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!