A frantic week indeed... not sure if they're making up for lost time but my social life this week is HECTIC! Actually, my social life is not even my own anymore...my teachers plan what I'm gonna be doing every night...quite exhausting...
Monday: Tat Tone Waterfall (national Park in Chaiyaphum)
After school, a few hand-picked high calibre students were selected to go to Tat Tone Waterfall with me and a few teachers. Rushing to get in before the park closes at 6pm, we barely made it there at 5.45pm....walked in to view the Nam Toad(waterfall), snap, snap, snap, before the park ranger had to chase us out. The waterfall was in a mad frenzy after the heavy rain that plagued the whole afternoon. Thinking I will finally get to use my bikinis in Thailand, I was once again disappointed that I didn't even get to dip in the water after 1.5hours of travelling! So much for getting dark n tanned here!?!?!
Bidding goodbye to Mr Park Ranger, we headed off in the warmth of the sunset to Chaiyaphum town. Really famished by now, I expected all of us to head to some cheap night market where the students can also eat cheaply. Some of them only have like 12baht with them... The teacher brought us to a BBQ buffet restaurant instead and the students stayed behind in the school van...sensing something was wrong, I asked and they said they are not hungry. Turns out they have no money. Kinda pissed at the insensitivity of the teachers(how can they leave the kids hungry while we eat???), I protested and stayed with the students instead. Unity is POWER.
Next, seeing my protest, we trooped off to another restaurant and this time, everyone sat down n ate that vermicelli claypot thing that they all love to eat here in Isan. You know about Vermicelli right...no matter how much you eat...you will still be hungry!!! Luckily they served fried rice at the end...otherwise I would have gone home as hungry as before I had sat down at the table.
This week, we played "Name as many as you can" game where I say a theme and the students name as many items as they can under this theme. One of the themes is "Name as many Countries as you can". I nearly flipped when I saw "Titwan" on the chalkboard.....can you make a guess which country is that? Wahahaha..... (it's Taiwan...) One of the students named "Motamo" under fruits....took me a while to figure out they are actually referring to "tomato"!
Wednesday: Pai thiao(trip) Khon Kaen
My teachers decided we have to party before I garb baan(go home) and decided something fancy for me in Khon Kaen...a big city 1.5hours away. It is indeed nice to see lively night markets selling my fave dessert of mango sticky rice and lots of clothes/shoes/accessories shops all around! My teachers think I dressed too conservatively in my teaching clothes for partying and insisted I change to something "seksi!". Oh god...I'm glad I didn't even bother cos the "disco" is not my idea of a disco at all.... A big cavernous thai style live band on stage show was playing full swing when we entered. Everyone is seated on a long table n wooden chairs...with plates n fork n spoons...I thought we entered ala Hard Rock Cafe. The band was really good though...a lot of singers interchange and they have real good voices! Soon, the party heated up as the Thais got up to dance near their tables...totally uninhibited in their dance movements(a guy was dancing like a chicken flapping its wings the whole night), singing along loudly to the songs(I wish I could sing along too!!!) and simply shaking their booties! Short of pyrotechnics fireworks,I would thought I'm in a concert of some sorts...the flashing lights...the excellent sound system...the enthusiasm of the Thais...wow. Then only song I knew the whole night was Hotel California...no subtitles needed.
It was 2am by the time we left...and there's another 1.5hours of driving home. Gosh...I've never travelled so far just to party before! I'm so glad I don't know how to drive at this moment!
Farewell dinner party tonight with my host family and teachers...I'm gonna attempt to cook in the kitchen. Wish me luck! ;)
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