Spilled her coffee, Broke a shoe lace...

Hey guys! Well, today, I had the worst day one could possibly imagine, and it's not even that it was that bad... it was really just the way I TOOK it that was bad. Anyway, I was having the worst morning, teachers were treating me like crap, I've been sick and not sleeping so I didn't handle that well, the kids wouldn't shut up for 2 seconds so that I could teach and then I got yelled at because what I was doing was "too much work" it was 2 COLORING sheets, y'all. Seriously?
Anyway, I was about 2 breaths from walking out, quitting and saying "you know, I tried, but I just can't do it", and as I was standing there, watching all of these 5 year olds that swear they "can't do" anything, write their names in English, and write the alphabet and then connect the dots from A-B-C-D... you get it, I was still thinking "I suck. I suck at this. What the hell am I doing?" A little boy named Yok, one of the smartest kids I have, and cutest, ran up to me, and wrapped his little arms around me (or attempted to, his arms didn't fit around me, cause I'm a massive massive human here... haha) and just held on to me for about 3 minutes.
I'm still not convinced that I can do this. I'm still pretty sure that I'm horrible at it, and the teachers will all be relieved when I split, but Yok convinced me to stay, at least for Monday.
Kids are wonderful... I wish I could've stayed like that. Seeing my teacher looking down so, without words I just run up to her and hug her until she smiles.

This love branches out like an Oak tree...

Hello allllll! Well, things here in Chiang Mai are going fairly well these days! I started teaching again on Tuesday, and this week was SO LONG. It seriously seemed like it would never end, but it did, with a great sigh of relief. I lived. I'm trying to be better this year, but I already see myself falling into old patterns... leaving for lunch and taking naps. lol. BUT, I suppose that as long as I'm teaching, and I'm there when I have class, and appear to care, it doesn't really matter that much. Most of my kids are scared of me, and when I speak to them they just stare up at me blankly like "wow, you're a very big... very white.. monster." It's kind of amusing, but after 300 of them, it just gets old. I DO have a funny teaching story for you all... it won't be as funny on here as it was in real life, but it's just so amazing that I feel I have to share.
Friday, I was teaching "What is your name?" "my name is...." And the way I was teaching this was to have the kids sit in a big circle, and roll a ball to each other, and whoever got the ball had to answer me. I tried getting them to say "What is your name?" but they just stared at me blankly like I was a big white idiot. So, I rolled with it. Anyway, there were 2 little boys being a particular disruption... wrestling, kicking, pretending to be ninjas, etc. Which is all well and good, but for the sake of the class, I had to be the mean teacher and separate them... After about 3 minutes separated, I looked over at one of the little boys and he was holding his wrist up to his mouth and talking into it, like he had some secret walkie talkie device embedded in his wrist... I mean, he was into it. I'm almost certain that if I could've heard him he would've been talking about some secret mission to escape and saying 10:4 that Roger, over. THEN, I look over at the other little boy... and he's holding his wrist up to his ear and shaking his head like he can hear what the other little boy is saying.
This went on through the entire class, and I couldn't stop them because it was just so funny. I was like... wow. I wish I was still a kid.


Tuesday night I played my first little "show" in Chiang Mai,which was basically just a small gathering, and random people that wandered in.

It was good fun, good to see friends. And to see their reactions to my songs that most of them didn't even know I wrote. In Chiang Mai, I have kept my music a complete secret. But, I suppose the secret's out now, so, here goes nothin'!

Typical of me before I play a first show, I wasn't in the best of moods but I think that was okay, I got some pretty good responses. I've made some pretty awesome friends in this lovely city. I like them. They're funny.


I can't really think of much else worth saying right now, I'm doing okay. I miss friends at home, and hugs. I really miss hugs. And my familia, of course, but most of the time I am perfectly happy here. I have been getting restless for the next thing though, which is bad because, well, that won't come till October when I go to Laos! This next 6 months is gonna be SO sweet though. Just watch...

Comfortable, like rain on Sundays...

Hello friends!Here is a picture that my sister-in-law sent me of my BEAUTIFUL niece, Audrey... who is smiling now! I can't believe it. I'm so bummed that I'm not there to actually see her smile before she gets teeth, haha. I love the little toothless smiles, and fat rubber-band rolls on babies, and I'm missing that part. Oh well.




Well, the past two weeks have been an absolute blur of insanity! I STILL haven't unpacked! I finally started working again, but the kids won't actually come back until Tuesday, so I've been preparing (or pretending to and trying to get things sorted for school. I'm ready to have something to do other than socialize and drink. (Though I am having fun.) It's time to do something least vaguely useful.


That picture is me and my friend Eliza, who has actually become one of my best friends... she leaves soon and I'm going to be a MESSSSSS. (This happens entirely too often here!) But at least I know I have one friend from this place that will be my friend for a very very long time!



Above: Lawrence, me, Angie and Rachel! Last saturday night when we weren't supposed to be drinking, we hid out in this bar called "Selly Freedom Bar", where Eliza and Tony current (and me too, lately) and celebrated Eliza's birthday! So much fun!


My favorites.

I'm having a blast, meeting loads of new people, and finding that life really doesn't have to be such a fight. It's marvelous. Now, I need to unpack! Catch ya later, when I have something more interesting to say! Peace!

Shady's back, tell a friend...

After 6 weeks in the states, I am BACK in Thailand! WOOOHOOO! I had a blast at home. I went all over the dang place! I started in Reading (pronounced REDing, like the past tense of 'read'... get it?) Then to Baltimore to see missy higgins, and 3 of my FAVORITE people! Amazing. Then to Philly, then to Florida to see my college roomies! Then to Arkansas for 3 weeks where I got to meet Audrey, who was stubborn for awhile, I was actually afraid she might not come out! But she did, and she's perfect. Got to hang out with my Grandma and see my friends, and deal with lots of drama that I prefer to avoid, but it was still so good to be there! Then I flew up to Detroit to Surprise my friend Allison for her BIRTHDAY (what a BLAST)... and then back to PA, to NYC and to Philly! Not to mention 8 trips to harrisburg/ Mechanicsburg! Man, the last 2 weeks in PA were insane as well.

• I have a BEAUTIFUL new niece, Audrey Hart. She's perfect.
• I have a BEAUTIFUL Pseudo-Niece, Daphne Belle. She's perfect too.
• I have so many amazing people in my life, it's overwhelming sometimes.

I really did love being home.

• BUT America is too expensive, too uptight and they give you entirely too much food. All the time! (I gained 5lbs!)

it's good to be back where it's warm. (Or Fraaaacking hot!) Wait for updates of new adventures...

coming soooooooon: promise.