Elephant Kisses in Chiang Mai

The first 5 days of my 6 week Asian adventure began by taking two flights to Chiang Mai, Thailand.  I had heard such wonderful things about this place from other people and I was so excited to experience it for myself!  The number one activity I was looking forward to was going to an elephant sanctuary.  Without getting on a self-righteous pedestal, I just want to share my thoughts on elephant treatment in Thailand. 

Elephants are revered as very holy creatures in Thailand - they are featured in the temple designs and artwork and are often thought of as the creatures who created Thailand and made it what it is today.  That being said, it's really shocking to learn of how these sacred animals are treated in today's societies.  In the past, they were irreplaceable workers in the teak timber business; however, as logging became more illegal and unnecessary, hundreds of elephants were left without work and either abandoned or shipped off to work in the growing tourist industry.  While these are probably the most gentle and amazing creatures I've ever seen, it is the belief of the mahouts (elephant owners) that the animals have to be beaten into submission in order to be tame enough to learn how to allow tourists to ride them, perform tricks and earn them tons of money.  When the elephant is only 4 years old it is taken from its mother, shoved into a cage and beaten mercilessly for a week until its "spirit is broken".  Because this tradition is hundreds of years old, it's really hard to change people's minds about this.

On a happy note, we went to the Elephant Nature Park, which is a sanctuary for saved elephants where they are free to roam, form herds and generally enjoy life again.  There are 36 elephants at this sanctuary and most of them had horrific stories of abuse and neglect.  We spent the whole day (8am-6pm) feeding them fruit (entire watermelons and huge bunches of bananas), walking around with them, kissing their trunks (ok maybe that was mostly me) and bathing them in the river.  It was the most incredible day.  Some of them still recall their tricks from their previous life so I even got to trade some bananas for an elephant kiss right on my check.  Pretty awesome. 

This place was worth every penny, and if you ever find yourself in Chiang Mai I urge you go there and experience it for yourself.  Skip the "ride an elephant through the jungle"outing, because chances are that elephant suffered way too much for that 15 minute ride to be worth it. 

On a side note, the food and atmosphere in Chiang Mai are wonderful!  There many options and fun things to do that we ended up staying an extra day to fit it all in.  We visited Tiger Kingdom - which after my soapbox about the elephants, I'm a bit ashamed to admit.  They claimed the tigers weren't drugged and were treated fairly, but the cages were quite small and I've heard from others that it's not at all the way they portray.  I can't deny that I loved rubbing my head on the tigers and feeding the babies out of bottles, though.  They are the most beautiful animals.

So to sum up Chiang Mai...elephant kisses, lots of food, new Canadian friends, temple stairs and tiger babies.

Next stop: Bangkok

Christmas Down Under and New Years in New Zealand

Despite it being a good 3 weeks post-holidays, I figured my first holiday away from home deserved a blog - late or not.  I went into this holiday season with mixed emotions...Sad to be away from family and our long list of traditions, happy and excited to being doing something completely new and different.  Luckily, this trip did not disappoint in any way.

In Singapore, I met a great group of girls (non ICR teachers) and we started a great tradition of Wednesday night dinners.  This lead to some life long friendships and, thanks to Sally, an amazing Australian adventure.  Sally and Shaun not only offered us an amazing place to stay, with delicious food and a gorgeous beach all within walking distance, but also took it upon themselves to make sure that we saw and did everything we wanted and more while we were there.  From holding baby koalas to hopping around with kangaroos, eating burritos almost daily to learning how to play the local sport of lawn bowling - we did it all.  Spending Christmas eve in my "I believe in Santa" t-shirt on the Gold Coast beach was surreal to say the least.  Christmas Day was made even more amazing when Shaun invited us to spend the day with his extended family.  Their warmth and love towards us was amazing.  Within minutes I felt like I was part of the family.  If I couldn't be with my family on that day, this was definitely the next best thing.  After exchanging presents, eating WAY too much, and playing ridiculous games, we partied the night away with an all out sing-a-long to old 45" records including Sonny and Cher, ACDC and everything in between.

