Green trip

I think the French call field trips Green Trip.

Some classmates at our Thai school took a day trip to Kao Yai National Park, and then the wineries, two hours north of Bangkok. It was a fun trip.

The wineries area looked like Napa Valley, but looking closely, I saw the signs in Thai and knew I was still in Thailand.

Working hard in Bangkok

February has been and will be a hectic month. We didn't have visitors for three months, and then everyone decides to come in February. We have visitors every week, and I am busy entertaining, washing sheets, in between studying Thai and teaching Chinese.

After all this is third world. As much as my friends envy our "luxury" living, I wonder if they can be as creative as me to dry bed sheet on dining table. Dryer is non-existent, neither is coin laundry in this hood.

My hand hurts when I stay on the computer for more than 10 minutes. And I really can't answer everyone's email. My blogging is the only way to answer everyone's questions, such as where we are, what we are doing.

So I am working hard to try out another career. I've been teaching Chinese since November. I'm teaching in a Chinese language school. I applied at several schools and this one is the only one that is in shortage of teachers. But they only have two classes a week for me, which is sufficient for me to tell if I like it, but not sufficient to pay our utility bills.

I like teaching students who are eager to learn or disciplined. For students who have 1 second attention span, it's very challenging. My favorite was an 11-year-old French girl who is a student of another teacher. I taught her when her teacher went back to China for a month. She was like a sponge, and she studied in between classes. She speaks French, English, a little Thai and a little Chinese now. For siblings who study together, it's always a problem. I had two Korean brothers and have had two Thai sisters. The younger one is always the "lazy" one. The older ones would learn and know their stuff, but the younger ones would just tag along and be clueless, and then the older ones would despise the younger and call them "stupid". I still have the Thai sisters and they are really sweet girls. I have to find creative ways to have the younger one learn a little bit more without boring the older one. Somehow some parents have the notion that their kids are better learning together, maybe they get a discount. I don't know. Our landlord have twins, and they purposely separate them in school.

I always love teaching adults, except at my last job to someone who didn't really care to learn. I have an adult Thai student now who is really eager to learn. He is Chinese decent, and had lived in Singapore when he was young and learned some Chinese. Now he wants to pick up where he left off so he doesn't waste such a beautiful language.

Learning Thai has become more challenging. Keeping up the discipline to memorize the vocabulary and sentence patterns everyday is difficult. Strangely, finding someone to practice is also difficult in this Japanese neighborhood. We live in an inconvenient location that in order to reach the public transport, we have to take a taxi, or a long sweaty walk.

Brent is working hard on his trading project. He's currently busy writing an article for IBM that he needs to submit by mid Feb.

We will be back in New York in June. All good things have to end. We can only live on our savings for so long. I have to find a job that pays the bills.

Trouble in paradise

I saw an ad on the internet for English teachers. A Danish teacher (from Denmark) is leaving Thailand after teaching for some years and announced his vacancy. His ad apologized to all the Filipino teachers and said the owner doesn't want any Asian teachers, but any other non-native English speakers are OK. I posted a question to him and here's his reply: (my user name is "caydii")
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Re:English teacher

LarsSorensen View Member Profile Add as Friend Send Message Add to PM block list Forward PM Find Member's Topics Find Member's Posts

Re:English teacher, Yesterday, 2008-01-11 18:02:32

Newbie Group: Members Posts: 1 Member No.: 56,299 Joined: 2008-01-03

Hi I did ask the owner of the school your question. (the owner is a Chinese lady) I first have to say this is the owners answer and does in no way reflect what I think about the "problem". Her answer was: The parents of the students want there kids to study with a "farang" (white) teacher, not an Asian. She have before said no to an African American and a American Chinese. I am very sorry to tell you this, and i don't understand it. I don't understand how a Chinese person can be a racist against Chinese people, but you see it all the time in Thailand. Regards and respect Lars QUOTE Hi, I saw your posting and was puzzled by the restriction the owner has on teachers. No Asian teachers? What does he mean? No Asian looking teachers? What if I'm an American Chinese who grew up in the US and speak just like a native? Would you ask him that? Thanks! caydii

Thank you, America!

We went to Koh Chang (Elephant Island) last weekend, to get some beach and fresh air after the holiday crowds and before my school started. It turned out to be my favorite island. Once we got there, we forgot about the painful long 7-hour journey we just took to get there (bus, pickup truck taxi, ferry, then pickup truck taxi again).

We stayed on Klong Prao Beach, which is a quieter beach, with some resorts and huts along the beach and quite a few restaurants right on the beach that are not charging rip off prices just because they are on the beach. Some swings are hanging from the tall trees, so that kids and big kids :) can enjoy swinging right into the water. The pictures should tell more than words...

The second day we took a snorkeling trip. On the same pickup truck that took us to the pier, there was a Korean man in his forties and his daughter. We only found out that they are Koreans after Brent started talking to the guy. When he found out that we are from America, he said "I am very grateful to America!" He said though the young people in Korea now don't like America that much, he is grateful because if America didn't fight the Korean war, south Korea wouldn't have been such a rich country. He kept on saying 'thank you' to us that we were speechlessly moved and I felt proud to be an American. I guess the man has traveled around and see that what South Korea would be like if they also lived under communist regime.

