"Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath."

                                     --Michael Caine

Who has the best boyfriend....

This is a message for Bradley

Thank you 

Thank you

Thank you

When I got back to the dorms, that I have recently been calling the rice patty jail cell, I had quite the pleasant surprise waiting at my front desk.  FLOWERS!!!!  You sent me flowers. If I remember correctly you live in Australia and I am in Thailand, this was not just one easy phone call or internet click click.  Not not only did I have a smile from ear to ear but a bystander may have seen me do a happy dance.  There were even reports of me walking around the lobby waving like I just won the Miss America Pageant, holding an absolutely gorgeous bouquet of flowers. 

 Thank you for the flowers and the sweet note that came with them. 

You made my week! You made my day! My hour! 

I can't wait for October. You know I love every email we send, texts that take forever to get from your phone mine and skype dates...but man oh man am I ready to hangout with you on a daily basis, live and in person.

13 Sundays and 2 paychecks

xo 

xi

Rachy

It's true. He sent me flowers. WHAT A KEEPER, if I don't say so myself.  Not only does he send me flowers but he is just all around one of the best humans I have ever known.  He lets me try his food first, before he even has a bite! He always says the nicest, sweetest, and caring things to me...makes me feel like a million bucks on a day to day basis. Like I told him today, "I know it's not Thanksgiving, but I am thankful to have you in my life"  It's true!  If I am having a bad day or even a bad minute...he cheers me up without even knowing he is doing it or trying!! He might live thousands of miles away and our timing might be a little off, but there is a light at the end of this little mini tunnel of a "long distance" relationship...but hey I would not have it any other way!  I will enjoy my last few months here in Thailand teaching and traveling...but what a great thing to look forward too.  Australia and unlimited hangouts with Brad!! 

I still can't believe I got flowers, in Thailand! Holy cow that earns some serious points...I am going to be giddy for weeks!!

Totally terrific Tuesday

7AM- fitness as they call it. "I went/am going to the gym does not work over here. You have to say going to play fitness or going to do fitness.

10 30AM- 1st class of the day practice quiz and begging them to write perfect essays on their quiz on Thursday... 200 words x 30 students = 6,000 words give or take..I said please, please you guys make me happy don't make my brain hurt all weekend.

12PM-4 30PM - Taught two conversation classes.  Dictations, games, and conversations about comparing and contrasting. Taught them how to play never have I ever.  "Never have I ever taken a shower with a girl" "EXCUSE me!!!" I exclaimed, "you can play that version on the weekend, boys keep it clean!!!!!!!!!!!!"

4:30PM- 8:30 PM - "played" facebook, "played" internet, read a book, took a cat nap, ate some mama noodles had a skype date that led to conversations about the 4th of July .  So of course I had to turn my lights off and light sparklers in my dorm room to practice for next week.

8:45-11:00- Girly time. Did my toe nails blue and my finger nails gray. Watched an oldie but goodie THE GOONIES!!!!!

Thought I would share a Tuesday in the life of Rach. Good day over here in Thailand, great day!

Tips on how to get the man or women of your dreams in Thailand

Man: While walking across the street make sure you work up a sweat. When you get to the other side to the girl you have been mad crushing on wipe the sweat off your face with your hand.  Swiftly, yet smoothly, wipe it on her clean white blouse.


Ladies: This is a sure way to flirt back. This move will win his heart. Pick your nose and wipe your snot all over his white blouse.

Good Luck!

Disclaimer: I have only seen this happen. Never actually tried it.

oh the treasures you can find

Sunday was spent at JJ market.

Bus ride there, no AC but we did have a fan option

Main drag to take us into the heart of Bangkok. As in life we can take the high road or the low road. This morning we were not in a hurry so we took the low road. However, the HIGH highway has some great Birdseye view and is super speedy

Just some examples of things to find at the markets over here

jean jackets

jean skirts

jean purses

and yes

jean purses shaped as boots and bedazzled 

Perhaps you would like a puppy.

