Good Morning, Vietnam

I thought this break was never going to come. I was up to my eyeballs in marking exams, recording class marks and preparing all my lesson plans for the first half of the semester; so much so I had to recruit my colleagues to give me a helping hand. The Thai teachers has decided not to give any of my classes answer sheets for their exams (their tests are all multiple choice) which meant that I would have had to hand mark all 379 (to be exact) papers by hand in two days...that just wasn't going to happen. So, by the time the annual staff Christmas party came around, I definitely breathed a huge sigh of relief. Once again, I did perform at the party with my colleagues and it was so much fun! Kharen and I had been working for weeks choreographing and teaching the 8 minute routine and the 9 of us that performed all worked our butts off, and boy did it pay off! It was a great showcase and if you're reading this, I can't thank you enough for putting up with me and for dancing your little tooshes off ;)

Dancing in the Christmas show was so much fun.

As Christmas eve rolled around, I headed down to Bangkok to start off my winter break. My friend Wut let me spend Christmas eve with him and we decided to go to DJ station (the biggest gay bar in Bangkok) to ring in Christmas Day. We got there around 11:30pm and arrived to a pack dancefloor and a multitude of Drag Queen/Lady boys singing the gayest of Christmas songs. It was fabulous haha. Christmas Day was perhaps the most relaxing Christmas I've ever had. Granted, it didn't feel a lot like Christmas due to being so far away from home, but in comparison to last year, where I spent my Christmas Day in a tiny mini bus in Cambodia, it definitely came as a welcome change. I met up with Marisa that evening to go to an Irish Pub for Christmas Dinner. However, before all that excitement, we were crushed to find out that Marisa couldn't procure her visa to Vietnam in time for our trip the next morning. Both of us were under the impression that you could get your visa on arrival. That, in essence, is true however you have to get a confirmation letter from a governing body in Vietnam to accept your visa application which Marisa was unable to get in time. So that meant I would have to travel to Hanoi alone whereas Marisa decided to fly to Singapore early and spend the holidays at her sister's house.

My first time in Vietnam. A great way to end 2015.

The next afternoon, I left the scorching heat of Bangkok and landed in chilly Hanoi. Now for a regular Brit, the temperature in Hanoi would be considered rather mild; but after living in Thailand for over a year where I now consider 25C to be cold, arriving in Hanoi on a Saturday evening with a low of 12C, it was a fair to say I wasn't that prepared nor was I the biggest fan of it. Feeling rather disorientated after what was a pretty sketchy taxi ride to my hotel, I decided to play it safe, get a SIM card and find some 'western' food to eat. However, that was much harder than first predicted. One of the hotel staff took me to a little shop where I purchased a SIM off a dude that could barely speak any English. He even had to cut the SIM card with SCISSORS so it would fit in my phone...! And for finding western food, the hotel staff led me in the completely wrong direction so I ended up grabbing a motorcycle taxi for 50,000d (80B) to a KFC (surprise surprise...) (oh, and KFC vietnam isn't great FYI) and then tried to get one back where this old pervert of a driver tried to charge me TRIPLE on the way back, thinking I was completely oblivious. The whole ride home, he kept telling me about the sexy massages and strip clubs of Hanoi which clearly I wanted to stay well away from. And the best part? He didn't even take me back to my hotel. He didn't know where it was so he just gave up -- so I just gave him 100,000d (that's the smallest note I had) and walked back. So overall, my first night in Vietnam wasn't the greatest...

Trấn Quốc Pagoda. The first landmark on my first day exploring Hanoi.

The next day I decided to go out and explore the wonders of the city. Luckily for me, I had met a guy named Apollo, who had offered to take me to all the landmarks on Hanoi on the back of his motorcycle which would a) save a lot of time, b) save money by not getting ripped off by taxi drivers and c) get a different experience of Hanoi from a local. Apollo is originally from Hanoi, but had spent most of his life living in Canada and Switzerland, so he had a superb level of English as well as a great love of culture and arts -- which fared well when showing me around the landmarks as he was able to explain the history behind each place that we visited. Our first stop was the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, Trấn Quốc Pagoda. It is located near the west lake in Hanoi and is believed to be around 1500 years old. There were many visitors to the small temple that was there and we roamed around the grounds just before the morning prayer. It was interesting to view the Buddhist practices and architecture of Vietnam in comparison to Thailand. 

Inside the grounds of the Temple of Literature.

Secondly, we visited the Temple of Literature, which is host to Vietnam’s first university, the Imperial Academy. We began exploring the landmark at the lake of literature which was to the south of the compound, before walking through the main gate and entering the first of many courtyards within the attraction. The main courtyard had a small pond in the middle of it. At the time, many university students were taking their graduation shots there. Around the corners there stood many tombstones with alumnae’s names carved on it. I was curious to know why the tombs were stood upon turtles; Apollo had told me that it is because the turtle represents wisdom and longevity, as well as being one of Vietnam’s four holy creatures (the others being the dragon, the phoenix and the unicorn). After roaming the grounds some more, we headed to lunch where I got a taste of my first Vietnamese food. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed! Apollo took me to this very small little restaurant called on Hang Manh street where we ate ‘bún chả’ which is essentially vermicelli noodles with grilled beef in a broth in addition to some spring rolls which had crab inside them. It was absolutely delicious and the bill only came to 60000d (90B) per person…so cheap!

So glad to have my own personal tour guide to show me around Hanoi!

After lunch, we visited perhaps what is known as the hub of Hanoi, Hoàn Kiếm Lake. In the centre of a lake stood what looked to be a small temple, known as the Turtle tower. Apollo explained the story behind the temple and the lake and how according to the legend, the emperor at the time, Lê Lợi came across the turtle god who had asked to return the magic sword he had found. It is claimed that the sword was owned by the Dragon King and was used during a war against the Ming Dynasty of China. As we walked around the lake, some local students stopped us and asked the practice their English with us. This turned into a half hour conversation about what I was doing in Hanoi, where I came from, and how much I love Taylor Swift (one of the students was a fellow swiftie). To conclude our day exploring, Apollo and I reunited that evening for dinner (which was another amazing Vietnamese dish named Bánh mì thịt xiên which is essentially a french baguette with meat and cheese inside it). We walked around the old quarter and purchased tickets to see the infamous Water Puppet Show for the following evening.

These University students were so keen to talk to me and practice their English.

