Ko Samet Weekend

After completing my first full week at work a group of us headed out to an island called Ko Samet. This island is about 3-5 hours commute from Bangkok depending on traffic. After work on Friday we arranged for a van to pick us up at 7/11 (If I didn't mention it yet there is a 7/11 on every block in Bangkok). There were about 8 of us who piled into the van and went on the journey. The time passed easily in the van thanks to our stellar conversation. If we didn't know each other very well yet we did after that van ride.

After the van ride we took a speed boat to the island. Our driver was a dude with spiky dreads who is nicknamed Sapparo, which is the Thai word for pineapple, because his hair resembles the top of a pineapple. He did successfully get us from the mainland to the island, however I must say a few things about that boat ride. The water was a bit choppy, and he made no effort to slow down or ease into these waves. A lot of bumps were experienced, we all felt lucky to have survived that ride. At times he would not pay any attention to steering the boat and would instead be hugging me, because I agreed with him that one of my friends on the boat is in fact crazy. This boat ride was also the first time I was able to see the stars since I arrived in Thailand. I really appreciated that. Don't take that beautiful sky for granted, stop and look up every now and then.

Once we arrived we checked into our beach hut accommodation and grabbed supper together. We ate at a waterfront restaurant for every meal. At night the restaurant was decorated with star shaped lanterns it was quite beautiful. After supper we went to a bar called Naga which had some really great tunes pumping, a black light covered dance floor, glow in the dark paint, lounge space with pillows and comfortable seating, a boxing ring, pool table, two bars which served drinks, laughing gas balloons, and Hookah. The best thing about partying here was that when you get really hot and sweaty from dancing you could go for a refreshing swim in the ocean with your friends, then come back and dance some more.

During the day there was plenty of time for relaxing on the beach. Kite surfing, parasailing, and tubing were all possible if you had the desire and funds to purchase it. I went for my first Thai massage and instantly fell in love with this type of massage. I know what you are all thinking reading this, and no it did not involve any massaging of my private parts. The best simple description I've heard for a Thai massage is a deep tissue massage that is also like assisted yoga. One hour of glorious muscle relief for the cost of 200 baht (which is approximately $6.50 CAD). That night we went out to the bars again. The DJ at one of the bars was being pretty annoying with the horn and yelling gibberish into the microphone so we went back to Naga and danced the night away again.

Sunday afternoon we checked out, packed up, and left for Bangkok at around noon. It was a really nice weekend which left us all feeling refreshed and excited about our next trip back to Samet.

Thanks for reading! Here are a few pictures from my weekend in Samet.

The Beach

At the Pier

Rocks and the beach

GOTCHA! (Moving butterfly)

At Naga

Some of my wonderful friends

2 Sleepy Soi Dogs

Map (Ko Samet is A). 

Statues

Working at the School

My first full day of observation at work was on a Friday. The day before I bought myself a new ukulele, selfie stick, and a Samsung Galaxy S4, so I was feeling top notch heading into work Friday morning. My observations at the end of my first day included that it was loud, hot, and exhausting. The days have felt like they have gone by very quickly so there must be more this job than a loud, hot, and exhausting time.

I was able to observe the previous teacher teaching the grade 6 - 9 students (aged approximately 11 - 14 years old). These are the oldest students in the school. Physical Education did not appear to be a priority and the previous teacher informed me that the students are used to a lot of free time during P.E. class. That was something that I knew was going to change when I took over the classes. The gymnasium does not utilize the air conditioning-- or the lights for that matter-- unless there is a big event with the parents coming. This means open windows and fans serve as lighting and cooling. Most days here have been between 30-35 degrees Celsius and feel like 40-45 degrees with the humidity index (think the opposite of a windchill factor). My office does have air conditioning and most other rooms do also, so even in this heat sweaters are a common theme at the school due to the air conditioning.

My first week taking on the role of grade 5-9 physical education teacher was really nice. There are 4 different grade 5 and 6 classes, but just one class of grade 7s, 8s, and 9s. So in total I teach 11 Physical Education classes since each class is scheduled to have one 50 minute P.E. class per week. Along with teaching a creative writing club once per week, teaching one hour of English homework classes per day, and substitute teaching when other teachers are away I kept fairly busy. Homework classes actually did not start during the first week due to orientation activities. An 8 year-old student named Kitty who is in one of my homework classes would always ask me "When are you coming to teach us in homework class!? Why weren't you there yesterday?" This student had only met me one time on Friday yet she was very excited to have me help her with her school work. I really enjoy working with enthusiastic, respectful students.

