Selected Sentences from My First Year in Thailand

I’m terrible at journaling. I usually only do it when I’m having a really difficult time and so I rarely have any recording of when I’m feeling really good. But, I bought a Moleskine planner that has lines for each day, not a lot, but enough to write a short paragraph, and set the goal for myself to write at least one sentence or something to sum up each day. I’m proud to say that I was able to do it for the whole last year, and so I looked back over what I wrote as I reflected on my last year in Thailand. I wanted to share some of them here with you, to share with you what a year in Thailand feels like at the end of each day.

January

15: Language class today was kind of intimidating. The welcome ceremony and being blessed (bad things out, good things in) was very touching and moving.

19: Met homestays and saw an elephant battle reenactment. Holy cow, I am in Thailand!

February

4: Split my lip open – stitches and a quick trip to Bangkok.

March 

2: Site visit. Super awkward all day long. Uncomfortable.

10: Excited to get pants and eat pizza!

17: “Trust in you.”

24: I can’t believe I live in Thailand. Reality is still dawning.

April

14: Shots of whiskey. Sitting in the back of a pick-up with a water gun.

17: “Snake-snake, fish-fish.” “Full?” “Empty!”

May

7: Five straight hours of Uno.

21: First actual day of classes! Kids are excited!

June

10: Success in having the students do some critical thinking! Yes, yes, yes!

18: “I am set leao!” Amazing!

July

18: Arrive on Koh Tao. Ahhhh…

August

11: Reading by the Mekong River.

16: Ugh, ugh, ugh. I really dislike the Thai culture today. Emphasis on appearance, competitions, not saying what you mean, treatment of people with a different skin color. Ugh.

September

2: Clapping mosquitoes to death.

10: I am seriously impressed by the bravery of my student to go up and attempt to sing a song he didn’t know al the words to in front of a lot of people.

16: “Hello! Welcome to THAILAND!” – Matayom student as I biked by

19: “I was supposed to go to another training in Chonburi, but I’m glad I came here instead.”

24: Field trip day. Hell is karaoke buses.

October

13: Slow boat. Sunburn. Drinking with Brits. Bowling.

16: Stepped our of the jungle into the rice fields with views of the hills of southern China.

November

2: Someone thought I was a ghost.

5: Thai-napped, to a funeral.

10: “Crap, I left my beetle outside of grandma’s house.”

17: What a great holiday. Setting off krathongs and lanterns.

December

7: Morning hike with leeches. To lake bungalow. Cave hike. Awesome.

14: Let’s ride bikes! Neat activity.

28: To the island! Everything works out if you jai yen yen.

January

10: Children’s Day. I wouldn’t be surprised if Thai people, collectively have hearing problems.