Back to School - Adventures In and Out of the Classroom

The beginning of the school year can be a crazy time – I always say it’s my busiest month of the year – and I don’t think that is an exception here. Settling into a new apartment, exploring a new city and learning about Myanmar culture all keep me occupied… and likely will for some time. And then there is the normal daily to-do’s of lesson plans, teaching, navigating technology, meeting with colleagues… you get the idea! I am enjoying my time here and it feels momentous to have finished the first full week of school.

The parent community treated us to the cultural and dinner experience at Karaweik Palace (pronounced basically like Kerouac) before school began. This place is on a lake and like a cross between a boat and a palace. I got to meet a YIS alumni who is now studying at UCLA and some of our students' mothers. There was entertainment, an extensive buffet (Asian and western foods...basically anything you could want) and a fortune teller. I can't tell you what he told me, but it was definitely a revealing experience. He also used numerology and the date of my birth (Saturday) to give me my Myanmar name, Nhin Wai, which means falling softly like the snow. He pointed out that my birthday is in the summer (hot season) here, which is funny because I always thought of myself as a spring baby. 

Walkway into Karaweik Palace

One of the many different traditional dances which occur as you eat.

My favorite was the elephant - there are two guys in there!

With the fortune teller. Uh-oh! What's he saying?!?

These guys greeted us on our way in.

Traditional (fancy) women's clothes. 

Looking back on the way out.

The very first week of school was a soft start as we had an A day on Thursday and a B day on Friday and then the weekend to recover. Yangon International School is on an all block schedule. There are 8 periods total, with four each day. On my A day, I teach two sections of Spanish 1 and one of Spanish 3. On my B day I teach my two Spanish 2’s. It’s been really interesting to get to know the students. Most of the kids are from Myanmar, but I do have some Japanese and Korean students, and one girl from Thailand. Most of them have a nickname that is easier for Westerners to say and in Spanish class, students choose a Spanish name. So I’m juggling the task of remembering 3 names per kid – one in Myanmar (which can be up to four words long), one in English and one in Spanish. The students have been pretty patient with me and at this point, I definitely have their Spanish names down. Priorities. J One difference is that Myanmar people don’t last/family names, so the name you see is their whole name. Overall, my students are respectful, attentive and curious. There is a lot of respect built in around the role of the teacher here. Here are more recent pictures of my classroom.

Teacher desk space. I have a view of the back yard of a house near the school

There is desk space for 22 students - my biggest class has 20 and my smallest just 7.

Bienvenidos a la clase de español...

There were a lot more books and resources than I expected. And what Spanish classroom would be complete without a bull?

So, speaking of that weekend to recover... The director made plans for us to celebrate the three “chaperone” teachers who met us in Bangkok and have done so much to help us settle in here. We visited the hotel at Inya Lake for their brunch. Brunch is a big deal at the expat hotels and restaurants and this one is definitely an experience. Thirty-two US dollars gets you all you can eat and drink (yes, that includes sparkling wine) in a beautiful setting, complete with live jazz band. This is a price tag anywhere, and definitely here, where you can order noodles or rice and eat a meal out for about one dollar, but I’d say it was worth the splurge and I hope we can do brunch when you visit.

 Statues on the way in.

Bubbles AND coffee? Yes, please!

Our table - you can get a peek of the band in the corner.

Katherine enjoys a sampling of delicacies.

My colleagues!

View of All. The. Food.

Sushi and seafood section. Next time I'll bring my own tamari. 

We did a little shopping after, Candy in front of one of the jewelry stores.

This was a long one! Thanks for reading til the end. I think I've added a space above so that you can subscribe to this blog. If it works, you'll get an email update when I publish a new post. 

Coming up: Posts about the weather, my first acupuncture experience in Asia (!) and more on the food and markets. What do you want to hear about?

What I’m reading: The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank (It’s really good! If you like Lorrie Moore, you’ll like this.)

What I’m listening to: Desaparezca Aquí (Nacho Vegas) – thanks Mom for your resilience! 

Before School Bustle

The progress around school has been tremendous. There are folks moving, drilling, painting...and us teachers are now nesting in our classrooms and preparing for the first day.

The first day I saw campus, my room was empty; the next day there was furniture and boxes to unpack! There were more supplies and books left from previous teachers than I expected to see; that was a nice surprise. I even found a toro (bull). There are lots of windows, great natural light and I'm right next to the faculty lounge.

Desks in my room, 22 seats total!

My teacher workspace

The pre-school shuffle is always a little hectic and it's definitely an added challenge doing it in a new country while settling into a new home. But, it's been great to meet the rest of my colleagues and I'm really excited to see the students...this Thursday!

On Sunday the parents hosted a dinner at Karaweik Palace for us (that's probably a story for another entry). I met some friendly moms and well-adjusted alumni who attends the University of Southern California.

Monday, after a day of meetings and work time, several returning teachers opened their homes to us for a progressive happy hour - we moved from apartment to apartment all together. It's amazing to see how some have decorated and made these spaces feel so homey.

