Less than 24 hours!

Connie is now home from the beach and furiously unpacking then repacking for the trip of our lives! I am in shock that this dream is coming true.  There have been so many obstacles along the way over the last few months, and I am now realizing they have been test.  Because we are grown ups, we don't get a grade, we get an expedition because we passed the test of life, trials, and persevered through the red tape, grant applications, medical preparations, and a coup. 

Take for instance my day on Thursday.  We live in Jefferson County, AL.  If you are up on political economic news, then you might know this as the largest county bankruptcy (I think LA might have us beat)  As a result our county court house operates on a shoe string budget, thus making mildly annoying task like getting a new title for a car, a monumental ordeal.  My father has recently lost his sight and thus I acquired his mini-van, an exciting gift, but at the cost of a trip to the DMV.  I had to wait until school was out because the average wait time is four hours but I also had to do this before going to Thailand.  Thursday was the day slated for the endeavor. 

I got up early and made it downtown by 8:10 and I was in a line 150 people deep by 8:15.  Then at 8:30 a man's voice booms over the loud speaker "May I have your attention?  May I have your attention?  There has been a bomb threat called into the courthouse and you must evacuate to the nearest exit immediately."  Everyone in line looks at each other thinking this has got to be a trick to get us out of line so someone else can come to the front.  But no, it really was  bomb threat.  They did empty the building.  They did send in a swat team, police dogs, and more police.  Two hours later they let us back in, and I managed to get my title and tag in just under four hours.  Upon leaving, I even got to pay $9 to park because I had to pay a penalty of $5 for "staying in the lot too long."  Seriously! 

Why am I telling you this, you may wonder...  We have been warned about going to Thailand because there is a coup and martial law.  Well I must say that I think I will take my chances given my blasé trip to the DMV, and I am pretty sure it will make for a much better story. I have lived in Guatemala ,Belize and Kazakhstan, and I know that they way we operate as Americans with our schedules, agendas and plans are regional norms, but not that of the world.  I know it takes me  while to let that go, but in hind sight, going to the DMV was a great Segway into the wide world.  I am ready to leave that stuff behind for a bit, and see where learning takes us. 

Oh, but I did just print my boarding pass from Atlanta to Denver, because when it comes to air travel, I still like a schedule and a plan:) 

It's a Go!!!!

It's been a little crazy lately, but the decision has been made and our trip is a GO!  We received this email today confirming our trip. 

 

"Our CEO, Global Safety Manager, as well as our Public Program Director have decided to field your team.  Based on the feedback we received from volunteers on your team, the current situation in Thailand, as well as feedback we received from the field, we are confident that your team can safely field."

READY, SET, GO!  (Except I'm not anywhere near READY!!)😁😁😁😁

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Beach to Thailand!

 This has been my view for the last week with my family. It's been a wonderful  time of fun mixed with a whole bunch of relaxing. As our vacation winds down, however, my mind is starting to go in hyperdrive because I'll need to transition from "I don't know what time or even day it is" to all packed for our 15 day adventure. Oh, and did I mention that we'll be arriving back home late Saturday night from the beach and will leave for the airport around Sunday lunch?!  I've got a lot yet to do!  But what I have accomplished to this point is that I have researched, read, got shots, purchased supplies, planned till I can't plan anymore,signed up with twitter to keep abreast of the current situation from a guy on the ground in Thailand, signed up with the US Embassy and also a whole bunch of praying for myself and Karon has been going on!  I'm excited to get this adventure started!  

Ready to be excited for real, Seriously!

This spring had been crazy.  It just has, and there is no need to go into much detail on this blog, but I am going to ask all 23 of our loyal readers (so far) to just trust me when I say it has been nuts.  During the middle of all of the craziness is when we got word that Fund for Teachers accepted our proposal and that we were going to be teaching fellows in Thailand. 

