Winter in the UK

Winnipeg has very cold winters — its flat prairie lands make perfect conditions for unbridled winds, and the snow piles up quickly. Canada on a whole is most often associated with snow and cold; an inordinate amount of people I’ve encountered in the UK have been under the impression that Canada is cold all the time (it’s not; only in the winters).

I went to school within one of the biggest school divisions in the city and we never once had a snow day. School was always open no matter how much snow or how much cold wreaked havoc, the exception being if there was a burst pipe or flooding or something that made it an impossibility. Other schools outside of Winnipeg would be closed more often, but that was mostly because kids and teachers couldn’t actually get to school.

I used to walk to school every day. In high school, that was about a 25 minute walk. No matter the weather, we would walk (unless the neighbour or my grandpa were available to take pity on me). One day, I remember the weather being -52 degrees Celsius with the windchill. Still, school was open. But because I walked to school, I ended up getting a snow day because my mom wouldn’t allow us to go out in that temperature (where frostbite can happen in a matter of minutes).

Manitoba is probably one of the coldest provinces and made news one year for having a temperature colder than Mars. When you walk for a bit outside, your hair and eyelashes freeze so that when you get somewhere warmer, everything has a coating of white. Wearing mascara could be a disaster. Going outside with wet hair was outrageous. Not being dressed warmly was idiotic.

I say all of this because I want to make sure you understand that Winnipeg is cold in the winter and not to be taken lightly.

However, I would take a million winters in Winnipeg over a season of winters in the UK.

In Winnipeg, the winters tend to be quite dry in that there’s no humidity. Being in the centre of a giant landmass will do that. The UK, on the other hand, is damp, and I don’t just mean the oodles of rain that ruin your life. There is moisture in the air ALL the time and it chills you to your bone. So it doesn’t matter if Winnipeg is colder because in the UK I feel colder.

In Winnipeg, despite the cold and snow, it is sunny quite often during the winter. It’s really nice on the coldest days because that’s when the sky is also clear and the sun is shining. If you walk through a field filled with snow on a sunny day, you have to be careful not to catch the snow in the wrong way because it can actually be blinding. And it’s really beautiful.

The UK is in a constant state of misery with few breaks, and that’s not just in the winter. The clear days seldom exist and you also don’t have any snow to beautify the place, so it all just brings your mood way down. I mean, if there was something pretty, the cold might be worth it.

When I was in Thailand, I thought it would be strange to be somewhere hot and snowless but it actually wasn’t. I was a little homesick, of course, but it was LOVELY. If you’re going to do a snowless Christmas, do it somewhere warm and in the sun.

Christmas away from home in a grey and dreary place without even a little snow is the opposite of ideal and is frankly depressing.

And snow is at least dry until it’s not. Rain is just wet and everything is soaked and you’re miserable. I don’t know how the British manage it. I really don’t.

I supposed if you’re used to something, that’s all you need, but winters in the UK are absolutely loathsome.

But I sometimes get snow days, which is nice.

Remember, Remember

I recently created a Remembrance Day display for the school’s library and put out a bunch of non-fiction Remembrance-themed books (it’s non-fiction November) to encourage some recognition of this day, which seems all but forgotten at the school I’m in.

In general, I find that the UK hardly acknowledges the day beyond the confines of official events and wearing a poppy. The students barely know what the significance of the day is and time doesn’t seem to be spent observing Remembrance Day at all.

It’s so strange to me because I can remember it in Winnipeg and the beautiful assemblies we would have every year to recognise different soldiers and their lost lives or their stories, both present and past. There were performances from dancers and choirs and band with presentations from veterans and cadets. A student trumpet player would play The Last Post and we would observe one minute of silence. It seemed that there was a pointed effort to ingrain understanding in our young minds.

It bothers me that it’s such an after-thought in schools here in London and the UK.

And I want to add a disclaimer because I probably won’t observe two minutes of silence at 11:11 since I’ll be in a conference and I’ve never attended a Remembrance Day event outside of school beyond something televised. But I still make the effort to remember and acknowledge, which I think is the important part of it all, and which is something I don’t see here.

Thank you to those who served their countries in whichever wars they served, whether it be through fighting or medical or any number of forgotten parts of the army, navy, or air force.

Hidden Gems: Winnipeg, Manitoba

When people think of Canada, they do not think of Winnipeg. They think of Vancouver, forests, mountains, Toronto, maybe whales, maybe polar bears, but not Winnipeg. Most have never even heard of Winnipeg.

