1 Month Bangkok Update

So its been about a month since I began teaching. It has been a positive yet exhausting month! I am proud to report that I learned all of the students names by the 2nd week and that some of the shyer students have finally opened up to me. I teach my student a variety of subjects in English. I teach them Reading and Comprehension, Spelling and Phonics, Grammar and Writing, Health and Art. I also have to prepare my students for the many events the schools participates in.
November 5th was my birthday and I had a mellow celebration. On my birthday weekend I went to a few Thai clubs with friends and listened to Thai rock bands – I didn't understand the lyrics, but it was a lot of fun. Then we went to lounge where they play western music so that was enjoyable. On Monday, my actual birthday, the students gave my flowers and told me 3 nice things. It was really cute – so in English they said “1. We're glad you're teaching us English 2. You're nice 3. We love you.” It was hilariously adorable. Then my fellow teachers got me a decadent chocolate birthday cake and a lovely card in which Rachel, an awesome artist and former art teacher in the U.S. Made me. It was a surprise and very much appreciated. All in all my birthday in Thailand was a lovely one :) Wish you all could have been here! ....On the following Sunday I met up with a few teacher trainees from my program and went to the Linkin Park concert. I was surprised to see how many Thai's are really into the band. It was good time to meet up with the other trainees (one of them being Taryn with whom I roomed with in Ko Samet) who aren't in Bangkok and swap teaching stories!Oh and somehow I ended up crowd surfing for 5 seconds, a rocking time indeed :)
This previous week, on the 21st, the students had U.N. Day – in which the various classes in our department (ELPC – English Learning Program Center) grades 1-6 focuses on 2 countries and do reports, songs, dances, decorate their classes accordingly, etc. The whole school outside of ELPC ( My school is huge and has children from Pre school to High School in one campus but different buildings) visited ELPC to check it all out so the kids were excited to show their stuff. Unfortunately I missed the actual event, I was traveled down to southern Thailand where I went to Phuket and Ko Phi Phi. It was soooo nice to get out of Bangkok and be on the beach...Funny thing is I actually went to where they filmed “The Beach” featuring Leonardo Di Caprio (Pictured on the left) – of course it was crawling with many other tourist who were also hoping to capture that never-never land of escape, but ended up meeting with hundreds of other tourist who had the same idea - alas, it was beautiful all the same. On Thanksgiving, friends and I tried our very best to have a traditional Thanksgiving feast – so we went to a restaurant in an expatriate part of Bangkok and had TURKEY in Thailand – with all of the fixings. It didnt beat my mom's Turkey and stuffing but I was so thankful to be able to have something resembling Thanksgiving food so I can't complain. To make the meal uniquely in Asia – I decided to grab a few sushi rolls, why not!? I had such a wonderful week, one that I'll never forget!!!
Also, on Friday the 23rd the school celebrated Loy Krathom – which was on the 24th. Loy Krathom is one of Thailand's most aesthetically pleasing holidays. Thai's make Krathoms – which are little boats that are made of banana leaves. They decorate them beautifully with flowers, candles, and place coin on the little Krathoms. Thai's light the candles on the krathoms and float them down the many waterways of Thailand at night which is absolutely a sight to see. They pray to the water goddess and float away their regrets and anger in the krathoms and whole process symbolizes a fresh start. Pictured my friend and fellow teacher at my school, Jessica, with our Krathoms. A young boy ( of many young boys) actually did the dirty work of setting our Krathoms afloat for us in the river, the boys do this so people dont fall in the slippery sides along the Chao Praya river! I watched a few people take a fall, so Jessica and I opted to utlize the boys' services - as we didnt want to risk getting wet. The boys actually get in the river- they have boogie boards and all. Its funny, because I think they also make money from taking the coins off the Krathoms ...even though those coins and krathoms are suppose to stay in the water. I saw a few boys retrieving the Kathoms from the river and putting them all in a huge basket - so they dont go too far. Perhaps this is for environmental reasons?? Anyways, After we set our Krathoms free, there was fireworks AND an awesome boat parade on the river. It was like Disney's Main Street Electrical Parade! All the boats had these elaborate light decorations in honor of the king and Loy Krathom. It was such a visual Feast! For another event and school event for that matter( Father's Day) I worked with some students with reciting a poem for father's day and had them make gifts for their dads. On the father's day event, the children sang songs and it was special day for the children to talk about how much they love and respect their fathers through songs and poems. After the performances, all the parents from each grade were called to sit on stage. The students then got on their knees ( diffrent from the U.S. but to be lower than an elder is a show of respect - even when students walk by us, they're suppose to lower their heads as a show of respect.) and told their parents how much they loved them. It was really cute to watch! All the parents were really please with the performance and the activities.Father's day in Thailand is also the King's Birthday – since Thai's consider him to be the father of their country, so it isn't in June like it is in the states. So there is no school ( Yippee!) on December 5th . There's festivities going on all around the country celebrating his majesties 80th birthday. On every Monday, most Thai's wear King Shirts. At my school, we are required to but the students do not. They are yellow, which is the color for Monday. So on Father's day we'll also wear king shirts - as well as the students to honor king.

