T-minus 5 days

It's coming to about that time. Thailand out, New Zealand in. Leave on Monday for Hat Yai. Spend the night there, then a bus to Singapore on Tuesday then a flight to Auckland on May 1st. Finished teaching today, finished (hopefully) buying all the last minute little things I think I need. Had lunch with Orry, my first Thai friend and her super cute daughter yesterday. She helped me so much when I first got here, can speak amazing English and made my stay in Nakhon considerably better. 

 If I wasn't such a tough guy, I would have cried after they left. I didn't, because...I'm tough...

I came across a to-do list I made before leaving Canada. Had about twenty things on it and only 2 went incomplete. One was to go to the floating market. I didn't do that because it is super touristy, bit of a trek to get to, and is not an excursion people rave about. Definitely okay with not doing it. The second was get and maintain a tan. I'm worried about the sun, it scares me, so I try and stay a safe distance from it in most cases. 

(speaking of the sun, watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58fs5yI8K9I) 

Other than that, mission accomplished. Which brings us to now and the upcoming months. If you have been following me from the beginning, please shoot me a Facebook message or e-mail me to let me know what you think. Even if just to say I suck, I would appreciate it, don't get much feedback and would love some. Not sure if I want to change the name of it, go to a different format and possibly put more work into it. Also, I've noticed that people I don't know read what I write for some reason and that fascinates me. Specifically some people who live in Russia and Germany. Who are you and what make you stay? Fascinating. I can only guess you look like all the other Russian girls.

Flying from Singapore on May 1st, apparently a super nice airport with tons of free things to do. Will let you know about that. Feeling that moving on is the right thing to do, if I didn't have a girlfriend it would be incredibly easy. My last post dealt with my goodbyes and my opposition to them. I may have done an airport goodbye the other night to one of my good friends. I'm a hypocrite and I'm sorry. Lesson: Make sure your friends know how to tell military time so they don't almost miss their flight back to America. 0100=1 am not 1 pm.

That should just about do it. I wanted to do a post about how in Thailand almost everything you buy has a whitening element to it. That can't be good for you. Thai people want to be white, white people want to be darker. Sunscreen, body lotion, acne cream, deodorant. There I did it. Was kind of all over the place with this one, sorry for the lack of specificity. Enjoy your weekend, stay in touch, and stick around for posts about life in New Zealand!

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to 

trust them." Ernest Hemingway

The case against goodbyes.

I'm going to make this short and concise. I think goodbyes are unnecessary and should even be avoided when possible. Goodbyes just make people sad. If someone is an important person in your life, it isn't goodbye. Last year at this time I said "goodbye" to Jake, one of my best friends I made in Thailand. Since then, I've seen him in Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia, all within the last year. Skype, Facebook, blogs, phone calls, goodbyes are becoming unnecessary and irrelevant. Oh, I'm having a goodbye dinner because I'm leaving tomorrow, you should come. Or how about I don't and I see you when I see you. 

You might be able to guess I'm even more against the airport goodbye. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? When I left for Thailand, my brothers wife's mom, Maureen (who is very lovely and I miss) dropped me off. I wasn't sad or cried. If my mom had dropped me off, she would have cried and if I was physically able to cry, which I'm not, because I'm a man, I would have. Give it a shot, sometimes it is impossible to duck a goodbye but if you can swing it, do it. Take into account this is a new Bert theory and may not work for you and may be altered in the near future. For right now, I'm sticking with it.

Who doesn't love a cute baby? I mean really. 

GOODBYE!!


Sike! I would never do that...

"It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure." Ernie Harwell

What? You don't have a singing bird?

This is a part of Thai culture that I still don't fully understand and if I think about it, really makes me laugh. I will try and explain it the best I can. If you drive around a super Thai town, especially southern Thailand, you will notice men driving with one arm and in the other arm they are carrying a bird cage with a cover over it to make sure there is less wind hitting the bird. And it isn't like it is a rare occurrence. If I left my house right now I would see one in less than 20 minutes. There are birds everywhere. Why? Because Thai men buy them, train them, then put them in bird singing competitions around town. Obviously. 

