Teaching the Monks

Sports day/sweatiest day of my life...

Once a year, the village cancels all classes for the day and hold what they call "sports day". I was really excited when I first learned that I would be here for this special day, but I was so wrong. 100+ degrees and standing and/or running the middle of an open field is as close to hell as I can possibly imagine. Not because it was not fun, but because I have never been so freaking hot in my life and I would never wish it upon anyone. I figured I would be good at a day devoted to sports considering my competitive nature and history playing so many sports but I couldn't have been more wrong. I was sweating just watching everyone run around for hours, and when it came my turn to play the 8 legged race....I about passed out. I have a whole new respect for the Thai culture and their ability to play soccer for hours and not drip one bead of sweat. I don't know how they do it..

On a lighter note, I was not completely useless today! My team was the PINK team so painted all of my fellow teammates faces this morning before the games began and I must say, they looked pretty damn good. Some of the boys dressed as ladyboys and the girls were dressed in every shade of pink imaginable. I have never been even the slightest bit fond of the color, but today it was my favorite. I went into town last night with a girl who works in the village and bought pink jingly pants, pink ray bans, a sparkly pink flower headband, and sparkly pink nail polish. Pink might just be my new favorite color...:)

NOT!

Anyways, time is flying by and every time I have something exciting to write in my blog, I let a few days go by and it because a story in the past. I seriously need to get better about writing this thing because I feel like a million crazy things have happened and nobody knows. For example, I crashed a Thai wedding reception last Friday night, fell off of a motor bike last Saturday,  got my fifth Thai massage Sunday, and got my sixth on Monday. Four new volunteers arrived on Monday evening and twenty five new volunteers arrive in two weeks. Tomorrow instead of teaching Saturday camp, we are going to a village to "house hop" for special holiday. I have yet to understand exactly what the holiday is but I think it's similar to Easter except they only dye the eggs red and basically drink all day and all night, and then do it again the next day. The "house hopping" portion of the day consists of myself and several of the volunteers and staff going from house to house in a village and drinking and eating at every single place. My body/mind is still recovering from last friday when we did the same thing, only to celebrate Sonkran. I have come to the conclusion that Thai people do not get hangovers, yet they can out drink any Farang under the table. I am making it my mission to find out tomorrow exactly how they do it. I will report back and tell you when I find out;)

After celebrating all day tomorrow, myself and the other volunteers are going into town for the weekend to celebrate another successful week at Mirror. I am SURE I will have stories when I return!!!

SONGKRAN!!

I have not been blogging because the last four days have been mayhem!! SongKran if the Thai new year and is basically a week long water fight. Water fight as in water war... as in I have a black lip and no clean clothes and have not showered in three days and am lovvinnn ittt! I may never come home, you will have to kidnap me and drag me out of here by my hair because Thailand is the coolest place on earth and I never want to leave. The food, the people, the work, the everything. Coming to to America is going to be the culture shock, after living in such simplicity and bliss. I never thought I would feel this comfortable in a foreign country but I could totally see myself living here. So could you all just move here and make things a lot easier and we can all live in peace and harmony together? Maybe I've been listening to a little to much Bob Marley but life is so good right now...I would seriously recommend booking the next flight to Thailand and visiting me:)

I will blog again as soon as I can but I must go hop on the back of a truck and continue this water war that is nowhere close to being over!!!!!

Hello Thunda!!

OH THANK YOU RAIN GODS! MY DANCE WORKED AND YOU DO EXIST! It's been raining all day and we just had a thunder and lightening storm. I am a happy camper, literally...:)

Rain rain come out to play!

Man oh man is it HOT! I can honestly say I did not believe anyone when they said how hot is gets in Thailand. I figured it rains so much in Portland, it will probably just follow me here! In my wildest dreams...

I am currently laying on my bed in a pool of sweat, dreaming about Alaska and making snow angels in a T-shirt and shorts. It is about 100 degrees and I don't see it letting up anytime soon. I am hoping that my body will adjust to the heat or run out of sweat but I have a feeling this is only the beginning of the 3 hottest months of my life.

