pictures

I just wanted to let you know that I have uploaded a bunch of pictures from my Malaysia trip. The internet at school was cutting in and out today, so I had some problems uploading--some pictures appear twice, and some didn't upload at all...hopefully I'll fix that tomorrow, but for now, you can look at what I've got.

I also hear that it is snowing in Winnipeg right now. We were all very happy about that in the staffroom today, as the temperature right now, at 9:30 pm, is 30 degrees...absolutely no snow in sight!

Hope that everyone is having a happy Halloween!

and we're back

Some of the funniest moments in the past few days have been when we have had to walk down stairs. It is getting much better, but still a bit difficult. The day after we got back, we did pretty much everything in our power to avoid them, we even paid more at our hostel so that we could have rooms on the ground floors (which were air conditioned as well, which is why they were more expensive). The routine was usually the same...we'd see the stairs, stop, complain a little bit, take a big breath, and walk sideways, very slowly, down the stairs. If we walked sideways, it would use different muscles than those that were sore, so it worked a little bit better. Now I am able to walk down the stairs looking forward, I see that as great progress!

Now we are back at school for a couple of prep days before the kids come back. This morning we had sports day, which was absolutely hilarious. We were divided into two teams, and the Thai and English teachers were mixed together. We started with a parade for...nobody. We all lined up and marched out of the school to some music with nobody watching other than the security guards and the principal, it was hilarious and completley pointless, as are so many things here! Then we played a bunch of different games and relays. We also had a cheering competition and somehow I got roped into dancing with a bunch of Thai teachers to a Thai cheer. It was ridiculous. They were all yelling that they needed falang teachers (foreign teachers) to come dance, so a few of us volunteered, assuming that we would at least be able to practice it once. No, we basically had to get up in front of the entire school and try to follow the complex Thai dance that was going on in front of us. It was hilarious, but probably one of the most embarassing things that I have ever done. Oh well, someone had to take one for the team, and we ended up winning the cheer competition, so I guess that it was worth it.

It's sad that the holidays are over, but it'll be good to see my kids again and get back into the routine of school...there are lots of long weekends in December though, so I'm looking forward to a lot more travelling then!

Ouch

We just got back from climbing Mt. Kinabalu. It was an amazing experience, but definitely one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. Six of us started out together, only five of us made it the first kilometer, only four of us made it to the second km., and the four of us proceeded to make it to the top (and back...which was definitely half the battle!) The climb was 8700m. (one way, so 17,400m in total), 99% uphill (on the way up obviously), and it was HARD! (The mountain itself is over 4000m high, and is the highest in South East Asia) There were numerous times when we thought that there was no way that we could make it, but we did it!

On the first day, you climb 6km., uphill most of the way over rocks and rickety stairs. We started to climb around 10:30am and reached the hostel at 4pm (There were many times that I was positive that I was not going to reach that hostel!). We ate supper, watched the gorgeous sunset, and basically went to bed because the next day, we woke up at 2am in order to start climbing again at 2:30!!! That's right, 2:30 in the morning! The climb started with a grueling 300 or so steps up the mountain...definitely not an easy start which had us all huffing and puffing. We climbed another 2700m to reach the summit by sunrise. This was a really difficult climb because it was pitch black and we had to scale a lot of rock using ropes that were bolted to the rocks (no harnesses or anything, just free climb). We had to do this while holding our flashlight so that we could see where we were going, so it was quite difficult.

I did stop a number of times just to look up at the stars though. It was amazing. We were so high up and the sky was completely clear (which apparently is rare, so we were quite lucky). I think that I saw every single star that is in the sky, it was incredible. This last part of the climb was definitely the hardest (our guide pretty much dragged one of my friends up the hill because she was having trouble...seriously, he held her hand from the 6.5 km mark on, I got some pictures, it was really cute).

We reached the summit at 5:30 am., just in time to watch the sunrise, which was completely worth it. Actually, one of my friends reached the summit before us and was the fourth person to arrive, the first female, we were very proud of her. We thought that we had been climbing very slowly, but when we arrived, there were only about 13 or 14 other people there (there were at least 70-80 doing the climb), so we were really happy with that. The colours of the sunrise were amazing, I can honestly say that I have never witnessed a sunrise quite like that!

