Farewell Friday - 05/08

This morning was a bittersweet one... the children are used to my style of teaching now and they've really made progress with the goal I set of being able to identify and not just recite the numbers through 100.
Unfortunately because it was so cold and overcast there was no assembly this morning, which meant no chance for me to record the children singing the national anthem for you. There was some playtime which was good fun. 
I had a special treat of chocolate pinwheel cookies for the children- they had to answer a question correctly to get them but of course I matched the questions to their abilities so it all worked out.  I was a little sad that Jesca and Julias were still out sick so we didn't get to say goodbye.  I gave Karim a hug when I saw him in the morning but unfortunately I didn't see my little darling Makee.
After lunch Teddy washed my hair for me before we practised baby wearing.  I'm feeling confident about my ability to wrap my future niece or nephew when they arrive (please wait a few more weeks, Baby Oz).
Once I finished packing I took a few more photos of Home Base and then played cards with the boys until dinner...

{{Photo with class to follow}}

The End Approaches - 04/08

Don't be sad that it's over, be happy it happened.  - Tasha, my favourite sister

It's her take on the Dr. Seuss quote "don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".
It's starting to sink in that my time at CCS is quickly ending.  Even though I have an awesome follow up vacation planned, I'm still too caught up in this moment.  In actual fact, I'm almost 94% sure that if I wasn't meeting a friend for the next leg of my adventure I'd probably have cancelled it by now and figured out how to stay here in Moshi longer!
Here are a few updates:
* The number lines are being used with success by more students (yayness!)
* The teacher seems to like and have embraced the phonics based method for reading English
* Snapchat filtered selfies make excellent time fillers at the end of lessons but before lunch
* I know most of the words to the National Anthem of Tanzania and thanks to the local volunteers I understand the meaning (Shout out to you guys- Keydo, Nixon, Lordy and Teddy!)
* I have given suggestions on things I would do if I were staying at the school... hopefully some are feasible and practical and can be implemented
* I have once again fallen in love with the children and people I've worked and lived with for the past three weeks...

The Day I Was a Failure - 03/08

Okay - I know that title sounds harsh!  But man, oh man, was it intense! 
Picture it, Moshi, 2016...
A group of 8 volunteers is ready for the dancing lesson, accompanied by local volunteers.
Well... this little island girl stands out amongst the 'mzungu' {foreigners}... and for today not in a good way.  I guess the assumption was I would have a really good sense of rhythm and be able to pick up the steps easily... (not exactly). As we were learning the steps I was following along, marking the steps. I guess the correct thing to do would have been to go all out each and every time because I was soon yelled at for standing too stiffly... holding my hands across my chest...
Things got worse when we switched over to the singing part of our lesson. It appeared the assumption this time was I should know the words to the Swahili song we were singing! It was kind of funny the way the older man was getting frustrated with me. Oh well. .. Hakuna matata!
Even though it was good fun, I'll stick to my F3 classes instead of picking up African dance!

Visit with Bibi - 02/08

Today we had our community exploration outing. Lordy, Keydo, Teddy and two mamas from the village led the way as we walked to the nearby water source which provides water for our neighbourhood as well as Moshi town. 
The scenery was absolutely beautiful!
Our next stop was to see Bibi. Bibi is Swahili for grandmother and we had the privilege of meeting with the eldest couple around to hear about traditional marriage.
After the initial pleasantries, we sat around  Bibi on a selection of wooden benches abs stools. Keydo did a fantastic job translating for us. 
Bibi is now 100 years old. Her and Babu had 12 children, yet sadly they only have three living children. They also have many grandchildren.  He didn't talk but he kept the goats under control while Bibi told her story.  Perhaps that's the secret to a long and happy marriage!

