Hearts, Flowers, and Rubber Duckies

It was one of those days

I rolled out of bed and thought uhhhhhhhh I do not want to go teach.  I tried slacking. I brought a movie but it was only fair to give my students some options. 

"Hey, you guys want to watch a movie or learn slang"

'SLANG!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Turned out to be a very fun class with great conversations and games. Thank you students for bringing the teacher back into me today. After the above average class I ran down to the central of campus.  Food, coffee, teacher lounge....all important things can be found in this area. I grabbed a coffee and some fruit and was excited with all the activity going on.  Some students were doing class projects and starting businesses. All kinds of things! They were selling goods, painting nails, art and crafting cute little projects, hand massage spas...I could go on and on.  One booth got my attention. You send a letter to yourself, but they do not actually send it for a year.You bet your bottom dollar I wrote myself a love letter, addressed it to my parents house in MN, and politely asked them to put a little extra special note in there. What a cute idea!  Perfect timing too!! Just finishing up my last few weeks in Thailand before the next adventure, it will be nice reflection moment. Good idea ABAC kiddies!!

I needed wings to get to my next class, I was running very late after that activity.  I apologized but I was having so much fun down in CL with all the fun booths set up!! Turns out one of my students had a booth down there decorate/make your own hair accessories/notepads. I got really excited.  The last few months I have had this thing(OK obsession) for bows and hair-do enhancers. The Thai girls live and breath for top notch hair accessories. You name it, they find a way to incorporate it into their hairstyle. I have quite the collection and I do not plan on stopping until I get on a plane heading south. 

Now for an afternoon fashion show

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2

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 heart hair clips and heart pencils 

 FLOWER headbands

 What would you pick!? Flowers? Leaves? Birds? Pearls? A butterfly? 

Or MY PERSONAL FAVORITE

!!!!!!!!!! RUBBER DUCKIES!!!!!!!

There was one other booth I could not just walk by. One hand massage and scrub please and thank you. 

Cooking with Rachel

On the Menu: black bean, corn, tomato, lime, Tabasco "salad"

 I bought dry beans. No particular reason, so when I want some black beans I have to soak them for a day or overnight. Why make life simple?  I am going back to the basics. I am lucky to have a pot for this task. It was one of the gifts Brian left me when he fled the country.  Can you tell where these bean soak?? In the bathroom/kitchen. 

 After soaking the black beans I use my water heater to actually cook them.  I boil water 6 times and fill/dump/fill/dump into pan until beans are cooked. THIS IS A PROCESS. Thankfully I picked the cans of tomatoes and corn with the pull back tops..who knows what contraption I would have come up with to open them. 

As you can see I share my preparation space with a TV.  At first I thought that was a little weird, but I know some house holds have TVs on their kitchen counters. I felt better after I remembered that. 

 Black beans, corn, tomatoes, fresh lime juice, a shot of Tabasco. 

Getting creative over here!!!

After a delicious lunch everything is washed in the bathroom/kitchen sink and drys next to my hair products, makeup, q-tips, and my toothbrush and toothpaste. Now that is convenience my friends. 

All are welcome for lunch in room 510. Please RSVP and if you want beans give me a heads up so I can prepare them. 

I promise this is the last

It's my birthday post. I was just so spoiled these past few days. Below is my academic section surprising me last Friday.  I thought about sharing this video because my voice is very high pitch and I act pretty awkward smiling, saying I love you, begging them to have some, clapping, laughing.....It is not about me though. Well I guess it was.whoops.  Anyway, I just wanted you to see how great they all got into singing for their Ajahn!!

The Winner IS

English Conversation Level II

Tuesday Afternoons

As a teacher I do not think you are "supposed" to have favorites. I am coming clean. This is my favorite conversation class of this semester. They are outgoing, funny, smart, sweet, and their effort is above and beyond.  From the moment I walk into the class and even walking home from this class I have a big grin on my face. I had a few of these students last semester and I see a lot of the boys from this section pumping iron if I go to the gym ( I mean fitness..) in the afternoon.  

I walked into class and they had birthday cupcakes and the board all decorated. After they sang happy birthday I got. "Ok teacher, we can go home now. Just give us all full mark on presentations" I told them I appreciated the American birthday cupcakes, but conversation class must go on!  I gave them all A's. Not just because they buttered me up but because they gave wonderful presentations on persuasion. 

