And We're Off!

Happy Tuesday! I hope this message finds you happy and healthy!

Today was our final day of teaching in the Bangkok middle school. It was an invaluable experience and I think we all learned a lot about what it might be like to teach English in our provinces. Plus, it definitely got me excited to work with students! They have so much energy!

Right now I am sitting in the library at Chulalongkorn University and enjoying some yummy Trader Joes treats that I just received in a package from my mom (Thanks mom!). I am also trying to upload some pictures onto Facebook - but it is being slow.

Tomorrow we have our last Thai Language class. We have been so fortunate to have this language training, and I know I will continue to learn and improve during the next five months. After class, I need to run some "errands" for things that might be hard to get in "the country" (as Bangkok people call the provinces). Thursday is a national holiday (Chulalongkorn Day in celebration of the birthday of King Chulalongkorn) so I will probably use that day to pack up all of my stuff and hopefully figure out a way to fit everything! On Friday we have our orientation wrap up meeting to discuss this past month of training, and to discuss our upcoming adventures! After the meeting, all ten ETAs have decided to travel back to Koh Samet for the weekend! We had such a lovely and relaxing time the last time we went that we couldn't think of a better way to spend our last weekend. I promise, though, that I am going to wear more sunscreen this time :)

And then I leave Monday morning for the Sukhothai Province to teach at Sawanan Wittaya School. Supposedly my school is about 2km from the town of Sawankalok, so that should be a nice walk or bike ride. I think getting a bike sounds like a great idea! It would be nice to have the freedom to go and explore. It is tough to know what Internet will be like at my school, but I will try to update you all when I get a chance!

I just have a few random observations and experiences to share about my time in Bangkok (and Thailand) so far:

Yellow Polos with the King's Symbol:
The day of the week you are born on is very important in Thai culture. (I am a Wednesday baby, or Wan Phut). The King of Thailand was born on a Monday and the color associated with Monday is yellow. So every Monday almost every other person is wearing a yellow polo with the King's symbol. It is a sign of respect and admiration for the King. Many people go even further and wear yellow on other days of the week, if not everyday.

Stray Dogs:
Oh my goodness, there are stray dogs everywhere. It is the weirdest thing because every part of the city has their own dogs. For instance, the dogs that are always on the university campus where we are studying are called the "Chulalongkorn" dogs. And the dogs that hang out on the street of our dorm are the "Chula Soi Hok" dogs. Oftentimes you will find that people leave out food for the dogs and somehow they seem to coexist pretty well amidst the people and traffic and everything.

7 - 11 stores are EVERYWHERE:
Holy guacamole! I have never seen so many 7 -11 convenient stores in my life! They are on every corner of every block - if not more frequent than that! Sometimes, at the end of the day, I will count up the number of different 7 - 11 stores I have been in that day and it isn't unusual to count at least four. I was talking to my little sister last night about it, and she was like "oh, it is kind of like Starbucks in Seattle?" And I guess you could make the comparison!

Thailand is all this, and much, much more!

Here's to living it up Thai style!

Peace!

Till next time,

เคท