Today the new teachers visited the stationary store and stocked up on school supplies. We overwhelmed the small paper supply shop, but came out with all kinds of details for our classroom and course organization.

All in all, there is a lot of work to do, but plenty of fun to be had, too.

Tomorrow is the student orientation and the principal will introduce us at assembly!

101, that's me! I don't know what the Myanmar says, but they have been doing great work getting it ready.

I'll post more pictures of my classroom with its finishing decorative touches soon. :)

What I'm Listening to: Spoon - They Want My Soul (I've been counting the days to get this one - it may end up being my 2014 album of the year.)

My First Full Day in Yangon

It felt great to wake up in my own place. I got up early and worked on a few more settling in chores and then headed across the street to school. The director told us more about the school, gave some reminders about living in Yangon and then we took a tour. 

The new high school principal is also gluten free and he brought me a box of muesli that he likes and you can get here. So far, (knock on wood!) I haven't had any issues with my dietary challenges. 

My classroom is room 101, near the faculty lounge. I have my very own classroom, which is new to me (at Eastside Prep we shared spaces and most teachers moved between several classrooms). I'll teach all my classes there and use it as my office during my prep periods. 

There is no furniture yet, but here I am in my classroom!

The main school building has 9 floors so there are some great views of the surrounding areas. 

Looking back at the teacher apartments. Mine is the building in the middle. 

Neighborhood around school.

You can tell by the sky that it's monsoon season!

The school's pool. 

The afternoon and evening were both full of excursions out and about in Yangon! Lunch was at Alamanda, which is also a fancy hotel that you might like to stay at when you visit if you want a step up from my guest room.

Teachers at lunch

I had the fish cooked in banana leaves and veggies.

Next we stopped at Market Place, a grocery store that has some international options as well as household items. I bought fruit, veggies, a little plant and some things to help me settle in.

Rows of rice at Market Place.

I bought a Dragonfruit - isn't it beautiful?

We had a little time to bring our shopping spree items back and then it was out to dinner at Monsoon. This restaurant has a HUGE menu with sections, each representing the cuisine of a different country in Asia. I had some coconut mushroom soup from Thailand, pumpkin leaf greens from Myanmar and I tried some of the classic fermented green tea leaf salad (Lahpet) from here too. Learn more about this dish here.

After dinner, some of us opted to check out a few of the nightlife spots, 50th and The Lab...there is a lot to explore!

Things are getting busy with prep for the start of school (one week!), but I'll update you again soon. :)

License Plate

Landing in Yangon

Yesterday it was finally time to make the trek from Bangkok to Yangon! Exactly six months ago I accepted this new job and my life has been building to this moment in big and small ways ever since.

We flew Thai Air, which is a very nice airline! Make a note if you are planning to visit.

First view of Myanmar

Window seat was definitely the way to go!

The international airport is just one year old; it's small but nice and it didn't take long to collect bags, go through customs and make it to the other side! It felt like Christmas to be reunited with my two checked suitcases again; I always worry about luggage getting lost and having this happen on a move (when I am stocked with all my favorite products!) would be unfortunate. The school director and high school principal were waiting to greet us.

Yes, I'm here!

I pulled 50,000 kyat from an ATM at the airport. The largest bill here is a 10,000 kyat note. Can you guess how much that is? (Answer below.)

A sampling of the bills. 

Soon white school buses arrived and we were whisked off to our new homes. Teacher apartments are located across the street from the school. I can see the campus (and pool!) from my living room window.

My apartment is simply decorated and spacious. It feels huge after my 500 square feet in Seattle! There is a master bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, open living/dining area, small balcony and two guest bedrooms - come visit!

AC and TV were on when I got here. They also put out roses and some basic food items in the kitchen.

My kitchen is purple! Rice cooker included. 

Master bedroom, that's me!

We had some time to settle in, then we met at one of our host teacher's apartments. It feels great to finally be getting my things out of my suitcases. It was a long and busy day so I went to bed early (but not before Skyping with Mom and Dad; aren't I a good daughter?).

Well, that about sums up my first few hours in Myanmar! Stay tuned for more...


What I'm listening to: alt-j - An Awesome Wave, Conor Oberst - Upside Down Mountain

What I'm reading: Still working through A Tale for the Time Being, but I also have lots of new reading material!

Our host teachers gave us a map, tourist guide and binder full of information.

Answer: Thanks for reading this far... the answer to the above question is $10. The approximate exchange rate is 1,000 kyat to $1. When I pulled out about $50 the ATM gave me a total of 42 notes: forty 1,000 kyat notes and two 5,000 kyat notes. It's pretty wild. I guess here I'll be a millionaire. :)

Traveling...

This entry is a little rushed as I hurry to post it before I leave the very reliable internet of the President Solitaire Hotel in Bangkok. But, before we get to Thailand, I want to catch you up on my journey here.

I spent about one week road tripping through Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and New Mexico. I stayed with friends and family along the way and it was great to have some time to catch up with folks before making my trans-Pacific voyage. It also felt appropriate to cap off my experience in the states with a quintessential road trip.  

See you later, Mt. Rainier!

