Upon my arrival to Thailand I was immediately inundated with friendly faces. The amount of those faces only increased during my sojourn in Thailand. This is a short video of some of those great faces.
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The Friendly Faces of Thailand
Nov 152013
Jul 062013
My students and I at the senior farewell party.
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” ― Theodore Roosevelt
One year of teaching under my belt and I now want to go back and apologize to any of my teachers that I gave trouble to. The great human beings that have been teaching 5,10, or 30 years I am in awe of you. Of course teaching is one of the most rewarding professions as well. Developing a relationship with students and watching them mature provides unparalleled fulfillment. Knowing the ideas and images you impart can transcend your lifetime is a great feeling but moreover, one that I have learned requires a profound magnitude of responsibility. I initially thought that with training, anybody could be a teacher. However, I have had to re-evaluate this position after my experience.
Senior Farewell Party
The option of teaching is an attractive one for several reasons. As a teacher you possess the tremendous power of making yourself an instrument of inspiration. The malleable minds of tomorrow leaders eagerly greet you each morning with a smile ready to soak up your raining of ideas, art, and intellect. In addition to this, teaching also provides you a way to travel the world. No longer do you have to scratch the surface of a culture by visiting for a few vacation days, you can submerge yourself in that culture by meshing with the unfiltered minds of the youth. Being vigilant everyday may result in that rebellious student in the back row to make a stand for peace as the president of the country one day.
Last Day of Class
On the other hand, I have become astutely aware of the long hours spent lesson planning, grading, and helping students deal personal issues. You can exhaust yourself championing for a new textbook only to have to capitulate to the inferior one your administration makes you use. Furthermore, being responsible for the minds of a future generation places additional moral weight on one’s consciousness. Once you develop a lesson plan you can spend hours contemplating is it right? What if I change it to a group activity? What if I am running short on time? If this student fails, will his family be able to afford for him to retake the course? As a result of some of these reasons I believe teaching is an internal calling that some develop or are born with. You have to feel called in order to welcome the responsibility of impacting the future of the world. Perhaps what you share today will decide if a young man becomes a murderer or a life saving heart surgeon.
Last Night at the University
In the end, the decision to teach or not is a multi-faceted one that should only be decided by yourself. Teaching can provide an exuberant sense of satisfaction or a detrimental amount of despair. Although I enjoyed my experience and my students and staff believe I did an excellent job, I am not sure if I have that innate calling to make teaching a career. Nonetheless, if you remotely think you have this calling I say go for it. It is better than not knowing.
Jun 012013
What started off as a quiet festival where water was sprinkled on the hands of family members to wish them luck, has catapulted to annual water warfare on the scale of 2 submarines fighting for the last watering hole in the universe.
Songkran Festival | Thai New Year
Chiang Mai, Thailand
May 232013
Security. Advancement. Good salary. Am I really going to quit this good paying engineering job? These were just a few of the many thoughts whirling through my mind around this time last year. Leaving my job was uncomfortable, but deciding to leave my job, the States and everything I’d known for the past twenty-eight years was just crazy. Amidst the farewells and the going away parties I’d sometimes think, it would be cool if I could bring my friends with me for a while. Several of my friends and family said “We’re coming as soon as you get settled.” I would smile and then the pessimism would take over. Okay, sure. They don’t realize that it takes two days to get there. Plus, how’re you going to get enough vacation time to make the trip worthwhile? American workers receive little vacation compared to other countries where 6 weeks of paid leave, national holidays, and gap years are the norm. Perhaps that culture of constant work is what has made the country so great. However, it can be deflating to the travel’s spirit when you see co-workers acquiescing to that culture by bragging about staying at the office late or not using their allotted vacation time. I didn’t want to get to the end of my life with a long list of what ifs, so I set off on my journey with hopes of seeing my friends abroad. I didn’t want to be disappointed, so I didn’t set my hopes too high. In spite of my quiet skepticism, my friends starting showing up in Thailand less than a month after I arrived.
