Living in Thailand: 2013

True, some people like it hot....personally, I am a little tired of it. April is Thailand's hottest month with most days reaching the upper 90s (and very humid). Today I put an ice pack on my face just to help cool off. We do not have central air but each room has a small air conditioner that I use when I am in that room. It reminds me of my childhood when we did not have central air. We had one window air conditioner and every summer the family would hang out in the bedroom with the air conditioner. I remember my father sitting in his lawn chair (in my bedroom) proceeding with his afternoon routine of reading the newspaper and drinking something cold. Anyway, I am digressing. Let's just leave it with April in Bangkok is too hot!

It has been four months since I last posted so I will only touch on some highlights.

My sister Linda conquers Bangkok!

Between the 25 or so hour plane ride and the 12 hour time difference, Linda basically missed Christmas. However, she lucked out with the weather. Bangkok had about two weeks of cooler temperatures (if you want to call 82 degrees cooler)...and Linda was here for those two weeks!

For me, the best part of Linda's visit was that I got to spend so much time with her. Linda does a lot of things for other people, it was nice to see her do something for herself (a trip out of the country). I believe that what she enjoyed most was observing every day life in Thailand (mostly Bangkok) and the beach. I found out that Linda loves to snorkel...and can (likes to) snorkel for hours.

Every visitor must visit a few temples

Koh Samet (Koh means island)

Hard to beat dinner on the beach

Boat ride through canals....Thai houses

Red Cross Snake Farm - venom extraction to make anti-venom

Red Sky Bar - one of my favorite sky bars

New Year's Eve - what a trooper, Linda made it to midnight despite jet lag and a cold

English Camp

I really enjoyed volunteering for the AWC (American Woman's Club) English Camp. It involved a cause I think is important (girls and education), I was able to interact with a diverse group, I got to see another part of rural Thailand, and it was fun.

The AWC Scholarship Program pairs high schools girls from rural Thailand that need assistance with school uniforms, books, supplies with sponsors. The main goal of the program is to assist/encourage these girls to finish school (Thailand has a problem with girls living in rural areas quitting school and going into prostitution in Bangkok). The student agrees to keep up her studies and to correspond with her sponsor (receiving a letter from the student we are sponsoring makes my day!).

English Camp is a weekend where the students practice their English with native speaking volunteers (volunteers include Sponsors and Peace Corp volunteers). My main responsibility was was to lead the learning English through singing class (a total of 11 classes over 2 days). If you know me this is very funny because I am a really bad singer.

Highlights of the weekend included meeting the girl we sponsor, interacting with the students, and getting to know the Peace Corp volunteers. I really enjoyed hearing the experiences of the Peace Corp. They have a lot of courage, many of them are living in remote villages and teaching English at the school (usually the only foreigner in the village).

Saturday night was very special. After a full day of English Camp each school performed a Thai dance which included traditional Thai costumes from their school. So beautiful and amazing. Later that night at the hotel, the AWC members had a surprise party for the Peace Corp Volunteers. We had been collecting items for them for months (items hard for them to get in the villages). We presented them with these items. They were thrilled. It was wonderful to see how excited they were.

The very sweet and polite student we are sponsoring

In our class you got to wear props

Students getting ready to perform a Thai dance. Yes, the transformation was astonishing.

To give the girls a break from singing in English, we asked them to perform a song for us in Thai. There is a popular children's song about an elephant that they sang us (they are making trunk gestures).

Susan and Steve come for a visit

We were so happy to have our friends Susan and Steve come over and play! They really enjoyed the outdoor markets (shopping). Thai markets (Asia markets really) are a great place to experience the culture of the area; the smells, sounds, and sights of the markets are an experience of their own. Even if you are not a shopper the outdoor markets can be an adventure. And if you are a shopper...then it is hard to not get caught up in the fun of bargaining. I was very impressed out Susan and Steve's bargaining skills!

The four of us went to Koh Chang (translates to Elephant island). I really liked this island and enjoyed floating in the clear water while gazing at the mountains. One day we split up. Colin and I went snorkeling and Susan and Steve went to ride an elephant.

Lunch break at the market

Road trip to Petchaburi to visit a former Royal Palace (now a museum)

New Zealand

New Zealand is breathtaking. I have never been to a place where you were able to spend one day whale watching, the next riding bikes through wineries, the next hiking along the coast with views of golden sand beaches and crystal clear water, the next day driving through apple orchards and pastures to reach the rugged coast line with water crashing on the rocks, the next day on top of a glacier, the next day taking a scenic flight over alpine peaks followed by a visit to beautiful fjords. Ok, you get the picture. New Zealand is a mecca for people who love scenery and spending time outdoors.

We rented a car and toured the South Island. I was excited to have Colin all to myself for two weeks! Colin and I love to hike so we did alot of gorgeous day hikes. A little trouble keeping up with my husband the super hiker, but I managed (remember, I am a flatlander).

Sparing you a rundown of our itinerary, I will give you a list of my favorites, in no particular order:

- Abel Tasman Park: taking the speedboat to a drop-off on the trail and hiking 4 hours along the beautiful coast with views of beaches and turquoise water.
- Helicopter ride to glaciers.
- Watching Colin eat fish and chips in bed (he was very excited about all of the fish and chiperies...just like in Scotland).
- Riding our bikes to the wineries in Marlborough
- New Zealand Savignon Blanc
- Baby seals playing in a pool of water created by coastal rocks
- Scenic Islander Plane flight over alpine mountains to Milford Sound (where Lord of the Rings was filmed)
- Hiking to the glacier terminal
- The Peninsular Walkway in Kaikoura where we hiked through pastures and along the coast (saw penguins and seals)
- The two story cabin we lucked into (a spontaneous stop) with a balcony overlooking the sea
- Soaking in the beautiful weather while enjoying a glass of wine in beautiful Queenstown
- Walking along the coast and finding cute penguin tracks