Tonsai Today, Gone Tomorrow

Saturday – 3^rd April, 2010

Well, my trip has taken a slight detour, but it is one I wanted to take. After spending my first day in Tonsai, I realized that I am not really much of a beach person. I need more than lazily lounging my days away to occupy my time. Granted, there is rock climbing, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, while Tonsai is gorgeous, I could rock climb in other places around the world. Plus, many of the routes in Tonsai are a little more advanced than my skills allow me to climb. How many chances will I have to stay in Bangkok? So after deliberating, I decided to change my ticket so I could have four more days in Bangkok. My ticket was originally for 7^th April, but I flew back to Bangkok today. I am pretty happy with my decision, especially considering I will get to see all the things I missed my first time around here.

As for the time I did spend in Tonsai, I did meet some very nice people. The rock climbers in Tonsai are very intense. Many of the people I talked to there were spending months there just climbing and relaxing. I’m not sure how they afford it, but there are plenty of long term residents. The Tonsai Bay is pretty isolated from the rest of the places around it, which means all the climbers form a really close knit group. All in all, climbing is all that really goes on at Tonsai. Maybe my aversion to a beach vacation coupled with the overwhelming prevalence of climbing is what made me change my ticket. Don’t get me wrong, I love climbing, but I would also like to have other stuff to do.

I was able to do some climbing with a few people I met, and they really pushed me. It was great to see climbers who were way better than me and listen to the way they think about approaching a climb. I climbed for two days total and was only able to get to the top of one climb, leading it no less. It also happened to be the last thing I climbed, which was a great feeling after two days of struggling up the rock.

Now, I’m riding on the bus back into Bangkok, heading back to the guesthouse I stayed at a few days ago. I’m excited to get back and see more of the city. After this leg, it’s back to Chiang Mai for the final few weeks of my time in Thailand. But I don’t need to get into that now. I’ll just focus on Bangkok and all it has to offer.

Day Tripper

Tuesday – 30^th March 2010

**ATTENTION**

For the remainder of my short trip around Thailand, internet access will be at a premium (roughly 2 baht/minute). This unfortunately means I will not be updating the blog as regularly as you might have hoped. What I decided to do to fix that is write entries in word and then just copy them into the blog once I’m back on free internet. So in a few days, you will be getting a massive amount of updates. And now back to your regularly scheduled blog.

I left Bangkok this morning to begin the final leg of my trip southward. My final stop (there were only two, though) is Krabi. Krabi is at the southwestern tip of Thailand, pretty close to peninsular Malaysia. As I was driving down the highway toward the Bangkok airport, I realized I was a little sad to be leaving. This surprised me because I did not know what to expect coming into Bangkok. But despite my relatively short time there, I really enjoyed myself. The city has a very unique energy (as I think I posted previously) and I was legitimately upset I was going to miss it. I barely got to see the city, as it is a huge, sprawling metropolis, but I had a great time seeing the places I did. I have questioned whether I could really live in Chiang Mai for an extended period of time while I was there, but with Bangkok I could instantly see myself living there and building a life (not to say that is what I’m planning).

But my trip was moving forward, and so were my plane tickets, so onward I went. I met a nice (albeit typical) couple on the flight down - a white expat with a Thai girlfriend. These two were both older, so I wonder if it was a legitimate couple. Either way, they were nice enough to share a taxi with me from the airport. After suffering through the stifling Chiang Mai and Bangkok heat, I expected the weather to be similar in Krabi, but with a cool ocean breeze interspersed. Turns out, this time of year Krabi gets a good amount of rain, and this afternoon was no exception. We landed in the middle of a pretty good storm and I realized I was completely unprepared for this kind of weather.

