Note: two peer advisers from the 2006-2007 academic year, Kristine and James, decided to move abroad again after they graduated in May '07. They now live in Khon Kaen, Thailand, where they teach English. We received this update from Kris in early January 2008.
Sawatee Ka!
Happy New Year!
I had a pretty interesting time spending Christmas in a Buddhist country. James and I celebrated by exchanging gifts and eating a really good breakfast. Then we decided to go to the Nine Tier temple in Khon Kaen look at some of the relics and statues, after that we walked around the lake, had some good coffee (another oxymoron being that I am in THAILAND), and had a wonderful dinner in a little restaurant up the street from us. The next day I had to be back at work for the little kindergarteners to celebrate Christmas. The next day the celebrations continued with learning “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as part of their math assignment. Friday is where the real fun begins because now I have four days off for New Years!
The trip starts at 8pm when James and I along with 7 Thai teachers load into two cars, and embark on a 12 hour journey to Chiang Mai. It was 12 hours because every hour and a half we stopped for 20 min to use the bathroom or get snacks at 7-Eleven! We arrived at our destination at 8 am had a shower and then a Thai massage. Afterward we had lunch then went to the Hot Springs where we got to boil and eat eggs. I even ate Quail eggs which tasted exactly like regular chicken eggs. There were two pretty tall Geysers and around the hot springs you could stick your feet in the warm water. This was also the point where I said "hey, could James and I go to the Mountains for the day and come back?" *Thai people begin to speak rapidly* and voila...we are going camping on New Year’s Eve and of course I don't have my sneakers.
The next day we met with three more Farang teachers, inform them of the impromptu camping trip, and spend the day in the Queen Sirikit Park seeing botanical gardens and waterfalls. It was all beautiful and when we came back to the city we went to the central Night Market. I saw some really cool things and of course began to stock pile, I will have to ship stuff back at the rate of which I am collecting gifts for people. There is a temple at the end of this market where people were sending these white cylinder shaped balloons with fire up into the air. We learned that it was for the New Year that you chant, then lift away all your sins (so to speak) and bring good luck for the coming year. The higher it goes the more luck you will have.
The next day we went camping. There was a campfire and we roasted meat and also made sticky rice inside of hallowed out bamboo shoots. It was really easy; you fill the shoot with enough rice and water that it is about an inch from the top then cook it over a fire for however long it takes for the rice to cook. It was really cool to do and I hope that I will be able to re do it when I come back. We did the countdown on the mountain I will have to say that this is one of the best new years I have ever spent in my life! The next morning we pack and get ready to go back home. Finally we are ready to leave at 3pm (we were supposed to leave at 6am but oh well); or so I thought. But nope, we went to visit Taki's family in Lampung, it was cool and I enjoyed drinking a bit with his uncle. My Thai is not that great so communication was a bit hard but somehow we got a bit of conversation going. Final arrival time back in Khon Kaen 3:30 am in the morning and I had to teach at 10 am.
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