Slow Boat and Luang Prabang, Laos

It has been a long 9 days since our course ended in Chiang Mai. On Wednesday morning Leighton and I piled into a van and started the 6 hour drive to the Laos border on the mighty Mekhong River. It was long and hot but we stopped at some fun little places along the way. At the border we had arranged accomodation overnight and rides to the border and the boat for the morning. We waited...

In the morning we had a light breakfast and got underway... Laos! The first time either of us had ever crossed a border by "land"... it was actually by boat over the river. Close enough though as we weren't at 30,000 feet! It was excting for me especially because it was my first communist country as well. The Laos flag flies proudly next to the hammer and sickle. Very cool.

Once we cleared immigration and regrouped we were told to wait some more as the boat wasn't leaving at 10:30 as planned but at noon instead. We found our boat after the issued our tickets and we grabbed some lunch and found a couple of seats, along with a girl called Emily from London we met while waiting to get our visas. Suddenly everyone had to switch to a bigger boat and we all grabbed our things and ran to the next one... nabbing a row of 3 very comfy seats that looked like they had been harvested from a minivan somewhere. They were much better than the itty bitty wooden benches we had on the first boat. We settled back and the boat pulled away... down the river to our next adventure.

Pak Beng! Be warned, fellow adventurers, they know you'll pay whatever they ask! It's overpriced and they'll take advantage of your stupidity on exchange rates and hotel prices. We found a nice little place up the hill to the left called Mounmee (I think) for a very reasonable price. He has two locations in town, but we had the quieter one and managed to get the price lowered even further after we promised to eat dinner at his place. That night was quiet, but fun.

We wandered down to the main street and tried to find "the only bar in town" which ended up being so far away we joked that the "buffalo" we kept seeing on menus was actually foreigners stupid enough to try to find the bar! We weren't quite right... however if you're looking for illicit drugs simply walk down the street and many friendly men will offer them to you. Be warned... jail awaits if you get caught. On the bright side, after the first 40 or so years you'd likely be very good at Laos!

We ended up falling in with some Argentinians and a Chilean we knew from the boat. They were all very friendly and loved my terrible attempts at Spanish. Leighton found it particularly funny when Enrique, the Chilean from Valpraiso, corrected me with every word. After a beer we headed back to the Mounmee and crashed out. In the morning we had breakfast and ordered some sandwiches for the long boat ride (9 hours to LPB), then we headed for the boat. We didn't get the comfy seats this time, but that was just some karma for the people who sat on the floor the day before. We found some benches (bigger than the previous boat's) and settled in. It was pretty cold on the river from the storm that blew through the night before, and we spent a lot of the day bundled and on the floor to avoid the wind. Eventually, as the sun set to our left we found the banks of Luang Prabang and our final desitination for the Mekhong... for now.

LPB, as it's known, is such a lovely little town. It's fairly touristy with its broad bricked sidewalks and numerous French bistros, coffee shops, and endless street markets. The whole experience here has been one of calm and comfort- the town has laws against honking your horn. The monks are everywhere and they are very friendly. The local people are smiley and kind; I've yet to feel ripped off and have spent the last 2 days just strolling around enjoying the smells and sights.

Today we visited a waterfall about an hour outside of town. Let me just say... AMAZING. So pretty. Endless pools of blue water cascading down gradual steppes complete with trees and bushes blossoming right out of the middle. I swam and got my first chance to test the underwater capabilities of my camera. Fun! We climbed all the way to the top of the mountain to see the spout and found lots of mud and got pretty lost before essentially sliding back down. It was fun and relaxing but sporty. Good day.

We're headed back to the food market we found last night for seconds on local buffet style dining. It was pretty delish with a single plate (piled high ;) ) costing only 10,000 kip... about $1.25. With a beer it rounded off to $2 for more than enough of some of the most incredible food I've had in a while. We also found the Laos version of a Chiang Mai specialty: Kaoh Soi. It is normally a curry-like brothy soup with a bit of chicken and some cabbage... a little spicy. Here in Laos it is an amazing combination of roasted tomato broth with a beef stock base with beans, a bit of ground beef, and some noodles. It was similar to chili, only brothier and much better. The best part was the plate of fresh herbs that came with it: mint, cilantro, lettuce, lime... piled all into the bowl it was a little bit of heaven right here in Laos.

We're headed out at 8:30 tomorrow morning and on our way to Vang Vieng next. It will be a bit of debauchery (shhhhhh) and then on to Vientien, the capital. But before that we plan to get up at 5ish and go outside to feed the monks who pass by each morning to collect their food for the day. The can only eat from sunrise to midday, only vegetarian, and can't kill (i.e cook) anything themselves. We're giving cornflakes we knicked from the resort we did our CELTA at. :)

That's all for now... pictures will be around eventually but for now just close your eyes and imagine a land of rolling hills so lush and green it seems impossible. That's where we are... and we're loving every second of it.