This was huge news during normal times, but really, this was ginormous news given the rest of the season.  It has become this mantra of "oh well, that was rough, but did you know we are going to Thailand this summer..."  It has been an outstanding beacon, light at the end of the tunnel, and a diversion of the regular scheduled chaos of my life (this is Karon here, I am pretty sure Connie has it much more together despite the chaos I drag her into.) 

Today, it started to really sink in.  We are going to Thailand.  Yes, when my kids sing "Do you want to build a snowman?"  I retort with my own parody of "Do you want to go to Thailand?"  And well yes, I do, and I want to be excited about it, and sure of it, because, well, I need to be sure of something, and I was kind of banking on a this to be the big deal.  If all goes well for the next four days it will. 

But, and this was probably just formality, but, Earthwatch called today just to "check in with participants about their questions and concerns about the situation in Thailand so they could make a decision about whether to cancel the expedition or not."  I said my opinion on the matter that went something like "I have a high threshold for civil unrest" while shouting at my children to put down their swords while I was on the phone, to, "Why would I cancel a trip to Seattle just because there is chaos in D.C.? "  Regardless, I am just one team member, and we will learn more tomorrow from them. 

I wrote yesterday about unintentional learning and I am seeing a theme.  I need to learn about trust.  Yes, there I said it, but that is hard for this scientist and I have run the probability of problems arising for our tourist during a Thai coup (which there are 19 to reference) and I think I have a higher probability of problems arising in Alabama on a "normal" day.  So there is good data to trust, but now I need to trust that this will happen the right way I the right time.  Preferably my planed itinerary.

So for now, I still have a 1/2 packed suitcase and am anxious about the trip rather than excited at this time.  I guess this is where I will need to read more Mya Angelo poems to get me through until more news tomorrow.  Any by news, I really don't care that Taylor Swift canceled her Bangkok show.  Just saying...

Unintentional learning

Way back in October we started this process.  The process of dreaming about what we would do with $10,000 to spend on an education enrichment experience.  We knew we wanted to do something big, something that we would never be able to do on our own.

So during our 4 minute class changes Connie and I would stand I'm the hall and dream.  As we have both said before, Connie really did think it was just a good thing to keep my drifting mind busy.  I also knew it was a long shot, but I desperately needed the space to dream.  So, dream we did.  We would look something up, meet in the hall "Did you see that program in the Galapagos?"  Or how do you feel about traveling across Mongolia and staying in yurts to learn about mammals of the grassland step?"  "Oh, you would rather not, ok I'll go back to looking."  But finally we found something that sounded outstanding to both of us, researching elephant cognition in Thailand.

From October to January we researches, wrote, revised and edited our Fund for Teachers grant.  The grant had us really do a lot of thinking about how we would use this experience to make our teaching better.  We literally wrote pages about the ways we would bring back what we learned from our expedition.  And.... Now that we are just 5 days from leaving, I can already say there has been a whole lot of learning going on from this end of the trip.  Just for memories sake I am going to list a few of the skills I have picked up, and I am sure Connie can add more:

1) trip budgeting and expense reports
2) how to set up Blogger to have a co-author
3) loads of non-fiction reading and research skills.
4)  map reading skills for Bangkok to pick a hotel close to the sights
5)  apps like Kayak and Trip Advisor are very handy
6) I now know what a burner phone is.
7). I have learned that Martial Law is not an equal phrase around the world
8) I have a much greater understanding of Coups
9). I have learned loads about the geography and topography of where we are going.
10). I managed to complete 10 conversational Thai lessons, and while I can order two beers, I did not make it to the lesson on "where is the bathroom?"
11). I now have a twitter account so I can keep up with Thai news in light of TV being suspended.
12). I have the most stocked first aid kit I have ever had after learning about all of the infectious diseases we could be exposed to.

While theses types of lessons will probably not be where we start with sharing our experiences with our students, I do find value in showing them that huge dreams do not happen with subject isolation.  We are applying civics, government, geography, grant writing, blogging, guidebook and news reading, map reading, social media consumption, networking, Buddhist temple etiquette budgeting, currency conversion and time zones, all so we can do some amazing science about elephants.

