). After the drink they called me to the table and there I sat with 8 men until late in the night and we finished the jug of whisky that came from a clear plastic bag- not from a bottle bought at a store.

Before going back to Pha Nok Kok we went to the nearby border of Thailand and looked into Lao and the Mekong river, the views were amazing!!

Back in Pha Nok Kok was the big celebration. It started at 6 am Sunday morning with the killing of a cow, which was Imbla's offering to the village. The one who killed it only was aloud 3 hits for moral reasons- they laughed and handed me the ax telling me I had to do it- I told them that I'll get the next one. Any vegetarian would have had a nightmare for sure- I was even shocked. After cleaning the cow the feast began as the first thing cooked was the most important part of the meal: by eating this it is for good luck and cures all you of your sickness. It was the cow's penis. The offered me a piece and it was painfully chewy, it took about 20 minutes to eat. I was grossed out but just went with it, they offered me a beer and a shot of whisky to go with it. By 9 am I already had a buzz going. Being a guest in town they always want me to try everything, haha that becomes painful when whisky is involved. From there we ate the each of the 3 stomachs, the heart, the throat and the tounge. That was followed by a raw meat spicy salad- it was delisous!

The main event was the father offering the new name and it was brought on with a 3 hours ceremony of sitting at a table with 20 other men. The oldest sit on one side and the younger sit on the other to learn the process. It was a celebration that included about 15 half glasses of beer each to cheers and drink as a a group and then each of us had to stand up and give a speak to Imbla. At the end the new name was given, the wives father kept "imbla" but added Va to the beginning. His new name for the rest of his life would be Va Imbla (Fortune Ring). It was a great event and I am so glad I stayed in the town to be a part of it instead of leaving early to travel on my own!


So yeah, in the last post I mentioned that I haven't gotten sick yet. Well I Jinxed myself because 3 days later I got hit- hard. I thought it would only be a 24-hour job but it lasted longer, it was horrible to be so sick with out the comforts of a toilet or bed... haha but that's life in the village. Out of all the crazy things I have eaten I think it was this canned fish I ate for lunch, it didn't taste right going down and hours later was when I got sick. I only ate organic food from the village from that point on. I took the medicine for traveler's sickness and it worked within hours. Thankfully it did because the day I started taking the medication was the day I had to sit on a bus that had no bathroom for 6 hours so that I could make it to the border in time as my visa ran out.

I decided to go into Myanmar (formally known as Burma) when my visa ran out and I ended up staying there for 3 days. About 5 people told me not to go because of what they have read or heard about the country and I think that made me 5 times more excited about going- I was always the "red button" kid. If someone told me I couldn't do something because it wouldn't work out- oh I would put all my energy into proving them wrong. That is what my trip to Myanmar was. I didn't just cross the border and head back, I went 100 miles into the center of the Shan state to a town called Kengtung, it is the capital of the "Golden Triangle" and it was a village that has over 85 different ethnic tribes living in the area. It was a 5-hour bus ride through gorgeous winding mountain roads that followed a river. I was the only foreigner on the bus and was worried everything wouldn't work out but it did. In Myanmar they has a whole different language, currency, government, and way of life- it was such a cultural adventure! I loved it!

Being the only tourist in town it was easy to find a place to stay and I ended up hiring and English-speaking guide to take me to visit a couple of the nearby tribes. I am fascinated by smaller indigenous tribes so my favorite one we went to was an "En" animist society of about 98 people, each family would have typically around 8-9 children (not all of them were expected to live past 10 years old). The shaman lives in the center, or "heart", of the village and makes all the decisions. This society is afraid of water because of the spirits that live within the liquid so they avoid it whenever possible. There was a bamboo water system that ran through the village where in the center was a post where 3 times a year they would sacrifice a chicken or dog to the water spirits. It was an hour ride on a dirt path on the back of a motorcycle followed by a strenuous 2 hour hike up the mountain before we reached the village. This was no tourist hot spot! We walked around the village and was invited into one of the locals huts. The older locals all had black teeth- it is a tradition to blacken the teeth by chewingg tea leaves so that their teeth wouldn't be white like dog's teeth are. The believe dogs are not friendly and eat dog very commonly. They say that it keeps them warm in the winter and they believe it cures them from malaria. The women prepared lunch for me and into the hut I went. After just getting over being sick I was worried about eating the food because of the sanitation, but the medication worked really well so I eat with them. For lunch we ate raw mustard plants and rice noodles mixed with potatoes and peppers. It was such an interesting meal, I couldn't help but just look at everything around me with me jaw almost on the floor. I didn't think that people still lived this way but I was so happy to encounter this village! They were completely self-sustaining and didn't rely on outside help. Hidden in a little nook of a mountain I wondered how much longer this village would last before being taken over.

