Gotta Go

Kanchanaburi

2010-07-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

Had a couple of days off and visited Kanchanburi which is about 2 hours to the west of Bangkok. This town is famous for being the home of the Bridge of the River Kwai. The bridge is great and all but it was not the highlight of the trip.

Elephant trekking through the forest was amazing. I had a very feisty little teenager all to myself and he got very playful when we went down and bathed in the water together - I never left his back and he managed to get me soaked. I even got a big sloppy kiss from his trunk at the end of the day. It was raining as we started out so I took my small bag and stuck it under my shirt - so if I look a bit deformed in the pics - thats why. (In other words - does this elephant make me look fat?) It is amazing how high you sit and then going up and down steep hills in the forest - well, that was the thrill of a lifetime.

Speaking of thrills of a lifetime - the tiger temple. The tigers are raised in captivity and are very tame and playful - many people think they are drugged. I don't have much experience in this area but the seemed alert to me. They are chained in the pictures - but that is only during the picture taking - later in the day as you walk through the canyon with the bigger cats they are free and walk with you. Being so close to these magnificent animals was such a thrill.

I also had the opportunity to swim in the Erawan falls for about three hours and took a bamboo raft and swam along side it as it floating down the river. Also the train ride to the Bridge offer great views of the river. I stayed right around the bend from the bridge in a room that was on a floating raft. Anytime a boat went by by bed and indeed the whole room would sway from side to side - all in all - great little getaway.

Songkran

2010-07-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Songkran is the Thai New Year and a great party all over the city. The entire city turns into one big water fight. The best action is at Silom where I hung out for about three days. one of the best times I ever had. Not only do you get sprayed with water but you also get clay smeared all over your face for good luck in the coming year. Looks like I will have lots of good luck.

Red Shirts

2010-05-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken at the red shirt rally just about a month ago. This was before things took a violent turn. I was in Bangkok and I decided to walk through the encampment to get to where I needed to go instead of walking all the way around. I found the protesters to be kind, friendly and generous. (They even offered me food.) Basically they positioned themselves in several key places around the city next to large government agencies. They have been there for over two months now. They do not leave. They are there day and night. The leaders of the group (officially called National United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship) provide the protesters with food. There is much discussion about what should be done. Many Thai believe that they should be removed. Others believe it is their right to protest. Many come from outside Bangkok yet I do have red shirts living across the street and in my neighborhood. The biggest demand seems the removal of the prime minister. My opinion is this - It's their country.

Love this Class

2010-04-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

What can I say - but I love this class. Monday and Wednesday nights from six thirty to eight thirty. They are such a geat help in my discovering Bangkok. Lots of great tips of where to go - what to do and of course - where to eat!!!

Birthday Party

2010-03-30T03:23:00.000-07:00

My private student's cousin had a Birthday party, and it was a typical Thai affair. Food. Kareoke. Whiskey. And more food. We had a great time and it lasted into the wee hours. Teacher was very tired at morning class.

The Living Greeting Card

2010-03-29T02:08:00.000-07:00

End of Two Week Intensive

2010-03-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

The two week intensive for government employees came to an end and the students invited me to their big party at the hotel where they were staying. The surprised me with a wonderful gift. A Hugo Boss dress shirt with a matching tie. Such taste! Aren't I lucky? They were a great class and I think they got a lot out of it. And they seemed to have fun while they were learning which is most important to me.

It was a great party that went late into the evening with wonderful food and lots of dancing and of course - Karaoke! Teacher did his best with Hotel California and Dancing Queen. All video tapes have been destroyed for public safety.

Laundry Thai style

2010-03-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have yet to see a dryer in Thailand. No need. You wash your clothes, hang them up and they are dry in about an hour. This sounds great but that means no late night last minute washes the night before - which was my usual pattern in the States. And the washing machines here aren't the greatest. The don't really have much gusto. The just swirl the clothes around and then spin them dry. So they don't really get hard dirt out and this city is so dirty that pants get really dirty. Maybe that why I see so many professional Thais wearing black pants. I do the khaki thing because it works for casual too and that means less clothes but I think it is time to go black. When in Thai...

How big is Bangkok?

2010-03-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

So big there is a golf course in the middle of the city!

Her Name is Mook

2010-03-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of my private students. We meet for two hours twice a week. My assignment-No textbook. No lesson plan. Only conversation. Now that is tough because she is very shy. Her English however is excellent. She loves Harry Potter and her teacher loves fantasy books, so we are writing a story together which may turn into book by the end.

This shy and terribly bright young girl came up with the most fabulous ideas. Like the woman who lives in a tree and can only answer yes or no questions who turns out to be the hero's mother but he doesn't know this till the end because he has to ask are you my mother?

The father of the hero went to the magical land of Wen years ago and two witches fell in love with him and he married one and had a child by her and the other comes to the real world later and steals the child and and the entire family has to go to the magical world to rescue him. She's sixteen and sharp and creative and a joy to teach.

Teacher at Work

2010-03-09T04:50:00.000-08:00

Teacher arriving for work (looking a little messy but it is about 95 degrees outside.) Ready to start the day.
This is the class for the two week intensive that I am doing. These are all government employees including lawyers, police, accountants and engineers. We meet everyday(except Sunday) for six hours for two weeks. They are all from out of town so they are excited to be in Bangkok shopping, eating, sight-seeing and learning some English along the way. They are a great class and we are having a lot of fun.

This is Air. She is one of my private students through ECC. I go to her house every Sunday morning and we work from 9:30 to 11:30 and then she cooks for me!!!!!

This is flat noodles with pork, mushrooms, baby corn on the cob, onions, spinach and chili. So delicious! My favorite that she makes for me. I have had it three times now. Paciu.

(One restaurant that I go to - I never order off the menu - they just bring me something new ever time.)

Everyone is trying to make Teacher fat!!!!

Bring it on!!!

Apology

2010-03-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

Apologies. Apologies. I have been neglecting my blog duties. Computer trouble. Internet trouble. I wont bore you with the details, but we should be all set now and back in business. And I got a new camera! So as soon I can figure out how to use the damn thing - pics will be overflowing.

Basically I have settled into kind of routine. I have a steady work schedule. I have my favorite places to eat and I have started going into Bangkok and exploring the nightlife. But I do work alot. I am doing another English camp for the next two weeks. A class of 20 adult professionals from 9 in the morning to 5 at night, Monday thru Friday and then of course my evening classes and Saturday and Sunday I have full days so its looks like I will not have a day off for about three weeks. But there is a holiday coming up and I will have 5 days off. So I am caught up in work now. I still enjoy it. There is just not that much to blog about it. I mean do you really want me to go on about verb tenses. LOL More fun stuff to come - I promise!!

