Letters From A Pubesent Cluster Pluck

So in the past two weeks I have literally gone from living out of a backpack to being responsible for the education of 900 teenagers, not to mention I had 24 hours to physically get my body across a vast land mass to do so.

Long story short I (finally!) got placed with a job teaching English at a high school in Trat, where I teach 21 classes packed full of 50+ oh-sooo-emo Thai teenagers.
( and if you thought the kids at your school where hipsters, you haven't been to Asia.)



A LOT of suppressed creativity. And that's about all I have to say on that.






My job is slightly challenging being that oh, I don't know, I don't speak Thai, and my students don't understand a word that comes out of my mouth. The fact that I am disaster- zone with an uncanny ability to embarrasses myself in NORMAL situations, does not help.

The term flaming train wreck does not begin to describe my first week.

Ridiculous video footage insert here.

I particularly enjoy it when they talk about me in Thai in front of me-- fully aware that they can say whatever they want, about me or to me, and get away with it.


My schools version of Richard the Third. Ben directed. Korean pop star hair cut rocks my world.


The boys spent the first week learning how to ever-so lyrically scream in english, "TEEE-CHAAAAA WHAT YOU PHONE NUM-BAA?" Which they still randomly belt out at any given time: in class, from across campus, 6 inches from my ear while I'm teaching...whenever.

At least they are learning.. something. ?

But don't fret, this week seems to be going much MUCH smoother as I am learning cruel and unusual punishments from my Thai co-workers. (Really.)


Anywho, I have a two story house with an extra bedroom (flighty hippy friends you better take me up on this!) I live with my friend Ben, who I did teacher training with in monk school in Ban Phe. He also teaches at my school, as we are the only two native english teachers. I have been so blessed to have him to tell me when I have marker on my face and to find me when I am driving around lost in circles on my motorbike. He also assists steering me into the appropriate gender-specific bathroom. (The skirt sign people! It's universal, lets use it!!)

Teaching, language barriers and vast cultural differences can be challanging to say the least. But thats what I came here to do. I am certainly finding everything to be exceptionally entertaining.

Did someone say teenage- ladyboy-spongebobsquarepants dragon dance?

I think yes.

Twilight Train

I'm a poet and didn't know it! (I know, I am so clever.)

Some Haiku-ish junk I wrote on an overnight train to Chaing Mai from Bangkok. Yes, I am a nerd, but reciting poetry on the train with Elle and Emily was an A+ experience- so I had to type it up....

Twisted steal
Metal grinding
Reflection in the window paralyzing.

Skinny chickens
Make great Tum Kha Gai
Peaking out with Buddha eyes.

Tangerine robes
Monks whiz by
Steam engine belts a sigh.

Mountain temples
Speck and glitter
Twine around rice paddy litter.

**snap snap snap**

**

Night Crawlers

All Angelina jokes aside, the past few days that I have spent in Cambodia have affected my life deeply. I am seeing poverty on a level that I never have felt before.
I am approached daily by children, often in packs, on the street begging for food or money. It is a regular occurrence to walk by a mini-mart or by a fruit stand and have a small child take my hand and literally cry in hunger.


 I was not aware of Cambodia's long history of war and genocide before I came here. But have learned that only in the past ten years has the kingdom seen a glimmer of political stability. And although the country is now fairly safe to travel in, the devastating effects to Cambodian society, infrastructure and the economy is still being felt today. One of the greatest challenges facing the development of the country is access to basic human rights, more specifically, education. Half the population is under 15 years old and many have lost parents. Orphans are “rescued” and forced to beg or "work" full-time in the street. They work to support themselves and for their adult guardians. The adults who "care for" and organize the children are typically handicapped from mine blasts and cannot work themselves. Hidden in alleyways, he waits for the children to return with a shiny American coin or slice of bread.

'Cause we all know that little Bambi eyes are much easier to give to than ANY adult.

Kids here are not kids; they are full force professional sales people. They may not know how to read but they can speak to you in English, French and Chinese. They know the capital of your state. They are CUTE. A child can lead a foreign hand into a shop or collect a dollar before they are out of diapers.


