Bike for Mom and Teach for Money

A few weeks ago I was asked to be one of the 5 teachers taking part in a CEFR (the Common European Framework of Reference for languages) Weekend seminar for the school. As much as I was honoured to be asked to do this, I was a little nervous with the challenge of changing my mindset from teaching 6 year olds to adults; the last thing I wanted to do was sound condescending and start high-fiving people if they got the answer right. However, perhaps the thing I was most stressed about was the preparation. I was asked to prepare a 90 minute lesson about Main Idea/Supporting and Idioms (with visual aids and worksheets) as well as a 90 minute group activity involving listening exercises. As the seminar was expected to attract around 150-200 teachers, it seemed like quite the daunting task. Not to mention from experience, nothing EVER goes to plan in Thailand so I needed to prepare myself for the inevitable changes and switches. But despite all the stress and pressure I was (unnecessarily) putting on myself, the way I saw it was that this seminar was a chance to gain even more teaching experience and a way to strengthen my application for future jobs. The bonus was of course getting paid to do it! The seminar was to take place over two weekends, August 8th/9th and 29th/30th. Both my lesson and group activity was scheduled for the first weekend so I was a little rushed for time to prepare, not to mention I still had 9 exams to mark!

Looking all professional and stuff...

I decided to base my main idea lesson on recent newspaper articles and getting the group of teachers to analyse each article and in groups, present their ideas on what the main idea of the article was and the supporting details they could use to back it. As my lesson was in full swing, the Brother Director of the school decided to show up and observe my lesson from the back of the class...it was terrifying! I was nearing the end of my speech but didn't want to stop whilst the brother was there so I just kept on talking...and talking, whilst making sure I was speaking as slowly and clearly as possible; not an easy task when you're a naturally fast talker like myself in addition to being nervous. The group activity I had planned focused on songs and lyrics. The teachers had to listen to two songs (which eventually only ended up being one -- Bruno Mars' 'When I Was Your Man') and correctly identify the lyrics. Also, due to time constraints with my lesson, we also did an Idioms game that I had planned where they had to match up 24 idioms with their definitions. As fun as it was, I did also get extremely stressed as I had put hours and hours of work into preparing for the seminar and things just didn't seem to pan out or pay off like I thought they would. There really was no need to get so stressed but it was really important to me that I did well and got good feedback because I was asked to do this and didn't volunteer. I felt like I had to prove to them that they made the right choice in choosing me. But in hindsight, I felt I did do a good job and like I said, the first weekend of the seminar was good fun. My initial worry of being the youngest teacher and not being respected as much soon faded away. I felt I had made good rapport with the teachers and tried my best to maintain a balance of being serious in the class but being a bit more comedic and light-hearted in the group activities.

Teacher Mode. (Excuse the unflattering face).

The following weekend, I only had to teach Cambridge ESOL with 5 students which is a way less stressful. And, with my first (and only) free weekend of August, I just wanted to chill and relax. Upon waking up on Sunday morning, the last thing I really wanted to do was cycle 29km. Why are you even thinking about cycling 29km you ask? Well, there was an event happening on the weekend called 'Bike for Mom'. The event I'm speaking of was being held in honour of the Queen of Thailand. With this year being its first year, Bike for Mom had events all across Thailand to raise awareness for the growing number of cyclists in Thailand as well as getting more Thai people to exercise and to do so on behalf of the queen who, now 83, cannot ride like she used to! The Queen is worshipped as the mother of Thailand and in addition to the cycle, we celebrated her birthday on Wednesday with a ceremony celebrating the mother's of Thailand (it's also Mother's Day on the same day here in Thailand) and a day off school...SCORE!

Last minute decision, but so glad I did it! 

