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!

Home Sweet Home

I'd been waiting for this moment for quite some time. After a few stressful weeks at work, I was ready to escape Korat and head back to colder shores.

I decided to come back to the UK early last month, and thought it would be cool to surprise my sisters and it did come as quite a spontaneous decision. After celebrating my 24th birthday in Bangkok, I left for London the following morning and finally made it home early afternoon on the 4th. The sisters arrived to my house with overwhelmed shock; oh my god and the f word was mentioned but it was through sheer delight that I'd surprised them. It was a wonderful reunion and a much needed one. It was nice to come back to an environment where I was understood, I didn't have to try and be someone else or be over-mindful of what I was saying in fear/paranoia that someone would perceive it as bitchy/malicious. It was a much needed break and a chance to reunite with old friends and see what they'd been getting up to over the past 6 months. Coming home meant gift giving (which I think the family were more excited about...haha), and eating British food like my first Fish and Chips in 6 months and it didn't disappoint!

Reuniting with two of my closest friends, Sophoe and Gaby, was such a treat. Now BOTH engaged, I was so excited to hear about their wedding preparations and how life had been treating them. We reminisced, vented and laughed over Mexican food (my go-to cuisine now it seems) and it just made me so happy to catch up but sad that I would not be there to attend Gaby's wedding (which is the end of next month). (If you're reading this Gab, feel free to still send me over an invitation...haha)

In addition to reuniting with friends, I made sure to stop by as many family member's houses as possible, and check in with them after 6 months. Coming home made me realize what overwhelming support I have from all members of my family and regardless of what I've ache iced or what kid takes I've made, they've always and will always stand by me. (As families should do).

The break consisted of not much else; except buying clothes at Primark and then returning most of those clothes days later due to being more aware of how expensive things are (yes, even Primark seems expensive to me now...). Apart from that, it really was nice to just sit and do nothing for a whole week...apart from put weight on from eating lots of food and becoming paler by the hour due to the lack of sun that was there. I had not worn so many clothes in 6 months and felt so cold all the time that I felt it necessary to parade around the house in a onesie and thick socks. As much as I loved being home, I was ready to return to warmer climates. And now after 9 days, I'm now sitting in Abu Dhabi airport waiting for my connecting flight to Singapore, where I'll be spending the next 5 days with my new best friend, Ezzy. And then back to Bangkok on Monday.

Diolch Cymru! for a great week. I'll see you next year! For now, it's back to Asia for more adventures!

Super Soaked at Songkran (สงกรานต์)

For us (as in Westerners), December 31st is the date that marks the end of one year and the beginning of the next by getting completely hammered and forgetting all the crappy things that happened to us over the past 12 months. For Thais however, they have a much more traditional and beautiful outlook on the end of the year. Known as Songkran, which derives from the Sanskrit word for "Astrological Passage", this three day celebration rings in the new year and is celebrated with mass street parties, food, music, and LOTS OF WATER.

All ready for Songkran!

Held between the 13th and 15th of April each year, Songkran sees Thailand come to stand still. Everyone heads back to their home provinces (as if it was a Thai Thanksgiving of sorts) to be with their families and will party, feast, and enjoy festivities for the following 72 hours. This is perhaps my favourite holiday I have witnessed so far whilst in Thailand; not just because I got to celebrate it with my best friend Harriet, but because it was the one holiday that I have truly felt special to be part of something so uniquely Thai.

After coming back from Chiang Mai, which I have learnt is the place to be for Songkran, Harriet and I headed back to my home sweet home of Korat to see in the New Year. What was nice about staying home for it is that I got to bow in and out of it as much as I wanted, I was familiar with the surroundings, and I got to see other friends and my students throughout the celebrations! A massive plus for me is that Korat is not really tourist central...far from it in fact, so it was really nice seeing a true Thai celebration being celebrated by Thais!...not just by a bunch of drunk westerners running around with water guns acting like its some sort of mass battle...