So now, dear readers, I should probably start believing this is going to happen and get around to packing.

I love a good plan and I love to stick to it

In case you are the count down type, there are only 8 days left until we will be on a plane on our way to Thailand.  Well, that is the plan despite the current situation in Thailand.  Today has been a crazy day of trying to get news, looking into trip insurance policies, calling airlines to find out how they will deal with things if the airport shuts down.  You know, fun stuff that really all people should do before traveling, but we really need to do it now.  Right now, the first change we should make is switching from a hotel downtown to an airport hotel.  If Bangkok is not safe to tour on our one planned day there, then we hang out and drink Mia Thai's and recoup from jet lag.  I can think of worse things to deal with...

Today we did scour Earthwatch's website to look at possibly switching expeditions if travel HAD to be canceled.  We looked at things like Amazon River Cruises, Sea Turtle Research in Costa Rica, Panda Bears in China, and Marmots in the French Alps, oh and the Australian rain forest.  While they all had amazing components, they just did not match up, time wise, flight wise, cost wise, objective wise, or we needed a visa and don't have enough time to get one.

But, finally we figure out the plan B (hopeful we don't end up needing C because I can't think of one at this pint.)  Plan B, which will only go into effect if the airport is shut down or the US state department increases their travel advisory level, is that we would switch to an expedition at the very end of the summer.  It would still be a total pain in the rear to unravel and rework all of the plans we have made, but not as difficult as starting over from scratch.  Regardless, we will be going to Thailand this summer.  Well, that is, if the conflict is resolved quickly, like in less than 8 days preferably.

What's a little Coup Among Friends

Seriously Thailand, you have been a big light at the end of a long tunnel this spring.  Yes, teachers too get giddy about summer vacation too.  Currently the situation in Thailand does not warrant any major changes in our plans.  One minor one we have emailed the Embassy and hope to receive instructions soon.  See, our flight into Bangkok is arriving at 10:55pm and there is a curfew starting at 10 pm, so after 40 hours of flying, we really would like to leave the airport and go to our hotel, which is a 45 min taxi ride.

With all that said, coups are apparently a pretty common way to transition to a new government in Thailand.  They have had 12 in recent history and no major violence has occurred with any of them.

Like I said, this is a big deal for us, so it is going to take more than a coup to keep us from going.  But please, lets keep things on the down low.

U.S. Embassy Bangkok

Emergency Message

Thursday, May 22, 2014

This message is to inform U.S. citizens that the Royal Thai Army has announced it has seized control of the administration of the country effective 4:30 PM on May 22, 2014.  Authorities have announced a countrywide curfew from 10PM to 5AM. U.S. citizens are advised to stay alert, exercise caution, and monitor media coverage.  You are advised to avoid areas where there are protest events, large gatherings, or security operations and follow the instructions of Thai authorities.

U.S. citizens are cautioned that even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should avoid protest sites, demonstrations, and large gatherings. Be alert and aware of your surroundings and pay attention to local news media reports. You should allow extra time when travelling throughout the city or to/from airports. Consider using public transportation.

U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Thailand are strongly advised to enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) https://step.state.gov/step/. U.S. citizens without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. By enrolling, you make it easier for the U.S. embassy or consulate to contact you in case of an emergency.

11 days to go and a little Martial Law

We have 11 more days until we leave for Thailand!.  In the meantime we also need to finish up the year, get grades in and Connie is going to squeeze in a quick family trip between school and leaving.  Just because all of that wasn't interesting enough, there is a new bit of "excitement going on in Thailand.  New is probably not totally accurate.  There has been a movement in Thailand for the form and process of their government to change. 

