A Crazy Thing Called Life

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Life in Surat…what can I say? It’s life in Surat. I have thrown a few new things into my daily routine since my last post. For starters, I joined a gym. I now start most of my days out by waking up at 6am and driving 5 minutes in the near non-existent traffic to the complex. You would think that it’s hard waking up that early, but it’s actually quite a peaceful time of day. The sun is just coming up, the air is cool and there is usually a slight mist in the air.

The gym itself is very nice. They have separate fitness rooms for men and women, both complete with two treadmills, an elliptical, two fitness bikes and weight lifting machines. It’s not air conditioned, but it is open to the outside with lots of fans around. The best part of the gym is the sauna and hot & cold Jacuzzi’s that they have in the locker area. They also offer massages there for only $7 USD. A steam is quite a good way to start your morning though, I have to say. I signed up for 6 months which only cost $100 USD, not a bad bargain for all that I get. It’s big enough to get a good workout, but small enough so that you don’t have to wait long for a machine and worry about other people crowding your space.

The girls who work at the coffee shop near my house have grown very accustomed to me. They don’t even ask me what I want anymore, they just bring me my “usual,” which is hot black coffee (more like espresso) and a glass of ice. I pour the coffee over the ice to make a pseudo-iced Americano. I would otherwise order an iced Americano right way, but for some reason Thai people think it’s necessary to put lots and lots of sugar in iced drinks even if you ask for no sugar. Thus, I’ve found a way around it to enjoy my morning caffeine.

I do now feel very comfortable in the city and have begun exploring my way around the it’s outskirts. However, it’s hard to constantly be in and around Surat. There isn’t much to do in terms of a social life. Not that I have time for a social life anyway, but if I did, there still isn’t much to do. Every once in a while groups of teachers will go out for dinner or drinks. I still participate in the bi-weekly pub-quizzes. My team came in second last Thursday…by 4 points…sigh. Unfortunately, the majority of my time is spent lesson planning and prepping for my classes.

There is an island in the middle of the river that runs through Surat, called Koh Lampu. It’s nickname is “exercise island.” It’s basically a small stretch of open land with a running track and various spots to do calisthenics. I haven’t yet been there, but I would like to start frequenting it on the weekends to get the feeling that I’m out of the city. Exercise has become my new solace. Whenever I’m feeling stressed, I go for a run and end every session with a sauna and swim. It’s pretty much the best thing ever, not to mention that I’ve toned up a bit more…an added bonus.

As far as food is concerned, my obsession this month is soup. I love the Tom Yum Goong here. It’s a lemon-grass-based soup that has shrimp and lots of other yummy things in it. Though it costs a lot to get because it’s so good, I get it very rarely. I also am eating a lot of basic soup from a stand around the corner from my house. I just go in, point to the things I want and the “soup lady” as I call her, spoons broth into a bag and bean sprouts, tofu, spices and noodles into another bag. I then take the bags home, mix them together and feast on the warmth and goodness. I have also decided that sticky rice is my new love. Although my food obsessions will switch from week to week and month to month, a constant in my diet will always be sticky rice. It is good on it’s own and is the perfect medium to dip in sauces and broths. I’ve been told that the way you make it is by soaking a special kind of rice in water over night and cooking it up as usual the next day. Something I have yet to try but am determined to master so that I can make sticky rice anytime I want, no matter where I am in the world.

In short, life as I know it is constantly changing for me here. My thoughts, goals, ambitions and dreams are always in motion. Throwing a new relationship into it also shakes things up a bit. However, navigating the unpredictable road of life is more difficult that I originally thought. Managing finances, having major responsibilities and being forced to make possibly life changing decisions is throwing me for a loop. I have learned some things about myself, such as: I am actually very good with small children. I previously thought I never wanted to have my own children and never thought twice about really working with small children. However, this experience has helped me learn and grow to really enjoy their company and see their learning curves take off, even though they tire me out like no other.

I’m also learning how to balance work and having my own time. I am having to force myself to stop thinking about work and focus on taking time for myself to read a book or go for a run. When I was a student I didn’t mind constantly thinking about things I could be doing; it was just the way of life. However, in the “real world” I’m finding that it’s a necessity to take breaks, make personal time a priority and just stop and breath for a few hours a day, otherwise I would explode.

Although I feel like a pro when it comes to traveling now, I still enjoy learning about what can handle and what will push me over the edge. Jeeheon has learned very quickly that when I start to get grumpy he must get food and coffee into me as quickly as possible, otherwise it’s a slippery slope of temper tantrums and stubbornness. However, almost all of my traveling here in Thailand has been enjoyable and I look forward to doing more of it.

Unfortunately I must now get back to lesson planning and prepping. Thanks to all of you following me along on this endeavor. I look forward to hearing any comments or messages you might have, especially any suggestions about teaching and de-stressing.

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