We spent about half an hour on the peak before starting our descent back to the hostel. This was one of our favourite parts of the climb because, first of all, it wasn't uphill!!!! It was also amazing to see what we had climbed in the dark. We had scaled some really steep rock and actually scaled along a really steep cliff using only ropes...I think I preferred doing that one in the dark! I took a lot of pictures as we were going back, just to show how steep it was, but they don't do it justice at all!

We went back to the hostel where we ate breakfast and then started climbing down the mountain. This was definitely not the easy part of the climb. It was great at first, but then different muscles and joints (particularly calves, quads, ankles, and knees) really started to hurt (a nice change from the thigh and butt muscles though!). By the end of the climb we were actually stumbling because we could barely support ourselves, our legs were SO sore, we looked ridiculous! It only took us 3 1/2 hours to descend, which we were happy with.

We then paid (probably) a ridiculous amount to get back to our hostel in Kota Kinabalu partly because we didn't want to wait for the bus, but also because taking the bus meant that we would have to go down a steep hill, and none of us were up for that.

Now we are back, showered and tiger balmed, and still in a daze about the fact that we just climbed a mountain! We are tired and sore, but really happy that we accomplished this! It was definitely the highlight of the trip, and something that we will all remember forever! I will post pictures when I get back to Bangkok but, as I said, they really don't do it justice AT ALL!

mountain???

We're in Kota Kinabalu right now for the last part of our trip. Since my last post we've done quite a bit. We saw some really cool caves and fireflies in Kuala Lumpur. Then we went to Kuching where we explored the city for a few days and then went to Bako National Park. At Bako we did some really beautiful trails, including a night jungle walk which was really cool (we saw a viper! I got a really good picture of it!). There were also psychotic monkeys at that Park that tried to attack me, which is funny now, but was terrifying at the time!

Now we're in Kota Kinabalu at a really great hostel. We spent yesterday in the sun on the beach, and we're planning on doing the same today. We figure we can afford to laze around for these few days because yesterday we signed up to climb a mountain tomorrow! It's Mount Kinabalu, more like a difficult hike than a climb, and they say that people of all ages and abilities can climb, but we've heard from everyone that they were basically incapable of stepping up curbs for the next few days. We're a little bit nervous, but everyone has told us that we will be able to do it, it'll just be difficult! We're planning on heading to the hot springs directly after, so hopefully that'll help to numb the pain!!! We should be reaching the summit at approximately 7 am on Friday morning, so think of us on Thursday night as we will, probably (and hopefully), be standing at the top of a mountain! Then think of us for the following two days as we are cursing ourselves for not even being able to walk! I really hope that we make it, and I hope that it is worth it!

Alright, enough typing, time to go to the beach!

WOW

I don't really know what to say right now other than...wow. I have had the most amazing past few days...I should start at the beginning. On Friday we left Bangkok and flew to Kuala Lumpur, where we met a really funny cab driver who took us to our hotel. We chose him because he was the only one not completely harrassing us at the bus stop, and I made sure to tell him that loud enough so that the rest of them could hear! Seriuosly, they were like vultures! The next day we explored the city and just basically walked around. We tried to see the twin towers, but they were already sold out of tickets, so we didn't get to go up. That night we went out for MAlaysian food, which is absolutely amazing, and ordered by basically pointing at pictuers off of a menu.

Later that night, we were trying to find Krista a backpack, so we were standing outside of this store, when all of a sudden I felt something on my foot. It wasn't very heavy, so I didn't really look down right away, but when I did look down there was nothing there. The next thing I knew, the ladies in teh store were hitting all of the backpacks with big sticks and yelling something in Malaysian. I watched, wondering what was going on, when a big rat came running out of the backpacks...it was a rat that had run over my foot! I was really disgusted, but remained strangely calm throughout the whole ordeal. I felt really gross for a long time after though...I hate rats from a distance, and really don't enjoy them on my feet!!!!

