The Monk Class

So here are some pictures from my monk class, not too many.  I'll add some more when I have some different more or some different students. Phra Panya wanted to take some action shots, that is why there is only 2 students. Enjoy.

L to R --> Phramaha Phichat, Phra Panya, Brent, Phra Chai 

The students listening attentively

Me writing on the white board.

Siam Ocean World

So when I was in Bangkok and wondering around the mall, I found this place called  Siam Ocean World. This is the biggest aquarium in Southeast Asia is what they say, I have no idea where a bigger one is though.  I just walked through, but you can actually go diving, touch some of the animals, and there  is a glass bottom boat you can go on (for an extra fee of course).  So enjoy the pictures, I'm not going to comment on all of them as I'm not sure what all of them really are for sure :)  This definitely makes me want to go diving to actually see these things up close and personal, so I may take a trip to the coast soon.  Sorry I couldn't provide more information,  I guess you'll just have to take a trip out to take a look for yourself.  It took me about an hour or so to go through it, but it could definitely take longer as you can watch them being fed at certain time plus all the stuff mention above.  This isn't all my pictures, but a lot didn't turn out as your always taking pictures though the glass.  I also left out the pictures of snakes as I know of some people who don't even like to look at snakes (You know who you are).  All said and done, it cost me 700 Baht (about $21), definitely something for the kids to see but also interesting for adults.  Way better in person I should say.  Enjoy.

The entrance

Scaly Giant Clam

Giant Spider Crab

Dragon Moray

The big Ugly bluish one is a

Lionfish

Dyeing Poison Dart Frog

Otters

Some Star Fish

This is a picture that shows the glass is 14cm think.

You actually got to walk right under the aquarium which gave you a really nice look at all the fish.

The bottom of the glass bottomed boat.

Moon Jelly

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An Update Jan 26

So, I thought I would write an update about this week as I have to say the people here are definitely very kind hearted.  When I got back on Monday, the parents of the teachers asked me to take me out but I had to decline due to I was really tired from the weekend and had to get some of my whites washed for the week.  I didn't teach the monk on Monday as it was Monk Day as every 15 days they get together to chant the 227 precepts.  Teaching went quite well this week, got some pictures with the monks but didn't upload them yet (hopefully tomorrow) but no pictures with the kids yet.  One of the monks asked me what "the" meant.  Now this was definitely hard to explain.  Told them I would explain further on Monday so I have some time to prepare something.  Last night the parent asked me again to go out with them so I did.  We ended up to an exhibition that was about 10 minutes away.  The treated me to a bowl of noodles and a few games which was great.  I had a lot of fun with them but found out my game playing definitely could use some work.  They have the same games like in Canada, like throwing darts at balloons, knocking cans of with a baseball, and even a few rides.  I think the one parents felt sorry for me and she gave me the prize that she so expertly won throwing darts at balloons.    The kids were fun to watch playing the games and funning around having fun.  Hopefully I can get back tomorrow and take some pictures of the exhibition as again I didn't have a camera ( I didn't even have my iPhone).

Tonight they headed there again as it is only in town till Friday.  Again, the parents are so nice, I can't stress this enough.  One of the parents texted me to see if I wanted anything to eat, as I'm trying to get back into the no eating after dinner (well except yogurt), I respectfully declined.  Since they knew I liked green tea, on the way back home from the fair (actually while I was writing the last post), two of the students came up and gave me 2 bottles.  There is no limit to the generosity of the people here, they really know how to make a person feel welcomed.

I was also invited by one of the parents to come to their community tomorrow morning.  He is going to pick me up and take me (not even really sure where it is).  I guess all the elderly (now I'm not sure what this actually means yet, actually the elderly or just the parents), get together to have a meeting and eat lunch.  So it should be fun and another new adventure.  But I am getting eaten alive and had to actually increase the font to finish writing this so obviously I need to get off the computer.  Again, I want send my thanks out to the people I've met here, as their generosity and kindness is appreciated. Good night (well for me)  maybe Good morning or afternoon for you.

Bangkok Jan 21-22

Ok, so I a back at the Wat in one piece.  Was a really good weekend out.  I never know how much I miss A/C until I come back here.  Right now at 8:00 PM its 28 degrees with 80% humidity.  Just sitting in my chair.  I am miss winter more and more each day LOL.  But hey on the upside its suppose to get down to 26 degrees tonight.  Not that that's going to make much a difference.  Started sleeping with my fan on me all night again last night.  I think I'm going to have to buy a few more fans for when their hot season hits here.  But that enough complaining about the weather, after a few days back to the eat without the luxury of having air conditioning all the time and I'll be back use to it (I hope).  I can always go to the University and sit in the library or office during the day.

So to finish up with some picks of the Hotel as I didn't always have my camera, here we go.

Here is the outside shot from the ground.  It was 50 stories high, I was staying on the 30th floor.

The Front of the Hotel

The lobby.

A lounging area

A library

The pool.  It was really nice with all the trees.  Although the Jacuzzi wasn't hot but wasn't as cold as the pool though.

Another pool pic.  Oh and the pool is actually on the 8th floor.

So now, here are some pictures from around the Siam area.  I basically walked around the entire time I was here checking things out.  Siam is definitely a women's dream come true but a man's nightmare.  There were so many mall and shops that you could probably spend a week going to different ones and wouldn't have to hit the same one twice.  So the first thing that really caught my eye was a shrine called Thao Maha Brahma.   Don't quote me on this, but I believe it was created because the foundation for on eof the hotel was not laid correctly so they were told to create this monument.  Not on November 9th a ceremony is held here.  It is made of plaster and then has gold leaflets put on it.  People buy flower to put around it, light incense sticks and pray, and also let birds go free.  There are also asian girls dancing traditional dance on a stage behind it.

The monument

I don't think you can really see it, but they are letting a bird go free.

Well now for the malls, the first thing you met with going into the malls (well I didn't see them at every mall but most of them) were metal detectors.  I don't know much about what to say about each mall other than they were huge.  I basically went to a mall called Central World, one call MBK (this was the last one I went to and I didn't even touch the surface of it), and a series of Siam malls called Siam Dragon, Enter Siam, Siam Discovery, and Emporium.  Here are some pics.

The metal detector

Central World at night

Central World during the day

Siam Dragon, I believe

Central World, one of the many places to ride the escalators.  Don't now exactly how many there were, but at least 4.

Another area at Central world

Some ladies playing the violin for Chinese New Year at Central World.

Central world, a picture from the bottom.

I believe this was at Enter Siam, never thought I would see a rink, LOL

I believe this was at MBK.

This was at Siam Panagon.  They were dancing all over the mall to celebrate  Chinese New Year.

SiamCentre I believe.  Sometimes I didn't even know where I was.

A big Dragon Head outside the Siam Centre.

Siam Discovery outside

A girl I gave money to that was playing a piano that you had to blow into.  She was really good.

Traffic in the area, and no this isn't rush hour.

MBK Mall

MBK Mall inside

They had a water display outside the Cenral World Mall.  It was nice to watch.

Some more traffic.

The sky train and a walkway underneath.   There was literally walkways like this connecting all the malls together so you never had to cross a street.