Motorbike + sunshine = Freedom!

GUESS WHAT?!  The clouds drifted away long enough for the sun to shine!  It still rains on and off, but for about five days we have had enough sun to replenish our dwindling vitamin D supplies. 

We got a motorbike, tried some new food, ran some errands, and visited the zoo.  It felt like such a productive weekend, and I didn't even do any laundry!

After a long week, I went looking for a margarita Friday night; I found "magaretta" on a menu. Cheers!

My new friend and his delicious snacks.

I call them "fortune-cookie-pancake-tacos", and they are scrumptious.

I'm pretty sure this says "turtles", but there's no way to know. No way.

It's a good thing emus can't jump very high.

Awwwwwwww, they're NUZZLING. 

nope, nevermind, it's nothing.

Found something cool to pounce on...

His butt got tired.

The rhino's view.

Zoos are different in Thailand.

Kevin just told a hilarious joke

It's beautiful... not a zoo exhibit, though.

Can you see it?

It's just hanging out there, waiting to attack someone.  So I walked under it.

That's me, that smart girl leaning over the railing to take this picture.

Baby snakes! 

Kevin liked this snake better than the deadly-spider-on-the-loose.

Attempting a vertical escape

That's the rail I leaned over earlier

HA! Hippo.

This little girl did NOT want to feed the elephants.

It's okay.  They fed each other.

Look at those beautiful wrinkles!

You can feed almost everyone at this zoo! (Except that hungry-looking ostrich.)

Practicing its moon-walking skills.

Don't worry, I don't think they know how to climb ladders.

My view on the way down the zoo-hill.

Part of the weird zoo entrance

a cute baby santa (?)

I could (sort of) use a day off

So far I have taught 19 days, and I've had 8 days off.  THIS IS AWESOME!
A few of those days off were for the monks to teach, one was for testing (about buddhism), a few because of the protests, one for Father's Day/King's Birthday, and one for Constitution Day.
I am definitely not complaining about an overly-stressful workload here in Thailand. Even during a "normal" week I teach for 24 class periods and have almost 10 hours of plan time per week.  TEN hours - teacher friends, is this what most high school teachers have?  Imagine what could be accomplished if all school teachers had this much time to plan, prepare lessons, reflect, call or e-mail parents, meet with student/principal/parent/colleague, pee, grade stuff, relax... wouldn't it be nice?

I'm sure the biggest contributing factor to this nearly-stress-free teaching environment is the fact that I'm the foreign teacher.  I don't have to help grade assessments (can't read Thai, darn) and don't have to deal with any parents.  Also, the Thai teachers don't really care what I teach the students as long as I turn in grades for each unit.  Deal.

Since I've had so much free time, I have planned enough lessons to last a while.  So I am able to get out and enjoy exploring this lovely area of Hat Yai/Songkhla - visiting the zoo, aquarium, beach, temples, islands, elephants, markets... oh wait. None of those things have happened.  Because it has been raining and raining and raining.  hmph.


Here's what Hat Yai looked like on that one sunny day when we were able to be outside:

And here's what it looks like most days so far:

I'm getting a bad case of cabin fever.  I'm dying to get out of this apartment and see something AWESOME.  

There are a still a few things to do around here, like shop at this weird indoor market...

I did not buy the troll (but should have)

 

...and spend way too much time in this bookstore...

...and sit around this apartment... 

 ...listening to the rain and feeling like this.

At least I have plenty of time to research and read about what I will do when the sun finally comes out!  There's a long, long list in the making.  And when the clouds drift away long enough for the sun to shine, this will be me: