An American
Student in Thailand
I Followed My Heart to the Land of Smiles
Part 1 By Lindsey Koro
've said the word what seems like billions of times, but in 3 days
these images in my head of this foreign place will come alive. I'll
be living and working in a Muslim community called Ao Luk in the Krabi
province of Southern Thailand. I'm joining a volunteer organization--Global
Vision International (GVI)--of which I've heard wonderful things, to
teach English for ten weeks to little kiddos!
The words study, travel, and fun sum up my 21 year
old life right now. I'm a recent Communications and Education grad from
beautiful UC Santa Barbara, I've also studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia.
While exploring Down Under and visiting New Zealand and Fiji, I fell
in love with the beauty of traveling. Pease join me as I report on my
travels around Thailand and explore more of its hidden treasures.
Pi Tung, me, Tammy, Pi Rai, Pi Nui,
Mim (I fit right in with the short little Thai women!)
After two 10 hour flights and spending the night taking naps on
the floor of the Bangkok airport, I am finally in Krabi. It was
a long, enjoyable journey and I surprisingly made it without any
troubles. The Canadian girl (Lee), the English girls (Emma and Ella)
and I met up in the Bangkok airport and have been walking around
little Krabi town together. We have already made ourselves known
as the confused roaming foreigners. The four of us get along extremely
well... they are all wonderful and we feel like long time friends
already. I can't imagine being here on my own, where no one speaks
fluent English and every person turns their head as we walk by.
The area of town that we are in is full of little shops and people
riding motorbikes in sandals without helmets...sort of how I imagined
it to be. There is a river in back of the hotel with some beautiful
scenery, but the town itself is much less...civilized...then I had
expected. Our deluxe hotel room has a mirror that you can't see
yourself in and ceilings caving down above our beds...but there
is air conditioning!! My hair is dripping in sweat and is as frizzy
as can be, and I'm ready for my second shower of the day. Sticky
sticky sticky. All the clothes I brought with me are seeming thicker
by the minute. Can't wait to head to Ao Luk tomorrow and meet the
rest of the volunteers!
Some of my brightest students (4th graders)
I'm so busy! I think I'll be loving it once I get the hang of things.
Today Jill basically taught us how to teach the kiddies English
with games and activities. It is all common sense...there is no
magic answer like I was expecting. But to my surprise, we are not
supposed to speak any Thai at all to the children. We simply use
exaggerated gestures and few words. The other volunteers are mostly
in their twenties and really great people. Ella, Narelle and I jointly
teach our first lessons tomorrow --eek!
Can't help but favor these
cuties (1st graders)
Yesterday was really hectic. Ella, Narelle,
and I taught 2 first grade classes and one fourth grade class. It
was fine but we were really stressed out by the time we got to the
fourth grade class. The children are adorable though. They treat
us like we're famous. Dozens of kids reaching out to shake hands
with us, children waving from across the school screaming "HELLOO
HELLOO HELLOO!!!" -- and after class they all want our autographs
(no joke!). It's hysterical. It is interesting to see the difference
between the different schools we're working at. At the primary school
the teachers often leave their classrooms, so we show up to a room
full of students with no adult in the room.
The kids are really bright though...they try really
hard to speak English, and I cannot believe their perfect handwriting
and amazing ability to draw. I'm actually in shock about how smart
and talented those kids are compared to the first graders back
home. Education is taken very seriously and the Thai teachers
are very strict. They literally smack the kids or hit them with
canes or rulers when they misbehave. OH -- the national park!
Literally five minutes down the road their is a gorgeous park
full of beautiful waterfalls and natural swimming pools. It is
the perfect peaceful getaway.
On Friday we went to teach at a rural school about fifteen minutes
up into the green mountainous area of Ao Luk (that's the best explanation
I can give) The Thai English teacher (ha) was the sweetest, smiliest
person...so generous, bringing us drinks and hugging us nonstop.
She came up to us during one of our lessons with her same cheerful
look on her face saying something to the effect of "student
grandfather, he die, on street there, we go, you come, we eat, we
pray." Ella and I looked at each other completely confused.
She was too excited and happy to have said that someone died. "He
died?!" "Yes, yes, he die (big smile)". Apparently
Thais smile and attempt to express happiness during what we would
consider hard times. Anyway, the three of us followed the principle
of the school to this wake for this dead Thai man whom we had never
met. Dozens of blue plastic tables set up in literally the middle
of nowhere. Sad looking families. Weird sights like a 3 year old
boy carrying a huge chair three times the size of him. Flies everywhere.