As if the holiday couldn't get any better, it was time to leave Oz for yet another adventure in New Zealand.  Everything I had ever heard about NZ boasted of gorgous landscapes and lots of adventure.  These were understatements to say the least - we saw the most beautiful flowers, mountains, hills, lakes - you name it.  After living in Singapore and not being behind the wheel for pretty much two years, renting a car for the week was the highlight of the trip!  Julian was chosen as the one and only driver because a) it was manual and b) they drive on the left side - I would have definitely sent us flying over the edge or into oncoming traffic.  This was fine by me, and I spent the hours of driving hanging out of the window taking a bazillion pictures.  It was so fun to just jump in the car and go - not having to wait for a bus or train or taxi.  While there were tons of adventure activities to choose from, they weren't cheap, and there was honestly enough to see and do without them.  I had a fantastic massage and took a gondola ride to the top of a moutain while Julian went downhill mountain biking - that's my kind of adventure :)  New Years was spent listening to live music during the day and a spectacular fireworks show by night.  Not a bad way to start 2012.

As I'm writing this, I'm in an internet cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  My contract with the school in Singapore has ended (not without some extreme drama but that's another story), and for the first time I find myself without a job to rush back for.  I must say - a girl could definitely get used to this (until the money runs out of course).  Three days ago I started my 6 week Southeast Asia travel extravaganza and I am loving every second.  Stay tuned for more ...

Nearing the End...

Although I had every intentions of keeping up with this blog, somehow time and life got in the way.  I have had every single range of emotions possible in the last few months.  There is something about knowing that with every month, day, minute the end is coming closer that makes me want to just soak up every second.  This temporary life abroad has its shares of blessings and curses...it's biggest curse being the inevitable ending that comes with it.  Goodbyes have become just as normal and reoccurring as the Hellos. A co-worker and I joked that the only parties we seem to go to are birthday parties and going away parties. Growing up in Houston and attending university at A&M meant that Goodbyes were never a huge part of my life.  Yes, most of my closest friends live in different cities now, but no more than 4 hours by car.  It had thankfully been very easy to stay in touch with weekend getaways and of course Facebook/skype/etc.  Even now being thousands of miles away, I am able to keep up with most of the news/gossip/events thanks to the ridiculous advances in technology.  I am beyond thankful for that.

Here, things are very different.  Despite moving here with the understanding that it isn't forever, and despite my strongest attempts to the contrary, I made a life here.  I made relationships and memories that I can't imagine living without.  For the first time in my life, I have had to come to terms with the fact that many Goodbyes said here will be permanent ones.  Not to say that I won't stay in touch with the people I've come to know here.  Once again, technology has made staying in touch easy and possible; however, I do know that many of the people I know will go back to their respective countries just like I will, and our time here will feel more dream-like than real.

Christmas is less than two weeks away.  For the first time in my life, I won't be home for the holidays.  It was by no means an easy decision to make.  The holidays are and have always been a HUGE part of my life.  Seeing family, making our famous Chocolate Goodies, seeing "A Christmas Carol"...it's hard to imagine a Christmas without these things.  I know part of the reason for this decision was knowing whole-heartedly that home is a constant in my life.  I don't feel desperate to be there every second, because I am completely confident that part of me will always be there no matter where I am.  I do; however, have a desperation for my life on this side of the world.  Knowing how close the end is makes me cling to every single day that I am able to experience this life.  It will be different.  It will feel weird, I'm sure, but it will also be new, exciting, and unforgettable.  Never in my life would I have thought that I would be surrounded by such amazing and adventurous people...it's addictive and wonderful.  Over Christmas holiday, I will have teacher friends in India, Vietnam, Bali, America, Australia and New Zealand.  I can't wait to share stories, and while it will be hard being away from my family, I can't wait to add more memories and two more stamps to my passport.

Australia and New Zealand here I come :)

Long Weekend Adventures: Malacca

One weird thing about my job is that I have VERY bizarre hours.  Since I work at a tuition center, I basically work around the school hours - meaning during the week my day starts at 3pm and ends at 9pm, and on weekends it begins at 9am and ends at 6pm.  My "weekend" is on Wednesday and Thursday, meaning that my "Friday" is in fact Tuesday, and the phrase TGIF no longer applies to me.  It took getting used to, but despite its annoyances, it has quite a few bonuses.  Five days out of the week I don't have to set an alarm clock - a luxury that I am certain will be hard to leave behind.  I am able to accomplish a lot in the time before work, or enjoy hours of laziness by the pool.  (I promise that I do actually work and that working with 4-10 year olds makes me feel like I earn every minute of this.)  


