New Blog for the UTE Finals!

Hello all,
We have a new blog we will be operating through for the Ultimate Thailand Explorers finals. Please check out our awesome new blog found here: http://www.ultimatethailandexplorers.com/blog/chiangmai/
Beginning Dec.1-Jan.8th, you can vote for us every 24 hours through our new blog!

A big THANK YOU to all our supporters!

Hey everyone,
Aubrey and I just wanted to thank everybody for their support throughout the semifinals. There is no way we could have advanced to the finals without our amazing families and friends! Thank you all for remembering to vote and for sticking by us. We have met some amazing people through this competition already and it's not even over yet. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be in a position to travel to Chiang Mai and tell everyone back home and around the world about it! And for those of you who have voted for a different team throughout the Semifinals and your team didn't make it, we would like to earn your vote! We will continue the hard work throughout the duration of the finals to hopefully influence your decision! THANK YOU for sending us to Chiang Mai and make sure to vote for us starting December 1st.

Sincerely,
Parker and Aubrey

New Videos! Check these out!

INTENSE work out-getting pumped for UTE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKBCgstSF_s

Chu and Jim want YOU to vote for Aubrey and Parker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cXui5wu6lo

See a first-hand account of how Loy Krathong really goes down; live from the Chao Phraya River :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFQA8T0ylis

Pad Thai on the streets of Bangkok. How is it made? Watch and find out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2ENVIUEHpI

More Publicity for the Ultimate Thailand Explorers Chiang Mai!

http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2009/11/msu_alumna_competes_in_thailand
Read this and then please VOTE! We need your vote every day!

Article about Aubrey and Parker

We got some local pub! Check out our article in the Oakland Press! http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2009/11/01/life/doc4aecf942d3844949341582.txt

Chiang Mai!

By Aubrey

We have been researching Chiang Mai now for one year. It will almost be one year since our last visit (in December 2008) and we have been planning to go back ever since. I absolutely fell in love with Chiang Mai on our first visit. It is the perfect combination of city and country with a creative and artistic feel. The local artisans and craftspeople show their talents through the local handicrafts sold at the Walking Street night markets.

On our first trip to Chiang Mai Parker and I convinced Mr. Lynch (Parker's father), who is afraid of heights to go with us on the Flight of The Gibbeons, zip lining through the jungle! He was terrified at first but after wards claimed it was one of the coolest experiences of his life.

Our next adventure in Chiang Mai is already planned out! Check out some of the sights, courses, and adventures we plan to experience on our next trip.

1. Hot Air Balloon Ride over Chiang Mai

http://www.wind-and-fire.com/

2. Visit the new baby Panda, Lin Bing at the Chiang Mai Zoo!

http://www.chiangmaizoo.com/

3. White Water Rafting

http://www.siamrivers.com

4. Take a meditation course

5. Take a Northern Thai cooking course

6. Take a Thai massage course (and of course, get a Thai massage!)

7. Visit the Elephant Nature Park

www.elephantnaturepark.org
This is a elephant sanctuary for rescued elephants who were abused.

8. Go shopping at Saturday and Sunday Night Walking Street Markets

9. Take mountain bikes through Doi Suthep!

www.mountainbikingchiangmai.com

10. Take a Muy Thai Boxing Course (I am a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, so I think it would be fun to learn Muy Thai as well!)

11. Participate in "Monk Chat"

12. Take pictures of beautiful Chiang Mai!

Baby Panda

One of my favorite things in Chiang Mai was the Chiang Mai Zoo. I loved the panda exhibit and could have stayed there all day watching the two pandas. When we found out a new baby was born, I knew we would be heading back to Chiang Mai to see it.

The Chiang Mai Zoo website has pictures of the new baby, check them out...

http://picasaweb.google.com/thailandpanda8/

The baby Panda was born at 10.39am on 27 May 2009. The baby is a female and her parents are mommy panda 'Lin Hui' and daddy panda 'Chuang Chuang'. They are both from Wu Long, China and have been living in Thailand since 12 October 2003.