After school snack

I am a happy lady today. As I write this blog post I am snacking on some pretzels that I am smothering in French's yellow mustard(since 1904).  Is there really any other after school birthday snack that is better??? 
( Peanut butter and apples...maybe...)

okkk So I started writing a blog post but then I got side tracked and was having a hard time eating and typing.  I ran out of socks and I knew if I did not rush over to put a load of laundry in there was a good chance I would not get clean clothes hanging up to dry overnight.  As I was saying I had a great afternoon snack! Compliments of my birthday package from Brad. What a morning I had! Woke up and had some coffee and opened my birthday present over skype distracting Brad from working hard on a Monday morning!  I got pretzels, mustard, gummy bears, 2 fantastic cards, some killer chapstick, and a NANO touch screen Ipod!!! I don't deserve any of that!! Brad, Brad, Brad you have out done yourself, AGAIN. THANK YOU BABU!!!!

After distracting Brad from work I got another skype call from MOM and DAD! Singing happy birthday!!!  I was spoiled rotten today! They also sent me some love but Thailands silly customs kept it from me and will try to deliver it again tomorrow. Mother and DOTP thanks for singing to me this morning and making out 25 years ago!  If it was not for you two love birds, well....

Today all my classes were great, had a wonderful lunch from a Deli on campus. Some of my classes sang to me and brought me even more Thai treats!!  Turning 25 in Thailand has been wonderful!  This weekend was quite the production, as expected. Jazz bands, happy hours, pub dinners, cramped cab rides, late nights and a few of us over using the excuse..."uh, it's our birthday"

Just as I was winding down my day to go find Erin and trick her in to painting my nails using the "but it's my birthday" and finding Eleanor because she had a birthday fairy with my name on it..I got a call. "A. Rachel you have a mail box!"  Which means....come down to the front desk you have a package. KIA AKA my raton, partner in crime had sent me a birthday package. Wait for it....wait for it....WHOLE FOODs TRAIL MIX.
Complete with chocolate covered raisins, yogurt raisins, almonds, cranberries...heaven. I would call it something else but it would be inappropriate. THANK YOU KIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God golly I can't wait to drink wine with you. I miss you!

I know I have always said how happy I am to have skype, but it really is wonderful!  I got to see Mom, Dad, Amy, Brad, Brittney, Rach, Sugy..and gchat and FB chat with other friends and family. Thank goodness for technology.

Even more thankful for all the wonderful people I have in my life.
xo

All a year older

 Just look how we have matured!

We all celebrated a birthday in Thailand 3 of us joining the 25 club...except Emma our granny she is a whopping 26

The kids got me

Presentations were so awesome today.  I can not wait to upload a few of them...but to top it off..they all ran to the front of the classroom, sang happy birthday, had a speech, brought in a cake with candles and got it all on video!!

BEST STUDENTS EVER

PAY DAY

What makes this pay day so special?  Well, it is the last pay check I will get in Thailand...holy cow!!Next month when my paycheck arrives I will already be hanging out on Bondi Beach with my cute boyfriend. I won't lie this past month was a hard one.  I was living on about $3.00 a day for food, which can be done believe it or not!  Thankfully only for the last week or so, but when I woke up today I thought time to celebrate.  Had an afternoon pool session, followed buy a 2 hour Thai massage, DQ ice cream with sprinkles for dinner and a major shopping spree at the supermarket. I bought the biggest boxes of Special K I could find, hummus, crackers and graham crackers!!

Tomorrow night our friend James who was part of the Bali crew and showed us around Singapore will be in Bangkok.  We are taking him to a favorite place of ours..the fish place and then out for some beers.  A pre-party to the real party Saturday night. Should be a great weekend!

The great weekend will hopefully run right into a fabulous birthday Monday!  Yep, I get to turn 25 in Thailand!  I have 4 classes who may or may not know it is my birthday.  I don't know who would have told them!!!  I also deserve a pat on the back because there has been a birthday package from Brad in my closet for over 2 weeks now and I have not opened it or even tried to sneak a peek!! Jeez DHL you did not have to be so speedy to Thailand from Australia!!  If only there could have been a way to fit him into the box.....

Classroom Updates:
**there are lady gaga presentations happening in my class tomorrow, I am hoping some of these are blog material. I am talking videos people.**

at this very moment

I AM CRAVING and WANTING WHOLE FOODS TRAIL MIX BAR/BUFFET SO BAD I CAN NOT STAND IT~!

