From my sixth grade text book...

Cultural Gestures:

Thumbs Up

It means "ok", "number one", "president" (???), "best" etc.

Thumbs Down

It means "negation", "objection", "kill", etc.


Not exactly how I'd put it, but...

Summer Camp Pics I Never Posted

The kids felt this poor dog needed a mohawk

The dog definitely looks happy about it.

My 3rd graders sponge painting at school camp

My City Summer Camp kids brought me a present. Teacher really loved it...

View from my kitchen at City Summer Camp

Funny Face Sandwich Day!!

Proud Student- They all wanted a picture with their sandwiches

Instructions: Draw an Under the Sea scene

My 3rd graders are pretty creative

Swine Flu Mania

Swine flu has long faded from World headlines, but the hysteria is alive and well in Korea. The day after returning home from my two week vacation, I sat in bed expecting to begin work the next morning, a Friday. I received a call from my co teacher, however, informing me that because I had left the country my vice-principal was afraid I'd caught swine flu. I needed to stay home for the next week because "symptoms take seven days" to appear. An extra week's paid vacation?? Okay! See you next Friday...

Upon returning to school I discovered that all the students were having their temperatures checked daily. In addition, all field trips and festivals had been postponed or canceled. I was advised by my school to "just stay in your apartment" all weekend (Ha!) and to avoid Emart. I just smiled and nodded, as I find this the easiest response to anything ridiculous my school asks of me.

Face masks are back out in full force and today I noticed the addition of large machines in the hallways labeled "Hand Washing" in English. They are the size of small refrigerators but I'm pretty sure all they do is spray hand sanitizer. I didn't test them because I am fervently against hand sanitizer as a means of hygiene. I really resent how this epidemic is going to make people overdoes on anti-bacterials, leading to the evolution of antibody resistant super germs that are going to make me sick in the future.

And, no, that's not paranoia... that's just science.

UPDATE: I have also learned that there are in fact 6 steps to properly washing your hands. Who knew it could be so complicated? My hands have never actually been clean before today...

Also, the government has decided to abandon the quarantine policy. They finally realized its completely ineffectual. It was great while it lasted, but some of us worried it would make our schools try to prevent us from traveling so I'm glad they've reconsidered.

Thailand Part 6: Koh Phi Phi

Paradise on the horizon

Ferry to Koh Phi Phi after a long night of travel

Thai Boats in crystal clear water

view from the beach

a walk on the beach

Thai boxing at the Reggae Bar

Sunset over Bangkok

Reluctantly, we left Koh Phangan and headed by bus to Krabi port and then by ferry toward the final leg of our journey: a short three night stay on Koh Phi Phi.

Koh Phi Phi, located on Thailand's southwest coast, is most famous as the filming location for the movie The Beach. With its limestone cliffs, coral reefs and white sandy beaches, Phi Phi is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. In fact, its stunning natural landscape is protected by National Park status. Phi Phi's popularity among travelers has been rising during the past decade. During the 2004 Tsunami, however, the island was devastated. Reconstruction is nearly complete although still underway and evidence of the tsunami's physical and emotional aftermath is scattered over the island. It is once again a buzzing tourist destination, however.

Because of its location on Thailand's west coast, the rainy season last a bit longer on Phi Phi, so we experienced some wet weather. We arrived, however, to clear skies, shimmering turquoise seas and brightly painted huts and fishing boats. It was a true tropical paradise that completely lived up to its name. A fitting end to an amazing trip.

We expected Koh Phi Phi to be full of pricey resorts and upscale tourists, but instead we found a vibrant backpacking culture. We fit right in, picking up where we'd left off in Koh Phangan and meeting some interesting people to pass the time with. When it rained we relaxed in our bungalow and when the sun shone we sat by the sea with a Singha. Life was good for the next few nights, but everything comes to an end eventually.

We made our way back to Bangkok without sadness, however. The trip had been everything I could have asked for and I was ready to return to my home and my friends in Seoul. After a whirlwind night in Bangkok where I managed to get all of my money, cards, and documents stolen and then recovered, I hopped my flight home. I'm halfway through my contract now, and I'm ready to start part 2 (plus the one year extension I plan to add after that...)

Thailand Part 5: Sak Yant

In the midst of it all

Om and his handy work



My beautiful new tattoo

close up

Sak Yant is a form of sacred tattooing practiced in Thailand. They are normally tattooed by Buddhist monks and the designs date back to Ankgor times (800-1200 A.D.) when they were received by masters through visions. The tattoos are sutras made up of writing and geometric patterns and are meant to protect those bearing them from bodily or spiritual harm. Thus they have been very popular among the military and muay thai fighters.

The tattoos are applied using a bamboo rod, a technique which is about 3,000 years old. A fine needle is attached to the rod and then tapped into the skin. Because the skin is punctured and not torn as it is with a gun tattoo, the healing process is quite different. Pain is reduced and there is no bleeding or scabbing. The entire healing process only takes about four days and there is no need to cover the tattoo or avoid the sun or sea. Another benefit is the color tends to stay strong much longer with a bamboo tattoo.