Initially, I was pretty excited about the ride. I had purchased a pushbike a few months before and have been able to explore Korat a lot more because of it. However, with the pattern of weather over the past few weeks, around mid-afternoon to early-evening is when the heavens open, and heavy rain/thunderstorms hit the city; I didn't really want to ride 29km in that. Plus, 29km seemed like a LONG journey...I hadn't even prepped for it, could my legs take it? haha. Nevertheless, the day of the ride I was unsure until I went for lunch at a cafe near my condo, where I bumped into some colleagues. And, thanks to some pressure talking from Natalie, I was becoming more and more convinced to do it. The decision-swaying moment was when the girl working in the cafe I was at (knowing that I cycle) asked me if I was doing it. In a not very confident manner, I said no to which I was once again persuaded to do it as I had nothing to lose. Which I guess I didn't right? So, at 2:40 (with the race starting at 3...) I sprint-cycled back to my room, changed, headed to the nearest supermarket to purchase a blue t-shirt (blue is the Queen's favourite colour -- everyone was wearing one who was cycling) and then headed to the race.

Met some awesome guys on the journey! Thanks for letting me ride with you.

The race was supposed to start at 3, but in true Thai style, we didn't set off until nearer to 4. So, despite waiting over 45 minutes, I'm glad I didn't get there super early beforehand. Before the start of the race, I was trying to look out for Grace who was also doing it, but despite every effort to try and locate her I had no luck. But, I did happen to stumble upon some other Assumption Teachers instead (including one of the brothers!) and decided to join in the queue with them. At around 4pm, we finally headed off. The atmosphere was great, despite cycling at a snail's pace for the first 2km or so due to the sheer amount of people that were participating. It was amazing to cycle in the centre of the city and just see a stream of blue around you and as far as the eye could see. The track started off at Thao Suranaree Monument (YaMo), went past the mall, turned onto Mukmontri which headed towards the Zoo/University, down to the Stadium, back around to the Naval Base, and then crossing over the train tracks to head back to YaMo. About 10-12km in, my legs started to hurt a little and due to the heat, my water bottle had become warm so in my best effort to be as quick as possible and not lose the crowd of people I was following, I stopped at the nearest 7/11 by crossroads and grabbed some water. After I came out, the stream of cyclists were continuing to cycle forward so I just cycled on a followed them. However, about 5 minutes after I left the petrol station, I realised that I had missed an entire section of the track! Instead of cycling straight on like I thought the cyclists were doing, I should have turned right at the junction and made my way to the stadium. That meant I actually missed out around 3-4km of the course...oops. But, if it wasn't for that mishap, I wouldn't have got talking to 2 Thai gents who decided to ride with me until the end of the course as at this point I was cycling alone. Like me, they were both English teachers and spoke impeccable English considering the standard of English I've encountered with the majority of Thais. Before we knew it, we had made it back to YaMo and to my surprise, it really didn't feel like I had just rode 29km. Overall, I'm glad I completed it and it was really cool to be part of something so special.

Made it to the finish! What a great ride!

Tioman Island

After midterms were finished, another short but extended break was upon us. And in usual fashion, I made the decision to get as far away from Korat as I could. For this trip, I decided to go exploring once again with my new favourite person, Ezzy. This time though, we decided to venture to Tioman Island, an island located 32km off the South East coast of the Malaysian peninsular, around a 5 hour journey from Singapore and an island which has been voted one of the most beautiful islands in the world by TIME magazine and The Guardian. Our hotel was called Paya Beach and we stayed in a really cute chalet about 15 seconds from the beach.

Our home for the next 2 nights, Paya Beach Resort & Spa

We booked ourselves on a 3 day 2 night package trip which included our room, all our meals, bus and boat transfers and a 3 hour snorkelling session.  Not to mention this came to just over £100pp - bargain! As the tour left Singapore, I decided to head down there as soon as I could after work finished. However, due to the flight being rescheduled, I had to leave school early so I could catch the flight in time which in turn meant that I arrived into Singapore much earlier than expected. But, being the awesome guy he is, Ezzy decided to meet me at the airport and stay up with me until we caught the bus. After getting the bus at around 6:30 in the morning, we finally arrived at Tioman around 1ish. 

Lounging in the sun.

Although not as paradise-esque as Perhentian (the islands I visited last year), the beach resort was still beautiful, peaceful, and just what I wanted from this four day break. We spent the first day (like practically every other day on the trip) relaxing (and mostly indoors watching movies and drinking Malibu). Despite service being somewhat sloth-like (we have to wait nearly 5 HOURS just to get towels...), the food was great, the room was clean and so close to the beach. The only full day we had on our trip was scheduled with snorkelling in the morning. We  visited two locations on our trip (although the second stop has a lot to be desired). That being said, the first stop (Renggis Island I believe?) was great and swarming with tropical fish. My waterproof case didn't quite live up to expectations so not so many pictures we taken unfortunately. That night was spent sitting on a beach swing covering ourselves from the storm and drinking ice cold Coronas, contemplating that the trip, however short, was going far too quick.