These last two and a half weeks have flew by. It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting alone in a guesthouse, crying to my family and Jesse about how badly I wanted to come home. It makes me laugh now because although being here is very challenging and there are moments when I wish I was home, I am having the experience of a lifetime. I have explored a whole new side of myself that I didn't even know existed. It seems that you get what you give out of this situation, so I'm givin' it all I got!

As of yesterday, I was "promoted" to the new Indoor Leader. This means I am in charge of the new indoor volunteers (everyone else left this weekend), and making sure everyone is where they need to be when they need to be there. I was hesitant at first to take the role but given that I don't really have a choice AND can be a little bit...bossy...I feel the role is fitting:) Just yesterday three new female volunteers started at Mirror so this next week will definitely be the ultimate trial run. Today I went to teach at the hospital for the first time since I've been here. Since the kids are terminally ill, we spend two hours doing arts and crafts instead of teaching them English. It was one of the most touching experiences of my life and I definitely had to choke down tears at some points. We made picture frames out of popsicle sticks, and drew pictures to put inside. The kids were around 5 years old and didn't speak any English so we just listened to music and relaxed. As hard of a time as it is to look at these kids and know how sick they are, it was one of the most gratifying things I've ever done.

Everyday here seems to bring new obstacles but overcoming them is just part of the experience. It is crazy to think what I was like just weeks ago...wearing heels, curling my hair, complaining about everything under the sun. What a joy I was! Being here has made me realized that you don't need much to live, just great people and a positive attitude. I already have the great people now I just need to whip my attitude back into shape and I'll have everything I need!! I'm not saying it's not fun enjoying the silly things in life, but not looking in a mirror for over a week feels pretty damn good. I hardly recognized myself today when I finally caught a glimpse. Face naked with mosquito bites, legs bruised up to my knees, and hair that would make me deny every being a hair dresser. Life is good, and I am enjoying every second of it:)

There are ants in my pants..

..And mosquitos on my legs and beetles in my hair!! Somebody save me!!
I completely lied in the last post about getting used to the bugs. I will never be used to the bugs. The are big and black and hairy and they bite and make sounds and are everywhere! I would take pictures for proof but I refuse to get that close to them. The ants crawl out of the toilets and the mosquitos are ten times bigger than any I have ever seen in Portland. My legs look like something out of a horror film, especially when the bites turn into bruises the size of softballs!
On a happier note, I got my first massage in Thailand last night:) It was amazing and I think I will make it a weekly ritual. Why not? When in Thailand.....

And then I ate some more..

The first thing you hear when you speak of Thailand to someone is how good the food is. I had yet to experience that until this last weekend when the other nine volunteers and myself took a bus down to Chiang Mai for our weekend. We all stayed in a guesthouse close to downtown and had a amazing night dancing and exploring the towns night life. It is amazing how many people you come across from all over the world here in Thailand. So many people just hop on a plane and come here with no plan what so ever. It's crazy the amount of things there are to do here to fill your time if your just back packing. Sunday morning six of us got up really early and took a day long cooking class at a near by restaurant. We started out at a GIANT market to buy all the ingredients we would be needing for the day. It was absolutely insane the amount of fresh food (and maybe not so fresh food), we came across. Vegetables and fruit I have never even heard of, and meat from every animal under the sun. The smell of Durian fruit will forever haunt my nostrils.

After gathering all the ingredients, we spent the next five 6 or so hours cooking some of the most amazing and fresh food I have ever eaten. Vegetable fritters, spring rolls, green curry, panang curry, ginger chicken, sour coconut soup, vegetable stir fry, PAD THAI (so easy), and the most delicious coconut banana milk dessert you gave ever eaten. The dishes were surprisingly easy to make and most of the consisted of the same five or so ingredients. Salt, pepper, fish sauce, coconut milk, and chicken stock. I have a feeling my parents won't be asking me to move out anytime soon once I bust out my new cooking skills at home:)

Since we had been snacking on all the food as we cooked it, I could barely open my mouth for another bite once it came time to actually sit down and eat. Fortunately I took pictures of everything so I will be more than happy to cook for you all when I get back! After a much needed nap, we all headed out for one more night on the town. Since it was a Sunday night the bars and clubs we pretty much empty, but we somehow managed to accumulate a small army of dancaholics to join in the fun. My legs are still sore from dancing for hours on end!