{{Photos to follow}}

The Maasai - 22/07

This evening we stopped in a Maasai village just past Arusha. We met Lucas, son of the chief who welcomed us to the village.  We were covered in Maasai cloth for a more authentic experience! There was an initial welcome dance by some members and then we went inside the village for more dancing, a tour of the homes and chance to buy handmade his goods to support the village. A few of the girls were donned in beaded neck pieces when we joined in on the dancing and the guys had a chance to jump with the warriors.
We learned that Maasai diet consists mainly of cow, goat and sheep milk, blood and meat.  Some Maasai eat fruits and vegetables but this particular group do not. 
The variety of beaded jewellery and other items were amazing. I wanted so many things but I ended up choosing two bracelets for myself and coasters for my mom. I had picked up a necklace made from a giraffe hoof that I loved but it was a bit out of my budget. Lucas said because they liked me they wanted me to have it and so he gave it to me!  I was touched by their generosity. All in all it was another great experience!

Candle Ceremony

Hello again, my dear Reader. 
I'm not sure if I've already told you that all schools in Thailand are affiliated with a neighbourhood temple. This stems from a time when monks were the teachers.  I think it is a lovely aspect of the Thai culture.
Friday will mark the beginning of Buddhist Lent here in Thailand. School will be closed on Thursday and Friday. In preparation for the holiday, community members have been preparing candles to present to the monks in the temples. At our school each class has had a turn adding wax to the candle mold. I also saw candle making outside the temple on our trip to Ayutthaya.
This morning I went to school earlier than normal so I could witness the candle ceremony celebrations. The children with special roles were dressed in traditional Thai clothing while the other students had on their school scout uniforms.  Some of my kindergarten cuties had the privilege of riding in the truck with the candle. There were a group of girls doing traditional Thai dance led by the school's dance teacher and a group of students providing the music and song for the march. I was not happy when I realised I had rushed out of the house without my phone to record all of this.  Pitsuda was great about allowing me to use her iPad to take a few photos. She's so kind!
There were also students carrying alms buckets and donation boxes.  Members of the community made donations in the boxes as we paraded through the neighbourhood. My heart raced a few times when some of the older students were playing around as we were walking on the main road. I had visions of preteens being hit by the crazy busy Bangkok traffic but it was all fine (sigh of relief).
We made our way back to the school yard and then in groups the children proceeded to the temple.  Carrying flowers and incense the students and teachers walked slowly around the main hall of the temple three times before going back to school.
It was a beautiful day and I am so grateful to have taken part in this special occasion.

The Day We Weren't The Early Bird

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

This weekend I decided to hang out in the Bangkok area and take it easy. I turned off my alarm and slept in relatively late.  Ada, Heather, Sam and I ventured out to a floating market. We skipped the well-known tourist attraction and visited one a little further out that was typically visited by locals.  It seemed like a good idea at the time. 
Our taxi driver wasn't sure exactly where to go, which meant we didn't use any short cuts and became victims of the Bangkok weekend traffic.  The drive seemed to take forever. When we arrived at our destination we were a little surprised to see that only a few floating vendors were on the water.  We signed up for the next longboat and wandered around for a few minutes. Later we found out that we had arrived too late to really see the market in full action.
Unaware of this little fact we boarded our longboat prepared to take in the sights of the floating market.  It did not take long to realise that we would only be experiencing a river ride, but all in all it was an enjoyable experience. Well, minus the splashing catfish!  The catfish were huge. People fed them with the provided bread sparking a feeding frenzy causing splashing of murky river over the sides of the longboat.  Heather and Ada thought my reaction to the water was amusing to watch.  It probably was a funny sight since I can tell you I was not a fan of the water!
Following our tour we had a look around the market stalls back on land.  After a few snacks we headed back to the house.  Although we didn't have the full floating market experience I enjoyed our little group outing.

