This Is My Job

Once a week we have to speak in front of the kids (all 2700 of them), and this morning, we sang and danced the hokey pokey. Umm, yes, I did this. If you've heard me sing you are probably counting your blessings that you weren't there. For some reason over here, they don't seem to mind. I know even though they can't understand the language they can still tell how awful I am. But I'm much more willing to make a fool of myself here; it's fun and very freeing. The kids seem to really enjoy it at least.

Myself and the two other farang teachers, Lia and Howard, showing the students left-hand-in.

Just in case you can't tell, I definitely have the microphone on this one. "Head in, head out..." The kids ate it up.

Absolutely no idea what they were talking about or what these banners are for, but I thought the big Coca-Cola advertisement was entertaining. It really is everywhere.

Every morning before school we have assembly and the kids all have their places while the band comes out. They sing the school song, which you can see below, and make announcements (completely in Thai). We go every Thursday and "perform" for them. In the video below, you see maybe a third of the students. There are so many!

International Outlets

Everywhere I've used a plug so far has had an international outlet (hostels, apartment, school). If you were to come and visit me your American appliances would work. How awesome. That's all.

My Next Door Island

My first official working weekend in Thailand was amazing. I was not too concerned about finding new adventures and they came very easily. On Sunday I went to an island just across the way from my town (yes, that's right, only about a 2 minute drive and 40 minute boat ride) with one of the other farang teachers, Lia. It was, as always, quite an adventure. I have come to the conclusion that my constant state of mind when exploring Thailand is confusion. I have ALWAYS gotten everything I needed and every answer I wanted, but not once have they come in the way I would expect. Not that I have actual expectations, please don't misunderstand. Moreso, they do not come in the way I assume would be most natural or efficient.

There were a number of unusual things that happened to us on this particular outing.

1. We stopped at a Korean ship to drop off passengers in the middle of the gulf. It felt crazy to us to be in this teeny tiny boat riding up to a gigantic ship! It was a bit intimidating.

2. Dogs barked at us, big time. This was the first time I have seen any animal or person display aggresion in Thailand. It was by far the most afraid I have been. Really the only time I have been concerned for my safety in any manner. We were coming down a mountain (on what appeared to be a well-traveled, concrete step path) and had no where to go; they just appeared from the thicket. Both of us knew if they bit or chased us we were in trouble, but we also knew that running and freaking out wasn't going to help. Luckily, we both stayed calm. They came out onto the steps after we passed but did not follow us down. Phew.

3. The beach wasn't pretty. This is a constant surprise as this is something for which Thailand is well-known. From my understanding, the time of year really affects the beach aesthetics. Now we are in the rainy season, and the wind carries all the trash inland. By late September, I'm told I will be able to swim in these areas trash free.

4. Biggest jellyfish I have ever seen.

5. They let us ride on top of the boat on the way home. Not sure why this came as such a surprise to me; I've been in Thailand long enough to know that anything goes. It was nice though, and very unexpected.

6. In 200 yards, we went from one of the dirtiest, trashiest places I have ever seen to a beautiful seaside resort. This seems to be a recurring theme. On these islands, they only build up certain very small areas and the locals live surrounded in filth.

7. I went inside my first cave. It was so scary!!! There were bats and what I've been told is a sanctuary of sorts. It looked more like a prison to me..

8. All the tourists there were Thai people from other areas. It was surreal to see them with their cameras out riding around in Tuk Tuks. Local and tourist became immediately distinguishable.

9. We found all our transportation for free! It was unbelievable. People wanted 200 baht a piece for a ride to the pier (this is an absolutely ludicrous amount, we would have paid 60 for us both), and we were able to jump on the back of a truck free of charge with no hassle. It was a nice bonus.

This was us and the Thai and King's flags reflected in a motorcycle on the way back to Si Racha at the end of the day. The man who owns the motorbike drove us down to the beach for free. Very nice. We were planning to walk, but would have never made it in time to catch the last boat, and I wasn't about to pay for transportation. So expensive on such a small island!