Not just any puppy

A real princess puppy

Teria included

5,000 stalls later

sweat dripping down your back

some sweet deals made on 

princess puppies

jean purse boots

necklace charms

maybe a new tattoo or a cartilage piercing

knock off wallets

tye-died shirts, dresses and pants

bike t-shirts and cupcake tanks

You see a parting in the crowd 

of

backpackers

locals

tour groups

families on vacations

vendors

fruit carts

The bar

Disguised as a furniture store 

beckons us for one refreshing

cold

draft

beer

a perfect saturday

A new hair diddy....washed, cut, blow dry. 

English mags. US weekly to Womens Health 

Sizzzzzzler Salads and Diet Cokes

Benefit and Bobbi Brown browsing


Mini skirts and cowboy boots

Phone Calls and Texts from down under

Mini splurges....candles, hair products, rice cakes, snickers and peanut butter m&m's

Iced Coffeeeeeeee

Just 

What

the 

Doctor 

Ordered

I dedicate this post to many.....

There are some people that I would like to give a shout out to this afternoon.  You know a lot happens in a year. People graduate highschool, people get married, engaged, start making babies, move across the county or to other countries.  There are times when I have thought…wait, wait I am not there…can everyone just hold on a few months till I get home!  Sorry for being selfish, but then I think coming home is going to be that much more exciting.

Josh and Laurie Oien!  Congrats on 2 things!!  You guys got married right after I left and now I find out you guys have a baby on the way!!  I am so happy for you and I can not wait to meet the new member of the family!

Ms. Danielle Oien, congratulations on graduating high school and good luck starting UMD in the fall. No matter what people say keggers are not fun and boys do have cooties. 

Ms. Farr. You are going to have a little nugget on your hands too! I AM SO happy for you and Rob  you guys are going to make the best parents and I can’t wait to come out to Golf…I will make you a deal you make one of your fabulous dinners and take a nap and I will crawl around on the floor the little guy for a few hours???

My cousin Ryan and his wife Ariana…. also just added a new member to the family congrats on a little boy!!

The one and only Ms. Hart. She has moved to Boston from Chicago got a big kid job, a great boyfriend and a flat screen TV. Which for us is pretty much like a new baby.....the TV not Dane.

Congrats, congrats, congrats to everyone!!!!

Why is group presentation week so wonderful

To begin with it makes my week very simple.  I roll into class with my grading sheets and plop down in the verrry back of the classroom.  I unpack all of my materials for the particular class and as the students start filing in I say “ok 5 minutes and we begin”  These are 3 to 5 minute presentations and most of the time they are pretty entertaining.

Yesterday they looked at me and said, “teacher I play you”….this  made me a little nervous but sure enough they nailed it and got some laughs out of me and the rest of the class.  The presentation topic for this group was What is the importance of being punctual?  They acted me out giving a dictation to the class and as a student came in 30 minutes late I was not allowing the student to participate or get a dictation grade for the day.  The best part is when he opened up his computer and played Katy Perry. You see, I do this pretty much every class. When they grade dictations or are having group conversations I like to set the mood and play some music. You better believe some of her hits are played a lot.  Of course the presentation took a dramatic effect because it then showed this same student 10 years later late for work and getting fired. We learn valuable lessons in A. Rachel’s class.

Making Progress

Setting: Walking down the hall

People: Rachel coming back from the gym and present student walking into cafe

Student: Hi Teacher!!!!

Rachel:  oh Hiii!! How are you?

Student: Yeah!

I almost went into a whole explanation on how that was the wrong way to answer my question. Instead, I just smiled and thought to myself..looks like I will toss the lesson plan aside I had planned and practice greetings.....ohhhh boy......

Thank goodness I get one more date before October...

I have been neglecting the blog.  Not on purpose!!!  I think I last left off saying I was going to go see The Hangover, part numero dos.  Turns out that specific movie was a little more expensive then we thought it would be so we skipped the movie grabbed some popcorn and hopped into a cab and headed home to Star movie channel...oh and my new obsession streaming TV shows. I have caught upon Gossip Girl and am really into Modern Family. Watch a few episodes...you will get some great laughs!