Today we visited the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya, the former capital back when the Kingdom of Thailand was known as Siam or the Siamese Kingdom.  It was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in December 1991.  Our tour guide for today was a very warm, cheery and knowledgeable man named TicTac, I promise you I did not make that up, my creativity isn't that good! According to the video TicTac showed us in the museum there are a few things you should do in Ayutthaya.  Here they are, in no particular order:

• Maha Ut Chapel
• Take in the many Buddha images and paintings
• Visit the Reclining Buddha 
• Admire the Royal monuments, ancient palaces and architecture
• Visit any of the various museums, including the Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Museum
• Explore the history of the foreign settlements
• Browse Ayutthaya's markets
• Cruise around Muang Islet
• Take your choice of tour by elephant*, bicycle, tram car, tuk-tuk or rickshaw
• Enjoy a Thai meal at a riverside restaurant

Despite the intense heat, I enjoyed our day in Ayutthaya.  The highlight of my trip was seeing the Buddha head surrounded by Bodhi tree roots.  I had seen photos before coming to Thailand and it was amazing to see in person.  It didn't look exactly like I expected and when reviewing my photos from today I realised it reminded me of a particular Disney movie.  I wished I had noticed before so I could have posed more appropriately 555. I hope you enjoy my photos from today. 

How good is your Disney knowledge?

* I would not endorse the elephant tours.  While I would like to spend all of my time with the lovely ellies, these ones are made to wear harnesses which makes me sad. 

Students visiting a temple at Ayutthaya

My second Reclining Buddha of this trip

Head of a ruined sandstone Buddha image surrounded by tree roots over the years

Fighting Fears of Foot Fungus

Muay Thai Fighters

Dear Reader,
If you have a fear of foot fungus that you would like to face head on, I strongly suggest you spend some time in Thailand.  Thai custom dictates that shoes are often removed indoors.  This does not only apply to houses. In fact the students in my school walk around sock-footed most of the day with the main exceptions being outdoor play and the bathroom.  The no-shoe rule applies in some stores as well. Your hint is to look at the doorway for a pile or a few pairs of shoes - if they are there, then go ahead and ditch your shoes before entering.

The most important no-shoe places are the temples.  I can't imagine coming to Thailand and not visiting any temples.  The Golden Mount at Wat Saket is the only temple I can think of that allowed shoes inside the building.  So if you take the average amount of tourists per day and add it to the average amount of locals visiting any given temple each day AND take into account that all of these people are barefooted, you'll have an idea of how freaky this can be for a person who has a fear of foot fungus. 
This afternoon our CCS group went for a special training session with local Muay Thai boxers.

Ada and I before getting hot and sweaty

I knew we would be barefooted but what I did not account for was the excessive amount of sweat those floor mats are subjected to daily.  In the two hours we were there I think it's safe to say there was at least three gallons of sweat dripping on the floor.  Delightful (that was sarcasm).
I had a great time.  I haven't been able to work out for almost three months now so it felt amazing to work up a sweat. We had so much fun as a group cheering on our friends and laughing at ourselves.  The ever present language barrier added to the hilarious exchanges between the boxers and volunteers. My roommate Dana gave one of the instructors a run for his money! I'll have to see if I can add a video to the blog so you can watch her in action.  We had a fantastic time, but let's get back to the subject at hand. 

Delainey getting ready to show off her skills

I'll tell you now, my dear Reader, I have never scrubbed my feet with such intensity as when I came home from our training session.  Yuck. Double yuck! The soles of my feet were as black as tar. It felt like forever before I got them clean.  I did survive though.  I feel like after that experience I can probably walk barefoot just about anywhere. 
And that is how you overcome the fear of foot fungus.

Only men are allowed in the boxing ring - no females

Dana won!