Another Laid Back Weekend

Movies, pool parties, books, laundry, fitness, skype dates, overdosing on fresh fruit and diet coke, to do lists, Sunday countdowns.  Just another weekend in Bang Na with a day trip downtown. 

Next weekend will probably be a little different.  There is not 1, not 2, not even 3 birthdays being celebrated next Saturday night....FOUR!!!! FOUR BIRTHDAYS. That's right a quad birthday party, I have never been to a quad birthday party!? Have you!! I am not sure what to expect, but I can and will hope for action shots, cupcakes, and endless dance parties.

Twins Vs Yankees

I woke up this morning to have some yogurt and coffee. Flipped on the TV 1 out of 6 English stations ESPN being one of them had on the game! 7AM over here 7PM over there. GAME TIME. Learned that our home town baseball hero Mr. Mauer was out in right field and they were sending some other guy on a fishing trip for 600 home runs. Lets go Twinkies! You know what I would love!?  A MN Twins baseball hat.(NOT a PINK one) I would totally wear it at 7AM cheering on the twins and eating breakfast in bed while the St. Paul kids are all eating nachos and drinking draft beer. Same. Same.

There was a guy I met at a hostel in Singapore wearing a TWINS hat and we talked MN over our free breakfast that the hostel provided to us poor backpackers.  Then we ran into him and his mother a week later in Malaysia. I had no clue what his name was but he was sporting the Twins hat ...."HEY! MN!"  We had a second nice chat about MN.  Zach, Erin and I exchanged travel tips with him and then we all went our separate ways.

Point of that story. I could really represent over on this side of the world! One more it's small world flash back experience I had a few months ago.  Another free hostel breakfast, this time in Vietnam. I was wearing my Lotties shirt (bar I used to work at) and some guy was like "Lotties, in Chicago!  My girlfriend LOVES that bar"  He was g chatting her and asking me if I knew the Friday night bartenders. "Um! Yes hello! Friday night was one of my shifts!"  Then I requested more Lotties T Shirts since I was pretty much free advertisement. Give a mouse a cookie....I GOT LIKE 6 in the mail!!!! Thank you Boss Man D.G. I will buy you some Jamo shots when I am back in town!

chopsticks.

A new place opened up at the campus "mall" aka food court.  It is a new favorite among some of us Bang Na teachers and my new go to for a delicious tuna sesame salad. However, today they gave me a spoon and a fork. I must have look confused because I was not holding these utensils right and I was sort of fumbling around with the dressing and the salad. The fork was to big for the bowl, my heart started racing, something was not right. As soon as she handed me chopsticks my heart slowed down, there was no more fumbling and I enjoyed my salad.

TIP OF THE DAY

If you ever come to Thailand and want to go to the gym, you have to ask where is fitness? I never understood why they call the gym, fitness.

"My friends go play fitness"

"You should do fitness everyday"

"Do you like going to fitness?"

*common phrases used to talk about going to workout*

I learned something today, 10 months late.

The Thai language has 5 different tones.(I knew that) It was brought to my attention that if you say gym, and it is said in a certain tone it means, it means, ok well it means. vagina. (I did not know this)

"Where is the gym?"

"I go to the gym everyday."

"I love going the gym!"

I wonder how many times I have been laughed at. Who I have confused? And why am I just learning this now??? 

WHAT is YOUR DREAM JOB

The perfect wife (Pictures included)

          Treasure Hunter                                         Food Critic
                                                              Fantasy Story Book Reader
Maze Drawer ( His example maze, gave me a headache just looking at it. Showed us how to make an easy maze. I failed.)                               
  Scuba Diver          Tour Guide       Boy Band Manger

Marijuana tester. "I will harvest it, smoke it and sell it. so I can be high all day" 

Golfer. "Like Tiger Woods, but with not so many wives."

                                                    (Honey, they were not all his wives.)


-Photographer "I might not be your best employee you ever have but I will not disappoint you" (Leave that line out on your resume Best.)

Party Planner "Jungle theme. Dark. No clothes. Alcohol. But no sex. Then move to beach area"   (No comment from me, her classmates said that was well, uh going to be a hard)

"My friends think I should be a porn star. I think I want to be an air hostess. I really like the heels they wear. Well, ok maybe I will just be a party planner"
  (I told her to find a way to bring a little  
                  something from each job and see what she can come up with...)