While in Myanmar I visited a few Akha tribes and one very small "long-neck" Paudang village. I headed to Mae Hong Song to visit larger long-neck villages when I left Pha Nok Kok- the hill tribe I was living with. The bus ride was 8 hours in a very small bus- being tall is a disadvantage in Thailand, I barely fit in a seat that was meant for two! It was well worth the trip because the views were amazing! In Mae Hong Song I rented a motorcycle and went out to visit the nearby Long'necked" tribes. It was so great to sit down and talk to them! The picture with the two women are mother and daughter. They fled Myanmar 14 years ago because of the ethnic conflict that was occurring. They are happy in Thailand but do miss their old village. The mothers coils weigh over ten pounds! Despite what many people say, they will not die if they remove the coils. Their necks are not actually longer, the coils just push down the shoulder blades into the ribs. The practice does not have a large impact of their health but I did notice that most of the women had a lower toned voice.

After living with the hill tribe village I feel comfortable being the only western in town and learned how to try and communicate even if there is a language barrier. Afterwards I road that motorcycle all around the mountains weaving back and forth around windy roads- it was so great!

Ok I have to go catch a bus- I'm heading to Laos today, it's going to take about 12 hours.

A long awaited update

What a rush!

I finished up the TEFL certification after a tough 4 and a half weeks that consisted of:

120 hours of class

7 one-hour tests

1 three-hour final

5 in-class presentations

5 hours of class teaching

5 hours of observing.

It was a busy month but now I am a certified teacher!

Leaving Bangkok was difficult, I really enjoyed the other people in the class as we all became very close during the course. On Tuesday when we finished our final exam, Mahes had us all over her house for dinner. It was definitely one of my favorite moments in Bangkok. Her and her husband Dev had an amazing meal of curries and Sri Lankian foods- and Wine! haha This was my first glass of wine since I came to Thailand. But the time was here and I was ready to see what else Thailand had to offer.

My first stop was Lop Buri- it was 3 hour train ride that put me back a whole 27 baht (less than $1) My hotel room over looked an ancient ruin and there were monkey everywhere.... I really mean everywhere. I had to shoo one out of my room, chase after one that stole my glasses, and kick one off my leg. They sat outside the window of my room and just watched my every move. I felt like I was in a zoo and they came to see me.


The next day I went to the train station get get my ticket to Sukothai but it was full. I sat in the lobby unsure of what move to make next so I just people watched for awhile. Two monks came and sat next to me and by speaking broken English and me using archaic Thai we were able to have a conversation. It was so bizarre. The monks told me that the older woman sitting in front of us wanted me to marry her daughter, it was hilarious.


I had to take a later train but it all worked out well. After a few confusing city buses I made it to Sukhothai late that night. The next morning I rented a motorcycle and cruised around the city to see all the ancient ruins. Sukhothai was the first capital of Thailand and all the monuments were well over 700 years old and scattered around the town. It was so fun to just ride around then see these huge statues of Buddha in the forest. It was so beautiful, trees and mountains everywhere.

I ventured deep into the forest on a dirt road that passed hundreds of banana trees. Just when I thought the road wouldn't go any farther I saw a sign in English. I really was in the middle of no where. The sign said that there was a Wat (temple) down this path. I followed it and read another sign that read, "I am a deaf monk trying to learn English. You are more than welcome to make this place your home, come in." I walked around and didn't see anyone but read the signs posted around that were Buddhist's philosophies. The I heard, "Helloo!" There he was in the temple very happy to have a visitor. He had to be some what of a hermit because he lived so far away from anything. He motioned me over to a table and there we spoke and wrote back and forth to each other. It was so interesting. He told me about his love for Buddhism and how he wants to spread the message to everyone around him. "Where am I?" I thought to myself but enjoyed every moment. He wished the best for my future travels and thanked me for practicing English with him.

