feeling like a jellyfish floating in the Gulf of Thailand. Waxing, waning with the waves. A sweet relief. Like pieces of flotsam not wanting to wash ashore, shipwrecked passengers not wanting to be rescued. As I sway, I am safe. I escape. My oscillation is my refuge. On the beach, tumbling Thai acrobats entertain sun … Continue reading Now I am

My TEFL teacher training has curbed my momentum and put an abrupt end to mine and Mel's backpacking honeymoon. We have been in Ban Phe, a small beach town off the Gulf of Thailand, since Sunday night. We've been working long 10-hour days (7am-5pm) and using our evenings to plan for our lesson the next … Continue reading Ban Phe Boot Camp

This temple in Chiang Mai is, hands down, my favorite I've seen thus far. Old, elegantly crafted teak pillars, temple bells, wooden Buddhas, antique cabinets, ceramics, and mosaics. Clinking of coins dropping into tin bowls, sounds of reverence. Sunlight streaming in through the windows, weaving between golden banners and dancing across the floor, off the … Continue reading Wat Phan Tao

Looking back on Wednesday, October 10th: We spent the day, enraptured, amongst creatures of monolithic majesty. On a 2,000 acre preserve of land in the mountains just north of Chiang Mai, Mel and I, along with 30 others, volunteered at The Elephant Nature Park. The park is a sanctuary for abused and exploited elephants that … Continue reading Elephant Love

Yesterday, we built a mud wall for the entrance to Ban Sai Roong. After walking home from breakfast (spiced pork with sticky rice), the village kids, one by one, started to follow us. I sensed they had this strange intuition, that they knew we needed their help. Now instead of having 3 people to build … Continue reading We built a mud wall!

Looking back on Saturday, October 6th: One of the happiest days. We stayed at the Papa Festival all day long. For two hours we volunteered at the basketball tent and watched traditional Thai performances. Delicacy. Elegance. Perfection. We ate copious amounts of free food, danced with lively women who rivaled us in moves (I was … Continue reading The Papa festival

Looking back on Friday, October 5th: For brunch, Mel, Djun and I made Tom Yum soup, steamed flowers and tempura fried plants from the garden. Then, we went to the temple to hang with the kindergarteners and show off our new song (with dance steps included) that we prepared the night before. It was basically … Continue reading Making friends, feeling at home

Looking back on Wednesday, October 3rd: Awoke at 5:30am to monks chanting, dogs barking, and roosters cocka-doodle-dooing. Suddenly, these noises were drowned out by a voice announcing the morning news to the village over a loud speaker. Mel and I roused, took cold showers, and prepared for our busy day. Isara came to give us … Continue reading One day in Ta Ma Fai Wan

Looking back on Tuesday, October 2nd: Back to bustling Bangkok again. For breakfast, we eat chicken curry, around 7:30am. Our concept of time is muddled, or non-existent. We take a taxi to Mo Chit, the Northeastern bus station and are bound for Chiayaphum. A mud house and a man named Isara await us there. Our … Continue reading Land of a Thousand Smiles + 2

Looking back on Monday, October 1st: Took the morning ferry to Surrat Thani train station. Caught the 6:30pm overnight train to Bangkok. The "Rapid" train is a bumpy ride. I often considered the possibility of derailing or collision. Met Pablo from Madrid. He, like most, apologized for not speaking flawless English. As if he failed … Continue reading Bangkok bound, language learning