My Top 5

A self-proclaimed rival whom I am pretty sure is soon to proclaim to himself an ally has been asking me to compile lists. “Top 5” lists. Of virtually everything. And while his constant questions/demands have been a bit overwhelming, it been a great distraction from the school chaos that is happening right now, as it has really got me thinking and re-thinking about why I’m here, what has led me here and what I have gleaned from this experience as a whole. Sometimes, when you get so involved in something and it’s not going well, you fail to see the bigger picture. You only focus on the bad. I would say I tend to do this- not all the time, but occasionally. My sense of humor thankfully refuses to stray too far from me during these times, and making jokes about it helps. But being able to think about the good is, at certain intervals, difficult. So today, when I should have been reviewing other teacher’s lesson/unit plans, I thought about it good and hard. And here is what I’ve come up with:

Top 5 Things I Love About This Place…

1.  Teaching. Hands down, number one. I love, love, love, spending my days questioning, guiding, disciplining, pushing (mentally, not physically), laughing with and watching students as they develop their beliefs and values, and begin to really define themselves. I love reading their words and helping them expand their minds through reading and stories and to express themselves more effectively in English. It makes my heart feel so full and I feel good about myself and what I’m doing.
2.  Living In Paradise. Pure Paradise. I love looking out the window of my classroom and seeing green green fields and palm trees swaying and pink and yellow and blue buildings stained gray in places from the mildew and humidity. And I’m never cold (except when I am in a building and the air-con is on full blast.) And escaping to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world on the weekends is so wonderful. Railay Beach and Koh Phangan and Khanom- my three favorites. Breathtakingly beautiful beaches with stunning waters and powdery sand. (There are things I don’t like- I’m so over the bugs. But the climate makes it worth it… most of the time.)
3. How I’ve Come To Appreciate Things I Previously Took For Granted . Like cheese and hot water. Every tie to my life at home suddenly seems so precious- a top sheet on my bed (they don’t exist here in S. Thailand, these are strictly imports), a glass of wine from an actual bottle (so what if it’s Carlo Rossi?), not having bugs in my house/shoe/desk drawer, a skype date, an email in my inbox, a BOOK!, a package, postcard, or letter, or an organized dinner party with a few close friends here.
4. The People I’ve Met. Not all of them, let’s be honest. But, I have met wonderful people who have directly and indirectly challenged me to think about things that I would have never considered- these people get me outside the box, and I am grateful for that. Everyone here- the foreign teachers, my students, and those I have met while traveling- they’ve exposed me to so many new things. And, I have made friends and developed relationships with people here that have and will continue to extend beyond this experience. In addition, these people have shown me, through example, how to embrace exploring and living.



Som Tam 

5. Som Tam. This stuff is SO good. At least three times a week. The spicier, the better. I never ate it in the States, and I hope they have it somewhere so that when I go back, I can keep eating it.  This is kind of the way I feel about cottage cheese at home. I haven’t found it here yet, but somewhere’s bound to have it, right? I love that stuff, too.
6. Am I allowed to have a 6th? Because I have one. I know we are really into the top 5’s, but another thing is: I Love How This Place Has Broadened My Horizons. I swore I wouldn’t get a motorbike. Then, I got one. It’s still not an activity I love- I prefer walking. But I’m doing it. I all of a sudden ENJOY bananas. I think they taste different here, which might account for this change in preference of this food. I’ve been exposed to teaching internationally, something I never really considered as a reality. Not only that, I’ve been able to explore facets of education I might not have been able to really have a chance to be involved in in California. At least not right away. I’ve jumped off cliffs (well, one cliff) and tried so many new things and been open to so much and been able to read so much and so much more. I’m still me, but I have developed and expanded my schemas.

This weekend, we went to one of my most favorite places- Khanom. After a crazy and frustrating week, it felt good to get away. We splurged a bit and got a really nice room at Aava, relaxed and sunbathed, and waited until it was dark enough and then took a night swim. This was extra special, because I have been waiting 8 months to see the phosphorescence that everyone has been telling me about in the ocean- where the sea looks like it’s flecked with glitter and every time you move, the a glimmering trail follows. On Saturday night, with the moon half-full and pretty low tide, I finally saw it. We waded out into the calm sea up to our waists, then pushed ourselves fully into the water. With my arms in front of me, I pushed out to the sides and watched with awe and wonder as the ocean began to glisten from the movement. It was just amazing. I have never seen anything like it. We were glowing! Our group played in the water for about an hour, then some of the guys built a bonfire and we all stood around it, drying ourselves and warming up and chatting. I woke up this morning, went to breakfast in the open-air restaurant, lounged by the pool and took a little walk along the beach. AND I saw pink dolphins for the second time! It was perfect. #2, #4, and #6. I got to do 3 of the things I love this weekend, and I am so grateful.

All of a sudden, the visa/work permit fiasco feels (almost) worth it.

My Little Escape- Khanom

*** I would like readers to note that while writing this, I paused to tighten my hairband and a bug fell out of my hair. REALLY? Thailand- you give me so much to be happy about and then you put bugs in my hair. Ugh. Enough with the bugs!!!