Please Leave Me High, Please Leave Me Dry!

Hey folks,

Screaming in pure bliss midway through my first jump!

So I wanted to give you an exciting update about my adventures... Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to my two travel buddies because they head home to the real world so I'm officially on my own. We didn't want to have some sappy teary-eyed goodbye, so we decided to go out with a bang and headed to Phuket Jungle Bungee Jump. For some time now (I'm not sure exactly when it started but it's been at least 5-6 years) I have been afraid of heights. Slowly over the past year, I have conquered this fear by exposing myself to situations I would normally avoid. It started when I was a counselor last summer with indoor rock-climbing and diving boards at the pool. More recently, I did the Slingshot in Eilat, I did cliff-jumping off a waterfall in Chiang Mai and last week I did rock-climbing in the middle of the sea without any sort of harness. So yesterday was finally the real test: a 50m (165 foot or 15 stories) drop above a lake in Phuket that would make Evil Kneivel do a double-take. My buddies let me go first to avoid a long wait and after a quick ascent to the top, and a man counting down with the most authoritative voice I have ever heard, I fell forward into free-fall! The jump was absolute insanity and one of the most incredible things I have ever done. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for 20 minutes after as Goose and Dan completed their jumps. A second free jump was included, so I thought "why not?!" and did it again, the second time inclusive of a full dunk in the lake below. Unbelievable experience and so proud that I have gotten over my fear! Skydiving lies ahead at some point...

Now I'm on my own in a seaside town called Krabi. My arrival has been strange as the hostel I'm in is nice and cheap, but the town has been ravaged by floods the past three days and over 200 people have died, mostly due to capsizing boats and mudslides. Thankfully, my boat made it through the storm a few days ago... This was awful news accompanied by more bad news that there is no running water, which means no showers and no easy way to go #2. Guess I'll have to keep improvising, I'm becoming pretty good at it...

Today, despite warnings from my family to avoid boats altogether, I went sea-kayaking and met lots of cool people. It was raining quite hard but we had partial cover some of the time when we went through caves. I paddled through two really cool caves, the first called Anaconda Cave because it's shaped like the innards of an anaconda, and the second called Cave of the Garden of Eden because it leads to an amazing lagoon that some would compare to the birthplace of Adam and Eve. We had an awesome seafood lunch and then headed to a place called Ghost/Skull Cave. It was a huge cave full of stalactites and stalagmites and paintings all over the ceiling that date back over 2000 years! Very cool and a good first day on my own.

Now I'm trying to figure out my next move. My plan was to finish off in Thailand with my Open Water Scuba Diving certification course, but the island that I would be doing it on is not the safest place to be right now. There are thousands stranded there and a lack of food and water and today they sent Thailand's only navy carrier there to rescue tourists. I have contacted the diving resort and am eagerly awaiting a reply to see if diving will be an option...

Miss you all!

