The Land of Smiles

Sawatdeeka from Thailand :)
As Dr. Pimsleur, the voice of my Thai on tape tells me, a smile is an important part of this Thai greeting and he is right.  Thailand really is the land of smiles!

I arrived in Bankok last week for week of Thai lessons, teacher training, and eating copious amounts of delicious Thai food.  I was confined to the hotel for most of the week but I did venture into the hectic city a few times to go to the market and explore Bangkok's night life.  Although its crowded, polluted, and traffic jams are unbelievable, Bangkok is an incredible city with interesting people from around the world.

For the final night of orientation we left the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and journeyed three hours west to Kanchenaburi.  When I emerged from our double-decker bus I felt like I was in another world.   The sun was shinning and the jungle surrounded me!  Street signs warned travelers of unexpected elephant crossings and water buffalo roamed freely.  First we visited the bridge over the River Kwai for our dose of historical education and then dined on some amazing food!  The following day was full of exciting adventures.  In the morning we boarded bamboo rafts (survivor style) and rafted down the river as our guides sang traditional Thai folk-songs.  The water was clear and beautiful and diving in felt amazing after sitting in the oppressive Thai sun.  After our trip down the river we mounted delightfully large elephants and trekked through the jungle as our guide wove crowns for us out of leaves and twigs.

I left Bangkok yesterday and am writing from my new home, Prapradaeng, in the Samut Prakan province.  Prapradaeng is a beautiful little town located about an hour outside of Bangkok.  The city sits directly on the river that runs through Bangkok, nestled under a beautiful bridge. 


I am living in a studio apartment, Alana is one floor above me, with a private "bathroom" and air conditioning.  I put "bathroom" in qotes because it is one of those shower toilet rooms, where you can't leave toilet paper in because the it would get drenched by the shower that covers the toilet in water everytime you turn it on.  The sink is outside on the balcony!!!  It is a very nice apartment though, I am lucky to even have air conditioning (which seems to be my best friend these days). 

I have an extra bed....its open for visitors!!!

Our apartment is part of a larger gated complex with a laundry facility, corner store, small resaurant, and of course karaoke bar!!!  To get into the building you have to scan your thumb on this crazy machine!  

Navigating our new city has been a bit of a challenge but Alana and I have found landmarks that make it easier.  Our favorite is the sparkly Buddhist temple which looks like a glitter store got turned on its head and shaken until every inch of the structure reflects sunlight. 

We are the only foreigners in Prapradaeng.  I feel like such a celebrity.  Little children point and laugh and tell us we are beautiful.  It's awesome!!

School doesn't start back up until November 1st so I have a bit of time to get to know my new home.  I am going to be teaching 4th, 5th, 6th, and 9th graders English.  I guess they came to their senses and found someone else to teach Science because they told me I didn't have to....lucky for the children!!

I'm off to do some more exploring and practice my Thai.

I am sending hugs and kisses from across the globe!!!!