First, it was the fellas trip to Bangkok. I was surprised to have visitors so early. I had not yet explored any of the city myself. However, after 2 consecutive nights of greeting the sun, I acquired a fair amount of knowledge in regards to Bangkok nightlife. Next, my childhood best friend, his wife, and 2 more friends formed the second group. That 2-day flight must be getting shorter. Not only did the second group visit, but my students were fortunate enough to receive guest lectures from them. My heart soared with pride as I also sat in the back of the class and listened to my friends lecture. For many of the students these were the first minority Americans they had spoken with beside myself. Subsequent to the second group, the girls arrived in a pack of 6. I thought I had experienced most of the city and then one Saturday afternoon I found myself with an apron on in a Thai cooking class with the girls. The culmination of the visits was greeting my mom and sister at Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) Airport this past month. While waiting for them at the airport I had a ball of exciting/nervous energy bouncing around inside of me. It is the same sort of ball that bounces inside of you before a sporting competition. Comparable to the energy at the start of a game, once they arrived it was indeed invigorating. I had some Bangkok firsts with the family including a massage at the high end Healthland and a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River. The smile I had on my face was in concrete.
I met the majority of my friends while in college. The gratitude I have for them and my family cannot be expressed in a language. They have always been there for me and encouraged me to travel, from my father taking me on my first airplane ride, to a college friend providing a free room in Singapore. My appreciation has only grown by being away from the majority of them for the past year. I do not take my friends for granted. I realize that some people are not as fortunate. When I lived in the States, I would take as many trips as I could. I had a co-worker that would always ask “Who are you going there with this time?” In a knee jerk manner, I would reply “My friends from school.” He would just look at me blankly and say “I don’t keep in contact with any people from my college.” These same friends started traveling to Thailand and I am grateful for all the visits. I am clearly aware of all the financial, and time sacrifices required to travel across the world.
I am still amazed at the willingness of my friends and family to spend 2 days traveling to come visit me in Thailand. Thanks for proving my initial pessimism incorrect. Thank you more so for the splendid memories that can’t be taken from me. Having so many visitors reminds me of a quote from by best friend’s stepfather, “If you need help on the moon, I’ll be on the next thing going to the moon.” I feel like my friends and family would go to the moon for me and I the same for them.
Cheers to (in order of visit)
Jared, Marcus, Brayboy, Melvin, Asha, Smitty, Britni, Joce, Eb, Jen, Robyn, Kia, Kelly, Mom, MyyA, & Shanita (aka Zenobia)
I am always trying to add to the list. Who is next?
Ruru, Shannon, Debra, Lawrence, Kentae…
Apr 112013
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“So how many of y’all coming?” “Six!” I grinned and thought to myself the more the merrier. So what do you do when six friends come to visit you in Thailand? Well the team captain, Jocelyn, did most of the work so I can’t take any credit. The pictures above capture some of our experience.
The activities included:
1) A cooking class at the Silom Thai Cooking School
2) Volkswagen Bar hopping on Sukhumvit Soi 11
3) Khaosan Rd Bargaining
4) Dancing in the middle of Bangla Road in Phuket
5) Sunbathing on Koh Phi Phi Island
6) A trip to Jatujak Weekend Market
7) Numerous Thai Massages
Thank you Jocelyn, Kelly, Jen, Kia, Eb & Robyn for visiting.
I enjoyed you guys. Come back soon.
Mar 072013
“Teacher, teacher, catch it, catch it.” “It’s not catch it’s hold,” I corrected her. They then proceeded to yell, “HOLD” in unison. “Wish, wish, teacher.” Everybody closed their eyes and made a wish before we let the khom go. The khom is a type of floating lantern used in Thai culture for the celebration of several festivals, one of which is Loi Krathong. Loi krathong is an annual Thai festival where people thank the Goddess of water, Phra Mae Khongkha. People participate in the festival by placing intricately decorated “floating crowns” in a body of water or releasing khoms into the majestic night skies. Lastly, a beauty contest accompanies many Loi Krathong celebrations. Wouldn’t you know it, one of my students, Ploy, won the beauty contest for the celebration at Kasetsart University. Below is a video of Ploy, my students, and myself releasing a khom. The video captures me practicing my Thai speaking skills as well. Enjoy!
Dec 272012
Thanks to my friends Melvin, Asha, and Smitty for trekking all the way to Thailand to speak to my class.
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Always looking for the adventure, we braved Bangkok streets on bicycles.
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Britni joined us in Phuket for poolside drinks, snorkeling, canoeing and a visit to James Bond island.
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The local convenience store is always there when you need it.
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A resplendent rain shower in Chinatown, Bangkok
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Off season training for #GSNOE and #Brolympics
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Click here for all photos from the Usherys, Smitty, & Britni’s Visit
Dec 172012
Photos from my week at Elephant Nature Park
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word Thailand? Is it the spiciness of Thai food, the unfortunate Tsunami disaster of 2004, or the craziness of Bangkok traffic? For most people it is none of the above. Many of my friends emphatically answered this question with a single word. Elephants!!! I also desired to see these awe-inspiring creatures as I prepared for my life in Thailand. However, once in Thailand, I decided not to experience elephants in the same manner that most tourists do.