My view from the top of the boat just before heading out. It was so nice to have the breeze, and it was easier to keep from getting seasick up top. Plus, we felt cool not to have to sit in a seat like everybody else..

After we went through the cave, this was on the other side. Not sure about the pool of water, but we kept our distance. Who knows what could be living in there! This was my first time to be in a real cave, and I really really hated it. So dark and scary!!

A view from above the cave of the old sanctuary (prison???). We're not exactly sure what it was used for but it has certainly been vacant for many years. The door was padlocked and some of the screens were ripped. Talk about creepy.

This puzzled us. Later we found out it meant you weren't allowed to bring dogs onto the island from other areas, because it is a rabies free zone. They want to keep it that way, which is good (obv). But like I said before, this is the only place I've seen dogs get angry. Maybe they just hadn't seen people in a very long time. Either way, NOT OKAY.

A view of the resort from the other side of the cliff. We ventured out quite a ways. It was absolutely beautiful but the waves crashing against the rocks below were a bit intimidating. We were very careful!

Me forging ahead.

In one of the dirty neighborhoods just before we reached the resort. The people here were very friendly and clearly not used to seeing farang. Most of the tourists on this island were other Thai's from the mainland.

On the way up to see Buddha's footprint. It was much smaller than I was expecting, but the trek was worth it for the views. All the houses here were so bright and colorful.

Right off the pier in town. Immediately we could see how this was different than the other tourist island we had visited. It was full of life and not so butchered by tourism yet.

Pulling up to the dock at Koh Si Chang Island.

We dropped these people off on their ship. It was very startling to see us come closer and closer towards this massive beast. A new experience for me, for sure. A lot of people live and work on these ships in the gulf and Si Racha is a popular stop for them. Many ships send smaller cargo boats from here to Bangkok, so it is always full of people. Never have I been on the water surrounded by huge ships before.

A Local Saturday Evening, Amazing

So I cheated a little bit because I didn't have a camera with me on Saturday. Luckily, they do this 7 days a week. I even participated tonight (attempted to), but wasn't anywhere near keeping up with their speed and choreography. I'm sure they all got a laugh from the farang entertainment. I enjoyed it as well. I was completely lost 90% of the time, and when I finally would get something, they of course moved on immediately. No chance.

In the park by the Gulf. It's so beautiful and you can see all the people on the walking path. This is just on the other side of the aerobics class, and only a 10 minute walk from my apartment. It's so fantastic to have this at my fingertips. 

This may not look so intense and difficult to follow, but do not be fooled. I'd say in a week or so I'll have it down, but for now, I mostly just look like an uncoordinated monkey. It was fun and totally worth it though.

I was reading on a bench. This was my view. It's so nice and peaceful here. And so convenient for me.

Saturday afternoon and the city comes alive. It's booming. People flood the streets and parks near the water, exercising, playing games with family and friends, relaxing and sleeping. Everything is calm and peaceful, yet vibrant. A hard combination to master. I am in love. It is exciting and fresh and wonderful. This weekend, I was able to see the town in a new way from my motorbike. I am in awe of these people and their happiness, and thankful to be a part of their lives. Everyday I learn something new from them. 

This day I attempted (successfully) to find a temple I can see from my apartment. Picture of the hill in hand, I set off on the bike. After turning on a random street up into the mountain, I saw wild pigs and cows, immediately realizing the mountain life was different than the city life in Si Racha. Driving past houses until finding people outside, I stopped to say hello and ask for directions. Every day my Thai is improving, and I am now able to ask basic questions and usually understand simple responses. This has proven very useful. Even my attempt to speak their language makes these people all the more willing to go above and beyond to help me in any way they can. 

I had gone too far, and one of the locals had me follow him on his motorbike up to the temple in the mountain. To do this, I had to drive into traffic for about a kilometer. What a trip!

After the temple, I visited the park on the gulf, the happening spot in Si Racha. People were absolutely everywhere enjoying their Saturday evening. As the sun went down, children were riding skateboards and listening to music on the pier, 100s of people of all ages were doing aerobics en-mass. It was a fun sight for me. In many ways it reminded me of Town Lake in Austin, but much more alive. 