Snorkelling trip!

However, regardless of the things that could have got better, I was really happy that I came to Tioman and even more chuffed that Ezzy was able to come with me and that we could spend some time together. 

After we caught the ferry back from Tioman to the mainland, excitement set in that I was to going back to Singapore. I met this couple from the UK on the way back and the guy was working for a business consultancy out in Singapore. He was also 24 and all I could think about was how lucky he was. Granted, he got into that position due to someone he knew etc. but it really made me think that I've gotta get myself into gear and figure out what's next for me. I want to work out in Singapore SO BAD but I just don't know how to go about it. One thing I unfortunately don't really have on my side are contacts. I don't come from a well-to-do family, or a family that work in this profession where I could potentially get contacts from so sometimes I just feel frustrated that its an uphill climb to get where I want to go.

Anyways, enough of tangential conversations. On the way back to Singapore, I was held up at Immigration (the whole bus was waiting for me) due to the fact that I didn't look like the picture in my passport picture. Okay, I know it was taken eight years ago and I HAVE changed but I didn't think it was THAT much. I was stopped for a good 15/20 minutes, being asked where I was born, where I was going and even what airline I was flying on...at that point I was just getting frustrated that I wasn't back in Singapore and that I couldn't enjoy the little time that was left in my favourite city. But alas, we made it back around 9 at night, freshened up, grabbed some Mexican food and headed out to the bars to catch up with a few of Ezzy's mates (but SOBER this time around...after last time's shenanigans, I swore never to get myself in that state again!); I love going out with those guys because although I don't live there, they make me feel like I'm part of their 'crew' and I'm made to feel very welcome. 

Another late night was over, and running on 5 hours sleep, I made sure to utilise my last day with Ezzy as much as possible. We hung out around the city, grabbed some Indian food, and I splurged on H&M as usual. The thing I hated most of course was saying goodbye to Ezzy and Singapore. But, I'm so thankful I was able to spend 4 days with such an amazing guy and have such a laugh with him.

Ezzuan (and Singapore), see you in November.

Thanks for the good times, Ezz!

When Bangkok got FIZZed

I love reunions so much. Its a great feeling having two of my worlds come together and it makes for some great stories. Plus, I love that feeling of like you've never been apart from someone although it has been so long -- and I feel that especially with my camp friends. After seeing Harriet (Oasis) and Kayley (Nimbus) this year already, it was time for my third Camp Sealth reunion: this time with Anna (Fizz). The last time I saw Anna was at my last summer at Sealth, back in 2012. And although we lived relatively close to each other back in the UK,  our schedules never quite matched up until oddly now, when I'm living 5000 miles away and she's about to embark on a 3 week adventure around South East Asia.

Mak and Fizz reunited in Bangkok.

When Fizz told me that she wanted to meet up in Bangkok, I made sure I had time to go down there, even if it was just for a day trip. I met her at her hotel where, later that night, she would set off with a tour group and explore all around South East Asia. This gave her the perfect opportunity to explore Bangkok for the day, which she wouldn't get opportunity to on the tour, and to reminisce about our amazing summer at Sealth and what she's been up to since then. As much as I don't like being a tourist, especially after living here for almost a year, it was nice to be able to do it with someone but share my experiences with her as if I was a local...a strange feeling really.

Our first port of call, after wandering around aimlessly for 20 minutes until we finally found a place to grab a coffee, was to head to Chatuchak Weekend Market, undoubtedly the most famous outdoor market in the world, and one I have now been to many times. We walked around there for a bit, got lost multiple times, but browsed obscure alleys and corners of the market that I had not seen before (after all, the place is so big that people do offer maps for people to get around). After that, we made our way over to the other side of the city and up the Chaprao river to visit Wat Arun and Wat Pho (the reclining buddha). Once again, my teacher ID got me into Arun for free but I was foiled at Pho...again. Nevertheless, it was cool for Anna to see these things that I had become accustomed to; sometimes I forget how truly unique Thailand's cultural heritage is - there really are some beautiful landmarks around the country. Unfortunately the day was cut short as I had to get back to Korat and Anna had to get back to the hotel. But for the stuff we did do, and the great conversations we had, it was a great day catching up with her -- it had been almost 3 years since we last saw each other and a lot had happened since then.

