A new semester at Siyuan

My whirlwind tour of Southeast Asia has unfortunately come to an end. Returning to freezing cold and unnaturally gray Xi'an was depressing at first. However, since I've returned things have been going my way. Here are a few reasons why this semester will be better than the last:

I. NEW APARTMENT

Last semester I was promised a new apartment when I returned from winter holiday. When I returned, Siyuan made good on that promise and I couldn't be happier. My new apartment is more than twice as big as my old apartment. It has a bedroom and bathroom of the same dimensions as my previous apartment, but it also has a living room, kitchen, and balcony! Here are some pictures:

My kitchen

Full size fridge

The living room. Leather couch and chair

I have a TV

The view from my balcony. I'm thinking about buying a grill...

The bedroom. Much more spacious now that its not the only room I have to live in.

My home office.

Even the closet is bigger

II. NEW TEACHING SCHEDULE

Last semester I was teaching 22 hours/week. That is a total of 6 hours overtime (the contract is 16 hours/week), although overtime is not compensated at a premium as in America. This semester I am teaching 16 hours/week. The best part is that these classes are on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, giving me a four day weekend to do some domestic traveling.


III. TIMELY PAYMENTS

My contract states that I receive payment on the 10th of each month. However, Siyuan had not been to observant of this part of the contract last semester. I was pleasantly surprised to find I had been paid on March 10th for my work in February. This was especially welcome considering how low my funds had sunk over the course of my two month vacation...


IV. THE WEATHER

When I returned to Xi'an in late February it was...painful to be outside. Over the past few weeks the weather has significantly improved. I no longer need to wear my heavy coat outside during the day nor do I need to heat my apartment to keep from freezing. Also it stays light outside until 7:30. This is only the beginning. Soon I will be dressing like I did in Thailand!


DRAWBACKS

The only negative of the semester so far has been the departure of nearly all the other foreign teachers. No longer do I live with Colleen (Canada), Marc (UK), Sebastian & Pilar (US/Chile), Annabelle (Philippines), and Gerard (South Africa). I miss you all. I hope you are enjoying life after Siyuan.

As far as foreign teachers goes, only Chris (US) and I remain. There is a new teacher Matt (US), but he has a family and does not live at the university. I guess I will be spending a lot of my free time trying to meet new friends.

Ko Phagnan, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta

The main reason for our return to Thailand was to spend time on some of the country's famed tropical islands. We had time to visit three. Each had its own unique culture and personality.

KO PHAGNAN

From Bangkok we took an overnight bus to Ko Phagnan. The island has international notoriety for hosting the 'Full Moon Party', which is among the largest parties in the world. The event draws 10,000-30,000 people to the island every full moon.

The day we arrived there was no accommodations available (within budget) so we ended up sleeping in the reception area of a guest house. We were able to book a cheap bungalow for the next few nights.

Our bungalow was 50 yards from the beach

Sunset at Ko Phagnan

Local school children put on a show to thank those who donated money to fund their school

KO PHI PHI

This island is know for having some of the best dive sites in Thailand. While on Phi Phi I did four dives, and saw dozens of sharks, cuddlefish, sea anenomies, and much more. No pictures though, my camera is not waterproof. Twenty years ago Ko Phi Phi was an island visited by only the most adventurous tourists. The movie 'The Beach' (staring Leonardo DiCaprio) filmed on the island exposed it as a tropical paradise. Today it is among the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.

Maya Bay--where 'The Beach' was filmed

Ko Phi Phi mosque. Most Thais are buddhist, but residents of the Thai islands are muslim

A hammock oceanside on Long Beach, Ko Phi Phi. Why did I leave this place??!

SPF 0! There is no hope for humanity...

Island Divers. Thanks for the memories.

KO LANTA

This island was the most relaxed of the three. The lack of a bar scene made it very popular among families with children (and Swedish people. Go figure). The bungalow we stayed in was...pretty gross, but we had an amazing pool.

Welcome to Ko Lanta!

Our pool has ELEPHANTS!

On our last day in Ko Lanta we decided to rent Kayaks to see Mangrove Island. We were given pineapples to feed monkeys that live on the island. Unfortunately one wrong turn in this bayou turned our two hour kayak tour into a six hour ordeal. We got so lost and barely made it back to the kayak outfitter by sundown. The worst part was we didn't see any monkeys.

The dock of the kayak outfitter

My feet have no idea how lost they're about to be