Bomb Squad Guy

Tattoo Artist ( I challenged her to draw me one and if I liked it I would get it before I left Thailand. sorry mom.)

Water Slide Tester "Because I could go to water parks all over the world and test speed and fun" (GENIUS)

Ice Cream and Cake tester "My friends all hate me because I can eat as much as I want and don't get fat" (This girl is tiny. Bless your metabolism while you have it sister)

Cover Band Member                  SpY                      fortune teller           Fisherman

Movie ticket collector "So I can see all the movies for free"

"The Rocks" daughter. Not sure how this is a dream job but her references on her resume were "The Rock, my father and Vin Diesel"

Zombie huNTer

 "I have a 3 pack." 

"I think you mean 6 pack?" 

"nope...I have some fat."

BED TESTER (again..great idea. whose job is it to test beds anyway!?!?)     

white ant control aka termite killer "Asprin, Potassium, Cyanide and Marijuana is the mixture of ingredients that kills them" ( Leave out the cyanide, sounds like a hangover killer? maybe?)


farmer. "I do not want to work with people.


Cockroach feeder "That way they eat their own food!

TEDDY BEAR CARE TAKER "I have an understanding of Teddy Bears. I am a real fashionesta. I know what is in and out for teddy bears"
astronaut         doggie spa owner     financial planner   
sports car designer                   mind reader

 Life Planner "without a plan, many of your dreams will only be dreams"

The art of sleeping in

We had a long weekend, it was the Queens birthday/mothers day on Friday in Thailand. Some people went on little weekend excursions but there was a surprising number of teachers who just hung around and had a little R & R weekend. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday consisted of the gym, swimming pool, a Mad Men marathon, reading books, (finished Girls of Riyadh  and started Anthropology of an American Girl) skype dates and not waking up before 11 AM. 

Oh and I saw a SNAKE. No big deal. Just this long green snake.  It was being attacked by birds on a building then it dropped. It looked pissed, rightfully so.  I just stood there and thought I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.  There is a little road I take over to the gym and there are always birds going crazy or dead ones on the ground. I always think to myself if I were a snake I would hang out over here, food galore! So I stood there and thought, ok this snake can go two ways. I waited there a moment then walked fast and maybe ran a little bit. I have walked that same path 3 times and no more snake sightings. But now I am all freaked out that I just don't have to keep my eyes on the ground but on the sky to in case birds decide to drop snakes on me!!!!!!!! 

Kata Beach, Phuket

"On the beach, you can live in bliss."

- Dennis Wilson

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun."

"I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand. Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand. Life is good today."
-Zac Brown Band

I am not going to do it. I am not going to do it.

I just want to rant, rave and over react.  On my way home from tesco (the store where you buy everything) in NINE LANES of bumper to bumper traffic in the rain...I was thinking how I was going to unleash on here tonight. Then I asked myself, Rachel, really? What good is that going to do!?


It was just one of those days. I am sure everything will work out, get turned in, checks written, finals graded, visas approved, clearance granted. Everything will be fine.  Sometimes it is just hard to believe that in the moment of pure frustration.  There were language barriers today and moments of not seeing eye to eye on matters. I just tried to keep a smile on my face and a good attitude....being angry in this country gets you no where.  

Positive attitude.  My friend Phil used to tell me. 

Healthy mind, healthy body

Thank you Thailand for the beautiful sunsets and wine drinking sessions down South. I wish I could click my heals and be there again. 

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Moment

Boom's Healthy Thai Cookery School

Woks

Mortars

Bamboo Baskets 

Rice Cookers

Red Curry Paste

Hot and Sour soup with Roasted Chicken

Fried Cashew Nut with Chicken

Pad Thai

Papaya Salad

Black Sticky Rice Pudding

***(psssst I made all of these!!!)***

Fish Sauce

Palm Sugar

Shrimp Paste

Roasted Chili Oil

Cloves 

Cumin 

Star Anise

Bay Leaves

Ginger 

Lime

Tumeric

Mouse Shit Chili

Holy, Lemon and Sweet Basil

Pounding

Dicing

Slicing

Frying

Boiling

Day certification in healthy Thai cooking. Completion of course on July 16th, 2011

Chiangmai, Thailand

I don't want everyone knocking down the door at once, but yes.  If you are willing to front the cash I would love to open a restaurant in the Chicago area or St. Paul neighborhood.  Even better my own cooking school!!  Now that is a good idea if I ever had one.