Anna exploring the wanders of Bangkok before touring the rest of SE Asia!

Anna, I hope you have the most amazing time on your tour around Asia, and keep me posted on your adventures. Seriously, this girl has been so lucky -- I'm very envious on all the places you've been visiting...and Vegas after Asia too! Stay safe. It was great seeing you again.

Swatcats and Surprises

It's really crazy to think that we are already past the half way point this year. So much has happened and many more experiences are to come. Despite STILL not having any assistance, I'm excited to keep growing a rapport with my new kids (entering classes with a massive group hug from your kids can really brighten your day!), also for more fun adventures with my new friends. I'm excited about going to Tioman Island later this month with my boyfriend (yes, you did read that right haha) and perhaps at the top of my list, I'm going to see Taylor Swift in Singapore on November 7th! Seriously cannot wait!!

Looking forward to more adventures with this lot!

As usual, the last few weeks at Assumption haven't been all the eventful. I did go see a really cool band called the Musketeers with Grace, Diana and Marisa and grab dinner with my new mates but in terms of school, the only exciting thing has been receiving a belated birthday gift from the Brother Director and watching a mini football tournament played by my Primary 1-3 classes. To celebrate the teachers who had their birthdays throughout May and June, the school hosted a little party with cake, jelly and punch. In addition, the brothers came and said a few words and then, in very formal style, we were presented with our birthday present...a wall clock. But, not just any wall clock, this clock had our faces all over it with my name (Mr. Mattheuu Christopher) and date of birth. As unexciting as that sounds, and as hilarious as some friends and family saw it (as did I to be honest), it was an incredibly sweet gesture and something I can take back home with me as a momentum from this incredible experience.

Happy Belated Birthday Master Mattheuu!

Now that I've been teaching my little kids for a while now, I'm definitely realizing just HOW different the method of teaching really is. The really unfortunate thing is that they cannot speak a lot of English, which for me poses a big problem when they are asking me questions or worse, when they're crying. (Which breaks my heart when I can't help them out...). But I somehow manage...my way of answering them when they talking to me is "hong nam mai?" which essentially means "toilet?" and if I get a nod or a shake, or them holding their crotch whilst jumping, then that's a pretty good indicator haha. Not that I should have favourites, but Primary 1 are definitely my favourite to teach. Okay, it is more babysitting but out of all the kids I've taught at Assumption, they are the ones that seem the most engaged and well-behaved. Although one of my primary classes will just constantly hug me, want to hold my hand, sit on my lap, or play with my microphone. It's bloody adorable but extremely distracting when I'm trying to teach a class and I've got a kid wrapping themselves around my leg and giggling and they don't understand when I say sit down in both English or Thai. However, the cutest thing I've perhaps seen so far is watching a mini football tournament between my students. Watching 6/7 year olds get really into football whilst the girls are cheering with their mini pom-poms and posters is so adorable. Supervising the kids allowed me to talk with my kids more and get to know them. I really like that I can be a goofball like I was at camp and the kids laugh along but still respect me as an elder and their teacher. It's a great feeling. Of course, not EVERY student of mine is like that, but it's nice to know the majority are.

If only they were this 'peaceful' in class...

