Trip to Lao

The next order of business was to get an extended Visa, by leaving Thailand and re-entering.

And since I had heard wonderful things about Lao silk, that seemed like a good place to go.

You can see a young girl spinning the silk that has been dyed using all natural plant color.

The skirts, blouses and shawls were exquisite...
but since I am traveling light, I only bought a small shawl.... but there were so many other beautiful items that they were hard to resist... a true test of my new frugality.

One of the most well known sight in Vientiane, the capital of Lao is "Xaysettha, That Luang Stuppa"  or as the tourists call it, the gold building. It is huge and almost unbelievable.

The grounds surrounding had many Spirit Houses, Buddhas and Temples as well as a museum of ancient statuary.

The most amazing thing that happened was while I was standing in line at the border; I met a young woman who is on a Fulbright Scholarship from Fordum University in NY, but she grew up in Stoughton, Wisconsin... the same little town that I came from... Who would think we would meet in Lao?

From there I went to BUDDHA PARK, about an hour drive from the capitol, but well worth the trip.  As you can see a tiny "me" in one of the photos you may get an idea of the magnitude of the statues in the park. Truly magnificent works of art.

Week Four- Certification

A bit sleep deprived, yet energized from 120 classroom hours and at least that many more in homework and class preparation, I now have TEFL = Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Certification! I  am not sure it would be called a typical graduation... no cap and gown, but a real final exam, a completed portfolio and tons of executed lesson plans later, I was given the class title of Las Vegas Mama!

Pre-Avatar!

Week Three - Design for Change

Volunteering even in Thailand! 
                                                     
Design for Change is a worldwide project started by a teacher in India and has quickly spread to schools around the globe.

www.designforchangecontest.com

On a bright Saturday (6am) early morning we met at a high school with over 700 young volunteers who had participated in a contest to to come up with a winning idea to make a positive change in their community. For "Beach Clean-up" we were armed with a colorful banner (see me behind it).  In addition we had hundreds of trash bags that we used for trash. Filled with the energy of youth, we began to comb the beach and pick up all sorts of plastic, bottles and various debris left by locals and tourists alike. The reward of a job well done was a big BBQ on the beach... and we carefully picked up all our water bottles and trash!   

The sunset on a clean beach in Thailand... thanks students 

Week Three in Thailand

Its still raining this week, some flooding near the school, but not in my room! We are teaching at a school run by the monks for orphan children.

The school just added a new library and the entrance has a waterfall where there is a beautiful statue of the Mother of Buddha.

The Monks took us on a tour of the new buildings that will soon house a business school as well. All the buildings have intricate detail and are really works of art. Imagine our delight to come upon  a magnificent carved wooden sleeping Buddha.

Week Two in Thailand

Hard to believe I have been in Thailand for two weeks, and the first two weeks it rained everyday.

We started with 12 student teachers from around the world, and now we have 14 in the class to do their practice teaching for TEFL Certification to teach in Thailand. Members of our group are from; Macaw, Uganda, UK, Marshall Islands, and from the USA.... Miami, New York, Ohio, Utah, and Colorado.

After teaching at a young monks school on Friday we took a ferry boat to the Island of Ko Samet and I found another Temple ="Wat"

 

Why Thailand?

Thanks to those of you who have looked at my blog, written comments, and also sent emails. It is so nice to hear from you all, and as many have asked, Why Thailand? I will attempt an answer.
First, I have never been to Thailand so it was at the top of the "where to go next" list. Second, having just turned 70, I was reflecting on things and jobs that I have really enjoyed. Teaching and working with kids was always very rewarding for me and a place where I feel I can make a contribution. Also there is a demand overseas for teachers that have English as their native language and age does not seem to be a problem. Specifically in Thailand teachers are valued and respected.

In the Thai culture, the status hierarchy is as follows;  The King, the Royal Family, Monks, Teachers, and then Elders, Parents, Adults and Children, so you see it is an honor to be a teacher in Thailand.
Below is a photo of the school where I am doing my practice teaching to non-English speaking children and completing my TEFL certification, and as required by the Thai Ministry of Education.

 For now I am staying at the school, as it has a few rooms on the third floor. I bought a fan because we can only run the air conditioning for a few hours. I am beginning to get used to the COLD water shower and lumpy mattress on the floor. The weather is HOT and HUMID...from living in Las Vegas for 7 years, I was used to hot and dry, but the humidity is another thing. It has been raining for the last three days. Last night all the power went off and we gratefully ate by candlelight. The small town of Ban Phe sits right on the Gulf coastline and the school is less than a block from the beach.

Early morning walks and yoga on the beach have given me great pleasure as well as just sitting in one of the many shoreline restaurants, enjoying wonderful Thai food, and listening to the rolling surf.
And below, next to the school, is where we take our laundry. The cost? 20 baht per piece = less than 10 cents for a shirt or pants or skirt. As a female teacher, I have to wear skirts and blouses with sleeves or what they call a King Shirt, like a polo shirt with a collar and the Thailand Royal Emblem embroidered

Happily, I am adjusting to new food, new culture, new language and new learning and re-learning...

Temple Photos in Ban Phe Thailand