The baby pandas name is Lin Bing. You have to check out some of the pictures, they are absolutely adorable!

Lin Bing, here we come!

The new panda at the Chiang Mai Zoo!

Railay, Krabi

Railay
By Aubrey

I thought we should talk about Railay in Krabi because not only is it one of my favorite places in Thailand, but also one of my favorite places I've ever visited. I have visited Railay twice, once was with Parker during a four day holiday in February where Parker's friend Pat met us and the second time is when I took my six visitors from the States. We discussed back and forth which beach they should see, because Thailand has so many options of beautiful beaches, but after my trip in February I told them it didn't matter that I already visited it because I loved it and they needed to see it for themselves!

I will tell you a little bit about Railay...

To get there you fly into Krabi airport. From the airport you take the shuttle buses to Ao Nang, it is best to get there early in the day because you have to take a long tail boat from the Ao Nang pier to get to Railay. The first time Parker and I went we stayed the night in Ao Nang because for just two people for the long tail you have to take a private boat and pay the full price, but during the day many tourists take the boat to Railay so it is split and you are charged a flat rate. It is not a bad option staying in Ao Nang for a night either, there are plenty of delicious restaurants, bars and shopping to keep busy :)

The long tail boat to Railay only takes about 20 minutes from Ao Nang to Railay and is about 120 baht. When you drive up to Railay you notice right away the amazing limestone. It is very laid back and peaceful on the island with plenty to do and see for being so small. There are no cars on the island which gives it a really secluded feel as well.

Parker and I stayed at Railay Princess and it wasn't our first choice of hotels because it wasn't directly on the beach, but we went without a reservation and we were quite pleased. Railay Princess is a sister hotel to Railay Bay and we could use the Railay Bay pool which faced the best bit of the beach so we could switch from the pool to ocean in seconds! I would definitely recommend the second hotel I stayed at with my friends, Railay Village. The breakfast had the best banana pancakes I have ever tasted and our room even had a hot tub!

There are many activities in Railay for the laid back to very adventurous type. Parker and I like to think we are a little of both. We spent one day relaxing on the beach and exploring the island, but the next day we were off to rock climbing! Rock climbing was truly an amazing experience. I had NO previous experience in rock climbing so was a little bit nervous but we went through a great climbing school, Hot Rock (www.railayadventure.com) and our guide made us feel safe and helped us on our first climb. I was able to climb every rock, even the one I couldn't even believe we were going to attempt! The view of the beaches from the top were stunning! I loved it and would love to try it again in the near future.

Railay is divided into two sides, Hat Rai Leh West and Hat Rai Leh East. You can also walk to another beach called Hat Tham Phra Nang which is beautiful. It is a white sand beach with cliffs framing the sides. There is a path that leads up to a hidden lagoon called Sa Phra Nang and a viewpoint you can walk to as well. This is a very strenuous hike and while they are not required, tennis shoes are recommended and I would strongly advise them having hiked to the viewpoint and the lagoon myself. The picture on top was taken from the viewpoint and it is amazing to see the whole island from the top.

Parker and I went kayaking to a Hat Ton Sai, which is mainly backpackers. It had lively bars with a rustic feel and music. We spent a few hours there but headed back to Railay for our favorite part of the day; SUNSET!

The sunsets in Railay are enough of a reason to book a trip to Thailand! The picture Parker and I use on this blog, our facebook and even our video is taken from a sunset in Railay. I will include some more pictures to get a better idea, because it really is unexplainable.

The nightlife in Railay is very laid back, I basically just stayed in a bathing suit cover up and flip flops for my attire! There is a really cool bar called Stone Bar worth checking out which is literally sitting under a climbing wall! My favorite bar is at a restaurant called Flame Tree which is on the West side and come nighttime they set up mats on the beach with candles to enjoy the sunset and at night to gaze upon the stars. They have a great happy hour and it is a great place to meet other travelers!

