AND three months later...

My life is SLOWWWLLLYY coming together after dealing with every hurdle that could possibly be thrown at me.

I arrived in Istanbul on January 5^th, and three weeks later I quit my job as an au pair.  I don’t want to get into details, because I don’t want to be that asshole who blasts her employer online, so I’ll just say that I was extremely unhappy, and being a nanny wasn’t the right position for me.  BUT, that’s okay, because what came next was a whirlwind of events.  Within five days, I quit my job, moved out and into a hostel, moved again into an apartment, AND got a new job!! I am now volunteering (yes, let’s just say that) as an English teacher working with pre-school and primary-aged children.  It’s been fun, challenging, and a bit frustrating (the little ones sometimes act like wild animals), but overall I enjoy the work, which is MUCH more than I could say for my au pair stint. Even more good news: I have FINALLY, FINALLLYYYY found an apartment after moving 5 TIMES!!!  It’s been an extremely bumpy ride, and I don’t know how I’ve managed to stay so damned positive during it all (I have definitely had my moments of weakness and there were many times I wanted to give up), but the pieces of my life are finally coming together. I even have my Turkish residence card now! WHEW.

I know that years later I will look back on this time and laugh or think about how much of a total badass I was for sticking it out despite being faced with so many damn challenges.  Yet right now I can’t help but feel frustrated.  Turkey is a difficult country to move to. As a foreigner, it can be extremely difficult to establish oneself here without any local connections. Luckily, I have made some friends here so I’m not too lonely. My co-workers are great and my friend Ali is my right-hand man. I am finally starting to feel settled, but it took three months to get there.

The City

            Istanbul is a wonderful city that is on two continents: Europe and Asia. It still amazes me that I cross a Sea, not a river, but a SEA (yes, that’s the OCEAN) to get from one side to the other. No, I don’t need my passport, but it is a nice 10-20 minute ferry ride.  

After living in Thailand for a year, Istanbul is, of course, quite different.  It’s a far cry from tuk-tuk drivers, noodle soup stands, and 15baht café yen.  I wouldn’t dare to drive a motorcy here for fear of getting killed by drivers and pedestrians (I thought driving in NYC was bad, but I forgot that Europeans love to drive as if they’re in a scene from The Fast and the Furious).  Yet Istanbul has a wonderful European feel to it.  The cobblestone streets and narrow side streets (like soi’s) makes one feel safe, cozy, and warm, while the steep hills provide for some urban hiking.  With a city of 13-14 million people (just within the metropolitan area)divided on two continents, it is easy to get and feel lost here. It is in all sense of the word, a megacity. Everywhere you go there are crowds of people, and the city seems to be constantly expanding and developing. But, I’m a New Yorker at heart, and so I love walking down the street while pushing my way through a crowd.  I feel at home in this type of madness where others surround me yet I don’t know a single soul. It feels safe to me.

view from Galata tower over looking the Golden Horn

fishing on the Golden Horn

Spice market

The People

            It’s definitely interesting, and at times quite comical, to be living in a place where the men are attracted to you, even though you are a foreigner. In Thailand, this was not the case.  Nothing about me was attractive. I was too big, too dark, and a native English speaker, which many found intimidating. Yet in Turkey, I’m a hot commodity! It is VERY refreshing to feel wanted and sexy again! This of course has its disadvantages too. I do not look Turkish so I do stand out, and Turkish men DO like to stare.  When I first arrived, walking down the street felt like walking down the runway. This made me feel quite uncomfortable, but it’s something that I don’t really notice anymore.  Regardless, as a foreign woman, I do have to keep my guard up.

The Food

The food here SUCKS. I don’t know if it’s because I came to Turkey right after Thailand so I’m still hooked on Thai food, but Turkish food is SO bland. In Thailand, I was spoiled. The food was incredible, filled with intense flavor, not only because the food is spicy, but each dish or meal must include three to four different tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami). I literally ate my way through Thailand. If Thai food is light and flavorful, Turkish food is rich and bland. Beyond bland. In Thailand, the cheap, street food is at the heart of Thai cuisine. Yet in Turkey, the “street food” consists of cheap, fast food restaurants serving döner, durum, and buffet homestyle cuisine that is barely tasty let alone delicious.  To get good quality meze and Mediterranean food you have to pay the price at a quality restaurant. As a person who LOVES to eat, Turkey has turned me into a very picky eater. It seems like they use the same five spices in everything they cook and the meat has a strange taste here. So, Turkey fails miserably in this department and I am quite disappointed. HOWEVER, I will say that the seafood is very good here. I had amazing grilled octopus the other day, something I never thought I would say.  There are also a couple of restaurants that stick out of the blandness. One is Ciya Sofrasi on the Asian side in Kadikoy. This is hands down my favorite restaurant in all of Istanbul, I think on average I frequent there about once a week. They’ve been written up in America’s Food and Wine magazine as well as Time Out New York and The New York Times just to name a few.  They cook up really unique dishes from the south of Turkey that you can’t find anywhere else in Istanbul.  This is the type of food I imagined when I thought of Turkey.  Absolutely delicious.

