The time has come yet again to make the age-old decision; stay abroad another year, or go home? I'm actually split three ways right now between moving home to Minnesota, moving to South America to teach (I've been fantasizing about living in a Spanish or Portuguese-speaking country for a while now) and staying at my current school.
The factors to consider are pretty much the same as they always have been: I love traveling, trying new things, pushing myself to live outside of my comfort zone...and not paying rent :) At the same time, I miss my family and friends. I miss feeling like I belong, and the sense of security I feel living near my family. And I HATE missing out on important events, such as one of my best friend's weddings this April, and my little brother's theatrical debut in his high school play this fall, just to name a few. Ever since I made the decision to leave Minnesota 3 years ago, this has been a constant internal dilemma. (Ok, maybe not so internal considering I blog about and talk to everyone I know about it...)
3 months ago it would have been a no-brainer. There was definitely an adjustment period where I thought I must have been insane for voluntarily choosing my current position. But my school has grown on me, my kids have grown on me, Pak Chong, the podunk town I live in, has grown on me.
I have moments where I think, 'wow, this is so cool, I'm definitely staying.' 5 minutes later a wave of homesickness will wash over me and I'll change my tune.
Yesterday was a prime example; During 7th period, I had only one student in class, so we joined up with Year 9 students going on their weekly visit to the elephant conservation center just 15 minutes down the road. The year 9 kiddos worked on their community service projects, my year 13 student took photos, while my year 12 student interviewed the director of the center for the newsletter we are putting together to market the school. Spending my Friday afternoon at work hanging out with elephants in the gorgeous December sunshine (the weather is magnificent right now) while my students are actually learning something... how cool is that?
Because I work where I do and our school is so small there are endless opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom, something that I think is really important. I've always thought that part of my role as a high school teacher is to help students see that there is a great big world out there beyond the confines of the school walls.
Then I went home to my hut and watched a few sappy, family-oriented episodes of Gossip Girl (shameful, I know) and I started thinking that maybe I'm over this 'living on the other side of the world from the people I love' thing.
My friend/neighbor/coworker Nicole gave me some solid advice that I think I will follow. This year I am fortunate enough to be able to spend 2 weeks at home for Christmas. (First time in two years!) She said when I'm coming back to Thailand, if it's hard to leave, then I'll know. I'm hoping that going home and getting my friend/family fix will put things into perspective. Until then, I'm just as torn as ever.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Good riddance, rainy season!
(Written October 30th)
Upon our return from Bali, the rain stopped and "cold season" was upon us. As a Minnesotan, I've experienced blistering cold, sub-zero winters and was a bit skeptical, but it actually is cold right now. Granted I live in a poorly insulated bamboo hut, but as I'm writing this, I'm sitting at my computer wearing long sleeves, long pants, and fuzzy socks with a fleece blanket wrapped around me.
Let it be known, I am not complaining in the least; merely observing. Pretty much any weather is better than the miserable, incessant rain that causes clothes to grow mold spots and my allergies to go berserk.
Life in Pak Chong from here on out will drastically improve. Plus, only 7 more weeks until my next vacation ;)
Upon our return from Bali, the rain stopped and "cold season" was upon us. As a Minnesotan, I've experienced blistering cold, sub-zero winters and was a bit skeptical, but it actually is cold right now. Granted I live in a poorly insulated bamboo hut, but as I'm writing this, I'm sitting at my computer wearing long sleeves, long pants, and fuzzy socks with a fleece blanket wrapped around me.
Let it be known, I am not complaining in the least; merely observing. Pretty much any weather is better than the miserable, incessant rain that causes clothes to grow mold spots and my allergies to go berserk.
Life in Pak Chong from here on out will drastically improve. Plus, only 7 more weeks until my next vacation ;)
October Break Part I: Bangkok Music Marathon
On our first day of vacation, we headed down to Bangkok for Bangkok Music Marathon. Like I said before, I hadn't really gotten into Thai rock yet. What I had heard, I found really repetitive and borderline cheesy at times. However, this is how I initially felt about K-pop, a genre which is now very near and dear to my heart :)
The concert was a blast, and although it's still cheesy and repetitive, I'm developing more of an appreciation for Thai rock. It's much better live, for one thing, and we also got to hang out with a few of the musicians milling about near the stage, which always helps. Also, did I mention that Thai rock bands have awesomely ridiculous names, like "Body Slam," "Sweet Mullet," Big Ass," and "Potato"?
Here are my favorite acts of the night:
"Da" of Da Endorphine
This chick rocks. While a lot of Da Endorphine's songs are of the cheesy, sappy persuasion, 'Da' has an amazing voice and great stage presence. She was very fun to watch.
Thaitanium
Thaitanium, a Thai-American hip hop group, was hands down the best act of the night. One of the members was born in New York City, so they have a lot more street cred. than some of the other "rappers" here in Asia (Big Bang, I love you, but you are SO not gangster!)
Da + Thaitanium - even better!
Hanging out with a Thai rock star:
(Me & the guitarist from 'Jetseter')
A good time was had by all :)
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Vacation!