Foreigners of all ages flock to Thailand annually to attend elephant shows, participate in elephant riding and pet 
baby elephants. Unfortunately, many tourists are unaware of the cruel training and punishment that the majority of these intelligent beings suffer through. I was made aware of it while searching for a documentary on animals to show to my Thai students. I lucked upon a documentary titled “The Last Elephants in Thailand.” I highly recommend you watch it for your next movie night. The video is embedded at the bottom of this post or you can watch it on youtube.
The documentary sheds light on the gruesome training that is involved in teaching elephants tricks. A mahout, or elephant trainer, is usually assigned to an elephant as a baby. The majority of elephants are broken into submission by having all 4 legs 
chained and placed in a 4 sided enclosure without enough room for the animal to turn around. They are then beaten with the infamous “hook” until they no longer fight back. The sight of the hook is the first sign of abuse. The hook often causes flesh wounds that penetrate the elephant deeply. If you ever attend any type of event where elephants are and you see the hook, know that abuse is occurring. The hook is also used to direct the elephant which way to walk. The tool is poked into the thin sensitive skin of the elephant’s ears and then the mahout pulls the hook in the direction desired. Holes in the ears, and tattered ears are often the result and are another sign of abuse. This graphic training is depicted in the aforementioned documentary. Recently, elephant paintings have become a popular souvenir for tourists. During a show, an elephant will stand in front of a canvas and paint an abstract picture. Sadly, prior to the shows, elephants learn to do this by having their trucks grabbed with the hook and pushed against the canvas. When it is time for the show the elephants perform the same task out of fear and not desire. In addition to the already egregious painting shows, some elephants camps advertise an elephant breeding show. Elephants are forced to mate in front of tourists by training methods that are
not worth repeating.
One elephant, Jokia, is documented in detail in the video. She worked as a logging elephant in Thailand and Burma. A mahout, on lunch break, started shooting small rocks at Jokia one day for fun. Disastrously, a rock hit her eye and caused her to become blind in one eye. Jokia was forced to continue to work as a logging elephant with one eye. After being pregnant for 22 months, the longest gestation period of any animal, she lost her baby as she gave birth while moving logs and the baby elephant fell off a cliff as it was being born. Heartbroken, as any mother would be, Jokia refused to move any more logs and laid down. A cantankerous mahout proceeded to stab Jokia in the other eye. Jokia was rescued and purchased by elephant nature park shortly after becoming blind. Read more about Jokia by clicking this link. After hearing her story, I decided to volunteer at this haven for rescued elephants for 7 days.
Elephant nature park is a park for abused and rescued elephants. The park was founded by Lek. A Thai woman of small stature with one of the largest hearts on Earth. There are no rides nor elephant paintings here. Mental, emotional, and physical rehabilitation are the aims of this park. It is unbelievable that these elephants are capable of letting human beings back in their life after the mistreatment they endured. I had a chance to feed Jokia and look into the vacant craters which use to hold her eyeballs. There were a group of 34 people who were volunteering this particular week. These volunteers were from many different walks of life. They ranged from 18 year old Europeans on gap year to retired grandparents checking off their bucket list.
The activities included:
Bathing & swimming with elephants
Scooping and moving elephant manure
Cutting 6ft tall grass stalks with machetes
Hoeing banana trees
Organizing the elephant kitchen
Eating vegetarian food for a week
Tubing down a Thailand river with a cold beer in my hand
Playing poker & signs
Watching a baby elephant the first day of its birth
Click here to view all my photos from my week at Elephant Nature Park
My week at Elephant Nature Park was probably one of the happiest of my life. Elephants are incredible creatures. However, the park is a scary reminder of the powerful statement people make when spending their money. The tourist dollar is the only reason most of these shows and mistreatment of elephants continue on. The next time you attend any animal function please do your research and be aware of the statement you are making with your money. Does an elephant really want to paint a canvas? Does it want to carry a carriage of people on its back everyday the rest of its life? With its sensitive ears, does it want to hear a circus cannon go off every day? Does it want to be forced to mate simply for entertainment?
Dec 012012
“
The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine.” ~John Howard
Click here for Photos from Mountain Biking in Northern Thailand
Although road biking is my favorite form of biking, mountain biking is providing some competition to my beloved hobby. During my recent semester break I decided to visit the city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. I stayed at Julie’s Guesthouse which houses a social group of backpackers from around the world. The guesthouse also offered suggestions for activities in the area. I saw an advertisement for
Chiang Mai Mountain Biking and signed up without hesitation.