Celebrating Day One of Songkran with First and Harriet.

Oh yes, the WATER. The most important part of the festival. The water (ice cold at times!) is thrown over you to represent a cleansing of all the bad things that had happened to you and to wash away all of the sins you committed in the past year and to start afresh. In addition, many people would come up to you and put (ok, more like caress) powder onto your face, which I believe stems from chalk that is used by Monks when they bless people. It was a very surreal and exciting experience. Strangers in floral Hawaiian shirts (how ironic) would constantly come up to me and throw water, rub powder on me, and wish my Happy Songkran; it in no way felt invasive or callous - I really felt welcomed to the celebration which I really had no idea about. The first day was spent with my friend, who's appropriately named First! We hung out near his Grandmother's restaurant and threw buckets of ice cold water at passers by, drank lots of free beer, and danced in the street. Korat has shut off a massive section of its downtown area, and although cars and bikes still passed through, pedestrians swarmed the area and made a 5 minute journey into about a half hour/hours trip. Due to Harriet and I being exhausted from our trip, we decided to bow out early that day and take a break for the rest of the night.

Korat came to a standstill to celebrate this giant water festival!

On the second day, I decided to venture out mid afternoon with Grace to what was utter choas in Yamo; The usually empty had been transformed into a giant pool full with water shooting from practically every direction thanks to a massive party that was being hosted by Pepsi. Grace and I got into the full swing of things -- jumping into the pool and dancing to trashy EDM. On the way home, Grace and I were yet again bombarded by Thais who were just in awe of the fact that white people were walking past their homes, I was offered multiple glasses of whisky, and (as always) asked to be in photos upon photos. As tiring as those two days were, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

"I'm soaked!" doesn't come close...

The last day of Songkran was spent going back to Bangkok to take Harriet to the Airport. But, I am thankful for that as I don't think I could have handled Bangkok Songkran as all I wanted to do was eat Mexican food and sleep haha.

As I FINALLY finish off this post, Summer School is now finally coming to a close and that means I finally get to enjoy what is left of my summer break. The last week has been spent preparing exams for the children, a field trip to the zoo with all my students (super fun!) and preparing for the last day of school this coming Friday where Grace and I have been "chosen" to sing John Denver's "Country Roads"...yikes.
But more importantly, I'll be turning 24 this Sunday (May 3) so I'm really excited as the prospect of ringing in my birthday in Bangkok with some friends! Fingers crossed I will have some money to do so as my trip with Harriet left me completely skint! Haha. So here's to the next few weeks of adventures, travels, and celebrations. I (promise I) will keep y'all posted.

 

When Harry Met...Thailand

Apologies for the length of this post - we did do a ton of things on this trip! But, due to my memory being atrocious (and okay, just being lazy too I guess), this is all I could come up with.

My Ride or Die Girl.

Since booking her flights in December, I have been waiting anxiously for the day to come where my best friend, Harriet, would come to visit me in Thailand for a fortnight. After spending the first 36 hours in Bangkok allowing Harry to adjust to the time difference (which essentially involved her sleeping in for most of the day or watching X-Men reruns whilst I ventured out constantly and got her food, drink, or any medication she needed...), we heading to our first stop; Koh Phangan.

Harry had decided to treat us whilst on this first leg of the trip and booked us into a 5 star hotel on the North East side of the island, away from all the "Full Moon" craziness. This hotel, called the Salad Buri Resort and Spa, was in a stunning location and boasted its own private beach. When we arrived there that evening, we were treated to a sunset view from our room balcony and it was just beautiful; the sky was splashed with beautiful warm pastel colours with the sun just peaking over the hillside that surrounded the resort; I knew this was going to be the best that it got accommodation wise, so Harriet and I just soaked it all in for all its worth.

The stunning view from our hotel room in Koh Phangan.