Ao Phai

2010-02-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

Ok this is cheating - its from the Internet - but this is the beach where I stayed. Its called Ao Phai! And yes it looks just like this.

Return to Ko Samet

2010-02-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

I will be picking up a private lesson next week on Thursdays so my having Thursday and Friday off will be ending. So one last trip to the isle of Ko Samet. (The perfect overnight beach journey.)
This time the weather was flawless!
I left early and had my feet in the sand at noon. I sat in the sun, read, napped, ate fresh fish and then tragedy struck!
I was invited to join in a game of beach volleyball and the game was 22 -23 with my team ahead. I served, they returned, one of my teammates set up the ball and I dived - right into the ocean and went for a brief dip. Only later did I realize my camera was in my pocket and my trusty friend that saw Africa and now Thailand is no longer a part of my adventures. He was a good camera and I will miss him. So no pics of this trip and I will get a new one as soon as I can. Till then - anecdotes, observations and amazing descriptive passages will have to do.
But we won the game!!!!

English Camp

2010-01-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

For three days I was asked by my company to participate in an English Camp at a government high school outside Bangkok. 400 students! Ten hour classes of 40 students each. There where 5 teachers including myself and we each had different stations and the students rotated on the hour from one to the next.

It was not as bad as it sounds. I just focused on the class in front of me and then waited until the next group came my way.

The assignment? Create a puppet show using finger puppets and tell a story in English. At the end each group would do their show and we would judge them on Vocabulary use, Grammar, Story, Pronunciation and the creativity of their puppets.

I first I thought it was kinda lame and these cool Thai high school students would not be into it. But was I ever surprised. They turned out to be very creative.

One was a rock band and they introduced the band and played a song from an IPOD. It was really funny. 400 students pretending they were at a rock concert and cheering like mad fans and in reality they are watching a bunch of finger puppets shake and act like they were playing guitars.

Two very good Cinderella stories.

And one story where a group of friends went swimming in the ocean and saw a shark. "Tin swam fast. Duang swam fast. Pon swam fast. Tommy swam slow. The shark ate Tommy. We were sad. We went home."(Not a lot of points for grammar - but very funny.)

The winner? A boxing match between one of the students and Mike Tyson. The turned the box on its side and used strings to create the ring and even had one puppet as the girl who carries the round card. They asked us what her name was and none of us could think of it. I finally suggested - showgirl. The puppets were very well drawn and the kids were really into it.

I had a blast but they were long days and I am looking forward to returning to my regular schedule.

Ko Samet

2010-01-24T23:32:00.000-08:00

I took my first overnight excursion outside the city and where did I go? The beach, of course! The island of Ko Samet - 200 km southeast of the city of Bangkok. Three and a half hour bus ride from Bangkok directly to the pier at BanPhe in Rayong and then an hour ferry ride to the island.

I knew I was in for an adventure when I sat on the top of the ferry for a better view and two guys - one from Cambodia and the other from Laos invited me to join them in the bottle of Brandy they brought.

There are many beaches to choose from. I chose Ao Phai because this women I met from Minnesota told me that's where returning travelers often go.

The beaches were lovely and the guest house was cheap and clean.

Unfortunately the weather was not that great. Cloudy the first day and it rained all day the second. But it was still warm enough the first day to go swimming and get a massage on the beach. And of course, I walked for hours around the beaches - exploring the island and ended the evening shooting pool on the beach with guys from Australia, Wales and San Francisco.

But I got a taste for the place and I will definitely be back. Perfect for an overnight trip away from the city. And the perfect thing about going to the beach in Thailand - it isn't seasonal. It's there all year.

Dusit Zoo

2010-01-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

Today I went into the city and spent almost the entire day at the Dusit Zoo in downtown Bangkok. Because I have been on safari in Africa, I must confess that a couple of zebras, a couple of giraffes and a hippo or two is not such a big deal to me. But I did get to spend a lot of time with my friends. These elephants were a family - Dad and Mom and Son and they did a short show in which they played with balls and danced and did silly things, but I spent most of my time just hanging out with them - backstage. These animals mesmerize me and it was nice to get acquitted with three new beauties and I'm sure I will visit them again.

Oh, and the white tiger was pretty cool.

The Teaching Adventure Continues

2010-01-09T02:28:00.001-08:00

I was asked to fill in for a teacher at a school out in the suburbs of Bangkok. The same school that I had visited a couple of weeks ago. They had offered me a job there - but I decided not to take it because the commute would have been to much.

I was told there was no lesson plan and no textbook. I had no idea how many students I was to be teaching or what age.

And it turned out to be such an exciting day.

The head teacher met me at our regular school and escorted me there. The school was hidden among backstreets and turn arounds. We took a cab down the main road and then a motorcycle taxi to the school. (Thank heavens one of the teachers who worked there full time lived near me and helped me get home or I would have been so confused.)

I was given a schedule. Two classes of first graders, then lunch, then one class of third graders and another of first graders.

I was told not to enter the class until it was time to start teaching. OK (?) So that's what I did. I entered at exactly 9 to class of about 40 first graders and said a casual hello. At that point all the students stood up like soldiers and shouted at the top of their voices, "Good Morning Teacher. How Are You?" I was so taken back that I just smiled and said, "That was very good." Before I could get another word in -they screamed in unison, "I'm Fine And You?"
It was so funny that all I could do was not laugh out loud. I then started teaching:

Hello my name is...

What's your name?

Her name is...

His name is...

And then I reviewed the alphabet but writing random letters on the board and had them yell them out and then I started spelling out school vocabulary.

Teacher

Students

School

Class

Desk

Board

And they shouted out the letters while I spelled each word.
then we would go over the word together.
then I would spell the word and leave a blank for one letter

S C _ O O L

And they would have to guess the letter.
By the last 15 minutes of the class;

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

they would shout out letters till they formed the word.

These kids were amazing. They were so energetic and fun. They would scream with delight each time the got a letter right and when they could start to see what word it was - they got so excited and were screaming E E E and I kept smiling and saying "Are you sure?" "YES. YES." They would come up and hug my leg in the middle of class. One boy just wanted to keep shaking my hand. The day flew by. But was I ever tired. I was very glad to go back to my regular school and just stand at a whiteboard and talk about clauses and sentences. But what a great day. Every day? I dont know.