After KL, we flew to the Perhentian Islands which can only be described as paradise! On the first day, we just lay on the white sand, swam in the turquoise waves and drank fruit shakes all day long. The next day, we went on a snorkelling trip with our hostel which was incredible. We saw three sharks, one stingray, one massive turtle (which I dove down and swam beside, it was really cool!) and millions of technicoloured fish. We were out for about six hours and it was incredible. If we hadn't left the next day, I would have done it again. It was also really nice because it is the low season, so there were barely any people on the island. By the end of the first night everyone knew us and we were having supper with our hostel owner and snorkelling instructor. The people were so friendly, it was great!

Unfortunately we had a flight booked and were only on the islands for two days, I could have stayed for two weeks! Right now we're in the very Muslim city of Khota Bharu where you need to have your knees and shoulders covered at all times to avoid stares, cat calls and disapproving looks. We're here for about eight hours, waiting for our flight (we thought we were smart and booked a 9 pm flight so that we could stay on the islands for as long as possible...little did we know that the last ferry during the low season is at noon! Oh well, we met a nice woman on the island who told us about a good restaurant here and a hostel that would hold our bags for free!)

Sorry this is kind of choppy, I'm writing really fast in an internet cafe, which is about to shut down because of prayer and fasting time (again, a very Muslim city), so I must go! I'll post tons of pictures when I get home and maybe write again in Kuching or Kota Kinabalu (next week). Hope you're all doing well!

so THIS is rain!

First of all, we went to West Side Story the other night, which was really good, but it was absolutely POURING the whole time! We got into the theatre and we were completely soaked, and then had to sit in air conditioning for 2 hours! It was cold, but the musical was fun. I took a picture of the streets, it was just crazy, no wonder the city shuts down when it rains!

Today is the last day, for me, of October camp. Since the first half is over, they are having a performance and showcase of what the kids have done so far. It has been completely stressful and I have probably spent more time preparing for this showcase than planning for the entire two weeks of camp! My kids have to to do a show, which is going to be completely chaotic seeing as they are three years old, so they are singing "Heigh Ho" and wearing dwarf beards, which they made. Our theme was Fairy Tales, so they are going to march around and be the seven dwarfs. They will be really cute, but it is going to be a gong show up there, they have no idea what they are doing, even though we have been practicing every day! At least the performance is happening right in the morning, so we get it over with, then the parents come and look at everything that we have done, and then we can just watch a movie for the afternoon.

We leave for Malaysia tonight, Friday the 13th, best day to have a performance and meet your students' parents and fly to another country, but hopefully it will bring us good luck rather than bad! We start in Kuala Lumpur, then up to the Perhentian islands, then to Kuching (Sabah) and then to Kota Kinabalu (Sarawak, also known as Borneo). It should be busy, but hopefully a really good time! We are there for just over two weeks, and will return to Thailand on October 29. I will take lots of pictures and put them all up when I get back. I'm not sure how much internet I will have, seeing as we are spending time in some islands and rain forests. My phone also doesn't work in Malaysia, so if you need to contact me, email and I will try to check when I can.

Have a good two weeks!

Chatachuck

I spent way too much money this past weekend, but I can make myself feel much better by converting it to Canadian dollars! We went to Chatachuck market on Saturday, which is a massive massive market. It was actually featured in the Winnipeg Free Press about a month ago, it is world famous for being really big, really good and really cheap. We were there for about 6 hours and only saw a small part of the market. We got there around 9 am, which was good because by around noon you can barely move because the walkways are so narrow and there are SO many people! This is a picture of the skytrain stop by the market that I took because you couldn't even see the steps, there were just constantly people flowing in every direction. The funny thing is that I don't even feel clausterphobic or strange in large groups of people anymore, I am definitely getting used to the noise, the smells and the feel of large groups of people.
On a completely different note, foot and mouth is still around at the school. We were under the impression that it was all under control so this morning, when we had assembly time with the kindergarten kids, we took them into the ball room to play (which is the best thing EVER to have in a school! I spent my whole time whipping plastic balls at the kids heads, they loved it and it is a great stress relief, being able to throw balls at the kids who drive you crazy during class.) Anyway, we had a great time in the ball room with the kids. When we got back to the staff room, though, someone came up to us and said, "We just wanted to let you know that the ball room and the swimming pool are off limits for the kindergarten classes because of foot and mouth disease." My friend and I just looked at each other, because we had just spent half an hour rubbing our bare feet in this disease ridden room. So now I am positive that I have foot and mouth. We rubbed hand sanitizer all over ourselves, but who knows if that will help. I'm sure we'll be fine, but it would have been nice to know that the room was closed BEFORE we went in!

Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving weekend! We went out for a big buffet dinner last night to have our own pseudo Thanksgiving dinner, it was pretty good!

I hate fish balls!

just a little addition to yesterday's post. I ate a whole fish ball today. I ate in the cafeteria and the lady asked if I wanted vegetables, so I took them, but they were not just vegetables. They were vegetables with big chunks of fish that looked like vegetables. I took a bite and got a nasty piece of processed bubbly fish, it was disgusting. Just thought I'd share.

a chilly 29 degrees!

The other day I actually felt a little bit chilly...and I wasn't inside under an air conditioner, I was walking outside to catch my bus. I was wearing jean capris and a long sleeved t-shirt, and I actually felt a little bit cold...well, maybe not cold, but I wasn't hot (I am usually sweating). Anyway, at the end of the day, my friend checked the temperature, just to see what it actually was and it was...29 degrees, WITHOUT the humidity! Humidity here is usually around 85-90%, so who knows what it technically "felt" like. All I know is that I am looking online right now at Winnipeg weather, and it is -1 at 8 am., I don't know if I'll ever be able to handle that again! You know how you sometimes go on a vacation to Mexico, or even Thailand, and you see people walking around in jackets when you think that it is blistering hot? For us, 25 degrees is shorts and tank top weather, but for someone from Thailand, 25 degrees means that it is time to bring out the winter clothes! I am starting to understand that, and I've only been here for three months!

Marla was asking me about the food the other day, apparently I haven't said anything about it. Yes, we do eat Pad Thai, and yes, it is fabulous! I don't know if I will ever be able to eat it in Canada again because I have been so spoiled here. At our apartment there is a little restaurant (2 tables) run by a woman who speaks fairly good English. Her food is really good, but the best part is that she teaches us how to say everything. In fact, she refuses to write down your order unless you say it in Thai. If you do not know it in Thai, you can say it in English, she will tell you how to say it in Thai, and you must repeat it back to her until you say it correctly. If she knows that you know it in Thai, or she has taught it to you before, and you say it in English, she is not happy and will make you say it in Thai. She is the sweetest woman, and it is really helpful to have that little tutorial every night before supper! There isn't nearly as much coconut milk here as I had hoped. There is a lot of curry, but often they used condensed milk rather than coconut milk, and it just isn't the same. Often, if you go to larger restaurants, they will have coconut curry, but it is always more expensive (when I say more expensive, I mean that it is 100 baht- or $3- rather than 30 baht- or 90 cents.) Also, there are cashews in everything. It's great.

Although I love Pad Thai, my absolute favourite things in the country are the fruit shake. These are basically made of fruit and ice and they are amazing because the fruit here is amazing. Last weekend I think that I actually had 5 or 6 fruit shakes...they are completely addicting and perfect for when you are dehydrated from sitting in the sun on the beach. My favourite is a watermelon shake, it basically tastes like eating a really cold watermelon without the seeds...it is SO good!

There are some really weird foods here as well, of course. If you walk down the street for thirty seconds, you are guaranteed to see at least five vendors selling random meat on a stick, as well as barbequed squid on a stick (the squid smells disgusting...the random meat on a stick is actually quite good...I like to pretend that it's chicken) Another thing that you often see on a stick is eggs. I don't really understand, and I haven't tried them yet, but it appears that they skewer the raw eggs and then barbeque them. We're not really sure how you "order" them, do you buy a skewer or a single egg? I haven't had the guts to attempt the eggs yet.

