KelseyRymple

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 ... read more

To my family, friends and all others who follow me on my adventures, I am sorry I’ve disappeared for the last six weeks. Life has been a mix real life and running around the playground that is the in-between of childhood and adulthood. I will focus this entry on my time spent on the merry-go-round of life. The first week in December was the King of Thailand’s birthday. He turned 82 and is the oldest living monarch in the world. Needless to say it was a big deal in Thailand. There was a huge assembly at the high school with everyone wearing pink shirts (the King’s favorite color). I attended wearing a new pink polo and a black skirt. I had forgotten that my students had never seen me in anything other than my uniform (black ... read more

Hello Everyone! I apologize for not posting an entry for some time. These last few weeks have been the most exciting/stressful weeks of my life. I have had to go from being a flexible teacher to a travel bum to a professional teacher with tons of responsibility and deadlines, all within the last month. I am still having a wonderful time here in Suratthani, but I am fast realizing that the “real world” is not as glamorous as it sounds when you’re a college student. Though, I have been experiencing some pretty great stuff. The cultural richness of Thailand never ceases to amaze me. A few weeks ago I witness something called the “vegetarian festival.” It originated in Phuket (on the opposite coast from Suratthani) and is a Taoist celebration where “soldiers of God” pierce various ... read more

Nairobi…the New York City of Africa. I left Mwanza last Saturday and arrived in Nairobi at 11am. On my flight I sat next to a very nice Canadian man who had been working in Mwanza but lived in Nairobi. He filled me in on his family and work, a good connection to have. When I arrived in Nairobi, I was amazed at how posh the airport was. I slipped through customs easily and retrieved my bags. I was greeted by a taxi driver that had befriended Jackie who picked me up and took me to where they were staying. As we drove through Nairobi, I couldn’t believe how beautiful and modern it was. It was the equivalent of a small town farm girl arriving in NYC for the first time. I stared at the skyscrapers and ... read more

The rest of last week was actually quite jam packed. Teaching has kept me quite busy. I finished up units with my students and tested them all on Friday. For my beginners I had them take a test on the Alphabet. They all did perfectly, which is a nice pat on the back for myself. If my students succeed, then I succeed. My intermediates had a Spelling Bee on the calendar months. Three girls stood out and won right away (they could spell all of the months). Though the other students wanted a few more tries. After an hour, Anna, a tall beautiful young lady, finally won. The prizes were quite the motivation, bracelets and earrings that one of my former co-volunteers left behind. The girls definitely wanted to win. My advanced students took their test ... read more