Then, I drove a bit and stumbled upon a night market, where I was able to comfortably speak to people in Thai, asking what things were and how much, etc etc. The food was cheap, hot and delicious. It was a perfect evening. 

I took a short video to give you somewhat of an idea of what it was like. I tried to keep up for about 15 minutes before deciding to stop for the day. They were only staying on one move for 30 seconds or so, just enough time for me to learn it, before moving on to something new I didn't know. It was a lot of fun to try and to be the only farang out there. The old Thai women behind me were certainly enjoying watching me! In no way did they attempt to try and hide their laughter. 

Si Racha Tiger Temple

What a trip. This was a place I went with expectations. I thought it would be beautiful and well-kept and the animals would be in their natural habitats. I thought they would be happy (as happy as is possible in captivity) and nourished. I was very very wrong. This was the craziest, strangest zoo experience I have had thus far. Granted, I have not had too very many zoo experiences, but I usually feel that the animals are at least well-fed. Here, not so much. They looked famished. And sad. And tired. They had lost their shine. It was so unnatural.

They placed tigers with pigs and dogs in a concrete circle with florescent lights beaming down on them. You could (pay to) feed elephants that looked like they hadn't eaten in days. It was most definitely a concrete jungle, and I found it very sad. If we can do better than that in the states, what's the problem Thailand? They are already in their natural environment. All this concrete costs money. What gives? I am not sure the thought process behind it, but I definitely didn't get it, nor did I like it. I took very few pictures because I didn't want to send the message I thought this lifestyle was okay. If they see us photographing and loving on the animals, paying to feed them, they think what they are doing is successful, so they keep doing it.

The strangest thing we saw by far were people in the tiger cages. They were behind glass windows dressed in prehistoric garb with prehistoric tools waiting for people to gawk at them. When we walked up we were so shocked by it and not exactly sure how to respond. I did not pull out my camera because I again didn't want to perpetuate the situation, but I was very tempted to document the oddity.

We soon realized, as a group of Chinese tourists stopped and laughed and took their pictures, that these people were posing inside the glass for money. They would dance around and hold the tigers, and then these tourists put money in a box so they could reach it. Absolutely crazy.

There were many "wild" animals you could pet and take your picture with for extra money in the zoo. It was unbelievably artificial. You sat in a concrete room with a baby tiger in front of a fake jungle backdrop and paid about $5 USD for a photo. If they hadn't filled the place with concrete, then it would have already been in the jungle!

I had a hard time understanding why they chose to run the zoo in this manner, but the people here seemed to like it. Not for me.

We saw a live tiger show and crocodile show, both were equally scary for different reasons. The crocodile tamers didn't seem to have the slightest idea of what they were doing and no real routine. As far as we could see, they were poking around and agitating them then running away. It felt like their days were numbered (they were sticking their heads in their mouths, etc. VERY HARD to watch).

At the tiger show, the whole time they were showing how far and how high they could jump in a cage, but the cage didn't rise too high off the ground. They consistently displayed how easy it would be for any of these animals to escape. How comforting. We sat in the back row and decided if worst came to worst they would eat all the people in the front rows first. KIDDING. Well, sort of..

This was the kind of thing we saw all day. They also put a baby tiger with an adult female pig.

Me holding the baby crocodile. We were sneaky about taking the pictures.

Tiger with bunnies and children's hands. Sounds safe to me.

The scorpion queen. She looked incredibly bored when we walked up, sitting there with all those scorpions doing her makeup. The way she responded to us almost turned the thing into a freakshow. She stood with an incredibly bored and indifferent look on her face and waited for people to give her money to take pictures. We were again shocked by what we were seeing, so we waited for everyone to leave. She then asked if I wanted to try holding it, and at that point I felt okay with it. But still, sooo strange.

Motorbike - Check.

