Chiang Mai

Sorry I haven't blogged in so long. I've been so busy, life is only just starting to slow down.  I've spent the last month in Chiang Mai doing as Thai language course... chan put Thai nid noi (now I can speak Thai a little).  

I spent the first three weeks of October living with the other 17 volunteers in a guesthouse in the middle of the city.  It was so much fun.  During the day we studied at the AUA centre, in the evenings we explored the city and tried to fit in some culture, and then at night, as expected, familiarised ourselves with all the best bars and clubs and found ourselves visiting McDonalds on our way home whilst they had already started serving breakfast far too many times considering Thai lessons started at 10am.  I don't thing anyone left Chiang Mai in the best health. 

Classes at AUA were great.  Our teacher never gave us homework and frequently gave us nap time.  His name was Tanapon, which we quickly shortened to Tampon, and now thanks to him I can successfully give directions, order food, and generally get myself about Thailand alright.  Probs the most useful phrase he taught me was 'nombpan chan au po-chai tuk kon ma tii sa-nom-yaa', or in English.. 'my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard'.  AUA was a small U-shape of study rooms, all centred around a big tree in the courtyard. The benches under the tree were a great place for napping and sitting whilst we were on our many breaks, laughing at the other half of the group stuck inside with their proper strict as teacher having no fun.  

Graduating from AUA.

On the weekends we went trekking, waterfall swimming, white water and bamboo rafting, elephant riding and bungee jumping.  The bungee jump was amazing. I freaked out at the top and refused to do it.  The instructor had to pry my hands off the side bars until we were in a Jack and Rose on the front of Titanic esque position, although there was no romantic spark... I stood there shaking and swearing profusely until he pushed me off a 50 foot drop. Thanks Jack.  But naah as much as it was terrifying it was fun.  Riding elephants through the mountains is something I don't think I'll ever forget.  Me and Beth called our elephant Tappy, because every time you tapped his head he would fling his trunk into your face looking for food. When we ran out of bananas we started feeding him sticks and Tappy got pissed off and wouldn't play the game anymore. One afternoon after class I went and hugged a tiger in a tiger park which was just ridiculous.

 

 

On my 18th birthday I finally got to go see some real life pandas.  I had class until 3pm, and the zoo shut at 5 so it was total madness getting back to the guesthouse then to the zoo on time.  Its a 200 acre park, and lucky the pandas are relatively close to the entrance as we didn't get there until 4.30 and it took a while to explain to the staff we understood the park was about to shut but still wanted in.  After making a huge fuss about it being my birthday and wanting to see the pandas the guy on the desk turned to me with a very serious look on his face and said 'oh I see... are you ready to fight against the time?!?!?'.  If I hadn't been so worked up at the time I probably would of laughed, but instead I just screamed YES in his face and ran off with the tickets. It was all very intense.  I was with Beth and our friends Simon and Ben.  Ben and I ran about for a good 5-10 minutes shouting 'panda yuu tee nai ka?' (where are the pandas?) at everyone in our path, while Simon and Beth trailed behind in the heat thinking it was all a bit stupid, not that fussed at all.  We got to the pandas and it was amazing.  There was no glass between us and the older two, and all the other tourists had bailed home at this point so it was literally just us 4 and two pandas in a room together.  Nobody came and told us to go home either (they really just don't care in Thailand), so we wandered around on our own until about half six, then got hungry and scared we'd get locked in and a Jurassic park situation would go on so left.  It was also after Ben had thought it'd be a good idea to chuck a stick at a hippo and even though it never even budged we were feeling kinda cruel.  We said sorry to the hippos the following Sunday by coming back and feeding them sweet potato. Although Ben was still drunk from the night before so I wouldn't exactly call his apology sincere.   

After the langauge course was over, me and Beth and 4 of the other volunteers, Robyn, Claire, Becky and Vikki went and stayed with our friends Simon and Alex for two nights in their house on top of a mountain, Doi Wawee.  The views were incredible. We spent our time checking out all the sights whilst being driven about on the back of trucks.  We left Wawee literally when the cockrel was crowing at about 6am to drive to a place called Fang.  We thought we were hitching a lift on the back of a normal truck, but this one was stacked 10 foot tall with bag of tea leaves.. and we were sitting on top of that.  We drove through the mountains watching the fog roll over the valleys at the bottom.  Looking down on it felt like we were above the clouds.  I know I'll never experience a journey like that again.  It was amazing, although sat so high up I did get a few branches to the face, and I did have to say goodbye to my sunglasses after a big tree took them straight off my head.