People throwing rocks at a gross looking dog. Ella and I attempted
to act like this wasn't the strangest place we had ever been taken
to.
Me eating some sort of sea creature
in a shell
The four of us sat down and were served bowl
after bowl of different versions of pork. I don't like eating pork
in the first place so this was quite the experience. I can definitely
say that this was the spiciest food I have ever eaten. When the
last dish came, I said "dog?" to Ella, half joking, half
serious because this meat looked very disturbing. I asked the principle
what it was and she said "pork" so I took a bite. Then
she said "pork liver, pork lung, pork heart." YUM! After
we finished eating, we followed the lady to the area where the dead
body was. At this point I was feeling uncomfortable and rude for
just showing up to this funeral for a man I had no association with.
The principle went up to the sacred area and did some sort of ritual.
She then gestured for me to do the same. I looked around, had no
idea what to do, and proceeded to kneel down and bow and light a
stick of incense for the man whose photo was next to me.
The way I read this article, you stayed at the "Breeze
and Waves". Do you have any pictures of the cottages, and would you recommend
to some first time visitors to Caramoan?
--- Richard Simons, Stockton, CA
Hi Richard,
Breeze and Waves was still under construction when I stayed
there in Feb. 2010. It should be finished by now. You
can see pictures of the resort on this page. We got to stay in one of the
small cottages in the picture. I'll recommend it to budget travelers but you
might want to look at other options. We chose it because of its location right
by the beach. You can try other resorts in the Caramoan town proper (you have
to get a ride to take you to the beach and the jump-off point to go island-hopping
but it's a relatively short distance). There are also two higher end resorts
located on a cove and very near the islands: Gota Village Resort (unfortunately
there is something wrong with their website right now) and its twin resort Hunongan
Cove. Caramoan is a relatively new tourism development so resorts are just now
being built.
I should add that it might be good to go to Caramoan (and
almost anywhere in the Philippines) during the dry season in December to May.
June to November are the typhoon months and sometimes typhoons will still come
during early December.
Julio
* * * * *
Hi, I'm planning to go to Caramoan this coming May. Would you
know the number of Breeze and Waves Cottages? Thanks!
--- Ann, Manila, Philippines
Hi Ann,
Breeze and Waves' phone number is 0908-2911072. Look for
Freddie. Hope you have a grand time at Caramoan!
Julio
FEEDBACK FOR NINO
I enjoyed Nino's contribution, since we all read about the frightening
terrorist attack. Having travelled somewhat through India years ago, I am continually
impressed with this country and the gentle spiritual aspects of this nation.
Some day I look forward to going back. Nino has encouraged me. Thank you!
--- Yoka Y., Westlake Village, CA
FEEDBACK
FOR RUSH & CHUCK
Dear Mr.s/counselors Brown and Koro,
Thank you for a very informed and succinct article on motorcycle
accidents and the law. It inspired me to think about getting a motorcycle, but
not have an accident. But, if I do I am now well informed with the basics of
what to do providing I do not perish in the accident. Any tips about that too?
--- Unnamed
Dear Rush and Chuck,
I wish I had read your article before our camping trip the Friday
prior to President's Day.
My wife and I were in a car accident on our way to a camp ground.
We were "rear-ended" and the impact caused our car to crash into the
car in front of us. The contents of the truck that we were riding scattered
onto several lanes. It's a miracle our two dogs decided to stay inside the car.
My wife and I were shaken up badly but despite the mess, I was still able to
walk out of the car. I got the license plate of the driver in front of me but,
to my surprise, after reviewing the little damage on his car, he then sped off.
I didn't know you could do that! The driver who hit me from behind gave me his
information and then he too left the scene without saying good 'bye.
When the police arrived all I had to go by was the little information I had
jotted down which I hope was truthful. What if it was bogus? What if I had written
the plate number incorrectly? How would that affect my insurance? What if we
were unconscious, who would have written down all that information?
I do have one suggestion if you are injured in an accident.
The police asked if my wife wanted an ambulance to bring her to the hospital
but we declined the offer. I remembered when I rode an ambulance years ago that
it was not a comfortable ride. I was strapped to the stretcher and there were
all sorts of medical equipment dangling noisily above me. As long as you are
able, it is a more relaxful ride inside a car. Besides, isn't there a fee for
ambulance service?
've said the word what seems like billions of times, but in 3 days
these images in my head of this foreign place will come alive. I'll
be living and working in a Muslim community called Ao Luk in the Krabi
province of Southern Thailand. I'm joining a volunteer organization--Global
Vision International (GVI)--of which I've heard wonderful things, to
teach English for ten weeks to little kiddos!