Missing Marisa and feeling that I had explored all I could from Hanoi, I decided to cut my trip short by one day and head back  to Bangkok on the 29^th instead of the 30^th. So on my final day in Hanoi, I rested for most of the morning (as I was coming down with a cold), managed to then walk around the old quarter alone and find myself back at the lake, where I was ripped off for some donuts by an old Vietnamese woman. As she helped me across the road, she handed me a bag donuts and almost (before I cottoned on to what she was doing) charged me around 450,000d (720B) but by making a scene I managed to get most of money back but still ended up paying around 150,000d (240B) which was still a ridiculous price. Nevertheless, I tried to not let those bad experiences cloud my judgement too much on a city/country that in all fairness I had only visited for 48 hours. Like I said, that evening I met with Apollo and we visited the world famous water puppet show at the Thăng Long theatre. Known as Múa rối nước, the water puppet show dates back to the 11^th century as is a comical and fun display of the culture and history of Vietnam – it was a thoroughly enjoyable show. It was a great way to wrap up what had been a short and sweet trip to Hanoi. Like I said, I felt that with just exploring Hanoi, two days was enough. However, I would to travel back and really dedicate a good chunk of time to explore the whole of Vietnam because I've heard such great things.

Preview of the famous water puppet show.

A giant thanks to Apollo for being such an amazing tour guide and I'm very happy to say I've made a new friend on my travels. Now, roll on Singapore for New Years!

Roll on Singapore with this one!

Bangkok for Drinks and Bike For Dad

After working for 12 days straight, it was finally time for a little weekend break. With the King's Birthday falling on Saturday December 5th, we were lucky enough to be given a 3 day weekend to make the most of. Whilst my friends either chose to stay in Korat or head to the beaches of Koh Chang, I decided to venture to Bangkok with Marisa and Georgia for a weekend of shopping, drinks, and good food. To utilise my weekend to the max, I headed down Friday night after school. Expectations of arriving in Bangkok at a decent hour were pretty low due to my 6 hour bus ride to the capital this time last year; and I was right to have those doubts. I didn't reach Bangkok until 11pm and didn't get to my friend until almost midnight. We decided to still head out for a few drinks (with my holdall and backpack still with me...) before calling it a night.

Getting our long weekend off to a great start!

My girlfriends didn't arrive in Bangkok until late afternoon the next day so I decided to meet up with some other farang friends, Phoebe and Elena. We grabbed some early dinner together before getting the party started at Charley Brown's -- a really cool Mexican restaurant/bar on Sukhumvit Soi 11. Considering my usual hang out spot in Bangkok is Silom, it came as a nice change to explore a different part of Bangkok's nightlife that wasn't a trashy as Khaosan...(no offense...). After many a passionfruit margarita, Georgia, Marisa and I made our way to a really cool Australian bar for the rest of the night. When we first arrived, no one was on the dance floor so being in the merry states that we were, we felt obliged to get it going (which was appreciated by the band haha). Like I had said, this was the first time going on in this area and I thoroughly enjoyed it (well, what I can remember of it anyways) and this bar had a really cool live band that played pop hit after pop hit all night.

Marisa, Myself, Georgia, Elena and Phoebe at Charley Brown's

The next day, I was very excited to venture to IKEA and Cotton On at Mega BangNa. Now for those of you that don't know what Cotton On is, think of it like an Australian Primark, yet the stuff is even cuter! Whereas Marisa and I were veterans of the wonders of this store, Georgia had never been before ; I don't think she quite knew what she let herself in for. This store in Bangkok was by far the biggest Cotton On store I had visited and all three of us were lost in there for well over an hour. Collectively, we must have spent close to B7000 on items so it was well worth the visit. Later that evening, we went to the EM district to check one of Bangkok's most up and coming night markets; ArtBox. I had visited twice before when they were based at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, so I was excited to see what new things they had to accompany their move. This night market felt like hipster central; there were lots of little stands to satisfy any foodie, experimental drinks to satisfy any party-goer, and tons of art and fashion stalls to satisfy every Bangkok hipster there was.
Before we knew it, the three day break had come to an end (ironic how the longer breaks seem to go quicker than our regular weekends off...) and back to Korat we went to begin my last week of teaching. Well, I would say 'last week of teaching', but with already having Monday off thanks to the long weekend, as well as having the upcoming Thursday off too (due to Constitution Day) AND a half day on Friday due to Bike for Dad (more about that in a bit), it only turned into two days of teaching or as I made it, two days of making Christmas cards with my classes (it was definitely one way of keeping them occupied and quiet!)

ArtBox Night Market at Phrom Phong BTS

On Friday, we were initially told we would have the entire day off due to the Bike for Dad event, but it ended up us leaving at 2pm. Those who had registered for the event, which is a huge cycling event in honour of the King (who had just celebrated his 88th birthday the Saturday before) were able to attend. Just like for Bike for Mom, the event saw thousands of participates ride around a 29km route of Korat in honour of the royals. For the Bike for Dad event, the turn out was even bigger than Bike for Mom, plus there were events held not just in Thailand, but across practically every major city in the world. Archna, Shubhu, Grace and myself went over with Shubhu and I cycling together and Grace and Archna further behind us. I felt the route wasn't as long as Bike for Mom, considering the finish was about 2km shy of where Bike for Mom finished however the atmosphere was just as electric. With Korat being so flat, it makes the route super easy to ride and Shubhu and I were done in just over 90 minutes. I had hoped the event began slightly earlier as by the time we were done, it had gone dark which, seeing some of the cyclists participating, would cause hazard to the roads! But, it was a great event and nice way to end what felt like an incredibly short week.

Bike for Dad 2015

Next week are Midterms followed by the Christmas fair and parties. Unfortunately I have to teach next Monday and Tuesday and I have NO clue what I'm going to do as I've covered everything...maybe more Christmas cards? haha.

The Holiday Season Is Upon Us

As this year starts to draw to a close, so does the full academic schedule at Assumption. For the past few weeks, the school calendar has been rearranged with shorter lessons (some even cancelled completely) and inundated with activity after activity. To begin with, the school celebrated yet another national holiday, Loy Krathong. This holiday falls on the night of the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar. The name 'Loy Krathong' translates as 'to float a basket'.
If any of you have been avid readers of my blog for that past year (thank you by the way!), you'll know that I wrote a blog post about this holiday last year. But, seeing as this year was slightly different, I'll tell you all about it again.

Loy Krathong celebrations at the school.