There is hotel called Ravadee that you are not even allowed on the property if you are not a guest! The prices are outrages, but you are allowed to their restaurants. Most of our trip in Railay we ate very reasonably at the local bungalow restaurants on the beach, so we decided to try out the Ravadee restaurant and I definitely recommend it. They had a great pitcher of Sangria as well! It was not too expensive, however first priority goes to hotel guests so it can be hard to eat there. We were turned away the first night and had to come back because there were no openings, but I am happy we tried it out.

During sunset local Thai children play soccer on the beach, Parker included himself in the game a few times as well as his friend Pat who visited us. They became local favorites and the rest of the trip the children would wave to their new soccer friends!

Please check out our facebook page for more pictures of Railay, and message us at "Aubrey Parker" if you are interested in going there and have any more questions :)

All of the beaches in Thailand offer different things for different people, so it is important to look at what kind of trip you are interested in before booking a beach holiday. We will add our opinions on different beaches that we have loved as well!

Living and Loving Bangkok

Parker and I have hosted many friends and family from the states since we have been in Thailand. I love organizing their visits and planning everything before! Last April I had 6 friends come from all different states in America to visit me for 10 days! Needless to say we prepared weeks in advance. I want to share one of the itineraries we shared to help give people traveling to Bangkok some ideas of some of the amazing things they can do once they arrive! If you have any questions please feel free to contact us, add us as a friend on facebook at "Aubrey Parker" and send us a message. We'd love to give you any tips and recommendations on our favorite things to do, see and EAT in the places we've visited in Thailand!

(This is copied and pasted from a previous e-mail thread between my friends who were came to visit and I)

Thai-inerary

Ok. Here are things in Bangkok I want to tell you guys about- so you can look over and decide what you want to do. There are all kinds of things for all different prices in Bangkok, we could get dinner and a smoothie for $1.50 total or eat at amazing places which are probably still cheaper than the restaurants back home. Just take a look and give me a idea so I can make reservations or book certain events if I need to :)

With that said…

Here are places I think you would like-

To See:

1. Grand Palace... This is a must see. "Temple of the Emerald Buddha" Wat Phra Kaew. My favorite thing about the Grand Palace is the Emerald Buddha, and the museum you can stop in before you head in and see the different outfits they change the Buddha in for the different seasons in Bangkok (hot, cool and rainy).

2. Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) This is one of my favorite places in Bangkok, I love taking pictures here and getting my fortune read! There is a famous massage school here we could take courses at.

3. The Oriental (hotel) where they have the cutest afternoon Tea room called the Author's Lounge

http://www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/dining/lounge_and_bar/authors_lounge/

4. Boat ride on the river, we could either take a long tail boat or the river taxis. Both a great way to see the city from the water!

5. Chinatown (especially at night!) I love Chinatown! There are great Chinese restaurants and a lot of things you can buy. We do a lot of supply shopping for my school here and get great things to make arts and crafts for the kids projects at school.

6. Kho San road (backpacker street, and we can go out here too it’s really fun and cheap. They have a lot of cool random bars, like a rooftop bar with live music that overlooks the street. You can also buy great Red Bull, Chang, Singha t-shirts and Thai souvenirs)

7. This place for dinner called Amarosa that is right across Wat Arun, the temple of dawn. Wat Arun is also great to visit, but sitting across the river at Amarosa and having dinner and drinks during the Sunset is unforgettable!

http://www.arunresidence.com/dining.htm

8. We could do a dinner cruise along the river that has Thai music/ food, I haven’t done this yet…

9. MOVIE at paragon, at the Nokia theatre (about 15 dollars) which is leather reclining chairs with silk blankets and pillows, and a waiting room with juice and cookies, ALSO a BAR!), or we could do the more expensive theater called Enigma that includes a food dish appetizer and a alcohol drink and they are BEDS... This runs for about $30. We did this only once, but it was fun!)

www.paragoncineplex.com

10. Siam PARAGON in general is an amazing mall. There’s a really good Japanese burger place called Mos Burger that I would love for you guys to experience and a really cool food court with all Thai dishes (Great spicy Papaya salad), the most amazing supermarket you will ever see and great souvenirs in a Thai section) This is the mall with all the top designers as well.

