It's been a long while since I've last even looked at my posts, much less attempted to write a new one. Here it goes.
It's a new year and the start of a new decade and so much has happened to you, to me, to the entire world since 2017. So, where do I begin?
How about 2017, the CliffNotes:
I changed jobs
I changed cites
Donald Trump was sworn into office to play the role of the President of the United States
I visited new countries (South Korea, Laos) and made a visit to the US
...and new cities (Pai, Khao Yai)
made new friends, as well as ended some.
I ate food.
I began a new hobby
My mom came to visit for Christmas and got herself into a motorbike accident
2018
Continued the same job, then moved up to teaching an older group
Visited another country (Cambodia)
Removed the pins and plates from my ankle after the break in 2016
Began thinking about my career path and what I'd like to do with it.
Met people that I still talk to today
Dyed my hair for the first time
Enjoyed the pleasure of being "off-putting"
Met many a Gemini
2019
Continued the same job, now with a better idea, but the same level of stress
Visited countries (Malaysia, Portugal)
Found out the reason I was losing my mind
Visited new places in Thailand (Koh Phayam)
Had a visit from my mom again, and again she got herself in a motorbike accident
Began a diet to start taking better care of myself
Started on a new business venture
Had a major "end of year" boost of confidence
Now that that's been summed up, let's take a peak at 2020
Where will it go? I'm not sure. I'd like to see how my current developments play out. At this exact moment that I write, I don't feel the odd ego boost that I had only a couple weeks ago, and I have a feel it's due to a combination of jet-lag and not being on my normal regimen. I'd say it will take a few weeks for myself to re-balance and get back on the saddle mentally, but for now, it looks like it may be a quiet period.
It's been ages, I get it. I suck at posting. I quite enjoy talking to myself, let's get real about it, since that's what I've mostly been doing anyways.
Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty of updates. I haven't been paying attention, because at this point it's unnecessary.
Since my last post: I traveled a bit, the Kanchanaburi, to Chiang Mai, to Pattaya, and a lot of Bangkok. Reasons? I jumped into the dating pool last year, and at the beginning, pulled on a rope to get out.
About personal life, I share it enough, and I find no reason not to follow routine, but I'll make it short an sweet, because who has time for that? It was a decent thing going on, lasted a total of 6 months, was goo for the first 3 months, but crumbled more with each month following. Compatibility wasn't there, we wanted different things, and neither of us were willing to bend for the other, as much as our words said it. We tried talking it out, multiple times, (every month, in fact), but by the end of the year, there really was nothing left to build up on. I realized how much anger and resentment I was holding on to, which lasted for maybe 2 and a half months. The thought of them gave me anxiety, stress, anger, and talking about them made me flustered and ruffled. Around this moment, I have less of those feelings, and maybe that's a sign of me moving on.
Now, onto other personal stuff! Lately, I've been trying to improve my life, health, emotion, business, and such. I started working out regularly, improving my eating habits, picking up more private work, as well as working in the development of my educational program for where I work, as I've had another renewal of my contract, and it's gone through!.
On the topic of working out, there was one problem looming over my head: my schedule. my normal work day runs 8AM-8PM, including my private work, so imagine how that affectd my capability to work out! Well, lo and behold, a solution: wake up at 5AM, start exercise around 5:30, come back and shower, and peace off to work. Difficult to start? ABSOLUTELY. But it soon became manageable. It became moreso once I started seeing result: less exhaustion throughout the day, better mood, less waking up throughout the night.... the list could go on. Am I going to give it up? Not any time soon. It's still tough, especially if I have a long night, but it's working for me. Plus, I get to eat more fun stuff, and see some nice muscle tone. I don't know about you, but I'm looking towards some legs, stomach, arms, and butt. In the lyrics of that Meghan Trainor song, "I'm all about that bass!"
On the topic of diet, well, I started getting on the breakfast train. Since I was waking up early enough to exercise, that also gave me more time to start preparing my own breakfast. One of the things I was looking at was how to make a good meal that would sustain me until noon, or 4-5PM when I had enough time to eat the next meal. Well, turns out that the answer was chia seed! You know, those tiny things that almost look like poppy seeds? And then you water them, and they expand, and are kind of crunchy and jelly-ish? Yeah, those. Let's just say, they work as well for yoghurt as they do for most other liquids. Chia seeds, probiotic yogurt, flax seed/meal, and the guest fruit whenever I have some fresh fruit (from my private students, they love to feed me ;D ). There's one hearty meal! That, or a using oatmeal instead of yogurt, when I'm feeling for a hot breakfast. Both kept me full for a good amount of the day, and helped with my digestion. (Who can object to having good digestion?) I used to be quite bloated and uncomfortable throughout the day, but now that's settled out. The only thing is that consistency is KEY; if I forget to make this breakfast for two days, maybe even one, it's a noticeable change to how I feel, not to mention my mood. Now, about the yogurt, that's a tricky thing, as a lot of food in thailand has wayyyyyy too much sugar. Thankfully, there is a yogurt product called "Butterfly" Probiotic Yogurt.
And let's say, it's an interesting thing. It's a lot thicker than many drinkable yogurts I've had, and not very sweet. Not only is it not too sweet, there are a few otions (Original, low fat, low fat/lowsugar, Vanilla, Chocolate) for a price of 38THB, which is about $1.05 USD. not entirely a shabby price when we're talking about benefits! Whenever I see it in stock at one of the markets (FamilyMart, one of the only locations in Rayong, if I don't want to travel to Bangkok just for my specialty shopping).
On to the next topic: work. That's had its high and lows. but you've just got to roll with the punches. New concept: trial groups, each group has a set of students that must be... consistent, so that success can be measured. More materials will be made for students, workbooks, mini pocketbooks. The downside is that they would only get about 13 hours of lessons, not my personal preference, but again, work with what you get. We'll see how it works!
And... on to my last topic, I finally got a motorbike, (well, it's a loaner for now), and it's been interesting. After more than 2 years of living in a place that has poor public transportation, I fiiiiinally got this bike. Should I mention that it's a manual gear shift contraption? Yeah, and I've been learning how to drive it. It's an interesting thing, because the first step is trying to get over my fear of being on a motorbike (well, driving one, a scarring memory of when I was 8 and learning how to drive a minibike), and that of the drivers in Thailand. They are super crazy... no consideration of ow driving works, or traffic laws. So far, so good.. and safe-ish. For now. The snazzy thing? I have a helmet to match with the color of the bike. Not too shabby. can't say I don't know how to accessorize. This isn't the firt time, as I have a pair of shoes that match my phone.... unintentional, of course, as was the helmet, bike combo.
As for the social life, I had been going to Bangkok more frequently, met a bunch of new friends, been spending more time with older ones, and really getting more into my old groove of being a social butterfly. I haven't realized how much I've missed it until lately, when I've met a lot of amazing people. And my schedule has turned from a clean slate to a little open space. Cool stuff. Of course, it does take a little bit of a toll on my bank account, so I need to get back onto the budgeteering. Good thing for private classes, and putting a nicer price on my work.
Now, back to the thing I call life. It's Friday, and I've got nothing planned, for once... except relaxation, learning how to drive, preaparing for my first test group, which starts on Monday!
I think, soon, I will start posting progress about my exercise and health progress, in addition to work. Who needs to know about my social life? It's already awesome.
Hello, fellow reader.
Although I have been living in Thailand for the past seven months, I came to a realization only today, which applies to the difference between the people in Thailand and the people in America and what they consider appropriate and inappropriate. Funny enough, the two cultures have switched views. The involve public displays of affections or promiscuity with bodily functions. The two cultures seem to have switched views.
For example, in America, many television shows, movies, and ads contains some aspect of sex, whether obvious or suggested. Think about it: popular HBO and Showtime shows, such as True Blood, Game of Thrones, and Masters of Sex splay full backsides, women's breasts, and even full frontal nudity, as well as the act of sexual intercourse. In the Thai media of entertainment, you will maybe see a kiss, but no nudity or partial nudity. Now, when we talk about natural bodily functions, such as flatulence, hacking a lung, or cleaning the sinuses, that is more "hush, hush" in the culture of America, unless you have a person who is adamant about good health maintenance. If you have a booger, or an itch in the nose, you need to try to be discreet about it if you do not want to receive any dirty looks.
In Thailand, if you have an itch you need to scratch, you don't go to the toilet to do it, because you need to work. Just address it quickly and continue. The subject of vomiting and diarrhea is not taboo. If you have it, you will probably explain that to, not only your doctor, but also friends. In the American culture, if you have diarrhea, you just say that you're sick, and try your best to avoid having to inform your colleagues that you have it. In fact, you try to "pretty it up" as much as possible so that you do not feel embarrassed or ashamed. We use phrases like "active bowels," maybe, or "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom/restroom/toilet," but nothing about the specifics. That is, again, if you are not discussing with someone is is familiar with the medical aspects and normal functions of the body. A good question to ask is
"Why do we need to feel so ashamed about something our body does naturally? We can't consciously control it, most often, so what is the big deal?"
Another culture difference I have picked up on is the use of "holiday" in the Thai approach to English. When a Thai person does not have work for a day during the week, they call it a "holiday," whereas in America, we just say, "Day off," and while both terms mean the same thing (You aren't working that day), the connotation of the terms is different. "Holiday," in terms of American English, apply to taking a vacation, or that it is a special day in which many places are closed; it is highly valued. In contrast, to have a "day off," is not as highly regarded; yes, we can relax, and we are not working, but it also is known as something that happens more frequently than a holiday. For example, if I work Monday to Friday every week, Saturday and Sunday are my "Days off," BUT if I am on holiday, or taking a holiday, that means that I am planning a special trip to celebrate for a period of time. So, a picture to really help the imagination:
Day Off
Holiday
So, when you hear a Thai person say that someday is their holiday, just know, it means that is their day off, not a special holiday you may think about. If it is a special holiday, they normally just address the holiday itself. (I.E. "Songkran festival" <-Major holiday)