Just like last year, my Loy Krathong celebrations were split into two parts. Firstly, the school celebrated the holiday by having a half-day's worth of classes and then a giant all-school event in the afternoon. The event began with a procession through the school of the students and Thai teachers all dressed in beautiful, traditional Thai attire. However, the beautiful clothes are also accompanied by a ridiculous amount of makeup; it is literally painted on them. My 6 year old girls looked in their mid teens...it was very creepy. It was like they'd become porcelain dolls; they showed no emotion and hardly spoke all day...

The main event was the floating of the "Krathongs" or boats/baskets into the water. Traditionally, these boats are made out of banana leaves and decorated with different flowers. As we didn't have any body of water to float the krathongs, we had to make do with a large 'paddling pool'. It was cool to see all these boats and just how colourful they were. That celebration was then followed by a beauty pageant, both for Primary and Secondary students. I watched the Primary one of course and saw one of my Primary 2 students win first prize. I still have to double look to see if it was actually her!

A few of my students entering the pageant. Number 2 was crowned the winner!

After school had ended, once again I headed to Bungta Lua where the main celebrations in Korat were being held. A group of us headed over, purchased our own Krathong and floated them into the lake. This time around, the krathongs were also decorated with insence and candles so they could be seen glistening across the entire lake. It was in the evening also that the true meaning of Loy Krathong was really recognised and displayed. Before we floated our Krathongs in the lake, we were asked to thank the Goddess of water, known as Phra Mae Khongkha, for her blessings as well as making a wish for the upcoming year. As we placed our boats into the water, it was told that it symbolises our sadness and misfortunes from the past year being floated away and marking the beginning of a new chapter; I found that to be a lovely sentiment and a rather fitting one after the past month or so that I've had with trying to move on from some personal issues.

Not even 48 hours after that holiday, the school held another big event: Sports Day. For the past 3 weeks or so, the students had been preparing in the form of chanting cheers for an hour every day...which equated to an extremely boring and wasted hour for us teachers. As with last year, Sports Day at Assumption isn't just some kids running around a track -- as with all the events at my school, they like to put on quite a show. The opening ceremony of the day was a giant spectacle with the 5 teams (Orange, Blue, Pink, Violet and Green) parading into the 'arena' with their cheerleaders and 'models' in their traditional Thai dresses. As much as the aesthetics of the day are dramatic, it was also amusing the see the student athletes after they finish their respected race fall to the ground collapsing and to be carried off on their stretchers, like they had just ran a marathon in the desert or something...
Once again, the cheerleading portion of the day was an amazing spectacle. The winning team had an oriental theme to their dance and spent almost a minute of their routine setting off firecrackers! I've got the say, as much as the lack of motivation in their education that some of these students have, they sure make up for it in creativity and being artistic.

Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners!

The final race of the day was the Teacher's Race. If you remember last year, my team won silver in that event but this year I was going for the gold! And, by the skin of our teeth, we achieved that feat! Granted, I got a little over-excited and competitive and was screaming (yep, literally screaming) at my teammates to run faster. It paid off though...right? What a great way to end my last sport's day at the school.

And continuing in the spirit of the holidays, there are only 3 weeks left before we break up for Christmas and New Year! And once again, I will be performing at the staff Xmas party! Cant wait for that! Better start getting in the spirit! **plays Slade**

Two Princesses, One weekend.

What a week it has been. For the majority of it, my school has been preparing for the arrival of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for the inauguaration of the Regina Coeli Building, which is home to the classes of Secondary 4-6. Princess Sirindhorn is the third child of the King of Thailand. Apparently, many Thai people refer to her as "Phra Thep" which means "Princess angel". In relation to the British monarchy, she would be comparable to the Princess Royal. Everyone was so excited for her arrival. Just from the vibes I was getting from my Thai colleagues, I would say that she is on par with Diana in how much the Thai people love her.

Preparing for the royal visit.

This last week only had two days of actual teaching. The next two were given for the teachers to make the necessary preparations for the royal visit. As per usual, the foreign teachers has nothing to do with it so we were just sat in our offices twiddling our thumbs. The building was beautifully decked out in Thai flags and purple fabric. When Friday finally came around, you could feel the anticipation. However, after being seated and waiting over 2 hours for her to arrive, the anticipation quickly turned to impatience. But, at around 2:30pm she finally arrived and her entrance was far less climatic than I had envisioned. In the UK, I'd expect flag waving and cheering but there was none of that. The Princess arrived in her private vehicle and the place fell silent. Regardless, it was an amazing spectacle.

The Princess makes her arrival. (C) ACN

Dressed in a tradition Thai-style light blue dress, the Princess presented herself very simple; not wearing extravagant jewellry or perfectly painted makeup, she gave off the aura of someone very down to earth and connected with the Thai people, despite her title. When she arrived, she presented around 100 people with royal pins (which each person paid in excess of ฿30,000/£550 just to get one!) and then paraded around the courtyard where she was greeted with various stalls and presentations from the students. She then went upstairs to complete the official inauguration before saying hello to the crowd and leaving for her next visit in Korat. Whilst she was greeting the crowd, I was lucky enough to be at the front where she stopped, looked at me and even said hello! My reaction was to nervously smile and bow to the floor (I've never been in front of royalty okay?!). Some of the Thai teachers around me, however, were in shock that she said 'hello' to me, with some even shedding a tear in pure awe of being in her presence. Never in a million years would I have thought I would come two feet from royalty, especially in Thailand!

Her Royal Highness enjoying the presentations given by the students. (C) ACN

After she left the school, I had to make a pretty hasty exit as that night, I was flying to Singapore to see (in my eyes) another Princess, Taylor Swift. I had booked tickets to see her back in June as she was only playing two nights in Singapore before heading to Australia to finish her world tour off. Yes, it was going to be an expensive weekend but I knew it would be worth it. The first thing I had to do though was get out of the city, and when you have a Princess visiting, the whole city tends to shut down. So, a ten minute journey out of the city actually took over ninety minutes...for a moment there was a definite panic that I would not be able to make the airport in time. However, the panic was unnecessary as I made my 00:50 flight in good time and got into Singapore (my FIFTH trip this year by the way) by around 4:30am. After a lie in, I decided to drop by Ezzy's workplace, give him his ticket and meet him later at the arena. I spent the rest of that day window shopping in the Singapore malls and immersing myself to what life might be like if I end up here. After all, I won't always be hanging out with friends. It was a nice opportunity to see if I could navigate my way around the city alone without feeling overwhelmed. And honestly, it was as easy as I thought it would be. The evening soon came around and it wasn't long before I took my seat at the arena and waited for Taylor to hit the stage.