I am reading a fascinating biography on Mao (the 'great' leader of People's Republic of China). I just found out the reason why Korean war lasted so long, was because Mao kept on piping in Chinese "volunteer" army, and used it as an evidence to Stalin that he is able to be the boss of communist community of entire Asia, so that Stalin would give China the nuclear bomb he's been nagging for, so that he (Mao) can build a super power country and the world would listen to him. Kim Il Sung wanted to end the war two years before the war actually ended, because north Korea was in a shamble, and the country suffered huge human loss. But Mao, being appointed boss of Kim by Stalin, wanted to show his ability, directed Kim to continue the war, and his purpose was to drain and kill more Americans. He didn't care about Chinese lives, as there were plenty (in his own words), and he sent them to die, especially those he disliked (including a famous general who disagreed with him years before), and many soldiers who came from the Kwomintang army. Mao also ordered the POWs from the war returned to China being executed because they were "traders" that they were even captured.

It's rare to hear this kind of pro-America sentiments in the media these days. Even when we were in Shandong, my friends expressed that people there like America, and hate Japan, still. Shandong was occupied by Japan several times in the last hundred years and many were brutally tortured and killed.

The third day we went for elephant trecking before we said good-bye to the island. Our mahout was a bit crazy, probably half drunk, as he asked us during the ride if he could drink whiskey. He's very agile and he jumped from our elephant to the other elephant's back trying to scare the kids. He kept on pulling the tail of the elephant in front of us, and pretended it was a microphone and sang songs. I guess the elephant was not happy, because when he jumped from another elephant to her, she wiggled so he fell to the ground and scraped his arm! Thai elephants are half the size of African ones, about 3 meters tall, but they are gentler and smarter, and are tamed and used as farm hands. We loved touching their wiry hair. Even the baby elephant is 200 kg, so we wouldn't want to hold it.

It is 1/1/2008!

Just noticed my last posting was dated as December 31, 2007. Then found my profile location is in Afghanistan. Hello! I'm in 2008!

Happy New Year Bangkok

Watching fireworks going off everywhere in the city, I couldn't believe it's New Year's eve of 2008, and I am in Bangkok. It actually feels chilly, and I have to have my sweater on today, just like a Thai, when it's 26 degrees centigrade (78 F). Brent questions how I would survive after returning to New York. I don't know, but I will worry about it when it happens. I am preparing myself for the hot season here starting March, when it's going to be 40C (100F) and muggy everyday.

We celebrated New Year's eve at home with my cousin's family and a friend. Brent whipped up his specialty - spaghetti. It was pretty good despite of the poor quality electric stove and having only one pot to cook with that sticks all the time. The two little boys had the grandest time, doing ninja moves on each other, chasing each other non-stop, and taking turns to get shoulder rides from Brent.

2007 was an eventful and interesting year. It started with my never-going-away hand, arm, and back pain; improvement after staying home for a month and physical therapy; worsened pain after returning to work. This pushed me to seriously consider a career change. It wasn't an easy decision. I was quite good at what I did in my profession after all these years, and doing anything else would mean retraining and a big loss on income.

It would be impossible to live in New York on our savings. It would burn up so quickly that I would be forced to go back to the profession that hurts me so much in no time.

After two months of painful search for tenants for our apartment, we packed up and left for China.

There were highs and lows in our time in Asia, but for me, the highs are far outweighing the lows.

Lows:
1. Bureaucracy in visa office in China. But I heard that the American consulate in London is no better.
2. Mosquitoes, my #1 enemy while traveling, were having a feast on me in Yangtze south. Even in our apartment in Bangkok, once I forgot to put repellent on, I got ten bites in 10 minutes typing an email.
3. Rude drivers in Qingdao, could easily claim lives or limbs. I was angry everyday when I went out, as everyday I almost got hit. Bangkok has a lot more cars, but I feel so much safer. People actually yield.
4. The stares I got from women in China when I was walking with Brent, made me feel very uneasy. I no longer get stares in Thailand.
5. True, things don't always work properly here. Internet is slow, despite a high-speed plan. Taxis don't stop or refuse to take us when it's empty, is mind boggling.

Highs:
1. Generous uncles and aunts allowed us to stay in their homes in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok while we were traveling and searching for places to settle.
2. Cousins who kept their eyes out for apartments, patiently translate for us when I would call frantically in a taxi and couldn't communicate to the driver.
3. Reconnected with some friends whom I haven't seen for 19 years. I do feel having lived two lives already.
4. Visited some incredibly beautiful places in inland China, which I never knew existed before.
5. Met some very wonderful friends in Qingdao. Ran into a woman I met at a conference 15 years ago in Minnesota, then of course, a big dinner was waiting for us in her home.
6. Translated a contract for the 2008 Olympics sailing competition. Very proud to say that I have done something for the Olympics.
7. Having cousins spontaneously visit us when they were on their honeymoon in China.
8. Sharing meals with total strangers. Actually we didn't share, but our neighbors would offer for us to taste their food because we were so curious about what they were eating.
9. Have met some wonderful people in Bangkok, most of whom have lived in this region for many years. We are often invited to dinner in their homes, and learning the tips about living here.
10. While Brent was getting his $3 haircut in downtown Suzhou, I was teaching two young conscientious washers English phrases that they could use with their foreign customers. Teaching is fun when your students want to learn.
11. A Thai woman stopped me to ask for directions, and I understood and answered her.
12. 13. 14... The list goes on and on. I'd just stop here and provide links to places we visited but haven't posted pictures or forgot to bring our camera when visiting.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/134379031GuYEYl
http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/krabi/krabi_attraction_muang_county.html#ao_nang