I have a motorbike! Yesss!!! Absolute freedom is so nice. And a bit scary, haha. Driving here is so different than the states, although I will say amidst the chaos there is a definite system, as there was in Cambodia. Here, no matter if the road is one or two-way, it's two way for motorbikes. If you have a two-lane highway, it's actually three-and-a-half lanes. The two main lanes, the left hand shoulder and sometimes even the right. You have to know what's going on. On top of that, they drive on the left side of the road. Talk about an adjustment. And, there are roundabouts! Roundabouts!!!!

On Saturday we took a bus down to Pattaya and drove the motorbikes back to Si Racha (about 20 kilometers). I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening exploring new places and meeting new people, something I definitely could not have done so easily without the speed and convenience of the bike. Plus, it makes me more local so people are even more open to me now.

Yes, I voluntarily visited a Thai Prison.

In a guest house we stayed in there were several notes on the wall about visiting a prisoner in a Bangkok prison. They talked about how interesting he was, how to get there, etc etc. We decided to see what it was all about and take advantage of the rare opportunity for such an unusual experience. Two other people from my orientation wanted to join, so there were four of us total. It was definitely worth the trip as we were allowed to actually go inside the prison and speak for awhile with this guy about what it was like. Long story short, what we saw didn't look too bad. It was lush and green just like everything else in Thailand. I'm sure a day in the life would not be so nice, though. I'm sure it'd be absolutely horrific. This prisoner was from the UK and has a life sentence drug trafficking. From what I understand, Thailand will expedite you back to your home country for every crime except the former, as they believe western countries do not punish severely enough for this. 

These people have to pay for everything in prison - their food, their cell, their clothes, etc. This is part of why they want people to come visit them (aside from obviously taking time from the monotony that is their life). They want people to send things. No thank you.

At first it was interesting to listen to him and get some information about what it was like, but I became increasingly more disenchanted, because I just couldn't find it within myself to feel sorry for a criminal. We're not exactly sure what he did, and it's not relevant. In Thailand, tourism is just too important for them to be locking up foreigners who aren't involved in something they shouldn't be. 

It was a memorable experience, as not many people can say they have visited a Thai prison, and the journey to get there and back was an adventure in itself. It was a perfect example of the way their system works. Our directions were "take a boat, get off at stop, pass two 7/11s, prison on left". Obviously there were some specifics that are completely irrelevant to the story. Umm, what??! No, it was not that simple. To check in they send you to this room, back to this room, and then back again, because there is no central system within the country. They can't even pick up the phone and say we've already done something. Once we finally got in we waited for a good half an hour without a clue what we were doing. Finally, we found the guy we were supposed to talk to, only an hour and a half behind schedule. Sounds about right.

For me, the journey was much more worth while than the actual visit. He was a criminal, and I couldn't get past it (although I will admit a seemingly very friendly criminal). But, the experience was definitely something worth writing home about :). 

Strays

This is typical. Except usually in a frame this size, I would at least capture another resting dog's paw or tail. They are everywhere and all display the same mentality of the people. Only once have I seen a dog bark, when we came up to the apartment on motorbike. Engine off, dog immediately quieted. Every other dog has been in exactly this position, or sauntering lackadaisically towards the spot where they have chosen to lie. It's entertaining that a way of life can transcend species in such a blatant manner. I wonder if any of these dogs need Puppy Prozac.. doubt it.

Bare Necessities

Here's the 411. Since living in Thailand I have used one bar of soap to wash everything. Everything means body, face, hair, hands, and dishes. Surprisingly, that's okay. We spend so much money on "different" cleaners for things, but just the one works fine. 

I brought two sticks of deodorant with me, both of which melted and evaporated within my first week. I haven't bought any since. SHOCKING. The first day I didn't have an opportunity to purchase more, and  I was so worried about what was going to happen. It seems like the rest of my body is sweating out what my armpits normally would??! No idea how or why, but I definitely haven't needed it. Not even a little bit.

Side Note: These things are available here in Si Racha. I prefer to live on the cheap during the week so I can spend all my money traveling and playing on weekends. I was reminded that deodorant attracts mosquitos and that was plenty deterrent for me. I still mostly use soap to wash, but my amazing momma sent me some body wash and shampoo from home, which I recently started using about once a week.