Opening her concert to "Welcome to New York", the crowd went wild. As far away as I was in terms of seating, it was still amazing to be her presence as I've been a massive fan of her for years. I was pleasantly surprised at her vocals as I had heard several people warn me that she isn't that great live, but she did not disappoint. Hit after hit played, lyric after lyric was screamed out of my lungs and it just felt euphoric. The best part for me was when she played some of her really old hits, such as "You Belong with me" and "Love Story", using just a guitar and keyboard. It just went to show how amazing talented this woman really is. It was a very simple set, not extremely gimmicky and no opening act taking up precious Taylor Swift time haha. As many people know, Swift's songs are usually written after a breakup, so it was incredibly ironic that I was attending this concert with an ex, as many of her lyrics became so relatable haha. The concert lasted for about two hours and was worth every penny of the S$132 ticket I purchased. The only disappointment (which I felt was reflected by many people in the crowd also) was that she did not have a special guest act. This is something Swift is notoriously known for at her concerts and I heard many people say they thought it was going to be local Singaporean band, The Sam Willows. But alas, she went solo this time around.

Easily the best concert I have attended.

After the concert finished, Ezzy and I went our separate ways and I decided to head out for a drink with a new friend I made the last time I was there. Armed in my Taylor Swift concert bracelet and custom made T-Shirt with Taylor Swift lyrics on them, I tried my best to blend in and not be frowned upon for being such an open Swiftie (a Taylor Swift fan for those of you who were wondering...) but in fact it was the opposite. I bumped into a guy and his group of friends who had also attended the concert and had also made a custom t-shirt with Taylor Swift lyrics on them! It was an awesome moment and he was by far the coolest person I met that night. I had only initially agreed to go out for one drink, but in typical style that turned into staying out until 6am drinking Long Island pitchers! It was a great night full of laughter, dancing, and lots of eye candy. (Yep, I swear Singaporean guys just live in the gym...) Anyways, the 36 hour trip went far too quick but it was such an amazing weekend. I still can't believe that both in Thailand and Singapore, I was able to experience encounters that I had never imagined to witness in my entire life. So I definitely left Singapore and ended that weekend one very happy chappy. See you at New Year, Singapore!

I really did see 'incredible things' this weekend.

October Break: Hong Kong, Krabi, and Singapore

October break quickly came around, and not only marked a well-deserved two week break from school, but the end of one full year of working in Thailand. And in an ironic sense, what better way to celebrate that feat than spend most of this given break outside of it?

After a couple months of planning, and getting Ezzy on board with travelling with me, we decided to visit Hong Kong, Krabi and end the trip in Singapore, where I'd also be having TWO job interviews for potential employment after I finish Assumption. As the dates for the trip had been shifted a few days earlier, I unfortunately had a few days in Korat to waste before I headed to Hong Kong after the weekend. After receiving the news that my original flight to Hong Kong has been cancelled, I had to ring the airline up and reschedule my flight, with the only decent time being a 4:30am departure. As far from ideal as it sounded, it did turn out okay in the end as it did give me a good full day to explore the city. Ezzy wouldn't be arriving until later that day so I spent most of the morning navigating the Hong Kong streets, checking in to my hostel, and sleeping off the exhausting before he arrived. My hostel, aptly named Hong Kong Hostel, was located on the main Hong Kong island in the fashion district. As expensive as it was, the location certainly made up for it. The room however, was incredibly tiny. Ezzy and I decided to book a private room but there was literally only space for a double bed and that's about it. After finally reuniting we decided to head to the famous Ladies night market and to the most densely populated area on earth, Mong Kok. Despite boasting that crazy feat, it wasn't as busy as expected (then again, it was a Monday). After spending the majority of the night trying to find what looked to be good food, we stumbled upon this little restaurant serving predominately noodle bowls. By this point, we were both super hungry so we just defaulted. Looking a little overwhelmed by the situation I was in (mostly non-english or vague menu items, and sitting on a tiny table with randomers), a lovely lady asked us if she could order for us. We explained what we would like and she ordered for us. Although I'm surrounded by generosity from Thais, I was blown away by the friendliness of a stranger in a place where I wouldn't have thought it to happen often -- like if I was in New York or London for example. In terms of food overall, we didn't have the best luck there; we mostly just ate noodle dishes. It was hard to find places to eat that suited both Ezzy and I, and weren't too harsh on our wallets; Hong Kong was far more expensive than I have prepared myself for.

Disneyland!

The next day, we met up with my colleagues Archna and Shubhu and ventured to Disneyland! Seeming that my whole family had just all gone to Florida without me, I was happy that I was able to get my Disney fix. Inevitably much smaller than its American counterparts, Disneyland Hong Kong didn't quite live up to other Disney parks I had visited. Nonetheless, it was a great day going on classic Disney rides and thankfully without the massively long queues. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to score any photo with Mickey and Minnie Mouse but I'm glad I was able to visit another Disney park to check off my list. Archna and Shubhu decided to stay for the fireworks whilst Ezzy and I decided to explore the city a little more. We decided to dress ourselves up and go to the Ritz-Carlton and visit the highest sky bar on earth, The O-Zone Bar. Located 118 floors up, the sky bar was very classy with expensive drinks to match. We only felt it necessary to have one cocktail each but the view was fantastic and really made me want to live in a city like this.

Drinking in style.

On our last full day in Hong Kong, we decided to visit the other big tourist spots on the island; in the morning we visited Big Buddha (also known as Tian Tan Buddha) and the Po Lin monastery. The Buddha statue sat high on top of a hill and took 268 steps to reach its summit. Inside was very plain and no photos could be taken but the outside and the view stemming from it was exquisite. Opposite the statue was the Po Lin monastery, where many devout monks reside. Lots of vegetarian snacks and meals were offered and it was very interesting to get a sense of Thailand again being surrounded by monks and hearing Buddhist chants. However, the monks at this monastery wore grey not orange. To save money, we decided to take the 45 minute bus ride to and from the statue, which gave us plenty of time to figure out what the next plan was. As time wasn't on our side, we decided to head straight to Victoria Peak, perhaps the most famous landmark in Hong Kong, due to it being the highest point on the island (554m above see level) which offered spectacular views of the city. When we reached, we had to wait around 20 minutes for the vernacular to take us to the top. When we finally made it, we weren't disappointed. We came just before sunset so luckily for us, it was too crowded. We were able to take pics of the hazy skyline and really see Hong Kong in all its glory. We spent that night visiting the Pier and seeing the skyline at night. It was a great end to our trip.