My trainers for the afternoon

CCS Bangkok Group July 2015

Thai 101

Top: My Thai attempt

This afternoon we had another Thai lesson. We were shown the basic steps in a traditional dance in preparation for the upcoming holiday.  We also had a chance to ask for any phrases we found we needed so far in our placements. "Stop" seemed to be the most popular request. ;) 
We then moved on to our first lesson of written Thai language. The Thai language has 44 consonants and about 32 vowel sounds with 4 tones... I'd like my students to think about that the next time they fuss about learning 6 syllable types!
After being introduced to the alphabet we were instructed to write our names in Thai as best we could.  That's a pretty tricky task! I made my best guess.  Orasa wrote our names on the white board so we could see how our attempts faired.
Because of the extensive alphabet there can be more than one way to write a name phonetically. Orasa showed me the two ways to write "Nadia". I think I did pretty good for my first Thai writing! 
Later on in the evening Allison and I walked over to Big C which is probably the Thai equivalent to Walmart. I found a Thai beginner's handwriting workbook so I grabbed that up. I was excited about my find.  Big C also has some Thai composition notebooks which I plan to purchase before I leave for my students at home. My sister had suggested I use the website 'Go Fund Me' to raise money for this trip and if I had listened I probably could have kept it active for school related purchases! She's such a smarty pants, I should have listened. 
In any event, at least we have our Thai handwriting book to enhance our study of the Thai culture!

My name in Thai and mew Thai handwriting book

Rest in Peace

This afternoon we had the privilege  of listening to the Venerable Phra Shakyavongsvisuddhi (Anil Sakya) speak at Wat Bovoranives Vihara, a Royal Monastery. The well known monk, who is a descendant of Buddha, told us the impressive history of the monastery which dates back to the reign of King Rama III. The crown prince, and future King Rama IV, was a monk during that time. He was well educated having studied Latin, English and astronomy with missionaries and sailors. As the abbot of Wat Bovoranives he became friends with the Royal Catholic Archdiocese of Bangkok and allowed the Christian missionaries to use the temple.
After the death of King Rama III, Prince Mongkut then called Vajirañāno Bhikkhu, disrobed to take his place as King Rama IV. This was a very important time during Thai history because of the threat of colonisation. Fun fact: Thailand was never colonised. 

The history lesson was followed by a Q and A session which was equally informative.  I regretted not having brought a pencil to take notes! Like I told you already, I can be such a nerd. 
You can imagine that the questions ranged and I can assure you that the answers were very detailed.  One of the points that Anil Sakya touched on was the importance of living in the moment.  Buddhists do not focus on the past or future because it can cause suffering. As an example he said that the Western way to say R.I.P. is too late.  Instead of waiting until someone is dead to say rest in peace we should all be aiming to rest in peace during every moment.  How beautiful would life be if our main focus was peace in each moment? He went on to say that it doesn't mean you can't think about the future, but we shouldn't put too much thought into it and hold on to our plans for the future. I like that.  It reminded me of my Grandma always telling me to never make plans without adding "God spares life" to your thought.  Obviously that is a Christian view on a similar idea.
Here are a few points I found interesting during our session:
Seek to be the knower.
Monks are not there to tell you what to do or convert you. Buddhists do not believe in a higher deity. They tell you the teachings of Buddha and it's up to you to learn from that.  There are 84,000 teachings in 45 volumes all about improving your life to be a quality human being, changing your life to be more beneficial, helpful, happy and compassionate. It's not only about learning the teachings but practising them in your life. Practising will allow you to know the results of living this way rather than relying on the monk's words.
Compassion for its own sake.
Who you are is defined by another human being - "I" is only relevant when there is a "you, he, she, they". Compassion is accepting your influence on others.
Many times people give with the intention of being noticed or appreciated for their deeds. We should aim to be compassionate only to help others, not to feel good about ourselves.
Buddhists monks don't pray.

They chant and recite the teachings of Buddha to use as guidance. The Buddha statue is not a sacred object for them in the sense they are not praying to it but more along the lines of viewing it as a mirror. Buddhists meditation is quite different from the Western idea of meditation. Buddhists use meditation to reflect on life and make sure you take the steps to correct the things you are doing wrong.  It's all about cause and effect.
The four noble truths of Buddhism:
Realisation that life includes suffering,
Attachment is the cause of suffering,
Ceasing suffering can be attained and
the Eightfold Path to cessation of suffering.
All males in Thailand will become a monk at some point during their life.