Even though I had never been mountain biking before, I was fairly confident I would be able to handle the challenge due to my prior road biking experience. I proceeded to register for the “intermediate” ride.
The morning of the ride started much like one of my bike rides back in DC. I hydrated with water and bananas. I ate bananas until my stomach gave me that “Don’t over do it” feeling. The tire pressure checked out. The disc brakes, which reminded me of circular saw blades, seemed capable of stopping the bike on a dime. We rode a songthaew (open Thai pick-up truck) for about
1 hour before we reached the top of a mountainous area. The ride consisted of many zigzagged roads, one way vehicle passing areas, and a lot of ear popping. My nerves started to flare up. We un-mounted our bikes and waved good bye to the sonthaew. With a click of my helmet strap, I swallowed my nerves and got 3rd in line out of our group of 4.
We followed a paved road for about 5 minutes, and then we made a right hand turn into a sea of green. The downhill was fairly steep and there was no clear path. The wind started speaking loudly in my ears and tree roots, rocks, and decaying branches grabbed at our tires. Stray dogs barked at us in their native tongue. After we reached a clearing and I remembered to start breathing again, I thought to myself “Intermediate huh?” Our Thai bike leader looked back at us with a grin on
his face and said “OK?”, I did not respond.
Perhaps the first downhill was some kind of initiation as the next portion of the ride consisted of moderate riding with breathtaking views. We glided through streams of water and grabbed bananas off banana trees. We stopped by hill tribe villages and watched children pluck bouquets of dandelions from the ground. I started to think, “I have to do this more often.” After a few more kilometers of riding, our bike leader announced we would be single tracking, with that same grin on his face.
Single tracking, in mountain biking terms, is riding a trail that is approximately the width of the bike. There is not a lot of room for error. I stood up on my bike and moved my weight to the rear of the bike as instructed. The worse kind of fall is when you Superman or go over the handlebars, I remembered our instructor telling us. We were down the single track about a 3rd of the way when a fellow rider stated “I know my limits, I 
will walk and meet you all at the next clearing.” I was not feeling that comfortable myself. I had already put my foot down a couple of times to stop impending falls. However, I thought to myself “When is the next time you will have a chance to single track over a Thailand mountain?” I pushed on and finally made the clearing. It was not my breath this time but it felt like my heart had to remember to start again. Nevertheless, I had made it to the clearing. I was brimming with confidence after single tracking.
I started tackling the rest of the trail at a faster speed. I reached a fairly open portion of the the trail, nothing compared to the single track, and then it happened. I still don’t know if it was a rock, tree branch, or over-confidence but I supermaned. I went over the handlebars and instinctively put my hands out to brace for impact. As I plummeted to the ground it feel like a knife had been driven into my right knee. I sat up
and clutched my wrists. They feel like they had just lifted a truck. It didn’t seem like anything was broken so I picked myself up and got back on my bike. Besides a cut knee, scraped hands, and sore wrists, I was OK.
It was just a fall off a bike but it reminded me of something one of my friends told me a while ago. “If you don’t fall or fail sometimes, you are not aiming high enough.” We all have our fair share of falls. Some fear falling, however I think there is another perspective we can take on the subject. If you do not have an occasional fall maybe you should aim higher. What will happen if you aim higher and don’t fall?
Click here for Photos from Mountain Biking in Northern Thailand
Sep 282012
The Special English Program (SEP) at Kasetsart University recently held an English camp weekend. The weekend was designed to create a fun environment where students could practice speaking and listening to the English language. The students were split into 6 groups of 30 and rotated between 6 classrooms lead by English teachers. I was 1 of the 6 teachers that volunteered to lead an activity. The majority of the students are enrolled in the courses I teach so I knew the weekend would be a humorous one.
The activity I decided to use in my classroom was “Making the Band.” The activity was based on the American reality TV show from years ago. I opened the activity with vocabulary building using esoteric music words such as collaborate, catchy, rhythm, album, and melody. I then explained the activity and showed the students the music video of Kool & the Gang performing their hit Celebration as an example band.
Once in groups, each group had to do the following
1. Determine the genre of music their band would play
2. Decide on the band’s name
3. Each member of the band created his/her own stage name
4. Tell how your band formed and why it is the best band
5. Perform!!!
Here is a short 6 minute compilation video of the performances. I recently showed this to my students and they really enjoyed it. I was lucky to make a cameo appearance toward the end. I hope you enjoy it.