Kanchanaburi

This morning we woke up at 6:30 and had to rush to get ready for our big day at Tiger Temple! Shawn’s new boss told us about this wonderful day trip about 2 hours North of Bangkok to enjoy tigers and elephants, among other things. Going into this trip I was very scared. We were told that we would walk with tigers and take pictures with them in our laps! I thought, Oh no, I don’t want to end up on youtube with a tiger biting my leg off! But we both were ready for a new adventure and so scheduled our trip. Our driver Natani and his son came to pick us up and we were off. The drive through Bangkok was interesting; around every corner there is a picture of the King. There’s no mistake, we will know who the King is if we ever see him. Our first stop in our trip was at a WWII cemetery honoring fallen soldiers that were POW’s captured by Japan. During the war, Japan invaded Asia and was using POW’s in Thailand to build a railway for supplies. One specific railway is now called Death railway. We then visited the River Kwai Bridge. It is still a working bridge but is very old and reminiscent of the start of the industrial age. After walking across the bridge we asked a man at the bottom of the boat to take us to the monkey school, he said that he could not because the police shut it down! We could’ve also taken a boat ride to a cave but we were running short on time and needed to see the tigers promptly at 1 to walk them! So we decided to take a small boat ride to the Floating restaurant and grab a bite to eat. We enjoyed a quick meal of stir fry green vegetables in gravy, spring rolls, and shrimp cakes. It was delicious but Shawn was more fascinated with the giant bumble bee we were afraid was going to sting us. It was the size of a quarter, no joke!

After lunch, Natani drove us to the tiger temple. We were very excited and had no idea what was in store for us. Entering tiger temple was like something out of Jurassic Park! To enter the temple, you had to drive through a giant tiger’s mouth! We paid to go in and received a map telling us where to go to walk the tigers. Shawn and I started walking and saw this huge crowd of people, we thought, nah we are going this way because we want to be first in line. So Shawn wanted to walk through a gate to left of the crowd and just as we were about to, we both said wait what if we end up walking into the tigers, we will be eaten. So…we went to the safe area where the people were. Walking up to it we didn’t even realize that the tigers were laying on the floor and all of the crowd was looking at them! OMG!  It was so unreal. I mean an actual tiger was laying down right in front of us.  So our Australian guide explained to us the rules, in his Australian accent, “use a firm hand, the tiger is walking you, you are not walking the tiger, the tiger may spray you (to mark territory) take it on the chin because if you complain he will turn around to see what is making all that fuss, and then go and buy two lottery tickets because it is good luck, mate!”

We got in single file line, were told to put our right hand firmly on the tiger’s back, hold the rope and walk. Shawn went first. My thought was if this tiger does anything crazy, I’m running and not looking back. He managed not to get eaten and the guides took great pictures of him. My turn. Oh Jesus, was I scared. But it all happened so quickly, that in that second I had to suck it up and place my hand on the tiger. Wow, there is no way to really explain it. These creatures are so majestical and yet so wild that their demeanor can change within a second and then you’re a gonner. We had the chance to walk the tiger down to the canyon twice safely. Once we got to the canyon, the guides tied the tigers to a chain and we waited for all the tigers to be brought down. As each tiger made its way to the canyon, you had to stand up, and look in the tiger’s direction because he needed to see that you were not a threat. When they brought the largest tiger down, he began to “stalk” instead of walk, which meant he was on the prowl. The guide said that his natural instincts kicked in and he was looking at something that he may have seen as a threat.  I was just so glad that the tiger wasn’t looking at us because it was just like in the tv shows, where the tiger stalks its prey and then pounces in one swoop killing the oblivious animal. The guide that was walking this tiger, knew what was happening and turned in front of the tiger and slapped him on the nose. Shawn and I were like oh Mylanta! What is he doing??? After all the tigers were situated, it was time to take pictures. We decided Shawn would be the VIP and hold the tigers head. Shawn had to walk holding the guides hand, and I had to walk with both hands on Shawn’s shoulders, I guess this is the way to not intimidate the tigers. So we sat next to a sleeping tiger, Shawn cuddled his  head and I stood beside. It was amazing. I can’t believe we got to hold a creature so wild and yet so calm in our hands. I know it is an experience we will never forget. Thank God we have this opportunity to travel the world and pursue amazing adventures.

Thailand-First Impressions

Stereotypes and Expectations

                In general, the main thing I’ve thought this week is that I was mostly wrong with a lot of the stereotypes I had coming in and several of the expectations either from me or the things people told me. Here’s a few off the top of my head

1.       Asians are short:

Well, I don’t know the statistics, but there are several men and women here who are taller than me. My wife is still shorter than most people, so bummer for her. That said, there are not that many overweight people at all, which I see as a challenge to me. Not only are Thai’s not short, but there are multiple different cultures in Thailand. There was blacks, whites, Muslims, Christians, everything. I’m pretty sure Angel was the only Hispanic person though.