By law, you are entitled to four months of paid leave to study as a monk. You can go in and out of your time as a monk. Some people will do a month or so before disrobing. In order to get married a man must have completed his four months of Buddhist learning so that he is prepared to care for another life.
Interesting note: I read a passage about the life of Buddha to a grade 6 class last week which provided an excellent schema for this evening's talk. Isn't it fantastic how reading can be so helpful?
Fun fact: Female monks do exist and they are called nunks. Their robes are slightly different to accommodate for necessary undergarments. 

I am thankful that we had this opportunity to hear Anil Sakya speak. I think I could have spent the entire day listening to him.  He travels often, teaching at Oxford and Santa Clara, speaking at events such as the World Economic Forum and addressing the UN headquarters in New York.  As I previously mentioned it was truly a privilege to have the chance to listen to him today.

Best. Day. EVER!

Peaceful, playful pachyderms

This morning we woke up nice and early to prepare for a full day of mountain adventure. Rachel had suggested a place she visited with the previous set of volunteers called Chai Lai Orchid. I couldn't find it online at first, but when I did I was pretty sure this was the type of elephant experience I was looking for in Chiang Mai. We had chosen the adventure package which included bathing the elephants, a hike through the mountains to see waterfalls, bamboo river raft ride and bareback elephant riding.
Chai Lai is a socially conscious organisation that provides a safe-house, free education and paid vocational training for ethnic minority women at risk of trafficking. After our hour ride from the city in a very hip and entertaining songtaew, we were a bit skeptical upon our arrival.  We could see elephants with harnesses on their backs- definitely not the humane riding we had signed up for! We found out that was not affiliated with Chai Lai.
The day was going to start with a hike.  The group opted for the short hike which would last approximately 3 hours.  I decided to sit it out and hang back at the café where I had prime view of the river and passing elephants.
I had a coconut waffle with honey after the group left for their hike. My waitress' name was Ben and I later found out she was not from Thailand but spending two months working there.  She had spent six years in school learning Thai and English so that she could teach others.  She was so polite and soft spoken and even though there was a bit of a language barrier I could tell she was a kind and gentle person.
After I finished my delicious waffle I met Alexa, the owner of Chai Lai, who was in the café with some of the other fluent English speaking staff.  Unfortunately I did not get the name of the lady who assisted me but let's just say that everyone was friendly and welcoming.  This worked out to my advantage because I was going to be there for a while! I read the binder with details about Chai Lai and learned that they share the property with a local elephant camp and hope to show them by leading with example how elephant tourism can be both gainful and still humane for the elephants. That explained the passing groups of elephants with harnesses. I asked if there was anything elephant related I could do while waiting for the group that would still allow me to be ready to go when the group finished their hike. The answer: yes!
Ben would take me to feed the elephants and then I'd have a short wait before being able to bathe an elephant. Winner, winner chicken dinner!🎉 If you know me, you know I'm borderline obsessed with elephants so anything ellie-related over hiking is a no brainer.
Ben and I talked as we crossed the bridge and that's when I found out more about her. I wanted to make sure I heard her name correctly so I asked her in Thai and then told her my name. She asked if I spoke Thai but unfortunately I have yet to improve my skills beyond basic phrases.  Ben wanted to know why I did not do the trek through the jungle with my friends. I explained that I liked elephants, showing her the elephant charm on my wrist. Turns out Ben likes elephants too. I was pleased to see that the elephants were not harnessed or set up to do any form of tricks.  If you ever go to see elephants and are promised a show of any sort whether it's painting or playing football, I sincerely hope you walk away my dear Reader. But I digress, I proceeded to feed a bag full of bananas to these beautiful creatures. The baby elephant was the cutest; I wanted to keep her.
After the feeding we went back to the café where I had an orange juice while waiting for my ride.  Ben had taken a few photos of me feeding the elephants.  I decided not to post anything online since my phone battery has been so temperamental out here. I needed to save power for more photos.
A short time later I was introduced to Bae, the mahout who would take me to bathe the elephant. As we walked over the bridge I learned that Bae was from Myanmar and has been in Thailand for eight years.  I told him I'm from Bermuda and I've been here one week. When we got down by the river, I could see another mahout coming with the perfect size elephant- not huge and not small enough that I wouldn't want to ride it. This mahout's name was Muk and he is from Thailand. The elephant was a four year old female named Duong Dee, which sounds very close to Do-dee. Duong Dee and I then became friends as I bathed her. Muk told me how to wash her- you have to scrub using a brush in order for her to feel it on her thick skin.  I had a feeling my arms might be aching the next day!  Elephants also like to have sand scrubbed on them.  I felt like a spa masseuse giving a fancy body scrub except for the fact I was thigh deep in a murky river and my client was a playful pachyderm! Much like most four year olds, Duong Dee loves to play.  With some verbal encouragement followed by pieces of fruit from Muk, she enjoyed splashing me and giving me kisses.  The fact that Muk was using the positive reinforcement of treats rather than a bull hook to have Duong Dee follow commands made me even happier with my choice of Chai Lai - it's once thing to read that they encourage responsible elephant care but it's better to see it in person.
After Duong Dee was bathed and I was soaking wet, Muk told me to get on Duong Dee for a ride.  Getting on the back I could handle.  Getting on the head and sliding back, which Muk demonstrated so gracefully, was not easy for me. I fell a few times!  Elephant kisses make murky river falls all better though!
I rode Duong Dee downriver for a bit and then back.  We played in the water some more before I headed back to the café. Full of excitement, I posted a photo of me bathing Duong Dee on social media.  Shortly after I got back I was informed that the group was finished their hike and ready to go on the bamboo raft.  I rode in the back of a pickup truck to meet the group. 
Ada, Heather and Sam had gone on the first raft which left Amanda and Ryan waiting for me.  We hopped on and our guide expertly manoeuvred us down the river.  It was a nice ride with a few fast currents along the way.
Our ride finished back at the café where Muk met us to bathe Duong Dee. What can I say she loves bath time!  I think she enjoyed it even more with more people to splash and play with! After everyone else had a turn riding Duong Dee, Muk let me ride her back to the café. We went to have lunch and Duong Dee entertained herself on the river bank.

