The Not So Glamorous Side of Living Abroad

I've found that many people assume that living in Thailand must be comparable to a really, really long vacation in Thailand, complete with umbrellas in the drinks. I'm not going to lie, while there were one or two days so far that consisted of nothing but lying on the beach all day, most days are much different. Generally, traveling in Thailand (and most of SE Asia) means you have to adjust to common annoyances such as bugs, uncomfortable beds, rain, awkward miscommunications, cold showers, 100 degree heat, long transit, missing clothing pieces from your laundry, bugs, slow Internet, and did I mention bugs? (I currently have over 70 mosquito bites...) And quite honestly, I've traveled enough that these things don't really bother me. The pros always outweigh the cons. 

However, this past week in Ko Phi Phi, I encountered what I consider to be my absolute worst experience abroad yet: food poisoning. Every traveler's worst nightmare. I obviously won't go into much detail, but let's just say it was not pretty. There was about 72 hours straight where I didn't have enough energy to even leave my bed and the thought of eating anything was the last thing on my mind. It's nearly six days later and I'm still not fully recovered. Being sick is always lousy, but at least usually comes with some perks like guilt-free TV watching, chicken noodle soup, and being taken care of by your Mom/boyfriend/roommate. But being sick away from the comfort of your home, in a different country, alone, in a dirty hostel, really hits a new low. 

When it comes to food safety in developing countries, there's a common saying among travelers: "If you can't boil it, cook it, or peel it, then forget!" I always follow that rule, and did that day too. Phad Thai (no meat) was the culprit. I still don't quite understand how. However, I do know that it's going to be a VERY long time before I'll ever be able to eat that again. That's for sure. 

Anyway, I am alive and doing better each day. I'm still in a tropical paradise and can't really complain. This post wasn't meant to attract sympathy, but rather shed some light into the sometimes not so glamorous side of living abroad. I know that food poisoning was probably going to be inevitable during my time abroad. And technically, thousands of people get it in the US every year anyway, so you can't hide from these things. This is just one of those "challenges" I talked about overcoming, right? Mai Pen Rai. 

Big News!

Finally, the information you’ve all been waiting for. After months of unknown answers and patience, I’ve finally received my placement information!

I’m moving to Ayutthaya (pronounced A-you-thai-a), Thailand, which is a city about one hour north of Bangkok. I will be teaching conversational English at a government high school in the neighboring town of Bang Pa In. My students will be in grades M1 (12 years old), M5 (17 years old), and M6 (18 years old). It's hard to believe that some of my students will only be five years younger than me. But they don’t have to know that right? 

I’ve heard great things about Ayutthaya and I can’t wait to tell you more about my new home once I get settled. Word on the street is that Ayutthaya has many wild elephants roaming the streets...

My job will officially begin the 1st of November. Since the month of October is a mid-year break from school, I’ll be starting at the beginning of the school’s second semester. However, tomorrow is the last day of my TESOL course, so that leaves me with 18 days before I can move into my new apartment in Ayutthaya. Also, because of my current complicated visa situation, I can’t leave Thailand.

So how should I spend 18 free days in Thailand…? If you know me at all, you know my answer is traveling, of course. I’m planning to be nomadic and take advantage of this time off and do some island hopping in southern Thailand. Once I start my job, it will probably be a very long time before I lay eyes on a beach or have time to travel again.  I’m anticipating having access to free wifi soon, so I will be able to update more in the next week. I have so much to write about my TESOL course and the past three weeks living in Phuket.

I hope all is well with everyone back home.  Check back soon!

Birthday with Big Buddha

As you may or may not know, this past Wednesday I celebrated my 23rd birthday. How does one celebrate a birthday in Thailand you may ask? 

Well honestly, about 9 hours of the day were spent in my TESOL class, but I still managed to fit something fun in. After class, we grabbed a group of people and took a trip up to Big Buddha to watch the sunset. 

Phuket's Big Buddha is one of the island's most well known and revered landmarks, known among Thais as the Phra Puttamingmongkol Akenakkiri Buddha in full. When we were driving up the mountain, we could spot Big Buddha perfectly resting on the very top the mountain. When we finally made it up there, we realized that unfortunately, Big Buddha itself is currently under a construction project and had scaffolding all around it. Nonetheless, it was still awesome. 

I think that without a doubt, Big Buddha has the best view of Phuket. Essentially, you have a 360-degree view of the island. Since we decided to go for sunset, we had the neat experience of watching the view turn from day to night within a matter or minutes. 

While we were sitting and enjoying the view, Colin (one of my classmates) suddenly pulled out a Styrofoam takeout container. I remember thinking to myself that it was kinda odd he would bring his dinner up here. But he opened it up to reveal a piece of cheesecake with a candle on top and everyone started to sing "Happy Birthday" to me. I was so surprised! Because of the wind, it took about five minutes and five people to light the candle but we eventually got it and I was able to make my wish.

However, the surprises were not over for the day. When I got back to my hotel room, a staff member from the hotel knocked on my door. When I opened it up, he was was holding a mini birthday cake and said "for you!" When I asked who it was from he responded "Happy Birthday!" and just walked away. How they knew it was my birthday or that coffee flavored cake is my absolute favorite is still a mystery.

I think my 23rd birthday came with perfect timing as I start fresh with a new life in Thailand. This was my second birthday spent abroad and I'm sure it won't be the last. 

Sawadeekah!

Sawadeekah (hello) from Thailand!

I wish I had time to write more but I currently have limited internet access. I just wanted to check in to let you know that I'm in Thailand and doing well. I'm currently half way through my TESOL course and I'm looking forward to writing more about everything soon. Here's a little glimpse into Naiharn Beach where I'm staying at the moment. Naiharn is known as the "secluded" beach in Phuket. Not too shabby aye?