A quick note about the wonderful world of mae bahns!

I am completely spoiled.

I realized this, then I realized I should share it with you all. So.. at teacher housing, called Samakee Gardens, they recommend you get a mae bahn (literally house mother), or a maid. This helps support the local economy, gives these lovely ladies work and gives you an in to the Thai culture. I thought I really didn't need a maid, I mean I've been living in my own filth for so long that it doesn't really bother me anymore, but I thought, why not, sure!

So I interviewed a couple ladies and I went with Oie, a wonderful middle aged lady who's worked with one family for 15 years and came with great recommendations. The first day she arrived, she asked if I wanted her to cook for me, so I thought, sure, why not! I didn't really think anything of it and went off to school.

I came back to an immaculate house, laundered clothes, freshly made bed, and green curry and rice and veggies on the stove. I thought to myself.. hmmm I could get used to this! The curry and veggies were absolutely delicious, and she had even bought me some fruit and cut it up for me and put it in little packages to take to school. The next day she came back to drop off something while I was out and she made my bed again.. I was like awwww!!

Next week, it was chicken fingers, rice and some sort of yummy spicy chicken, lime, and cilantro salad artfully decorated and displayed with lettuce and tomato. She also bought me fresh cut flowers and later that night, she came over with some brownies still warm from the oven.

Clearly, she doesn't need to do all of this for me. She doesn't get paid any more if she brings me extra food, or buys me flowers. She does it out of the goodness of heart and because she wants me to be happy. This really is a small example of the generosity and kindness of Thai people in general. The taxi driver who goes out of his way to make sure I get home ok, the guy who helps out my friend when she wasn't feeling well.. etc. etc.

The cost of this incredible service...? A demanding 2000 Baht a month, or $60.

Wandering around Bangkok.. and start of school!!

Wow! Been here just over two weeks now and it definitely feels like longer! Today is the first day of school, and my first class went REALLY well! The kids are really sweet and well-behaved and ready to learn. These kids remind me why I'm here in the first place, and why I decided to become a teacher :) Everyone here says that discipline is a non-issue, which will be a welcome relief from my extended placement. :P Lots to do.. I'm teaching 5 different PE classes (three Grade 6, one 7 and one 8), one Health class (of course I get to teach sex-ed in my first two weeks of teaching), and coaching U11 cross-country, so that'll keep me busy!

Anyways.. back to the last two weeks..

On July 28, a family friend Abby came to visit for a couple days. It was really fun having her around, from going downtown and having fancy cocktails at a rooftop bar, to taking a riverboat down the back canals of Bangkok, to hanging out at the pool, to seeing the temple of the dawn and exploring some markets! It was a blast, and I hope she'll be back for more!

There's been a ton of orientations.. new teacher orientations, all staff orientations, wellness sessions, housing, financial, shopping sessions, PD, etc. etc. ETC! But one of the coolest things we got to do was go house plant shopping! I bought two hanging orchids, a lemon tree, a lime tree, and lots of other cool flowers.. I hope I don't kill them all! :S We also got our ID cards, set up Thai bank accounts, got our laptops and settled into our new working spaces. I'm settled into the PE office for now, but I have lots of different places to go hang out if I'm bored :)

The next weekend, we went to Chatuchak market, a HUGE outdoor market near Nichada. It reminds me of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.. just soooo many things to buy! Lanterns, glassware, clothes, jewellery, accessories, shoes, pots.. literally anything you could ever want. I came with a list of things I needed and came back with NONE of those things, but many things I couldn't pass up :P Also there's these huge cafeteria-like spaces with tons of plastic chairs and tables, and stands and stands of food vendors. You go get your food, then sit down at the tables with locals and shovel it down with fans blowing in your face.. just crazy!  Thai people have an intense love for food stalls. They're literally everywhere and sell everything from homemade popsicles to pad thai to popcorn!

Sarah wandering through the food stall at Chatuchak

I also went downtown to Talat Phlu area to participate in a photography walk around. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I also got to meet some really cool people! The neighbourhood we walked through was by the river and a train track, full of markets and temples. It was such a great experience to see the other side of Bangkok and to see how locals really live. Here are some pictures:

One of the many beautiful temples in the area

Preparing coconuts for a night market

Mother and child by a mosque

Some kids playing by a railroad track

What beautiful eyes you have!

The following weekend, I went downtown with a friend and saw some of the famous Bangkok nightlife. We started at Cheap Charlie's, a famous bar with a mix of locals and travellers (and very strong drinks!) then we went to Hemingways, a fancier expat bar. After that it was on to Soi Cowboy (and if you've never heard of Soi Cowboy, you should look it up!) Here there are the go go bars that, among other things, Bangkok is famous for. It's quite an experience, one that every visitor to Bangkok should experience.




A group of us also went to Ayuthaya, the old capital of Siam, about an hour away from Bangkok. Ayuthaya is beautiful and has many ruins from the Khmer people, who built gorgeous cities and temples in the area. It was an incredible day, starting out at 4am to see the sunrise then seeing 5 different sites including the Grand Palace, Wat Chaiwattanaram, the Golden Buddha, Reclining Buddha and the Buddha in the Tree. After all the sites, we had a yummy lunch on the river!

Well, so far it's been alot of fun and I'm really enjoying myself! Please comment and email me and come for a visit if you want :)