To get to Tonsai, where I am staying, you actually have to take a boat from the beach at Ao Nong (part of Krabi) around the cape to the Tonsai beach. I bought a ticket and waited for more people to buy tickets so the boat could fill up and leave. As I stood there I watched how these Thais interacted with the western tourists. I immediately saw they acted much differently than people in Chiang Mai, or even Bangkok. These Thais seemed somewhat hostile and offput by the westerners here. I thought about it and realized that they do have a somewhat legitimate reason for acting this way, as we westerners have basically exploited there home for our leisure. I saw many more white people than Thais, something that I had never experienced yet. Perhaps they are bitter about that. Or maybe the rain was just a downer for everyone. Whatever the case may be, they all seemed to have an attitude with the westerners. That sentiment continued once I got to Tonsai. I walked to the local rock climbing store because they also run a guesthouse, and asked to see a room. I hadn’t made a reservation yet, mainly because no place here takes online reservations. The guy I asked actually seemed upset I wanted to see a room and interrupted him doing nothing but lying around because of the rain. But he begrudgingly took me to see an uninspired room. It was literally a bed surrounded by thin walls and a bathroom attached. Needless to say, between the ‘tude and the room, I opted to pay a little extra and get some hospitality and comfort (relatively speaking), plus free breakfast in the morning at a different guesthouse down the road.

After settling into the room I did end up getting, I walked down to get some dinner at the only place I saw on the way in. I sat down at the table and looked around to get a sense of the people as I waited for a menu. I noticed everyone was sitting with friends, and I got to thinking that I was a little disheartened to be traveling alone. Not only here, where having a climbing partner would be great, but in general, I would love to have someone to travel with. Maybe this is my subconscious attempt at a metaphor we can all infer, but it would be nice to visit these places I’ve been and share that with someone else. The more I travel, and the more people I meet, the more I realize that it is the connections we have and make that matter. I could go visit the most amazing places in the world, but if I have no one to share those memories and places with, why go in the first place? I know I’m very extroverted, but I think this feeling goes deeper than that. So if anyone’s up for a new adventure, look me up.

I’d love to write more, but I’m getting sleepy, and looking back at this post, it’s pretty long by itself. I’ll be sure to post more tomorrow or so.

Stepping Out

After five and a half months in Thailand, I finally made it out of the Bangkok Airport. Coming into Bangkok after living in Chiang Mai for the past few months was a very unique experience. I realized as I rode the bus down the highway from the airport that I had not been in a major city in a very long time. It was a little shocking stepping off the bus and having to weave between people as I made my way down the street to my guest-house. Once I got my bearings, I began to understand the tourists in New York much better as I found myself simply staring up at the buildings. Added to that was the allure of the BTS Skytrain, which is Bangkok's version of a subway. The only difference is that rather than being underground, the city built the system over existing roadways. I think I can equate my experience to someone that lives in the rural midwest going to New York, Chicago, or any densely populated city for the first time. The sheer amount of everything is overwhelming. But at the same time, once I got myself settled in my room, and began walking around to get a lay of the land, I felt that same underlying energy I feel whenever I am in New York. It is an unspoken understanding, I think, amongst all the people of the city, that anything is possible. That is an exhilarating feeling that I think few cities can claim. I felt an instant attraction to my surroundings.

Tomorrow I will begin sightseeing in the city, and I'm sure I will take many, many pictures. So keep a look out for those. In the meantime, I need to get some sleep.

The End is Nigh

I have been in Thailand for nearly half a year now, and it is only recently that I feel myself beginning to understand life here. Coincidently, I also find myself at the end of my time here. I now have less than one month left in Thailand, and I don't really know how to feel about that fact. I have loved my time here, but at the same time I feel that I want to go home. Not for any homesickness, or dislike of my adopted life here. It's a strange feeling wanting to be in two places at once. When I return to the US, I know that my life will be an endless series of job interviews until I find a job. But I feel a strange pull back home.

I'm having a bout of writer's block, so I'll end by saying that it's hard to believe that 5 months have gone by already and my time here is almost up. But life marches onward. I've still got about a month left here, then who knows where my next adventure will be?

PIZZA PARTY!!

Yesterday was the last day of classes here at Dara Academy, so I thought what better way to end my class's immersion in Western culture than by throwing a good old fashion pizza party. Who doesn't love pizza?! These kids sure did. I brought in five big pies for the kids to devour. I also sent a letter home to all the parents, offering the suggestion (wink, wink) that they could send food or drinks to school with their student. The kids came with tons of food - chocolate, soda, candy. But the highlight was definitely the kid who brought in a huge tub of french fries. It must have weighed a good 10 pounds. The kids loved that too.