On the subject of football, last night I went to my first EVER football match with Grace and Marisa. It was a home match for my local team, Nakhonratchasima FC (or the Swatcats as their more commonly known) and they were playing against the number one team in the premier league, Buriram FC. I was told this would be one of the biggest matches of the season, so at 120 baht a ticket (about £2) I couldn't resist and see what all the hype was about. We went to the Kings Stadium to watch it (I was having flashbacks from the 10km run!) and it was packed! I mean, so packed that we actually had to stand up and watch the match because every seat was sold out. They were even selling tickets from old games as tickets for this game were in such high demand. We estimated the crowd to be in the region of 30-40,000 people and it was quite a sight to see. The whole stadium was filled with orange pride for the Swatcats with a tiny little section for Buriram. I was initially weary of going because of my hatred for the football culture in the UK, but I was pleasantly surprised with the respect and "gentlemanly" manner of the spectators. I mean, they even clapped when Buriram scored. In my opinion, and of course I'm no football expert, but Korat played better in the first half and their disappointing second half resulted in Buriram scoring leaving it to a tie. However, unlike regular football matches, there was no extra time due to the 1-1 score and the game ended rather abruptly. It was pretty anticlimactic. But overall, I'm glad I went to see it and can check that off as another 'first-time' thing I have done in Thailand.

My first football game was good fun!

Just over two weeks now before I head off to Singapore (again...) for our 4 day break. CAN'T WAIT.

New Faces and New Challenges

The last few weeks have been somewhat of a rollercoaster of stress, anxiety, frustration, and excitement. As all of us started to get settled into our routines again, trying to get our heads round our new timetable, covering lessons due to shortages of staff, and getting used to our kids (new and old), it was made clear very quickly that this semester would be totally different from last. Looking back at it, I now see last semester as a 'honeymoon period' of sorts and now is time to get my act together. These past few weeks have been rough in the classroom; with each class I taught, I felt the level of respect was shrinking and the amount of students that were misbehaving, not paying attention, or simply couldn't understand what I was saying was only growing. I was beginning to lose my tether a little which was the first time since being here that this has happened; for me, it had reached the point where I felt I wasn't even teaching my students anymore despite receiving positive feedback from some Thai teachers from the school (which was incredibly humbling).

New Semester. New Start.

However, things started to change last week when more teachers were getting hired at the school which in turn, raised the possibility of being moved to teach Primary aged kids which I was incredibly excited for. I felt that I could make more of a difference with the younger kids in comparison to my Secondary students, where for me, it had kind of reached the point of no return in teaching them; that their English was so poor and their unwillingness to learn was so high, that without any assistance from a Thai teacher, there was no point. Which was really upsetting to think actually. But, after a lot of thinking, I knew in my gut that moving to Primary was the right choice for me, it offered a fresh start and a chance for a new teacher to make their own impact on the Secondary students. So, like I said, things started to turn around and on Friday, I had my first official day as a Primary teacher! It was nerveracking to say the least but I really enjoyed it and although its going to be a massive challenge at times (after all teaching 15 year olds to now 6 year olds is a huge difference), I think I'm going to thrive there and really test my patience and ability as a teacher; this is the career path I've wanted to take for a long time and now I'm on it, I'd be a fool to stop myself before giving every possibility a chance.

"Hash Run" with my favourite girls from Korat.

Despite how stressful these few weeks of change have been, I've also been really fortunate to make some new friends here in Korat! After agreeing to meet Grace at a cafe in Korat, I was introduced to some of her other friends and I really hit it off with them. After a few drinks that night, we all decided to enter the "Hash Run" the following day (June 13th). Now, initially I was pretty excited for the run but when I realised actually what it was (a bunch of guys strolling around a field finding papers and getting drunk), I was suddenly not so thrilled haha. However, I did thoroughly enjoy the 'run' (I use that term very loosely) thanks to good company except for the part where I had to sit on a pile of ice (ass out) for a dare...I saw an 81 year old butt...! I didn't deserve that...

Over the moon to have accomplished this goal...12KM!

So the reason I was looking forward to the prospect of running was because Grace, Enda, (new teacher) Bobby and myself had entered a 10km run the following weekend (June 20th) at the King's Stadium in Korat. What I didn't quite realise until the day of the run was the sheer size of this event! I had been put on with a collaboration from the Princess of Thailand and the International Olympic Committee for an event for "Olympic Day". The day consisted of two events; a 10km run and a 4km walk. However...the run turned out to be more than 12km and we only realised this as we were running. I had never ran that far before nor did I feel like I properly prepared myself for it. At around the 6km mark, I really started to feel like wanting to stop, I was losing all motivation, but I kept going and felt this weird sensation (runners high?) around the 7-9km mark. It was like my brain has gone from saying "I cant do this!" to "You got this!" -- it was an awesome feeling and thanks to it, I finished the race. Best part of it? I didn't stop (depsite the best effort of Thai runners and drivers...)! I finished in a time of just over 75 minutes. To celebrate the run, I joined my new friends Georgia, Marisa, and Diana for dinner and wine at Georgia's house. After a few months of feeling quite isolated in Korat, I am so happy to have found new people who I connect with and who can offer new experiences in Korat whereas before I had felt like they were dried out.