The first day of the trip was short. I finished cleaning my apartment, packing my car and then even had time for a few errands (passport photos!) before the trip to Tacoma. 

It felt as if I had come full circle, spending my last night in Washington with some of my first friends in Seattle. 

Lindsay and I enjoy the best of gluten free beer + kombucha!

Night #2 was in Yreka, California. It was my only night in a hotel during the trip and my only night alone. I passed through Oregon in one single day!

The next day I visited with Grandma Lyle in Moraga, California. Grandma treated me to sushi and we got to have breakfast with Aunt Barbie and Terry the next day.

Moving steadily south on I-5 my next stop was in North Hollywood. Leslie Reunion!

Here we are at Laguna Beach.

 Grandma Lineback was next to open up her house and garage. This was a two day stop and I enjoyed beach time, cooking with Grandma and time with cousins Emma and Kirby and Aunt Tracy.

It was exciting to visit Flagstaff, my home during undergrad college years for a few nights. Amanda came up from Pheonix and I caught up with Ann-Marie and Emily (friends from play-group days). 

Northern Arizona University

It's easier to feel light-hearted after your degree is complete. 

Vrksasana in front of the Babbit Academic Annex, aka the Spanish building.

My home during undergrad years.

Hanging in downtown Flag!

Thank you Amanda for driving up to spend time with me!

Emily and Me at Charley's!

This used to be Cafe Espress, my employer during and just after college.

I finally arrived to Santa Fe where I spent about one week with family during which time I sold my faithful car, organized, organized and organized and finally whittled my life down to two suitcases and two carry-ons. This is not an easy task and certainly more challenging than fitting things into a car. My family was very patient as I worked through this process. 

Jayleen helps me pack. Here we are weighing my bag.

The trip across the Pacific is long, but Cathay is a lovely airline to travel with and everything went smoothly. I recommend them if you are thinking of visiting. J

I’ve spent the last few days in Bangkok and I’ve been absolutely delighted with this city. I haven’t done any major sight-seeing, but I’ve wandered around a lot, eaten real Thai food and met my cohort of new teachers. There are 18 of us newbies, mostly from the United States. I did walk to and around Lumphini Park.

I'm getting fancy...trying a video here...

The food!

Phad Thai

Fresh Rolls

Green curry with rice noodles and TWO kinds of Thai eggplant

Yesterday was a big day – we woke up early to fill our work visa paperwork and then made the trip to the Myanmar embassy. After two hours of waiting in line our visas were granted. Note: even tourists to Myanmar need to apply for a visa, stopping by this embassy or another one.

Our next stop was registering at the hospital. The Bumrungrad hospital is one of the best in the world and the building is big and modern, even boasting a Starbucks on the registration floor. Now that we are in their system it will be easier when we come back for any appointments. The staff was super-friendly and spoke great English.

On the way to the hospital we got caught in a rainstorm. The rain here is warm and comes down hard – definitely a monsoon style – very different than most precipitation in Seattle (Dad, the weather updates here will primarily be for you. J).  

Today we pack up and make the short flight to Yangon. As I transition into Myanmar internet may be spotty, so please be patient. I promise to update you again soon!

The best road tripping songs that I found on my iPod were: Bright Eyes – Another Travelin’ Song and Road to Joy, Geographer – The Myth of Youth, Nacho Vegas – El Camino, Conor Oberst – Sausalito, First Aid Kit – King of the World, Xoel López – Buenos Aires, Campfire OK – New Tradition. What would you add?

What I’m Reading: A Tale for the Time Being – Ruth Ozeki

Saying "see you later" to Seattle

A little intro: I moved to this beautiful city after living in Spain for two years. Seattle seemed like a soft spot to land after being in Europe and as a teen it had always been an alluring city to me. I accepted an offer to teach at UW while completing my own grad degree. My Master's thesis explored the theme of travel in the works of Spanish novelist Ray Loriga...funny to think about that now as I am about to set off on my biggest trip yet...

Seattle skyline (Photo Credit: Dad, 2011)

The last month has been BUSY. I took my state certification teaching exam, sold, donated or gave away most of my possessions (Yay for Craig's List!), cleaned my apartment, practiced Yoga daily (especially loved classes with Liz at the Shala!), kept reading about Burma, got travel injections, threw a "See You in Asia" party and saw as many friends as often as I could. All the while I kept wondering - will everything I want/need actually fit in my car? At the time of writing (in a sparkling apartment accompanied only by this laptop and my wireless router), I am happy to report that, yes, my new life fits into my car! I feel like a turtle, setting off with everything I need inside my shell.

Goodbyes or even see you laters are not easy and I know they are harder for the ones staying. I love my friends and I appreciate that you all have been supportive as I sought international work and so happy for me as I've prepared for this transition. You know how to keep in touch and I expect to hear from you. :) I understand that it's not the same as living in the same city, or state, or country, but we will meet again.

The Last Supper - at Barrio with my besties

For now, I gotta drive.

What I'm listening to: Nacho Vegas, Conor Oberst - Upside Down Mountan and Xoel López - Atlántico