I took a lot of pictures, which can be seen here. I also recorded a video of them playing a game. I couldn't quite figure it out, but it seems to be a mix between ring around the rosie and freeze tag. I tried uploading it, but there appears to be some technical difficulties. I will try uploading it some other time.

All in all, it seems like the kids really enjoyed themselves during the party. I am definitely going to miss them, and teaching kids this young helped me see that I do have the patience for middle school, if I had no other options. It's strange to think that I am done teaching in Thailand. I still have more time here, but it feels like I just began this job and it's already over. But, so it goes. Hopefully my next pizza party will be with high schoolers in New York City.

Hittin the Road

Today was an exciting day for me. I taught my last class here in Thailand, renewed my passport (which, while still having all of my middle names, no longer has Laks-Marx as my last name), finalized my trip details and bought my plane tickets to Bangkok and Krabi. The end of classes was somewhat anti-climactic, as I was simply told by my co-teacher that they were going to review for the upcoming tests and didn't need me there. I still have one more class with my NP class, but that is a party class, so no more teaching. I will definitely take pictures of the kids stuffing their faces during the party, so don't worry about that.

As for my passport, I don't know if anyone has gotten a passport in recent years, but the new ones are pretty fancy. They apparently have a computer chip in them for tracking or scanning. A lot different than my old one. It was a little disappointing knowing I wouldn't be able to add more visas and stamps to my old passport (I was able to keep it though), but it was also exciting getting the new one, every page empty, full of possibilities. It is almost like the beginning of a new trip - one that will last until 2020 when I have to renew my passport again.

The first thing I did with my new passport was book my year end trip to Bangkok and Krabi. I'm still a little hesitant to go to Bangkok based on everyone's description of it to me. But I feel like I ought to see the capital of Thailand if I'm here. It may be a big, noisy, polluted city, but I like those. Plus I want to ride the SkyTrain. After a few days in Bangkok, I head down to Krabi, one of rock climbing's top 5 destinations. And now that I know how to lead climb, I can head down there confidently. After a few days of climbing, I'm hoping to find a smaller island and just relax there. I want to do absolutely nothing for about 3 days. Just lie on the beach, swim in the ocean, read books - that's it.

It's all coming up soon, and before I know it I'll be back in America. Prepare yourself, I know I am.

Next Stop, Anywhere

Over the past few weeks, as the school year winds down, I've begun feeling slightly stagnant. I know, I know, you're probably thinking "Josh, you're in Thailand. How can anything feel stagnant?" I think the main reason is that I've developed a routine, and created a comfort zone for myself. Anytime that happens, you forget that there is so much going on around you to see and experience. That's not to say that having routines and being comfortable are bad. But I remember how excited I was to go explore a new area of the city with my camera when I first arrived. Now, I've become comfortable in my surroundings, the people I know, the places I go. At the same time, I realize there is literally an entire country for me to explore. I need to do that as often as I can. So I decided I need to get back out and explore as much as I can before my time here is up. Hopefully I'll be able to capture as much of this as I can with pictures or video. If not, you will have to relive it through my words. So expect to see many more pictures and stories in the near future. Hope you enjoy them.

Climbing the Days Away

As you may have noticed by the pictures I've been posting recently, I have rediscovered how much I love rock climbing. I am spending most of my free time either at the local climbing gym, or on the weekends I am out at the crag (where the rock climbing is outside). The crag, called Crazy Horse, is about an hour east of Chiang Mai through some scenic pastoral Thai farmlands. I really like going out there with a few people I met at the climbing gym and just spending the day there. It's very peaceful in the forest, and even more so when you are 20 meters up and it's just you and the mountain. All this rediscovery has prompted me to decide on what kind of travelling I want to do after the school year ends. I had been thinking about where to go between the end of school and my flight home for a while, and wasn't coming up with anything. Then, after I began rock climbing again, I decided I would take a trip to southern Thailand, specifically the area of Krabi, Railay, and Ton Sai. This is supposedly some of the best climbing in the world, and already being in Thailand, I thought it would be stupid not to head down there and check it out. There will definitely be pictures of that when it happens.

In addition to my decision to travel down south, I also decided I needed to visit Bangkok. Coming to Thailand without seeing Bangkok did not seem right, either. If everything works out, two friends of mine will be coming with me to Bangkok on their way somewhere else. So we will all spend a few days in Bangkok before heading our separate ways. It should be a lot of fun, and I'm excited to see the city and what it has to offer.

That's about it for now. I also decided I want to start taking mini road trips along nearby highways and bring my camera. Once you get out of the city proper, there is a lot of countryside to see. Some of it is pretty spectacular. Hopefully I can fit everything in before my time here ends.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

Sadly, it has been nearly a month since my last post. I am not sad about it so much as I'm sure people who check this regularly have started getting bored with it. The lack of postings has been mostly because I am doing more and more with my free time. So sitting in front of a computer doesn't seem like as good a use of my time. In the month since my last post, a lot has been happening here in the land of smiles.

I guess the biggest news is that I bought my plane ticket home. It's a little weird that I already did that and I feel like I just got here. I really like it here, and I know I will miss it, but I think it is a good decision not to stay another year. At least that is what I keep telling myself. Coming back now will give me plenty of time to look for teaching jobs, I just hope there are some for me when I get back. And who knows, if I stayed another year, I might like it so much I never came back.

In other news, I started rock climbing outdoors again. I forgot how much I like it. I am taking some courses here so I can feel knowledgeable when I return to the states. Once there, I think I'm going to start climbing a lot more. It'll be a little bit of an investment, but it'll definitely be worth it.

One question I keep asking myself is where I want to be when I get back. Now that I'm sure I'm coming back, I am not sure what city I want to find myself in. I haven't lived in New York for about eight years now, which is a long time. So a big part of me wants to live there. But I also know finding a job in New York will be much more of a challenge than in other cities, like Baltimore. Or the option of a whole new city is still a possibility. I don't know yet, but hopefully I will by the time I get home.

On the domestic front, I am debating between saving my money for when I get back and spending it all and travelling around Thailand. I think I want to travel. After all, when else am I going to be able to see all this stuff without flying from the states? Maybe I can somehow balance my money saving and my travelling. We'll see.

Hopefully posts will be a little more regular, and a little more interesting. I just had to write something now to get myself back into it. Until next time, keep watching the stars!

Sawadee Pee Mai 2K10!!

To begin this post, let me first say Happy New Year! Or, in Thai, Sawadee Pee Mai! I have been away from this blog for about two weeks now. The reason for the absence is that my friend Jonathan came to visit me from the 24th to the 7th. We had a lot of fun exploring all that Chiang Mai has to offer. It was actually kind of nice to play tour guide for him since I had only been here for about two and a half months, so many of the sights we saw were new for both of us. I am still sifting through all the pictures we took during his stay. Several albums are already uploaded, all of which you can see here.

New Year's in Chiang Mai was really fun. We had met some girls a few nights before, so they invited us to a place called Rasta Alley. Rasta Alley is basically about ten bars located in the same area, and one of the central bars is a Reggae bar, hence Rasta Alley (I never said it was a clever name). While there, I met several members of a band that had played that night. We started talking about how much they like the blues, and after a while, they actually invited me to play with them before their next show the following week. So far, I've played with them twice. Once before anyone got there, and this past Friday in front of a pretty big crowd. I am definitely out of practice on electric guitar, but from what I can tell, I think they enjoy playing with me. They carry me through my solos though. I'm hoping I can keep playing with them.

On a serious note, I was asked to give in a letter to my boss stating my official intentions for next school year. It was a tough decision, as I really, really like it out here. But after going through the pros and cons, I decided that I would be coming back at the end of this school year. So for all those wondering if they will ever see me again, the answer is yes. Most likely sometime in April. A big part of my decision to come back was Toby. I knew my parents wouldn't watch him for another year after being VERY generous and watching him for this amount of time, and I didn't have the heart to give him to a shelter or home after adopting him from one. It just would feel so wrong. So I will be back in April, starting the job search yet again. But until then, I'm going to live it up in Thailand.

Side note: As I stated above, I will be staying here until mid-April. The school year here ends March 19th. If ANYONE would like to come visit, please do. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a semi-local here to help show you around a very foreign place. Airfare is also very affordable now if you book relatively soon. Air China has very affordable round trip tickets from New York City to Bangkok. Just check Kayak.com to check prices.