I stayed by the ruins until the sun faded and watched the monuments glow with light. It was such a warm night, I enjoyed riding back to town on the motorcycle I rented. I went to sleep early because the next day I was heading to Chiang Mai.

Life in Pha Nok Kok

It was a 6 hour bus ride and a one hour taxi to get to the village. Up, up, up we drove through the mountains and just when I thought we couldn't get any higher we arrived in the village, Pha Nok Kok. I really had no idea what to expect on the way there or even how to prepare myself for this. All I know is that I was miles away from any city. The view from the village is incredible but I have to say that when I was first dropped off it was quite the culture shock. In such a small village you are the talk of the town for awhile and when the average height is about 5 feet you stick out when your about 6 feet tall.

I am living in a Green Hmong hill tribe village of about 300 people and only 3 speak some English. There are 5 main hill tribes in Thailand, that being the Karen, Akha,Lisu, Mien, and Hmong. Here family is the strongest social unit and everyone takes care of each other in an egalitarian way. Most people here work in agriculture and practice a "slash and burn" type of farming. With the monsoon season coming up in about a month, now is the time to burn the fields to put nutrients back into the soil- so most days the sky is filled with hazy smoke cloud. Everyone speaks their native language, Hmong, and just about everyone speaks Thai. I am trying to tackle both languages to try and understand everything that is going on. Pha Nok Kok is situated way up in the mountains in a Doi Suthep National Park- it is one huge forest. They do not own the land but are aloud to stay there by the Thai government. For that reason the houses are mostly temporary bamboo huts and cook all the meals over fire.

My volunteer project is teaching English to young children of the village aged 1 1/2 to 12. Obviously there is a huge range so I split op teaching in levels so that everyone can learn and work on pronunciation. For the most part I am playing with children when their parents go to work in the fields. I enjoy it alot, everyone is very friendly and it is fun to have the kids run up to you when you walk around the village. The school is pretty poor an lacking neccessary supplies but all the kids are so happy. School is usually from 9- 5 and after lunch we have to bath the kids. It is so funny they just run around naked laughing so hard and you have to catch them and wash them- at first I was shocked but now I'm used to it. I co-Teach with one of the Hmong, her name is Sukanya. She has been very helpful and patient to teach me Thai and show me around town, she doesn't speak English so all of our conversations are like one big game of hand gestures to act out words.

The family I live with is very nice, they have made me feel very comfortable and always include me in activities. The father's name is Jeu and he used to be the "mayor" of the town but he recently retired, the mother's name is Ma Mae, the youngest daughter is about 13 and named Bang, and their son's name is Wan. Him and I share a room and the other three all live in the other room. The bathroom is a bit primitive to western standards but everything here reminds me of when I was young and my family would visit our cottage. It was always a bit rustic and you just get used to life outdoors. Luckily I haven't gotten sick from anything yet- my body is even used to the tap water now.

The food is so interesting! The first few days I thought that everything was just pork or chicken but then as my Thai vocab grew and I learned how to ask questions I found out what I was eating. One night we ate rabbit, it was a big deal and I was lucky to try it. They invited many people over to try a taste of it as it was a delicacy to them. The hmong commonly eat Bees- haha I thought it was chicken liver at first. I have also eaten raw deer, buffalo skin, frog, pig brains, fried locusts, and a variety of very exotic fruits. It is all very delicious and s long as you have an open mind it tastes great. The raw deer was amazing. Dinner is always an important meal as we commonly eat two times: one at a friends house for a social event where you just sample the food, then the other at the house where you eat more.

I was invited to go and check out the farms that the village works on. The have just set up gardens on the slopes of the mountains and set up irrigation. The grow anything from oranges, papayas, melons, cabbage, bananas, sugar cane, lychee's, and much more. Almost everyone in the village had their own farm in the valley. It's amazing to wake up and get there before sunrise to see the sun brighten the misty mountainside. Farming is hard manual labor for next to no money but is their main source of income. Opium used to be the Hmong's source of income but they have traded it outwith vegetables because the drugs were causing corruption in the village. That and the Hmong are happy to say that they are an honest village.
I love Pha Nok Kok and am very happy here, I want to visit here again if I ever the chance. I have much more to share but have to head back to the village. I will update with some more pictures soon.