Being really rubbish cheerleaders trying to spell Thailand.

After Fang the six of us went to a little backpackery town called Pai.  The first night we got there I decided to get my nose pierced.  Naively I thought it'd be done with a gun.  I realised I was wrong when I was sitting in a chair with a big ass needle through my nose. 

Pai is so pretty. It's in a valley, so all around is mountains, and the whole town seemed to be covered in fairy lights and pieces of art.  The second day was Claire's birthday, we visited a mountain temple, went swimming in a waterfall and  explored Pai canyon.  Pai is a really chilled out place and full of the hippy unwashed, dreadlock, elephant pants wearing kind of people I like to make fun of.  The saying of the week seemed to be 'just whhaaatevveer, your in Pai maaannn'. 

We spent the rest of our time in Pai doing more white water rafting (a million times better than in Chiang Mai), tubing down the river, drinking cocktails in the bars and eating in a really amazing cake shop until we wanted to vom and needed naps.  Luckily the cake shop had comfy seats and the staff didnt seem to mind when we started dozing off.

Now I'm back living in Nakhon Sawan, where I'm based for the year, teaching and trying not to feel too nostalgic about October. It really was the best time ever though.  I realised today, after feeling a bit rubbish for a couple of days, that life is still just as interesting here though, as I was packed into a car full of monks laughing away in Thai being driven to work.  Hardly a situation I would of ever imagined being in this time last year. 

XXX

Settling In

Aah so, nearly a month has passed. Everything that I thought was ridiculous and hilarious a few weeks ago has kind of started to become just normal everyday life, so I suppose that means I'm getting used to all the mad cultural differences between the UK and Thailand which is good. I've already started to notice the way I talk is different; everything has to be slowed right down, I cant even remember the last time I overused the word 'like' in a sentence and I end up over pronouncing everything.. so words like 'Scotland' become something like "Scottt.laaand'.  I've also picked up really annoying habits like saying 'back in England', instead of Scotland or the UK, just because its easier (I know all you guys at home would be shouting at me for it).  It's fine though cause the other day I caught my English partner (in living/teaching/pretty much everything) say 'wee bit'.

Me and Beth moved out our host family's home a week last Saturday and into our flat. It's massive, really really massive. There could be up to three bedrooms in it, but we're using one as a store room and another as a dressing room, then sharing the nice one with the air con.  When I applied to Project Trust I really didn't imagine our accomadation would be anything like what it is.  It's odd because we leave our nice apartment in the morning, then a driver (I suggested we could take the bus but got shot down) takes us to school, and then we spend all day teaching English to kids who literally cant even afford to buy their lunch or uniform, and can only attend school because someone (I think in some cases the government and in some cases charities, not really sure about the ins and outs) gives them scholarships to be able to pay for these things.  It's a really sharp contrast. 

So far everyone we've met has been ridiculously nice, and not nice in just the usual way, but a lot of people just seem completely selfless and are constantly wanting to make sure we are happy.  Every time we try to catch a tuk tuk somewhere even complete strangers will stop and spend time trying to work out and translate to the driver where we want to go. Then the other day I burnt my leg on a motorbike and a boy selling fruit on the side of the road sat with his mum and bandaged me up, then wouldnt even accept any money even though he'd sent his friend out to buy me burn care ointment and bandages. Theres also a tuk tuk man outside Fairyland (shopping centre), who helps us lock up our bikes everytime we stop there, just because hes being kind. I know if I was every in any trouble or upset about anything, there would never be a shortage of people willing to help me out. It's just loads of little things that make me think Nakhon Sawan is such a safe and nice place to live. Possibly I'm looking at it through clouded eyes because I'm still new to this city, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

I just read that back and I'm making it sound like something out a Disney movie.  It's not, theres still cockroaches and rank bugs and a prozzie bar about a 3 minute walk away from my flat.

