Holiday Loving

I am back in Thailand, ready to go for another 5 months. Being home over Christmas was really one of the best things my parents could have ever offered me this year. The encouragement and support from all of my friends and my family has really refreshed me and given me a new energy to tackle work with. I can not wait to walk into work on Monday and hug the kids. Their smiles will stick with me forever.

Before I left Thailand, I got to be a part of a Christmas party. All of the volunteers got to participate in the finale for the YWCA's Christmas show in front of hundreds of people. Doing what?

Nothing other than Thai dancing. Really. I Thai danced. As soon as they told us that we were expected to dance in the finale, I couldn't wait. I was really excited to learn this part of Thai culture. Dancing is a huge part of entertainment. Any festival, show, concert, ceremony etc. has their set of Thai dancers. Which is why, we got to perform. With two practices under our belts, we attacked the stage with smiles and our pathetic attempts to be Thai. Our purpose was entertainment. . .and that was definitely the outcome.

Us with our dance teacher, Mae Thim. (From left to right: Rachel, Lynn, Emma, Mae Thim, Me, Vicki, Julia, Holly, and Sarah)

The week before I left was also a good-bye to Jan, a former CCD long term volunteer who had come back for a month. She invited us all to join her at the saxophone bar in Bangkok for a final send off. We walked in to a live band, filling the restaurant with it's impressive jazz music. It was nice to get to say good-bye to Jan in a place she really enjoyed.

Nicola, Julia and I

James and Rachel, me, Jan, and Vicki

The night before I left for home the volunteers went to Nichada church to participate in a carol service! It was a great way to get into the Christmas spirit regardless of the 35 degree weather. Afterwards we all enjoyed finger foods courtesy of the generous Nichada ladies!

Holly, me, Jan, Lynn, and Julia. Eating western delicacies (you know, like. . .brownies)

And then I was home! Enjoying the company of my family and friends. Here are a few photos from my Christmas vacation.

This is one of my favourite things about Christmas! Our tree! It's covered in crafts from kindergarten, and cross stitch ornaments from my grandmother. I wouldn't trade this tree of childhood memories for pretty glass balls and tinsel ever.

This is the MASSIVE lobster my dad brought home to make chowder and sandwiches with. Needless to say. . .it was a meaty chowder.

Kaylin and I offered to make the apple pie. I wish I had a picture of the finished product. The recipe said 6 cups of apples. . .we put in 6 apples. And they were big. . .like this.

And that is how it earned the name "sky high apple pie." Kaylin and I stuffed it full, and then some. It looked funny, but it tasted amazing. Mmmmmmm

Kaylin trying to work out the crust

My job: the filling!

Here are a few more moments of fun and good times this Christmas break!

Learning a new board game, Settlers of Catan

Being ridiculous with Kaylen and Tiffany

Seeing my Bridgewater friends at Sarah's CNC potluck

Spending time with Sarah, Erin, and my sister in Halifax

My gift to my dad from Thailand!

Father, Daughter loving

Skype date on Christmas with the volunteers in Thailand!

Spending time with my grandmother

I have missed my mom's cooking so much! It was such a treat to have her rolls, bubble bread, gumdrop cake, pizza, rolls, sweet potato, rolls, peanut butter cups, did I say rolls?! Yummm

I also enjoyed spending time with my boyfriend Gable! I really missed him and it was great to see him after 4 months of skyping and emailing. Like the matching sweaters?

A huge highlight was the time I got to spend with my sister. She's my best friend.

And now I'm back in Thailand, after an excellent Christmas. I'm ready for work, ready for good times, and ready for heart break.

I'll Be Home For Christmas

I'm here! Home, for Christmas.

It's only a short two weeks, but I wouldn't trade this time with my family and friends for anything! It's been amazing to come home and talk with people about their adventures this year and talk about a little bit of my own. Here are a few rare pictures that were taken since I've come home.

One thing I never thought I would be more excited to see. . .

SNOW! It's slowly melting, but hopefully more will come soon. Since I only have 2 weeks to deal with it. . .bring it on!

 

My welcoming commitee at the airport. My family is fantastic! They brought me a flower, and a jacket to welcome the cold, thank goodness!

 

I have missed my sister an IMENSE amount. We love each other, and the camera, thus. . .goofy pictures in the snow.

Christmas is right around the corner and I can not wait. I love my family, I love this time of year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Reason Why

I have no special skill really.

I'm not trained as a doctor, or a physio, or a masseuse, or a dentist, or an optician, or a speech therapist, or a behavioural therapist.

I'm a student in transition with nothing other than a high school diploma and an empty wallet. I often wonder, why did I think I should come here? What can I help with? Where is there a need that I could possibly assist in filling?

Well this is why.

Smiles. They're everywhere. And the smallest bit of attention, the tiny amount of time it takes to make one of these children smile, makes every dollar, every hour of work, every emotion and sacrifice, worth it. Not just for me either, worth it for them.

A smile and a laugh is not overated. Maybe it can't make a child walk, or speak, or understand the world they live in.