the meze salad bar at Ciya Sofrasi

Typical of me to end this post talking about food. Here’s hoping I post soon and more often! 

Arrival

It's my second full day in Istanbul and so far so good! Except for the fact that I can't seem to shake off my jet lag. I arrived Thursday afternoon and was picked up at the airport by Ergul and her husband (whose name I can pronounce but do not know how to spell).

My plane ride was nothing too exciting. I flew Lufthansa (throwback to my high school Europe trips) and luckily they are all about leaving ON TIME. After surviving the arduous journey to and from Thailand, all other plane rides are a piece of cake; this one was only 6 hours to Frankfurt, that's barely enough time to sleep! I love international flights for the sole reason that they provide free booze; this one even had gin and whiskey! I pondered over ordering a gin and tonic as the guy across the aisle from me did, but realized that with the high altitude I probably shouldn't get shitfaced, so I settled on a wonderful glass of white wine. The plane food was nothing spectacular (although the little salad had TWO grilled shrimps in it!!!). On my way to the bathroom I noticed two woman eating a vegetarian meal that smelled delicious and I cursed myself for not ordering a special meal.

I arrived in Frankfurt at 11:30pm/6:30am and was fortunate enough to go through security AGAIN. Ugh. I was starving and decided to treat myself to a German meal. I settled on a frankfurter, fries, and a bottled water which came out to 17 dollars. Yes, 17 American dollars. Good thing my mom gave me that extra 20 bucks before I left.

In Istanbul, the first thing we did when we got to the house was EAT! Ah, my favorite thing to do. Ergul said to me “ you must eat something before you go and relax!” so I sat down for my first Turkish meal, and boy, was I excited. There was bread, tzatziki sauce, which Turkish people eat in a little bowl next to their plate, and two stews. One was made of minced meat, carrots and peas (delicious), while the other one was made of brussel sprouts and carrots (also delicious). Oh, and olives.

This weekend has been relaxing and my only responsibility has been to get over jet lag, which is easier said then done. I think it would be easier if I had a busy schedule, because there's been nothing to keep me from sleeping a whole lot. Both days I woke up at 4am!

The family seems very nice. The boy I'll be looking after is 7 ½ years old and his name is Bora. He's very sweet and was very comfortable talking to me from the first moment we met. My sole job is to play with him and teach him English. He speaks English pretty fluently and is not shy to ask when he doesn't understand something I say, so I basically just have to continue with his English conversation skills. His English is a thousand times better than my Thai students and I do not have to speak slowly to him. He LOVES to play! I need to work on my 7 year old boy-speak and action noises though. Today we played with action heros and car racing/crashing and I certainly did not bring my A-game. His mom Ergul, is very nice and speaks English fluently as well. The dad has limited English abilities but seems like a nice guy too. There is also a housekeeper/cook who speaks no English, which will give me the motivation I need to learn Turkish (at least basic phrases). Right now we rely on body language.

The family is well-off. Part of this is pretty obvious since they can afford an American nanny. They live in a beautiful 3-floor townhouse in a really nice gated community. Bora's school is inside this community, which also houses a movie theater, golf course, and some sort of recreation center/gym complex. I have my own room with private bath and TV! So far the hardest thing to adjust to is having a housekeeper/cook. It's a strange feeling to be served food in this way and it kind of makes me feel uncomfortable. Like when I come up for breakfast at 10am and she has kept my place setting out along with the butter, jam, and olives, and then comes in to toast my bread. I know it's her job, but I can't help but feel guilty for making her to do something that I am clearly competent enough to do myself.

Other things of note:

-it's rained continually since I got here.

-there is always delicious cheese in the house. This morning there were TWO types of cheeses at breakfast. This is the best thing ever.