We spent practically the entirety of the next day lounging by the pool and overlooking the private beach. I must have moved about 3 or 4 times the entire day, and in the naive state I was in, thought I would be fine lathering myself in SPF 30...I was wrong; I really should have learnt from when I was in Malaysia last summer but alas, the actual consequences of my actions didn't hit me until later that day, when my legs, face, and head turned more red as the night fell. Unfortunately, our paradisaical trip turned a little sour after that night. Harriet and I went to dinner at this burger joint not too far from our hotel. We both agreed that the food was delicious but just a few hours after, Harriet's stomach decided it had changed its mind. And then the night from hell ensued where we were cleaning up puke, on a tiled floor, at midnight, in a five star hotel...I will spare you from the rest of the details to avoid images in your head. But yeah...not the best of starts to our trip, but it was safe to say that Harry would definitely play safe with food from now on.

After our short trip to Phangan, we then made the long-ass trip over to Phuket, where we would stay for a further 2 nights. Our first full day there consisted of taking a tour over to Koh Phi Phi where I thought we would get the opportunity to explore Maya Bay which, apart from seeing me, had been the main reason of Harriet coming over to Thailand. Unfortunately (well, actually more bittersweet-ly), we just ended up going straight to Phi Phi and spending 3 or 4 hours there. But, we were definitely not disappointed; Phi Phi was mesmorising. It was like something out of a dream; the white sands, the crystal blue waters - it was just so relaxing and really gave Harriet and I time to not have to think about...anything really.

The gorgeous Phi Phi Islands.

We flew back to Bangkok the following night, and decided to use the filler day to explore the temples. Unfortunately, with our sunburns and exhaustion from our constant travelling, the heat got the best of us and we ended up touring the temples for a couple of hours and then heading back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the day. Looking back on it now, I think that was beneficial because the following day we heading out to Chiang Mai. Out of all the places on the itinerary, I was most looking forward to Chiang Mai; I had heard great things about it from friends and I was excited to get my first glimpse of the Thai New Year festivites, known as Song Kran (will talk about that in another blog post.)

Chiang Mai was just as beautiful as I expected. There was more of a calmer vibe there compared to other places I had visited in Thailand, especially on this trip. The city was nestled with cute coffee shops and restaurants and accompanied by stunning temples that were dotted around the city. We spent our only full day there exploring some of these beautiful temples and at the same time, trying to avoid other obnoxious Westerners throwing water at us...(even though Songkran officially started the following Monday). Unfortunately we didn't get to see what is renowned as the best temple in Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep, but I will save that for next time. The temples we did see, however, were just as beautiful. Our evenings though were filled with exploring the Night Bazaar and being astonished with my lack of will power in not buying everything I saw. I bought tons of gifts for my family and a water gun ready for Songkran (without really thinking HOW I was going to get it back on the plane.)

Chiang Mai was just beautiful.

What I loved about this trip with Harriet, is that all the places we went to was experienced for the first time for both of us. It was tiring to travel to so many places but an amazing experience none of the less. Additionally, it was cool for Harriet to get a glimpse of what Thailand has to offer - which is SO much more than just the beaches. After Chiang Mai, we took the long trip back to Korat and celebrated Songkran. But I'll talk about that later.

Thanks Harriet for an amazing trip! It was so good to see you and I had the best time! Hope to see you when I'm back home in the UK...whenever that may be...

I Want More of Singapore

Slacking with the efficiency of writing these blog posts, but after a crazy couple weeks of settling into summer school (oh, I'm teaching MATHS by the way - but more about that later), it is finally time to tell about my amazing trip to Singapore.

After being torn, I had decided to spend the second half of my ten day break travelling Singapore. I had already been once before with the ex last summer but this time I wanted to venture a little bit on my own; Grace and her family would also be there so it offered the perfect opportunity to have some fun with her and not get too bored of my own company roaming around the city alone. 