A Trip to Kanchanaburi

This past weekend was one that I'll always remember. After a very hard week and almost at the finish line with the TEFL certification, I took off to Kanchanaburi to explore some nature and escape the concrete.

I took the earliest bus by myself Saturday morning and was amazed at how the scenery changed as we headed west into the countryside. I didn't leave Friday after class because I had a very important interview at 10pm....I'll tell you more about that later this week. About two and a half hours later we arrived, I found a hostel that was literally floating over the river Kwai. Being a little over 30 miles away from the Myanmar border they had some great Burmese food here! There was so much to do in this town you can spend weeks on end and be completely satisfied and relaxed at the same time. I only had 2 days so I set out into town to explore.
After walking around the town I signed up for a tour to the Tiger Temple, Wat Luang Ta Bua Yanna Sampanno, as it was about an hour outside of town. It started raining as the taxi/bus came to pick me up but I decided to go anyway. There were 2 others who were on the tour as well and we all had some interesting conversations on the way there. I love the information you inquire and the stories you share while traveling! Just as we arrive at the temple the heavy rain magically stopped and the sun came out! I got to walk down into the canyon and pet the huge beasts. Ok, yes this is completely a tourist trap but how many chances do you get to pet a tiger!? And little cubs on top of it! Besides the tigers, animals were just roaming free all around the temple. I was by myself in when I walked under a tree and out from a branch above me jumped a peacock- I guess I threatened its territory and it fanned its feathers and started coming after me. I will NEVER forget that moment. I was shocked but laughing so hard at the same time!
The next day I woke up early and was off on another full-day tour of the area. On the tour also were some guys backpacking who just got in from India, they were really cool to get to know. We first headed to Erawan National Park to explore the 7 waterfalls in the park. It was quite a hike but I needed it after sitting in a classroom all week! I sat down for a break and almost got my passport stolen by none other than a monkey! haha It grabbed my bag and tried to run off that thief!
Next was the Elephant trekking through a Karen Hill tribe village. After speaking all the Thai I know to the mahout (elephant trainer) I found out we were the same again and had a lot in common. He was happy I tried speaking the language so he let me "drive" the elephant. It was so bizarre, especially when the elephant thought my foot was food and sloppered on it with his trunk, quite the experience. From there it was a bamboo raft trip down the river; it was so relaxing and fun.
Next we visited a cave that held a Buddha Shrine then took a train on the Death railway to see the infamous bridge over river Kwai- all you history buffs would have gotten a kick out of that! I won’t say how much this weekend cost me, I want to hear a few guesses- it’s part of the reason I love this country. After another amazing Burmese meal it was time to head back to Bangkok, good ole' BKK. This is my last week in the city as I receive my certification on Thursday morning, tomorrow is the final! I head out Thursday to head north and see more of the country….. I can’t wait!!!

Nueng, Song, Sam....Fight!

Last night Dan and I went to Lumpinee Stadium to watch an original Muay Thai Kickboxing match- we were both really excited to see it live so we did it proper and sat ringside. We were so close that you could feel the sweat get knocked off the fighter’s face and hear the bones of the fighters be hit against each other. Lumpinee is the famous stadium in Bangkok and the best place to see a fight, knowing I was only going to do this once, I had to sit ringside. I highly recommend this stadium to anyone visiting; the energy from the crowd and the announcers will make for a memorable night!

After training Muay Thai style Kickboxing for two years at San Diego City College, I was so excited to see a live match in the country of where this lethal sport was originated. I say lethal because it was designed over 500 years ago to help the Thai’s protect their land without any weapons. The quick jabs of the legs and arms holds the power, therefore you do not need to have huge muscle mass. Many of the fighters weighed under 115 lbs! Muay Thai plays a large role in the countries culture because of the history and link to Buddhism. Each fighter wears a ring of flowers and a headband before the match for respect of the Buddha. It has been mandatory for men to learn and pass on the tradition. I can’t wait to tell my coach about this! It is different from other forms of kickboxing because elbows are aloud and used to score more points, kicks below the waist are legal but kicks to the groin are considered a foul.

