My Birthday Weekend in Kanchanaburi

I constantly hear people say, “do it while you can!” or “do it while you’re still young.”  When I started telling people I was moving to Thailand, these were the go-to phrases from some older co-workers and family friends. These statements used to drive me crazy. I never wanted to have the mentality I couldn’t go after a dream because of my age or because my responsibilities were “in the way.” Obviously there’s more to it than just the drive to accomplish something.  Life takes off right before your eyes and you don’t even realize it’s happening.

Overnight English Camp

It was my first week teaching at a new school and my kids are CRAZY! They have so much energy, so much excitement, and their eagerness to learn is adorable.  I taught in the classroom Monday-Wednesday and was told I needed to chaperone/teach at the overnight English camp for the P1 (1st grade) English Program students Thursday-Friday.

My Thai Family

On my first day teaching at Triamudomsuksa Pattanakarn I met a woman in the teachers lounge who spoke very little English.  We were able to understand that she wanted her children to be tutored after school every day of the week and on weekends.  Normally, I would be like, “woah, lady! I need a day to recharge myself and relax!” But I just couldn’t say no to this sweet woman.  Also, I didn’t really know what I signed up for.

English Camp

My last two days in Hua Hin have been nothing short of insane!  A mix of good and bad insane.  Our group was hosting an English Language Camp at a local school for two days – Thursday and Friday.  This school does not have a western English teacher; however, they have thai teachers teaching English classes.  Pronunciation is not perfect, so our entire job was to focus on pronunciation… oh and classroom management. These children are WILD!

The King of Thailand’s Birthday Celebration

The Thai people absolutely love, love, love, their King.  And no one celebrates the Thai King’s birthday better than the Thai people.  December 5th is a very important day for the Thai people, it was the 87th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX, the world’s longest reigning monarch. As shown in my pictures, there was a huge celebration in Hua Hin, which is where the King resides.  He is currently in poor health, due to age, and was in Bangkok during his celebration.  However, most cities hold a ceremony to show their respect.

Culture Week

This week has been very busy.  I’ve barely had time to sleep!  XploreAsia is giving us Thai language classes and culture/history lessons almost every day.  We’ve taken a Muay Thai class, visited a monk at the Khao Tao Temple, played with dogs at RescuePaws, ate pineapple at a pineapple farm, and fed rescued elephants at the Hutsadin Elephant Foundation, and had a beach BBQ.  Needless to say, I’m exhausted – a good exhausted!