11. Central World (Another really cool mall with the BEST food court, a upscale food court where you order your food then go sit down and they bring it to you called Food Loft. The department store ZEN has a DJ on the ground level too!)

12. Alcohol Ice Cream bar at Central World

13. Siam Square (Across from the malls, a lot of shopping, food, smoothie places, trendy Thai teenagers hang out)

14. Chatuchak Market (Truly amazing, everything and anything you could possibly want to buy! Just take a look at all the sections)

http://www.jatujakguide.com/home/

15. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (This is exactly what it sounds like, a market on water! You have to take a boat to get around, it's really something you have never seen before!)

16. Ocean World at Paragon, it’s a really cool aquarium with sharks and crazy fish.I love ocean world!

http://www.siamoceanworld.co.th/

(We can also walk with sharks here in the water)

17. Kanchanaburi- Tiger Temple... One of my favorite things I have ever experienced!

18. Muy Thai Boxing (It’s cool, I went to the Lumpini Stadium, it’s near the Suam Night Bazaar which I want to take you guys too, so let me know if you would be interested in boxing)

19. Elephant Riding (If we end up traveling to a beach then we can for sure do it there, otherwise there are places a few hour from Bangkok we can go as well if you're interested)

20. If you guys are interested in getting suits made, Parker and his friend got really good ones at a place that was recommended to us in Kho San. Each of Parkers custom suits were like $90 and he got custom made shirts for $15!

21. SPA SPA SPA!! You can get massages every 5 steps. Most foot massages are about 6 dollars for random place, there is a really nice spa where you will be staying called Green Leaf Spa. This is where I get my haircut because it is so close to me! We also like Healthland and Oasis Spa.

http://www.healthlandspa.com/home.html

http://www.chiangmaioasis.com/

Dinner

1. Sirrocco or Vertigo (our favorite rooftop bars, MUST SEE!)

http://www.lebua.com/bangkok/dining/

2. Zense (it’s another rooftop but now as high as the other two, it’s really cool though and less expensive, located on top of Zen at Central World)

3. Bed Supperclub (www.bedsupperclub.com) dinner then out there, the dinner is unlike anything. I have already made reservations for your visit, this is a MUST!

4. Blue Elephant (Really good Thai food, also where I want to do the cooking course with you guys. Would you be interested?)

5. Cabbages and Condoms (This is like a safe sex place, but the food is awesome and everything is made of condoms, it’s crazy!)

6. Food Loft at Central World (really cheap and amazing food, they have food all around the world here, it’s my favorite!)

There are so many great places. There is a great vendor right across where you guys will be staying we can get a quick lunch one day before heading out to the Temples :) When we know what day we are doing what I can plan accordingly where to eat based on which location we will be in..

OUT

1. Long Table

2. Bed Superclub (we’ll see this after dinner)

3. Nest

4. RCA- I like Route 66 and 808

5. Tappas, Silom

6. Silom in general, we like to start at Coyote because they have the most amazing margaritas!

7. Kho San Road (the Rooftop bar I told you about is great)

8. Q Bar- cool place on Soi 11 in Nana, Sukhumvit

9. The Night Bazaar

Ultimate Thailand Explorers!

What a week this has been! We are so excited about being selected semi-finalists for the Ultimate Thailand Explorers competition! We contacted our friends and family back home and the support has been amazing. It has been great catching up with our friends and family around the world. We invite everyone who reads our blog to add us as a friend on facebook, under "Aubrey Parker"... This contest has definitely peeked interest in fellow travelers to visit Thailand and for those who want any information please feel free to contact us. We would love to meet up with anyone traveling to Thailand. We love making new friends and sharing our travel experiences as well as hearing yours :)

WE MADE THE TOP 25!