Cultured Chic

This morning we set off early for our cultural excursions. A huge part of my attraction the CCS programme is their commitment to providing volunteers with exposure to the local culture. Today we were going to see the Golden Mountain, or Golden Mount, and the Museum of Siam. I wasn't sure if I was going to do the museum because I hadn't quite packed for my weekend trip and since I'm here for so long I figured I could always go on my own or with the next group of volunteers.
Wat Saket is one of Bangkok's historic temples built during King Rama I's reign. The Golden Mount refers to the large golden prang/ chedi/pagoda that King Rama III ordered to be constructed on the Wat Saket grounds in the 1800s.  King Rama IV and King Rama V continued construction until it reached completion.
Our vans were somehow separated in the traffic and after waiting for a little while, Jiea sent our group up to the top and said she would bring the others to meet us. We stopped for a quick photo-op in front of the three wise monkey statues.  Sources say that there are over 300 steps to reach the top.  I can neither confirm nor deny as counting steps wasn't on my priority list. In fact, it was so low that I was upset to realise I had forgotten to put my Samsung Gear Fit watch on before leaving the house.  It was in my bag, not counting my steps.  Oh, well!
Interesting fact: In the late 1800s Wat Saket served as the city's crematorium.
On the climb to the top there are prayer bells and climbing vines. The stairs are not steep at all so the climb was pretty relaxed. Once you ascend the stairs you'll be rewarded by a lovely view of the city before heading in to the temple.
In the temple many people come to offer lotus flowers, candles, incense and prayers. Inside of the temple you will find a short, steep staircase that leads up to the Golden Mount. Before the introduction of the skyscrapers it was the tallest building in Bangkok and it still provides an excellent view.  There are gongs which I am led to believe are for ringing after making a wish.
I would definitely add this to your places to visit if you are coming to Bangkok.
After the Golden Mount we headed over to the Museum of Siam to learn more about the history of the Thai people. The museum is in the style of an interactive discovery museum, which is my favourite type!  I enjoyed trading with neighbouring merchants, shooting canons in an Ayuthaya-era battle game and dressing up in historic "fashionable" clothing.  Some of the volunteers did not appreciate the "childishly" feel of the museum but for those of you who are young at heart or traveling with little ones I wouldn't skip this attraction.