-So far all the food I have had has been great. I've had broccoli soup, a chickpea stew/dish thing, and of course, bread, cheese and olives!

-there is always fresh baked goods on the kitchen counter (next to a massive bowl of fruit), along with a sweets cabinet. It's going to take all the strength I have to choose the bowl of fruit instead of the cheesecake/pie delicious treat that is always on the counter. Last night I had two pieces of the pie and it was delicious. I'm pretty sure it's homemade.

-I just helped Bora with his English homework and it was actually a lot of fun. Such a different experience from teaching in Thailand because Bora understands everything that I say!

That's it for now. So far I'm off to a good start!

Back Home

I've been home for two and a half weeks. Everyone's been asking me the same question, “how does it feel to be home?” So far, it's not as weird as I thought it would be. I also think I prepared myself pretty well for the worst, so it doesn't seem that bad. It also helps that I was ready to come home, and that I was excited to be back in the States. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Thailand, and I LOVED teaching, and it was EXTREMELY difficult to say goodbye to my students, but I was also happy to come home. It also helped that I was traveling for five weeks before planting myself in the U.S. After 5 weeks of backpacking, I wanted my own bed and my own non-finicky hot shower.

Things I missed

-CLOTHES: I didn't realize how much fashion is an expression is of one's personality until it was taken away from me and I was forced to cover up my chest, underarms, and legs. In Thailand, I had the opportunity to wear flowy skirts and dresses that both covered up what needed to be covered up, yet still allowed me to breathe in 100 degree weather. Yet at the same time, I looked like I was going to go pick flowers in a field on the side of a mountain. Oh peasant skirts, I do not miss you one bit. It's been so refreshing to be in a country where I CAN FIT INTO THE CLOTHES! No more shopping at Big-C and buying the largest size possible!! I've been shopping up a storm over the last two weeks thanks to Black Friday shopping and pre-christmas sales. Although, I guess I should mention that part of all the shopping is because most of my old clothes (my pants) don't fit because of all the wonderful Thai eating weight I put on...oh well, it's a good excuse for new clothes!

-Diversity: it's SO refreshing to walk down the street and not be the only farang. I am not the only person of color in this city NOR the only person who is not a size zero. Although I'm still not used to this as I noticed today that I continue to stare at everyone on the street. Oops.

-Food: It's really nice to go to a restaurant, order off the menu, and get exactly what I ordered with no surprises.

-Tap water: Did you know that you can drink the water straight from your kitchen sink and all you have to do is let it run for like 30 seconds?! Two weeks after reentry and this is STILL mind-blowing to me.

-Walking. On sidewalks wider than one person's body width: so glorious. I really missed long strolls through the city.

-Fall: you are crisp, warm, and wonderful. And you allow me to bundle up in a cute, cozy sweater. Thanks.

-Boots: I've missed you SO MUCH!

-BAGELS: First I ate you toasted with butter. Then I ate you toasted with sausage, egg, and cheese. I never want to go another year without eating you ever again.

-Understanding everything that people say (although this is both a curse and virtue): yay, everyone around me is speaking English and I can respond rapidly and efficiently!

Things I did not miss:

-The freezing cold tundra of the Northeast: okay, to be fair, it's actually been REALLY warm so far. But still, it's a difficult change from 85 degrees everyday. I'm slowly coming to terms with this.

-the cost of living. WHY IS EVERYTHING SO DAMN EXPENSIVE?! Why doesn't food cost a dollar?! The other night I went out with my friends, and after thinking it over profusely, reluctantly spent spent 15 DOLLARS on a Long Island Iced Tea. 15 DOLLARS! Yes, even my friends realized that deserved a big WTF?!

-People being unnecessarily rude: why can't we all just jai yen yen and put on a nice big smile?

Laos and Bali

After 3 days of packaged tours in Vietnam, it was really nice to sit back and just relax in Laos. We had originally planned to do some kayaking, rafting, maybe some trekking and an overnight stay in a hilltribe village, but when we got to Laos we were just so tired from running around on tours that we didn't sign up for anything. Luang Prabang is a quiet town on the Mekong river surrounded by lush, green mountains. For a place that everyone raves about, I was surprised by how quiet it was. I thought it would be the Chiang Mai of Laos, packed to the brim with foreigners, little sois popping out everywhere. But no. In fact it wasn't crowded at all. There weren't foreigners walking around with their shirts off (in fact, there are signs everywhere in LP that forbid you to do this), there didn't seem to be many foreigners at all. The most I saw at one time was at the night bazaar, and even at the night market there weren't hoards of tourists that usually make it impossible to walk down the aisles and shop. Perhaps it's because we went in the off season? Whatever the reason, it was lovely. For four days, we woke up without alarms, enjoyed slow mornings at Joma (a cafe around the corner from our guesthouse), ate Lao sandwiches on fluffy French bread, and in the afternoons, explored LP while sweating profusely. It was really hot! We rented bicycles, went to a waterfall and hiked up to the top tier which had breathtaking views of the mountains, and went to a local swimming pool (the ONLY public swimming pool in LP) which provided an interesting glimpse of the backpacker scene in LP.