Wine and curry night with amazing peoople.

To top up what has been a eventful couple of weeks, Grace and I joined our Thai friends and headed to Vongchavalitkul University to attend an event that commemorated the 40th anniversary of political and trade relations between Thailand and China. The show consisted of a celebration of both Thai dance and Chinese opera with The most exciting part of the night was a performance called "Changing Face". Also known as Bian Lian, and particularly performed as part of the Sichuan Opera, the performance consists of someone wearing these brightly-coloured, traditional Chinese costumes and these vivid face masks which are meant to depict different characters. Then with a swipe of a fan, waving of the hand or the turning of the head, the mask on the face will change immediately. It was fascinating to watch and a great way to experience side to the huge varieties of cultures that are imbedded within South East Asia.

"Changing Face"

Ubon and The 'Grand Canyon of Siam'

Barely a week after we returned to school from our summer holidays, we were lucky enough to have a long weekend off and a chance to explore another part of Thailand. Whilst most of my colleagues decided to rest in Korat, I travelled east and visited Ubon Ratchathani to see my friend Tae. Ubon is one of the four main cities of the Isaan province (with Korat also being one). Before now, Korat was the furthest east I had travelled, so I was excited to see yet another side to Thailand.

My first time heading East.

Although I now regret not leaving on Saturday, I had to utilise the 24 hours I had to explore so I decided to take the train to Ubon as it was the quickest way to get there. I'd heard such negative reviews of the railway system in Thailand with the trains NEVER leaving on time (no exception with me unfortunately) and the conditions of the trains being dire (however, that wasn't the case with my train). The journey was supposed to take around four hours, but with delays it was closer to five; still two hours faster than if I was to take the bus so I couldn't complain too much.

Tae picked me up from the station and took me back to his house to freshen up. I was introduced to his Father, Sister, petrified cat, and overprotective, farang-hating (not really..) dogs; they were pretty intimidating and with past experience of vicious dogs, I was in no mood to stay outside with them very long haha. Our first stop on the trip was to visit one of Ubon's biggest temples, the Maha Wanaram Temple (Wat Pa Yai). The reason why we had this three day weekend was because of Visakha Puja Day (aka Buddha Day/Buddha's Birthday), which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Gautama Buddha (which happened all in one day I might add), so it was imperative that I go visit a temple on this weekend and pay respect. The temple itself wasn't as extravagant as other temple's I had seen in Thailand, but it was already being visited by so many people who would light two candles, put a wreath of flowers in water, and light two incenses all as part of Buddhist tradition to pay their respects.

Temple at Central Park. Ubon Ratchathani.

After that, we visited some other landmarks in the city which included Central Park (Thung Si Muang), and Supat Temple where we also fed some fish on the Moon river (yes, that's actually its name). I enjoyed Ubon because it seemed less crowded than Korat but still was surrounded by traditional Thai charm. It was so nice having Tae be my personal Tour guide as he was able to explain the history behind all the different landmarks we visited and clarify the reasonings behind Buddhist practices which I've sometimes found hard to wrap my head around. (Thanks man!)

Exploring Sam Phan Bok.

