Return to Chiang Mai!

The Queen’s birthday came around and landed us a Thursday off school. Which to us didn’t mean much as that didn’t afford us enough time to go anywhere. But GOD BLESS (Buddha bless?) the queen because the government made a LAST minute to give us the Friday off as well which meant.. that’s right, another 4 day weekend!! We couldddddn’t have been happier about this too because it would be our last and only opportunity to go back and visit my favorite Thai city, Chiang Mai!

Holiday in Ko Samet

Our first holiday in a loooong time finally arrived, and with a 4 day weekend we headed to Ko Samet! Felix and our friend Guy and I got on an overnighter to Rayong and then after song-thaew, tuk-tuk, and ferry rides we finally got to Koh Samet around lunch time.

How Time is Flying By...

It's been a few weeks and things are as always flying by here in Thailand. We just began our TENTH week of teaching at Anuban school, which marks exactly half way through the semester. It blows my mind how much time has gone by as it seems like we just started teaching there and before we know it we will be gone.

4th of July, Farang Style

The great American holiday came around and we wanted to make sure we didn't forget out home country. Some girls we met here this semester set up a party for about 30 of our (mostly new!) farang friends. It was set at a guesthouse about an hour 1/2 from Chaiyaphum so Felix, myself, and our friends from last semester, Julia and Guy decided to make a motorbike roadtrip out of it.

The coming of my 23rd year... and Alex Weaver Visits Thailand!

Thursday, June 24^th came around.. and something magical happened. One of my best friends from college ALEX Weaver came to Chaiyaphum! He had been traveling through Thailand for the previous 4 ½ week and the time had come for him to make his final stop in my city. AND right in time for my birthday. Things really can’t get much better.

Phi Ka Thon Festival… Not Quite How we do Halloween in the U.S

Our next big weekend trip in order was to head to the remote town of DAN SAI to celebrate the town’s annual festival called Pi Ka Thon, a thai version of Halloween but better coined as “Mardi Gras from Hell”. The world cup was just beginning and the boys dared not stray far from a T.V so the girls of Chaiyaphum (and Prae!) decided to explore this festival on our own.

Sky Rockets in Flight in Nong Khai

After two solid weeks getting back in the teaching grind, we had a long weekend ahead of us finally as it was the Buddha’s Birthday. Which also meant that in many Esan cities it was the ROCKET FESTIVAL! We chose to go to Nong Khai, a city right on the border with Laos (connected to Laos by the Friendship Bridge), about 6 hours Northeast of where we live.

These Kids are Smaller than What I'm Used to....

So here we are over a month into teaching at our new school, Anuban, and here is my highly delayed post of WHAT’S going on! We are teaching now at a PRIMARY school (Elementary) instead of high school and it is to say the least crazy. Not only are the kids small because they are young, but since they are thai they are sooo tiny. And mine are pretty much missing all of their teeth and kind of drool as they stare up at me!

Back and Better than Ever

NEW THAI TOWN!
So I’m back again after quite a long hiatus. Our first semester of teaching ended for us in March and we spent 5 weeks traveling around India and then came back to Thailand for a 2 week tour with Felix’s parents. With them we visited Bangkok, our hometown Inburi, Kanchanaburi to see Erawan falls, and then to the islands visiting Phuket and Ko Phi Phi again as well as two new islands for us Ko Lanta, and Railay beach.

Goodbye Inburi..

So this month has flown by since I last wrote. We have had several weekends in Bangkok, school field trips, and a lot of one on one time with teachers getting to know them even better. But alas, it's already our LAST WEEK of school at Inburi School and then we will have 2 1/2 months of break before moving to a new town! It seems like everything in life happens this way, but now that it's the end of the semester, we really can't believe how fast it has all flown by. Upon our last day we are now flooded with so many memories of the past semester…