After LP it was off to Van Vieng for the infamous tubing. Well, Jamie and I wanted to go tubing, Mall did not. Unfortunately, she didn't get to do anything in VV as she got really sick from food poisoning. Why is the tubing in VV so infamous? Its because it's drunk tubing. You rent a tube and go down the river, but all along the river are makeshift bars with beer, whiskey buckets, BBQs, and a DJ. They even have water slides! Did I mention that each bar gives you a complimentary,I mean, obligatory whiskey shot?! Yes, you're pretty much forced to take the shot. The best part is the way they reel you into the bars. The bars are along the river, but there's a pretty strong current (at least at the beginning) pulling you down the river. So, to get you out of the water, they throw you an empty water battle attached to a long rope and pull you in. I had bruises just from this. While tubing was really fun, it is also pretty dangerous. One person a year drowns at this place and I'm surprised the number isn't higher. People get really drunk here and the current is pretty strong! Luckily, Jamie and I walked away with just a couple of battle scars (mostly from brushing up against the rocks trying to get out of the water). If you haven't guessed by now, VV is the Spring Break of Laos and the town completely runs on tourism. Yet, the only time VV seemed trashy was at night, after 6pm, when we'd be eating dinner and people were walking down the streets still soaking wet, still in their bathing suits, and drunk off their asses. It was really nice being there in the low season; I can't imgaine what it's like in the high season. I would imagine something similar to Cancun or Girls Gone Wild.

Laos is a beautiful country with only 4 million people. This is probably because the country is so mountainous. I was constantly blown away by the view. The bus ride from LP to VV was a trek: 6 hours on a winding road through the mountains. Although it was a beautiful view, it was nothing close to relaxing or even comfortable due to the millions of potholes in the road and praying that we wouldnt fall off the side of the mountain. And thankfully, in VV we stayed at a wonderful guesthouse off the main drag away from all the crazy backpackers. The backyard of our guesthouse looked out towards bright green rice fields and karsts jutting out from nowhere. Magnificent. 

Backyard at the guesthouse in VV

 

After saying goodbye to the beauty of Laos, it was off to Bali. But first we had to get to Bangkok, which was (and still is) flooded. Praying that we'd be able to make it to the airport and that our flight wouldn't be delayed,we had a journey to make. From our guesthouse in VV, we took a minibus to the bus station, took a 4 hour bus ride to Vientienne, got off the bus, then back on the same bus, got dropped off at some random guesthouse where a songtaew picked us up and took us to the train station, got on a mini train (10min ride) across the Laos-Thai border and then finally, FINALLY, got on our sleeper train to BKK. I didn't get a goodnight's sleep on the train because they kept the lights on and the air con was blasting. At 9:30am the next morning, we had arrived in Bangkok.Whew.

Oh yeah, and then we spent the night in the airport so we could catch our 6am flight to Bali. I'm not really complaining though. This was the first time our lives resembled anything close to the typical backpacker experience.

Bali. We arrived and it was hot and humid. Ugh. First we were off to Ubud (land of Elizabeth Gilbert and Eat, Pray, Love) to meet up with our friends Gina and Lana. Ubud is really pretty. It has a hippie vibe but in a modern, clean, and upscale way. Tons of boutique shops with clothes in beautiful patterns and prints (lots of paisley) and really nice jewelry stores. I wanted to buy everything! Lots of cute cafes, yoga shops, etc. with a holistic health vibe. I liked it. Like Gilbert said in EPL, Indonesians live on family compounds with most of their family living together. The guesthouses of Bali, which are called homestays, are inside these family compounds. After 4 days at Ubud we moved to Sanur a beach town (Ubud is 30 mins from the beach) to go snorkeling, and, to go the beach! We went snorkeling with an interesting man by the name of Monte, whih was awesome. After some difficulties in the beginning with my snorkeling gear, I had a great time. We went to see some manta rays, but none could be found. In the afternoon, after a delicious lunch on board our boat,we got to see lots of fishies swimmin around, ones in bright neon colors I have never seen before! I felt like I was in my very own Planet Earth series!

