Sawatdeekaaaaa! It’s been a crazy and hectic few weeks in Thailand. Sorry I haven’t posted in so long, but here I am! This post is a summary of some of the highlights of my first week in Hua Hin. I’m happy to say that I survived orientation! I shouldn’t say that as if it were a grueling, terrible experience, but the days were long and learning the Thai language is not easy (my level of understanding of the Thai language is comparable to the level of understanding that my dogs have of the English langauge– yeah, not good). Life in Thailand is absolutely amazing. It’s hotter than anything I’ve ever experienced (being drenched in sweat 80% of the time has become normal), but the beautiful scenery, great food, amazing people, and fascinating culture make it all worthwhile.
The view of Hua Hin from my apartment!
It’s so strange to be in a country where I am the minority. It’s an experience that I’ve never had before and is really beginning to open my eyes to an entirely different world. When we walk down the streets, everyone stares at us. They’re all friendly, and wave and smile, but it’s clear that they’re marveling over our round eyes and light skin. Being a minority in Thailand is weird. But it’s not bad. Many Thais are excited for the opportunity to practice their English with us, and really appreciate the efforts we’ve made to use their language. It is really important to learn the language, because unlike anywhere I’ve traveled before, most people don’t speak any English at all. Learning Thai is extremely challenging. It’s a tonal language, and there are five different tones. This means that the tone you use to say a word affects its meaning. For example, you can say the word “maa” with five different tones, and each tone has a completely different meaning. I am in struggle city with this and I’m so afraid that I’m going to use the wrong tone and accidentally tell someone to go #%&@ themselves. Thankfully, I haven’t done that yet (or I’m just not aware that I did).
As mentioned previously, I just completed my orientation. The program I am with is called Xplore Asia, and it’s honestly amazing in every way. Though the days are long, we are learning so much. The founder of Xplore Asia, Mike Volpe, has discussions with us in seminars for hours detailing the things we need to know about living in Thailand. These things range from culture, customs, going out tips, eating, history, and some hilarious anecdotes (like the time one of his students had a little too much to drink and woke up in bed with a ladyboy—yikes!). What is really special about this program is that the teachers and coordinators go out of their ways to show that they genuinely care about us. They have shared their stories with us, being honest about the hard times they experienced, bad relationships, addictions, misfortunes, etc., and this has created an environment of comfort, safety, and support. Their willingness to share themselves with us helped us to do the same. I have such great respect for them all. The other teachers here are equally amazing. I love hearing their stories and being surrounded by such incredible people.
Anyway, since I’ve been here, I’ve done some really amazing things. To keep up with my daily adventures, check out my new instagram: instagram.com/erinsthaitravels . But back to the amazing adventures, here are some of my best moments from my first week in Hua Hin:
1. Meeting the Thai students.
As a part of orientation, we’ve been taking classes at a local school for children. The hours are long and the classroom is blazing hot. No joke, 98 degrees, 100% humidity, and hot sun. It can get to be quite miserable. On our lunch break, my friends and I made our way through the schoolyard when all of a sudden we heard kids yelling and saw them running from every direction. I had no clue what was happening, they were literally running at us like we were the ice cream truck, and then all of a sudden they were jumping and climbing all over us. They were so excited to see new teachers (apparently they absolutely love foreign teachers). It was honestly the cutest thing I’ve ever experienced. They ran from teacher to teacher, giving high fives, climbing up our backs (one kid latched onto my backpack and almost made it onto my shoulders), and hugging us. The genuine smiles on their faces could warm the coldest of hearts (yeah, I should know…lol). The love that these kids have for teachers and education is so amazing to me. I’ve never smiled so big. I really hope that I’m placed with little kids (weird for me to say because I don’t normally love little ones), but in about 10 seconds, these Thai students changed my mind. I can’t wait to begin teaching them.
Notice the children running towards us in the background
The Thai kids love Kensey!
2. Meditating.
As a part of orientation, we traveled to a Buddhist temple with a massive golden Buddha that overlooked the ocean. Here, we meditated together for about ten minutes before meeting with a monk downstairs. It was such a peaceful experience. It’s crazy how meditation can put your mind and body completely at ease. It was completely silent, despite the fact that our group was made up of about 25 people! Though I’ll never really be able to match the amazing atmosphere in which I meditated for the first time, I think I’ll begin incorporating this Buddhist practice into a more regular part of my routine.
3. Muay Thai.
Another stop during our busy orientation was learning muay thai (very similar to boxing). It was SO COOL. I have never sweat more in my life (I’m finding that I say that phrase quite often here). Anyone who knows me knows that I lack hand-eye coordination and am pretty much a clumsy mess. I learned during muay thai that nothing has changed—I still suck at sports. Regardless of my clumsiness, I now know how to throw a solid punch, hook, uppercut, and throw some elbows and knees. I could probably defend myself in a fight with someone as uncoordinated as myself, though if I were actually in a fight, I would probably choose to run the #&!% out of there instead. Don’t come at me, bro
Post muay-thai
4. ELLIES.
It is no secret that I love elephants. I currently own about 20 items with elephants on them. So it should be no surprise that one of my favorite excursions during orientation was our visit to the Hutsadin Elephant Foundation. Our day began by swinging by a local pineapple plantation to grab some food for the elephants, then heading over. Hutsadin rescues and cares for abused elephants. There is an elephant there that is over 90 years old and was a work elephant in WWII! I had such a blast feeding them and playing with 7 year old Songkhran. Songkhran gave me a big kiss (gross and adorable at the same time). The best part was knowing that I was supporting a cruelty free organization. Though the elephants are there to be played with by tourists by day, they are free to roam around the land at night, and are never hurt by their caretakers. They were happy and healthy and I certainly plan on returning.
5. Beach BBQ.
We ended our super long week by heading to the beach for a BBQ and spending hours in the warm water. The food was delicious, the company was great, and the water was AMAZINGGGG. Thai beaches are so awesome.
I’ll be posting again soon with updates on what I’ve done recently. Lots of love—Erin <3