These competitions tend to be on the weekend, different cities have different events so maybe one month Phuket has a competition, then Hat Yai then Nakhon has one. Entry fees differ from one hundred baht, to five hundred baht to probably more than one thousand baht for bigger events. The winners can get anywhere from five thousand baht to I honestly don't know how high the prize can be, I'd bet they get close to a hundred thousand baht. How much would it cost to buy a decent bird? One million baht. (Hey, you want to go on a vacation? Sorry can't, all my money is tied up in birds right now...)
Cages can cost you a few hundred baht to thousands of baht. Only male birds can be entered. Women can buy their own bird and train it but from what I understand, women aren't overly interested in the purchasing and training of small birds. I have no clue why then don't....

OK, so once you drive your bird to the competition, you try and find the best spot for your bird. Thai people are pretty superstitious so they probably try and get the same place every time. They also want to position their bird next to an inferior bird to make theirs sound better. From what I understand, it isn't how beautiful your bird is, it is how beautiful they sing. The competition I went to had 3 judges, they blow a whistle and are trying to listen to a specific bird. After about 15 seconds, they mark something down underneath the cage of that bird. The funniest thing about this is that once the whistle blows, the owner of a bird will start to make noises and try to make their bird sing. Sort of like if you wanted a cat or a dog to come into the house, that is the kind of noise they are making to make their small little bird sing. If their bird doesn't sing and the whistle blows, they get all mad and frustrated. Imagine, an older tattooed up old Thai man, driving around town with a bird in his arm, training his bird to sing beautifully then entering him in a competition to try and impress and beat his fellow friends. 

Such a bizarre hobby to me. I think a big reason they do it is just to pass the time, gives them something to look forward to and share with their friends. It was nice seeing a bunch of older Thai men, taking care of their birds, laughing with each other, trying to get their birds to sing. 

A few things I don't understand about bird singing is how do these judges get their jobs and aren't they highly likely to be bribed into letting a certain bird win? I also don't get what is considered singing beautifully? Apparently it is good if they sing in a certain pattern or if they are continuously singing. I found out another reason why you would see birds being driven around town is because if you have a valuable bird, you wouldn't leave it at your home because someone would steal your bird!

I found someone who describes this better than me. If you want to read it go here: 

http://www.travelfish.org/blogs/thailand/2013/04/09/bird-singing-competitions-ko-samui/

“It can be coins or sports or politics or horses or music or 

faith... the saddest people I've ever met in life are the ones 

who don't care deeply about anything at all. Passion and 

satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any 

happiness is only temporary, because there's nothing to 

make it last.” Nicholas Sparks

Advice for new teachers

Looks like it's moving season here in NST. People coming, people going. If you are new to Nakhon, welcome! You've made the right choice. You will soon notice that Nakhon puts the Thai in Thailand. It isn't perfect and can certainly be frustrating. But if you are up for a bit of a challenge and a great adventure, you have found it. With that, I will try and sum up my 2 years here in some timbits of information for you. (I realize most people say tidbits. They are wrong. Timbits are a small, delicious treat....just like these tips)

1-Getting a bike and a house are priority number one. Not being able to drive around the city and explore is a huge disadvantage. Take your time but try and learn. It's worth it. I would also keep like 200 baht locked inside your bike just in case you need it for gas or food sometime. 

2-Learn Thai. I can't do it and it has been a disadvantage. There are some English speaking Thai people around town that will surprise you sometimes. For the most part, you are on your own. You will probably stay more than a year and it is worth the effort. Which brings me to point number 3.

3-Stay for more than a year. I was for sure out of here after my contract was up my first year. No question. I liked it here but NST is a little too small for my liking. Then I started thinking. I don't want to go home to a Canadian winter, maybe I will just stay here in paradise for a few more months, have 2 months paid vacation and come back to a house, a bike, friends and an understanding of how things work here.

4-Get out of Nakhon as much as possible. Nakhon is a cool spot, especially for Monday to Friday living. Whenever you get the chance, go to a beach, go to an island, go to another country. It starts to mess with your mind a little and makes you a bit more cynical in my experience. If you are feeling a little down, take a quick trip out of town and enjoy this beautiful country. 

5-Start bringing bottles to restaurants and bars if you like drinking but want to keep the cost down. Most places will even pour your drinks for you. Just makes financial sense.

6-Make Thai friends. This seems obvious but tons of people don't have any Thai friends. I don't get it. I've noticed quite a few Thai people around and they are super friendly and want to be your friend. Do it.

7-You will have tons of free time. Start up a hobby. Want to learn to play the guitar? Read 100 books? You have the time, just make the effort.

8-Nakhon is sort of like high school. It is small and people know what other people are up to. Just the way it is, embrace the immaturity. 

