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.