The only problem I've had is that people are maybe being a bit too nice, and thats not really a bad problem to have.  The other day I was walking through the park and someone who knows someone (think it was a high up ladies daughter's husband) recognised me, and said he thought it would be safer for me if he walked round with me the rest of the way.. even though it was broad day light, right across the road from my flat and full of people sitting about having picnics and doing excercise.  So then I had to take my headphones out and walk with him in silence for 20 minutes until we got to the gate, then even though our flat is then just across the road, he said he would have to walk me there, and then said something about suggesting to the Mayor me and Beth have a bodyguard. I think I would rather eat cockroaches than have a bodyguard.  I dont think I've ever heard something more ridiculous in my life. I'm not really worried because I know Project Trust or the SET Foundation would never let it get that far. 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyway, so we tried to sample some of Nakhon Sawan's night life on Friday, but ended up getting sucked into this little bar where all these other foreign teachers were sitting and had the shittest night ever. The other teachers are all between 25-35 and have proper jobs in the private schools. They hate Nakhon Sawan, seem to know nothing about Thai culture and are literally the most boring people ever.  I also met the only other Scottish person in Nakhon Sawan. A 27 year old English teacher who goes by the name of 'Baz'.  Both me and Beth agree we wont bump into Baz much over the next year, to put it politely, he's an arse.

 We dont have wifi or any tv channels in English at home, so it forces us to go out and do stuff all the time.  We eat out every night because its so cheap, and go on bike rides in the evening or just go to the park.  Life is the complete opposite of at home, but reaally really amazing. Home is good because thats where all my friends and family are, food is normal, I dont need to worry about acting the wrong way and I can wear what I want without being worried about if somethings too short (Nakhon Sawan isn't touristy so you have to dress and act Thai). But thats also the reasons why Nakhon Sawan is so good, because its so different.  I'm socialising with people who are so so different from back home, I'm eating loads of weird shit, and I dont have to worry if my make ups looking shitty because people are nice and will still say you look pretty anyway, and also I can ride about on my new purple bike without feeling like a complete freak.
Much lurv, Holly xxx

a week in pictures

 

Me and my partner Beth. Khao San Road, Bangkok. 

 

Riding in a tuk tuk. Bangkok. 

 

Some of our Thai family, (brother on the far left, mum on the far right). Nakhon Sawan. 

Tame, our 12 year old brother, riding his motorbike down the road outside the house. Nakhon Sawan.

 

Making fans at a local school. Nakhon Sawan. 

 

Nursery kids eating lunch at one of the private schools. Nakhon Sawan. 

 

Thai boxing at a local school sports day. Nakhon Sawan. 

 

Me and Beth's room in our Thai family's house. Nakhon Sawan. 

 

And finally, Beth looking pretty. 

xxx

Nakhon Sawan

Hello again from Thailand, I'm well, I still have no tan and I'm covered in mozzie bites. So, we went to meet the mayor the other day and ended up making friends with pretty much the whole of his workforce. This is both good and bad for us; bad because now they are watching us ALL the time, but good because they are, by Thai standards, very rich, and keep wanting to buy us things. A mad old lady with big purple hair who we call 'ma(mother) bum' keeps taking us out to expensive places for lunch, bought us designer umbrellas that cost more than we get paid a month and is about to buy us bikes and new beds.  We think they'll just be bicycles but we're kind of hoping for motorbikes (everyone drives one here, even our 12 year old brother). 'Jai dee' is one of our most used Thai phrases, meaning so kind, it feels like its my birthday every day the amount I get fussed over. 

Our Thai mum has also decided she must put our hair in strange Thai hairstyles every morning, and we leave the house looking like children.  Its one thing I wont miss when we move to the flat.  The family found out we dont have air con in our apartment and got so worried about us they invited me and Beth to live with them for the whole year, so we had to explain we want to learn how to be independent and not be chauffeured around and cooked for 24/7. I'm not really sure they understand though. They are also feeding us non stop, 3 meals a day then snacks constantly in between.  Time and tame are massive, and to me and Beth a look at what the future would hold if we did move in with the family for the whole year - not good.  A funny thing about Thailand is its not offensive to call someone fat.  Ma Bei (mum) and Bai Ahy (dad) are constantly laughing and pointing at Time and Tame, prodding them and saying fat fat fat, you are fat little piglets.  To me and Beth's horror, while watching the Thai National Orchestra today at Nakhon Sawan School (Nakhon Sawan's Dundee High), the MC pulled a fat boy on stage and got him to dance and slap his stomach along to some music.  But apparently this is a totally fine thing to do here, nobody cares, fat is not an insult, its just funny.  Khun Peter, our friend from London who pays our wages, told us there has been fat volunteers in the past who've been pulled up on stage and someones brought out a tape measure. 