When we have talked to people who live there, or travel there frequently, it has been explained as a peaceful form of protest in very limited areas of Bangkok.  So, the news this morning was really not a surprise but more of an annoying aside that makes an already surreal upcoming trip, seem slightly on edge. 
CNN Coverage

So I think my favorite part of the coverage is them showing all the craziness of Martial Law.  You know, people setting up tents, sleeping and reading the newspaper.  It is going to take a lot crazier footage to deter me at this point.  We are also only going to be in Bangkok a very short time, and we have opted to higher a guide for the day, and I am hopeful that they will be very aware of where to go, and not go. 

Here is what the US Embassy has to say about all of this: 

US Embassy Bangkok, Thailand

Security Message

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

 

This message is to inform U.S. citizens that the Royal Thai Army has invoked martial law throughout Thailand, effective 3:00 AM Tuesday May 20, 2014.  According to a Royal Thai Army announcement, the military has assumed responsibility for maintaining peace and order.  Martial law gives the military certain expanded authorities to ensure public security and safety.  According to media reports, Thailand’s constitution and caretaker government remain in place.  U.S. citizens are advised to stay alert, exercise caution, and monitor media coverage.  You are advised to avoid areas where there are protest events, large gatherings, or security operations and follow the instructions of Thai authorities.

 

U.S. citizens are cautioned that even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should avoid protest sites, demonstrations, and large gatherings. Be alert and aware of your surroundings and pay attention to local news media reports. You should allow extra time when travelling throughout the city or to/from airports. Consider using public transportation.

 

U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Thailand are strongly advised to enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) https://step.state.gov/step/. U.S. citizens without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. By enrolling, you make it easier for the U.S. embassy or consulate to contact you in case of an emergency.

 

Unless otherwise indicated in a public announcement, the U.S. Embassy is open for all routine American Citizens Services by appointment. U.S. citizens needing emergency assistance do not need an appointment.

16 Days Until Lift Off

Wow, we are really going to Thailand, and soon!  It still feels like a dream, but it is definitely morphing into reality.  Connie and I (Karon) have been spending a lot of time preparing for our day in Bangkok.  So much so that I feel like I need to go back and re-read my program briefing and thinking about the elephant work we will get to do.  Fortunately that section of the fellowship is very planned out by Earthwatch.  

Here is what our trip looks like so far:
June 1:  Leave home and drive to Atlanta
Fly from Atlanta to Denver
Spend the night with friends in Golden, CO
June 2:  Fly from Denver to Tokyo, Japan (12 hour flight yippee)
June 3:  Arrive in Tokyo then take a 7 hour flight to Bangkok
Check into our hotel.
June 4:  We have decided to do a guided tour.  This is a new thing for me, but we decided since we have such a short time in Bangkok it would be nice to have someone else manage the logistics of getting around.

Pick up from hotel and bring you to visit Wat Trimit, the temple of the Golden Buddha - this statue of Buddha is made from solid gold and weighs 5.5 tons! Then drive past china town, the flower market, then visit Wat Pho, better known as the temple of the Reclining Buddha. This is the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok. Back to the car for cool water and towels. Then combine this with The Chao Phraya River, (River of the King), which is a major river in Thailand. It is over 370km long, but you can relax and enjoy a cruise along a small part of it. Along this journey, you will see wonderful views of the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), and take an interesting trip along some of the secluded canals (Klongs) in a long-tail speed boat. Then you will drive through the Government and Royal lanes and view of White Marble temple before returning to your hotel.
***Admission fee, long-tail speed boat, ferry boat, cool water, towel, accident insurance are included.
Start at 09:00 a.m. (5-6 Hours Touring Time) or upon request.
Tour does not include meal.
We tailor the tour to fit your needs. The price of the tour depends on many different factors. Contact us today for a custom price quote.

After the tour, we plan on hitting up some of the markets.

June 5:  Fly out early to Chaing Rai; At 3pm we will meet up with our EarthWatch team and head to the elephant preserve.
June 5-14:  Elephant research
June 14:  Fly from Chaing Rain to Bangkok/ Spend the night near the airport.
June 15:  The never ending flying day.  We leave early in the morning, and 27 hours later we will be in Atlanta, then drive home.