Jumping Jacks: Last Thoughts as an Ajarn

I've had a few teachers in my life that I think of from time to time, even now, because of the way they've impacted my love for learning, spiked my interest in certain topics, and just plain got me to enjoy being in their classes. I think it's an extremely appropriate time to give shoutouts here to Ms. Ann Tippett (HS junior year US History), Ms. Vicki Craven (HS senior year English), Ms. Teresa Asai (HS senior year Spanish), and Professor Ellen Peirce (college Business Law & Ethics).

And that's mostly what I thought of the last few days of teaching, that many of these kids will forget that I ever existed the moment they walk out of my classroom. But maybe there's a few, just a few, who will remember me. On the very last day of classes, Lee and I decided at the last minute to give out our email addresses and Facebook info with the premise that if any of them ever wanted to contact us ("in ENGLISH, please!"), then they could. Needless to say, the random wall posts and messages have been very entertaining, and I'm hoping that means they haven't forgotten me quite yet. :)







After the official semester ended, Lee and I taught two weeks of English Camp - I spent one week with the upcoming M 1.1 kids (the advanced 7th graders) and he spent one week with the upcoming M 4.1 (the advanced 10th graders), then we switched classes for the final week. THESE WEEKS WERE AWESOME. Why? Because I got to spend 3 hours each day with the same 40 kids for an entire week, during which I probably taught them an entire year's curriculum, learned and memorized all their names and faces, and most importantly, felt that I really got to know each student as an individual.

Highlights of English Camp:

- On the first Monday morning after 1.5 hours of teaching, I let them out at 10:30 for a generous 20 minute bathroom and snack break. I told them to be back NO LATER than 10:50 (foreshadowing). At 10:50 there's about 4 out of 40 kids in their seats, but everyone else casually saunters in from 10:51-10:55. I tell these slackers to go stand in the back of the classroom. After everyone is back, I have the 36 late kids do 20 jumping jacks and count out loud, while the other 4 are laughing at them. After they're red-faced and sitting in the seats, I write down "20, 40, 60, 80, 100" on the board and carefully explain to them that since they were late today, they had to do 20 jumping jacks, and if they're late tomorrow, they'll do 40, then 60 on Wednesday, 80 on Thursday and if they're late on Friday, they'll do A HUNDRED JUMPING JACKS. They nodded with fear in their eyes. Muahaha. The next day, I let them out for a break again at 10:30 and tell them to be back by 10:50. Everyone sprints out of the classroom. I go to use the restroom myself, and then come back to the classroom at about 10:36. What do I see? ALL OF THE KIDS ARE ALREADY BACK AND SITTING AT THEIR SEATS, smiling nervously. I laugh to myself and think that I have never felt more powerful in my life... (evil laugh)

- On the third day of class, I told each of them to hide their nametags, and I walked around and called each of them by name. Then I turned around to face the board, tell them to quickly run around the classrooom and switch seats, and hide their nametags. Still nailed it.

- On the last day of class, I gave each of them a Silly Band. They went ape.



This was the most satisfying way to wrap up our teaching experience. I thank all my students for teaching me more about myself and life over the last 5 months than I cold ever imagine, and Buddha Bless all of the wonderful teachers in the world. You guys rock.


On Tuesdays we wear pink! No joke.

Laos, Vietnam, and Southern Thailand Pt. 3/3

Goodbye Vietnam and hello paradise! After traveling through two countries in 10 days we figured we give ourselves a treat and head for Southern Thailand and Koh Phi Phi.

For those of you elders, Koh Phi Phi is the island where the movie The Beach was filmed featuring your boy Leo. But before we even got there, we ended up at Railay Beach and met up with some friends. Stories were exchanged, water was swam in, and food was devoured. That night I came up with the brilliant idea that if we drank liquor it would be cheaper than buying beers. So we showered and met at our bungalows restaurant and played some card games. After awhile we went to a little reggae bar down the beach and listened to some music there for awhile before calling it a night.