Our last full day in Hong Kong: Big Buddha and The Peak.

The next afternoon, Ezzy and I headed back to Bangkok on separate flights and spent the next couple of days catching up on missed sleep and just generally relaxing before we headed to our next destination: Krabi. Before we headed to Krabi though, we stumbled upon what was perhaps the craziest cafe I have ever visited. It is called Unicorn Cafe and it was just this pastel, rainbow-filled cafe scattered with plush unicorn teddies and yes, UNICORN ONESIES. I encourage anyone who visits Bangkok to go there -- its simply magical! haha.

Unicorn Onesies exist!!

Anyways, I was a little sceptical as to how Krabi was going to stand out from all the other islands/beach towns I had visited in Thailand on previous trips. However, as much as Krabi is a tourist destination, it didn't feel as overpopulated and full on as the other places (most notably Phuket). We stayed in a beautiful 4 star hotel about a 2 minute walk from Ao Nang beach with lots of delicious local (and halal) street food nearby. The first night we were there, some of Ezzy's friend were staying just down the road from us, so we decided to meet them, explore the night markets in the local town and catch up over a few drinks. However, the rain adjusted those plans and after a quick 5 minute walk around the tarp-covered market, we decided to sit at a local bar and have a few drinks. We bonded over a game of Jenga and danced the night away with new friends. Certain people had to be carried home (clue: not me) but overall, it was a great night and an exciting opportunity for me as I was able to make some new friends who were living in Singapore! Kevin and Kaja, it was so nice to meet you! 

Made some new friends.

On our last day in Krabi, we went on a day tour around the islands. The "4 Island Tour" visited Railay beach, Koh Tup, Koh Poda, and Koh Gai (known in English as Chicken Island). Unlike the other day trips I have been on, the stops we made were also points of interest for perhaps 10 other companies, which meant that the small little beaches were inhabited by tons of tourists. Being the xenophone I am, it didn't make a pleasurable experience for me. I just wanted to relax on the beach in silence and maybe take some pictures. Yes, I still took pictures and made the best of the situation we were in; that's not to say the islands and beaches I visited weren't beautiful, they were really pretty. We had our lunch on perhaps the quietest of the islands, Chicken island (although I still fail to see where that name comes from -- apparently the island looks like a chicken? Also, Ezzy spotted one in the distance that resembled more a turkey and we somehow thought they maybe got mixed up? haha). During low tide, you would be able to walk between islands by a narrow strip of land. However, with the timings that we visited each place, we were not able to do that. Despite the hoards of people around the beaches, it was a nice change to see yet another beautiful part of the country I've had the pleasure of calling my home the past year. To end the trip in Krabi, Ezzy and I had a full body massage...for him, a good experience. For me? Not so much....haha. If anything, the massage made me more tense as it hurt so much, despite the numerous attempts at telling the guy who was massaging me to be softer haha.

Last stop on our 4 Islands tour: Koh Poda.

The last part of my trip quickly came around. We left Krabi early Tuesday morning (20th) and headed to Singapore. As much as this trip was for fun, I also had two job interviews lined up in the latter half of the week that could potentially change everything for me, so nerves were definitely settling in. That night, we met up with a bunch of Ezzy's friends and chilled out. (It's been nice meeting his friends as it gives me the opportunities to make connections in Singapore without feeling like I have to be attached to Ezzy's hip the entire time.) The next day, I woke up and my body was aching all over (I blame the Thai massage!). This was the last thing I needed before my interview the next day. To avoid being stuck in bed and feeling sorry for myself, I spent the day with my girl, Marisa. She was visiting her sister and brother-in-law who lived in Singapore. We decided to spent the day on Sentosa Island and hoped that a familiar face and positive interactions and laughs would make me feel better. We went on the Skyline Luge, which offered two tracks totalling 1.2km to race around on. We had to take a chair lift to reach the top and we were allowed three attempts. Despite the hesitance the first time round, the track was super fun and it was nice to go back to Singapore and do touristy things - the last two times I hadn't really done anything of the sort. That night, I rested at Marisa's sisters house and they had made dinner for me. With all of us being teachers, this presented the perfect opportunity to take the time and prep myself for the impending interviews. We spoke for about half an hour and I took notes and tried to absorb as much information as possible. It definitely made me feel more prepared for them. The first day of my interviews finally came around. Thankfully, some Chinese syrup/medicine made me feel better and I went to the HQ of the company and sat with the CEO of the company for around an hour -- mostly talking about myself and my experiences as a teacher. No real questions were answered but it was still intense and I had to really sell myself. That night, Ezzy and I were supposed to go to a secret show hosted by a local Singaporean band, The Sam Willows (check them out here). However, the UBER that was arranged to pick us up never did...after waiting over an hour for it. So, instead we drowned our sorrows in Nando's. The second of my interviews followed the next afternoon. For this one, the dress code was more casual and I met with the Head of Recruitment at a cafe downtown. The structure of the interview though was very formal and intense, I was asked questions that really put me on the spot and I had to think and act quickly and really sell myself without sounding too cocky. This interview lasted almost 2 hours (the longest interview I've ever had!), but there was never a silent moment and lots of questions were answered from both parties so I felt the interviews went well. In exciting news, I was offered potential job contracts by both employers! However, due to not being able to start until April next year, nothing has been set in stone yet. To celebrate two great days of interviews, I joined Ezzy and his friends at the local bars and just enjoyed life. I wasn't too sure how often I could actually do this if I was to move to Singapore, so I tried to enjoy it as much as I could then. Sunday morning was soon upon me, and that meant my two week adventure was over. Can't really be too sad to leave Singapore as I will be back next weekend to see Taylor Swift in concert!

But what a trip it has been. Draining in so many ways but an amazing experience nonetheless. Now back to (what I call) reality with work. My last semester at Assumption...let's end on a high!

Until next time.

