Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Bold is Gold

After I studied abroad in 2014 I thought my life was over. Done were the days of spontaneous weekend trips, meeting new friends from all over the world and being a person first, student second. Soon after I went back home to Texas, I turned 21. It was at this point I had an epiphany: the reason my life was so fun abroad was because I made it that way. All I had to do was make conscience decisions to live my life in an exciting way. And so, I did. I traveled to Budapest; I developed my public speaking and event management skills; I became comfortable doing things alone.

If 2015 was the year of introspection, 2016 was the year of boldness. By the time I turned 22, I could make a strong argument that teaching in Thailand would be a good fit for me. After my annual identity crisis (“People expect things out of 22 year olds!”) I submitted my teaching application. Of course, the golden question every second semester college senior is asked always came my way. “What are you doing after graduation?” For a long time, I couldn’t give a definitive answer. I stuck to “I plan to teach in Thailand.” Key word: plan. It wasn’t until April that I got my acceptance letter and could finally start planning for post-grad life. In May I graduated, a process that was entirely more emotional than I could have ever imagined. I spent most of June and July completing my Austin bucket list before moving back to Dallas in the fall. August and September included trips across the US to visit friends and family before departing for Thailand in October. In the weeks leading up to my departure date, I anxiously made lists, lesson plans and travel goals. Then, in November I adjusted to my new normals and began to thrive in Chachoengsao. So far, December has been one of the most fulfilling times I’ve ever experienced. I found my work-life balance. I connected with fellow teachers and travellers. I made bold decisions. It’s safe to say I can still make a convincing argument that teaching in Thailand is the right job for me.

In between teaching and tutoring, I find time to travel. I spent the past two weekends in Bangkok, a city I am really warming up to. I realized that Bangkok reminds me a lot of New York City: jam-packed public transportation, incredible shopping, booming nightlife and historical landmarks mixed in throughout the modern day urbanization. Once I could accept Bangkok for what it was, I started to love it that much more.

Two weeks ago I took a river taxi to visit Wat Arun, or Temple of the Dawn. Although the temple is currently under renovation, my friends and I made the most of it by walking around the perimeter. The view from the top was well worth it!

At Wat Arun, the landscape is beautiful. Landmarks such as the Rama VIII bridge are easy to spot. Click photo to enlarge.

When we were finished walking around the temple, we shopped at the neighboring market (yes, elephant pants were purchased) before boarding the river taxi again. After a weekend filled with massages, street food and tuk tuk rides it was time to head back to Chachoengsao for school.

During the week I am expanding my tutoring network. I value the connections I can make with kids outside of the classroom as a native English speaker. Our current focus is common greetings and “get to know you” questions. The potential of the students I tutor is great and I’m excited to track their progress. I hope to make them more comfortable and confident speaking English.

Tutoring time was a great success! Click photo to enlarge.

When I’m not FaceTiming my dog, I go on evening runs at the local park (and I have the bug bites to prove it). The sunsets never get old and I love truly feeling like a part of the Chachoengsao community.

The view from the local park always leaves me awe-struck. Click photo to enlarge.

Last weekend’s trip to Bangkok was one of my favorites so far! I put my paycheck to good use at JJ market, one of the largest markets in the world. It’s impossible to even conquer the whole vicinity in just a day, so I’m looking forward to going back...once I get paid again. Instead of heading back home first thing Sunday morning, my friends and I played all day in Bangkok. Best. Decision. Ever. After a cab ride to a nearby mall, we had a Western-style lunch (finally got my mashed potato fix!) and treated ourselves to a movie before heading to the bus terminal. I couldn’t help but laugh that even halfway across the world, I still found myself at a movie theater on Christmas day.

This week at school my students are taking their midterms before we break for the New Year holiday. My M1 (6th grade) students took their exam first and every single one of them passed! I totally had a proud mama moment when I heard the news. Together, we ended the year with a big accomplishment. In addition to M1, I also teach English for Tourism to a group of M3 (8th grade) students. I recently asked them to write a paragraph about their ideal workplace. As I was grading their submissions, I came across a sweet note from one of my students. File under: highlight of my day.

I completely melted at this response. Click photo to enlarge.

I also got to visit my favorite group of 4-year-olds at their after-school English class this week. Together we did arts and crafts, danced the hokey pokey and played with Snapchat filters, a pastime that is appealing to all age brackets and cultures.

Favorite filter with my favorite boy. Click photo to enlarge.

This weekend I will travel to Chiang Mai, a large city in northern Thailand. Chiang Mai is known for its mountains, cooler weather and weekend bazaars. I am looking forward to exploring a part of Thailand that is uncharted territory for me. Perhaps that’s what 2017 will be all about: exploring the unknown. Cheers to the New Year from my time zone to yours!

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Ayutthaya to Zen

Current mindset: teach first, travel second. My number one priority in Thailand is to educate my students. Any travel I get the opportunity to do is an added bonus. These past few weeks have truly epitomized this idea. A friend and I recently joked that it is as if I lead a double life. Monday through Friday I am known as “Teacher Bryna,” a foreign teacher who travels in her free time. Over the weekend, I’m Bryna from Texas, a tourist who happens to also teach English. I am doing my best to accomplish all of my goals, even with the juxtaposition of being both a teacher and a tourist. Since my last post, I’ve been fortunate to experience many different aspects of Thailand. Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to lately, from A to Z.