But it's joy, and that I believe is worth my skill-less journey.

100% worth it

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words. . .Thank Goodness!

There are so many things that have happened that I haven't blogged about. Due to this problem, I have decided to copy my Kanchanaburi post, and do a photo journal (with commentary) of highlights from the past month.

This past month has been a crazy one for work. Every week I can expect to be carted away on an outing with the Rainbow house kids. It's always a surprise as it's often easier for the Thai staff just to tell us we're going out, rather than trying to explain where. A few weeks ago was one of those outings. The staff told us to pile in the Rainbow van and sit the kids on our laps. We had no idea where we were going or what we were doing. We ended up in a huge theatre, for a live performance of a popular television show, BEN 10!!!

Cool eh? It was actually a really impressive show. There were amazing costumes, and sound effects, and light effects, and music! However, all of the actors were obviously foreign, and could not speak Thai. So the whole performance was pre-recorded and mouthed. Which proved to be a bit humorous as the actors did not lip synch very well. The kids loved it though, and sat in silence the whole time! Now that's really impressive.

Pet Suri with his ticket and pink headband.

The kids getting some complimentary balloons.

Ben 10! Saving the world from aliens!

Check out that costume. That alien was 8 feet tall at least!

Another trip was over the weekend and was to an international school for their school fair. There were lots of carnival games and prizes, and free food for the kids!

Tee in a row boat.

Pet painting a canvas bag.

Group of us getting ready to head out

This past week was Thai Fathers day. So Lynn, Emma and I were assigned to haul out the paper and glue and sit the kids down to make some cards. At first I thought it was a cruel idea. Fathers day cards? These kids are orphans, why would they make Fathers day cards. But in the end it turned out to be a really excellent thing. The kids presented the cards to the male staff at Rainbow House on Fathers day as a thank you for their love.

Lynn and Anna gluing and pasting.

Crafting away!

Kim and I!

Au painting on his glue

Okay, on to the non-work photo bit. This month has been filled with crazy weekends of shopping and birthdays and going away meals and festivals.

For Holly's birthday (a fellow volunteer) we walked down our street for an ice cream cake and a film. The cake was amazing! It was an ice cream cake 1000 times better than any DQ cake I've ever had, which is definitely saying something. The film was New Moon, not my favourite, but Holly was really excited about it making the experience a blast. We pretty much had the theatre to ourselves as it was in English, and we saw it the day before it came out in Nova Scotia! Jealous?

Oh Holly. . .oreos and ice cream are her perfect combo

Photo with the Swensens staff. They are getting to know us quite well. . .

That's right! The theatre all to ourselves!

Another ice cream outing involved us wheeling some kids from the government orphanages to Swensens right after work.

Loving the ice cream!

Messy Look-Dow

A BIG highlight of my month was American Thanksgiving which was generously hosted by a lovely Canadian lady, Wendy, from Nichada.

Some of my Sirin House girls. From left to right, Emma, Julia, Me, Lynn, Holly

Milling around, socializing

The Desserts, yummy

Playing Go-Fish with some American kids.

Settling down with full stomachs for a fun movie, "Up"!

And this past month has been my month for Christmas shopping. I tested out my bargaining skills in the massive JatuJak market, Khao San Road, and Ko Kret island.

Ko Kret island

Part of JatuJak market

The busy Khao San

Favourite finds of the night!

And this weekend, Linda leaves.

Linda has been here for three months and has shared so much of her knowledge of massage with everyone. It's a bit bizarre for me as I was here when she arrived, and now she's leaving. I will miss her and am not looking forward to saying good-bye!

And a week from Monday I will be home for Christmas! It's crazy how fast these past three months have gone by, I can hardly believe it.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

In Thailand right now, it's December 3. There are 22 days left until Christmas.

I associate a lot of things with Christmas. Things like snow, apple cider, caroling, sugar cookies, turkey, Christmas at the Movies cd, nativity scenes, advent calendar etc. have all been a part of my past Christmas's and without them, I was finding it difficult to get into the spirit of it all.

However, December 1st, Emma and I carted home a piece of Christmas festivity that is an essential during the countdown to December 25.

A CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!!

Bridget mentioned that maybe there was a tree that we would be able to take back to Sirin, and Emma and I jumped on the opportunity. We snatched up this treasure in the Rainbow House driveway and made the trek home to our awaiting volunteer family.

Adjusting the branches to make it look fuller

Too excited for words, but not for pictures

Making our way home

Our tree, waiting at the side of the road for a taxi. There's something odd about a Christmas tree in 34 degrees. . .

Stuffing the tree in the taxi.

When we arrived at Sirin, we pulled out the decorations and put on the Christmas tunes!

Our Christmas tree aglow

It's coming and I can't wait! My parents generously offered me a trip home to spend Christmas with the family, so that's exactly what I'm going to do! My plane leaves December 14, and since I'm travelling back in time, arrives on the same day that evening.

Oh the excitement!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree. . . .