From Cymru to Korat: 1 Year On

If you had told me one year ago that I'd still be working in Thailand a year on I would have liked to believe you but honestly I thought that it wouldn't have happened; Maybe my contract couldn't be renewed? Maybe I got fed up of Thailand and decided to come home? Or maybe (just maybe) I met the love of my life and we decided to travel the world together? But alas, none of those happened. And almost exactly one year since I got my confirmation from Assumption, I am sat in my office writing this blog and reminiscing on the whirlwind year I've had.

When I first received that email from the school, never did I think I'd be able to experience the things I have, travel the places I have and along the way, met some of the most amazing and interesting people. Of course this all could have gone very differently, not just through out of fear of exploring outside the bounds of Korat, but also if I didn't actually pluck up the courage and came to Thailand in the first place. When I initially decided I wanted to start my career in teaching English in Thailand, I ideally wanted to stay in Bangkok as that's where I felt most opportunities presented itself. Honestly, when I found out I'd been placed in Korat my heart sank a little as to me I felt it was so far from Bangkok that there wouldn't be a lot of ways to get there. Furthermore, when my agency stated that the level of English there was poor, this further discouraged me. However if you know me, I do believe everything happens for a reason and after the lightbulb moment of "Why are you second guessing this Matt?!", I never looked back. Now, when I applied for a teaching position with my agency, I ideally wanted to work with Primary aged children. But due to my work experience at summer camp, I was placed with Secondary 2 and 3. Despite the initial disappointment, I was ready for the challenge and looking back on it now, I did enjoy it. Yes, my throat constantly hurt and yes, most of my kids were lazy or naughty...but a) it could have been much worse and b) there were some hilarious and wonderful moments during my time teaching them. One moment that will always stick with me teaching that age group happened at the end of the school year last year (March); it was my final class with my Secondary 3/1 class, an amazing class who were always willing to learn and their standard of English was to a much higher standard than any other classes I taught. At the end of the lesson, I gave them all lots of sweets and thanked them all for being such a pleasure to teach. This then prompted one kid to say back to me, "Master, it wasn't your pleasure teaching us, it was OUR pleasure having you as our teacher". That moment melted my heart and cemented to me that this was the career path I was meant to embark on.

When June came around, this presented a perfect opportunity to seize the moment and ask to be moved to Primary. After 6 months of teaching Secondary, I felt a change of scenery would be good for me. Thankfully, my plea was accepted and that's when a set of whole new adventures began. Obviously, the differences between teaching Secondary and Primary are very clear. For one, I had to get out of this strict mentality and teaching style and adapt it as best as I could to teaching 6-8 year olds. My idea was to channel my inner camp counselor, be enthusiastic yet firm, but just have fun with them. Granted the first several weeks were very difficult; without having a Thai teacher to assist me, it felt like I wasn't teaching at all. I felt very deflated. But, after Master A came to assist me, my classes have been wonderful and I've barely ever had to feel the need to vent my frustrations or problems with my classes which seems to be a common trait with some teachers at the school. At this moment in time, I am LOVING teaching the age group I do. These kids bring me such joy and never fail to make me smile every single day, even if its just a hello, or a hand shake, or a hug; knowing that they're are excited to see me and portray that they enjoy my classes (haha), that's all that matters to me. Going forward, this is the age group I want to teach in the future I really feel that I can make a bigger impact and positive influence on them. Unfortunately, by the time they reach Secondary, I feel many of the students just give up with teaching English and its an extremely difficult task to change their minds. I mean, we all remember how stubborn we were as teenagers right?

Apart from the teaching side of things, I have been extremely fortunate to travel to some amazing places and meet some just as amazing people along the way. Everyone knows about my love of Singapore, and I'm so happy I've been able to visit the city 3 times this year (and a further 3 trips are planned before the year is out). And of course, if I didn't make that spontaneous decision to go to Singapore in March, I wouldn't have met Ezzy who has not only been a great travel companion over the past few months, but a new friend who I am so grateful to have in my life. Closer to home though, I've been able to visit some great cities including Ubon Ratchathani, thanks to my friend Tay; coming to see you was an amazing experience and I was able to see parts of Thailand I wouldn't have been able to see as a regular tourist, and learn about the cultural and historical heritage of your country which is always fascinating to hear. So if you're reading this, thank you and I hope to see you very soon! Also, thanks to Kang and First, two great guys I have had the pleasure of meeting whilst living in Korat, I have been able to experience my new hometown in a different light so I thank you both for that. Hopefully before the year is out, I will be able to visit some new places both in Thailand and overseas. In a week's time, I will be travelling to Hong Kong for 4 days which I am so excited for! Then, I'll by flying down to Krabi to see yet another side to Thailand and the beautiful beaches and islands that surround that area. Finally during the Christmas break, I am hoping to visit Vietnam for a few days, and explore the capital, Hanoi, as well as Hoi An, an UNESCO world heritage site that has been mentioned to me several times now as somewhere to go visit. And as much as I have tried to get out of Korat and explore as much as possible, I have really come to like the city I'm living in. It has its own unique charm and can somehow feel like a city, but still in a weird way have a small town feel to it. The only thing I would wish for was that it was just a little closer to Bangkok.

Now, if you have been reading my blog since its inception (thank you loyal followers! haha), then you might remember that I wrote myself a letter entitled "Dear Future Me". When I wrote it, I told myself that I'd reply to it 6 months when I finished at Assumption, but now seeing I'm still here a year later, I thought that now would be a fitting time. For those of you who need a reminder of what I said in the letter, here it is:

Dear Future Me,

Well, its now coming to the end of your adventure in Thailand and I want this experience to have been it has been everything you expected and more; that you got to visit some outstanding places, experiences things you never thought you would and make friends and connections that will last a lifetime. Additionally, I anticipate that you have used this time to work on yourself both mentally and physically and can come back to the UK (if you want to come back that is) with a fresh outlook on life; that you can take a look in the mirror and be happy with what you see. Most importantly, I really hope this experience has opened your eyes to whether a career in International Education is for you (I really hope so because I want to travel more!).

I hope you had a wonderful Xmas/New Year break and got to spend it with incredible people in incredible places. And that your trip to Malaysia in December worked out and the visa situation sorted itself out by then! I have a checklist in mind which I have taken with me to Thailand and by the time this letter is read at the end of the trip that you can tick most of them off - riding an elephant, petting baby tigers, checking out the Bangkok Gay scene and taking a massive selfie with your class are the top priorities!