Testing the selfie stick!

The King and I

Hello again, Reader!  Actually I should say sawatdee ka. We had an early start to our day this morning, departing the home base at 8:00am for our guided tour of the Grand Palace which includes the Temple of the Emerald Buddha followed by Wat Pho.

Our tour guide's English name was Steve and he was a walking, talking fountain of knowledge.  I wish I could share all of my new found knowledge of the Kingdom of Thailand and it's monarchy with you; however, I'd rather not spend my entire time in Thailand in front of a screen!
I would also love to share the sights with you but my phone overheated and shut off.  Not cool!  ;)
Here are some facts I found interesting:
The Grand Palace:
King Rama I had the palace built in 1762 when he made Bangkok the capital city of Thailand.
King Rama IV added many new structures to the palace grounds during his reign. 
Royal babies are announced at one month of age after the fire shaving ceremony. I missed the official name of the Royal Crib.
The current King Rama IX is the longest reigning current monarch. The Thai people love him tremendously.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is inside the Grand Palace grounds.
The Emerald Buddha has three seasonal outfits. He is currently wearing his summer attire. The other seasons are rainy and winter.
Wat Pho:
King Rama I  restored the temple from an old monastery from the Ayudhya period and had it re-established as the royal monastery located near the Grand Palace. Some ashes of King Rama I were kept under the pedestal of the principal Buddha image.
It takes the equivalent of approximately $12,000 US dollars to restore a Buddha statue.  Each statue is covered in black lacquer before the gold leaves can be applied.
There are 99 chedi (pagodas) inside Wat Pho. Steve says that 9 is a special number to Buddhists.
It served as one of the first teaching facilities. There are illustrations on the walls in one of the pavilions showing pressure points used in Thai massage and medicine. 
There are large Chinese statues which came to Thailand as ballast in a trading ship.
Buddha is getting a pedicure - we could not see the soles of the Reclining Buddha as they are being restored at the moment.

The Kingdom of Thailand

Today we had a crash course in the history and geography of Thailand.  We also learned about some cultural norms, which I was already well aware of thanks to my pre-reading. I'm so proud to be a nerd!

We had our first official Thai language lessons this afternoon.  Slow and steady are definitely the key to participating in this race!  The importance of intonation, rolling of "r"s and new letter combinations are proving to be a challenge.  Don't you worry, Reader- quitting isn't my style!


To familiarise ourselves with the neighbourhood we were randomly spilt into teams and sent out on a Scavenger Hunt.  It was hot but fun.  One of my team members is here with her son.  This is their fifth CCS trip together.  I think that is amazing!  I'd love to make this into a family trip. I've already tried to recruit some of my teacher friends as well.  I sincerely hope this is the first of many CCS programmes for me.
After working hard all day, a group of us headed out to the Night Market after dinner.  Obviously I'm tired because amazing is the only adjective that comes to mind!  I didn't make it through half of the market but here were my favourites:
The clothing - elephant pants galore! Can one ever have too many elephant pants? I'm sure we'll find out.

The gifts - I had to remind myself that the purpose of this trip is not shopping. Even though I saw gifts for almost everyone, I am here to assist the students in Thailand, not the economy.

The ice cream - need I say more? I'm also happy to report that Allison, one of my roommates is a sweet lover as well. We went separate ways at the market but both of us chose the same ice cream spot before we left for the night.

The fish spa! - Tiny little doctor fish cleaning away dead skin for a truly natural pedicure. I first saw this in Europe but have never tried it until now. I had a 15 minute treatment in a private tank for less than $5 US dollars.  It was an interesting experience to say the least.  I would suggest trying it. If you can get past the creepy factor it is pretty cool.

Overall it was a informative day followed by a pleasant night out with the group. So far, so good in Thailand!