(Written October 14, 2010)
So I've survived the first eight weeks of my teaching contract here in Thailand. It's been rough... I've had many "moments," but things should be a lot more smooth from here on out. This weekend the gang (a small group of teachers I work with) and I are heading to Bangkok to a Thai Rock Music Festival. They are huge fans, and while I haven't quite jumped on the bandwagon yet, I'm hoping after this weekend I'll be more keen* on Thai rock. (*I've picked up a lot of British slang working at a British school)
Sunday we are going to see Eat, Pray Love in preparation for Bali, and Sunday evening we fly to Kuala Lumpur. I could have skipped KL, honestly, and gone straight to Bali, but over the past few days I've been doing research and the shopping is supposed to be fantastic. I am going to allow myself to splurge a bit since I haven't bought ANY new clothes in the last 8 weeks, which is very very good for me. They also have Forever 21, which I developed a fondness for while living in Seoul because it's cheap and they actually had foreigner sizes.
After a few days exploring Kuala Lumpur, we're flying to Bali and spending the first 4 days in Kuta, which is on the coast. After that, we'll head up to Ubud for a few days, which is up in the mountains and supposed to be the cultural heart of Bali. I liken it to Thailand's Chiang Mai, and Kuta to Phuket.
The thought of this vacation is what's been getting me through the hours and hours of lesson planning and miserable rainy weekends in the hut. I cannot wait.
So I've survived the first eight weeks of my teaching contract here in Thailand. It's been rough... I've had many "moments," but things should be a lot more smooth from here on out. This weekend the gang (a small group of teachers I work with) and I are heading to Bangkok to a Thai Rock Music Festival. They are huge fans, and while I haven't quite jumped on the bandwagon yet, I'm hoping after this weekend I'll be more keen* on Thai rock. (*I've picked up a lot of British slang working at a British school)
Sunday we are going to see Eat, Pray Love in preparation for Bali, and Sunday evening we fly to Kuala Lumpur. I could have skipped KL, honestly, and gone straight to Bali, but over the past few days I've been doing research and the shopping is supposed to be fantastic. I am going to allow myself to splurge a bit since I haven't bought ANY new clothes in the last 8 weeks, which is very very good for me. They also have Forever 21, which I developed a fondness for while living in Seoul because it's cheap and they actually had foreigner sizes.
After a few days exploring Kuala Lumpur, we're flying to Bali and spending the first 4 days in Kuta, which is on the coast. After that, we'll head up to Ubud for a few days, which is up in the mountains and supposed to be the cultural heart of Bali. I liken it to Thailand's Chiang Mai, and Kuta to Phuket.
The thought of this vacation is what's been getting me through the hours and hours of lesson planning and miserable rainy weekends in the hut. I cannot wait.
Vegetarian Taryn
(Written October 3rd, 2010)
Since moving abroad I've met a lot of vegetarians , like Ashley, my vegetarian, animal activist BFF in Korea. Although it often put a damper on eating out for us carnivores, I always found her choice commendable, and I've said on multiple occasions that I'd like to be a vegetarian on principle, (mostly because it's better for the environment) but that meat is just too damn good.
I've also seen some horrifying ways that animals are treated before they are killed while living in Korea and Thailand, but it wasn't until I started reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's "Eat to Live" on Ashley's recommendation that I got the nudge I needed to start.
I knew that being a vegetarian is healthier for you and that everyone should probably be eating more fruits and vegetables, but I didn't realize HOW bad animal products are for you over time. I'm not going to attempt to explain all the health benefits of an animal product-free diet here, but if you are interested in learning more, here's Dr. Fuhrman's website.
But Furhman's Eat to Live diet isn't just about cutting out animal products; processed foods that contain food additives and high levels of sodium and sugar are just as bad for you. As a physician, he says that a lot of the ailments he treats patients for are 100% avoidable. We (as in Americans) are killing ourselves with the food choices we make.
Preventing cancer, heart disease, type II diabetes, migraines (which I suffer from) was the motivation I needed. Weight loss is just a happy side effect :)
Basically, Fuhrman says that for optimal health, the bulk of your caloric intake should come from nutrient-dense foods, so green vegetables, fruits, and legumes should be at the bottom of the food pyramid. After that, whole grains in limited amounts, and then fat free dairy and poultry, and on the very top of the pyramid, fats, oils, sweets, cheese (he really hates cheese; it's very high in unsaturated fat, which is apparently the worst kind) and finally, processed foods & beef.
So, mainly for health reasons, I'm giving this vegetarianism and part-time veganism thing a try. I say 'part-time' veganism because I don't think I can entirely eliminate cheese from my diet. I spent 3 years of my childhood living in Wisconsin, after all :)
But I really think I could stand to cut refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods from my diet as much as possible. As someone who doesn't really cook, they are a big part of my diet, and they have almost no nutritional value.
I'll let you know how it goes.
October 31st update: I've been happily meat-free for 30 days now :)
Since moving abroad I've met a lot of vegetarians , like Ashley, my vegetarian, animal activist BFF in Korea. Although it often put a damper on eating out for us carnivores, I always found her choice commendable, and I've said on multiple occasions that I'd like to be a vegetarian on principle, (mostly because it's better for the environment) but that meat is just too damn good.