But I am an avid supporter of my city and province of birth. Winnipeggers complain ALL the time but it irks me when they put the city down because they don’t go out and do anything. There’s so much to see and do, there’s really no reason to be so moody (granted 6 months of a generally very cold winter will get on anyone’s nerves).

It’s time for a little more appreciation for the centre of Canada so I’ve decided to compile a list of my favourite places to go in Winnipeg and Manitoba.

The Forks

The biggest attraction in Winnipeg is probably The Forks. It’s where tourists are told to go and it’s where major celebrations are held throughout the year.

It’s called The Forks because it’s where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet (and fork). Historically, the land was utilised by Aboriginal populations and then became an important fixture in the fur trade because of its location on the two rivers. Nearby, Fort Rouge was set up and the site became a sort of trading hub. Later on, it was a key site for the development of the railway through the prairies. Many of the buildings at The Forks now are from that era. The main market place was created from the old railway-owned stables (the food court and shops are separated more or less into each stable). Other buildings have formed the Children’s Museum and The Johnston Terminal, which houses a variety of shops including a cool antique store in the basement and The Old Spaghetti Factory.

The Forks also helped promote immigration in the late 1800s, dubbing Winnipeg the “Gateway to the Canadian West” because of the immigration sheds erected at the site, housing 500 people each at a time. The people who came through the site would populate and change Western Canada for the better. (Source: https://www.theforks.com/about/history)

The Forks is now made up of a series of unique shops, restaurants, and bars as well as The Children’s Museum and The Canadian Museum of Human Rights. Additionally, you can find performances for various events throughout the year on the outdoor stage, busking sites, and the Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP).

Outdoors, there are great playgrounds for children, including a splash park in the summers. There is also a river trail that you can walk along when the water is low enough. It was actually engineered so that it could withstand the regular springtime flooding that occurs without crumbling into the waters. People use it as a route for work on a regular basis.

Even better, in winter, the rivers are used for curling and hockey on a polished ice rink as well as the world record-holding longest naturally frozen skating trail. (Source: https://www.theforks.com/events/river-trail) It’s not uncommon to see people using the opportunity to skate to work in the cold.

One thing that I like about Winnipeg winters is the fact that there’s so much more sun compared to somewhere like London, despite the latter being a warmer country. So even in the middle of winter, you can go down to The Forks and enjoy whatever is going on at the time.

It’s also popular for Canada Day, New Year’s Eve, The Festival of Fools, and a whole lot more: https://www.theforks.com/attractions

Every time I go home, I make it a point to visit The Forks, regardless of the weather. It’s not Winnipeg without it.

Assiniboine Park

source: tripadvisor.ie

source: chrisd.ca

Assiniboine Park (or Ass Park, depending who you ask) is a huge park full of so many different things but is perfect for something as simple as an evening walk.

Like The Forks, it’s a very popular destination with things going on all year — from ballet in the park to charity walks to seasonal activities. My family and I definitely dressed up in house-related gear to attend the wizarding world that had been set up at Ass Park for the release of “Cursed Child”. There are some really unique things that you will encounter there.

Additionally, there are beautiful sculpture gardens, ponds, and general nature to wow you. One of my best friends got married in the sculpture gardens this past summer and it was legit magical.

The best part, in my opinion, is the Assiniboine Park Zoo. It’s all about conservation and works hard to make the animals’ existences positive ones. Regardless of where you stand on zoos, they do a good job. Their newest exhibit is the Journey to Churchill exhibit filled with orphaned polar bears from Manitoba’s north, Churchill. These are polar bears that would otherwise starve to death in the wilderness. The zoo is also currently aiming to do similar exhibits for other animals. It’s worth visiting just to see what they’re up to as it has changed immensely over the last decade or so.

Birds Hill Park

Living in the North of Winnipeg, getting to somewhere like Assiniboine Park could be a hassle, so we always instead went to Kildonan Park to walk around something a little smaller. But Birds Hill Park was about the same distance as Assiniboine Park without all the traffic and with a lot more nature, so the South End people missed out on the convenience of that one I guess.

Birds Hill is about 20-30 minutes away from Winnipeg. It’s home to a lot of hiking trails and nature, a large beach, cycling trails, stables, and places for weddings. Every summer, the Winnipeg Folk Festival makes it crazy busy but the park is so big that if you were to go to the beach that same weekend, you wouldn’t really know Folk Fest was going on (or at least that’s what happened that one time I went).