2.       Thailand, Land of smiles J

For a culture that does nothing but smile (according to orientation), these people sure do pack some attitude. The most surprising was the waitress at the pizza restaurant (Bisilicos) when we informed her that she brought us 2 one topping pizzas and we wanted 1 two topping pizza. She looked like I hit her in the kidneys or something. We felt bad, but I also thought she should’ve thought twice about bringing 2 pizzas to 2 people. But I guess with Americans you never know

3.       The smog

I mean, from our 36^th floor window you can see that the air isn’t pristine or anything, but I expected to need a gas mask the way some folks talked about it. I haven’t been running yet so maybe my opinion will change, but I don’t feel like the air here is much worse than Houston

4.       Thailand: 3^rd world country?

This is probably just my own misunderstanding. Somewhere between finding out about how crowded it is, the tuktuks, and the cheap prices, I expected a starving city. Well, there are several rundown buildings in Bangkok and many people do make their living on the streets, but there are more beggars and homeless folks in downtown Houston or Austin than we’ve seen so far in Bangkok. May be all the bums are hiding, I know it has only been 3 days. I’ll keep you posted. Again, I’m not an economic expert, but I wouldn’t say this part of Bangkok is even a second world country, if there is such a thing. There are more malls, restaurants, parks, and other places to spend your money per square mile than any other place I’ve been to.

5.       Thailand is cheap

Ok, this is true in many areas (haircuts, massages, taxis, public transportation), but I have yet to find any everyday goods that cost less than they do in the US. Granted, we have been in the tourist area and we haven’t bought anything from the street markets, but most everything we buy here is more expensive. All  the designer clothes are still waaaay to expensive, the electronics and phones cost as much or more, and general goods (cookware, books, movies) cost about the same. If we’re gonna save a bunch of dough here, we better learn how to use the street market

6.       Music

I’m sure there is some traditional Thailand music that most Thais enjoy, but everywhere I’ve been I’ve listened to some form of American music. We were the most surprised when we were riding in the car with our driver listening to what must be the Thai version of NPR when suddenly the uncut version of C Lo Green’s F*** YOU! Pops on the radio.

There are several other interesting things about Thailand. When I stepped outside at the airport, I felt humidity of about 200%. But once I got into the city, it was much better. Being in the workforce now, I’m used to getting in my car to drive to my office, staying in the office all day, getting in my car to drive home, and then going to sleep. Rarely will I go outside in the summer unless it’s for a sporting event, so just being outside more here has made for a lot more sweating. It’s actually not nearly as hot as far as Houston, although I think it’s at least as humid. When we finally got to our apartment/hotel room, I was pleased to see that it was very spacious, had an amazing view of the city, and was convenient. I was a little worried when we turned up the rundown alley and suddenly we were at the hotel. That’s one of the characteristics that Bangkok seems to have even more than other big cities, you can be in a slum or redlight district at one moment and then within the same block there’s a 5 star hotel or restaurant. I guess at some point we’ll have to get out a little further to see if the rest of Bangkok is different.

1st night out

After we finished our business during the day, Shawn's coworker invited us out to dinner. He took us to the BTS sky train and taught us how to use it. He was very knowledgeable and we were very appreciative to have him give us a tour. So after taking the sky train to Asok, we walked to the restaurant Cabbages and Condoms. Don't be fooled by the name, their proceeds go to benefit HIV/AIDS research and PDA social development. Walking into the entrance of the restaurant, it was very beautiful. Golden lights hanging from the trees, and it looked very serene. However, we came up to a manniquin dressed as a superhero made solely out of condoms! It was hilarious, and of course I had to stop to take pictures! The restaurant had a very nice atmosphere. Shawn's coworker gave us some tips on ordering: the waitress will stand around after she has taken your drink order so that she can take your meal order, she's not at all trying to pressure you to hurry, but as an American you are just not used to that. Eating Thai style, we had combination fried rice, dried pork with chili sauce, cashew chicken, vegetables, and grilled fish. Everything was really good and somewhat spicy. One of the great things about this restaurant is that after the meal, instead of taking mints home, you get to take condoms!

Our friend told us another tip: don't pick your teeth! If you need a toothpick you must do this discreetly because picking your teeth is highly offensive to Thai's.

Cabbages and Condoms

Once we left the restaurant, we walked up Suhkumivt Rd, which is a very long street and also where our hotel is located. One side of the street had a night market with everything you could buy, from shoes to movies, (and other illegal stuff). Then we just had to walk to some of the infamous red light areas. I say areas, because there is not one district, but several streets of this kind. We walked down NaNa street and also where the Hangover 2 was filmed. We didn't go in any clubs, but we could only imagine what was there. Our friend told us that they do have some nice bars and that the ladies would not bother a couple, but if a man is out alone, then they are really talking! He also showed us a great place to buy decorations, a tailor for men and women and some hair cut places. Shawn was very happy to see that there was some barber shops that cut black men's hair! After all of that walking we were very tired. We managed to take the right sky train home and called it a night.

