Tadaaah....

...the place where I live.

Pretty, isn't it?

Banana-boat Moments

Now you see them....

Now you don't....

The interesting thing is that people pay to have this sort of thing done to them...go figure... :)

AY Camp at Rayong

Thai buses have very peculiar paintjobs sometimes....teensy bit colorful, don't you think?

Some people have interesting banana-boat techniques...maybe Daniel will let us in on the secret of the one-legged position... :)

AY Camp @ Rayong

We just finished "Midterm Break" (euphemism for a long weekend)...went to Rayong (Bang Sang Resort? Or something like that).

On Saturday, we went to the Rayong Aquarium (which looked like it had seen better days). There were some cute fish. I liked this "metallic/robot fish" (that's what I'm calling it anyway... :) ) He moved in a way that made him seem like he was always shaking his head in a disapproving-"no, no"-frowning way...poor soul.

The latest in resort night wear...

Lo que hacemos por un cacho de cultura...

...o lo que pasa cuando las alpargatas no agarran traccion en suelo alfombrado...

"Amazing Cultures" Show @ MC

(click on photo to view large size)
Snapshots from "around the world"...at our cultural show...L-R Back row: Marlise & yours truly with our Japanese students, Daniel, Maria (from Spain), Marlise and Cynthia (from Honduras), me with two Thai students. L-R Front row: Me with Soo, a very sweet Korean student, graceful Chinese group, Argentinean tango troupe.

Tangueros y Chinita Trucha :)

(click on photo to view large size)
MC organized an "Amazing Cultures" show. Yours truly and two other Argentineans improvised an item.
Nuestro colegio organizo una "noche cultural"...jeje... Marlise & Daniel hicieron de tangueros, luego de que yo entrara al son de "El Humahuaqueno", fuera rechazada por el "dandy Daniel", y me cayera de traste (las alpargatas de yute y el piso alfombrado no son una buea combinacion)...en fin, lo que hacemos por un cacho de cultura, por favor...tambien pusimos un powerpoint con preguntas para la audiencia (sobre Argentinos famosos y etc), y a los que acertaron, les regalamos empanadas "dorimarliseanas"...a que no adivinan con que las rellenamos!? :)

Field Tripping :)

On Wednesday (Sept. 24) we took the whole ESL Dept. on a field trip to Bang Pa In Palace and Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Center. The sweet little old lady had a huge pile of hats for sale (100 baht each), all woven by her gnarly hands. I think you can see patience firmly etched in the myriad of wrinkles that grace her smiling face.

Pasados por agua...Rainy season at MC...

There used to be a small "peninsula" in one of our campus ponds (backgroud, center of picture, where the tufts of grass poke out of the water)...manyrainy moons later, it is no more...It's been raining daily (duh...'tis the season) and heavily...wish it would stop...especially because I keep forgetting to take my umbrella at the appropriate times!

3 years old!

Gracias a los buenos amigos, el dia de "ponerse viejo" es mas divertido. Este cumple fue especial en lo culinario tambien, ya que Laura, la señora de rojo que esta parada en la segunda fila, me hizo una torta de chocolate con almendras y dulce de leche! (importado especialmente por avion por Marlise & Daniel S.R.L...jeje...gracias!)

"Getting old" day is not so bad if you have good friends to celebrate it with. This one was extra special because Chef Laura (2nd row, red t-shirt) baked me a heavenly chocolate cake with almonds and dulce de leche (argentinean thing, google it! This item was flown in specially for my b-day by Marlise & Daniel -pink shirt & white shirt with tie in this picture...thanks to all 3). Thank you Julie for organizing! Thanks Dot & Marvin! It was a great evening!

Catching a ride...catterpillar-backing?

...well, if this is a caterpillar...(anybody know?)...another bug out and about on one of the trails I tread daily...if you click on the image you might be able to see an ant catching a ride...must be the rising gas prices :)

ESL Games

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My ESL students having fun...
Mis alumnos de ingles como segunda lengua, divirtiendose...

Bicho Missioncollegegiense

Uno de los tantos bichos de por aqui...a la ultima moda en pintura bichesca. Como no tengo mucho tiempo para andar en la naturaleza, la Sra Natura me manda estos bichos al tercer piso del edificio donde trabajo.
One of the many bugs around here...latest bug bodypaint trend...Since I don't have time to get out and enjoy nature that much, nature sends these little visitors to my office building...

Mission College Graduation 2008

Mission College Graduation 05/11/08
Click.

Meet Maina..

Maina is the cutie that belongs to my friends Hoang & George.

An ESL teacher's look at pro-tibetan demonstrators in Argentina

Well, it seems that with the olympic torch passing through Buenos Aires, nobody had time to do some spell checking.....

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/americas/features/article_1399528.php/In_photos_Argentina_Olympic_Torch?page=4

Ultima moda en patas rotas

El viernes pasado me resbale (estupidamente, sobre pavimento mojado), torci el pie, y me fracture el 5to metatarso (o algo asi) de mi pie derecho. Me cai a las 4 de la tarde, pero no me di cuenta que me lo habia quebrado hasta las 8 de la noche (re dura.... :( ) cuando el dolor se hizo evidente. Me llevaron al hospital donde me entablillaron y enderezaron sin calmantes... y asi pase la primera noche...demas esta decir que tres calmantes y un diazepam mas tarde, aun no lograba conciliar el sueño...

Hoy (dos medicos ineptos mediante...larga historia...) vi a un tercer ortopedista (o como se llame :) ) que me puso un yeso plastico color rosado fluor...digamos que no me dejo elegir el color...asi que, aca andamos...saltando en una pata...y en el mes maaaaasss caluroso de la historia...durante las vacaciones de Songkran (año nuevo tailandes en abril)...que habia pensado tomarme en Malasia (perdi el pasaje y todo....buaaaahhh)...pero no habia manera de ir a hacer snorkelling con este adefecio... se imaginan el susto que se llevarian los pescados? :)

Nong Nooch Garden Revisited

Elephants "fighting" at the Thai cultural show ...felt sorry for the elephants, the music was really loud (I had to cover my ears!)

Nong Nooch has a beautiful cactus garden. Found this fragile yellow beauty there.

The picture below was taken from this traditional Thai structure (sala). It was quite a hot climb.