YOWZA

This is what my foot looks like after only 3 days of working here. OUCH! All three of the new foreign teachers have giant blisters on our feet. They are swelling so much from the heat it's unbelievable. This is one of five blisters I have, but it's by far the largest. I'm so nervous for it to pop! All three of us were limping today..

Oh, Lady Boys

People told me about the Lady Boys before I was here, but it was something else that didn't quite register. This is an integral part of their culture; completely acceptable. It's not as though these people are only in the profession you might assume, but everywhere. Many waiters (waitresses*), at least one teacher at my school, office workers, etc etc. Now, they do congregate openly in certain really touristy areas for sure, but many of them are just living their lives in smaller towns and other areas. 

In school, I could point out from a mile away the boys who are pre-lady boy. Right now they still dress in the boys clothes and none of them in my classes wear make-up, but they are flamboyant. Seriously. Flitting their eyelashes and emphasizing their hips as they walk in class. Speaking with their hands, singing and dancing. From what I can tell they are a sort of go between the girls and boys at the younger levels, accepted and still comfortable in both groups. As they get older they congregate more with the girls. It's so interesting to watch. My second class on my first day I had a pre-lady boy in class and I was so surprised. "Hello Teacher, you are so beautiful. Tell me I'm beautiful," he said as he gave me his best beauty pageant wave and blew a kiss. True story. But then I got used to it just like everything else in Thailand.

By the time they are adults, I would bet you could only guess about 20% of them. Some of them want to be seen, some of them are better at disguising it. These men don't have adam's apples the same way western men do, so that's not a dead giveaway like I would have thought. It's much much more subtle, like jaw-lines. They are also not as obvious to us as the facial structure on western men. 

In many different situations, I have met and dealt with several lady boys. So far, they seem to be as friendly and kind as any other Thai I've come across. This is another situation that showcases the differences in our cultures. We think "oh, how bad," but most of the "bad" things that happen with the lady boys involve westerners. If it weren't for farang coming over and making an industry out of it, they wouldn't be there (only my opinion, only based on my very limited experience*). These people here do what they have to do to make money. End of story.

First Day, First Impressions.

It's been four days now, so my impressions have obviously changed quite a bit as I've become increasingly comfortable, but rest assured, they are all positive. 

I was of course initially comparing it to my Korean experience. The biggest (or at least one of them, in so many ways it is just too drastically different to even compare) difference is how welcome I felt. These guys really REALLY want me here, or they are good enough actors to make me believe them. Either way works for me. They are so kind and giving, just like every other Thai person I have come in contact with in my short time in this country. 

We are the first farang to teach here in quite some time, so this is a very new thing for teachers and students alike. The students are nervous, but curious and excited. They are not used to our voices or accents, and they ask us questions and often laugh in our faces when we respond. This takes a bit of getting used to and it might be my biggest challenge not to take it personally. I don't though. 

The school is gigantic, and undeniably beautiful. I can see lush green mountains from my windows. These windows are always ALWAYS open, even if it is pouring down rain; the doors are all open as well. If a class is laughing and cheering in a different building, we can all hear them. It's open and airy and keeps things feeling very casual. That's a big thing too. Here, it is very relaxed, as is everything in Thai culture. 

I teach in at least 10 different classrooms, and only one of them has a clock on the wall. It doesn't even work. By this example it should be blatantly obvious the importance they place on keeping time. None, it's non-existent. They just don't value it. Miraculously, work is still accomplished. A lot of it. More important than that, according to the other teachers and director, there is fun to be had. But I am absolutely okay with it.

Time was one of the greatest challenges for me on day 1. I was fine waiting for my students before class. Many show up 10, 15 even 20 minutes into class. Sometimes because they don't care, but often because they are coming late from a different teacher (who also doesn't have a clock in her room). I ran into trouble getting them out in a reasonable amount of time. I had no idea if we finished early, on time or late. I just let them go when I was done. I didn't have complaints from co-workers, but I personally found it really difficult to not know the time. Now I have my phone out at all times to help gauge the lesson.