It’s a provincial park and does have an entry fee but you can get some free weekends here and there, and the entry fee is like $5 so it’s not going to break the bank. Season passes are available as well, but in the fall and winter, you don’t need to pay to enter anyway because nothing is really going on at that time.

We mostly went there for the beach, but I would also go on some hiking excursions with my mom and sister(s) or on my own occasionally. It’s crazy big when you get into it and start exploring beyond the main paths. It’s also breathtaking in the autumn because of all the changing leaves.

The lake there is man-made, so it’s drained every fall and filled every summer, which is kind of cool. It’s fun to explore in the fall, where you can feed chickadees straight from your hand (look out for the 50th Anniversary bench for Tina and Joe, my cousins’ grandparents, where the chickadees are very eager). You may also see some deer or, if you’re really lucky, a black bear. Watch out for the wild turkeys too!

One of my favourite nature-related memories at Birds Hill was one evening at dusk in fall. My mom, younger sister, and I were walking back to our car after having walked around one of the main trails. We came to the lake — I can’t remember if it had been drained yet or not (my mind says it was drained, but what happened makes me think it wasn’t drained) — and we started to hear some geese. The sound started to crescendo and as they got closer, hundreds of geese started appearing from every which way like this mass meeting was to take place the evening before they all started heading south or something. It was actually amazing, just the sheer amount and the incredible volume. I wish I still had the video, but it was back in my Blackberry days so who knows that happened to it.

The point is: Birds Hill is definitely worth the journey should you visit Winnipeg. It’s a major thing I miss when I start to feel homesick.

Whiteshell

Moving further out of Winnipeg towards the Manitoba/Ontario border, you hit the Canadian Shield. The Canadian Shield (also called the Laurentian Plateau) is a large area of exposed Precambrian rock that covers over half of Canada. Whiteshell Provincial Park is a perfect place to hike and experience the rock-covered land. Manitoba’s geological history is actually very interesting. Read a little more here.

Whiteshell is a great place for camping and hiking, home to a bunch of sites and trails that will allow you to get back to nature with possibly disrupted cell signals due to large rocks all around you.

Some of the trails are short and easy to do while others take several hours and are more difficult. You have to be careful in some areas as the markings aren’t always clear and so you might end up scaling a very steep part of forest to find the trail again (not that I have any personal experience with that or anything…). It’s also an area that is more prone to black bear sightings.

The biggest trail that is partially in Whiteshell is the Mantario trail, which is a multi-day trail that is on the border of Manitoba and Ontario (hence the name). There’s a Facebook group dedicated to the trail so that you can keep updated if you ever decide to hike. Sometimes due to excessive rainfall or dryness, some trails will be fully or partially closed so it’s good to check.

I’ve been camping in Whiteshell a couple of times and hiking many more. If you love nature like I do, I certainly recommend checking it out!

Riding Mountain National Park

Keeping with the whole nature theme, Riding Mountain is another excellent stop.

When I was a kid, my grandparents lived near Riding Mountain in a small town called Gilbert Plains. My cousins and I loved visiting there and we would often stop at Riding Mountain to explore, see sights, or go to the beach on Clear Lake, which lives up to its name 100%.

Riding Mountain is full of a lot of trails and really nice campsites with a small town for anything you may have forgotten (or if you just want a nice restaurant meal instead of campfire food). There are events daily throughout the summer for kids as well as a pretty nice playground that they go crazy for.

It’s a place where you might see a black bear or moose or any number of other Canadian animals. Even cooler, there’s a bison safari that you can go on that is completely free where you can see bison roaming around free and wild (though the area is fenced in). You drive through and can get out at a lookout tower to try and catch a glimpse of the herd. The bison is Manitoba’s provincial animal, so it’s really cool to be able to see them in that setting. Note: back in Winnipeg, you can see something similar and for a cost at Fort Whyte where they pile you into one of those safari buses and teach you about bison. Sometimes they might charge at you. It’s a wild ride.

Another thing I love about Riding Mountain is the random picnic areas. I took my nieces camping there in summer 2018 and we got kind of bored of just eating at our own campsite, so we packed up what we needed and, after the bison safari, we stopped at this picnic area, which had multiple picnic tables and fire pits but was completely empty, and we made our dinner there. It was right by the water too, so we climbed down from the grassy area to the shore and walked along there. It was nice and sunny and close to sunset, so it made for some nice pictures.