Mustache Steph

The next morning came and punched me in the face. I blindly packed my things and headed for the ferry boats that were waiting to take us to the promised land. We boarded, and I soon found refuge in the middle of the boat in everyone's way and went to sleep in the blazing sun. We got to Koh Phi Phi and headed for a travel agency we had heard about from a friend that takes you out for a camping trip to Maya Bay. Once we heard that this even a possibility we had to pursue it. So we got everything set up and had to sit around for an hour or so before we left. This was a bad time for me. Finally we got on the long-tail boat and set sail for a day of full of snorkeling and monkey watching and all that fun stuff you love to do when your hungover.

After a rough day of snorkeling through the choppy waters we made it to Maya Bay and once it came into vision I started feeling better. It was beautiful. It was first-class. It was the epitome of paradise. We finally got off the boat ride from hell and stepped onto the chillest beach in the world. We made it.

That night we partied with fellow campers from all over the world. Just chatting and having a few drinks. It was a lot of fun. Then we took a dip in the glowing water. Yes glowing. Some type of illuminescent plankton. We then got some sleeping bags and pillows and found a nice spot out on the beach to keep. Hundreds of stars. Gently crashing waves. Perfect ending to a not-so-perfect day.

Laos, Vietnam, and Southern Thailand Pt. 2/3

Goodbye beautiful Laos, hello Vietnam. We arrived by plane and then caught a bus into the capital of Hanoi. At night the city looks great. Bright lights everywhere and people meeting by the lake that is the center of the Old Quarter. We thought, "Wow, Vietnam is gonna be pretty cool!" We found our hostel and met up with Becca and called it a night, eager to get an early start the next day.

There is a lot tell about our travels through Vietnam, so to save time and not bore you with mindless drivel I will sum it up in with a few bullet points.

• Hanoi has an energy to it. You can feel it in the streets and in the peoples faces. Another fellow traveler said it best when she said "the city has a dark dome of gloom on it." We couldn't agree more. I don't know if was the weather or what, but no one had a smile on their face. It made me depressed. But, there was some good news. Vietnamese cuisine is incredible. I had never been so excited to eat. Noodles and spring rolls were everywhere, and we ate them every chance we got. I probably gained five lbs. Oh, and traffic in Vietnam is absolutely lawless. Dozens of motorbikes, cars, and bicycles meeting at an intersection that has a traffic light, but seems to go unnoticed. It was exciting to watch.
  
  

• Riding the trains down the coastline of Vietnam was really cool and I wasn't heartbroken when we boarded the train in Hanoi and headed south to DaNang and Hoi An. This was our first sleeper train ride, and we were all pretty anxious to see what it was like and also excited to see who our two bunk mates were going to be. Luckily, we were greeted by an older German couple at the entrance to our sleeper, so we felt pretty comfortable about the situation. Being the gentleman that we are, Connor and I gave the girls the middle bunks and we took the top bunks. There was one foot of space between the tip of my nose and the top of the ceiling. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but after a while I felt right at home. I looked down and Steph was asleep within the first twenty minutes, so I knew she was content with the sleeping arrangements.
  
  

• Hoi An completely washed away all the depression and darkness that Hanoi had planted in our minds. We checked in our hostel and bought a case of Biere Larue for 210,000 dong and sat by the pool and played some cards. Day 2 was spent biking through the quaint bustling market. Postcards and tanks were purchased.
  
  

• Another train ride, this time it's 17 hours, and it's headed for Saigon. We were all pretty excited about this. Two of our friends, Katie and Chelsea, were already there so we were anxious to see them. We got some dinner with them and had a few drinks then called it a night and went back to watch Jurassic Park. It was great.

• The next day we booked a tour to the Mekong Delta. I have always wanted to see the mighty Mekong River, so I was pretty pumped about it. The day was filled with boat rides through floating markets and authentic Vietnamese dining. Seeing how the river provides in so many different ways for the villagers was pretty cool.
  