2-Day Trek

We just did a 2 day trek through the jungle that led us to a Lahu tribal village where we stayed overnight. It was a breathtaking hike, in more way than one! So exhausting to get to the top of the mountain! It was juat about 2000m, much smaller than Leighton's hike in Borneo, but still a massive feat. The view was incredible. We'll be sure to send you a picture or 2 soon. Today we woke up and hiked back down, found a massive waterfall along the way, and then did some rafting. It was a lot of fun and Leighton thanked me for convincing him to go.

I'm glad we did, too! It gave us a chance to spend some time in nature and enjoy the peace and quiet. It would have been more peaceful if there weren't 7 Australian girls (all 19) giggling and chatting the whole time along with us. They were all very sweet girls on a month long holiday from Uni. Lucky! We got along well with them and by the end we were sad to part.

Next stop, Laos!

2 Years on OR The Verdict is In!

Well... today was mine and Leighton's 2 year anniversary. We celebrated with an ice cream cone from McDonald's and 2 hours at a laundromat! Very romantic!

We are leaving for Laos in the morning. Chiang Mai has been so amazing. Such a cool city full of wonderful people about whom I can't say enough good things! We have a group of Thai friends here that will last forever!

The journey to Laos will take us overland for a day through the Thai countryside before we get on a "slowboat" that will put-put us down the Mekong river. Should be quite the experience! We'll arrive in Luang Prabang 2 days after that, making our total journey 3 days long! It's not just about the detination though, the departure is just as important.

http://templeton-leavingonajetplane.blogspot.com/

That is my classmate, Jane's, blog. She has summed up a lot more about the CELTA course and included some amazing photos. She was just the best person and I will really miss her. I'll miss them all. I already have! Wahhh!

Hope this news doesn't come off as snide, but Leighton and I BOTH got the highest possible grade in our course. It doesn't really mean much except that we're more ready to be independent teachers than not. A huge surprise considering we've both already done that! Ha ha. It does look good on a resume though!

Anyway, a couple quick emails and then I'm heading to bed. We have an early start in the morning and we just spent 2 days in the jungle and white water rafting. I slept in a mountain tribal village last night and the roosters were more than enough to wake me up... at 2am. Stupid roosters can't tell when the sun is up or down. Fools.

I'm done!

I just finished my last teaching practice lesson! Woo! That was my 8th, and while not my best it also wasn't my worst. I got my 3rd "above standard" for my 7th lesson. This 8th lesson might be the 4th, but I have a feeling it won't be because there were a few mistakes. Not many, and they may be deemed 'trivial', but it didn't go off without a few hitches.

Anyway, 1 more day of "class" and then a big party with all the students, trainees, trainers, and staff here at the resort! That should be fun. The monk, Dillok, in the elementary class is known to be quite the party animal. I'm interested to see his saffron robes flared out as he break dances or something crazy like that. Who knows what could happen!?

Saturday we move on to Chiang Mai City and then to Laos. Trying not to get too far ahead of myself. I would like to stay present in my surroundings and enjoy each day as it comes. This trip is so amazing and there are so many incredible things to come that Chiang Mai has almost become "just Chiang Mai." I don't want that to happen! I want to look back on each place and each people and say that I enjoyed them to their fullest potential! It's not an easy feat, though.

Saturday Leighton and I have been invited to a free "football" (soccer) match at CM Stadium, then dinner with two of our students. They're both fun, young ladies. We should have some fun with them and we'll have a chance to "encounter" Thailand. I'm pretty excited about it. Then we'll go out with our big group from the program. I don't know what to expect, but I imagine it will be quite the fiasco!

More to come soon!

More pictures

Ran into some old friends... notice how brown they are and how lily-white we are? Wait a week. We'll catch up!
Some good friends on the course!
A beautiful little temple... about 2000 years old.

Officially Above Standard

Well, the course is more than half way done now. Leighton and I have been working our little booties off trying to keep up with the work load. We have "study mornings" all this week to give us extra time to plan lessons and write our assignments. We need them!

Last Thursday I taught my 4th lesson, the official mid point. I received my second "above standard," which is the highest score possible on the teaching practices. I'm pretty proud of myself on that... it was as close to a perfect lesson as I could have done except for a few little things like timing. The trainer, Percy, had so many good things to say and so few bad things that he redacted the space for bad things and wrote more good things. He told me it was the first time he's ever had to do that! Gave me a little jolt! I was also scored "above standard" for the half way review. I guess that means I'm on track to pass!

The course does have different "grades" but they don't really matter. The only thing it means is that you're more ready to teach without supervision if you get a "pass A." The one thing it means for me is that if I have a couple of bad lessons I'll get a stern talking to from the trainers!

Anyway, I've really got to get back to work. I have a lesson plan, an assignment, and heaps of materials to get done!

Good day to all!

3 Down and...

5 to go!

I've just finished my third "teaching practice" here for my CELTA course. Things have been going well... but hectically!