By the time we all got back to the village, we were all ready for a good nights rest and to start this crazy routine all over again. I was planning on going on a home stay this week but decided I need another week of teaching to be comfortable before almost all other volunteers leave this weekend:( I have a feeling these next few weeks are going to be crazy busy since there is going to be such few volunteers so   I will try to blog as much as possible when I have time. I feel like I have a million funny stories to tell but by the time I sit down to blog I just draw a blank...

OH and I am slowly but surely uploading photos to photobucket so if you log onto the website and search for my album you should be able to find me. My user name is klmishler and let me know if there is any problems finding it. These pictures are too cute to miss:)

Just a Peek..:)

Oh what a night..

Yes, there was an earthquake last night and YES I felt it! The village is okay and there was not much damage, but I think a few of the building cracked.  I have never experienced an earthquake before and it was honestly kind of fun, for about 5 seconds. The first one lasted for what seemed like a minute and the aftershocks have been happening frequently since then. Overall everything is fine and I am just hoping they are over with!
These last few days have been quite a learning experience. Wednesday was my first day officially teaching and it was nothing like I expected. I'm not sure what I thought I was in for, but the second I walked into the classroom in the Jalae village, I melted into a puddle of mush. The kids are the cutest, dirtiest, most lovable things you have ever seen. They look up to you like a God and immediately cling onto you like you are their long lost mother. We sang songs about bananas and camels, and and played with plastic fruit to teach them colors. Since they were only about 4-5 years old it is hard to say if they understand anything you are teaching, but they repeat everything you say with a huge smile on their face and you know they are just happy you are there. Since then I have taught a few more childcare age classes and a few English summer camp classes with kids in roughly 6-8th grade. I am finding it a bit harder to teach the older kids because they are a little more set on their ways, so when you try to get them to do something they are not comfortable with kind of look at you like a stupid "falong" (westerner).  Either way it is incredibly rewarding and I am sure I have not even scratched the surface yet.
I still find myself spacing off and wondering how the hell I got here. I have been through so much change in the last week, half the time I don't realize what I'm doing until I've already done it. Such as, singing songs about peeling bananas and Fred the moose. I mean, we all know I am too cool for school so I know you can only imagine how much I have already changed since I've been here. The other night we were having movie night and I volunteered to use my laptop to plug into the TV. The computer froze up so when I went to unplug it from the wall I was electrocuted pretty hard. Everything was fine with myself and my computer but my finger was dark red and very hot for the next couple hours. I am quickly realizing that things that I normally freak out about at home are no big thing here. Does that say something about me? Am I seriously that overly dramatic? Because being here has definitely made me feel like I should have joined the drama club in high school. :) All things aside, these experiences are all making me grow in to a better, more relaxed and enjoyable person and I just KNOW I will be way more fun to be around when I get back. I have been taking a lot of pictures and FINALLY figured out how to upload them to PhotoBucket so you will soon have some proof that I am indeed living the middle of nowhere and you can see some of the sweetest faces you will ever see in your life. xo

THE SUN CAME OUT TOMORROW!