The next day started with an early rise and a 2 hour trip towards the Laotian border to a place called Sam Phan Bok (which translates to English as '3000 holes'). This place has been labelled in some travel blogs as the 'Grand Canyon of Siam' and truly is a hidden wonder. Formed because of water erosion, thanks to the Mekong River (home of the famous mythical creature, the Naga), the place is full of holes within the rocks forming a really cool and interesting landscape. We arrived there around 8am and it was already scorching hot. I had heard that going there around sunset is stunning, but due to time restraints, my friend, his family and I decided to roam the deserted scenery before the touristy rush came. Like I just mentioned, the Mekong River that runs through Sam Phan Bok is believed to be home to a mythical serpent-like creative called the Naga (pronounced Nah-gah). When I have visited temples in the past, I had seen statues of this creature that sometimes possessed 5 or 6 heads. But this creature is only known to have one and is thought to have been spotted on numerous occasions in this river (by unconfirmed sources) and acts as a guardian over the river and the Thai and Laotian people (as this river was very close to Laos). I had looked at some pics before on Google Images but couldn't quite capture the beauty of the place myself on my iPhone camera. Nonetheless, it was really cool to visit and I will most definitely visit again.

Exploring what Ubon Ratchathani has to offer. Thanks for showing me around, guys!

Before we headed back, we made one more to stop to another temple called Tham Khuha Sawan Temple which was a beautiful white temple that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. What was great about was the scenery that surrounded it; we were miles from the Laotian border and Mekong River again and the views were lovely. As we made our way to the station to send me off, we saw where the two main rivers in that region, the Mun and Mekong, met. It was known as the 'Two Colour River' due to you actually being able to map out where the two rivers actually met.

For me, this was the first real time I had felt I had been able to more a more rural side to Thailand; before its just been cities or beaches mostly. It was just a shame that I was only there for just over 24 hours. But big thanks to Tae and his family for hosting me! I had a wonderful time and will most definitely be back, with my film camera in hand so I can take some really great shots of the beautiful landscape in and around Ubon.

Travelling with Ezz

After what was a bittersweet trip home, I decided to delay my return to Korat with another short vacation to Singapore (trip number 3!) and Bangkok. My friend from Singapore, Ezzy (pronounced Easy), was kind enough to let me stay with him in Singapore and show me around the city. In addition, he also agreed to follow me back to Bangkok, where I would show him the sights.

Reunited with my favourite Fun-sized Singaporean.

Last time I saw Ezzy, I was out partying with him and a bunch of his friends so I was excited to hang out with him sober and explore the city together. When I landed into Singapore, as much as I was pleased to be in warmer climates, I was also greeted with rain, and lots of it.

The first day I arrived, I was greeted by Ezzy downtown where he helped lug all my stuff back to his house in the north of the city; carrying 30kgs of luggage on the Singapore MRT where my suitcase has a broken wheel and the carriages are pretty full wasn't the most exciting of experiences. But after that, I was introduced to his family, presented them with some welsh souvenirs and treats as a thank you and made myself at home. As it was STILL raining and Ezzy had just come off from a night shift, we spent the majority of that afternoon catching up with sleep and relaxing. The day was topped off visiting a really cool Mexican joint called Muchachos (https://www.muchachos.sg) where we scoffed our face on delicious burritos, drank Mexi-coke (you know, coke imported from Mexico which is known as the best tasting coke in the world because they use cane sugar instead of corn syrup to sweeten the drink.) and then made our way to a Sky Bar at the Gardens by the Bay, drank wine, and admired the amazing view of the city.

Chilling at a Skybar overlooking the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

Although we did plan a whole itinerary on the preface that the weather would be nice, we were wrong. The next day (and the remaining days of my trip actually) saw rainy skies so we decided to alter oour itinerary to 'indoor' activities. I guess looking at it positively though, this just gave me more time to get over my jetlag, chill out, eat some delicious food (like cocunut red velvet cake!) and check some some cute hipster cafes in the city. The second day of my trip saw Ezzy and I check out the National Museum of Singapore, but not before we had late lunch at Little India. From going there the previous trip with Grace, I knew I had to go back this time as it was probably the only decent Indian food (apart from yours of course Archna!) that I'd be getting for a few months. What was crazy is that the guy whose food stall I went to last time actually remember me! I think he actually thought I lived in Singapore and was in hiding or something. But, it was great to see him again and if you are ever in Singapore, you should really check out his stall (Pakir Mohd Delights) and Little India in general! From Little India, we made our way over to the Museum, where they had one really cool exhibit in particular on the life of Lee Kuan Yew. Lee was Singapore's first Prime Minister after independence from the British in 1955. According to Wikipedia (...), Lee is recognised as the 'founding father of Singapore' with the country being described as transitioning from a third world country to a first in a single generation thanks to his leadership. The ex-Prime Minister actually passed away just days after I left Singapore previously, and it was really amazing to see just how much his life (and death) impacted not just the Singaporean people, but people from all over the world.