I decided that I wanted one six months ago during my first visit to Thailand. It's hard to explain but there is something special about the connection one develops with this country. By my last count I've been to 17 countries, some that I have loved very deeply, but I have never felt such a deep bond between traveler and place. The rest of the world seems to melt away while you are there. There is no yesterday or tomorrow, no sense of urgency or stress. Life feels simple, all you need is a nice place to rest, a bit of shade, and some good food to eat. The needs and desires of everyday life, particularly for the material, fade into the background. Time passes only with the rising and setting sun.

I wanted to keep a small piece of that feeling with me, to remember who I am when it's all stripped away. I loved the beauty of the art and I wanted it all to be a part of me. So after discussing it with Om, our tattoo artist and finding the perfect design for me, I felt completely confident. I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.

Most people want to know if it hurt. It didn't. It was more of an annoying "quit poking me with that needle for an hour" sensation. The placement of my tattoo was also not in a sensitive area (unlike Maddy who got one on her side, right over her rib cage). The discomfort was over in under an hour anyway, and it felt like a rite of passage.

My tattoo is supposed to bring harmony, safety and luck to me and those closest to me. I don't believe that anything in this world can protect you from all harm, nor would I want complete immunity, but so far my tattoo seems to be working its magic. It helps me remember, it protects me from lives I don't want.

Thailand Part 4: Koh Phangan

Party time

Max! The Shaman



Our little piece of heaven



Haad Rin Beach

The view from our porch

Our favorite hangout

Koh Phangan is a larger island south of Koh Tao. Its mainly known for its Full Moon Parties at Haad Rin Beach. Then there's the Half Moon Parties, Black Moon Parties... basically there are a lot of parties. Predictably, the feel is very different from Koh Tao, and interestingly the look is quite different as well.

We weren't going to be in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party, but we wanted to stay at the beach where it all went down anyway. We were hungry and tired so we stopped at the first few bungalows that we saw. Fortuitously, they were all out of our price range or fully booked. Feeling a bit irritated, we trekked up the famed Mellow Mountain and walked straight into our own paradise.

High on a rocky cliff side overlooking the infinite turquoise sea and white sand beach sat our new home, a tidy little bungalow complete with wrap around porch, hammock and refreshing ocean breeze, all for the lovely price of $3 a night each. When the man showed it to us and asked if it was alright, I couldn't help but cry, "I'm so happy!" My outburst and the dreamy look on my face seemed to startle him a bit, but it didn't matter, I'd found heaven.

We spent the next week lost in a haze of happiness shuttling between our bed, the hammock, the beach, and our favorite restaurant where we could get green curry, mango lassis, and fried bananas while watching Family Guy. We never wanted to leave and as the days faded in and out we wavered on our plans to get to Koh Phi Phi. We heard it was the most beautiful spot in all of Thailand, but life was just so good.

Not to mention the new friends we had made on our mountain paradise. Max, a 38 year old Thai guy who owned the Mountain Bar conveniently located a few flights down from us had become our new buddy. He was a good friend to have, interesting, funny and always willing to share. He invited us to hang out with his friends on his birthday and we passed a crazy night taking shots in the bar while he blatantly ignored his customers. Max was living the dream. Spending all day and night chilling out on the mountainside. We would regularly find him fast asleep on mats in the bar when we finally left our bungalow around noon each day.

While his dream would continue, we knew ours wouldn't last forever. Max wouldn't give me a job in the bar and our trip back to Seoul was looming ahead. It was time to move on and see what all the fuss with Koh Phi Phi was about... but not before a little stop in a bamboo tattoo parlor...

Thailand Part 3: Koh Tao

in our bungalow

Sunset with Thai fishing boats

Enjoying the view and some curry at a beach bar

morning in Koh Tao

I was happy to be able to spend a night in Koh Tao and get a feel for the island. The smallest of the trio it makes up with Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, Koh Tao appears the most raw and natural of the three. Thin bands of yellow sand ring the coastlines, separating the emerald ocean from the rugged tropical forest by mere yards. Bungalows and beach bars have gradually overtaken the edges of the forest, while a bustling town and snaking roads have filled in the interior.

About 21 square kilometers in size, the island was given its name, meaning Turtle Island, because of its shape. It is, coincidentally, also a breeding ground for several species of turtle. The island's main draw is diving, however, and everywhere you go you overhear people discussing the day's diving conditions.

I didn't do any diving on my trip, but I would like to return to Koh Tao one day to get my certification. The courses are inexpensive and the setting is perfect. I would love to get a glimpse of the whale sharks silently roaming offshore. They are a relatively common sight in the surrounding waters.


After a night out that ended with me asleep on the beach while Maddy talked with the friends she had made over the past week, we hopped a ferry back to Koh Phangan. Koh Tao had a laid back, natural vibe, but I was ready for the excitement of the larger island. Watching my first taste of the islands recede against the horizon, I felt completely at ease. We had no plans or obligations for the rest of our trip and certainly no idea we'd be spending the better part of the next week lost in paradise. ..