I've also seen some horrifying ways that animals are treated before they are killed while living in Korea and Thailand, but it wasn't until I started reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's "Eat to Live" on Ashley's recommendation that I got the nudge I needed to start.
I knew that being a vegetarian is healthier for you and that everyone should probably be eating more fruits and vegetables, but I didn't realize HOW bad animal products are for you over time. I'm not going to attempt to explain all the health benefits of an animal product-free diet here, but if you are interested in learning more, here's Dr. Fuhrman's website.
But Furhman's Eat to Live diet isn't just about cutting out animal products; processed foods that contain food additives and high levels of sodium and sugar are just as bad for you. As a physician, he says that a lot of the ailments he treats patients for are 100% avoidable. We (as in Americans) are killing ourselves with the food choices we make.
Preventing cancer, heart disease, type II diabetes, migraines (which I suffer from) was the motivation I needed. Weight loss is just a happy side effect :)
Basically, Fuhrman says that for optimal health, the bulk of your caloric intake should come from nutrient-dense foods, so green vegetables, fruits, and legumes should be at the bottom of the food pyramid. After that, whole grains in limited amounts, and then fat free dairy and poultry, and on the very top of the pyramid, fats, oils, sweets, cheese (he really hates cheese; it's very high in unsaturated fat, which is apparently the worst kind) and finally, processed foods & beef.
So, mainly for health reasons, I'm giving this vegetarianism and part-time veganism thing a try. I say 'part-time' veganism because I don't think I can entirely eliminate cheese from my diet. I spent 3 years of my childhood living in Wisconsin, after all :)
But I really think I could stand to cut refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods from my diet as much as possible. As someone who doesn't really cook, they are a big part of my diet, and they have almost no nutritional value.
I'll let you know how it goes.
October 31st update: I've been happily meat-free for 30 days now :)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sweet Civilization
This past weekend I went to Bangkok, for no particular reason other than I just needed to get out of the village. The previous weekend, it rained all day Saturday and most of the day Sunday and we were cooped up inside the damp huts the whole time with shoddy internet service. I went a bit stir crazy. This weekend I wasn't going to leave fate in the hands of this cursed rainy season.
The trip was exactly what I needed; I got to walk around the city, shop, chill by the pool, eat Korean and Western food, attend a yoga class, drink really good wine, admire cute boys (Pak Chong is lacking in that department... at least ones that are as tall as I am) browse an English bookstore, etc. Basically I indulged in all of the things I can't get in Pak Chong.
It's probably a good thing I live in the countryside after all, because I dropped some serious baht in a very short period of time. But it is nice to know that civilization is only a 2 hour, 180 baht van ride away.
A few highlights:
I was very happy to stumble upon "Koreantown," located along Sukhumvit Road between Nana and Asoke BTS Stops. There are several decent Korean restaurants and a Korean Food Mart.
Big surprise, the area was full of Korean tourists, who come all the way to Thailand just to eat Korean food. So typical.
I spent the rest of the afternoon at Siam Paragon, a classy shopping mall located at Siam BTS Stop
Kinokuniya Bookstore, where most of my baht went
Okay, so we actually do have DQ in Pak Chong, but I was on an indulgence kick
Coffee/Oreo Blizzard...mmmm. Do we have this in the States?
I devoured this magical pizza after a 90 minute yoga/pilates class. The calories even out, right? ;)
The restaurant is called Pomodoro, right by Nana station on Sukhumvit. Try the Cabarnet Sauvignon; it's worth all 260 baht.
Ahhh... can't wait to go back :)
The trip was exactly what I needed; I got to walk around the city, shop, chill by the pool, eat Korean and Western food, attend a yoga class, drink really good wine, admire cute boys (Pak Chong is lacking in that department... at least ones that are as tall as I am) browse an English bookstore, etc. Basically I indulged in all of the things I can't get in Pak Chong.
It's probably a good thing I live in the countryside after all, because I dropped some serious baht in a very short period of time. But it is nice to know that civilization is only a 2 hour, 180 baht van ride away.
A few highlights:
I was very happy to stumble upon "Koreantown," located along Sukhumvit Road between Nana and Asoke BTS Stops. There are several decent Korean restaurants and a Korean Food Mart.
Big surprise, the area was full of Korean tourists, who come all the way to Thailand just to eat Korean food. So typical.
I spent the rest of the afternoon at Siam Paragon, a classy shopping mall located at Siam BTS Stop
Kinokuniya Bookstore, where most of my baht went
Okay, so we actually do have DQ in Pak Chong, but I was on an indulgence kick
Coffee/Oreo Blizzard...mmmm. Do we have this in the States?I devoured this magical pizza after a 90 minute yoga/pilates class. The calories even out, right? ;)
The restaurant is called Pomodoro, right by Nana station on Sukhumvit. Try the Cabarnet Sauvignon; it's worth all 260 baht.
Ahhh... can't wait to go back :)
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