I'll start with the day I spent at Pattaya beach with 250 students from Satit Bangna and 200
students from nearby schools cleaning up the trash-infested water and beach. Our school took 5 coach buses to the beach about 2
hours away. I was very lucky to be placed on the bus with 7th graders and spent my ride looking out the window with the occasion falling asleep head-bob. Some of the other teachers weren't as lucky. Those that were on the bus with the younger kids and directors were forced to sing karaoke the entire ride and found taking Advil was the only way to survive the day. Thank you 7th graders for bringing your video games and making my ride great. Beach clean-up went very well and I couldn't believe the amount of garbage we picked up.
The next day at school, Friday, December 4th, was a big celebration for the King's birthday. Thai people have an unbelievable amount of love for the King and his birthday is a national holiday, thus we had Monday the 7th off school. On Friday everyone was to wear pink, the color of the King, to school. Instead of morning assembly, students, parents, and teachers gathered and began prayer with the visiting monks. After a lot of prayer everyone gathered to give their food offerings to the monks. It was amazing to see the amount of food people brought and watch bag after bag being hauled out to the monasteries. In the picture you can see the monks walking around to tables picking up the food offerings.
As I mentioned, we got a three-day weekend because of the King's birthday. Yahoo! I headed north to Chiang Mai on an overnight bus with Nathan and Jenny. We were meeting
Leora, Reuven, and Alan on Saturday morning in Chiang Mai. The overnight bus wasn't great, but also not terrible. You can't beat a $12 bus ticket for over 10 hours of travel! I have heard endless praise of the city from anyone that has traveled there and I know understand why. It was less hot, less buggy, and less city like. On Saturday we spent the day meandering the streets with my National Geographic guidebook in hand following a walking tour through the ancient Chiang Mai. There was an endless amount of temples to see and I have to say we skipped over a lot of them. It gets to a point where all the temples begin to look the same. After sitting on a bus and wandering the city we all thought we deserved a massage. When they are so cheap it is nearly impossible not to get one. For 270 baht or $8 I got an hour and half massage. Did I mention it was by a female prisoner? Yes, we got massages at the Chiang Mai Women's Prison. The prisoners who are six months from being released are taught massage to help them find a job upon leaving the prison. Can't say I ever thought I would get a massage by a female inmate.
On Sunday afternoon we headed to Doi Suthep which is a little ways outside of Chiang Mai up a
mountain. A ways up is Temple Doi Suthep which overlooks the city. The temple was refreshing, but I was soon reminded I was in Thailand when I saw the large sign stating foreigners had to pay to enter. At most attractions throughout the country Thai people get in for free or a small fee while foreigners pay large amounts. Very frustrating and unfair. This temple wasn't terrible, Thai's were free and foreigners were 30 baht. After the temple we headed down the mountain to a series of waterfalls. I had a little mishap and while stepping into the water slipped on moss and fell into the water. Luckily the water was shallow, but I had my camera wrapped around my wrist and it was completely submerged in water. I was shaken up, but more upset about my camera. Amazingly though it works! Just needed a little time to dry out! We continued the hike which turned out to lead pretty deep into the jungle. I was on edge the entire time keeping an eye out for snakes and spiders. Leora was leading the way and knowing I am quite afraid of snakes she calmly warned me that she just saw one and I shouldn't freak out. Immediate panic set in. I turned around and started running down the 'stairs' we had just climbed into the 3 others behind us. They told me I had to stop because there really wasn't anywhere to go. I finally settled down a little and then had to laugh at how I reacted. I never knew I was so afraid of snakes. The weekend was still wonderful despite falling in the waterfall and seeing a snake.
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