9-Don't give up. Nakhon can be a tough place to get use to. Make a few friends, try and get into a routine, eat at the same places so people start to recognize you and will start to feel a little more like home. It isn't fair to you or your kids to pack up and leave two weeks in.

10-Have an incredible time. You will make some of the best friends you will ever have here. Thailand is amazing, explore and make some amazing memories!




“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”  

Albert Einstein  

Let's talk about money

If you haven't noticed yet, I am not a baller. I do not have many baht. One day the tide will turn. I hope. Unfortunately, this is the reason I didn't go to Cambodia for my March break. I am under the impression that New Zealand may be slightly more expensive than Thailand. I have a feeling my $1.50 hair washes and food will be a thing of the past. It has taken me 11 years of having a job and making money to figure out that it isn't fun spending money you know in the back of your mind you shouldn't be spending. I wouldn't say I love spending money but I certainly don't hate it. I'd like to blame my parents for this but my dad was super into wanting me to save money. So much so that I had like $200 once and he told me he would give me a dollar a day in interest if I didn't spend it. In retrospect, I think that parents should legitimately force their kids to save money. No choice. When I'm older (I think tons of people say this when they don't have kids then once they do, they act differently) I think I want to sit my kids down and show them how much money our family makes, how much our house costs, expenses, etc. I think kids can handle it and should understand why they can't have a certain toy or go on an expensive March break. I think kids are smarter than we give them credit for and it could help them when they are older. This is only a thought but I think it's a good one. 


For about the last year, I've been writing down everything I buy. I'm pretty accurate, almost exactly every baht I spend I can track. All it has told me that I didn't know how big my love for juice was and drinking is expensive. So to sum up, sorry I didn't go to Cambodia, have no stories or pictures. If you have any money saving habits or advice, let me know. Enjoy your week, enjoy March Madness, and stay classy.



“The speed of your success is limited only by your 

dedication and what you're willing to sacrifice”

― Nathan W. Morris


“Every time you borrow money, you're robbing your future

 self.” 

― Nathan W. Morris

Kait's corner: Life after Thailand

Some people struggle with life after Nakhon/Thailand, some people continue to succeed in their next adventure. Many people leave Nakhon only to come back a few months or years later. The prospect of being unhappy after my time here made me message my good friend Kaitlyn about any advice she would have for life after Thailand. She lived here for two years, went back to Ottawa for the summer and is now living in Osaka, Japan. 

The decision to leave Thailand was not an easy one. As my time in that wonderful country drew to an end, my experience only seemed to be getting better and the bonds I made only growing deeper. My last few months were spent strengthening friendships I didn't think could get any stronger. I began to feel as though I were falling more and more in love with an entire group of people. Separating from them meant enduring 30+ heartbreaks all at once.
But my nature (and that of those I had grown so close with) is a restless one. Part of our bond had stemmed from a longing for adventure. While incredibly tempting, staying in Nakhon for another year wasn't an option for those craving challenge and change.

I'm often asked about life post-NST. No, it isn't always easy. Yes, there are days where I just want to run away to the beach and dance all night in the jungle. But I haven't once regretted my decision to move forward with my life. My phones background picture is still a group shot at guys bar, and okay I do occasionally click through past photo albums with massive grin plastered on my face, but I rarely pine for the past. Here are a few things I try to concentrate on whenever I feel a tinge of NST homesickness.

1. Never stop searching for adventure. Whether you move home to work a desk job or continue tefling in a new country, push yourself to explore. This could be as simple as leaving the city and going for a hike, or getting in a car and driving with no particular destination in mind. There is natural beauty everywhere, you just need to seek it out.

2. Step, jump or lunge way out of your social comfort zone. Meet someone you think is relatively cool? Ask for their number, make some plans with them. Approach groups of interesting people. Yes--it may be painfully awkward and it's entirely possible you will be shut down--but you may also be opening the door to wonderful new friendships. Joining a club or picking up a new hobby are also stellar ways to meet like minded folk.

3. Keep busy & challenge yourself. Cook a new dish, try playing the piano, write   (or just read for that matter). Set goals and work toward them. Keeping a journal full of what you hope to accomplish and what you have succeeded at accomplishing is helpful. Even if it is used just to look back and remind yourself of what you are supposed to be doing.