The other benefit to this random assortment of working days/weekend days is that most of the public holidays in Singapore fall during weekdays - meaning that if it happens to land on a Tuesday or a Friday, I have a long weekend.  Somehow the planets aligned perfectly for me, because the calendar has allowed me FOUR long weekends this year.  Two of these occurred in the same month of August.  With Malaysia as my neighbor to the north and Indonesia just a short ferry ride away, a three day weekend has infinite prospects of adventure and new sites to behold.  


The first long weekend in August Julian and I decided to take advantage of the time off and journey to Malacca, Malaysia.  A short bus ride from Singapore to Johor Bahru and a longer bus ride from Johor to Malacca and we were there!  


Malaysia has been influenced by several different countries over the years (both willingly and unwillingly) which has led to some very random and almost conflicting cultures crammed into small cities.  Malacca is no different.  In the town square you could see Portuguese influence in the churches and architecture, the river had bridges meant to resemble those found in Venice and the food and people were wonderfully Malaysian.  This was a city  full of memorials and museums, all of which fit the mold of randomness put out by the city.  It was perfect for a short weekend since there was plenty to see and do, but not too much that you felt as though it was impossible to complete.  

Town Square

The city was mostly built around the river and ocean...which is why it is known as the "Venice of Asia".  It might not be as well known or beloved as Venice, but they definitely give a good fight.  The river was lined with pretty lights and outdoor cafes to sit at.  It wasn't until we rode the river tour and heard horrific Asian "pop" music being blared in our ears the whole time that we remembered where we were.  

"Venice of Asia"

dinner by the river

There were World War II memorials everywhere, including real trains, planes, automobiles and machinery.  It was the perfect opportunity for us to act like kids and take some goofy pictures.  Maturity is overrated anyways.  :)

The rest of our time was spent playing with "One-One" (or "Juan-Juan"...not quite sure) the adorable kitten at the hostel, trying our hand at archery, seeing the depressing and hauntingly creepy "Tortura" torture exhibit, rolling our eyes through Captain America, and seeing some awesome ruins.

riding in the gloriously tacky rickshaw

cutest kitty on this planet 

Overall it was a great weekend full of randomness, fun, and laughs.  It's always fun to tick new cities off the must-see list.  As my last few months are coming to a close, I don't want to waste any time and take every opportunity to explore that I can.  

Goodbyes

If there is anyone who has even the slightest issues with abandonment who has considered living abroad, I must warn you...it's hard.  It's hard making friends and then saying goodbye to them a few months or even years later.  The reality that I might never see some of the people that I spend most of my time with after our time together in Singapore takes its toll.  Being the girl who only ventured an hour and a half away for college, I was used to having the comfort of knowing all my friends (old and new) were close by.  Even after college all of my closest friends were no farther than 4 hours away.  


One thing that I appreciate so much about being abroad is the opportunity to meet such a wide range of people.  People that I would have never had the chance to know otherwise.  People of all ages, nationalities, beliefs, accents...you name it.  It can be a bit intimidating at times meeting people that you are so different from, but in the end, it's the friendships that I've made here that have made my experience so amazing.  Not many people know much about my job other than I teach English reading/writing to young children.  Without divulging too much of the drama, the company we all work for is not the most professional or the most compassionate...especially considering their employees move thousands of miles to work for them.  That being said, the ONLY way I have survived my whole two years (almost) is with the help of the relationships I've made here.  Without them, I would have either   a) gone insane   b) gone home  or  c) a & b.


The major problem of having a temporary job in a foreign country is that the friendships made here are forced to be temporary as well.  You have to be willing to open up right away as well as be ready to say goodbye soon afterwards.  Lately, I feel like I've had to say goodbye way too many times.  It comes and goes in waves.  Every few months there is another grouping of people coming and going, and it just so happens that this is one of those "going" times.  People that I was used to seeing almost daily are now continuing their journey on different continents or moving back to their home countries.  As harsh as it sounds, it is necessary to become a bit numb to the sadness of goodbye.  Don't get me wrong, it is still incredibly hard, but it sort of comes with the territory.  