You will also see fish balls galore prepared in a number of different fashions. Fish balls are one of the worst things about this country, they put them in everything and even if you try to say that you don't want them, they will find a way to sneak them into your food...this has ruined a number of cafeteria meals for me, I just can't get over how absolutely disgusting they are.

One last thing about food in this country is the bags. They like to put everything in a bag, no matter what it is. Rice, noodles, chicken, soup and...my favourite...drinks! That's right, they put drinks in a bag and I absolutely love it. The pop here is mainly in glass bottles, so they never want to give you the bottle because they want their deposit back, so they fill a plastic bag with ice and pour your drink in there. It's actually quite handy and much easier to carry if your hands are full. I'm going to start putting everything in a bag when I get back to Canada, I think it'll really catch on!

Enjoy what's left of the pre-snow season!

stolen life

So my friend essentially had her life stolen this past weekend. We went to Koh Samet for the weekend, an island approximately four hours away from Bangkok. We had a good time on Saturday, just sitting on the beach and relaxing. On Saturday night we went out to the bar at the beach. I ended up going to bed around 2, but some of my friends stayed out later. A couple of them decided to go swimming in the ocean, so they left their stuff on the beach and went into the water. They came back about ten minutes later and everything was gone! (Yes, they realize that it was stupid and the fact that it was a completely avoidable situation makes it all 100 times worse).

My one friend only had his wallet taken, which had some cash and a debit card, so it wasn’t really a big deal. My other friend, though, had a bag full of pretty much everything. She hadn’t wanted to leave it in the hotel room, because the only lock on the door was a small padlock, so she decided to take it with her so that it wouldn’t get stolen (ah the irony…). In her bag she had some cash, credit cards (which she was able to cancel immediately) her passport, her digital camera, her cell phone and her debit card…and that’s not even the worst part. She had just got her debit card a few days earlier, and still had the PIN in her purse. This hadn’t been an issue a few days earlier, because she hadn’t had any money in the account. On Friday we got paid, though, so she had 52,000 THB in her account, which they drained immediately. 52,000 THB is approximately $1500, which is a large loss in Canada, but a much bigger loss in Thailand (52,000 THB is the amount of money that some people in Thailand make in an entire year). Her Canadian debit cards were also in her bag. They were not able to get access to those accounts, but that means that she can’t even take money out of her Canadian accounts, so she really has nothing. Obviously, we have been lending her money, and it’s not problem, but it just sucks having to constantly borrow money from people.

She went to the police station on the island, which was pretty much a joke. She said that there was one rusty jail cell in the corner, and two guys sitting in the back with no shirts on, just hanging out. They spoke a little bit of English and couldn’t believe how much money she had had stolen (the guy who she was talking to actually called his friend over to show him how much had been taken). They wrote a police report, but pretty much told her that nothing would happen and that they would probably never find any of her stuff. One of our friends who speaks Thai called the stolen cell phone a couple times last night and left some messages for the thieves and basically said that Allah is watching them and that their dead ancestors would not be happy. This kind of thing really scares Thai people because they believe very strongly in kharma and ghosts and things like that, so she figured that if she can’t get the stuff back, she might as well scare the thieves a little bit.

We have also decided to think positively and we have decided that her purse was stolen by someone who actually needed the money and that now a family is eating well and all of their kids are going to school. Probably not the case, but it makes you feel a little bit better about the situation.

Other than the horrible ending, the weekend was actually quite good and my face is quite sunburnt right now. We met some other people from Canada, which is always fun, and had a good time. We heard that apparently a typhoon is supposed to hit Bangkok today, but it is 2:30 in the afternoon and the worst that we have seen is some drizzling rain. I know a bad typhoon hit Hanoi, Vietnam yesterday (which is where we were originally going to take our two week vacation…sure glad we changed those plans!), but I haven’t really heard anything more about it hitting Thailand. Oh well, I live on the 20th floor of a concrete building, so I’m not too worried about my own place, but that would definitely do some damage to a lot of the homes in my area of the city.

I should get back to work, since I am technically getting paid right now. Hope all is well back home!