There are other things in Riding Mountain like boat rentals and horseback riding too.

It is a LONG drive from Winnipeg (roughly 4 hours, depending on which side you come from) when you’re also driving everywhere within the park, but it’s worth the journey. And if you go the route that passes through a bunch of towns instead of the middle-of-nowhere route, then you can also see a lot more of the province (like Happy Rock in Gladstone, Manitoba). There’s also a giant hill that is fun to go down but tough to go up in the car. I wouldn’t go behind an 18-wheeler or drive a manual on that hill, but it’s a small moment of fun at the beginning or end of your drive there.

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I haven’t talked about everything great that Winnipeg and Manitoba have to offer: Grand Beach, Rainbow Stage, Fort Whyte, Assiniboine Downs, etc. But I have talked about places that I tend to miss the most in London. The theme is: nature. London ain’t got that good nature.

I also haven’t mentioned things that are temporary Winnipeg fixtures throughout the year. I would encourage you to experience Festival du Voyager, Folklorama, the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Folk Fest, the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, or any number of other fun events that take place annually.

If you’re planning to visit Canada, making a stop in Winnipeg will be a unique experience — if you do it right — and will give you a perspective that cities likes Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver will not be able to give you.

Climbing in Whiteshell

Dark clouds loomed over the campground, spreading a chill through the air. It wasn’t exactly the weekend we had hoped for, but it would do on such short notice.

On a whim, we decided to go camping at Whiteshell Provincial Park (West Hawk Lake to be specific). It was clear that little planning had gone into the trip as 1) we didn’t check the weather and 2) we may have over-packed for a 2 day excursion.

It was shaping up to be a pretty dreary weekend and had begun spitting on and off. I never let a little thing like rain stop me and I wouldn’t let it stop me now.

My mom was perfectly content with sitting at the campground relaxing. But I didn’t come to Whiteshell to relax. I came to be free and explore!

Right next to our campsite was a trail that led… somewhere. It curled along the lake and up the side of Manitoban cliffs and beckoned to me like a siren calling to a sailor. So I decided to go and my sister tagged along. She should know by now that her sense of adventure and my sense of adventure are two wildly different things.

For one, she is terrified of heights while I see a peak and start climbing without a second thought.

She followed me all the way through — a trooper.

The path was narrow and muddy, littered with roots, rocks, and perilous holes while branches leaped out in front of us as if to say ‘do not enter’. This is what I lived for. This is what my sister avoided, especially with the water on our left waiting to consume us with one wrong step.

Soon, we found a diverging path. One continued low along the water; the other led away from the water, but was steep without a destination in sight. Which one did I go for?

I can tell you that my sister wasn’t pleased with my choice.

But still, she followed along.

Whiteshell is on the Canadian Shield, which is more or less a giant expanse of rock. At West Hawk Lake, you’re all but rock-climbing on these formations that jut out of the ground to support the various trees. It’s most certainly a gateway drug to more adventurous activities.

We continued up this path, narrower and more treacherous with every passing step.

I like to take risks. My sister doesn’t. So when we came to a steep face with the path continuing almost vertically, I left my sister cowering with a tree for support and went to explore, seeing which places were best to step and if the path actually led anywhere. At this point, I don’t think we were on a path any longer. This was our own trail.

Seeing that our way did, in fact, lead to some flat ground atop the giant rock, I went back for my sister and led her like a Sherpa up the steep slope.

On top, beauty.

Yes, it was a cloudy, miserable day, but when you stand above everything else, the views you experience make up for the weather.

Charcoal grey water curved around beaches and other rock formations and led out to wider spaces that we couldn’t see. Below, a few people dotted the beach, but they were ants compared to us. I stood close to the edge, feeling the wind on my skin and the tiny droplets of water on my face. My sister stood behind.

It felt as though we were in a place all our own.

We would soon discover that this feeling was make believe.

Only a few minutes later, we were on a main trail littered with others: a boy and his dad, two girls playing, a couple. Disappointment crept in. I liked the feeling of being isolated from civilization.

Oh well, we’d discover somewhere new.

But following that path, we ended up back at the campground, down a dirt road from where our site was.

My sister was happy but I wanted more. I decided that I’d find another trail later to satisfy that need for adventure.