I was waiting for the other teacher to finish up his class and I sat and watched girls play jump rope after school and had one of those moments. I'm here. I did it. And I love it.

Random Observations Continued

2010-01-03T01:37:00.000-08:00

1) When you go to a gas station in Thailand, everyone must get out of the car when it is filling up with gas - it's the law.

2) What Mickey Mouse is to the US, Winnie the Pooh is to Thailand.

3) Pringles are available in crab, shrimp and seaweed flavors.

4) The Thai language has 50 different sounds which can be spelled in less than 100 ways. The English language has 44 different sounds that can be spelled over 1,ooo different ways.

5) When going to the movies, you are asked to stand before the movie starts for a short film about the King. Any negative remarks about the King can land you in jail. Last year an American drew a moustache on a picture of the King and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. The King pardoned him.

6) American country and western style is very popular in Thailand. The boots, the shirts and the music. I constantly hear Johnny Cash being played in malls. There are many boutiques that specialize in "Country."

Chatuchak Market

2010-01-02T04:30:00.000-08:00

All over Bangkok there are markets with tiny passageways where you can easily get lost for an hour pouring over a variety of goods and delighting in the low cost of things.

Chatuchak weekend market is the big daddy of them all.

Over 6,000 stalls. The size of five football fields. It is shopping heaven.

Rarely do I have weekends off, so this was my chance. Luckily, I got there early ( about nine ) because you really need all day.

Everything; jeans, dress shirts, t shirts, casual clothes, formal clothes, wedding dresses, dress shoes, sneakers, and boots - tons of boots, toys, PETS, antiques, books, housewares, cookware, ceramics, furniture, handcrafts, plants, flowers, gardening supplies, and of course food- tons of food.

And at one corner, there are the most amazing art galleries with some of Bangkok's best artist. I saw beautiful paintings and sculptures that really blew me away. Right next to a guy selling puppies!

It is so cramped in these large warehouse-like pavilions and there is no air conditioning but it was incredible. It just goes on and on and just when you think that you've seen everything in one building, you discover a new aisle of stalls you never noticed.

And what did I buy?

A used children's book for learning the Thai alphabet.

My new years resolution. To be fluent in speaking, writing and reading.

Wish me luck.

Personal note - Kathy, I really missed you today. You would have loved this place. But you were with me in spirit. And when you visit me - we gotta go!

More Random Shots

2010-01-01T09:42:00.001-08:00

More Beauties

The workers treated them with such respect and love it was amazing.
All the elephants seemed healthy and alert.

This is a homemade gas station.
Out in the country.
And its illegal.
And I saw a cop stop and get gas.

Kids feeding turtles.
(OK, I fed them too.)

Random Shots

2010-01-01T04:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some random shots that didn't make it to other blogs.

Monument in front of the Royal Plaza.

Wat Pho

The Reclining Buddha in the Ancient City

The view from outside my apartment.

I think this guy recognized me.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Bangkok!

And to think that for 12 hours, I will be a year ahead!

My Favorite Buddha

2009-12-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

This is from Wat Pho.

He is my fave buddha.

I mean, look at him.

So enlightened.

So happy.

Just chilling under a tree.

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

2009-12-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is the bottom of the feet that contains the mother of pearl images.

Paintings on the wall of the hall.

Once again, pictures do not do it justice. It was such a small hall for such a huge object.

But at least you get an idea.

More Wat Pho

2009-12-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

Wat Pho

2009-12-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

Today, I went into the city and took the ferry to see Wat Pho.

Wat Pho is Thailand's oldest and largest temple. From the 16th century, it predates the city of Bangkok. It is also home to the Chapel of the Reclining Buddha. Of all the gestures of the Buddha (including Touching the Earth, Meditation, Reassurance, Exposition, and Restraining the Waters ), the Reclining Buddha represents parinivana, or ultimate nirvana. The 150 foot long gold gilded plaster and brick image fills the entire hall. On its feet are the most amazing mother of pearl images which represent the auspicious signs of the true Buddha. There is even a tree that is said to have been grown from the cuttings of the original tree that Buddha sat under. Unfortunately this section was closed do to construction.

These temples are amazing! I could walk around in them for hours. And I do.

In America, I use to delight in the historic feeling of a place like Boston, but this place is from the 16th century. I walk around and imagine the monks over the ages that called this place their home. Could they imagine that years later, tourists would be wondering the grounds shooting digital photographs to post for their friends in seconds halfway around the world?

Christmas in Bangkok

2009-12-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

Although it is not a traditional holiday in Thailand - they certainly have embraced the holiday. Especially commercially. Christmas is everywhere.

Santa gave me -

1)My first full time paycheck ( well part of it. - let me explain. Everyone in Bangkok gets paid once a month, but if you work for a good company like I do - you get an advance halfway into the month. So I do get paid every two weeks. My salary is 36,000 baht a month. I get an advance of 10,000 baht on the 25th and the balance of 26,000 baht on the 12th. So, its a little strange but easy enough to get used to and it is certainly better than once a month.) I spent some money on much needed things for my apartment. (A trash can, a rack to hang my clothes on -laundry places dont use dryers, why bother?? its so hot you just hang them on racks and they are dry in 1 hour,- towels, bath stuff and a good book on teaching yourself to read and write in Thai for my new years resolution.

2)The discovery of a 24 hour diner about a 15 minute walk from my apartment that has American Breakfast (scrambled eggs, sausage, toast and juice) for about 2 dollars.( Sometimes you just want food - not an adventure.)

3)The discovery of an awesome neighborhood called Chatuchak which is full of fabulous authentic antiques from all over the Far East and.. hold on to your hats.... A street vendor who has tons of used books in English. Now, those of you that know me well know that of my favorite things to do in life - browsing antique stores and used books are way on the top of my list. Thank you Santa.

My school, ECC, had a Christmas Eve party for all its teachers from all the branches on a rooftop in Bangkok with free food and free beer. It was great meeting all the other teachers and the more I share my experience with them - how I landed a great job in three days and how much I paid to get certified- it becomes clear to me that someone has truly been looking out for me and I am grateful.
Drinking Thai beer, eating great food on a roof top, looking at the Bangkok skyline all lit up at night - not a bad Christmas Eve.
At school on Saturday and Sunday we also had Santa give out gifts and take pictures with the kids. Some of the younger kids even learned some carols and sang them in front of the tree at school. It was all very sweet and surreal at the same time.

