Surat Thani (Oct. 28th-Nov.2nd)

Hey there, 'merica. I haven't talked or corresponded with anyone outside of Thailand for over a week now, and I'm missin y'all something fierce. I just finished my first week of teaching English, and it's been hectic as all get out. I've had very little time to get acclimated to my new surroundings, let alone find somewhere with internet access, so I apologize for the MIA, especially to Penny Saier who's had very little sleep in the past several days (I just called her for the first time on Friday).

I arrived this past Tuesday (Oct. 28th) at my new home in Surat Thani, a very uninspired port town on the southeastern coast of Siam. As blase as Surat may seem, it is the gateway to paradise on the eastern islands of Koh Samui, Pha-Ngan, and Tao in the Gulf of Thailand, and Krabi, Phuket (I can do without), and Phi-Phi on the Andaman Sea. The last stop on Thai Railway's southern line is also the center of the last foreigner-friendly province before you reach the political unrest of the Thai-Malay border (which I'll be taking a run through once I make my passport run to Butterworth).

My living situation has been severely down-scaled from my somewhat luxurious digs in Chiang Mai. I live in a three-story, four-bedroom dormish house about a mile or two from my school. My front door is sliding-glass behind a rolling garage panel that opens into the large living area which also serves as dining-room and kitchen. My bedroom and bathroom (the dish-washing room) are the only other rooms on the bottom floor. I have three other roommates, all American, who occupy the remaining floors of the house. There's Ryan and Katy from Chicago, and Claire from Memphis, and they're all nice enough, although I'm still getting to know them. What I know of them so far: Katy is an extremely active, fitness fanatic, who can't sit still even after a smoke (that's right, I finally found me some haha); Ryan is a freak in the classroom, screaming at the kids, jumping on desks, grunting and griping like a Thai cookie monster, and he takes on the exact same persona when he's drunk; Claire watches Chinese bootlegs of Gossip Girl...and that's pretty much it. Oh, and she pissed the bed the other night after getting stoned. And those are my flat-mates.

My school, Thaeda (which is short for who-knows-what), is based in the center of town and caters to some 5000 elementary, middle and high-school students. I teach two classes from all three levels, and I recently met a 60-year old hippie lady who wants me to take up a class at the local university as well. The kids, even with their loose knowledge of English, are smart little buggers, and never cease to put a smile on my face. The school itself is am impressive collection of large buildings with dirty exteriors (typical of most Thai structures outside of the Royal Palace), but overall it's a charming campus with large courtyards and lush gardens. I arrive there everyday at or around 8 a.m. on my pink, pedal-less bicycle, and leave at about 3 in the afternoon. I spend the rest of my day biking around town, playing basketball at a stadium not too far from my house, or reading in front of a fan. And that pretty much sums up my first week here in Surat.

I hope everyone is well. Happy Fest, you lucky motherfuckers, and happy belated Halloween! Sorry I missed out on the Clue party, someone please give me a recap. I'll try and write again soon, because I still have so much shit to tell y'all about my first weeks in Chiang Mai and my birthday week in Koh Tao. And I'll be sure to bring my camera next time so I can set up some Skype dates. Love you guys and can't wait to hear from you.