It pretty hot and there's no A/C, but of the three farang teachers, I have by far done the best. Not exactly sure why but I'm thankful for it. As long as there is a bit of a breeze, I seem to be okay. Both of them have been completely drenched in sweat everyday this week. 

So far, the days go quickly. It's hot, we work hard, we have a lot of fun. I sleep well now. All good.

A little island fun (*sort of)

After hearing nothing but amazing things about the island of Koh Samet, I was excited and had high expectations. That's where I went wrong, and where you will always go wrong in Thailand. I imagine during high season the sand and water could be quite beautiful, but this time of year it was nothing special. 

On top of that, a typhoon hit the island our first night, so we spent the majority of the island getaway indoors. The rain was pretty hard, but the wind wasn't so bad. More than anything it kept us off the beach. 

Also, the island was full of trash. Full. They charge so much money for people to get there, have all of these well-organized money making scams that about 95% of the tourists fall for, yet they can't manage to pick up the trash or build roads. That doesn't really work for me. 

Our last day was nice and we were able to play in the water just a bit, that's the day I took my photographs. The rain and the trash would have been much more interesting, but I find that I think about my camera less and less here.

These pictures are backwards. Sorry.

We rode back to Si Racha on the motorbike, and this is what I looked like at the end of the trip. Maybe 70 kilometers or so.

We had to stop for petrol. It was so cool to see him churn up the red liquid like that. A first for me!

Getting the motorbike on and off the boat was a trip. We did this on the way to Koh Samet in the rain. We just kept waiting for it to slip off, but luckily the bike made it both ways.

Everyone had to walk the plank when we arrived back at the mainland, but on the way out I had to literally shimmy up the wood and tires on the side of the dock in order to get off of the boat.

Riding around on the island. This was a lucky shot with the flags (although both are absolutely everywhere throughout the country). The yellow is the king's flag and the red white and blue is the country's flag.

And this is a national park...

Our Thai style bungalow. It was so nice!

Our front porch view. It would have been great if it wasn't raining the whole time. This was on the last day as we were headed back to the docks.

Doesn't Add Up

Thailand is known as "The Land of Smiles". Everywhere you turn people are laughing and being friendly with one another. They are all so warm and welcoming towards me and my fellow farang (foreigners). I feel incredibly comfortable here, and I very much believe the Thai people are glad to have me.

With that said, there are situations in which I am used to people smiling and being friendly in the states where as here they are merely indifferent, if not even bored.

Public Performances.

In America, we expect our performers to put on a show. Make us laugh, excite us, you know the drill. Here, it's as though they are merely passing the time. I have never seen a Thai person more bored than when in front of an audience. Their faces turn blank and their eyes go dull. They zone out and stare off into space while in the act. They are lacking the skill of captivation. What's that about?

The first time we noticed this, it was our last night of orientation and we all went out as a group. Not sure how we ended up in this sort of bar, but we managed to find ourselves (about 15 of us, men and women) in a club of "dancers" at one point in the night. These women were dancing, and couldn't be bothered to pay attention to anyone around them. No smiles, no emotion whatsoever. Now, I don't have any experience to compare this to, but I would assume in most countries, the women in these bars attempt to engage viewers.

The second example I found was at the Tiger Zoo. During the crocodile show, the performers came out in the beginning and did a traditional Thai dance. They made it incredibly obvious they had done this several times and couldn't care less. They weren't engaging us at all, rather staring blankly into the unknown while moving around and dancing. Their movements weren't sharp or precise, rather very loose and jelly-like. They could not be bothered...