I couldn't help thnking - Where will I be next Christmas?
I wonder as I wander.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Bangkok!

Here Comes The Judge!

2009-12-23T08:19:00.000-08:00

I was invited to judge an English speech contest today for a Tech College far away on the outskirts of town. There were about 15 students who had prepared a five minute speech from memory in English on topics ranging from Global Warming to what they love about their hometown. It was so much fun!

I was informed at the last minute that I was to give a speech and I spoke briefly about the big differences between Thai and English.

As my Thai is getting better and better everyday, it has occurred to me that the biggest gaps between the two are verb tenses, the use of articles ( the , an and a ), and the use of prepositions. None of these exist in the Thai language. Also pronunciation - most obvious being r's and l's. But there are more. I was talking to one of my classes about my love for jazz and they looked very confused and I kept saying "Do you know the word - jazz? " And they kept saying, "Yes." But they were still confused. Finally I wrote the word on the board and it turned out they all thought I was talking about "chess." So now these have become the perfect practice words for the difference between the j and ch sound and the s and z sound. And of course, they still call me Matchew.

The biggest problem still is getting them to be bold in their attempts to speak English. They are so afraid of making mistakes. I have started telling them, "Don't wait to be perfect to speak English, it will take too long. Just try."

Of course, my learning their language has helped me understand how they must feel and I am certainly bold about my broken Thai.

Random Ramblings

2009-12-21T02:31:00.000-08:00

1) Thai people drink out of bags. If you go to a store and you buy a soda, unless you stop them, they will pour it into a clear plastic bag and add ice and a straw. I see people walking around Bangkok all the time - sipping soda out of a clear plastic bag. Soups are also sold on the street in the same way.

2) Thai people will nap anywhere! Often if you go to a large outside market you will see someone on a break sprawled out on a table just taking a nap. My kind of crowd!

3) The Thai have invented a new word in English - "edutainment." At first I thought it was education misspelled, as many English words are; on products and on signs, but this actually means something. Many malls have little private schools for learning a new language, acting schools, music schools and computer schools. (Which is exactly the kind of place I teach - a learning center. ) The area where all of these are located is called the edutainment center. Education and entertainment. I think its a great word.

4) Just because it is called a bus stop - don't expect the bus to actually stop. It will pick you up and drop you off - but a full stop is rare.

5) Thai people think all farangs (white foreigners ) are rich.

6) Even Thai people complain about the heat. (And its winter!)

Assumption Cathedral

2009-12-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

Near the Oriental Hotel is this beauty. Built in 1910 this cathedral has a high vaulted ceiling and this amazing marble altar brought in from France and is the principal Catholic church in Bangkok. The ceiling is patterned with all these gold starbursts. The rose window has two large towers on each side.

The Oriental Hotel

2009-12-17T06:23:00.000-08:00

Repeatedly voted the world's best hotel for its service, The Oriental Hotel was established in 1876. The white room you see is called the Author's Suites. It is located in a narrow wing of the hotel lined with white shutters. Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward and Joseph Conrad all stayed in the hotel and spent time writing in this room. They still serve high tea old-school style and when I told them I was just here to look around they were so accommodating - "Please enjoy and take many pictures."

It is located right by the river among side streets and alleys. And at the end of the cramped city maze this fabulous place appears.

There is an enormous garden in back that follows the river. My camera ran out of batteries but trust me this place is breathtaking!

2009-12-13T03:18:00.000-08:00

It is amazing to me how quickly I have become accustom to a new life. I left the house today and was going over things I had to get done in my head and felt sort of blaze about the day's errands and then I stopped and said to myself - You're in Thailand!! You are doing these things in Bangkok! It really made me giggle. How quickly we take things for granted.

2009-12-08T02:20:00.000-08:00

I started a new class today. It is a private class so it will be just one student every Monday thru Friday from 9 to 12. He is about 15 and his family is moving to Gainesville, S.C. and he wants to perfect his English before he leaves. He is a wonderful student and very eager to learn. I think we will enjoy our time together very much. Private classes are the best. The three hours flew by.

2009-12-05T01:13:00.000-08:00

Saw something disturbing today.

I went to my neighborhood market to get my favorite pad thai and saw the woman who cooks from the cart get hit by what appears to have been her husband - in public. I had noticed him on several occasions as I have been there repeatedly in the last couple weeks. He always shyed away from me and hid in the back of the kitchen and occasionally would peek around the corner and smile at me. He is a small man about 30 years old at the most and honestly I thought he was flirting with me and just terribly shy.

But today was different. I always sit at one of the tables outside the restaurant near the stand where she cooks so that I can watch her as I still find it fascinating. I ordered my lunch and after waiting only about two minutes, he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and came up to her and yelled and proceeded to smack her in the face repeatedly. She did not attempt to fight back. She simply closed herself up and got backed into a corner. I rose from my chair and was about to get involved when an older man from the street shouted something at him and split them up. Both men proceeded to walk away as if not much had happened. She immediately returned to cooking with tears in her eyes. Every time I had been there before she would always smile and when I would pat my stomach with satisfaction we would both smile. After this man hit her, she never looked me in the eye.

There is another woman who works with her and when the girl was being hit, she backed away and refused to get involved. When it was over, she looked at me and shrugged. There was another woman in her fifties buying something to go when this happened and she gave him the look of death and then went on her way. No one comforted the girl.

I sat there and ate me lunch angry and heartbroken. He kept walking by me as he was setting up other tables preparing for the rush and I so desperately wanted to do something. But I didn't. I did not have my passport on me because the office where I work is using it for my work permit application and there are police all over this area and I figured the last thing I needed to do was get involved in an altercation without my passport on me.

What shocked me most was people's reaction to it. I seemed the only one horrified. I think it is dangerous to make assumptions about Thai people with this one incident, but I couldn't help being deeply saddened by the apparent lack of outrage and concern for the young woman's well being.

I must point out though, I do not know their relationship. It could be her brother, cousin, boyfriend or boss-I don't know. Not that it much matters.

One thing I know for sure, it appears he is the owner of this place and today will be my last visit.

This is a picture of her.
God Bless her and keep her safe.

More Golden Mount

2009-12-01T04:41:00.001-08:00

The Golden Mount

2009-12-01T04:19:00.000-08:00

The Golden Mount sits atop a man-made hill that overlooks all of Bangkok. Up until the 1960's this was the tallest point in Bangkok. And then the skyscrapers arrived. However, the view is still astounding. You walk up steps that go around the outside of the temple. Surrounding the temple is a wooded area with odd monuments and tombs all dedicated to the benefactors who helped in its construction. The wooded area is oddly Gothic with a Buddhist flair. The Golden Mount is located at the Wat Sacket which for thousands of years served as a crematorium.

