Sri Racha

I will no longer be teaching in Chaiyaphum... the school wanted a "Western looking person..." so... I got switched to Sri Racha!!! This is a much sought after location, and so I am very lucky, despite the reason behind it. Sound familiar? It is the home city of Sriracha sauce. Look it up online! It will make you jealous... or more motivated to buy a ticket and visit me.

Some sites I have seen/ done so far:

Weekend market, malls, Wat Arun, Wat Prakeo (Emerald Buddha) and Grand Palace, Wat Pho (reclining Buddha), Siam Discovery Museum, Dusit Palace Park, The Royal Elephant National Museum, Dusit National Zoo, World War II and JEATH Museum, Katchanaburi Province, Floating Market, Elephant Riding, Tiger Temple (pet multiple tigers!), Th Khao San, Royal Barges Museum, Bridge over River Kwai, Chao Praya River long-tail boat tour, Victory Monument, Democracy Monument, Thammasat University, and a lot of neighborhood walking...

Wat Pho - Reclining Buddha

Above: Monks at Wat Arun

Below: Floating Market

Below: Tiger Temple

Preserved White Elephant Skin?!?! (Dusit Palace Park)

After 6 days in Thailand...

I am beat, and orientation doesn't begin until tomorrow. My flight was long, and the layover was scary... don't think I'll fly Air India with a Mumbai layover again. After arriving in Mumbai, I followed everyone else as we walked in line to some unknown airport destination passing multiple airport workers randomly checking our itineraries and passports. Eventually, one pulled me to the side, led me into a small room with only fans to combat the hot Indian heat, and then took my passport and itinerary, told me to sit and walked away. I tried to go after him, but he kept motioning for me to sit down. I went to speak with the lady at the ticket counter desk and she also informed me to just sit. After approaching her for the third or fourth time, she finally explained to me that he went to go get my boarding ticket and should be back shortly. However, I then informed her that my flight was leaving in about 20 minutes! She asked if it would be okay that my luggage went out on the next flight, because they were having trouble finding it. I said, "No! I go where my luggage goes..." So, she told me again to sit and wait. After nervously sitting on the edge of the seat, I asked two American women, who were 2 of the 15 people in the room, where they were traveling to and from and if they knew if this was normal. They were coming from a 2 week vacation in Thailand and returning home to Delaware. They confirmed that their passports were also taken, but returned along with the boarding ticket. They had befriended one of the girls in the room, a 17 year old Phillipino girl who, along with the 13 other Phillipino girls in the room, were headed to U.A.E. to be 'food servers' for an 'agency'. Their flights were paid for, but to return the payment, they were informed that they wouldn't be paid for the first two months. The other American women and I discussed how this seemed like a pretty cliche human trafficking story... quite sad, and made me even more nervous about what I was doing in this room. About 40 minutes after arriving, the man finally returned with my passport, itinerary and a boarding ticket. He then informed me that I had to leave my purse and carry-on bags in the room and go with him to identify my luggage. After a lot of questioning, all I got out of him was that this was for "security purposes"... and so all I had left to do was trust this different way of doing things... so, I left my bags with the American women, and followed the man. As we walked, I asked him if they do this for every international transfer passenger, and he said "yes"!! (I'd like some input on this from anyone else that has internationally transferred through India) After about 5 security checkpoints, we arrived at the outside luggage terminal, where he pointed to my luggage and I nodded my head. We headed back to the room, I picked up my carry-on bags and then he led me to my gate. The plane was almost finished boarding... and so, about 4 hours later, I arrived in Thailand at around 5 am...