Seasonal Things

This, 

 This, 

 And THIS came in the mail last week :)  

My parents sent a package to Thailand with some things I've needed to replenish as well as some sweet *sweet* treats!  The touches of Autumn (I've gotten used to saying that since my ESL kids think of "falling" when I say Fall) have blessed me.  Even my mom's handwriting on the yellow sticky note labels she used blayessed mah hearrrrt.  I have to say, aside from the dark chocolate, flavored coffee and Christmas CD, my favorite part was seeing my brother's Commencement Announcement for his graduation from law school.  Can't believe my younger brother is about to be a lawyer!  I'm totally bummed to miss it, but thankful to have received his commencement announcement - makes me feel like I'm still part of it all!   

Also got a new outfit that I totally love and that fits PERFECTLY - Momma knows me well!  

Youda Youda best!   

new outfit and my mint chocolate cappuccino.
in case you ever need to know - one of the ways to my heart is through mint dark chocolate.
green smoothies, and mint dark chocolate.
okay a really good chardonnay, green smoothies, and mint dark chocolate.
oh and dancing.
okay dancing,  a really good chardonnay, I don't need to keep going, every time I do this I think of The Jerk,
all I need is this ash tray.
... and mint dark chocolate.

It's okay if you didn't get that,
but I really hope you did.  

Besides the festivities that arrived in the mail last week, Nellie & I opened our Christmas Box Sunday night!  We put on Christmas music and sat on my floor beaming over some random Christmas decorations we got from a family who moved back to the states.  The decorations are simple and we split them, but they are a happy touch to our rooms.  I know it's Thanksgiving this week, but it is the beginning of the Holiday season and it's great fun.  :)

haha.  cute, though.

This evening I spent my time baking homemade pumpkin and apple pies with Kate Pennington, her mom Julie and a high school student at CRICS named Kalyn.  It was a rush to get 16 pies made, I looked up one time and saw a piece of dough flying across the kitchen, unintentionally.  Hilarious.  It was bizzy bizzy but LOTS of fun!!  Reminded me of DC Cupcakes or Cake Boss.  Maybe someday I'll go into the baking or cooking business??  Eh, I'm pretty sure I said the same thing after I cut Mandy's hair ("Maybe someday I'll go into the salon business?").  It felt good to get to bake today.  Two of the weird cultural jumps to make in a new country are a) being able to locate ingredients for cooking and b) being able to READ those ingredients.  Thai doesn't quite look like English, huh?  

I'm headed to Chiang Mai tomorrow for an International Christian Educator's Conference with teachers from all over the world, I can't wait to let my networking, people-meeting energy come alive for 2 whole days with INTERNATIONAL EDUCATORS!   

When I have some time soon, I DO have more processing of life to blog, 
as well as some precious stories from the 2nd grade classroom.  
Stay tuned! 





*Yes, I love Jesus, and I appreciate a good Chardonnay.  
Especially when it's paired with mint dark chocolate.  

SeeFood :)

Nellie and I got bold with our dinner tonight.  At the Night Bazaar, a place where you can shop and eat in an area that's kind of like a food court, we decided to finally try the grilled fish that we often see and smell cooking everywhere.

As you can tell, we devoured it.  

The fish was seasoned with salt and pepper spices and was stuffed with stir-fried basil.  We ate it with sticky rice and fresh fruit drinks.  

The food in Thailand is delicious.  Cooking is one of my de-stressors;  there's an art and a science to it.  Must learn how to cook more Thai food.    

A group from Texas is in town visiting us, so I'm looking forward to spending some time with them this weekend.  Next week will be pretty busy, so I'm going to try and update again this weekend since I'm not sure when I'll be able to next.  We have school Monday - Wednesday, and then we'll be headed to Chiang Mai!  I am attending an International Christian Educator's Conference that I'm actually really excited about.  Always wanting to learn... good thing I work in a school.  :)  Thanksgiving plans aren't completely set yet, but I think we'll be attending a big Thanksgiving dinner somewhere.  

Car plans - if we're able to meet up with the man we're buying a car from, we'll be coming home from Chiang Mai in our new car!  It's a Mitsubishi Evolution, unless you're Nellie and then it's a Mishubishi.  I'm sure it's the same thing.  ;)  Which reminds me, I had a student today write the word "thing" only he wrote "thang," and he is from the southern US.  PRESH.  Melted this Texan's heart, my students are the cutest.  

I'm trying to update more often so you can see more of my daily life here.  So - I'll probably be back on blogger tomorrow.  :)  

Until then, sweet thangs.... 

katieloveschachi

Few quick notes...

I got my work permit on Friday, and my Visa was renewed on Saturday!  Hooray, I can stay in Thailand, and I'm officially a teacher here!

Nellie & I are *probably* headed to Chiang Mai this weekend to purchase a CAR!  Yayyyyyy! Prayers over that are very appreciated!

Also, I created a YouTube Channel - it's quickest for uploading videos.  Let's see how many social media websites I can join.  
www.youtube.com/katieloveschachi 

I don't know anybody named Chachi.  

But if I did, I would love him.   

Joy Wins in Match Against Culture Shock

I met culture shock last week.

He went by the name of "Field Trip."

Kinder, 1st and 2nd grades went on a field trip last week to the Jinnaluck Paper Factory in Mae Sai, a town on the border of Thailand and Myanmar.

I could get detailed and dramatic, but I won't - mostly because thinking through the details of that day cloud the fun that was woven through it.  So, all there is to say is that I tried to plan a field trip to a place I'd never been about an hour and a half away and in a country whose language I do not speak.

=]

It was quite different from the regular trip down I-35 to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

And it was indeed humbling.  
::sigh::
again.  

But, the kids LOVED it, and so did some of the parents!  We saw the steps to making beautiful paper out of mulberry trees and banana leaves, then got to create some pictures ourselves.  Aside from the surprise best-iced-coffee-I've-ever-had-in-my-LIFE that the adults were served halfway through the morning, the best part was watching my kids c r e a t e for hours.  The joy that was poured onto me from children outweighed the fact that it was the most stressful day I've experienced since I left the Fort.  

Today we received our dried paper creations in the mail, wrapped up in cute mulberry paper with a paper ribbon and bow, with a beautiful paper card and a Thai message inside it.   

Our first field trip was fun, it was a learning experience for all of us, and it was therefore a success.  :)