After climbing the circular staircase you arrive at a small sanctuary which holds a shrine in the middle where people pray and meditate. The grounds of this place and the panoramic view are well worth the climb. Along the climb to the top are a series of bells and gongs that you are encouraged to ring as they are known to keep the deceased quiet. Some of Buddha's remains are said to rest somewhere in the sanctuary.

At the very top - on the roof - is a large gold point with a shrine on each side for further meditation.

This is considered a particularly sacred place for the Buddhist because its height and view are known to offer perspective.

And they are right!

When in Thailand - ya gotta go!

2009-11-29T03:33:00.000-08:00

More Random Observations

1) There is a moisturizer that is available in almost every pharmacy that claims to lighten the color of your skin. Apparently it is very popular with teenagers. I see advertisements all over Bangkok that are for products made here, for Thai people and almost all the models are white people. Almost all the Thai fashion models have very pale skin. 95% of the people I see on the street are dark skinned.

2) I have never seen anyone over the age of fifty left on the bus with no place to sit. Someone will give them their seat.

3)All Thai people do is eat. If they are not eating they are thinking about what they will eat next and rarely do I ever see anyone overweight. And I mean RARELY.

4)There are 7-11's everywhere! Sometimes two or three on the same street.

5)Thai people are not to specific about time. If your class starts at noon and you show up 10 to 15 minutes late, it is no big deal. I am sure this is due to how difficult it can be to get around.

6)It is perfectly legal for motorcycles to drive on the sidewalk.

7)"Sir" in Thai means "stupid." So "Thank you, sir" means "Thank you, stupid." Luckily I was told this before I found out the hard way.

8)When getting dressed up and wanting to look professional - a belt is more important than a tie.

9)If you work in a retail store - your manager will lead you in physical exercises before your shift starts.

2009-11-29T02:57:00.000-08:00

My neighbors had a party for their grandson's second birthday and I was invited. What a great time we had!

First of all, the kid is so adorable and a great kid to hang out with. I bought him a ABC book - of course because I have been hanging out and speaking English with him. The kid is so sharp. He picks things up so fast.

Second - the food.. For appetizers we had pork and carrots wrapped in rice paper, crab rangoon and fish bone. Now - crab rangoon in Thailand has no cream cheese. It is only crab in fried wontons. And my new opinion is that is the way God intended them to be. OK - fish bone. It is fish bones that have been breaded and fried. They still have fish sticking to the bone for flavor and you crunch on them much like a potato chip and dip them in this hot chili sauce. (I will be honest - not my favorite.)

And now the entree. Cubes of beef liver, chicken breast, roasted pork, scallions, rice noodles, bean sprouts and a hard boiled duck egg. (Duck egg is very popular here and it is much meatier or dense than a chicken egg and it does take a little getting use to but I have grown to love them. They are often used as a garnish to soups.) And then this lovely pork based broth is added. And let me tell you... It was amazing. The taste combinations are so different from what we are used to in America, but after the second bite you really get into it. And just one bowl was so filling. I asked if there was a name and they said there really wasn't. They just call it dinner.

After dinner, the adults hung out, drank Thai beer ( with ice - but when in Rome..)and played poker.

Now - Thai poker:

It is similar to Blackjack - but not.

You are dealt two cards face down and have the option for one more card - also face down.

The scoring system is 0 to 9

Face cards and 10s are worth zero.

So if you are dealt a 10 and a 7 - you have seven points.

If you are dealt a 4 and a 3 - you have seven points.
If you are dealt an 8 or 9 - you must show it immediately.

A winning hand using two cards of the same suit pays double.

Three face cards ( which technically equal 0) pay triple.

Three face cards in sequence also pay triple.

And three face cards in sequence of the same suit pay 5 times.

It is such a great game. It is fast and furious. It is possible to win with one point - because the dealer could get zero. And ties are possible. We had a blast drinking beer on a hot Thai evening, laughing and I took it upon myself to teach then some poker English. ( Poker face, jinxed, cooler, cut, goocher.) We played until 2 in the AM and I stumbled across the street and got up to teach a 12 o'clock class. I lost three dollars.

When I got to school, I told another teacher about my night and he said, "Ya know, poker is illegal in Thailand." Here for less than a month and I am already breaking the law. Not bad. But when you are a world traveler like me - you run that risk.

Gotta go!

2009-11-27T04:33:00.000-08:00

Random Observations about Thailand

1) There are phone booths! Remember those? And they are everywhere. And they all work.
And there are cell phone stores everywhere. A couple of the malls I have been to have one entire floor devoted to cell phones mini stores that are privately owned. They all like cell phone markets and they are always empty.

2)When you but a movie ticket you actually get a seat number. I saw 2010 and I had seat f19.

3)There are doormen all over this city. They are dressed in uniforms much like if they were in their military dress and if you smile at them as they open the door - they salute you.

4)Wherever there are Buddhist shrines - which are all over the place - people stop and do a quick bow even if they are just passing by.

5)Thai people do not use chopsticks generally speaking. They eat with a fork and large spoon. You gather the food with the fork onto the spoon and eat with the spoon.The only time I have seen chopsticks in use was in a Japanese restaurant.

6)Hardly anyone watches any television.

7)People who commute back and forth from the city, as I often do, can be on the bus for up to two hours and no one reads. A few of the younger people listen to their IPods - but most just sit and patiently wait.

8) It is easy enough to get used to a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road - except when you are crossing the street. I still instinctively look to the left - but the cars are coming from the right. Could it be when my mother told me to look both ways before crossing the street, she was preparing me for global travel? I like to think so.

2009-11-27T04:31:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Thailand. I celebrated with my favorite pad thai.

2009-11-24T06:26:00.000-08:00

I went to the Immigration Office today to apply for my non- immigrant visa. What a place! Imagine your local Registry of Motor Vehicles and multiply it by ten. 7 floors of madness. Language barriers all over the place. Overheard frustrations like - "No one ever told me I needed that document! How much more do I have to pay? I can't wait two weeks! I can't find where I need to go next."

I was so lucky that a representative from ECC went with me. He has been doing this for 7 years. He knew most of the people there. He told me beforehand what I needed to bring and I brought those things and he told me to sit in a chair and wait. After about 15 minutes he came back out of the office and said, "We're done."

