I had to go into Bangkok the Friday before my Saturday flight to pick up my Chinese visa. It was a surprisingly painless process, given the amount of trouble I went through to submit my application. I was in and out in about 15 minutes. Just like that I have a ten year multiple entry visa into China. Continue reading
Jessica and I met in Bangkok for the weekend after she had problems submitting my visa application. The first time we were in Bangkok about two years ago we were just there in transit; this time we decided to tour the highlights, as in some temples and the giant weekend market. Continue reading
My half term break trip to Shanghai, China started with the joy of obtaining a Chinese visa. Getting a Chinese visa is almost as fun as getting a Thai visa and work permit. Both countries require stacks of paperwork and for all my Thai documents I had to sign every page (your hand starts to cramp after you sign 7 pages of contracts, 2 pages of diploma, and 4 pages of passport pages, all that times three). For the Chinese visa I needed the application form, a photo, a copy of my passport with all my Thai immigration stamps, a copy of my Thai work permit, a copy of my latest Chinese visa (along with the data page of my old passport), round trip flight reservations, hotel reservations, and your passport so they can put the visa in it. China does not mess around. Continue reading
Sports day is a big deal in Thailand. It’s almost like field day in elementary school. The whole school participates in sporting events like track and field, Regent’s sports day on December 15 was for the secondary school. I was stationed at the javelin throw, it was terrifying as students would come up to the javelin and say they had never done it before. My job was to mark the throw; it was a boring job that I needed to be alert for. I am not a land sports person. Continue reading
We had a three day weekend December 3-5 for the King’s birthday (also known as Father’s Day). At first, I decided to go to Koh Chang to enjoy the beach and island life. Unfortunately I had decided at such a last minute that the accommodation was way out of my price range and I was not feeling like spending time in a hostel. As the long weekend approached, I felt less and less like traveling but still feeling the need to get away. Using my fantastic Internet research skills, I discovered the Garden Cliff resort and spa in Pattaya. Continue reading
Every week, on my way through Pattaya on Beach Road to go diving, I pass the Teddy Bear museum. Outside the building is a huge statue of a teddy bear dressed up in a crown and cape advertising Teddy Island. It piqued my curiosity and every time I passed it I thought to myself, “I need to go there.” First, I did a little research and found that it was a unique place which only made me want to go more. Then, I had a day off from diving one weekend and finally went. Continue reading
At the end of the original Sweets in Bangkok post, I mentioned I had a list of places I wanted to try out while in Bangkok. This past weekend I had to go to Bangkok to renew my passport at the US embassy; which gave me the perfect opportunity to go sightseeing and eat fun desserts. One of the best parts about this adventure, besides the really great desserts, is I get to see parts of Bangkok I never would have seen otherwise. Continue reading
Khao San road is quite popular with backpackers traveling through Bangkok. You can find everything your local Southeast Asia backpacker could need: restaurants, clubs and bars, souvenir shops, tattoo parlors, massage parlors, tailors, tour companies, etc. As much as I enjoy going to Khao San road to get a massage at a place where I can get a 2-hour Swedish oil massage for $20, some people do not realize there is more to Bangkok than that area. Continue reading
I have been back in Thailand for several weeks now, but have only recently completed my first full week of teaching. New students came in to school for an orientation on August 22, classes started August 23, but I did not start my lessons until the 25th. Plus, there was a week of orientation before all that, so I had a lot of down time. Getting back into the swing of things has been nice, but not without its interesting moments. Continue reading
I have a sweet tooth; it is a fact of life. One thing I have noticed on my travels in Asia is that sweets are different abroad. Dessert is not a common thing, but sometimes fresh fruit is served in place of sweets for a dessert. Cakes are different too. They are more spongey and the frosting is light and whipped; they are not as filling as cakes in America. Cookies are practically non-existent outside packaged cookies at 7-11 (though there are little packages of 5 baht cookies that really hit the spot, the lemon ones are the best). Recently, I have had experiences with two divine desserts in Bangkok. Continue reading
Wending Blog 