The hostel I stayed at was called "Quarters Hostel" located in the heart of the central business district. For such a reasonably cheap hostel, it really did provide an amazing location and was super easy to get to from the airport and close enough to all the major attractions the city had to offer. What I was blown away by the hostel more than any other one I had stayed in before was their genuine friendliness. One of the workers, Zech, was incredibly friendly and made me feel so welcome without being over the top or making me feel like their fried lines was forced or fake. The room was windowless and small, but going by how often I would spend in the room, it really didn't phase me. Judging by the hostel being less than a year old, it had really seemed to established itself and one of the best in the city. Ok, enough of my hostelworld.com-esque review here...

Hostel Selfie

The first day was actually pretty boring. Unfortunately, the weather didn't treat me too well, and without an umbrella or rain jacket, I didn't really venture outside very much. I ended up finding cover from the rain in this really swanky mall which I felt so out of place in...walking around it dressed in "Primarni" and looking like a drowned rat wasn't really the clientele they usually had there. It was just swarmed with boutiques from the top designers...forget your TopMan and H&Ms, if you weren't living the high life, I wouldn't even go in there haha.

That evening Grace had arrived and that meant that Universal was upon us. I met her and her family at the park in the morning and the day was spent catching up and getting on as many rides as we could. Again the biggest attraction was closed (it was the same back in June) so that was a bit of a disappointment but nonetheless, a great day was had!

That night, I decided I wanted to explore parts of Singapore I had yet to go to. For dinner, we all went to Little India and stumbled upon this amazing little food court sampling dishes from India, Pakistan and Singapore's neighbors. Upon entering, I was swooned by this Pakistani guy who offered me free food and convinced me to eat at his place and he had "the best Indian food in Singapore". When ordering food, I got talking to this guy who was almost in awe of the fact that I was British and I was eating HERE (which is suprising because I thought there were a ton of Brits in Singapore...) but we got talking and he was telling me that he was doing a project on Queen Victoria to which the food stall owner chipped in and said that his great grandfather was bestowed a colonial building in his hometown in northern Pakistan by Queen Victoria back in the early 1920s. It was just a fascinating conversation accompanying by AMAZING indian food. (Apart from Archna's cooking) It made me realize how much I miss Indian food - Thailand just doesn't seem to be in that Bandwagon as much as the UK is, unfortunately.

Grace and I at Universal Studios!

After hanging out with Grace's family, I decided to be a little spontaneous and heading out to the check out the "gay scene" in the city. It was a lot more low-key than Bangkok (which was to be expected) and the drinks were about 5x more expensive (again, something I expected). After REALLY enjoying my S$18 Long Island Iced Tea (which hit me way too hard), I decided to head back to the hostel and pursue more of it the next night.

Gardens by the Bay (and Marina Bay Sands in the background)

After checking out the gardens by the bay the next morning, and getting lost around the malls of Singapore, I again met up with Grace and her parents took us up to the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel (you know...the one with the giant boat on the top of it?). The views were spectacular and just made me fall in love with Singapore even more. Later on that night, I went back to the gay district with a full stomach and my "good tolerance" in tow. I met these group of guys and decided to hang out with them for the night. They were all around my age, all good looking, and considering how conversative Singapore is, it was really admiring how open and comfortable they all were with each other (it just made me wish I had a friend circle like that). We decided to hit up a bar which was open for just that weekend as it had been shut down the year before. Despite the $30 cover leaving a sour taste in my mouth, the free Malibu and Coke I got with that certainly bought the sweetness back. Accompanied by hot guys...EVERYWHERE. It was like every gay guy between the age of 20-30 from Singapore had entered this club. Although the scene was somewhat secretive, it was great nonetheless and nice to "let my hair down". 

The longer I was spending in Singapore, the more and more I was falling in love with the city. I had been once before but it really cemented to me how much I had been missing the westernized feeling and culture that Singapore and other western cities had. More recently, I've been having a growing passion of wanting to teach there, but never thought "teaching English" would offer much opportunities as English is their first language. But the more I spoke with some locals, and the more research I've been doing, it does actually seem like a possibility! Maybe Singapore could be my next destination to teach..!