4. It's all about NOW. Right-- I know its cliche but I do genuinely believe it is the most important way to effectively deal with lpnst (life post nst). There is no denying that for most of us, life in Nakhon was pretty swell. Yet sometimes we look back on life experience with rose colored glasses. It's easy to put the past on a golden pedestal, omitting the lows and focusing on only the highs. Although this is a beautiful human characteristic, it can lead us to believe that the past will always be better than the present moment. It's easy to take the now for granted and unfairly compare it to what once was. The same goes with the future. Have something to look forward to but don't spend all your time wishing for the next stage of your life. If you are always planning for tomorrow, how can you enjoy today?

So wherever you may be in the world, or however much you may be missing your friends and the NST lifestyle, take a second to appreciate this exact moment in your life. When you do look back, do it with a smile and no regrets. We all have the capacity to be just as happy as we once were in Thailand, but we may just need to roll up our sleeves and put a little more effort into it this time around.

"We can't always keep running after yesterday. Life moves forward. And so must we." Unknown.

Thailand Report Card

Just finished up doing report cards for my kids and thought I should type up a quick report card about Thailand. I brought this up a few weeks ago with my roommates and we all sort of had a different opinion. I tried to be a hard grader, you be the judge!


Food: B+ Thai food is good, no doubt about that. I'm in the middle of doing a post about my favorite foods. There is a lot of food here that isn't good though and super unhealthy. And eating rice every day kind of gets old. 

Price: A. Things are cheap here. Hair wash: 50 baht ($1.75) Shave: 50 baht($1.75) Bottle of Johnny Langer 195 baht ($6.50) Delicious cashew nut chicken 100 baht ($3.25) Flight to Bangkok. 1200 baht ($36ish) Rent 2900 ($89). Things are cheap cheap but good good. 

Location: A- Super close to other countries like Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, India, Singapore. Along with discount airlines like Air Asia and Nok Air, cheap flights are to be had. 

Weather: A. It is so hot here, it's great. Consistently 30+ degrees, over 40 with the humidex. Rarely rains, no winter, no complaints. A. 

People: B. Thai people are super friendly, very respectful and interested where you are from. Not everyone is overly welcoming but nothing is perfect. This takes a bit of a hit because Thai people are great and I've met life time friends here. Not everyone who comes to Thailand is of the highest moral character. Strange old men looking for girls/boys is one of the worst parts of this beautiful country. 

Safety: A. I can only speak for myself and what I've experienced. Other people would certainly rate this lower, especially if you are a girl. But I've never really gotten into an argument with some Thai guys or even come close to fighting anyone here. I feel very safe. 

Activities: B+. Scuba diving, snorkeling, trekking, water sports, cooking schools, Muay Thai, mountain biking, cliff jumping, kayaking, golfing, yoga retreats, fishing trips. There are things to do, especially if you are in more tourist areas like Phuket or Bangkok. 

Transportation: B-. Flights are easy, tons of air con buses and mini-buses and Tuk-tuks in most places in Thailand. My town however is horrendous for transportation. If it is pouring rain and you need to get to the airport and don't have a ride, good luck. Their are motorcycle taxis but not actual car taxis and less than 1% of them can speak English. It would be a D- without the rest of Thailand picking up the slack. 

Beauty: B+ 

Nightlife: B. I could see how people could argue higher, even an A. Full moon parties, Phi Phi, Haad Yuan, I get it. I also get that Full Moon parties are overrated, the beer here isn't great, Thai music isn't the most fun to listen to and going out late at night in my town isn't out of this world. I'd say average. But I understand if you disagree. But I'm right...

Health care: B. My school pays for my health care up to 20, 000 baht so that helped me a few different times. (http://bertbrandon.blogspot.com/2012/12/i-dislike-roofs.html)
Tons of people specifically come to this side of the world for medical tourism because it is way cheaper. Bangkok has good hospitals, my town....

Environment: C Trash is everywhere, smells super bad in some places, I wouldn't be surprised if they dumb trash into the oceans on the islands, not overly concerned with green living.

Animals: C. So many stray dogs and cats. Zoos are not like zoos at home. Room for improvement here. 

Overall quality of life: A-. Teaching the way I want to, eating out every night, tons for friends, not being cold, super cute babies, girls thinking I'm handsome, shaves, hair washes, a house to live in, 4 minute commute to school, tons of holidays and an interesting culture. 

Final grade: B+

Thailand is great. Easy to find a teaching job, great food, very cheap, friendly people, great weather, massages, virtually stress free, life is good. Corruption is also a concern in the government and the police force. Efficiency and planning ahead could also be majorly improved. In general, I have really loved it and would recommend staying here for an extended period of time if you can make it happen.

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." Annie Dillard