Day 1-let the adventure begin

Our day began at 9am. We talked to family on skype, oh the internet, what would we do without you?
Afterwards, we went down to the hotel Emporium and had breakfast. All the staff are very nice and accomodating. Sawadee!! all the time :) After breakfast our day only got busier!

A woman from the Asian Tigers (Shawn's relocating service) came to pick us up. We first stopped at the hospital Bumrungrad to register and take a tour. Upon walking in, the hospital looked like a hotel. There was a McDonalds, Starbucks and a shopping center! The woman giving us the tour gave us an explanation of how the hospital system works. They have over 300 departments in this hospital. And when you need to see the doctor you just go to the speciality that you need. There is no reason to go to a "primary" doctor unless you don't know what is wrong. They also have everything in this one hospital, from vision, to skin care, to ENT (ear, nose, throat) to dentists. You name it, they got it. We also registered with the hospital so that when we return all we do is show up, show them our card and we  are in! Now, every business place we went to, everyone was dressed the same and very uniform. Let me explain, all the nurses had on white suits with little white hats like the 40's! I mean it looked straight out of a pearl harbor movie, where all the nurses were cute with their hairdo's and hats. Then the other staff had on green scrubs, except, they weren't scrubs more like business suits that looked like scrubs. Another part of the hospital that is different from American hospitals was the physical floor. When you need to come to get a physical you come to this floor and go through 7 stations. Each station leads you through the process of your physical. You start off at registration, move on to consultation, billing and then vitals. All your vitals are done separately and after you are done you get your results and post discussion because the labs are right there! There is no need to wait to have the doctor send your labs off somewhere, it is all done in one place! What amazed me the most was they have a free cafeteria for you to replenish yourself after you have done the main portion of your physcial because you often must go on an empty stomach. Wow! Why doesn't the US have such a simple and nice setting. Oh ya because we aren't socialist!

Ok, next place we went to was the bank. We registered for a Thai bank account. Here too, everyone was wearing purple, the bank's colors. Their entire outfit wasn't purple but they had a least some aspect of it. Women were wearing purple skirts, blazers, blouses, pants and men were purple jackets, shirts, ties, etc. It is just so different. After we did our business at the bank and took out some bhat, we went to Shawn's new office Chevron!

He had a great time viewing his new cubicle and meeting all the people. Ialso enjoyed meeting his coworkers and can't wait to have lunches, dinners, outings together. We are really going to enjoy this! Well, I will save our evening for later. Yes there is more! Sawadee!!

Our new journey

Leaving Houston, I have mixed emotions. I'm not crying or sad, I feel like I have let plenty out before this day, and I'm sure it will all come rushing in when I'm sitting in my new home knowing that I can't just drive to my mom's or friend's houses. I'm kinda indifferent right now, but don't get me wrong, I am excited to go and I can't even imagine what is in store for us, but right now it just feels like business. Ok, let's get this packed, this done and that. I'm also not looking forward to that 13 hr plane ride! But as I think about what could happen, I'm trying to motivate myself to make sure I do it all. I've always been the person that will do anything to achieve a goal. sometimes my goals are small, save money to go here, etc, and they have also been grand... Graduate from UT!  I did all those things and I know I can do more. Now, I'm setting my sights on helping, learning, becoming a better woman, a better friend, a better daughter a better wife. I want to enjoy this adventure. I want to help others around the world. I want to gain so much knowledge so that I can bestow it on my children. I am writing this and now they have become my goal. I have to do it. I realize that these have always been my goals but sometimes so many other things happen around you that you lose sight of them. Things get a bit cloudy. And now that I am going to one of the hottest places in the world, where there will be few clouds maybe I will begin to see them clearly.  Hmm, i just realized as I was writing, that those clouds were putting me to work . Those clouds were molding me to accomplish my goals. These goals are also something that isn't finite. I will have to continue molding myself to fit the person I want to be. So here I am, starting my journey not just 9633 miles away but a lifetime in the making.

My revelation!

I just have to realize you can't control someone's behavior, you can only control yours! That's not to stay i cant teach better behaviors, that's what I strive to do everyday! Believe me this is hard to do, but I just try to give as much praise to the good kids so hopefully the not so good ones will do something to get praise, and at the end of the day it will help me to feel positive because I will remember all the praise verses the negative.

Back To School

It's back to school time. I returned to work from a long relaxed summer last week and it has been a crazy, hot mess! But it is very exciting to start the new school year. Shawn has been absolutely amazing and all the trainings I went to this summer really gave me a fresh new outlook for this school year. I will have a great day everyday and I will remain calm and positive. I also feel so much better this year because I am actually going back to the same class, at the same school for the first time in my teaching career. Just knowing that I already know how to do things in my classroom and what works and what doesn't work is a great start to the year. It has been such a smoother transition for me and my class. I am glad to have most of the same students in my life skills class and to have seen how much they have grown and matured over the summer is amazing. I am ready for the school year and can't wait to see the wonderous things my students will do this year.