Hey Everyone! We did it! WE MADE THE TOP 25! Now we need your VOTES to
become finalists :) Here is what you do:

1. Log onto http://ultimatethailandexplorers.com
(OR us directly at
http://ultimatethailandexplorers.com/no_cache/semifinalists/chiang-mai/applicant-profile/?user=AubParkThailand)

2. YOU HAVE TO REGISTER (It only takes a few minutes, and if you can
WIN prizes!)

3. You can vote ONCE every 24 hours!

4. Please help us, we need YOU to win!!

5. Thanks everyone for all the support!!

Sincerely,
Aubrey and Parker, the ULTIMATE THAILAND EXPLORERS!

Check out our new Thailand Video!

Check out our new video on UltimateThailandExplorers.com

http://ultimatethailandexplorers.com/no_cache/destinations/chiang-mai/applicants-profile/?user=AubParkThailand

Let us know what you think. Here is our explanation about why we should be the Chiang Mai representatives (also on the website):

About Aubrey & Parker

Aubrey and Parker are both seasoned world travelers! We are both from Detroit, Michigan USA yet we did not meet until we both separately moved to Bangkok, Thailand! Aubrey was already living here for 2 months when mutual friends put Parker in touch with her before moving to Thailand. After a month of exploring the city, we found that we were the perfect travel companions and we started dating! We have lived here now for over 15 months together and we have hosted over 20 guests from the States! Both our families and friends have ventured out to Thailand and we have been their tour guides; according to them it is unanimous that we are the best tour guides in the city! Aubrey has studied photography and art in Rome, Italy where she lived for four months during University on a study-abroad program, which sparked her interest to live abroad. Parker backpacked around Europe for two months and became enamored with the adventurous lifestyle of traveling. We are the type of couple who aren't afraid to try new things. We would appeal to all viewers because we do things in all different price ranges. We love street food as much as we love trying different gourmet restaurants! Our youthful energy and knowledge of Thai culture makes us the perfect team to guide you through beautiful Chiang Mai.

Thais and Respect

One of the first things you notice upon entering Thailand is that everyone is smiling at you. The country is not called "The Land of Smiles" for nothing and Thais will do everything they can to communicate with you even if you don't know any Thai. I am working (slowly) on mine and know very basic phrases and I can get around pretty easily. For the most part, Thais are for the most part extremely generous and respectful people. As a sign of respect, Thais will often wai to you (bringing two hands up to around their chin as a sign of respect) and you should acknowledge and return the wei if possible. This is always interesting when you are trying to carry groceries and they fall out when you try to wai back.
Some of the other signs of respect are not as immediately evident. I take a motorbike taxi everyday to school and I heard that if you are late on the bill, you can hand the bill and cash to a motorbike taxi and they will take it to the office, which is miles outside of the congested city. I scoffed at the idea, thinking that there was no way I would trust a stranger with my cash. One day soon after we moved to Bangkok, Aubrey and I discovered we were very late on our electric bill and we had no idea where the payment office was. We decided to go for the motorcycle taxi courier option and handed some random Thai taxidriver close to the equivalent of $100 in Thai baht and expected to never see the man again. Much to our surprise, the taxi driver returned with the payment receipt and he charged us a mere 100 baht (about $3). Amazing...
Also, young people show a lot more respect here than in the States. Elders are always treated with respect, no matter what. When the Birmingham Uptown Theater was built not long ago, it was amazing and state of the art. About a year later, there was graffiti all over the bathrooms and the seats in the movie theater had been slashed and broken. The theaters here are unreal; they are 100% nicer than any I have seen in the U.S. and kept spotlessly clean. I have never seen any vandalism and the tickets are about $3 for a new film and $1 each for popcorn and drinks. Also, everyone stands before the movie when a short tribute film to the King of Thailand is shown, no matter what their political belief. Bangkok is a pretty amazing dichotomy of old and young, rich and poor, tradition and technology. Respect is the constant throughout.

