The result of my 2012 actually began in 2011. In September of 2011, I made the decision and committed myself to following a dream I've had for many years: to teach English as a foreign language in Southeast Asia.
January:
I decided to start my journey off by visiting a friend from Leicester, England who moved to the Western Australia suburbs about 3 years prior. Within 36 hours, I went from freezing cold snow to hot and sunny 100 degree heat in Oz. Many things took me to Oz. My friend Rach being one of them. A yearn for a dip and a surf in the ocean another. My trip to Oz coincided with Australia Day (sort of Oz's 4th of July). A tradition across Oz is the Haviana Thong Challenge (not "thong" as in underpants but flip flops rather!). One chooses a beach, is given a giant inflatable thong and set out into the ocean to hold hands with friends and strangers alike to try to break the World Record of People Holding Hands on Giant Inflatable Thongs in the Ocean. We ended up at Cottesloe Beach and helped demolish the world record (see the video here). I am now a record holder in the Guinness Book of World Records. How's that tip my awesomeness scale? I spent my 31st birthday surfing all morning on Safety Beach and Golden Bay. Afterwards we feasted on lamb pizza (I don't even like lamb, but that shit was amazing!) then headed to the bush for some fresh water swimming, cliff jumping and playing with wild kangaroos at Serpentine Falls. Later on, we hit up the outdoor cinema to watch The Descendants. All in all, I'd say #31 was an Ozzy-filled success! The next day, we took a ferry to Rottenest Island for some cycling and snorkeling. The snorkeling came as a big refreshing relief from cycling (I was told the island was flat...uh, NOT) as I was seriously out of shape and it was about 100 degrees. The rest of my Ozzy adventure was filled with drinking lots, swimming in the ocean, wandering around Fremantle and tasting the local delicacies including octopus, kangaroo and crocodile (the 'roo and croc were delicious!)
After my Ozzy adventure, it was time to get down to business. I set off for Chiang Mai, Thailand to learn how to be a teacher in merely 4 weeks. I made new friends, learned real grammar and how to teach anyone in the range from kindergarten kids to adults, from one-on-one to groups to classroom settings. It was intensive, but it gave me the basic skills to teach and gave me a certificate to let me work pretty much anywhere in the world! During my course, I was able to discover Chiang Mai. I quickly fell in love wandering my way through the markets with locals selling their homemade fare, chowing down on delicious street food, and learning about this beautiful Buddhist culture. When graduation day came, I decided as much as I liked Chiang Mai, the rate of pay here is pretty low compared to the rest of Thailand...and I came here to live in a tiki hut on the beach.
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| Clockwise from top left: Browsing through the Night Bazaar; Monks crossing the street; A dog - wearing sunglasses - on the back of a motorbike; Entrance to China Town; Prayer bells at Wat Pan Tao; A Buddha statue |
A Dutch girl on my course has a Thai boyfriend that lives in Trang in the south of Thailand. During the high season, he runs a dive shop on the small, not-so-touristy island of Koh Ngai. They invited me to come for a visit. Of course I took them up on it! They lived literally 15 feet from the ocean and set up a tent for me and my friend's friend (who was visiting from Holland) in the back. Talk about island living. Swimming in the Andaman, snorkeling, relaxing in a hammock, enjoying beer and freshly caught fish, acoustic beach concerts every night...the only thing missing was some waves and a surf board. I had applied at a few schools in Krabi and was patiently waiting to hear back from them. After two weeks, I still hadn't heard a word and getting worried, I decided to head back to Chiang Mai. With the exception of a few, most of the people on my course were staying to work in CM, so I figured that although I wouldn't have the beach, I would have friends.
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| Clockwise from top left: Koh Ngai paradise - view from the dive shop; Snorkeling at Koh Rok; Me with Pi Tu and Pi Ton; A tuk tuk taxi in Trang; Hibiscus in Krabi town. |
Within 24 hours of arriving back in Chiang Mai, I had a job...what a relief!! April pretty much came and went with nothing interesting to note. Except perhaps, Songkran. Songkran is the Thai New Year and Chiang Mai is the place to be. This festival begins as a procession to sprinkle water on the Buddha statues and what ensues is a five-day, city-wide all-out WATER FIGHT!! It is THE craziest party I have ever enjoyed!! Everyone participates, no one is safe. If you step out of your home, prepare to be drenched. I even got into a water fight with a police man. It was awesome :)
May - June:
I began my new job in May. It was definitely an adjustment. I pretty much spent the next few months getting a feel for my new job and wondering if I made the right decision (I was leaning towards "no").
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| Clockwise from top left: A few of my year 3 students - Film, Focus, Keam-ii, and Siri; Me at 4th of July party; 4th of July fireworks; A typical sight - street food; Students studying hard - or not!; Lights at a market |
July:
The second week of July is when shit changed. I was hit crossing the street by a motorbike carrying 3 girls who looked all of 15 years old. Torn ligament in my left ankle, covered in bruises, a few abrasions. I'm told my ankle will never be the same. I was casted up for 6 weeks and thrown on a pair of crutches. The crazy thing about this, I had seen it happening. For months before this accident, I had visions of me in a cast and on crutches...
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| Frogger: Game Over for me! My fucked ankle in a cast - complete with cast graffiti! |
October:
I was still crutched up when my friend came. We headed to Pai (read about our adventure here), then set off for Siem Reap, Cambodia. The moment I set foot in Cambodia, I fell in love. I will write a full blog on my trip there soon, I could not do it justice in a Year-in-Review blog. Just know that Cambodia reinforced why I came here. I'm more likely now never to move back to the US. I need (not want, need) to spend more time in Cambodia, learning about those beautiful people and their culture. After we left Cambodia, we headed to Phuket (the most overrated island in the world) and Krabi. This is where I discovered the beach isn't nearly as enjoyable when your on a crutch.
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| Clockwise from top left: Ta Phrom, Angkor, Cambodia; Fields of Pai, Thailand; Longtail boats on Koh Phi Phi, Thailand; The majestic Angkor Wat!; Enjoying a coconut shake on Kata Beach, Phuket |
Back to school for the second semester....And for the reason that brought me to Chiang Mai in the first place: the festival of Loi Krathong. Read my blog about Loi Krathong here.
December:
I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by. It's just flown. It hasn't felt like December...it's not the cold December that I'm used to. With temperatures in the 80's, it feels more like May/June than winter. I've become to enjoy teaching much more than in the beginning. Maybe because I know the students now and know their personalities. I've relaxed a lot in the classroom and try to have fun teaching them. My trip in October helped me realize that there is nothing for me back home except misery and the workings of planning my next escape. So instead of wasting a year back home, planning and figuring out what I'm going to do, I've made the decision to head to Korea next year. My school contract ends in February, my apartment contract ends in April. I will teach summer school here in Chiang Mai, then set off for a new adventure! I can't wait to see what the New Year brings and what is in store for me in my future travels! The World is my front door, and I plan on seeing all that I can while I have the time.
Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2013!!
Countries I've step foot in this year:
China, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia
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