The next step is waiting for my work visa. He will process all that information and then I am all set.

And O.K. - I confess - I had McDonald's today.

2009-11-23T05:39:00.000-08:00

The Thai greeting is known as the wai and consists of the palms being pressed together and lifted towards the chin. The wai evolved from an ancient greeting used to show that neither party was carrying weapons. The wai is layered with intricacies of class, gender and age: each of these dictates a certain height at which the two hands must be held. Non-Thais are not expected to be familiar with these complexities, and the easiest method is simply mirror what ever greeting you receive.

2009-11-23T05:30:00.000-08:00

More shots of Bangkok from today's stroll around the city.

Just finished reading this book that my best friend Kathy gave me by Thoreau called Walking.

"He who sits still in the house all the time may be the greatest vagrant of all, but the saunterer, in the good sense, is no more vagrant than the meandering river. For every walk is a sort of crusade."

2009-11-23T05:03:00.000-08:00

First Day!
First Class! These wonderful people make up my very first class at ECC. The range in age from 16 to 42 and are great students and very eager to perfect their English. We meet on Saturday mornings from 9 to 12. Our first day we spent getting to know each other. I told them a little about myself and they were very excited about New York City. (It seems that Manhattan is the top destination choice of Thai people when they dream about coming to America.)
Then we moved on to adverbs of frequency - never, rarely, sometimes, often and always. We made up sentences about Thai customs and they did very well.
(Interesting fact - All Thai students must go through Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts as a part of their education.)
And then we reviewed telling time in English and the months on the calendar. I think it was a very productive first day and I can't wait to continue on Saturday.

And then on Sunday from one to four, my second class. 12 students from about 12 to 14. A tad more restless but just as enthusiastic and we reviewed verb tenses - such as present perfect, future continuous and the like. This is a tough thing for all Thai learning English and they had a hard time getting it - but I reminded them - this is hard stuff - most Americans couldn't even describe it to you - then just do it naturally. I will think of some games to come up with that might help. But they are very bright kids with a great sense of fun and it think that we will have a fabulous time together. So far, I love teaching and am looking forward to going full time next week.
Big day tomorrow - I go to The Ministry of Education for my work visa. All my paperwork is in order and everything should go smoothly.
Had the day off today so went into the city for more strolling around. At one point, I just started giggling. This is happening. I'm here. I have a job, an apartment and am getting to know my way around without a map more and more every day. Next step - perfected my Thai. I know some. but I want to learn more. They say if you really keep it up - you can be fairly fluent in six months. Look at me Ma - I'm bilingual!
Well- gotta go.

2009-11-19T22:51:00.000-08:00

Just realized that I forgot to tell you about this! This is amazing!

This is from the What ( temple ) that I visited on my fourth day here.

Now stick with me cause this is incredible.

These are oyster shells. You cant really see by the picture but they are all larger than my foot. They are enormous for oyster shells! and they found thousands of them. They found them under the ground about 50 years ago. Now bear in mind the ocean is about two hour flight from here. They estimate that these oysters shells are over 6 million years old. You heard me!
And they created these mounds from the oyster shells as a part of the What to honour the sea and the past. This pile of shells is about two floors high and there is no concrete used! The monks piled them slowly and they formed these structures of which there are over half a dozen.

And they are still finding more!

2009-11-19T22:47:00.000-08:00

Went today to open up my bank account and it was very interesting - they didn't even ask for my address. Ah - the power of the passport. And they give you a passbook which keeps track of your account. You must bring it with you whenever you do a bank transaction and they notate what you do by sliding this small book in the computer and the computer prints a new line with what your transaction was and what your new balance is - kinda like a computer generated running check book balance. Kinda cool.
And my friend Kate helped me clarify something - where I live is not really the suburbs. Think of it as a borough. If Bangkok is Manhattan, then I live in Queens.

2009-11-19T04:32:00.000-08:00

Went into Bangkok today to do some errands and stopped by the Erawan Shrine. This shrine was created on the grounds of what was the Erawan Hotel in the 1950s. The construction of the hotel was plagued with so many mishaps and death that this shrine was erected on the spot and dedicated to Indra ( the King of Gods in Hindu mythology ) and his elephant mount - Erawan.

It is THE spot for anyone wishing to express gratitude for recent good fortune. Because everything had gone so smoothly for me since arriving in Thailand and because I found a job so quickly, I decided this was the perfect place for me to stop and be still and sit in gratitude.

Women in traditional costumes do regular dances on the hour at the shrine and I even caught a glimpse of the second shift getting ready to go on.

Its A Bizarro World Part Three - Walking along the streets of Bangkok and suddenly over the streets I hear loud speakers begin - "Sleigh Bells Ring - Are You Listening?" Christmas is coming to Bangkok.

Looking for a Teaching Job in Thailand

2009-11-18T03:47:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that someone might possibly read this blog who desires to do the same thing I have done.
There is a lot of advice online about this very subject. Some of which I intended to follow exactly when I arrived and found it to be very misguided.
Here's my two cents:

1) Wait until you get here. I know its scary but most places are looking for someone to start right away. I came during the slow time. Public schools were two weeks in session and I missed those opportunities. ( I arrived the 4Th of Nov. ) But I still found a job in three days.

2) Don't waste your time with emails and phone calls. Most emails are answered by school secretaries who may not be very good at the Internet and most phone calls will reach those same secretaries who often have weak English and it is very difficult to set up something definite.

3) Get dressed up and pound the streets with your resume in hand.

4) Bring all original documents - especially your diploma and teaching certificate.

5) Be prepared to take a grammar quiz as a part of your application.

6) There is an article on Transitions Abroad called How To Find A Job In Thailand in Ten Days. The writer tells you to stay on Khaosan road ( the backpackers hub ) and use that as your address and look for a job from there. Very poor advice! If possible employers see that on your resume, they will not take you seriously at all. Luckily I have a friend (love you Kate) who set me up with a friend who had a place for me to stay and I used that address and possible employers knew that I was not trying to teach for a week, make some extra bucks and then quite on them.

7) You need a college degree, a TEFL certificate of some kind, and some teaching experience - but that doesn't have to be Teaching English. Spin it to win it.

8) I got my teaching certificate from ICAL. It only cost 250 bucks but it does not include teaching experience - just writing papers on theory and lesson plans. It is worth 100 hrs. TEFL is the biggest and most recognized site. This certificate is worth 200 hrs. and you actually teach as a part of the training but it can cost up to 1300. Your choice.