It is still wonderful to know that however long or short these relationships might have been in Singapore, I have full confidence that many of them will continue on for years from now.  I also love the fact that I now know people who are so different from me in so many ways.  I am a semi-traditional Texas gal and I now have friends who are liberal, vegetarian, British, environmentalists, Australian, Buddhist, and yogis...just to name a few.  Almost all of whom still find the word "yall" hilarious.  I have learned from each and every person I've met here in some capacity and I am thankful that I have been able to experience so many different viewpoints.  I hope that they can say the same about me one day.  


No matter where our lives take us, we will always have the memories of our time together in Singapore (the good, the bad and the ugly) and I wouldn't trade that for anything.  I am thankful for each and every friendship I have made here.  The revolving door will keep spinning, and soon it will be my turn to go.  It will be as though I was never here and someone new will come and take my place.  Until then, time will just keep moving, the world will keep spinning and new friends will keep coming.    


In no particular order...those who have recently broken my heart left Singapore.  You are missed!

Kirsty - Roommates for over a year and a half!   We went through
A LOT together but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Jo (aka Jerome) - such a FUN friend who left too soon.  
No doubts we will stay in touch for a long time :)

Caroline - she wasn't here long, but I loved our lunch/gossip sessions at work :)

Arianna...truly one the greatest people I've ever met...and the
last person to leave who was here when I arrived.  The end of an era.

Sally (on the right) - one of my few non-work friends
who is back in Australia - hopefully see you in December!

Gemma - another non work friend and one of my very first friends in Singapore -
So many great memories together!  I'll hopefully be seeing you in December as well!

Shalyn - an American and a work friend.  Thanks for introducing me to the
film industry as well as giving me a real Thanksgiving dinner :)

Laura - she might have left last December, but she is still
one of my greatest Singapore friends.  Can't wait for March 2012 to see her again!

Another bonus that comes with knowing all these great people is having an excuse to visit more amazing countries to see them!  December 2011 and March 2012 are going to be awesome. :)


"Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before we can meet again and meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends."

"Life" in Asia

A couple of weeks ago I was so excited to have three very special visitors in Singapore.  You know those few people in the world who probably know you better than you know yourself and who have loved you for years and years (yes that would be including your super awkward tween years)?  I am lucky enough to have two girls that I have literally grown up with and who I am so happy to know that I feel just as close to today as I did when we became insperable in 7th grade.

Laura's wedding day

We lived through our lamest dorkiness - Backstreet Boy obsessing, butterfly clip wearing, and note passing days in junior high.

the young and dumb years :)

We were side by side through every drill team performance, prom, boyfriend (and subsequent breakup) and roadtrips in high school.
We have given Laura away to marry Grant, survived "big kid jobs", lived on separate continents, but despite real life trying to get in the way...we are still us.

LIFE (Anna, Laura, Giffin, Eden)

Needless to say, Eden, Laura and I have about a million memories to choose from and I can't imagine my life without them.  Hence why we have always referred to our little group as "Life" (minus Giffin who we missed very much!).  When I moved to Singapore, they told me to keep time in my second year open because Eden, Laura and Grant (Laura's husband) were saving to come see me.  I could not have been more thrilled!  After a year and a half, it finally came.

They arrived on a Sunday morning at 5:45am.  Since I work on Sundays at 9 am, I told them that I couldn't pick them up from the airport, but that if they took a taxi, I would get to see them for a few minutes before leaving for work.  Secretly, I was scheming to surprise them at the airport.  4:30 am my alarm went off, and I was in a cab by 4:45 am.  I got to the airport before the flight even landed so that I could be sure to spot them.  I stood anxiously staring between the entrance and their baggage claim area. An hour passed.  Flashbacks to Ellen's arrival flashed through my head.  Not again!  I frantically looked at other baggage claims, called immigration to see if three white people were being held for inappropriate behavior, and finally decided that I had to leave in order to be home in time to get ready for work.  I couldn't believe it!  Two minutes after getting into a taxi I got a call from Eden saying "We're here!!! We're almost to your place!"  HOW they managed to get past me I have NO idea...but they completely "Houdini"ed their way past me and into the taxi line without me seeing them.  My big surprise = epic fail...however it was a typical and hilarious way to start our time together.

