The Ninth Traveler

Australia: The Great Barrier Reef

Australia, Physical Fitness Activities, Video 8 Responses »

Jan 172013

Home to a stupefying array of flora and fauna including 1,500 varieties of fish, 4,000 kinds of mollusks and 500 species of coral, the Great Barrier Reef is a symphony of life. Coral are of special interest to many visitors. Much like how humans’ skin can acquired a beautiful tan when the sun shines on in, coral’s colors radiant brightly when exposed to the sun. Our day at the Great Barrier Reef was overcast and there was actually a strong downpour of rain on our last dive. As a result, the coral was not as colorful as usual the day […Read More]

Guest Lectures by the Usherys, Smitty, & Britni

Kasetsart Univeristy, Photos, Physical Fitness Activities, Thailand 4 Responses »

Dec 272012

Thanks to my friends Melvin, Asha, and Smitty for trekking all the way to Thailand to speak to my class.

The Last Elephants in Thailand

Elephants, Thailand 6 Responses »

Dec 172012

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.

Mountain Biking in Northern Thailand

Physical Fitness Activities, Thailand 6 Responses »

Dec 012012

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 housed 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.

Siem Reap & Angkor Wat Cambodia

Cambodia 8 Responses »

Nov 242012

“Why do you want to go there?”, my student asked me. I will admit that Cambodia was not high on my list of places to visit when I decided to move to southeast Asia. However, after reading about the tragedies of the Khmer Rouge Regime in the late nineties, I was drawn to visit this nation. It turned out to be a marvelous place and has found its way onto my travel recommendation list. In true SE Asian style, my fellow teacher, Andy and I caught an 8 hour bus from Bangkok to the city of Siem Reap. Once there […Read More]

English Camp Weekend

Kasetsart Univeristy, Music, Thailand 4 Responses »

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 activity I decided to use in my classroom was “Making the Band.” Here is a short 6 minute compilation video of the performances.

The Kindness of Thai People

Thailand 14 Responses »

Jul 292012

I have been overwhelmed by the amount of kindness shown to me since arriving in Thailand. Many Thais give without any expectation of receiving anything in return. I asked my Thai friend Meaw about this and she said that most of the kindness relates to Buddhism. Thailand’s population is approximately 95% Buddhist. Buddhism consists of a strong belief in karma. Another pillar of the faith is “Making Merit.” This consists of offering good actions, whether it is food donations to monks or performing worship at the local temple. She ended the conversation with “Tam dee, dai dee; tam chooa, dai chooa” (Good […Read More]

Pictures across Borders

Kasetsart Univeristy, Photos, Thailand 10 Responses »

Jul 162012

Sometimes pictures can express one’s thoughts better than words. I decided to share some photos from my first month in Thailand. The pictures range from my classroom, to the crazy parties on Khoa San Rd, to the tranquility of Kanchanaburi. There are 30 pictures.

<—–Click Photo to see

First Taste of Thailand

Thailand 17 Responses »

Jun 192012

On Monday, June 11, 2012 I entered my first class ever as a teacher. There were about 30 2nd year students in this English Speaking/Listening class. I used an icebreaker I found online. I brought a deck of cards to class. I shuffled them and then placed them out on a desk. A student would come up and pick a card. Whatever number he/she picked is the amount of things he/she would have to say about their self. The student held a microphone while talking. Once the student finished, the student would then pass the microphone to a […Read More]

Motivation

Motivation, Thailand 7 Responses »

May 302012

After working in Corporate America for about 6 years I recently decided to leave my job this past April. As much as I enjoy engineering I was starting to fill a little restless and unfilled. I have always been interested in traveling. I took a few vacations to Egypt, Japan, Brazil and Ghana. However, I always felt like I was just scratching the cultural surface by staying a few days at each location. I felt like I was moving from hotel to hotel protected by my money. I yearned to experience the culture first hand. I wanted to stay […Read More]

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