However, the rain would soon start pouring endlessly, chasing the 3 of us back home, away from our leaking tent and into the comfort of dry beds.

via Daily Prompt: Climbing

Adventure at Home

There’s nothing beautiful about the prairie provinces.

The land is flat, the fields are repetitive, and the herds of cows eventually lose their charm.

British Columbia, Alberta — mountains: those are the beautiful parts of Canada. Saskatchewan and Manitoba are flat wastelands with nothing to see. Cold and flat.

Even the East coast provinces, though small, have better views. They’re by the ocean! Québec has the history and beautiful architecture; Ontario has Niagara Falls, the capital Ottawa, and is the place in Canada. Even the northern territories have a draw that’s unique from the rest of Canada — great winters, polar bears, the tundra, and traditions all their own. Saskatchewan and Manitoba sit alone, blowing away to nothing in the harsh winter wind.

I’ll tell you: the only people who think prairie provinces aren’t beautiful are those who are blind to beauty.

Granted, the beauty in prairie provinces is more subtle.

There aren’t vast, dramatic mountains or the same kind of history as some other parts of Canada. But we have our own draw.

Just a 30 minute drive outside of North Winnipeg, Manitoba is a popular provincial park called Birds Hill Park. There is everything that most people like: paved bike/walk paths, camping, and a large, now expanded, beach. But beyond that, there’s also adventure.

Throughout the park is a large winding road. Along this road, you can stop most anywhere and find a new path to discover.

I always like to go off the beaten path. I certainly don’t disturb wildlife to make my own paths, but if there’s a gravel path or a muddy path to choose from, chances are, I’m going to go on the muddy path. If there’s a path that goes higher than the one I’m walking, I’ll go on that one too. In Birds Hill Park, there are so many of these hidden paths for people to explore if they’re so willing. It isn’t what I’d call hiking, but there are still beautiful things to see, and so close to the city!

When home, I’ve been looking online for hiking paths around Manitoba. Grand Beach, Lake Victoria, Whiteshell, Pinawa… the list goes on. I haven’t even visited a quarter of them.

My favourite place to go in Manitoba is Whiteshell. It borders Kenora in Ontario and is a part of the Canadian Shield.

I don’t know about you, but anything large and strong enough to sound like a protective force surrounding Canada is something I want to see.

The area gets its name from the rock that covers a large portion of land, including the ground beneath the lakes. How cool is a stone-bottomed body of water made by natural forces?

Lakes in the area were created by crater-causing meteors and you can usually find some information leaflets if you go on some of the main trails. It’s not only a good, active hiking experience, but you can also learn things! That’s right up my alley!

I’ve been to Whiteshell numerous times, even though the drive is nearly 2 hours from where I live — longer if you’re more South Winnipeg than North. It doesn’t matter when I’ve gone or with whom I’ve gone or even where in Whiteshell I’ve gone, there has always been something breathtaking and beautiful to see. You can hike on the main paths or go and explore the rocky mounds that surround you.

As always, I try to find the highest point.

There’s something amazing about being above the trees whilst simultaneously being surrounded by them.

You’re in a prairie province, climbing up rocks, looking down upon trees, and running your hand through rushing rapids.

How can anyone live in a province that has some of the most beautiful flora, fauna, and geological collections, and say that there isn’t anything to see on the prairies?

If you’re travelling to Canada, certainly visit British Columbia — that’s what everyone thinks of when they think ‘Canada’ — but consider visiting the prairies as well.

If nothing else, looking over a flat expanse of land while the sun rises straight out of the land, its roundness and rays fragmented, is a magnificent experience that proves beauty exists in the prairies.

From Canada to Thailand

We were late to the airport.

No, we were on time but were made late by a stop at Tim Horton’s and family goodbyes.

My mom, in tears, rolled out a piece of paper as an afterthought. She had made it some time before — a sign saying goodbye. My sister was crying too. We didn’t always get along, but for some reason, she was sad to see me go.

Eventually, I had to break away from they and the rest of my family members who had come to say goodbye.

Joining the line for security, I refused to cry. I was strong and the public would not see me weep. Mostly because I knew if I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop. And that would be a massive embarrassment when I joined the plane with 20-odd peers all heading to the same place: Thailand.

The land of smiles.

To say the flight was painful would be an understatement. Who knew one could be so tired from so much sitting?

From Winnipeg to Vancouver: 2 hour flight, 6 hour layover.

Vancouver to Seoul, South Korea: 14 hour flight, 2 hour layover.