Alive and Teaching in Bangkok

It's been about a week and half since I've arrived at Bangkok. I am living in the greater Bangkok area, which is good for me so that I am away from the hustle and bustle ( and crazy traffic - L.A. and S.F. pale in comparison) of central Bangkok. But when I do want to check out central Bangkok - it could be a bit of a production. It can take as much as 2 hours during peak traffic times to get into central Bangkok, but I've been told that at 2 am ( and other traffic free times - it can be as quick as 15 minutes if you have a heavy footed taxi driver! There are a few modes of transportation in Bangkok. There's the motorcycle taxi, a tuk tuk ( a carriage carried by a motorcycle - My friend & fellow teacher, Jessica are pictured in one to the left), a regular car taxi, buses, song taws (trucks with 2 long benches in the truck bed), the subway, the skytrain, water taxis, and the old trusty foot. I am sure there are a few that I've missed, but you get the point :)

I am teaching at a Catholic school - in the English learning program, where the students have half of their classes taught in English.It's a bit different teaching at a catholic school - because there are MANY religious references, but as Thailand is a predominately Buddhist country, they are open to different beliefs at the school. We have to have wear HIDEOUS uniforms. They are polyester and not flattering in the least bit. The material isn't the best for the climate - but luckily we have Air Con in the classrooms (which is nonexistent for my other fellow teacher trainees in their teaching placement schools). The bright side, is that I don't have to worry about what to wear everyday! At the school, we have to address every teacher as "Miss so-and-so or Mr. Blah-Blah." It takes some adjusting to, when I call my friends Ms. Rachel or Ms. Jessica - but I've gotten the hang of it.

I am teaching 2nd graders, so it has been an adjustment as I was trained to focus more so on Middle and High school level students. Everyday before class starts, we have to attend the flag ceremony - which is ALL in Thai. We have to stand with our students for 30 minutes outside in the sun ( luckily its the cooler season now but its still hot and humid) and we have to"WI" (which is a respectful greeting in Thai culture. You put your hands together as if you are praying) ( Ronald Mc Donald to the left - doing his "WI") during the allegiance to the country and stand perfectly still during the duration of the ceremony. I think I'm having a more difficult time to stand still than some of my students! lol. On the first day of school, Rachel, Jessica and I were given a welcome ceremony.It was really heart warming that all students in the program sang a song " Welcome to the Family" and gave us each a jasmine flower bracelet. Every morning the students in my class greet me with a 'WI" and after each class, the students all say, "Thank you Miss Monica" all together. It was uncomfortable at first, but very cute.

I have taught 2 days now and I am still getting to know the students. They are all adorable and enjoy learning English. They are also VERY energetic. I need to learn some classroom management skills! Its hard for me to remember each student's name. They all have REALLY LONG Thai names - and then they have nicknames. All Thai's have nicknames that are short and fun. The nicknames are a bit cheeky and some are just downright hilarious. Some examples of my student's nicknames are: Ploy, Poom, France, Mochew, Namo - the more unique ones are Balloon, Web, etc . So it's been quite the task of getting the names, nicknames, and the faces of the students. Hopefully I learn in the next week or so!

Layover In Tai Pei

I am now on a layover in Tai Pai.. Free Wi-FI... you gotta love it! My flight from SFO was good, a little delayed but good. However, I was disappointed that each seat did not come with a personal monitor so that I could control my entertainments choices; which was what I was accustomed to when flying China Airlines, but I slept majority of the 13 hour flight anyway.

I have a few more hours until I board my flight to Bangkok. I am anxious to set up shop there and get to know the city, the school, and new people. I got a heads up from Jessica, a girl whom I trained with in TEFL and will be teaching with, that the accommodations are dorm style with a heavy dash of Catholicism... Great, the college experience I've always wanted! :) She also mentioned that we are not to have any male guest visit us, not even enter the building...Ok, I guess this comes with the territory of having housing arranged for you by a Catholic School. But come on, even if my father or cousin was in town and wanted to see how I was living? That's a little too much for me. But alas, its only 4 months.

A Short Return to the U.S. 10/11

While some of my fellow teacher trainees are doing further travelling around Thailand and or settling in their new homes for the next 4 months - I returned home. I got some unfortunate news that my uncle passed away, due to cancer. I was fortunate enough to be able to make the services.

I did my very last Teaching Practice ( of 4) at the temple and jumped into a Taxi from Rayong to Bangkok - a normally 3 hour drive - but with my Taxi Cab driver's skills was a swift 2 hours and 15 minutes. There were times where I must admit that I double checked the strength of my seat belt. Once I got the airport, it began my 25 hour journey back home. I flew from Bangkok to Phuket where I had a 4 hour layover. I then flew 6 hours to Seoul, where I had 5 hour layover. I rewarded myself an hour massage and shower at the beautiful airport! Best money I've spent! Then from Seoul I flew about 10 hours.