On a more personal note, I wish that everything that seems hazy and unsure to you at the moment has become clearer and you are happy with the direction its going in. This may mean saying farewell to some things/people as you leave Thailand or more positively welcoming new people and things into your life. I really hope the relationship between a special person in your life (and you know who you are if you're reading this too) has gone in the direction in which you think is for the best, and after months and months of emotional journeying(?) has brought you both to a place where you can be happy again. I want you to finish this journey having no regrets. Everything you have gone through on this trip has happened for a reason, even if you might think it wasn't what you wanted. Without meaning to sound too sappy (I am writing to myself after all), I want to say how proud I/you should be that you did this! It may have flown by and at times you may have wanted to pack it in, but you did it! And like I said before, I really hope this is just the beginning of an exciting career and goal.

If you realise that this isn't for you, then I know that there is a good reason for it. I've always gone with my gut instinct in the past and it has never steered me wrong so far. Just enjoy the ride and look at this blog as a wonderful way of looking back on what could be/has been a life changing experience for you.

Finally, I want to say this: (lets hope you can read Thai by then!)

หากคุณสามารถอ่านภาษาไทยแล้วฉันจะภูมิใจ หากคุณสามารถแปลมันฉันจะประหลาดใจ ;)

MC (Oct 2014)

As weird as this is that I'm now answering my past self, reading through this letter brought back a ton of memories and a realisation that I am not the same person as I was back in October last year. So the best way I feel I can address this letter is to, in my typical cheesy fashion, reply back, So here goes...

Dear Past Me,

Although my adventures in Thailand haven't quite ended yet, I felt this was a fitting time to write a reply to this letter as it is almost one year since I/you (ok this is weird) wrote it. Thankfully like I've stated in this blog post, I have been able to see some outstanding places and gain experiences I never thought imaginable. And yes, there definitely have been people I've met along the way who I will be friends with for a very long time and I'm incredibly thankful for that.

I feel for the most part, this time has been an opportunity to work on myself both physically and mentally; there are still things to work on on the thinking side of things, but I've now got into running and find it very therapeutic...when I actually get off my lazy ass and actually decide to run haha. If looking back at myself last year, I can definitely say that I am happier with the person I've become - I was in such an emotion rut back then which I have now climbed out of. And yes, I have really discovered the joys of International Education and hope to continue my journey in Singapore if these interviews go well this month...**fingers crossed**.

My Xmas break was pretty great yes. Reigning in New Year on the beach was pretty spectacular. My trip to Malaysia didn't go quite as planned, I kind of reached breaking point then but after that trip I realised that I needed to pull myself together and move on from that crappy situation and take control of it, because nothing was going to change. However, I've been able to go on so many other trips which have been amazing. Unfortunately, the checklist I had in mind I haven't completed...I won't be riding an elephant after seeing the conditions some of those elephants are in. Again, same with baby tigers...I can only pet them if they're drugged up to their eyeballs so no thanks. But, I DID check out the Bangkok gay scene and have taken many-a-selfie with my classes so be happy I've completed those at least.

Now...moving to the personal stuff. Things did become clearer for me and through the pain and the time, it did provide clarity and I was able to slowly move on from it. I really do think the direction it went was for the best. Further to that, I'm not one to have many regrets however if there is one thing I do regret, it's being as open and true to myself here as I have been. Seems like a stupid regret I know, but it might have saved me from getting sucked in to a lot of negative vibes in my workplace and away from the drama. Sadly I learnt the hard way and realised that the best way to have an easy life (personally) in my school is not to deal with issues face to face or tell it how it is, but to rather vent about it to other people and to bitch and moan behinds people back - until it reaches a point of no return and people just have a hidden dislike for one another. Unfortunately, I've been labelled as a bitch one too many times where now I have no willpower to change that opinion and to instead focus my energy on the people that DO actually like me and most importantly, focus the energy on MYSELF and the exciting prospects I have ahead of me. Yes, like you said, 'everything you have gone through on this trip has happened for a reason, even if you think it wasn't what you wanted.' and despite the personal ups and downs this journey has had, I do agree with that statement and have to focus on the future and not on the past.

Finally, you'll be happy to know that I have realised that this IS the thing for me, and the career path I want to embark on and see where it takes me. Thailand has been wonderful, but if the opportunity presents itself, I think its time for me to move on to another place once my contract ends.

And in true foreigner style, I think I'll stick to my trusted friend, Google Translate, to do the Thai reading for me...although I can write my name in Thai which is pretty neat.

Here's to the next chapter, whatever it brings!

MC (Oct 2015)

There's so many other things I could talk about that have happened over the past year, but my memory is terrible and I want to think about the experience as a whole, which overall has been absolutely amazing and as I always say, I am so blessed to have this opportunity and I feel like I have utilised it well. Just over 5 months until my contract at Assumption finishes which means 5 more months of crazy adventures and badly-written blog posts!

Until next time.

Running 10km and running ragged

After the worst nights sleep, hearing my alarm go off at 4:30am was not wanted. However, just under 2 hours later, I would be running my second 10km race, exactly three months after I ran my first. The MuangThai Korat Marathon was being held right in the centre of the city. Diana, Georgia, Lee, and myself decided to run the 10km, whilst Grace took on the half marathon.

Running 10km with Georgia, Diana, and Lee and we smashed it!

Compared the Olympic Day, this event seemed far more structured. I was hopeful that the route was going to be quiet and car-free, and that it was accurately measured out...but...more on that in a bit. The event was hosted by a company called Smile I believe, and everywhere was decked out in pink. Diana and I headed over to the start line to find Georgia and Lee, luckily we were able to cut into the start line with them but were told that we need to register before the start of the race. Of course, you would assume that you need to write your name or signature at some station, but no...it was just some random girl with a red pen who literally just ticked our numbers and let us on our way. Thankfully, the weather decided to pull itself together after what has been a dreadful few weeks of rain and (Thailand's version of) cold. It was a clear with a nice cool breeze, I knew that the sun would hit us close to the end of the race, so I wanted to get going as soon as possible.

I DID IT!