On Thursday, we were blessed to have a beautiful (and much-needed) sunny day. Jamie and I went off to the beach while Mal and Caitlin went to yoga. We were crying with happiness. Up until now, we hadn't had the best of luck with the weather. It had been humid, cloudy and/or rainy for the past 7 days! We didn't realize it would still be rainy season in Bali. Until Thursday we were disappointed in Bali. Yet maybe it was mother nature answering our prayers, but since then, it has been sunny every day! We are now in Candidasa (pronounced Chandi Dasa) and our resort has a pool and is right on the water. I could not be happier. This is what we had all been waiting for! For the past three days we've been living in eternal bliss. I never want to leave! 

Although, it will be nice to be back in America in 3 days.  :-D

Taybro and his harem! Enjoying our last few days in Bali

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The Big Trip (Part 1)

Cambodia: Siem Riep and Phnom Penh

I was pleasantly surprised by Cambodia. I had spoken to people who had traveled to Cambodia, and everyone had the same thing to say; outside of Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh, there isn't much else. I was also warned about the poverty and begging in Cambodia, and told to be careful; "it's not like Thailand" everyone said. Yet, just like in Thailand, I expected one thing, and the complete opposite happenedm. I loved Cambodia! 

Angkor Wat

We spent three days in Siem Riep, which is where Angkor Wat is. Angkor Wat is the largest religious strucutre in the world, and has been in continuous use since it was built in the 1100s. Angkor Wat is of course magnificent and the other temples are just as amazing. On Day 2 we biked around to three different temples in the area, and by the end of the day I thought my legs were going to fall off. Of course the gears on my bike were really tight so I had to bike twice as far to get anywhere. But whatever, my lazy ass needed the exercise. On Day 3 we got up early to experience Angkor Wat at dawn. Just beautiful.

In addtion to Angkor Wat, our guesthouse, and the city of Siemp Riep were both lovely. Siemp Reap is built up to accomodate all of the tourists who come to see Angkor Wat, and as a result, EVERYONE in the city speaks English! It was great to be able to communicate with others in an easy manner! Our guesthouse was also wonderful. They provided free tuk tuk service throughout town. The people running the guesthouse took such good care of us, we felt like part of their family!

After Angkor we headed to Phnom Penh, for the more educational part of our trip. In Phnom Penh we went to the S21 prison, which was a high school turned into a prison by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. We also went to the killing fields. Both were disturbing and upstting; upsetting because I didn't learn about the Cambodian Genocide in school, so it's unbelievable that this happened while the world turned a blind eye. Without giving too much boring history, Pol Pot was batshit crazy. He was a radical communist who, after going to school in France, wanted to create “collective farms” and a class struggle between capitalists and workers. He wanted to return Cambodia to an agrarian society. Yet these “collective farms” were forced labor farms and he created his agrarian society by forcing everyong to the countryside. On April 17, 1975, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh, and forced everyone out. They shut down schools, offices, religious sites, pagodas, and took people from their homes. Within four days, the city was empty. Pol Pot basically went on a killing spree, killing anyone who was an intellectual (lawyers, judges, professors) or thought to be a CIA or KGB spy. Wearing glasses was a sign of being an intellectual. He got rid of schools, a monetary system, and almost anything else that makes a society function. If you were not killed right away you were brought to S21 or another prison camp (or labor camp) were you were then tortured or worked to death. After being tortured for a while you were then sent to the killing fields. Out of the 20,000 people who were sent to S21, only 7 people survived. ONLY SEVEN!

I could go on and on about the atrocities committed by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, but I won't. The basic line is that he killed anywhere from 1 to 3 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979, which is just horrific. Even worse, is that he was basically off the hook. His only punishment was house arrest.

Vietnam

After a somber two days in Phnom Penh, it was off to Vietnam! We spent two nights in Ho Chi Minh in the Southern part of Vietnam. HCM is a vibrant city with tons and TONS of motorbikes! Crossing the street in Vietnam is a bit scary, because there is so much traffic; you can only walk forward very slowly, and bikes and cars don't stop for you, they just slow down and whiz around you. In HCM, we went to the War Remnants Museum about the Vietnam War. It was very interesting to view the war from a non-American perpsective. Needless to say, this museum focused on the atrocities committed by the Americans during the War. I had a flashback to my American Studies 1960s class at Skidmore, because a lot of what we covered in that class on the War was seen throughout the museum.