Ciao for now,

Max

Phuket: Gateway To Paradise

Hey folks,

Standing atop a rock at Maya Bay

So excitement has once again crept not so quietly into my life and the lives of my two buddies Goose and Dan! After a mild first day in Phuket, we amped things up the next day of our tour and headed to the pier to hop on a speedboat bound for islands galore. Our first island was a small one by the name of Khai Island. The sun came out briefly and was warmly welcomed as we stood at the shore and let hundreds of fish swim around us. We attempted to snorkel in the shallow water, but the fish were particularly hungry that day and were fond of nipping at our feet, which despite not hurting is quite uncomfortable! We had a great buffet lunch before jetting off to our next destination, the island of Koh Phi Phi. We had only heard good things from all the travelers we had met along the way and I was certainly not disappointed. First, we stopped in a bay for 45 minutes and had a real opportunity to snorkel. This was my first time snorkeling (aside from a 5 minute venture at a lake as a kid) and it took a minute to get used to breathing only through my mouth, but once I got the hang of it, the experience was completely exhilarating! I swam amongst hundreds upon hundreds of fish of different sizes in the pristine, turquoise-blue waters and was shocked at how fast the time went by. Next, we made the stop all of us were anticipating and that I have been looking forward to for months: Maya Bay. For those of you who aren't familiar with the name Maya Bay, it is the location that was used for the film "The Beach" starring Leonardo Dicaprio, and it is the star of that film. Before the film, I can imagine what an absolute paradise it would have been for Thai locals to stumble upon and enjoy in solitude. Now, although it is swarming with tourists and companies who suck profit out of its beauty every day, this doesn't change the fact that it is one of the most picturesque, amazing viewpoints I have ever witnessed. The water is an incredible glowing-blue colour and the sand could be the softest I have ever squished between my toes. Standing on that beach made me feel like I never wanted to leave and our 45 minutes there went by way too fast! But after stopping at Maya Bay, we had one last stop at some rocks jutting out of the other side of Koh Phi Phi, home to a family (or several families) of crab monkeys. We threw them watermelon and pineapple and watched their amazing dexterity as they caught the fruit and devoured it quickly before putting their hands up for more. A few of them ventured to greet us, hopping on the boat and approaching cautiously before abandoning ship and swimming back to their home amongst the limestone. After an exciting day of beautiful vistas and new experiences, we headed back to our hotel in Phuket, tired but very content...

The three of us posing at James Bond Island

On the third day of our tour, we had a long drive to Phang Nga Bay, a bay that is home to hundreds of islands, forty-two of which are considered "big". The longtail boat throughout the bay was quite pleasant despite the crappy weather, and eventually we made our way to another destination that was used for filming, James Bond Island, used as a set in the 1974 film "The Man With The Golden Gun". The island was a pretty cool place to stop, although it was swamped with tourists, and we circled the whole island in around 45 minutes. We then headed for lunch in a little village, but not just any village, the only one in Thailand that is completely built on the water! It consists of over 200 homes built up without any land beneath them. I found this village pretty cool and enjoyed walking through the long narrow market (which reminded me of parts of Jerusalem), all suspended by wooden posts and docks. We ate a nice seafood lunch in the village before heading back to the mainland and checking out a cashew factory. Finally, we ended our day by hopping on a boat over to Koh Yao Noi, our next island destination...

Climbing up my first limestone crag during Deep H2O Diving

The following day, we did another activity I have been anticipating for months, Deep H2O Diving! The title may seem confusing, as there is no diving involved in this activity... what is involved, however, is an adrenaline rush from boating out to the middle of the Andaman Sea to specific limestone crags that jut out from the sea floor, and rock-climbing by stepping straight out of a kayak and just going for it! At first, it seemed quite intimidating as our instructor was not telling us much, and the rocks are incredibly sharp. To give you an idea, picture going into a cave where there are lots of stalactites and stalagmites and trying to climb on the ceiling! However, after trying it out for a few minutes, we all adjusted and managed to succeed in our first climb to the top of a 10m crag overlooking the islands of the Andaman Sea. It was a spectacular view and a spectacular feeling to have accomplished for the first time! We continued with a few more crags, some lower but more challenging, before heading back to re-do the original with a bit of a different route. We were limited in our options, unfortunately, due to low tides which made the starting points of climbing much more difficult. None of us have enough upper body strength to hoist as much as our instructor was demanding! Despite this minor pitfall, it was an incredible experience and definitely a highlight so far. The only major drawback was the damage the rocks did to our arms and legs. I have no fewer than 20 or 30 cuts and scrapes on my hands, wrists, knees, and ankles and Goose was not as lucky as me... he fell on his second climb and tried to grab back on to the rock face, a futile attempt. This resulted in him falling 5m onto his face in the water, and also cutting his hands up on the sharp rocks by trying to grab back on. Deep H2O Diving is not for everyone!

My first driving experience!