The night started out with the national anthem before the first match started. Each match consisted of 5 rounds that lasted 3 minutes each- that is if the fighters made it to the end. One of the fighters got knocked out cold in the third round and had to be wheeled-off stage as his face bled on the floor. It was intense. The first fighters were really young, I mean about 10 or 11 years old- but they were so disciplined in the art it was scary. It is common for orphaned children to take on boxing, especially in the north because it gives them a place to live with hopes to make something out of their lives. The fight continued and between each round the fighters were drenched with water, massaged and coached by their trainers. The crowd was roaring the entire time and there was a band playing music the entire time.

I want to train while I am here but it is really expensive, I think they just over-charge faraangs who come to visit so I am going to try and train elsewhere. One of my students told me where he trains and told me to come check it out- haha it was the only way I could get him to speak English in class! After seeing last night’s match, I think I'll have to!!

Student travel internship

I had to apply for this!

STA travel is offering 1 internship to one very lucky student this summer to travel the world and document your trip along the way. How amazing would that be?!? The trip includes a trip around the Mediterranean, a visit through southeast Asia, a stopover in Australia and New Zealand for some outdoor adventures, a taste of tango in Buenos Aries, and then sailing around the Galapagos Islands.

STA travel (statravelers.com) is an online community I often take part in because it's a great website for meeting other travelers, asking questions and seeing other people's travel pictures! There are some pretty amazing people applying for this position, there are many who I'd like to meet in person. If you have an account look me up I am "eddiewouldgo". The deadline was March 1st, I made it just on time. I had fun making the video, even if nothing comes of it with STA travel, it made me get out of my studio and explore Bangkok. I am really enjoying keeping a blog and pretending that it is my job, I think I found a career path for sure. This is my video application that I turned in.

May the best traveler win!

Bangkok by Night

I was trying to live off a budget of 100 baht a day ($3.30) for awhile because I want to make sure I have enough money to get a scuba certificate in April. It is feasible to get breakfast, lunch, a coffee, dinner, a beer and a snack all for 100 baht. But then I realized time was going on and I still didn't feel like I knew Bangkok very well, so I scratched that idea and started going out with some of the people in my class who are getting the teaching certificate as well.

There are 13 people in the class and it runs Mon- Fri 10am to 4pm- long days. It really is a diverse group of people ranging in age from 21 to 62 from all parts of the world. It is such a diverse group of people who all bring so many different qualities to the table. We are learning the basics of English and how to present them. Every week we have to give at least one presentation on a certain topic. My instructional speech was teaching the class the fundamentals of Salsa dancing...haha it went well. After sitting in class all day your ready to go out and explore.

We didn't have class last Thursday because it was a Buddhist holiday, so Pedro, Dan, his friend Collin, and myself went out for a night on the town. Pedro just moved here from Canada and Dan and his friend are both from England. We took a cab to the RCA district, it is the best known place in the city for the large nightclubs. This is the place where all the young rich Thais come to show off what they got! The clubs are a bit different here in Thailand, they do not just have a large bar area then a large dance floor, in fact they don't have much a dance floor at all. There are tables throughout the whole room and you just kind of stand at them and dance in one area.... not my style of a dance club but it sure was interesting to see. They kept playing American music but they were songs that were popular about 5 years ago.

That night we went to 3 other clubs in the RCA district. It is a strip of large clubs with fancy

outdoor seating and crazy lights all around, it reminded me of Vegas meets the Gas lamp district of San Diego. The drinks were expensive but still cheaper than the states, we started off with a bottle of vodka then switched to beer and at the last bar we ordered a bottle of whisky. Needless to say I felt great the next day. We left the RCA at around 2 in the morning and went to another club named "Spicy". I wasn't sure why but no matter where you are in Bangkok you could get a taxi for free to come to this club. When I walked in I knew why, it was a place where the working girls hounded faraangs. Not just working girls, you also had to look out for Thailand's deceivingly charming third gender, the Lady boys. This one Thai girl who was sitting close to me laughed and pointed out the Lady boys that were making out with men who thought they were really women. I got a kick out of that but then realized I can't trust anyone in this city. I had at least 5 people tell me that since I've been here- I mean just random people telling me this.