Bangkok Year Two

Hey everyone,
Switching up the blog format for year two to allow for comments and feedback. I would love to hear from everyone who reads this and I welcome any blog ideas or questions you can think of. I am sure I will have interesting Thai stories to tell you about!

-Parker

PS...THANK YOU to Aubrey for all of her help on the main blog picture, it looks awesome!

My Daily Work Commute

Wow, sorry for the lapse in blogging…I’ve been traveling a lot and I have been busy with school-no excuse though I need to blog more. I have had some questions asking how I get to work everyday. It is about a 45 minute commute from my place in Satorn district of Bangkok (Business/Financial district) to my school, which is located on Sukhumvit Road, Soi 47. I wake up at about 630 and shower/get dressed, grab some breakfast, and head out to the street to get a motorbike taxi, or “Bangkok helicopter”, as they are called here. The motorbike taxi drivers have orange or purple vests on and usually spend their time in-between fares playing checkers on homemade boards with beer bottle caps as the checker pieces. I wave to the guys now (they know me because I take them everyday) and they pick me up. I tell them “Sawasdee krap” (hello) and say “Chong Nonsi BTS, kop khun krap” and we are off. We speed through the dense traffic jam and weave in and out of the cars. All of the motorbikes drive this way; it is the only way to get through Bangkok traffic. If I took a normal taxi, it would take me an hour to get where I need to be and on the bike it takes about 10 minutes. When I get to the BTS station (the elevated metro system), I pay the motorbike driver 40 baht and get on the train. I take the train for about 20 minutes and have to switch lines once, then I get off and walk down Sukhumvit-the famous road in Bangkok-for about 8 blocks until I reach kindergarten.

Travel Pics from '08/'09

Chiang Mai, BKK Xmas

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2560610&id=6802265&l=0def577b2a

Cambodia

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2560601&id=6802265&l=423590eefa
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2560607&id=6802265&l=20d93a85b1

Phuket

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2560599&id=6802265&l=08a444f382

Valentines Day in a Shark Tank.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2576062&id=6802265&l=8b973

Loy Krathong pics/Grand Palace/Reclining Buddha

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2536891&l=46e66&id=6802265

The King and I

The King of Thailand is literally everywhere in Bangkok. The King and Queen are pictured on billboards, shop signs, and in most every cab you take in the city. Thais wear yellow on Mondays to honor the King, who was born on a Monday. The Queen was born on a Friday, so Thais wear blue on Fridays. These shirts have the royal insignia on the front and are emblazoned with “I love the King” or “I love the Queen” on the back or the sleeve. The sidewalks are a sea of yellow on Mondays, it is amazing to see. Every day at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. all radio and television stations will play the national anthem and show the pictures of the King and royal family. Everyone (including drivers of cars) stops what they are doing and stands still until the anthem is over.

I first experienced this when I was running just a taaad late for school due to oversleeping and found myself speed-walking through the Bangkok Transit System (BTS) station at 8am. I was running down the stairway steps and saw everyone stop in their tracks. I had heard about the anthem before and sure enough it was playing over intercom. Even though I was extremely late, I had to awkwardly stand on the steps and wait for the anthem to finish. Another odd place where Thais pay tribute to the King is in movie theatres before every film. The anthem is played, everyone puts their popcorn down and stands up to watch a slide show or a film of dramatic pictures of the King’s childhood and adult life (the King as a Buddhist monk, the King sailing, the King helping the poor).

The last thing you want to do in Thailand is insult the royal family in any way. Doing so can get you time in prison for treason, so I try to avoid the subject altogether so I don’t offend anyone. I went to Tesco Lotus (a huge Wal-Mart style big box store) after I moved into my place to get sheets for my queen-sized bed and realized I had no idea how to ask the employees for a “queen” bed set without potentially insulting them. I didn’t know if calling a set of sheets a “queen” set would be an insult to Her Majesty, so I asked for “2nd biggest sheets” and “bigger than a twin”. Needless to say, this totally confused everyone so I went home empty handed and slept on a towel for the next week. It turns out a queen bed is called a queen bed, even in Thailand.