The rock-climbing adventure ended early in the afternoon so we wanted to find something to finish off our day. At the pier, we noticed signs pointing to a motorbike rental shop and they were only 350 Baht for an entire day ($12 CDN) so we decided to go for it! I have never driven a vehicle before, so I was a little (understandably) nervous but after about five minutes on the road, I was accustomed to the feel of it and ready to roll. Driving around that little island was incredibly fun and we darted along muddy trails and through forest paths at pretty awesome speeds! Even with my lack of driving experience, it was a little weird getting used to driving on the left side of the road and I found myself on the wrong side for a few seconds at one point with another Thai family (yes, that's right, 4 people on one bike) coming at me laughing. But aside from this little minor error, I did quite well on the bike and was sad to return it. I could have driven around on it comfortably with the wind in my hair for a whole week...

This morning, we headed to the pier to take a ferry back to Phuket but had to wait several hours because of the weather. There was a huge storm and it was warranted unsafe to travel in such conditions. By 1:30PM, they decided it was calm enough for us to leave although the ride was incredibly rocky and rain pelted me from all directions the entirety of the trip. Definitely happy to not have any boat rides for a week or so...

That's all for now people. New updates will follow soon

Ciao for now,

Max

"On An Island In The (Sun?)"

Hey folks,

So it's been awhile since my last post and things have definitely slowed down on the activity end of our trip, but I still have plenty to report. Unfortunately, due to a bizarre turn in weather, a lot of our plans haven't panned out and there has been a lot more confinement to our hostel rooms or porches due to the rain. The locals keep saying that this weather is not normal for this time of year and it should get better any day now, but I'm still waiting. I think today marks Day 8 of cloudy skies and frequent rain, sometimes at a monsoon level. I should be used to it coming from Vancouver, but I've learned that the rain is something I never get used to. I was born for the sun!



Our view from our bungalow on Koh Tao



So our stop in the beachside city of Hua Hin was a complete bust. The weather was terrible the entire time we were there, except our first night. Because it wasn't pouring rain the first night, we decided to go out for dinner and then try and meet some locals or other backpackers at some of the many bars scattered throughout our neighbourhood. We soon learned two things... One, Hua Hin is a city that caters to tourists and doesn't hide it in the least. The streets are scattered with sleazy-looking men that often don't look at all like they are of Thai descent, who hound you at every shop window to come in and buy a suit because they will give you the best deal in Thailand. On top of that, this is the first city where the price of food was stilted and the menus were mostly of European or Indian origin rather than the traditional Thai fare we have grown accustomed to... Two, we learned that Hua Hin is a city for old people. Now to all my family members reading this, don't get offended when I say that by old people, I mean people over the age of 40, but even then, the majority of tourists filling the streets were above the age of 65. This made our efforts to meet people our own age rather difficult and after a couple of hours of walking the streets in search for a cheaper venue with fellow backpackers, we gave up and headed to bed early. The next morning, it was pouring down buckets and so we had to cancel our bike tour we had been looking forward to. We spent the day lazing around our hostel (which was actually quite a peaceful one) and napping before our long journey late at night to Chumpon, the transfer point for getting to the islands.

We departed from Hua Hin at 11:30PM by bus and arrived at the pier at around 5AM where we waited till 7AM for our boat to leave. The boat ride was by far the rockiest I have ever been on, a combination of rain and waves slamming against the window and making the wood groan ever ten seconds. Luckily, I had my MP3 player handy and was able to tune out those around me, because although I don't get motion sick (like my poor buddy Goose who was outside puking the whole two and a half hours), I can't stand the sound of others puking and there were at least eight people around me who couldn't hold in their breakfasts! The little kid next to me was cute for the first ten minutes of our journey but not when he was swaying into me with a bag over his face... Upon arrival on Koh Tao, our first island stop for one night before heading to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party, I quickly looked up a nice place to stay and we hopped on the back of a pick-up and drove there. The place turned out to be pricier than what Lonely Planet quoted, but we were tired and didn't want to find another place so we decided to splurge. We had a fantastic bungalow perched on the rocks overlooking an amazing turquoise blue bay. The only thing that would have made the view more picturesque would have been the blinding sun we so desperately craved, but alas, it was not meant to be...