The first week was a really nice time to establish routines and rules for my students, and to get to know them. I teach over 300 students, and our campus has well over 1,000 students, so getting to know names has been a real chore. All of the students have Thai names but go by English nicknames such as Talk Show, Jackpot, Garfield, Thunder, Jump, and anything else you could imagine. This is helpful for remembering names sometimes, but can get tricky when you teach 5 different students named First. Teaching all 300 of those students for less than one hour in the first week certainly made learning their names feel like a daunting task, but one that I am certainly up for.

My first impression of the school is that it is beautiful. I work at a Thai school with an English Immersion program as opposed to an International School. The school I work at has both a Thai department and a Foreign department. It is also split into Key Stages of Kindergarden/Nursery, Grade 1-4, and Grade 5-9. All of these departments and Key Stages are always communicating with one another and it has made for a very interesting workplace with a lot of different activities and ideas implemented to give the students a great experience. I am certain to enjoy a lot of uniquely Thai school experiences and I am excited to experience it all.

Thanks for reading, below are a few pictures of the school and my purchases.

Sweaty Mr. Justin

Large Spider at Work

Postcards/Photos on my Desk

Buddha Pool

The infamous Selfie Stick

My new Ukulele

First week in Bangkok

Arriving to Bangkok and getting set up was very interesting. A lot of things were different than anywhere else I have ever been before. My first couple of days included visiting the school, which is pretty neat. It has a nice open air design with a lot of funky little statues of animals and other things as well as a pool. On the walk over to the school on my first day I saw a woman bathing a monkey on the sidewalk! Very strange! I also spent a night on Khaosan Road which is a huge backpackers road with heaps of bars, massage places, restaurants, market shops and other things which I will leave up to your imagination. Taking a cab home that night was quite the struggle given my limited grasp of the Thai language, and the cab drivers limited grasp of English. A few of the Thai staff at the school gave us their contact information so we called them and they explained to the cab driver where I was going.

Crossing the street here is comparable to playing a high stakes game of Frogger. There are not specific cross walks but there are areas that allow you to cross the road while frantically waving your hand and trying not to get ran over by cars going as fast as 80 km/h. I have discovered that there is no need for my morning coffee anymore, since I have to cross the street every morning on my way to school. There are often walkovers which are about 25 feet high constructed to help you avoid traffic. On my fourth day in Bangkok I managed to find one that was not completed. So if you don't mind four foot gaps from the top of the stairs to the walkover this is perfect.

I am not sure what is trending in other countries, but Selfie-Sticks are currently all the rage here in Bangkok. A Selfie-Stick has nothing to do with your alone time, but more to do with taking selfies by putting your camera on a stick and using a blue-tooth remote control to signal your phone to take the picture. At first I thought this was a hilarious item, but a couple of days later I decided I had to have one. So keep an eye out for some Selfie-Stick-tastic photos on the blog.

I have two more things to point out about adjusting to life in Bangkok.

1. Don't resist the bum gun.
2. You're going to smell a lotta smells. 

The bum gun is a hose beside the toilet which you can use like a bidet in weapon form. It is a great tool once you get over any reservations about spraying water in around your bum hole after dropping a steaming hot turd. I looked into it and the full name for this tool is: Asian Thai Bidet Toilet Spray Sprayer Shower Rinse Hygiene Bum Gun. The word hygiene is very fitting because hygienic is just what it is. I don't know how I will get on without the bum gun in my life. Toilet paper and baby wipes just won't cut it anymore!  

And the smells are unavoidable. In a city this densely populated be prepared for your nasal passages to be assaulted by a barrage of interesting smells. Crossing a bridge without gagging during your first week in Bangkok is truly an accomplishment.

Despite the smells and new experiences the Thai people I have met have been so welcoming, helpful and lovely that it has not been such a difficult adjustment. My next post will be about my first day at work and my first weekend away. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it!

Khaosan Road

Khaosan Road

Toilet, note the Bum Gun on the wall

Roadside Elephant Shrubbery

Bangkok City Traffic

Spirit House