A is for Ayutthaya ­– Thailand’s capital city until the 18th century when it was sacked by Myanmar (formerly Burma). Once a thriving area filled with temples and a royal palace, all that is left now is ruins. On my recent visit to Ayutthaya I was astounded by the sheer size of what remains. The stupas, or Buddhist shrines used as a place for meditation, will make anyone feel small in comparison. It almost felt eerie being there and imagining what life used to be like!

Pictured above at the temple Wat Maha That and below at the temple Wat Phra Si Sanphet in Ayutthaya. Click photos to enlarge.

B is for bats – a creature I was horrified of until last weekend when I learned how majestic they really are! During my visit to the province of Pak Chong, I watched in awe as 2 million bats migrated from underground caves into the night sky.

I was mesmerized by the synchronization of the bats leaving their cave! Click the video to view.

C is for crocodile – one of the many animals I saw up close and personal during my trek through Khao Yai, a national park in Thailand.

 Full disclosure: this picture is zoomed in... I wasn't getting too close to this guy! Click photo to enlarge.

D is for dogs – they’re everywhere in Thailand! At school, in the street, on the beach... everywhere!

 Pictured: some of the dogs at my school. Not pictured: literally the dozens of other dogs at my school who roam around like they own the place. Click photo to enlarge.

E is for elephant – specifically, the one wild elephant I saw in Khao Yai National Park. My tour guide made sure to emphasize the “wild” part. Though elephants are known as gentle giants, it is still important not to get too close.

F is for face plant – AKA what I thought would happen to me during the entire 3 hour trek in Khao Yai.

G is for Ganesha – a large reclining Ganesha (Hindu deity) is located in my province at Wat Saman Rattanaram. It is said to be the biggest in Thailand, if not the world!

Wat Saman Rattanaram is so large, I couldn't even capture it all in one picture! Click photo to enlarge.

H is for hanging gibbons – not to be confused with monkeys, gibbons are actually apes that live in trees and are known for their hooting. I got the chance to see many gibbons bouncing from tree to tree in Khao Yai.

This little guy was kind enough to pose for a photo before jumping onto the next tree. Click photo to enlarge.

I is for icicle – which is what I thought I would turn into in the 68 degree winter weather in Pak Chong and Khao Yai. To everyone who is living through actual freezing temperatures, I’m sorry.

J is for jam-packed – basically what every single day feels like. During the day, I lesson plan and teach. After school, I tutor conversational English and I travel on all of my days off. As someone who loves being busy, I'm really not complaining!

K is for Khao Yai – where I spent my time off last weekend. Khao Yai is Thailand’s third largest national park, as well as the first area to be established as a national park in Thailand. My weekend was filled with learning more about nature, admiring wildlife and forming special bonds with friends new and old.

Pre-hike, post-gibbon siting. Click photo to enlarge.

L is for lunch crew – which consists of a group of 10th graders I serendipitously started having lunch with every Wednesday. Half of the time is spent with my students asking me questions about America, and the other half is spent with me asking them questions about proper pronunciation in Thai. I'm pretty confident each party thinks they are getting the better end of the deal! I look forward to this lunch every week. It is so rewarding to see them open up to me a little bit at a time in order to practice their conversational English.

M is for midterms – I know now that midterms are just about as fun for teachers to write as they are for students to take.

N is for night swimming – which is what happened last weekend after day 1 of my tour around Khao Yai. The water was pretty frigid (it is winter, after all) but it was refreshing to take a quick dip.

O is for outdoor classes – my latest teaching strategy when the weather is too nice to stay cooped up in a classroom. My students definitely approve.

P is for pad see ew ­– currently my favorite Thai dish.

Pad See Ew is the opposite of "Ew." Click photo to enlarge.

Q is for quitting – which is never an option, especially when it comes to writing 2 exams in 48 hours.

R is for rainbow fish food ­– the multicolored Cheeto-like puffs I used to feed the fish frenzy in the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya.

I'm a fan of anything rainbow... even fish food! Click photo to enlarge.

S is for still smiling even with a scorpion spider – on my FACE. Slightly terrifying, kinda felt ticklish, huge adrenaline rush. Trigger warning in case you have arachnophobia.

Sorry Mom... Click photo to enlarge. 

T is for trek – 3.8 km in length all throughout Khao Yai National Park. Definitely one of my most cherished experiences in Thailand thus far.

U is for underground caves – the place where I saw many bats, creepy crawlers and Buddha statues! Though it may come as a surprise, many monks actually visit the caves around Khao Yai to meditate.

One of the Buddhist prayer sites within the cave. Click photo to enlarge.

V is for views – specifically from the Pa Deo Dai cliffs in Khao Yai. In a word: breathtaking.

Holy Khao Yai, isn't Thailand beautiful?! Click photo to enlarge.

W is for waterfall ­– which is what I worked towards seeing during the trek through Khao Yai.

The Haew Suwat waterfall is one of the most popular in the area, and for good reason. Click photo to enlarge.

X is for x-rated – monkey behavior, that is. Apparently the monkeys in Khao Yai mate about 20 times a day. No picture included for this letter!

Y is for yai ­– “Khao” translates to mountain and “Yai” translates to big.

Khao Yai is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Click photo to enlarge.

Z is for zen ­­– I found my zen after touring for hours throughout Khao Yai, pulling over to the side of the road and watching the sunset. It was pure bliss.

Another day in Thailand = another striking sunset. Click photo to enlarge.

Thailand has so much to offer and I can’t wait to keep exploring, making memories and immersing myself in this beautiful culture.