My job.

I am a kindergarten teacher (K3) at an international school in the heart of Bangkok. My job is to mold the minds of impressionable children from age 4-6…kind of scary, haha! I am enjoying my job a little more each week. I had no teaching experience prior to coming here and now I have my own classroom of 19 kids. Some of the kids speak little-to-no English, so it has been a challenge, especially since I had no idea what I was doing at first. Apparently I am the first teacher this school has hired with no experience; most of the teachers who work at the school have lived in Bangkok for years. There is a suprising amount of pressure teaching at this school. The parents treat kindergarten like western parents treat high school, because it is really uncommon for children in Thailand to advance far in school. Plus, my school is expensive and we operate very closely with the parents. I am expected to keep close communication with them and I usually write messages to them 3 times a week talking about what we are doing in class and how their child is doing. Waaaayyy more intense than I pictured kindergarten to be; plus I have to lesson plan every day and teach all subjects. I am much busier in Thailand than I expected to be!

I really like my coworkers; they are from all over the world (England, New Zealand, Bangkok, India, and Iran). They have really helped me with advice of new teaching games and methods to keep the kids attentive and somewhat well-behaved. Likewise, my students are from all over the globe: India, Thailand, Japan, Korea. As big of a pain as they can be at times, I love my kids, they make my day so much better and make me laugh all the time.

The hardest thing for me to do is be a good diciplinarian; it was really tough for me to get stern with them because they are so cute and usually mean well. I have found a better method though, I made a “safari” board in the front of the class with a little jeep and I made cutouts using each child’s headshot picture. If they are good students, they get smiley faces next to their name . Whoever has the most at the end of the day get to “go on safari” and they usually go nuts over that. If they are bad, they get the dreaded “boo-boo face” next to their name, which means trouble. We had parent-teacher conferences last week and they went really well. I was so nervous but all the parents seemed to really like me and I got a bunch of cool gifts and stuff. I also coach soccer after school-funny since I haven’t played since middle school-but I am actually getting to be pretty lethal on the pitch as they say. I am coaching the tiny kids-K3s and the older kids-grade 1 through 3. Its really fun coaching the older kids because we usually scrimmage the whole time and I get to showcase my skills and feel good about myself as I dribble around 10-year-olds. I have to write a lesson plan now and get to bed early but upcoming posts will be about the Bangkok protests, my daily commute, and some random funny stories I need to tell.

Inaugural Bangkok Post!

It first hit me that I was going to be a long way from home when I stepped on the Japan Air 797 flight from Chicago to Tokyo on September 29th. I looked around the crowded cabin and realized I was the only white person sitting in my section. Severely jet-lagged, I arrived in Bangkok at 9PM local time and managed to find a taxi to take me to my hotel. As we turned onto Sukhumvit Road, the main artery of the city, I saw an enormous elephant walking down the sidewalk with a blinking light attached to its tail. From that time on, it has been an adventure (and misadventure) in this huge and vibrant city. It has been pretty nuts so far but I am really loving it here. Sorry about the long wait for my first blog post; I have been so busy with finding a place to live, finding Internet and working. Here is a link to some of the pictures I have taken so far: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2482803&l=fdf7b&id=6802265

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2499205&l=93fff&id=6802265

Also, if you want to get ahold of me, my email address is parker.a.lynch@gmail.com…I’d love to get feedback or suggestions about the blog! Many more blog posts and pictures to come I promise!

Bangkok Year Two

Hey everyone,
Switching up the blog format for year two to allow for comments and feedback. I would love to hear from everyone who reads this and I welcome any blog ideas or questions you can think of. I am sure I will have interesting Thai stories to tell you about!

-Parker