  

Goodbye Vietnam. You left me with mixed feelings. On one hand your grimacing faces made me feel unwanted and insecure, but on the other hand you dazzled us with delicious food and breathtaking scenery. It's a toss-up.

Laos, Vietnam, and Southern Thailand Pt. 1/3

Laos, Vietnam, and Southern Thailand in 2.5 weeks. Can we do it? Can we see everything that each place has to offer? No, but we damn sure tried.

Me, Steph, and Mr. Connor set off on our our adventure from the Bangkok train station with Laos being our first destination. The overnight train ride was incredibly cold and for some reason they didn't turn off the lights, so needless to say we didn't get a lot of sleep. But that's OK, because Laos is one of the more relaxed and chillest places on the globe. We get through the border easily and jump on a plan for Luang Prabang, a.k.a chill city.

We checked into our hostel and then hit the streets in search of some authentic Laotian cuisine. We found a nice place by the Nham Kham River and ordered some laap, which is a Laotian salad that has chopped meat mixed with chilies, onion, and garlic placed on a bed of lettuce. FLAVOR EXPLOSION! One of the best dishes I've had in Asia. During all of this we watched some monks and other locals enjoy the calm and cool waters of the Nham Kham River. It made me want to go to the mountains of Laurel Fork.

The next morning Steph had convinced us to take a 39 mile round-trip bike ride through villages to the Kuang Si Waterfall. Connor and I thought she was a little crazy, but once we started we had a lot of fun. Connor had some issues with his bike chain. So he was forced to head back into town and get another beach cruiser. Steph and I continued on and battled through the blazing heat and "gentle undulations" while passing through several small villages. This was the highlight of the trip for me.

The children of the villages had just been let out of school and were walking home. Not many foreigners come riding through their streets on beach cruisers so you can imagine the reception we got. We biked by groups of kids and were met with little hands being held out to give high fives. At one point a group of 8 year olds started chasing after us. This image will forever be burned in my memory. On the way we passed by a couple Laotian kids riding their bikes. I gave them some water and we pushed our bikes together up a massive hill. These little guys motivated us to finish the ride and make it to this elusive waterfall.

Connor met us at the waterfall and we swam around for a little while and had some photo shoots. The ride back wasn't as bad as it was mostly downhill. I swear at one point I was blazing at 60 m.p.h. Once we got back to the city a great feeling of accomplishment came over me. It was a great end to a wonderful day.

The next two days in Luang Prabang we spent relaxing. Biking and walking through the charming little town was great, so was trying different cakes that were offered at every street corner. Mango, apple, chocolate, orange, and pineapple all lit up our taste buds with flavor. Some of the best baked goods I've ever had.

The french colonization is evident in the architecture and food. Connor and I woke up every morning thinking it was Christmas, because we got to go the sandwich section of the main street. The toasted chicken and cheese was by far the best.

We didn't want to leave Laos, and it was tough to say goodbye. The food was excellent. The scenery was captivating. And the people welcomed us with open arms and caring eyes. When we took off for Vietnam we weren't expecting the same reception.


To be continued...

Top 10 Things I HATE About Thailand

Steph and I were beach bums for about two weeks. We went to Koh Chang for New Years for a few days then went to Koh Kood for a week. I can't take it here anymore. I'm coming home early.


Waking up to rolling waves hitting unscathed white sand beaches makes me want to harm young children.


And I swear if I have to go to another waterfall I am just gonna lose it on a litter of puppies.


Canoeing through a river in a mangrove-clad jungle just aint what it used to be.


See these puppies. I hate 'em.


A beautiful woman to pass the time with. ehhh...whatever.


Staying at some tropical island beach resorts for next to nothing? What do I look like? An idiot?


Snorkeling? Who needs it? Why do I want to look at some flashy self-absorbent fish?


All I wanna do is take a damn hot shower.


So that's it for me. I'll see all of you back home in a couple weeks. Thanks for nothing Thailand.

-L