This course really isn't for the faint of heart. I'm really stunned at the amount of work they want us to complete in such short amounts of time. For an example, over the weekend I had a 1000 word assignment that took 1300 words to complete, so I had to edit that down pretty harshly. I had to plan a lesson (taught it tonight), and get into the city to experience a once-in-a-lifetime festival here in Chiang Mai. Busy boy!

The festival was stunning. They float lanterns into the sky and down the river to send away their bad luck. So pretty:

That's Rebecca. She's my buddy! We bought our lantern for $2 and sent it up. I didn't pray to Buddha, much to my students' dismay.

So anyway, heaps and heaps of work to do. Blog posts won't be that frequent during my course. I'll say that I did get an "above standard" on my first teaching practice, a "to standard" on my second, and I'm pretty sure it'll be a "to standard" on the third as well. Rough stuff here.

Until the next time I need a 5 minute break,
Adios!

First Teaching Practice

Last night Leighton and I both had our first Teaching Practice. That's when we get up in front of the class of Thai (adult) students and do our thing. I think mine went pretty well and Leighton thinks the same about his. We get feedback from our classmates and trainers later today. We'll be able to hear how others saw us and listen to some good advice about things we can change and things that we should retain in the next TP.

I'm feeling really comfortable here at the course and training center. Winter in Chiang Mai is very pleasant. We've been leaving the windows open all day and have our fan running when we're in the room. At night we keep the windows closed and the air on because the noises here are pretty much what you'd expect: packs of wild dogs barking and howling, peacocks cocking, roosters crowing, and bugs screeching with fear as lizards set upon them. I'm pretty sure the lizards do some of the barking too, but Leighton thinks they sound more like birds. Not really sure.

Anyway, the food has been so good that I think I've eaten double portions at almost every meal. We've had some excellent curry and incredible Thai dishes that just win on every level. We both agree that if we died and went to Thai food heaven it wouldn't be dissimilar from this place. In the mean time, the coffee is terrible. Packets of powdered shit! The other American girl, Rebecca, and I are really lamenting our lack of Dunkin Donuts right now! Oh to have some bad gas station Joe...

Tuesday Morning

Well. That was fun. This course is going to be very intensive and hard but a lot of fun. I'm excited to get into and make it start happening.

I have to teach tomorrow evening and make my lesson plan and everything by then. I spend most of my day in seminar-like classes and then working on my teaching plan, then spend some time in the classroom.

I know that this kind of stuff is pretty boring to hear about, so I won't spend too much time blogging about it.

However, on Saturday there is a massive festival in Chiang Mai, Loi Krathong. So we'll go and check that out and get some pictures going as well. We'll also be meeting up with our friends Matt and Brittany: trouble with a capital T.

Until then, happy travels!

Monday Morning

Good morning!

It's my first Monday morning in quite a long time and somehow doesn't seem that daunting. I guess the fact that I woke up at 8:30 everyday while I was home (and 7:30 the final week) so that I could talk to Leighton has somehow prepared me for the early hour. I (fell asleep) passed out around 10pm last night while Leighton stayed up working on his packet for the class. I woke up at 6:30ish and somehow he's still sleeping! It's 10:20 Seoul time! He must have been more tired than he appeared.

So yesterday, when I got to the meeting place for the taxi to take me to this resort, I met a girl from my class called Rebecca. She's really rad. She was dressed to go running and when I talked to her and we figured out we were in class together she immediately offered to take me around Chiang Mai. Later she told me how happy she was that she didn't have to go for a run! Sounds like an author of this blog...

The rest of the day we hung out and, to any outsider, must have appeared as a couple that had been together for years. We got along so well it was like having a best friend. I'm really happy that we met so early in the day because, as others started to come along, we were a dynamic duo of sorts in our introductions and whatnot. She's very confident and professional. I was impressed with her more than once and I look forward to getting to know her better as we go along.

Leighton, a girl who worked in Jeonju (South Korea) and knows our friends from there, and I are the only 3 students who have any teaching experience. I am not sure how that will factor into our ability to complete this course, but time will tell. There is also something to say about the fact that we all taught in Korea...

It's time for breakfast now, then a short break before classes begin. They start at 10:30 today, but the rest of the course they won't start until 11:30! Talk about a luxurious morning!

We Have Touchdown...

Well, I finally made it. It took me almost 40 hours to get from door to door, but I'm sitting here in my home for the next few weeks. The accommodation is really nice and the people I've met so far are great. I'm very happy that I've made this choice.

So far everything has come together nicely. My bag got checked all the way through no problem, I found 700 yen in my bag and bought some sushi and a beer in the Tokyo airport, my favorite soup was on sale at the Bangkok airport, and I even managed to sleep about 4 hours. For those of you who remember what it was like when I first got back to the US this last time you'll know that 4 hours of bad sleep is something to celebrate!

I'm getting pretty tired now though. I feel my eyelids dropping and my eyes just went completely out of focus. So I'm gonna have a lie down in that big comfy bed.

Cheers!