Light Show by the Marina.

Coming back to Korat this time was the first time I felt some sort of "holiday blues". The start of summer school had quickly come around and for the next 5 weeks, I will be teaching Maths to years 4-6; VERY different to what I have done before but I'm excited for the opportunity and more experience to put under my belt. 

We were told before the summer semester started that it would be more laid back than regular school. Although after two weeks of teaching, I've actually felt it's been way more intense; planning lessons, writing exams, and teaching younger kids have all been quite a challenge. I'm glad that Harriet coming to Bangkok this week will provide some much needed R&R. Until then, I'll be mourning not being in Singapore anymore...take me back?!

The Elephant Temple

Today marks the final day of the semester at Assumption. Back in October, I would have deemed this as my last day here. It's crazy to think how quick my time here has gone already. I am glad to be staying not just to continue teaching at Assumption, but to be able to have the opportunity to explore this beautiful country and learn about its culture more! The last two weekends have marked the FIRST time I have visited Temples in Thailand; After visiting two in Bangkok, I went to visit one closer to my home last weekend.

With the arrival of Grace's parents, we all decided to spend our Sunday 'temple hopping', although this just turned into visiting one temple. But what a temple it was! Wat Ban Rai is located in the district of Dan Khun Thot, around 40 miles west of Korat. The most eye catching attraction, known as the 'Elephant Temple' (due to the ginormous elephant head that sits on top of it), dominated the landscape, which was filled with vast arid land and multiple houses on stilts.

The entrance to the temple, guarded by very creepy Dragon/Snake hybrids.

Upon research, I found out that the elephant sculpture is that of Airavata, a mythological creature that carries the Hindu god Indra. I had seen pictures on the internet before coming as a previous trip to it was cancelled, but upon arrival, I realised that the pictures did not do it justice. It was spectacular. Although not the actual temple, the Elephant building which was in the middle of a lake and was only completed in 2011. Instead of what I would traditionally imagine to be inside a temple, I was greeted to a really cool museum which was filled with beautiful pastel artwork, mosaic sculptures and information of the Buddhist culture and quotes.

#HipsterShot

We all eventually made our way up to the top of the temple, and was able to see right across the entire landscape. As well as acting as a viewing point, there was also a giant golden Monk (who I'd later find out to be Luang Phor Khoon Parisuttho (Luang Pho Koon), one of Thailand's most famous Monks) where you would pray and ask for your wishes to come true. I was told that this Monk is highly respected around Nakhonratchasima and that many people come to visit the statue as well as the Monk himself.

Golden Statue of Luang Pho Koon

The next stop was for us to see Luang Pho Koon in the flesh. We made our way over to the traditional Wat Ban Rai temple, and we directed to the centre of the room, where well over a hundred people were waiting to see this Monk. When I was knelt there praying, I just figured it was an ordinary Monk that people had come to pay their respects to. I didn't quite realise the status of him. Well into his 90s now, over his time as a monk, he has raised over 2 million baht to support the construction of the Elephant temple as well as raising millions of Baht to help build schools, hospitals and other temples throughout Thailand. It is quoted that his determination behind building the temple was that he would do it "for the people who give me food and water everyday."
When he was younger, he would individually bless all people that would come and see him, but now in his frail state, he sits behind a glass wall with the assistance of doctors and people will walk past the glass and present offerings, pray, and (because we all know how much Thai's love to do it) take photos/selfies. It was quite weird to see him as something for show; I saw it as somewhat dehumanising but at the sametime, being part of the stampede of people that went towards to the glass wall just to catch a glimpse of him, I came to realise what a big deal he was and how respected he is not just within the community of the Nakhonratchasima province, but throughout Thailand.