Not so PC, Not so PG

Thailand isn't either of these things and as a result, sometimes this blog won't be either. I want to give fair warning, as the content and style is very different than my blog in Korea. I really love it here, and I want to do it justice by writing honestly about the life. Things that might seem wrong or bad to us aren't always seen that way in Thailand. In some cases, I think we can be too close-minded, and in others, I think their actions are inexcusable. But, when I say "their" I really mean other westerners who perpetuate the lifestyle we view as inappropriate and immoral. These are only my opinions and ultimately they mean nothing, however, I do plan to write about things as I see them through my own eyes. So far, this has been extraordinarily different than my preconceived notions. I do not wish to offend in any way, rather to witness and document the experience with as little judgment as possible. In many ways, we live under the assumption that our way is best, and I no longer believe that to be so. It's best for us, so we do it and that's fine. The people here are happy, and they are doing what's best for them. We could learn a thing or two from this lifestyle.

Cambodia

In a nutshell: It was everything I imagined it would be and nothing I would have ever expected all at the same time. We saw herds of cattle in the middle of the road coming right at our car as the driver nonchalantly honked them away, little children playing -- both clothed and naked -- in muddy water, and people (myself included) petting monkeys in the wild.

On the flip side, everything was unbelievably expensive. I cannot stress that enough; it was mind-boggling. The food was fantastic and no one ever got sick, and our accommodations were significantly nicer than the ones we had in Bangkok. The people were incredibly friendly and overall very happy.

Skip down to the photos if you'd like, or check out the not so nutshell rambling details below.

The second we reached the border of Cambodia and Thailand it was immediately obvious that we were in a different country with a different kind of life. The border town on the Thai side was rougher than any town we had been to at that point and in the fuzzy no-man's-land between borders, we saw several stereotypical images that you frequently hear about, but never register as someone's reality. Everyone was dirty and there were children (clothed and naked) playing in mud puddles and sitting around, seemingly without the watchful eye of an adult. Both boys and men on foot were pulling wooden buggies full of people. It was surreal, at the very least. 

Once we crossed the border our initial adventure continued. This was definitely a step-out-of-your-comfort-zone boundary-pushing experience for me. I felt okay because I was with someone who is very well-traveled. If I was going to do it, I thought this was the best way. We decided to split a cab with some other travelers, both of whom were completely unaware, dressed in very short shorts with bathing suits under their tops. This just SCREAMS tourist. In that situation you are basically giving the natives a go ahead to take you for all your worth. It seemed like they latched on to us because they were in need. It was nice to be on our side of the situation. Cambodia is not somewhere you would want to travel without doing your research. We all put our bags in the trunk of the car, which made me immediately nervous; but I was determined to be calm about the situation. The driver stopped for gas and the tank access was in the trunk. A man came over and started moving our stuff around and immediately two things went through my mind: do I have anything valuable on top and more importantly, is he planting something in our bags. The reality is that the latter doesn't happen too often in Cambodia, but it was for sure my bigger concern. For the next 20 minutes I was literally waiting for our driver to pull over and the car to be randomly checked. I wasn't able to see what was happening in the back of the car and was unaware that the other three passengers had a better vantage point. Nothing was stolen; nothing was planted; and I was incredibly relieved. To be honest, I doubt I would have been so unnecessarily concerned had we not visited with a man in Thai prison for drug trafficking one day prior (I realize I haven't shared this story, but I'll get to it).

Our driver did stop on the side of the road two other times while traveling, however, to check various issues with the vehicle. He played very loud, very poor quality Thai music the entire trip, taking both hands off the wheel to change CDs as frequently as every new song while driving on both lanes and both shoulders of the two-lane, two-way highway with cars and buggies and animals coming at him from all 360 degrees. With that said, I felt there was a definitive system within what I perceived as chaos, and that we were in good hands. 

It poured the storm of a century for part of our trip, and he just drove right on. We could see motorbikes and people down with goods strewn about the road and ditches. Immediately the scene in Forrest Gump when he is traveling through the jungles in Vietnam discussing the different types of rain popped into mind. It was exactly like that. Like rain I had never experienced before, and I've experienced a lot of rain. It was coming like sheets directly from the north flying horizontally with the ground. I was mesmerized and terrified all at the same time. 

