Thai Gym - Ratchaburi, Thailand

In preparation for our Christmas vacation to the islands, Stacy and I have joined a fitness center. This is the term we use due to the fact that Gym means a women’s nether regions in Thai. We have made a few slip-ups during our time here that have resulted in very concerned looks from students! It is a normal Thai gym that includes only machines to lose weight and nothing in terms of muscle gain; which is not at all desired. There are 4 elliptical type machines, about 10 stationary bikes, and then a total of 12 machines that are basically used for stretching and minimal strength training. We have learned the importance of dosing ourselves in bug spray beforehand since the building has no air-conditioning, so all windows and doors are left open. As Stacy says: “There is no worry that we won’t break a sweat considering all we have to do is walk into the building and we start perspiring.” For a total of $3 a month we are now doing as the Thai’s do and getting some exercise 4 nights a week :)

 ~ Randi

Kanchanaburi, Thailand

This past weekend, Win and Rachel (our new co-teachers/neighbors), P'Gee (our Thai mother ), and Randi and I took in some local sights. We visited the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market; thanks to P'Gee's police connections, while wearing large straw hats, we enjoyed a free long-boat ride.

Later we bused it to Kanchanaburi. We visited the Allied War Cemetery, the Jeath War Museum, and the Kwai River Bridge. Much to our surprise, we stayed for free in a message room located in a restaurant that was owned by a former student of P'Gee's. In the evening, we enjoyed listening to P'Gee and her former student serenade us with karaoke. After a few bottles of Chang and some Thai whiskey, we enthusiastically joined them!

On Sunday, we hiked the Erawan Falls (all 7 of them!) and even swam in the cool, fish infested waters.  While I was chased out of the water by the fish,  no one else seemed to mind the fish nibbling at their feet.

~ Stacy

About Time - Ratchaburi, Thailand

Sorry that we’ve been lacking with the blog updates. The past few months have flown by! We’re now in our second semester of teaching at Benjama, a secondary school in Ratchaburi. We’re both busy teaching over 1,000 students per week. Ratchaburi is a charming little city situated along the Meklong River. When not teaching we frequent the night market, the Chinese tea room, a hookah bar, the street stalls, and the 711 stores that are found on every corner.  Recently, we’ve moved into a house. Rent is only 2, 500 Baht each. Initially, we were fearful of “the kitchen of horrors", but once a large spider “with the face of Satan” was poisoned to death, along with quite a few roaches and centipedes, we actually enter the kitchen!

When we moved to Ratchaburi, we bought bicycles. Randi has conquered her fear.  It is, as I discovered one afternoon, a dangerous method of transport while wearing a skirt – good thing I was wearing a slip!

This past semester, I spent most weekends visiting friends in Bangkok, while Randi occasionally remained in Ratchaburi with our friends, Derrik and Andrew.

When in Bangkok, we spend quite a few days shopping at JJ’s Market and MBK with Rose. While visiting one public pool, located on the top floor of a mall, we were asked by a lifeguard to evacuate the pool. Due to the large amount of stares received, we’d assumed it was due to our two-piece swimsuits. Instead, it was because we were not wearing swim caps.

We’ve gotten to know Bangkok quite well and thanks to our friend Jon, we can even give directions in Thai to the taxi drivers! Mastering the names of Thai food, however, remains quite a work in progress. We gravitate towards the restaurants with pictures on the menus.

As far as nightlife, we often visit Khao San Road, RCA, and Sukhumvit; where we enjoy the company of our male friends. However, Randi and I were usually the last 2 standing as the boys have a different agenda towards the end of the night ;) Our goal for this semester is to focus more on the cultural and scenic sights of Thailand…we’ll see how that goes!

In the past few months, we’ve spent many long weekends on the islands of Koh Samet, Koh Samui, Koh Phangnan (Full Moon Party), and Koh Tao (our favorite) with friends. Also, I visited Pattaya, where I held an endangered Lemur, visited a tattoo parlor at 3 am (never a good idea!), and discovered that one weekend in Thailand’s city of sin was enough! On a more spiritual note, Randi and I each received travel protection tattoos blessed by a Buddhist monk.

~ Stacy