For the people who read this and are familiar with Korat, the route started at Yamo Monument and went right around the entire square before heading towards the Golf Club, Bung Talua lake, and the racecourse before making the U-turn back before heading into the military base. After about 2km in, I started to panic as I could see the signals flashing that a train was approaching, I didn't want that to stop me so I quickly raced across the tracks and avoided being caught up in the crowd of 'walkers'. To annoy me even further, I had just ran past the 5km mark (although my running app was on 5.6km...) but the turning point was nowhere in sight. We approached the long stretch of road with a steady incline, and it just felt like that road was never going to end. Thankfully, I saw Diana ahead of me running the other direction so I knew it wasn't too far away. At the 6.4km kilometre mark, I finally made the U-turn and headed back towards the start. At the this point, the sun had fully risen and the heat started to hit. Regardless though, I was in a very comfortable stride and overall it was by far the best run I have done. I sprinted across the finish line at a time of 1:03:52 and a distance of 11.3km which I was really pleased with. I smashed my last 10km time by over 4 minutes. As I was trying to catch my breath, a few organisers from the event came over and surveyed me; their final question was "What improvements can we make in the future?" which I answered very explicitly "Measure the track better..!". The good thing was that it didn't feel like I ran an extra 1.5km essentially but if you're advertising a 10km, then you should probably stick to that. At the end of the race, my friends and I all gathered to congratulate each other. My friend Diana placed 2nd overall in her category for the 10k (Females 16-29) and Georgia 5th, as well as raising money for the British Heart Foundation (amazing job guys!). Grace joined us after she finished her half (looking like she'd just been on a casual jog I might add!) and then we waited a few hours for the girls to be presented with their trophies. Overall, a fantastic morning and despite not eating or hardly sleeping, I think it went rather well!

My kids really do run me ragged, but I love teaching them!

As much as I enjoyed that run and prepped myself in the gym, I had also been doing my fair share of running around the class and exercising with my kids. For those of you who work with young learners, we all know how exhausting they can be to work with. I think first and foremost they see me as more of a climbing frame than a teacher. They love to climb on me, jump on me, and weirdly poke my stomach and my butt...very odd but a very common thing in Thailand. Perhaps what exhausted (and shocked!) me the most was on last Friday afternoon where the kids of Assumption celebrated National Youth Day. This celebration saw many songs and dances being performed by the students. Beyond my favourite was the performance by my Primary 1 students, who were dressed up as cowboys and (I think?) were mimicking some musician or music video. It was hilarious but I saw far too much gyrating for 6 year olds than I ever wanted to see...

My Primary 1 boys.

After that, I sat with my kids and watched the rest of the performances. However, they saw that as an opportunity to climb all over me, play with my glasses, take pictures (which of course I don't complain about because its adorable), but by the end of it, it really does knacker me out. One of my favourite students, Alex, is now called "my son" because he is always attached to my hip if I'm ever teaching his class or if he's ever around me. His father is British so he can understand English a lot more than most of his peers which is nice. He's just overall a great kid, as are most of my students in fact.
I am LOVING teaching this age group, but having that comparison from teaching Secondary, I'm realising more and more on a Friday afternoon has much they can run me ragged after one week. Fortunately, this week marks the last week of the semester so I can have a break for a few weeks. Crazy to think really that after the upcoming break, I only have one semester left before my current contract expires...how time has FLOWN.

Ezzy and Matt take Korat

It's always great when people make the effort to come visit you. As much as I love to travel and explore new places, it offers me a way to still feed my passion for travelling, but on a much smaller budget. I was so happy that my main man Ezzy decided to come up to Korat and visit me for a few days. It was a chance for us to spend some quality time together but also explore all the wonderful cafes Korat has to offer (thanks to Ezz discovering them on Instagram).

My poster-making skills were on form that day.

Unfortunately, I fell ill for the time he was here, so I couldn't necessarily be as adventerous as originally planned. For the morning of his first day here, Ezzy visited a couple of cafes, whilst I was busy at work. After not feeling any better after lunch, I took the rest of the day off and rested until Ezzy was ready to hit another cafe. We headed to a tiny little cafe called "Wood U Light" which was practically the size of a bedroom and had like 5 seats in it. Ezzy sampled the Butterfly pea milk, which was essentially a sour milk drink, because it looked pretty on Instagram...haha. I played it safe and just stuck to Italian soda. After that, I took him to YaMo monument, the centre of Korat, but due to rainy season, we were washed out and called it a day. Later that evening, we went on a much needed date night to Genkiramen, a Japanese restaurant not to far from the city centre. I have visited it many times before with Grace and other friends so I knew it was going to be a good dinner.

Date Night.

Friday morning I was still feeling bad so we took it easy and visited my favourite cafe to date!...Grandma Cafe. For the locals who read this blog, it is located just down the street from Happy Land. Like Wood U Light, it is a very small cafe but the menu is more extensive. Inspired by Japan, the cafe serves lots of teas and cakes. I sampled the Italian Almond Tea with SCONES. Yes, TEA AND SCONES IN THAILAND! And it did not disappoint. We spent the first twenty minutes of our time in the cafe taking artsy-fartsy shots as we were the only two in there. But, later we spent a good hour just chatting, working on our CVs and enjoying our time together.

TEA AND SCONES! (And coffee...but meh.)

That night, my friends from Plookpanya school joined us, along with Grace, for dinner at a restaurant called Baan Suan Kothip -- a restaurant I had visited a few months back which I thought would provide a nice atmosphere and good food. It was great catching up with the girls, but what was even better was introducing them to Ezz. They'd known I had spoken about what a great guy he is for a while so it was nice to put a face to him. We ended the night at my favourite ice-cream parlour, Yotse before heading to Bangkok early the next morning.

I have so much love for these guys.

Because this was Ezzy's last day in Thailand, we decided to head to Bangkok to make the most of it. We went to a beautiful cafe/restaurant called Roast at the EmQuartier Mall and tried to explore the city before the impending storm hit. Unfortunately, we were caught too soon and with no raincoats or umbrellas. We were at a night market called Artbox Signature (located at Queen Sirikit NCC) but had to leave after 10 minutes as the rain got too heavy and we couldn't do anything there as everyone was taking cover until the stalls. To add disappointment, we grabbed some Mexican food for dinner but they were OUT of guacamole...(A Mexican without guac I hear you cry! I know right...) But, after that we just decided to spend the night in as the rain didn't really clear up and Ezzy was leaving super early in the morning.

A bittersweet goodbye as always, but I'm glad that I'm able to see him next month when we travel HONG KONG together!!

(Life Update: So I've been looking for potential teaching jobs in Singapore, and I'm excited to say that I have asked to come to Singapore for an interview in late October! Exciting times but trying not to get too hopeful about it. Very early days yet. But, please everyone keep your fingers crossed for me that something good comes out of this!)

Exciting times ahead!