Once I arrived back at SFO, my kind friend Kyle picked me up and took me back to Vacaville. There I learned from my mother ( who isn't so keen with details that I had 45 minutes to make the funeral) I quickly got ready and made it - just in the nick of time. The funeral was beautiful - my good friend ( practically my brother, Jermaine) did an amazing job orchestrating everything - all things considered that he just lost his beloved father.

The next day, I got sick..really sick. Sick in bed for the next 5 days sick. So that took away a weekend that I was hoping to enjoy back home. So this leaves me mere days to scramble my things together again!

I'll be returning to Thailand this Saturday, the 20th and will arrive in Bangkok on Sunday at midnight- and will have the joyful task of finding my apartment that I've never been to in a city that I don't know...this should be interesting

A Hike With Friends 10/7

A Few of the teacher trainees got invited by some of the monks to do a little hike over the weekend. About a group of 10 Fellow Teacher Trainees did the hike to the top of a hill behind the temple. It was lovely to get a chance to get a deeper look at the temple and the surrounding grounds. While we are training, we tend to stay near the main building and the classrooms. Joe, a young monk, was kind of enough to invite us all. He along with about 10 other monks acted as hospitable guides of the temple and the surrounding grounds. They showed us the library, housing near the temple, and a few other buildings. The monks as well as the Thai Teachers live near the temple.

After we got a little tour, we began our hike up. The hike wasn't a long hike, but it was beautiful. We hiked through lush greenery and walked over moss ( very slippery) covered stones. I was spraying myself like crazy since mosquitoes love me! After about 10-15 minutes, we reached the top. What a View! We had a view of the ocean and could hear the waves crashing. On the top, there were 2 additional temple buildings or shrines. One housed a Buddha where people can pray or meditate. The other housed an extremely old piece of inscribed stone that was brought all the way from Myanmar by Boat a few hundred years ago. It was hard to get more information since there was a language barrier that prevents articulation of detail within our conversations with the younger monks. I'll have to find out more from others that can explain more.We all spent much of the time conversing and enjoying the lovely Sunday afternoon. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do the hike with a wonderful group!

The Beginning 9/26

As many of you know, I am now in Thailand. I am training to be an English teacher for about a month and will then move on to my 4 month teaching assignment. ( To the left is an elephant that just happened to be hanging out at a Night Market in Rayong with it's owners. I, along with a few friends got to feed it sugar canes!)


My experience in Thailand has been great so far. I arrived to Thailand with no delays and was picked up at the Bangkok airport by my Aunt and Cousin. ( Who speaks little English - This was quite a task to communicate, but a great way to learn Thai!) I stayed in Bangkok for 2 days with my Aunt and Cousin.

Unfortunately, I got food poisoning my 2nd night, but was rushed to a great Thai hospital.( the best hospital experience I've had, minus the fact that I don't speak Thai - but the doctors do speak English)


Now, Mind you, I don't want this to deter you from visiting me in Thailand. Most of you know that I have a sensitive stomach! I was actually in Thailand for a month when I was 18 and never got sick - and was eating EVERYTHING but tap water. Thailand has the best Street Vendor food - all 65 of my fellow teaching trainees are from the U.K. , Australia, U.S. and other English Speaking Countries - and haven't gotten sick at all and have been eating EVERYTHING and are loving it!


Back to my update, I am now staying on a Beach in between the cities of Rayong and Ban Phe. We are right ON THE BEACH..and it's amazing. It's great to be near a beach and to have the water be about 70 degrees! The water is so warm and the beach is beautiful. It's so warm that many people go swimming at the wee hours of the night. The location is great, and we are near a pier where we can travel to the most world renowned Thai Islands with White Sand Beaches.

About 90% of my fellow teacher trainees and I went to Koh Samet on our 1st weekend. It was a blast. The Island is so beautiful and pristine - in most areas. I spent a lot of the time on the beach with my new friends Chelsea and Taryn.We did an amazing trek along the coast line and enjoyed refreshing beverages with orchids as garnishes! The highlight of the Island trip was getting invited to share a bottle of whiskey & Snacks by a group of 4 Thai sisters( Group shot with the 4 Sisters and one of the sister's son child in 5th Picture down). They were so kind and welcoming, Taryn and I will always remember how sweet they were...oh, and the 4 a.m. swim in the ocean that they encouraged us to do! When in Rome :)


As far as the Teacher training, it is intense but not as difficult as it sounds. There are a large portion of trainees that have NO teaching experience and there are a handful that do. The training is from 9 - 430 with breaks. We have our teacher training at a Buddhist Temple, so it's an interesting place to have class. We see all the monks in their orange robes and hear them chant every so often. A lot of the monks ( trainees) are young, some as young as 5. They're all either elementary, middle school, high school age. And the actual monks are older. Monks cannot eat after noon, cannot touch women ( not even a handshake) and have many other strict rules of life to abide by. We have to dress a certain way ( cover up, no showing our shoulders and no pants or skirts above our knees. It definitely gets hot in the Temple as Thailand has a humid climate, but it's just awesome to be able to train here so I cant complain too much! There are many other Thai cultural rules and faux paus that we must respect, so its a learning a process.