This semester is very different then the 1st semester. Right when we were getting the hang of things they go and flip everything upside down, shake us up a bit and put us right back down to try to get settled and into the grove of things. Everything and anything from the schedule of classes, the format of the conversation and academic courses we teach, to the number of students we see a week is all very different.  We are still trying to figure it out so I won't bore you with our confusions, comments, questions, concerns....I will just update you one the good stuff that happens in class.....for example...when you bring guest teachers to class on a Friday afternoon or help out a friend who is in America and sub for her class just to find out it is 75% full of students you failed last semester......eeekkk

Last weekend I had my first visitor. Brad!!!! A little background perhaps?  I met him in Chicago a few years ago..we had a nice Italiano dinner, lunch at a diner downtown Chicago, went to a Ohio State football game and my old roomies and I sometimes made appearances at their beer pong tournaments on the weekends. All these "hangouts" you can call them dates if you would like...they were not right in a row... kinda spaced out at random times over 2 years if I remember right. I was being a very silly girl. We don't need to get into all that now....

Right before I moved over here I found out he had moved to Australia (thanks facebook)  He was just leading as I put it "the coolest facebook life".  He was skydiving and snowboarding in New Zealand and I thought well that looks fun, I want to play that game of traveling and doing cool things.  So I made contact. When I got the job over here he was great.  We had lots of conversations about living away from home and him only being a few hours ahead we got to talk/gchat/ and have Friday skype dates.

Cut to Bali.  He brought friends and I brought friends.  Then he told me I was a little taller then he remembered. So, well, umm I had a big crush on him. Turns out I tricked him into having a crush on me too.

Cut to last Thursday.  Walking through the Bangkok airport with butterflies in my stomach thinking a few things. Someone is about to enter my little life over here and see what goes on over here in Thailand. Come to my classes, see where I live, what I eat, who I hangout with, how I get around, what kind of trouble we get into on the weekends. I no longer had to explain it but I got to show it!!!

We had a great weekend. Thursday we went to this great little local place that translates to...The chicken Place. Going native and pulling up 3 people deep on a motorbike we got there right before it started downpouring, thundering and lightning.  Sitting under the little straw huts with geckos running around above us and stray dogs hanging out under the table we enjoyed a delicious dinner with two other ABAC teachers. There was an umbrella so we could run from our shelter to the bathroom or they could bring our chicken and papaya salad to us rain drop free.

Friday, one of Brads buddies, Drew, that he went to college with and who is currently livin in NYC was going to be arriving in BKK.  After teaching two classes(full of the girls giggling and trying to be sneaky taking pictures of Brad ) we took this opportunity to go downtown and just hang for the afternoon.  We checked into one of the nicest hotels in BKK(His other friend who I will call Uncle Ken played his points well) had some afternoon cocktails with a great view of the city and got ready for dinner.  As of right now Uncle Ken was not going to be arriving until Saturday and Drew was not getting in until 10PM ish and we needed some grub.  After we walked all the way down the street to some fancy BBQ place and looked at the menu we decided....no, lets do this the right way.  Darting into 7-11 I picked us up 2 giant beers and we went to the street vendors.  Chicken and rice and spicy noodle soup. Thank you Thailand! We sat on the plastic chairs and wobbly tables with cold beers, good food, better people watching, a rat spotting, and very good company. As a special treat ( to me) we got Starbucks as dessert then went to meet up with Drew for a night out on the town that involved vodka sodas, more street food, beer, and a looooong cab ride back to Bang Na where I got to do one of my favorite past time activities. Call my mother. He has the international plan...mistake number one Brad...telling me your phone can call America.