Today was what I needed to get me through the next 12 weeks. After waking up around 2 in the morning in a panic surrounded by 3 sleeping girls, I found myself questioning why I was so far from home. Why did I sign up for this? Why am I so lonely? Where the hell am I??? I spent the next 5 or so hours pondering these questions and nearly convinced myself that I would be back in Portland in a week. I was already sick of the geckos and the cows and the dirt and the bugs that sound like 1,000 women screaming all at once. I went to the morning meeting with nearly tears in my eyes and was sure that this would be my last.
Well it won't be..
Shortly after the meeting, myself and the two new volunteers were given an orientation on what exactly our  purpose for being here is. I was very quickly reminded why I decided to do this, and to do it for twelve weeks. I am here to take myself out of my ordinary life and make a difference in a place that so desperately needs it.  Teaching English to children and women will be one of the most gratifying things I have ever done in my life and living in the jungle with wild pigs and killer snakes won't change a thing. In fact, I am kind of getting use to these conditions. Walking around everywhere barefoot, naming the geckos (secretly),  sleeping on cardboard, and waking up to cows trying to come snuggle with me might just be what the doctor ordered. Who knows, maybe I'll come home and get a job at REI and try out for the next Adventure Women! (JOKING)
Anyways, the point of me being here is to serve others and I am just going with the flow of this crazy experience. I officially start teaching tomorrow so I have to start warming up my vocals for all the sing a long songs. Who am I anymore? :)
Until the next!

I was....

...just chased into my dorm room by a cow...
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Or both.

Just a pimple in my butt of life..

...words of wisdom by my mother, Debbie Mishler. Thanks Mom, I can always count on you to brighten my mood, seriously:) 

     After just enduring the three longest, hardest days OF MY LIFE, I have finally arrived at my destination. I like to call it The Middle Of Nowhere, but most probably know it as the hill villages of Chiang Rai.  I was picked up this morning from the guesthouse in which I have been staying at for the last two nights and taken to the village in which I will be living in for the next 12 weeks (hopefully). The drive here from the city was amazing and I can truly say that I have never seen anything like this before. I am surrounded by hills with exotic plants and trees of all sorts, most of which I never knew existed. After being shown to my dorm room, I was truly overwhelmed by the simplicity of it all.  Bunk beds, 1 inch mattress, pillow, blanket, me. Since the other three female volunteers arrive later in the evening, I had the honor of teaching my self how to use the toilets...enough said....

The village itself is a community of bungalows and other odd shaped small houses. There is a female dorm and a male dorm and the other building house the Japanese and the Thai volunteer/interns. They have their own program that they are run through but we all eat and have morning meetings together. Internet here is okay and I am learning where I will get the best service, so for those of you that skype, pleaassee be patient.  The sounds are undescribable and I feel like I am living in the zoo. Just moments ago, I got up from my bed thinking someone on the porch,  but no, it was a COW! Yes, a cow..Just feet away from the dorm I am staying in is a grass field full of cows, which I would assume we will be eating sometime in the next 12 weeks. I can't wait. I just came face to face with my dinner....

Long story short, I am a long way from home and I am taking it one day at a time. I miss my family and friends dearly, and I miss Jesse entirely too much. I have decided to just take deep breaths when I am having a moment of doubt and just remind myself, this is just a pimple in my butt of life!

More to come..:)

PS I have a photo bucket account which I will be updating often so check it out!! I will post the username in a few minutes when I figure out how to use it. LOVE YOU!

This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done and I haven't even started...

TAKE MY WORD!

You know when you see a really cheap airline ticket, and you think "How did I get this lucky"?? Well, you didn't..You will soon read between the lines and see that you have a THIRTEEN hour layover, which doesn't seem so bad at the time. Right? SO wrong! I have had thirteen hours to dwell on the fact that I will not see a familiar face for over three months. Or that I won't get to eat any of my mother's home cooked meals for five and a half months! The list goes on but the moral of the story is, only fly first class and get the direct flight. Period.

Here we go...

So, first things first...WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?!?
It is currently 7:23am and I am sitting on the ground in the Seoul airport trying to call my mother and my boyfriend on Skype and it is not working. I want to cry but that is impossible because my tear ducts are dry from crying for the last 24 hours straight. (I feel really bad for the lady who had to sit next to me on my first flight).  I could have never imagined how hard this was going to be to leave everything I know and love behind, but I guess that is the point of this trip. It is kind of hard to see the light at the end of this tunnel but I am hoping once I get to Thailand and snap out of my homesick/pathetic mindset things will look up.
Until then, please email me email me email me...I would love to her some friendly words of encouragement .