Seoul to Bangkok, Thailand: 6 hours

The airport to our home: 2 hours? At this point, it’s all a seatbeltless blur.

When we arrived in Bangkok, things were a lot more “normal” than I had expected. I knew nothing of Thailand and really only chose that option because of the promised salary. I wanted to travel and the only thing that could stop me was money (or lack thereof), so I had to find ways around it.

Things weren’t as dirty as I had thought they’d be. All of my information came from Bridget Jones, The Impossible, and The Hangover 2. Other than that, I knew nothing of Thailand (and what did I really know from that?).

It was 11.30PM when we arrived in Bangkok. We had been travelling for over 24 hours and were exhausted. But nothing in Thailand is done halfway and they love pictures.

We all got together for a groggy group picture and I remember buying a banana from the airport 7-11. If Thailand succeeds at anything, it’s 7-11. It seemed excessive at first, having a 7-11 on every block (or less), but grew on me and became expected and missed when I left.

Finally, we were free to leave the airport. The doors slid open and out we went– BAM!

Humidity hit me. It was like walking head-on into a brick wall.

Winnipeg could get humid and you could feel like you were melting, but it was nothing compared to tropical humidity, which I found would be a constant in my life over the next 10 months. A constant that I would miss, even now.

Sticky moisture clung to my sweater, which I dare not remove lest the scent of travel be released. I would suffer — only for a short time.

We were loaded into vans which would take us to our homes in the next 2 hours and the A/C was on full blast — something I would come to hope against in the coming months.

Arriving at our new home in the dead of night, the pictures began to come alive. There on the left: the pool. I looked forward to being there all the time! (I wouldn’t be there all the time). Straight ahead: the office. There, I would pay my utilities and borrow the spare key to my room so I could have the key maker on the street replace the one I lost. Around the corner: the courtyard and apartment building. This is where I’d spend the next near-year.

Fragrant tropical flowers floated around me as I stumbled from the van back into humidity. It was familiar to me as I struggled to overcome the mounting culture shock. Back in Winnipeg, I loved to go to our wonderful zoo, which had a Tropical House. Thailand smelled exactly like that place and I was comforted for a little bit.

The next 2-3 hours were spent learning about the building complex (whatever they had said most definitely went in one ear and out the other) and moving our belongings into our rooms. We were an active bunch.

It was 5AM before I was finally able to contact my mom and tell her I had made it there safely.

Everything was in my room, but would not be moved until the next ‘day’ when I woke up. At 3PM.

I slept that night with the A/C blasted and a blanket acting as my sheet on the hard, surprisingly comfortable, Thai bed.

I woke up to people in the hallways doing various activities and almost had a heart attack when I saw that it was mid afternoon already. An entire day wasted.

My fingerprints were supposed to be scanned at either 10AM or 3PM, so I was up just in time… A useless endeavour as my fingerprints turned out to be nearly non-existent.

Culture shock was real. I didn’t know what to eat or where to go or how to get anywhere. I walked around the complex, taking pictures of the place for my family back home. I cried in my room, sleep-deprived and feeling like I would starve because I didn’t like Asian food (I will continue to blame the sleep-deprivation and jet lag for this). I ate Frosted Flakes from 7-11 (a godsend) along with milk  that was too sweet and crackers that were disgusting.

I would soon find that 7-11 had the best sandwiches and would live off of these for the next little while.

Motorcys drove on the sidewalks and you had to be constantly vigilant. Stray dogs were the norm. While the streets were clean, there was still an occasional smell of… something. You would hold your breath from a moment while you continued.

Thailand’s King was deeply respected. If you were walking the streets at 6PM, you’d have to stop for the King’s Anthem. It was strange at first, but really interesting later on. When he died, I felt a stab of sorrow. He was a man who did many great things for his people and the respect for him was learned and ingrained in Thai society.

From what little I had seen of Thai society, I did not expect the people I encountered. Everyone was extremely polite — it was bizarre walking next to a busy street that was compact with cars and people trying to get places without anyone honking. People were friendly in the area I was living — they were used to expats and tried their best to understand us while be tried our best to understand them. If you want to become a charades master, spend a year in Thailand.

Thailand is referred to as The Land of Smiles and it’s not hard to see why. I would find that even with the stress of teaching and classes and homesickness, Thailand would help me feel at peace; like I was on constant vacation. It’s hard to be sad when the sun and warmth is so comforting and the people so welcoming.