View from the top of the Elephant temple

And thus, another beautiful attraction I can tick off my list. I really must utilise my time off more and really see what Thailand has to offer. (There's me saying that when I'm going to SINGAPORE next week...haha)

Celebrations of Asia

This semester is (very) quickly drawing to a close but even with all the hectic-ness of planning my upcoming trip with Harriet in April, and getting exams/marks sorted for my students, that hasn't stopped me, or the school for that matter, from having time to fit in some more celebrations and expose me to the many dimensions of Asian culture. Firstly, a few of us ventured once again to the Church of the Blessing in Korat to greet some friends of the church from Seoul, Korea and watch them perform some songs, dances, and a play about the story of Isaac. Although I'm not the religious type, it was a nice environment to spend the night and a welcome opportunity to meet new people. One person I met in particular was a guy named Allen, who was from Seoul and had come with his church to speak the word of God and perform around various schools in the city. I was blown away by his friendliness and his genuine interest in introducing himself and wanting to get to know me. (Plus he knew where Wales was and had heard of Cardiff Bay so that straight away was an icebreaker). You might be wondering why I was so shocked, but without sounding stereotypical (although this totally sounds stereotypical), many people I have met over here haven't been so confident in introducing themselves, and this is almost certainly down to their lack of confidence in their English speaking skills (remember I said that hardly anyone in Korat speaks conversational English?). Regardless of this, it was really nice to meet him and makes me realise how lucky I am to meet such amazing people from all over the world.

That weekend, I met up with my friend and went to a Molam concert. Molam is a Thai peformance group whose music is inspired by and celebrates the instruments and musical culture of the Isaan province (the province which I live in -- the biggest in Thailand). When I was first asked to go to this, I just imagine it to be like a regular gig...a couple of hours in the late evening of a Saturday night...how wrong I was. We didn't actually show up at the gig until midnight which was practically in the middle of nowhere (around 40kms outside of Korat) and didn't leave until gone 6am. We spent all night drinking and dancing to this really cool music. Donning perhaps the sparkliest outfits I have ever seen, the group performed a string of songs which all seemed to connect to some story they were acting out (or so I thought...this all was completely delivered in Thai remember...) and everytime the group broke out in song, everyone would be on their feet and dancing. Furthermore, this one group performed the WHOLE night, and were still going strong when I left at 6am. God knows how long they were on until!

The following week welcomed the next big holiday in the Thai calendar, which was (ironically enough) Chinese New Year. At Assumption, the school was decked out with Chinese lanterns, banners, and all the staff were wearing red as a mark of respect (and good luck!). The Brother Director presented each staff with a HongBao (紅包), a red envelope containing money (560 baht!). The envelope is red to bring good luck and to ward off bad spirits. Also I found out that the amount of money you receive has to end with an even digit to again bring good luck (and you give money ending in an odd digit at funerals...).  The Chinese teachers and interns of Assumption also put on several performances showcasing traditional Chinese song and dance, as well as some modern Chinese pop dancing.

In Korat itself, the city put on a three-day celebration; All the townspeople gathered at Yamo monument to celebrate the turn of the new year. Decked out with stalls, Chinese lanterns, glowing dragons and the like, the place became almost unrecognisable. I wandered around alone on the first night but it wasn't until the actual day of Chinese New Year that festivities really got into full swing. For dinner that evening, a group of the foreign teachers went to Korat's only 5* hotel, Sima Thani, for what was an awesome buffet. Considering it was just over 300 baht for the all-you-can-eat buffet which sampled both western and asian dishes, it was well worth the money and happily sent my body into a food coma. Following that, we all ventured to Yamo to see the main event. When we arrived, we were greeted by two large glowing dragons scaling two (maybe) 50ft poles. It was quite the spectacle and marked the pinnacle of the celebrations. As this year is my Chinese New Year (The year of the Goat), it was imperative (apparently) that I was to wear red on this day. In Chinese culture, your year actually is a sign of bad luck, not good luck as I originally thought. And heck, after quite a crappy year last year, I didn't want to take any chances!

(Photo Credit: Natalie Yau)

Let's hope this next year does bring me good luck and fortune! 恭禧发财