Anyone ever tried taking a trip with a large group of Thais?  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?  Well, let me tell you something.  It is a confusing process.

The school generously decided to do a two-day team building trip to Trang and Nakhon Si Thamarat in December for Father’s Day.  All expenses paid.

Here’s how the plan went originally:

Meet at the school at 8:30 am on December 5^th.

Take a VIP bus.

Tour S-Tech College in Nakhon Si Thamarat that same day.

Go to dinner that evening.

Second day, go to Trang and have a relaxing day in the islands.

Return home.

Have another four days off.

Here’s how it ended up going: Continue reading →

As I was saying…

Pohnpei is a Micronesian paradise.  It has a barrier reef encircling the island that, in calm weather, keeps the lagoon as flat as glass.

The island doesn’t have long, sandy beaches. Mangroves own this piece of land.  It is a mountainous island, covered in green, with the prominent Sokehs Rock and Sokehs Ridge dominating the northwestern landscape.

Sokehs Rock and Sokehs Ridge

Over a 100-year period, the island saw Spanish, German, Japanese, and American occupation, only regaining its independence in 1986.  Remnants of these foreign invaders can still be seen on the island, from the Spanish wall to the bell tower of the old German church to the Japanese guns on the ridge (and the rusty tank in Kolonia). And, of course, the fact that they use the US dollar).  Continue reading →