Khun Peter is the founder of The Set Foundation, an organisation that pays for boys that come from very poor backgrounds to be put through school as monks, and live and board at the Kirriwong School.  The Foundation also gives out scholarships to monks all over Thailand to study at university so they dont end up having to work in the paddy fields.  The monks at Kirriwong School all come from families with no money and many have been abused.  Me and Beth will be teaching here on Wednesday afternoons, you can read more about it here http://www.thaistudentcharity.org/ 

I'm still trying to get used to the fact that people stare at us all the time.  Beth is Asian so people assume she's Thai until they hear her speak, but me being so pale even by a white persons standards, its like they think I'm some kind of walking doll.  Today we visited a primary school, and I had to apologize to Beth because I felt like such an attention hog, but then she just shrugged and said rather you than me.  Everywhere we go people are trying to practice their English, and a popular greeting we get is 'Hello I love you', although it always just seems to be from 12 year old boys or very old men with no teeth. 

Our day starts by getting up at 6am, which I could never imagine back at home, but because we're so busy all the time we normally fall asleep at about 9pm anyway, if it gets to 10 then its a late night.  Then its breakfast, either a rice or noodle dish, which is hard to get used to so most of the time we just shadily scrape it into the bin.  Getting dressed is also tricky because we have to be totally covered up. Its annoying because I've seen a couple of shops with really nice clothes in them but apparently we cant dress like that. I'm hoping its to do with the family environment we're in right now, then we can relax a bit more when we move to the flat and make some friends who are actually our age, or at least not 40+. 

Hope all is well in Scotland, will try get some photos up soon xxx

Arrived Safe

Just a quick first post to say I've made it safe and sound in Thailand. We arrived at Bangkok airport on Thursday about 5pm, and me and the other 17 volunteers were met by Project Trust staff Lucie and Peter.  Lucie and Peter are both ex PT volunteers from years ago, and they both now live and work in Thailand. Peter owns a rehab centre (that apparently Pete Doherty was chucked out of last year) in Chang Mai, and Lucie is a teacher and owns a British cake shop in the city of Ubon.  They're both really interesting people and should be of great use to me and my partner Beth if we get stuck with anything over the next year.  

We spent two nights in Bangkok with the other volunteers, the first of which we saw a bit of Bangkok's very seedy red light district, and the second we ventured up Khao San Road, trying street food and talking to some other travelers in the bars and clubs. We spent Thursday day shopping at Bangkok's MBK shopping centre, picking up essentials like a Thai sim card (my Thai number is +66833072475) and then ate our last McDonalds for however long. Then this morning, feeling tired after our late night on Khao San Road, me and Beth got on a very rickety and loud train to our new home of Nakhon Sawan.  5 hours later we arrived at the train station, greeted with big bunches of flowers by our new Thai family. We'll be staying with them for two weeks while our apartment is sorted out. They took us home for dinner, and we met all the aunties and cousins, some of our Thai mum's colleagues from her school,  their pet bird Tom who can actually say his own name, and for some reason the electrician. We also have two little really cute and chubby Thai brothers, Time (8) and Tame (12).  They're going to try and teach us Thai over the next two weeks and we're to teach them some more English.  Nobody in the family can speak perfect English so we're getting a little lost in translation but we're getting by.  They've also got WiFi in the house and they've given us a laptop for the time we're staying with them, so I should be able to post a fair bit, I'm going to try and abstain from Facebook as much as possible though.  

We also met another guy called Peter who pays our wages (equivalent of 90 quid a month.. eek) and a boy called Dong who from what I've gathered is here to introduce us to some other young people in Thailand and show us Nakhon Sawan's best places to go out. I was initially worried about staying with a Thai family for a bit, thinking I was just gonna walk in a do and say all the wrong things, but now we're here I'm so glad we are. It'll be cool to see how a typical Thai family works, and I imagine it'll be a lot more of a calmer two weeks than our two nights in Bangkok.  We start properly teaching on the 10th of September, but on Monday we're going to start observing lessons and be introduced us to the schools we'll be working in which is exciting.  We're also meeting the Lord Mayor of Nakhon Sawan on Sunday which will be interesting. Anyway its coming up for midnight and I've got a day of playing badminton with my new brothers tomorrow, plus Beth is already snoring beside me. Night x