Despite the emotional battery that I have endured, I am walking away in awe of the spirit of the Cambodian people. As a culture devastated from war, genocide, corruption and greed, they still are so proud for their country. 

I could not be more inspired, as an educator, to give children the tools they need not only improve their own lives, but to build sovereignty.

If you are interested in volunteering, donating or learning more about children's rights in Cambodia check out:
http://www.cofcambodia.org/

Happy Halloween! See you back in Thailand.

Sunrise at Angor Wat

Mai Pen Rai

Mai Pen Rai is a phrase that Thai people say all the time that pretty much sums up the mentality of Thailand. It literally translates to It's nothing, but can be used in a looser context as: its whatever, no worries, oh well, nevermind.. you get the idea. Obviously a pretty laid back place but it can be a little frustrating when these things apply to .. say.. your job and/or finding a place to live. My unplanned-plan in Thailand and taken the expected, unexpected, turn that I figured would happen at some point, and I am embracing it fully. It's a long and complicated story that I don't really feel like explaining but the current memo reads: Taking a three week trek across Cambodia and northern Thailand while I wait to be placed with a teaching job.

Doesn't being unemployed suck?

In other notes:

• I love teaching way more than I expected and find it unbelievably rewarding.
• I secretly enjoy pretending like I am being deported everytime I get on a ferry boat.
• I am still holding strong in my refusal to sing karaoke despite its blasphemous popularity.
• And I have officially overcome my hiccuping reaction to spicy food.

Don't ask me about the bike wreck- I don't want to talk about it. And yes, I fully plan on bringing back 5 kids from Cambodia.

Hoolahooping elephants, Motorcycles and Monks with WiFi

So I am now in Ban Phe doing my teacher training in a Buddhist monastery.

The scene of my first day will forever be imprinted in my mind:

We rolled up to the beautiful hillside temple on our motorbikes to discover at least a hundred beautiful bald dark-skinned boys draped in ethereal orange cloth waiting for us from each balcony of their four story building. As we stood dumbfounded at the bottom and the chattering monks stared back down to us, I realized that they were just as curious about us as we were about them. I have no other way of explaining it other than having a feeling like I had landed on another planet to find other beings for the first time. My moment in sharing this mutual curiosity was a glimpse of something profoundly deeper into nature of humankind. As I knelt and bowed to the head Abit, I nearly broke down in tears of overwhelming compassion and appreciation. Then two white poodles ran up and started licking my feet. And I suddenly was getting a tour of the monastery flat screen computer room with high speed WiFi. Are monks into social networking?

Baby its a wild world.

maps are for kids

So I made it to Bangkok. Sweet.

That was an adventure in itself (cough cough thanks stone street.) I packed everything the night before: plane ride.. black out.. sushi in Tokyo... black out... customs..cab ride..chaos..blackout... pretty standard.

Anywho, Thailand is, thus far, everything and more. It has been relatively easy for me to cruise around and communicate, however it did take me about 24 hours in the country to care about getting a map. When I did, I figured out the local longboat river taxi system and went to check out some temples. I have been devouring fantastic thai street food and getting massages/pedicures for such ungodly amounts of money that I won't rub it in by telling you how cheap it is.
I like Bangkok a lot-- the bells, smells and colors are sensory overload- in the best kind of way. The palaces are incredibly inspiring and have the magic of creating time travel down to an art beyond words. On Khao San road, where the monks in their whimsical robes weave through the hip thai college kids and burmese street vendors banter at the Australian-Euro-hippie backpacker trash that is, life is a straight up freak show. Clearly, I fit right in. I only wish I had not brought so much luggage because anything you could ever want, or not want, can be bought here for nothing. (Note to friends- bring an EMPTY suitcase.) I am trying my best to learn how to use my electronics.. I have never been a camera person (despite my attempts in professional wedding photography) but like my thai, spice tolerance and jet-lag-- all things come with time.

Crusin' solo at the Grand palace- I got a Japanese girl to take this for me :)