The Great Thai Adventure

On December 17, 2008 my parents and little sisters left the freezing cold temperatures of Montana and visited me in Thailand. We traveled all over Thailand in a rented car and had A BLAST doing it!

Not our average Christmas dinner. We spent Christmas Day in my village visiting both of my schools. For dinner we had one of my favorite dishes Moo Ga Tot which is pretty much just BBQ pork with soup.

The gift-exchange at my small school.








My Christmas tree!








My dad doing the dishes Thai style. We had to do them inside to avoid the mosquitos.







While in my village I took my parents to one of my favorite places which is the waterfall I go to with my students. Of course my students wanted to come too!




While a lot of them rode their bikes some of them got a ride in our car. These are the ones we fit in the car with us in addition to the five of us white people.





At the waterfall my dad helped them get this huge log into the water so they could float on it.











After my village we went up north to Chaing Mai and did an elephant ride/bamboo rafting trip. The water was sooooooooo cold but fun.

How cute!


Mom practicing the gong.

At the end we went to the beach for a couple of days where Stoney joined us!

Stoney made me look like a mermaid!

Right after we got the car we headed over to Kanchanaburi where the Bridge over River Kwai is. We went to the bridge but more importantly we went to a Safari Park very close to the bridge and it was so much FUN. We got to feed giraffes, buffalos, ostridges and others.

Because we were the only ones there to watch the Elephant Show they also let us ride them. It was scary.

Oh and Maria pet a TIGER. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING!?!?

Cru Ning's Goodbye Party

We found out two weeks ago that my wonderful co-teacher Cru Ning passed the test she took and got a job in another city. Our school had a going away party for her and almost all of my small village came. She has taught here for 7 years and people begged her just to stay one more year but she needs to move closer to her family. I am going to miss her terribly. She and I were together so much that we developed our own language, some Thai some English.



The party started off with a Buddhist blessing.










The women of the village said a blessing for Cru Ning and then would tie bands of string around her wrist. They decided that I should have them too.




I love this community and they tell me I am the same as their daughters. These are some of the women with me and Cru Ning.











The students sang a beautiful song.









Everyone gave Cru Ning presents. I went all out and bought a picture of Buddha. It was fun riding home on my bike with this baby. She loved it.









Our students preformed a couple of songs for Cru Ning. Before and after each of their songs these girls were crying at the thought of Cru Ning leaving. The boys cried too, I found them hiding behind the library.






Dancing! It was a good way to warm up. We had food too but I managed not to get a picture of it. I did discover my new favorite Thai dish, "lap blaa"




At the end of the party we had Kareoke. I never never never do kareoke at parties because I have empathy, but on this night Cru Ning asked me to do it so I sang her "Beautiful Sunday" and I think I have made sure they wont ask me to sing again!

Father's Day

Father's Day in Thailand is a VERY important day to Thais. It is celebrated on the King's birthday and everyone loves him like he is their own father. We got the day off of school and that night we had a celebration in my village.




Just about everyone met in front of the big picture of the King. After speeches and offerings were given everyone lit their candle.














After all the candles are lit we placed them in a sand box in front of the King's picture.








The King's name is written on the rectangular sign and then they lit a string of sparklers above it. I LOVE sparklers so this was just about the coolest thing ever. Maybe people reading this blog can remember this when they are planning my coming home party....






And of course there was dancers. These pretty ladies are from the high school and are wearing the traditional Thai dancers garb. The little one in front is the Principal's daughter.

Beesly

I adopted a kitten one weekend when I was visiting my friend Stoney. She quickly became the love of my life. I thought a post dedicated just to her would be appropriate.



Beesly and Halpert reunite! Stoney adopted Halpert the same day I adopted Beesly. After living a month apart we brought them back together and they remembered each other and played non-stop.










She is so stinking cute.









One of her favorite places to sit is on the fence in my front yard watching the street. She has gotten really brave lately and stays outside alone a lot.

Sorry Cruu Kate we can't learn English today.

My sixth grade students came to my one day and apologized because they weren't available to learn English. When I asked why they said it was because they had to practice for the 31 legged race... I thought they were joking. Ends up they weren't.














Only in Thailand.

Roy Gratong

It is November. November means Roy Gratong Festival!! From what I gathered it is a festival for the people of Thailand to thank the water for giving them life. To thank the water they make "Gratong" and put all their bad thoughts on it and then send it on down the river.
What you need:

A slice from a trunk of a banana tree. Most were about 6-10 inches in diameter. I was convinced this was going to sink because it wasn't light but it didn't.





Banana Leaves. To fold up and decorate your base.






And flowers!!! I asked the students who had these where they bought them and they said they didn't , they just collected them. I am sure their neighbors were happy when they saw that.







Of course my first two classes were canceled so that the 5 and 6th grades could make lots of Gratongs to sell to people who didn't want to make their own.








Later I was visiting with my neighbor and she taught me to make my very own Gratong!

Isn't she lovely. You also put an incense stick and a candle on it.








Now my village was having a Roy Gratong festival in the lake at my school but my Aunt Nang was insistant that I see a REAL Roy Gratong festival. They were having one 2 villages over at the river. So Uncle Joe took me and my neighbor over to send one down the river. It was really really really pretty to see all the candles going down the river but impossible to take a picture of because it was so dark. You will just have to believe me or come visit me in November '09.


We headed back the our village just in time to catch the parade! Each of the 8 villages surrounding mine made a HUGE gratong on an inter-tube and they showed them in the parade.























After the monks blessed us we put our gratongs in the lake and released all of our bad thoughts. Everyone was joking that mine didn't sink so I must really like Thailand.