Hannah’s Weblog

It has taken me a while to prepare for my first Thai entry…..I have been here now 7 days and so it is always more difficult starting a new page when so much has happened. I arrived in Bangkok last Friday afternoon. I was met by Dan and Steve two great guys who run Starfish ventures! 3 other girls arrrived at the same time and we piled into a leather lined mini van…complete with a/c and a karaoke machine!! Our stay in Bangkok was short, so unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to explore, but straight away I knew I was going to love Thailand. It was busy and exciting but not too crazy or overwhelming….(maybe Mumbai had prepared me for the worst!) The hostel we stayed in was lovely, clean and bright. The small amount I saw, it was clean, organized and has everything!! Seriously the lonely planet didn’t lie when it says ‘take as little as possible,  you can buy everything and at a fraction of the price’ well…I brought everything, so infact have no room to buy anything. My bag was filled to the brim, and in this insane heat felt nearly twice as heavy! Seriously! Hannah! Will I ever learn to travel light??? Will I? I wonder if I will. From 7/11’s to huge malls selling everthing you can buy in England…to oh yes, guess what!? Tescos!! Tescos has conquered Thailand…Apparently there is one here in Surin, but I refuse to go…hahahah…I am surprised actually as living in Japan, there was things I got used to living without. Fresh bread, cheese (well most dairy products) decent pizza…thats what i expected here. But my local supermarket in Surin has an amzing bakery selling sliced loaves of bread, fresh baguettes, cheese, blossom hill wine! You name it, they have it! We even ordered pizza the other night at Toon’s house and it was delicious!! Even though it did cost 400 bhat which I here is the price of a decent room. It’s strange  how these things make me uncomfortable, but at least they are there if I get that erge! Anyways where was I? Bangkok. So we all met up in the evening and Steve and Dan took us to Cabbages and Condoms (there are pictures on my flickr) its a restaurant that donates part of their profit to Aids awareness and educating rural areas about contraception. Great idea, hilarious restaurant!!! Lifesized models stand dressed in condom attire, I must say very creative condom attire…. I never realised they could make flowers look so pretty! Take a look and judge for yourself. There were 7 of us heading to surin and 2 down to Ko Tao. Lots of great conversations and even more thai beer……

The train to surin the next day was very pleasant. Compared to my terrible experiences in Indian train stations, this was luxury. We had plenty of time to board the train, find our seat and get comfy. The driver welcomed us and a little fellow offered us cold drinks and snacks It was a 7 hour journey north of Bangkok and into rural Thailand…….Lunch was served half way, 25 bhat for  a delicious helping of greesy chicked fried rice….mmmm…..just what i needed!

Surin has an impressive history. It is so close to cambodia that it is littered with ancient ruins and an interesting past. The first people to settle here were elephant farmers, and to this day Surin hosts Thailands biggest elephant festival in November. We saw one the other day meandering down the road, and this weekend infact we are taking a trip to a near by elephant village. It is one of the only places where the elephants are not used for work, they are pets. I cannot wait to see them, especially as I have heard a lot about sad elephant eyes, which sounds heart breaking. these elephants are apparently excellently looked after and very happy and healthy. I will write about how that goes next week.

So I am living in a nice house just outside of town. It has a nice social veranda and is plenty big enough for the 5 of us that are living there. It’s known as BIG C house, named after the local supermarket. I am beggining to settle into my room, and the routine of my volunteering adventure. Something I will still have to get used to though is the ants. They get everywhere and in everything!! I had to move my bed 3 times, and am currently sleeping alone, as I have moved my bed into the middle of the room slightly so they can’t find me…. The heat is another thing I will have to adjust to, and adjust to it I will. Yesterday the temperature soared in the 40’s which is the hottest humidity I have ever experieneced. In Japan the summers were hot, but at least I taught in air conditioning, at my school there are a handful of tierd looking fans. Sleeping equaits to tossing and turning, sweating and dozing……Luckily this internet cafe I am in right now is ice cold…pure bliss….. The problem I face is when I am in a/c I very quickly adjust and simply forget what is waiting for me outside…. everytime I step out of a cafe of mall the heat hit me like a smack in the face. Waves of heat roll through the air, as if an open oven door is constantly pouring its contents over me, left right and centre.

So the reason i am here is to volunteer. Ruth (who is from cheltenham) Hayley from the states and myself are all teaching together in a small school only 5 minutes by bike from where we live. It is an adorable little school with less than 100 students. They age from 3 up to 12. Everymorning 5 of the older boys play the drums, whilst the rest of the school march around the field. The pre-school darlings march in class. Assembly is held outside, and the handful of teachers stand near by with a slim cane (just in case)   They present the new English sentence for that week, and go over a few other things..( to be honest I am not sure wthat they are saying hahah) Then lessons begin at 8.30am. We teach P6 P5 ans P4 in the morning, three great classes of statically enthisiastic children. They are so keen to learn and enjoy all the games and fun that we create. One thing I have noticed and do not like is the way that t.vs play such a  role in these childrens schooling. Lessons are played to the class, and they stand, sit ,dance study and sing along with the tvs. Each class has them, and from what I have seen so far, the teachers sit at the back (if they are even in the class at all) The discipline the students show is incredible, as I do not know one class of children that would get on with their work without an adult present. All this said the children seem to love school. At lunch they bring their own rice and are served hot soup and meals. The little ones nap after lunch so when we leave for our lunch they are crowded around the water tap cleaning their teeth!! The smiles keep me going when the heat tries to drag me down. They are all a pleasure to teach, and I know that the 6 weeks that I will spend at this school the children are going to get sooo much out of it! So now it’s Thursday and my working week is over. I hav 3 days to explore Surin and vistit the elephant village…I can’t wait! Teaching here is proving a challenge, but with a cause so worthwhile I cannot help but enjoy every second….