I LOVE THIS CITY.

In addition the checking out the sights of Singapore, in true hipster style, Ezzy wanted to show me some of the hidden gems (i.e. hipster cafes) of Singapore. One that stuck out in particular was a cafe called 'Artistry' located near Arab Street where I had THE most amazing coconut red velvet cake (which really tasted as good as it sounds). After meeting his friend at the cafe, we all decided to go watch Pitch Perfect 2 (which if you haven't seen, go watch it!) which I'm glad I did because it is not even showing in Korat, let alone a Thai-dubbed version. For the majority of the rest of the trip, Ezzy had to work so I met up with Ais who was travelling solo around Singapore and we visited the Botanical Gardens and Chinatown together. The last night in Singapore, Ais and I met up once again to get our last fix of Mexican food in Singapore and walked around the Marina Bay to witness the gorgeous views of the Singaporean skyline at night. I really hate leaving that city.

Luckily for me, my return to Korat was delayed even further due to Ezzy agreeing to follow me back to Thailand and enjoy a 4 day break in Bangkok. This time, it was my turn to be tour guide (how ironic...) and show him around the city. For the first day, I did the same itinerary as I did with Harriet, plus a few extra hipster cafes thrown in there that Ezz had discovered on a website. The first day, Ezz and I explored Wat Arun (still under construction but just as beautiful) and Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha). That night, we explored the first of a few cafes we checked out in Bangkok. After You, a really cute desert cafe at Siam Square One hosted this delicious Double Chocolate and Nut soft baked Cookie (although we asked for Peanut Butter). Next door was a Hello Kitty Cafe! It was so cool; literally everything in there was pink and covered in Hello Kitty merch. (I didn't get time to actually go in there but next time I most definitely will!). 

Beautiful Architecture at the Grand Palace

The last full day in Bangkok was spent at the Grand Palace. Initially I thought 500B entry was a little pricey, but upon entering I realised it was totally worth it. Every temple was exquisite and the architecture and detail that went into it was breathtaking. I ended up using a whole roll of film whilst walking around there and it was fun to just stroll around with my dad's chunky camera and 90s camera strap, I don't think I could have has looked more touristy if I tried. What I didn't realise though with the ticket is that you get entry in 3 establishments of the 'Grand Palace' but it was so hot and crowded, we were just focused on seeing what we could and getting out of there to grab some lunch. 

The Grand Palace was amazing. Definitely worth a visit!

For dinner, we decided to try and find somewhere that did some authentic Thai street food; that was a little harder than you would think because I usually venture to Bangkok to NOT eat Thai food. But, after a little bit of research, we headed to Sukhumvit Soi 38 and ate at a little food stall tucked away in an alley that boasts to have the best Pad Thai in Bangkok (its even won awards for it). The place was called "Pad Thai Fire Look" where this old guy cooks his famous dish which is rich in flavours. At 70 baht, it was a little pricey in my opinion for Pad Thai but it was still good. (Not as good as Street Food Lady's though...the street food vendor near my room in Korat for those of you wondering).

Our last night in Bangkok was spent chilling in a swanky hotel, eating Burger King at 2 in the morning on our bed and relaxing and watching cartoons...like dorks. It was great fun and such a chill way to end our trip. On Thursday, Ezzy went home to Singapore whilst I travelled back to Korat. Funnily enough, Ezzy made it back to Singapore before I made it to Korat...haha

Ezzy: A great travel buddy.

But if you're reading this, I just want to thank you for being the most amazing travel buddy for this trip; I had a blast both in Singapore and Bangkok and can't wait to see you hopefully at the end of July! For now though, its back to the grind of school. I was told by a Tarot reader funnily enough that change will come in my work and that it will be difficult. Well, having 25 periods a week (up from 18) and one day with 7 periods out of 8 is definitely a sign that this semester is going to be a challenge! I'm not teaching Primary as originally planned, but hopefully if they can find replacements, then I should be moved by the end of June. Keeping everything crossed!