Sneaky Shot

When Ms. Schrader was visiting she took some wonderful pictures.  She had two cameras, a point and shoot as well as a fancy one with a very pretty lens. I let her be in charge of the photo documentation and I am very grateful that she has set up a place for me to be able to get them.  As I promised, our adventures will be on here shortly with pictures!

Thanks Rach!!

I did not know she took this picture. When I look at it I think, well she pretty much captured me while traveling.  The three months I was running around different countries this is a pretty standard way you could find me. 


Whether we were waiting for a train, plane, an overnight bus to leave or waiting for someone to fish out a lonely planet, map or travel notes... as long as I had my trustworthy backpack ReGregory, I was all set!  

Fiber from the Coffee

I have a new nightly ritual.  I know I already told you I have reconnected with my little mermaid side but there are some extra perks for getting in that pool and doing laps. I reward myself when I am finished.  After I get to do a little steam room and sauna action.  It is just the cats pajamas.

 Swim, Steam, Sauna, Shower, Sleep. 

AMEN.

This evening as I carefully walked in to the steam room I noticed there seemed to be dirt like partials all over the floor. Then I noticed them on one of the benches that a girl was sitting on.  She was also rubbing her skin. Legs, arms, legs, arms, neck...finally I had to ask what in the world she was doing.  I felt almost foolish when she told me.  "They are fiber, from the coffee. A scrub."  Oh silly Rachel, you have been in Thailand for almost a year.  How do you not know that the steam room is a place to rub coffee on yourself. 

Visa Application pending...

Dang Australia, you playing hard to get?

-I filled out all necessary online forms

-Payed you $295.00

-Took a cab down to BKK general hospital

-Got a chest x ray and got the "ALL CLEAR" on my TB test

- Was questioned about obscure places where I could be hiding tattoos

-Did the Thai shuffle from waiting room to waiting room from one counter to another counter, this floor that that floor

-Made friends with this little old Irish nurse who asked me all about why I was going to Australia (I promise I said nothing but good things about you!!)  and what I have been doing in Thailand. 

I know you have to think about letting me come work and play, but hurry up with your answer!

Hey mom did you save my Nativity swim cap??

That is correct I have picked up another new hobby here in Thailand.  I have started swimming laps.  I think the last time I swam a lap was when I was on my grade school swim team.  It all came rushing back to me today...the diving blocks. I remember standing behind those diving blocks waiting for my little race.  I was usually doing one of two things or both. Crying or tap dancing right before I had to dive in.  Oh the nerves and pressure of grade school swim teams.

As I checked in I was handed a swim cap and goggles, I still knew the trick of wetting the cap before trying to put it on my head. I splashed into the pool and started with the crawl.  By the time I did two laps I was out of breath and my arms were already sore.  What a work out! I even used the kick board and realized, my kick really needs to get stronger, that is why my arms were so worn out!!

So mother, for real did you save that cap?? If I start getting ear infections again, I might need you to send me some drops too....

Then there was one

It is sad but true.  I had to send Rachel back to Chicago...I tried to trap her on my balcony and thought about crawling into her backpack!!! Both failed.

Not only does she have some serious travel time to get back to Chicago but then she will be moving into a new Apt, after that she has promised to send some of her pictures and videos we took while romping around Thailand and Hong Kong.  There are some great ones so I am saving my blog posts until I can attach pictures with them as well. So you get the full affect. Cooking classes, fur coats in ice bars, table top and bar top dance parties, beaches and bottles of wine, books and coffee, rooms stacked high with coke cans, shrines to greyhounds, $10.00 cherries, markets of all different shapes, sizes, and smells, boats, tuk tuks, trains and planes. I bet you already think I am making things up!!!  It was the best three weeks. I miss her already...I will not deny nor confirm tears outside a cab.

 RACH I MISS YOU ALREADY. COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

When she was here she reopened my eyes to many things that I have begun to think was "normal" or have not thought much about since I 1st got here. I wrote a bunch of these down and later tonight when I should be grading midterms I will share these instead. 

How in the world is it August already!? I have been here 10 months...that is just bananas!