By now, I still don't know what's next for me in terms of career. Learning Thai is fun and keeping me busy. Teaching Chinese to kids once a week is rewarding but not sufficient. I have a lot of figure out in the year to come.

Christmas in Bangkok

Picture 1 - Pristine Singapore
Picture 2 - also Singapore, Arab Quarter


I can't believe it's Christmas! It's been so long since I last wrote.

It's 33 degrees Celsius and sunny and it's the first warm Christmas I've ever had. I am very thankful for that.

Think back to the dreadful hand/arm injury and seemingly never ending physical therapy and acupuncture, which couldn't take away my pain, to a life away from computer, I am thankful.

Some have asked how my hand and arm is - I am mostly without pain, as long as I don't stay on the computer for more than half an hour or carry heavy stuff.

So many things happened in the last month and a half, so it's hard to remember to write down everything. I don't have the opportunity to write therefore less chance to injure myself again, because Brent has been working a lot (hogging the computer).

I am happy with the progress I've made in my Thai. I have been chatting with the cleaning lady, the taxi drivers, and the landlady. I can't understand everything they say, but I get the gist of it.

The shopping malls have been blasting Christmas music and singing about the Savior is born, without the worry of political correctness. It's ironic, since most people here are Buddhists. On the other hand, this music just becomes background noise, without meaning. Words have no meaning, without a personal relationship.

We were in Singapore three weeks ago for our second "visa run", and met up with an old friend Tara from New York. Tara is a scientist, and has moved to Singapore earlier this year. She noticed that in the highly educated science community, a lot more people are confessing Christians. Even in the society in large, people are not marginalized if they believe in God. In the States, in New York in particular, people were shocked that she believes in God, because she's a scientist, as if they should be mutually exclusive.

It rained hard in Singapore the first day we got there. As we always bring rain with us, it's become something to laugh about. It is as pristine as I remembered it 10 years ago, but I only went to the pristine places then. This time, thanks to my walking fanatic husband, we walked through Little India and the Arab Quarter, which gave me a glimpse of the "cultured" parts of Singapore, which actually makes it more interesting. Brent enjoyed the wide sidewalks and mostly clean streets, in contrast to Bangkok. On the other hand, he grew tired of it after four days and commented he was happy to be back in Bangkok afterwards. For some reason, December is the busiest time in Singapore and all the low to mid range hotels were booked. There were some very "reasonable" hotels, turned out to be in the Gaylong district - redlight district. I refused to stay there. My cousin was shocked that Singapore has redlight district. Human beings nature do not change even with an efficient government. We need a lot more than government and policies.

I was impressed by Singapore's recycling effort. See picture. And another picture that you would think belongs to New York City:)

I am getting to know my classmates who take Thai lessons with me. One bright eyed young woman is worth writing about. Anita is 22, from Ohio. She lived in northern India for a year, working with YWAM doing social working with some very poor women. She went back to the States for a year and waitressed to save up money, and came to Bangkok in October. She plans to stay here for two years, working with young women who were trafficed into prostitution because of poverty. This particular group is from Isan, a region very poor and looked down by Bangkok people. Many man and women came from Isan to work in Bangkok, to make some money to send home. Many women were tricked into coming to Bangkok, thinking they would be maids or factory workers, but only found out what their job would be after being locked up by the trafficers after they got here. Many of them have children back home. In order to pay off their debt, they feel they have no other way out except to do what makes the most money the fastest. Besides selling their bodies, they are often abused by their "customers" and forced to use drugs, which becomes an addiction which requires them to make more money to feed the addiction. Anyhow, Anita has never gone to college, and she had decided since high school that she wanted to find where her passion is, before wasting money in universities. She lives like a local, with no air conditioning in her place, as was in India.

We went to a couple of friends' home for a Christmas party last night (Christmas Eve) and met a group of Cubans. I chatted with a young Cuban woman. She's a musician and plays flute in a band. She just came to Thailand 3 to 4 months ago. When she heard that I came from China, she lamented - I wish my country is like yours! People in Cuba are so oppressed and blinded by Castro that they have nothing left by the end of the month, financially and emotionally. But at least Castro allows them to dance. This group exhibited the Cuban salsa, which has four pairs of dancers and they switch partner every few seconds. It's amazing to watch. The other Latin people who were not Cuban had to be kicked out, because they had no idea what to do!

Time to quit writing, before my hand starts to hurt...