On Friday night everyone was going out from class again so I went too. This weekend they were holding elections so you can't buy or legally drink alcohol anywhere in the country. Can you imagine if they did this in the states? We found a bar that served us drinks so we all celebrated being halfway done with the course. We left that bar around 11 and Pedro, Dan, Colin, and I took a cab to Khoa San Road. For being a Friday night the street was not so packed because of the no drinking policy. We found a bar that would serve us but only in red sketchy cups and they told us if you see the cops throw your drink on the ground. We ended up at another club and ordered a bottle of whisky.... that night didn't end until after 4 am. Let's just say my 100 baht a day plan is done for.

Bangkok is a city that never sleeps. At any hour of the day there will be a traffic jam and loads of people walking around the streets. The nightlife is huge here.

I am getting really excited to see the rest of Thailand. I have been gone for almost a month now and feel like I've been in Bangkok forever. I am excited for the countryside and the hill tribe communities. I am also very excited to rent a motorcycle, you can rent them for $10 a day and it is a great way to see the country- I just don't dare drive in Bangkok- I've already seen someone on a bike get hit to the ground and accidents happen everyday. Even with saying that I still love taking motorcycle taxi's- I was scared out of my mind the first time but now I'm addicted.

Getting the hang of it!

After getting away for the weekend I felt much better about coming back to class. I've always told myself that I want to live in New York City at some point in my life. Well, this is like New York- but crazier. This city is huge! It is easy to get around though and is not so cut throat for having such a large population, people aren't in such a rush. It just feels like such a large over-populated concrete jungle at some points and all the exhaust from the diesel engines hits your lungs hard.



I had to add these pictures! haha Ronald McDonald and the Michelin man both are doing the Wai- How's that for enculturation?!

It was fun to figure out how to get to the island of Ko Si Chang all by myself with no one to help with the language barrier. The island isn't really well known besides the fact that it is a small fishing community. That meant it had AMAZING fresh seafood for next to nothing. I am still surprised at how far you can stretch your money here- which is good because I have no income for a few months... Anyway, I had this huge bowl of Thom Yun Kung for 80 baht ($2.60) and I think it had at least 20 shrimp in it- no joke. Then I had this squid stew that was so fresh while I was sitting outside a temple and it was only 25 baht- less than $1. The ferry over was 40 baht and the bus was 110. My own beach bungalow (not hostel) that was steps from the water was 250 baht- $8. I felt like I was living like a king and the whole weekend and it only cost me less than 1000 baht-$3o!

For being only 70 miles away from Bangkok the water was pretty clear. I was happy with the fresh air and peaceful quietness. The island was about 5 miles off shore and I noticed these crazy flying fish jumping out of the water to avoid the boat and fly for about 20 feet before going back in the water- it was quite bizarre! I was one of about 3 faraang (foreigners) on the island- at times I didn't know if I was intruding or welcomed but I decided just to step lightly and go ahead with it. I'm doing my best to learn Thai by surrounding myself in the language- it is helping me with pronunciation. It really felt good to get out and figure things out on my own; I am excited to travel around the rest of Thailand!

Welcome to my studio!

This week has been pretty rough- a great deal of moving around and figuring things out the hard way. However, I now officially live in Thailand! I just rented a studio for about $115 a month. It's pretty basic but in a good neighborhood with tight security and a 3 minute walk to the school I am attending for the TEFL certification. I have never lived in another country before- it's pretty exciting (yes, I am a dork). The landlord (I guess you would call her-she looks pretty young) is so nice. She is trying to learn English so she was excited to talk to me, last night she stopped by and gave me sheets, a pillow, a cake, juice, and this pastry type meal just to welcome me to the place. Hmm... new girlfriend?

Here is a video of what the place looks like if you have a minute-

As mentioned in the video I got a new backpack which wasn't easy to do. My last one had so much sentimental value starting with the first trip I ever took it on when my sister Rachel and I took on the Appalachian trail seven years ago. That trip changed my life and the bag has traveled the world with me ever since. It even went up and down the entire West coast on my motorcycle! I owe it to her, and the rest of my family (by that I include close friends) who have all encouraged and motivated me in some way to never give up, even in the ugliest of situations. You all know who you are and I thank every one of you for always challenging me to do more.