Luckily, we made it to Siem Reap safe and sound. Everything we experienced after that point was less exotic than the first two hours of our trip. It became consistently easier for us, aside from our ever present surprise by the expense. 

I'll spare you all the details from here on out and simply provide you with major points of interest. For me, Angkor Wat was interesting but not memorable. What was memorable was the children selling things throughout the temples. We wouldn't buy anything for several personal reasons, but we started giving them fruit that we had towards the end of the day. Their responses made our week. They were so thankful and immediately stopped pushing their junk on us. If I have the opportunity to go back I will pack my backpack full of food, flip flops and supplies for these children. That is a reason to go to Angkor Wat.

We never ate anywhere touristy, and as long as we stayed away from those areas, the Cambodians didn't even know we existed. Once we walked into designated tourist areas, they were on us like the mosquitos.

At the border, between the Thai and Cambodian sides. It was the only picture I took and I did it quickly, it was not a place I felt comfortable pulling out a camera.

The view from our Tuk Tuk the first night we went to Angkor Wat. We were told by a friend we could pay in the evening and see sunset with the ticket ($20 USD) for the next day. I'm not sure when he went, but this was no longer the case. It would have cost us $45 a piece to get in that night only, plus the $20 each for the next day. This is what I meant by expensive. It just doesn't add up.

Part of the night entertainment at Angkor Wat. They came out and performed for free at first, but then you had to pay to follow them inside the temple. We didn't fall for their tricks.

Part of one of the temples.

The road was split, one side was for all the foreigners, one side for the Cambodians. We ate on the Cambodian side for a much cheaper rate (still not anywhere cheap enough) and no one bothered us a bit. They were all completely captivated by this film.

Some monks in a temple.

Climbing up some of the walls. It was so steep here I couldn't believe it.

There were several trees like this growing out of the temples. It was really unusual and pretty.

My embarrassing last minute attempt at capturing the countryside right before we got back to Thailand. There were so many better things to have shown you, but I was too focused on them to think about the camera.

My Apartment

I most definitely have a home away from home here. I was told several times how welcoming and friendly Thai people are, and how they would all treat me like family but I just couldn't quite grasp the magnitude of this statement. It is so wonderful to live here and be so welcomed by everyone. They are all so kind and so helpful and so interested. Anything I could ever need or want they are more than willing to provide for me. I have a lovely landlady who lives here and her daughter speaks a bit of English. The apartment appears to be brand new and my furnishings have never been used. It is nice, beautiful, modern, safe and well-located. I really couldn't ask for much more, but on top of all this, I have a top floor apartment with ocean views. Again, unbelievable. 

It's like I put my time in Korea and now I'm being paid off so well. But this scares me, because in no way did I put in enough time to deserve this lifestyle. I am going to enjoy it while it's here to say the least. Who knows when I will be so fantastically located in the future. I couldn't afford this view in America for anything right now. 

Can you read this? Right; no, me neither. This is what all the doors in our apartment and school look like, with the numbers written in Thai. It's a quick lesson in the importance of stepping out of the box and learning to read a bit of the language. My apartment is 517, pronounced five-one-seven, not five seventeen like I would have assumed. We were able to narrow it down by figuring out the symbol for 5, 1, and 0. Then I just started trying my key in different apartments until I found one that opened. An unexpected way to get into my apartment to say the least!

This might not look like so much to you, but to me it is absolute luxury compared to my Korean apartment and my Thai expectations. It is sooo clean, and I have a real bed, not just box springs! Fantastic.

I have a normal sized bed in this apartment and there is still room for me to put two or three more people on the floor. I am thrilled for the opportunity to house guests. If you want to come, there is plenty of room for you here!

My bathroom is huge. I love it.

It requires two separate photos. This was a completely unexpected bonus!

The view from my balcony after a storm. The rainy season is officially here, and this rain is no joke. If you look to the left over the water you can see an island. There are several things offshore I can get to with convenience from my town, Si Racha.

This is a community area down at the bottom of the apartment. Many times people will be sitting out and eating or organizing things. There is a laundry service and coin washing machines. Everything is so convenient.