Right now we are in Hanoi. It is SO nice and cool up here! Cambodia was SO HOT, but Hanoi is very similar to Chiang Rai. It's wonderful to be able to walk around and not be constantly sweating! In Hanoi I got to meet up with a friend from Skidmore. Jay just moved here three weeks ago, so we had a nice joint discovery walking tour of the city.

Today we got back from Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island. Halong Bay is absolutely breath-taking with it's blue-green waters and limestone cliffs (3,000 islands) jutting out. It looks just like Pirates of the Caribbean! On Halong Bay we stayed in a traditional Vietnamese “junk” boat. We went swimming and kayaking, while on Cat Ba Island we went biking and to the beach. Both were great, but short-lived. I would love to go back some day because it was just so beautiful and incredible!

Halong Bay

Tomorrow we are off to Perfume Pagoda, which is a complex of Buddhist temples built into limestone mountains. It is similar to Halong Bay, but instead of being on the sea, it is on a river.

Soon we are off to Laos for a week followed by 10 days in Bali! Part 2 of this trip to come soon!

TWO WEEKS LEFT!

Anxiety just rushed through me, because I realized I only have TWO weeks left in Chiang Rai! This is absolutely crazy. Crazy and scary. And overwhelming. I hate leaving a place, and I hate saying goodbye. I especially hate saying goodbye to a change. It's extremely difficult to pack up your belongings (both physically and metaphorically), close the door behind you, and move on to a new chapter of your life. It's lt acknowledge that “time is up”, that you have to move on. It's even worse when you have to say goodbye to people and places you know you may never see again. I remember back in Denmark when I had to say goodbye to the children and staff at the Danish preschool I volunteered at; it was strange knowing I would never, ever, see those people again. And now that time has come again. There is so much symbolism in goodbyes: change, growth, moving forward, happiness, sadness, experience. As a result, my departure from Thailand is a mixed baggage of emotions. I am anxious to say goodbye to a place I have called home for the last year. I am extremely sad to say goodbye to some of my students. I wish I could stay just to continue to watch them grow as intellectuals and as individuals. I don't know when or if I will ever see them again. I desperately want to take them all home with me to New York, because I know they would fall in love with the city. It hurts knowing that I will be so far away from them. Thank goodness for Facebook and email! Yet I am somewhat at ease since I have post-Thailand plans in place. Knowing that I will be going to Turkey to be an au pair and English teacher makes leaving Thailand a lot easier. I'm not going into the unknown, I'm just moving on to do something else. And while I thought I would not be ready to leave Thailand after a year, I am. I'm so ready. I'm so ready to be at home for 7 weeks during the holiday season when everyone is happy, you can feel it all around you. There's a glow on everyone's faces and a warmth in the air. It truly is a magical time of year. I am ready to be with friends and family, although I know it will be an extremely difficult transition. However, I am glad I am leaving Thailand on a high note, when I am still in love with this country, and do not feel like I've been here too long. I know that I will always want to come back, and it's comforting to know that I have people here who will want me to come back.

So here's to the next two weeks of laughs and cries; of reflection, of being thankful, and hopefully leaving on a happy ending. It sure will be a bumpy ride!

It's About Time!

Today was our the English Department's goodbye party for Jessie and I. Although there are two weeks left in the semester (three weeks until I leave, almost four Jessie), P'Soy leaves on Monday for her America! Our goodbye party was held at the Rimkok hotel on the river, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch buffet. I was stuffed! All was wonderful until Jessie and I had to give our “thank you” speeches at the end of the meal; needless to say we both bawled our eyes out.

Yet what happened after lunch is the reason for this blog post: I FINALLY got to hang out with my teacher OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS! P'kop called me to see if I was free to go to her house and of course I said yes. She took me to her house where I met her husband, hung out in her “business” (she rents out small houses) and sat on the floor while we ate apples and guava. We then got our hair washed (in Thailand when you get your hair down they shampoo and condition it TWICE and give you a 20 minute head massage!) I also stayed and had dinner with her family. It was just a lovely afternoon, and it was so nice to catch up with P'kop and engage in girl talk. We never really have time in the office to have long talks, so it was really special to just sit on the floor of her house, snack on fruit, and chit chat.