I spend a few hours everyday walking around the different neighborhoods- everything about this place catches my eye as incredibly unique. Bangkok is such an interesting "World City".

I am still trying to practice my Thai lingo so I went out and bought some music. The cd I bought ended up being a kareoke video but it is still interesting. This is a very popular song right now in Thailand. Try and sing along to it! haha Good Luck!

Do as the locals do-

Back to busy Bangkok- The last few days have been amazing! The first three days were spent in Wang Noi getting to know the other volunteers signed up for the program, learning about the language, and visiting the ruins in Ayuthaya. On the last night all of us hopped in the back of a truck that was our taxi and went to see the town at night.

We were six strangers picked to live together, volunteer together, and have our lives photographed. This is what happens when you start being nice and talk about how you feel. This is the Real World: Thailand.

Here are some pictures from visiting the ruins-

3 of us went to a village homestay in Bang Sai- about an hour away. To anyone who is thinking about signing up for Global Crossroad I highly recommend the language and culture class! We drove deep into the countryside and were miles away from any large city, you wouldn't be able to find this place on the map! When were arrived at the house we were introduced to Urei and it didn't take long to feel at home, its true about Thai hospitality being so warm. She gave us a tour and we rode bikes from one village to another- there was no other tourists here- we were the only faraang around.

I quickly fell in love with the way of life while staying here. The whole time I was there I kept being reminded of Brian and Asha's farm in Washington that I went and visited last summer- It was a slower pace of life and everything they ate was organic. All the neighbors knew one another and helped each other out- everything about the whole place was self-sufficient. Urei's place is the house that she grew up in as well as her mother. It was an old wooden house on stilts because she lived right on the river and it floods every year during the monsoon season.

During the stay Urei took us to the temples that were close to her house and showed us the etiquette of visiting a Buddhist temple and the meanings behind everything. For example the placement and significance of the Lotus flowers, lighting a candle before entering and taking your shoes off. At one of the temples we went to there were bats everywhere in the daytime! It was so crazy to see! I wandered into one of the temples that was being worked on to find a monk painting a mural. Speaking the few Thai phrases I knew he took that as me being fluent and then decided to give me a tour of the whole place. He took me over to the pond and started to feed the fish and then showed me another temple that a different monk was working on woodwork. I couldn't understand anything that Pho, the monk, was saying but it was still quite the expeirence. He gave me a glass of ice water and though I didn't want to drink it because it wasn't filtered and had a spider floating in it, I also didn't want to be rude. So I drank it- no problems...yet.

During the stay at the village we went and visited a school get some practice teaching English. The kids were so excited to have a visitor in the class and the loved having their picture taken!! We taught one class of 10 year olds and one kindergarten class- then later in the evening we would play games with the kids in the neighborhood. They were happy to show us their version of duck-duck-goose and other games. I really enjoyed doing that.

The best part of the homestay was that Urei was so eager to teach us about Thai food. The only other home cooked meal to top this food was made by my mother. We never ate the same thing twice and everything was made from scratch. I mean even down to peeling and chopping up a coconut to use the shavings for milk. She made us go to the local market and ask for all the ingredients we needed and even how to bargain. The food has been so spicy- it took some time to get used to it- it's hard to eat food that is so spicy when it is so hot outside, but when it's so delicious you don't hesitate.

Urei took Sam and I to the local hospital and bought us a traditional Thai Massage- she didn't have to but just wanted us to have the expeirence! It was kind of strange, they kind of beat you up but it's relaxing- haha. They stand on you, pull your feet then stretch your leg above their shoulder as they pound on your thighs.

I really enjoyed my time in the village. It has been awhile since I've let my mind be free. I loved everything about the place and Urei if you ever read this thank you so much for teaching me everything and for your warm hospitality!

As mentioned above after the village we headed back to Bangkok to visit Khoa San Road. It is a huge tourist trap but also a lot of fun. Sam and I stayed there overnight and went out to go and meet some people. It was quite the crazy night, I feel like all my senses were over stimulated giving me the attention span of about 10 seconds. I've got some funny stories ...haha I'll wait to share them though.

Now its time to buckle down a bit and start the TEFL certification- no more spending my entire day taking pictures for awhile! If you can't tell I like to pretend that I'm an actual reporter whenever I go out-I get a kick out of it.