Saturday....oh Saturday..involved..
...peanut butter and banana sandwiches
.... markets with any kind of animal you can think of. Alive and Dead.
...lots of red wine, pizza and salads (again another treat for me)
....fancy drinks at a fancy sky bar hotel with a lovely view of Bangkok.  The boys had to put on pants over their shorts and all 4 of us had to put on closed toe shoes. (pictures to come)
...girl bars...umm there is a district in Thailand that can be compared to the red light district in Amsterdam called PatPong. Just so happens we were in the area...( I was now a side kick to the dude trip that was kicking off at 7AM Sunday morning. They just had to put up with the girlfriend for a few more hours.)
....Rugby bar with good draft beer and another long distance phone call!!!  Pretty sure the phone got passed around. Mom has got to love the calls from Thailand at 1PM...sober, meaningful conversations were taking place.

Then all of a sudden it was Sunday morning and I was giving Brad a hug goodbye as he went out the door for boys week in LAOS.  I spent the day in a cute hotel room that reminded me of my studio in Chicago.  Then I participated in Sunday Funday with other teachers that were in the city for the weekend.  Brad comes back to Thailand for a night this weekend to go on one more date and take back his Ipad and hoodie. I have been borrowing/babysitting these items for the week. Ipads are sweet and fun to play with.....I might pretend I lost it so he can't take it back. Now that would be just mean......

ok so I think that is all I got....blog is up to date!  Check, Check.  I hope this semester shapes up and I can flood the blog with some great student stories.  More traveling will be taking place in July so I will be able to share that as well.  Hope everyone has had a great start to the summer over there!!!!!!!!!!

Can you hear that..drip...drip..drip

Oh well that is one of 2 things. Sweat or rain. When it is not raining, the heat that is radiating in Thailand is holy hot!  The second I walk outside drip drip drip....or the second clouds roll in it starts to rain, thunder and lightning.  I guess we have been pretty lucky the storms have come at night so we don't have to run around campus getting soaked...but if we are going out on the weekends the rain has the potential to ruin a great hair day. Lets be honest the humidity and heat never make for great hair conditions anyway.....so chances of my hair being manageable...forget about it!!!

Other exciting news happening in Thailand..............

-The new group of teachers has some real characters. They are great.  So far my favorite is Arilele. She hits golf balls out her balcony doors over the trees and into the rice patty's. HA! So we are going to go to a driving range, maybe even play a round of golf out here one scorching evening. I said my dad will be so proud of me, working on my golf game in Thailand.  Well I guess her dad just had her switch her swing side? My reply to that was, my dad will just be happy if I can make it to the fairway!!! Baby steps, baby steps.

-So far I love all my classes. I can feel it in my bones, this is going to be a great semester.

- I enrolled myself into a "personal training program"  My new bestie is X.  He measured me, told me what to do for 2 1/2 months and will be boxing with me 2x a week. I had my 1st boxing session this evening. Well, I have blisters on my toes, I did about 100 kicks, crunches, jump rope and other random things...my shirt was SOAKING WET. If I would have known he was going to kick my ass I would not have ran and biked before this boxing sesh I had. This Friday night I will not be tearing up the dance floors of Bangkok but will be passed out early like an old women...I bet I won't be able to move tomorrow morning!

- I have 2 scheduled visitors this semester and the 1st one will be here Thursday!!!!  I can not tell you how excited I am to have someone step into my little life over here.  I have the honor of picking up Bradley Waller from the airport Thursday evening.  He is coming up from Sydney, spending the long weekend with me, going to explore Laos during the week with some of his buddies, then I get him for one more evening as he pit stops from Laos back to Sydney.  We will have the camera out and rolling documenting the weekend. We are going to have so much fun I bet I get at least two more visitors out here.(Lisa...Mark...)  I will be taking him to my favorite places to eat, drink, dance and be merry.  Oh and he will be a guest teacher Friday! You guys will be lining up to come see me when you see the scrap book I put together.

- Sunday I am going to see Hangover part two.  It was filmed here in BKK so I am excited to see what angle they took..

Time for a relaxing Friday evening in Bang Na. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!