9) English Teachers online can be a grumpy bunch. Don't let them get you done. Thailand is an amazing place! And it is not perfect. Its incredibly overpopulated and hot and smoggy and can be very dirty and very difficult to get around at first. The people though are incredible and the city has incredible sites and journeys around every corner. ( Oddly enough I have had more luck with asking Thai people for help then other foreigners. )

But if you are up for the adventure - then you Gotta Go!!

2009-11-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

This is the local market I was telling you about. I returned today for lunch and it was amazing. Within the buildings are little mazes of stalls with the most amazing produce and fruits and veggies and fish ( Thai people are not a bit shy about eating fish with the head on - I did my third day here and it was very good - snake head fish it was - sweet and light.) And all the meats and little stalls that just sell all this crazy stuff. One had a stall of duck eggs. and that's what she does every day - she sells her duck eggs. I have a feeling that this is where a lot of restaurants get their supplies.

This time I tried this spicy soup ( name escapes me ) and just grabbed little things here and there. Thai people kinda have little bites all throughout the day. Breakfast and Dinner are big meals but they just sort of have bites during the day. Works for me!

And I went to a doctors clinic to get my blood tested for my Work Visa and it turns out I do not have syphilis or leprosey. What a relief! (And I think of all those years of worry.)

Going to play with the neighbor's kid now. His parents like me to get him started on English. And he's a great kid.

Well...

gotta go!

2009-11-17T02:34:00.000-08:00

Went for a walk in my neighborhood today because I have been going into the city so much I just haven't had the time to explore it and found this amazing open market space only about 5 blocks down the main street. They have everything-hardware store, drug store, doctor's clinic and even a video store where I can rent movies. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me - but I can only describe it as very cool and very ... well, rustic. This is real Thai. If I have time I will go back tom and get some pics.
Stopped at restaurant - well, a woman who cooks out of cart and has a table for you to sit and ordered authentic pad thai with shrimp. God it was amazing, She had all the ingredients in little cups and just threw it all together in the wok. Much spicier then what you get in America but I am learning to appreciate spicy. First - don't drink water. It only spreads the heat throughout your mouth and lingers after you finish eating. And it never gets much hotter than the first bite. And believe it or not spicy foods in the heat are great. I don't know why it just works.
gotta go.

2009-11-16T05:17:00.000-08:00

Went in and signed my contract today and got the paperwork started for my work visa and work permit. Its official - I am employed!! Celebrated by going to Lumphini Park - Bangkok's version of Central Park. Not nearly as big but the landscaping and lakes were lovely. I think I will be spending a lot of time there when I go into the city. Greenery is very hard to finding these parts and those of you who know me - know I need the see the green!

Side note - Spencer, are you reading this? I dont have your right email and I am desperate to chat. Please e-mail me at matthewaughie@gmail.com -so we can catch up!

Well... gotta go!

2009-11-15T01:11:00.000-08:00

Took the day off today and just relaxed. And then it started to rain. First time since I have been here. Lovely clean mist of a rain and I immediately went out and started to walk and the rain washed all the heat away and it felt wonderful. Good day.

2009-11-14T04:44:00.000-08:00

Looks like I will be signing a one year full time contract to teach English at ECC this Monday. Part time for the rest of the month and then full time begining The 1st of December and I get my first pay check on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

2009-11-13T04:21:00.000-08:00

Second interview today - went well - but the girl I interviewed with did not speak very good English, so it was difficult to get information from her. ( She worked in the office and wasn't a teacher.) So tomorrow I go back and talk to the head teacher who is from Australia and I will get more specific info. She did walk me around and show me the place and kept introducing me as the new teacher - but I didn't sign a contract or anything - so we shall see.

ITS A BIZZARO WORLD - TWO

The other day I was taking the bus home from Bangkok ( about a two hour ride because we were in rush hour ) and this Buddhist monk around fifteen or so from Bangladesh sat next to me and fell asleep leaning against me on the bus. Truly bizarre. I was giggling inside the whole time - is this really happening. Indeed it was.

2009-11-12T04:15:00.000-08:00

I had a long day of walking the streets and knocking on doors - but the last place I went gave me an interview on the spot and I have a follow up interview tomorrow at one of their branches which is actually closer to where I live. And this is a picture of the street I live on. The neighbors are very friendly and they stare as I walk by. I am the only foreigner in the hood. Guess that makes me somewhat of a celebrity and I am certainly the talk of the town.

2009-11-11T05:49:00.000-08:00

Went back into the city today to continue the job search. Went to a place called Language Express where my friend knows the founder and although I don't have enough credentials to work there - I did have a great conversation with one of the head teachers and he was very helpful and gave me a lot of wonderful specifics about my search. He encouraged me to just keep pounding the pavements and going directly to the schools. He suggested three other places to go to that fit my resume better and I will hit those tom. ( so that makes 4 leads for tom.)Apparently it is the slow time of year and a lot of people are looking for the same thing I am. But we shall not let that get us down. There is a job for me somewhere and I will find it. sorry no pics today. Too busy with the search. Wish me luck. Big day tom.

2009-11-10T07:05:00.001-08:00

Went job searching today in the big city. Walking around in Bangkok's heat dressed like a banker. Still taking a long time to find things but eventually I do. Visited three schools to drop off my resume and the third one was a charm - got an interview on the spot. I think it went very well. They may start me out parttime and then maybe move on to fulltime. I should find out maybe next week. But very productive first day of serious looking. I am getting more and more confident with the buses and the sky train is very clear and easy to use. Going to bed and going to get up and do it again. By the way - shopping malls in Thailand are one confusing maze. I felt like Alice. Caught a live rock concert from the sky train. On we go.

2009-11-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

OK First rough day. Took the wrong bus into the city and got very lost. I was in the suburbs and none of the signs were in English and noone on the bus spoke English.And the bus kept going I dont know where. Suddenly from behind me a girl appeared with a cell phone in her hand and said, "My boyfriend talk to you. He speak English. " I talked to her boyfriend on the phone and he showed me how to get back on track. My little angel - her name is Kaow. She saved my ass. So all of you Americans reading this - the next time you see a foreigner and they look lost - take the time to help them. Be a Kaow!

2009-11-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

More Beauties from the Ancient City.

( enough site seeing for now - must focus on the job search. )

2009-11-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

The most famous reclining Buddha. In the Ancient City.