Ultimate Fail.

They spent their first day sleeping off the brutal 24 hour flight odyssey.  That night they experienced their first real Indian food experience.  It was a BIG hit.  Then we went for a walk downtown to show them Orchard Road (the "Times Square" of Singapore).

Monday was touristy day.  We walked (and walked and walked) through the colonial areas of Singapore and through Little India.  Luckily Grant is a map expert (literally) and he had done his Singaporean research ahead of time.  He navigated us better than I probably could.  Eden had a bit of an issue with the humidity and heat ;).  It's definitely something that you just have to accept.  Sweat dripping down your back is a definite no matter what time of day you choose to go out.  That night we got dressed up and went to Chinatown for dinner and then for drinks at club on top of one of the tallest buildings in downtown called Altitude.  $18 gets you one free drink and a 360 degree panaramic view of the entire city.  It's pretty spectacular even on your 4th time up there.  After meeting up with some other teacher friends, we made our way to the Pump Room...an awesome dance club with local bands that play covers of all your typical "white people" party music - Journey, Lady Gaga, Britney...you name it!  It was so great to let loose and dance around like fools with my best friends.

the Cox's!

Never have I ever...been kicked out of a mosque in Little India

Tuesday we spent most of the day at the Botanical Gardens.  It's one of the prettiest places in Singapore and one of  the few spots where you won't hear obnoxious pop songs blaring in your ears or see a million people walking around playing on their i phones.  We walked through the main garden, the Orchid Garden and enjoyed lunch at the garden cafe. We left hot, sweaty and exhausted but it was an absolute blast.  My roommate, Kirsty, was nice enough to take pictures of all of us while we were there.  They are some of my favorites!

flashback to 14

hahaha

Tuesday night we ate Indian food again, but this time we had it delivered and ate it picnic style on the floor of my condo.  Then it was off to the Night Safari.  After whispering the super secret code "Get wild at Night Safari" and enjoying 20% off, we loaded up onto the tram and began the ride.  Night Safari is basically a zoo that doesn't have the typical glass/cage restrictions.  The animals are separated from the trams by deep ditches or electric fences so it appears that they could walk up to you at any minute.  We got to experience the lion roaring, wolves howling and the ever popular "really loud obnoxious Chinese group" talking behind us.

we were never good at this whole "growing up" thing

Wednesday morning we woke up very early to make our way to the ferry heading for Bintan, Indonesia.  Only about an hour away, Bintan is a great getaway spot for pretty beaches, cheap accommodation and yummy food.  There were 7 of us: Eden, Laura, Grant, Julian, Rachel, Staci and me.  It made it so much fun having a bigger group to hang out and laugh with.  We had SO much fun despite some minor setbacks - rain, broken snorkel equipment, rain, rain and more rain.  Luckily we had awesomely bad 90's music blaring over the loud speakers at our resort that resulted in a lot of spontaneous dance parties.  I'll let the pictures do the rest of the story-telling...

After our snorkeling "adventure"

nothing beats this

Leaving a space for our Giffin - we missed you!

BEST Forrest Gump impressionist EVER!

Pretty much what it looked like the whole second day

catching a few rays on Day 1

dance party while waiting for the rain to stop...which it never did

Mr. BagMan makes his debut

completely overtaking the karaoke machine...Chinese people take it WAY too seriously

Their last day was Saturday, so after I worked all day (boo), we met up and headed into town for an amazing dinner.  Eden's birthday is June 22nd and mine is July 3rd, so we have always liked combining our birthdays when we can.  It was a bitter sweet dinner since we knew they had to get back to pack their things and head towards the airport by 11 pm.

the last supper

Here's to 25 :)

Unfortunately that was the end of our awesome week in Singapore together.  We did one final three-way hug and that's when the tears started.  Bless Grant and Julian's hearts...as we started our sobfest, their reaction was "Well, I guess we'll just load the car."

I was a slobbering mess as they got into the taxi and for a while afterwards, but I am still SO happy that I got to share some of my new life with my old life.  It is such a relief to know that whatever part of my life I might be in, they are two of the people that will always be a part of it.

For Life.