My Thai friend, J-Muoy, volunteered to take my American friend, Sarah, and I to Chae Son National Park alongside her eighteen year old son who came suited and booted in his army uniform because he was due to leave Lampang that afternoon to serve in the small war happening on the Malay/Thai border; we drove through Lampang province on roads flanked by craggy mountains that jutted up into the clouds and we arrived a couple of hours later at Chae Son - a sprawling protected park which is home to waterfalls, caves and hot springs. First on the agenda: dunk a basket-full of eggs into the boiling, steaming water of the hot springs and leave them to boil. We then went into our own private spa room with a large, tiled pool full of very hot water and, after alternating between the hot pool and the cold shower next to it for a while, we walked to a row of beds next to a river where we all laid down for an hour-long Thai massage whilst relaxing to the sounds of the waterfall.
After designing six end of semester exams - one for each year of high school - I tested my students; once I'd marked all 230 exams and issued their results I had fulfilled my duties and so it was time to say goodbye to Maethapattanasuksa school and my students. I have loved every minute of my five months in Lampang but it's time for the next adventure and so, after a month's school holiday, I will be moving to a town called Sisaket in the north-east of Thailand. During the morning flag raising ceremony on my last day two students read out the sweetest speeches to me on stage - they thanked me for being their teacher said they'd "miss me everyday" - one girl burst into tears and wrapped herself around me in a big hug. A few hours later some of my students led me outside, covered my eyes and said, "promise no looking, Teacher", whilst they led me to a large group of students from mathayom three (high school year 3) who had clubbed together to buy me a leaving cake. The cake was then taken back to my desk and everyone, including me, was handed a plastic spoon which we used to attack the typically-Thai cake with its mounds of white, sweet fluffy icing that went flying everywhere and still remains today in the crevices of the very laptop I am typing this on. Over the course of the day I was presented with a mountain of leaving gifts including a large framed photo of The King of Thailand (who is adored by the whole nation - most Thais have a shrine for the King in their house and pictures of him are EVERYWHERE).
I've been continuing with my running despite the constant threat of violent rain; one evening, during my last week in Lampang, I found myself in a countryside village three miles from my apartment when the sky split open and decided to spit out torrents of water. I had no choice but to seek shelter in a deserted temple and, whilst it had all the colourful adornments typical to the Thai style and it was almost inconceivably luxurious considering it belonged to a tiny village, it obviously wasn't somewhere I wanted to stay night so I began to get concerned as it got darker (the sun sets in Thailand pretty early and only varies by about thirty minutes over the course of a year). I decided to brave it and run-swim home. Never before have I had a more literal example of 'making a run for it' - my trainers were aquaplaning most of the way back and I was half carried home by the current that had materialised on the side of the road.
My last few days in Lampang were spent trying in vain to fit all the stuff I'd accumulated into my backpack as well as attending various staff parties which are worlds away from those drunken staff events I'm used to at home - in short, they all involve small, luke-warm plates of Thai food delivered one at a time to share over the course of three hours, thirty to forty people on a stage receiving awards (I have no clue what these awards were as it was all in Thai so I sat there in silence admiring their colourful outfits) and probably about five thousand photos of each person. Sometimes I wonder whether these events only take place so that the Thais can take photos!
Once I'd managed to cram everything in my backpack I left my little apartment for the last time; I will miss that room despite it being an ant palace in which pretty much everything was broken - dare I say it I will even miss the hideous, grimy, faux-satin blue curtains and the 'mattress' made out of concrete. After saying goodbye to J-Muoy, Neal and their family, my friends and Lampang I boarded an overnight bus to Bangkok and made my way south to my favourite place on earth - Koh Tao!
Before we left the park we made sure we tasted our hot spring-boiled eggs which we ate with salty Thai soy sauce and pepper.
J-Muoy showing us how it's done in the spa pool.
The whole day only cost me less than 400฿ (about £8)
After designing six end of semester exams - one for each year of high school - I tested my students; once I'd marked all 230 exams and issued their results I had fulfilled my duties and so it was time to say goodbye to Maethapattanasuksa school and my students. I have loved every minute of my five months in Lampang but it's time for the next adventure and so, after a month's school holiday, I will be moving to a town called Sisaket in the north-east of Thailand. During the morning flag raising ceremony on my last day two students read out the sweetest speeches to me on stage - they thanked me for being their teacher said they'd "miss me everyday" - one girl burst into tears and wrapped herself around me in a big hug. A few hours later some of my students led me outside, covered my eyes and said, "promise no looking, Teacher", whilst they led me to a large group of students from mathayom three (high school year 3) who had clubbed together to buy me a leaving cake. The cake was then taken back to my desk and everyone, including me, was handed a plastic spoon which we used to attack the typically-Thai cake with its mounds of white, sweet fluffy icing that went flying everywhere and still remains today in the crevices of the very laptop I am typing this on. Over the course of the day I was presented with a mountain of leaving gifts including a large framed photo of The King of Thailand (who is adored by the whole nation - most Thais have a shrine for the King in their house and pictures of him are EVERYWHERE).
Farewell presents from three girls from mathayom three - these fruits are called pomelos and are similar to grapefruits.
I must admit that it wasn't just my students who teared up on that stage!
My goodbye-cake being attacked; forget cutting cakes into slices - no, no, no, no...we do it the fun way in Thailand!
All my leaving gifts...now how am I going to fit these into my backpack??!!
This. THIS is one of the reasons why I love living in Thailand - all the juicy, sweet, unusual fruit!
I've been continuing with my running despite the constant threat of violent rain; one evening, during my last week in Lampang, I found myself in a countryside village three miles from my apartment when the sky split open and decided to spit out torrents of water. I had no choice but to seek shelter in a deserted temple and, whilst it had all the colourful adornments typical to the Thai style and it was almost inconceivably luxurious considering it belonged to a tiny village, it obviously wasn't somewhere I wanted to stay night so I began to get concerned as it got darker (the sun sets in Thailand pretty early and only varies by about thirty minutes over the course of a year). I decided to brave it and run-swim home. Never before have I had a more literal example of 'making a run for it' - my trainers were aquaplaning most of the way back and I was half carried home by the current that had materialised on the side of the road.
My last few days in Lampang were spent trying in vain to fit all the stuff I'd accumulated into my backpack as well as attending various staff parties which are worlds away from those drunken staff events I'm used to at home - in short, they all involve small, luke-warm plates of Thai food delivered one at a time to share over the course of three hours, thirty to forty people on a stage receiving awards (I have no clue what these awards were as it was all in Thai so I sat there in silence admiring their colourful outfits) and probably about five thousand photos of each person. Sometimes I wonder whether these events only take place so that the Thais can take photos!
Stranded outside a temple.
Goodbye students!
Goodbye to the view from my apartment!
Once I'd managed to cram everything in my backpack I left my little apartment for the last time; I will miss that room despite it being an ant palace in which pretty much everything was broken - dare I say it I will even miss the hideous, grimy, faux-satin blue curtains and the 'mattress' made out of concrete. After saying goodbye to J-Muoy, Neal and their family, my friends and Lampang I boarded an overnight bus to Bangkok and made my way south to my favourite place on earth - Koh Tao!
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