Lit incense, left flowers on the altar and pressed gold leaf on the Buddha - praying for a new job.

2009-11-08T21:41:00.000-08:00

This is from a What (temple) I visited in the suburbs of Bangkock.

Yes I finally got to meet and touch and feed my favorite animal.

Yes he is chained up but that is only for the day and my friend Paul told me that he is a very healthy elephant. His ears felt as if the were made of leather and he was very friendly - I really dont know if I can sum it up. It was incredible for me.

2009-11-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

Goodbye to Penpark Place.

2009-11-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

How about that?

Dont have internet at new apartment yet - more details to come.

2009-11-06T03:48:00.000-08:00

Found this online. This is the Emerald Buddha. Of course no photo can truly capture it but at least you get an idea.

More Grand Palace - What a Place!

2009-11-06T03:34:00.000-08:00

The Grand Palace

2009-11-06T03:29:00.000-08:00

2009-11-06T02:47:00.000-08:00

Big day today! Took the ferry for the first time to go to the Grand Palace. It works just like a subway. There are different lines and it can be very confusing - so confusing that I got on the wrong ferry and missed my stop - because - you guessed it - I got on an express by accident.

I visited the Grand Palace all day - I just could'nt seem to pull myself away! Unfortunely my camera does not capture how very vibrant the colors are, but believe me the place is captivating. Towards the end of the day, I stopped taking pictures and sat under a tree for about an hour and just chilled and listened to the birds. It is truly magical place.

The grand temple was built in 1782 and was at one time a self sufficient city and the home of the royal family. They live elsewhere now but it is still Thailand's holiest of temples.

It is most known for the Emerald Buddha. They do not allow you to take pictures of it - but believe me it is something to behold. It is made of green jade and gold. It sits at the top of an enormous shrine and they ask to take off your shoes before entering the temple. You must sit facing the Buddha and you are asked to sit on your knees so your feet are not facing the Buddha out of respect. As soon as you enter the temple you know you are in a special place. And Buddhist are different when it comes reverence. The are in no way solemn. They are quiet and reverent but there is a joy about their stillness. (I constantly see monks walking the streets and believe or not several of them have tattoos on the exposed left arm.)

Tomorrow Kate's friend is picking me up and I am going to stay at what may become my new home.

So goodbye to Penpark place for now - but if you are ever in Thailand I strongly recommend it.

What a day!

2009-11-05T03:37:00.000-08:00

Strolled down this backstreet to find this jewlrey store someone told me about (bought myself a little piece to add to the beads ) and stumbled on this outdoor gym where these guys were doing Thai boxing. Watched them for a long time. These peaceful people sure do have a dark side - Wow!

2009-11-05T03:30:00.000-08:00

Went shopping and picked up a couple of things - Who knew a grocery store could be so fascinating. I was in there for an hour. Crazy stuff that I have no idea what it was. Everything is so cheap it doesn't seem real. And security guards all over the store.

2009-11-05T03:22:00.000-08:00

2nd Day - took the bus into downtown and got a phone. Bus trip was great. There is a person who collects your fare and they this have this metal cannister that they make change from and give you a ticket while you are riding on this rickety old bus - it was so cool to take the long ride across the river into downtown. Missed the Bangkok Theatre festival by one week. Did some more strolling around. The people here are wonderful. Of course you have those that are pushing you to buy things - but i think that is more the area than anything else.

2009-11-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

My room here at Penpark. they upgraded me to a bigger single because they ran out of smaller ones. How about that? About 9 dollars a night. Very clean and safe and the people who run it are very nice.

2009-11-04T15:34:00.001-08:00

First meal in Bangkok - started simple - a beer and fried rice with crab. Cost me about 3 dollars. Damn was it good.

Its a bizarro world item #1

2009-11-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

2009-11-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

Walked around for hours taking it all in.

2009-11-04T15:18:00.000-08:00

Now on to the fun stuff.

Here are some shots of my first day here. I staying at Khoasan road which is the backpackers central hub. Streets full of vendors. Cool people from all over the world.

2009-11-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

Continuing with pictures of every place I spend the night - this is the front of Kathy's apartment in Astoria where I spent two fabulous weeks. This was taken as I left for the airport.

2009-11-04T00:39:00.000-08:00

I have safely arrived in Bangkok. The entire trip was smooth as silk. I am in My room at Penparkplace and it is very clean. I am going to go for a walk. This place is amazing.. pictures, anecdotes, observations to come - but for now I am settled and safe and so thrilled.

2009-11-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Halloween in New York

2009-11-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the DAY

Departure 10:30 PM Newark Airport

Arrive 11:50 Am Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport

2009-10-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

Jude Law was wonderful as Hamlet. Kathy and I had a wonderful time. The rest of the cast was not as strong but he gave a very passionate performance and he handled the verse beautifully.
I thought about my trip - "The readiness is all."

2009-10-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

Visited Scott and Donna in Boston overnight and met the new little monkey - Dante. Walked around Boston and saw my old haunts. Feel as if I am really saying goodbye to the country for now.

2009-10-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

In New York, visiting old friends. Taking long walks. Two days till Hamlet. Less than a week before flight.

2009-10-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last night at my parents house in Loris, South Carolina.
Tomorrow onto my brothers in Westminster, MD
Monday onto New York to visit with Kathy for two weeks.
Busy Busy Busy

2009-10-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have chosen my guest house!!!!
Penpark Place.
I will have my own room with hot and cold water with free wireless in my room and it will cost 300 baht a night. (roughly 9 dollars!)
It is near Khao San Road which is the backpacking hub of Bangkok.
My research tells me that this is the best place to stay when you first arrive in Bangkok.
Lots of backpackers, so it is tourist friendly and the perfect place to get situated and start looking for work.
A little over two weeks and I am there!!!
On my way!!!!!!
Matthew

2009-10-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

As my mother and I traveled to Myrtle Beach we spent the night outside Knoxville, Tenn.

(I promise the blog will get much more interesting. But for now I am just hanging at my parents place getting ready for the trip.)

2009-10-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

As a part of my blog, I will post pictures of every place I stay, even if it is just for a night. So to begin here is a parting shot of my last home in the states - 4322 North Kenmore, Chicago, Il.

2009-10-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye to my favorite apartment.

2009-09-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ok this is my schedule;
Work Thursday night
Double Friday
Preliminary Sale Sat day
Work SAT night
Sunday Sale
Monday pack and clean
Tuesday Mom Comes
Wed. Thurs leave.