First of all...

Wow, where to start!

We were in a taxi coming home from a weekend trip to Ko Larn/Pattaya today and I talked myself into starting this blog. I've been keeping a journal, but I wanted to share more of my experiences with more than just myself. There's just so much that happens, and I want to pass that along (if anyone even ends up reading this- if not, oh well!).

Ko Larn, round 1 

Group 4, CIEE tour of the Grand Palace (with a Thai cowboy)

I have been in Thailand for 27 days now (both Bangkok for CIEE training and my current home, Chonburi). I can say that I am still not used to the heat for sure! There's no need to try to fix your hair because before the mile walk to school ends, it will be soaking wet. It's usually around 85 degrees at 7:00 in the morning. Their version of morning assembly is held outside of their classrooms. Lucky for us, they are currently building an arena in the normal (very sunny) field in front of the main offices, so we get to stand in the shade. It sometimes helps, but not really. I teach 18 hours of lessons a day. I move between the three grade 4 (pratom 4) classrooms to teach Reading and Writing, Grammar, and Conversation. I love all three of my Thai teachers, and I especially love my students. They are sometimes talkative, but since school started May 16, it has been less of an issue. Before each lesson, the students stand up and waii (bow) and say, "Good morning/afternoon, Teacher Whitney." I say it back, and then the lesson gets underway. They thank you when the lesson is over. It is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. They have so much respect for the teachers here. School days are from 8-4 with lunch from 12-12:50. School lunch can be very interesting, but I know it is healthy! Lots of rice and veggies. The school atmosphere is really great. I'm so glad to be working here for the next ten months.

old picture of the main portion of school- construction is happening where the grass is now

We live about a mile from the school. I live with three other girls that are also my co-workers. Two of them I met through CIEE (Sara and Sarah), and the other we met when we arrived in Chonburi. Fun fact- our non-CIEE friend, Brija, has the same birthday I do. We're currently planning a big weekend trip to celebrate.But anyway- we live in a four story apartment in a back alley behind the Chonburi Blue Wave futsal arena. [We have yet to go to a game, but we will!] There are two bedrooms on each floor, and we share a bathroom with whoever is on the same floor as you. The bathroom is literally a tile room with a shower head and a toilet, but I'm just glad it is a Western-style toilet. The alternative is not so pleasant.  One thing I'm embracing while I'm here- it could always be worse. Our rooms are small, and we don't really have breathtaking views, but we have a/c and free wifi and that is more important at this stage in the game. We don't have a kitchen, but we have a refrigerator. We stock up on water as much as possible. There's a huge market right by the futsal arena, so we can eat there for less than 70 baht a night (that's about $2.25 American). We have a House Mom that owns the building. She's one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. As I type this, she is helping us figure out what is going on with our water in the building. That was fun to come home to- no running water. Her three pet squirrels are down in the living room, too. She captured them from the roof. To each his own. We hear some of the strangest sounds at night (roosters, dogs, people, some sort of giant ice machine?), but we are becoming more and more used to them. Sometimes I get a free alarm clock in the form of a gecko barking in my room- those mornings are not my favorites.

Ko Samet

We have traveled to a few different places at this stage- Pattaya/Ko Larn (twice for me) and Koh Samet. Travel here is easy. We are close to the bus stations, which usually run about 80 baht for a bus ride. They stop frequently through town to pick people up, so they tend to take a bit longer than chartering a van, which will take you straight to your destination. They are a bit pricier, and tend to overcharge when they see Americans. I'm getting better at haggling with them, and my roommates are as well. We have experienced some wonderful places, both through CIEE and on our own. I'm very thankful that I went through that organization as it has set us up with many friends spread out across Thailand. I can't wait to see what the next nine months have in store!

on the ferry from Pattaya to Ko Larn