Full Moon Party insanity!

The next destination was the island of Koh Phangan, better known as the home to the world-renowned Full Moon Party. Our arrival was greeted by one of the craziest rainfalls I've seen yet and our stupid money-blind taxi driver (who crammed 12 of us into the back of his pick-up!) dropped us off at the wrong destination, a hostel about 1 km down the road from where we actually were supposed to be staying. So we trudged through the rain to our hostel and arrived looking like we had taken showers but happy to have at least arrived. Not for long... the hostel alerted us that the partner website we had used to book the hostel had never notified them about our booking and that this was a common problem with Hostelbookers.com (don't use it people!). The man in charge of the booking confirmation had disconnected his phone so it was impossible for the hostel to contact him and tell him to stop this nonsense. So we said goodbye to our booking deposit, but thankfully the woman running the hostel found a bungalow for us right on the beach and it just so happened to be the last one and not out of our price range. How lucky we were, because it had a fantastic view, a comfortable hammock, a mini-fridge to store my insulin, a nice bathtub, a great little restaurant, an adjoining internet cafe with Skype access, and a taxi service to the Full Moon Party and to the ferry for our departure two days later! The woman running the place, who I will refer to as "I Heart Bear" because that is the only shirt I saw her wear in three days, was amazing at her job and very helpful and accommodating. So we settled in and took the day to get some rest before amping ourselves up for the Full Moon Party... 10PM came quickly and we were off, zooming across the island in a taxi bound for the craziest party any of us will ever experience. Stories and rumours couldn't quite prepare me for what met us at Haad Hin beach... Booths galore selling neon merchandise, from tank tops and hats, to jewelry and glow-sticks... hundreds of booths selling buckets of alcohol, the only way to drink at the Full Moon Party, where they pour in a small bottle of whiskey or vodka and mix it with Coke and Red Bull to keep you dancing all night. The amount they must have made off the thousands of 20-somethings ready to get drunk is incalculable... and then there was the beach itself, a 2km stretch of white sand packed full of thousands upon thousands of sweaty, dehydrated partiers, dancing their little hearts out to loud DJ's and ready to make the night one to remember (or one to forget!). There were people skipping with a fire-rope, which was ending badly for most of them, people using the ocean as a toilet all along the shore, and people on their worst behaviour, aware that most were not foolish enough to bring a camera to document their temporary insanity... After a night of debauchery, I managed to walk down the road a few kilometres (barefoot at this point, I lost my sandals within the first hour), and got a good deal on a cab back to our hostel at 6AM. I paid only 100 Baht (around $3.30CDN) whereas my good friends, who took cabs home at different times, each blew around 1000 Baht for a motorcycle ride home, something I surely couldn't have stomached at that point. I can now say I have experienced one of the craziest parties in the world, although I'm not sure I would do it again... It was a little too crazy for my taste!

Grandmother Rock

Grandfather Rock

Our last island stop (as a group at least) was the island of Koh Samui, the most southern and largest island on the Western gulf of Thailand. We spent three days on the island, once again a little confined by the rain but we got a little time in on the beach. We stuck mostly to our little neighbourhood next to the main beach and ate at a cool little 24hr restaurant called Ninja Crepes which had over 100 items on the menu to choose from, most of them fried and coronary-inducing. We made one trip on our last day to the Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks, a famous spot on Koh Samui where nature imitates man. The story goes that an elderly couple were on a fishing boat long ago and a storm threw their boat up against the rocks on the shore, leaving their remains to become one with the surrounding landscape. This results in two rocks, coincidentally very close to one another, that resemble... well I'll let the pictures explain... I also found a little art gallery with a guy my age who was quite talented and paints a lot of contemporary pop culture paintings. I decided to buy one of The Joker from the movie The Dark Knight which will be a nice wall hanging when I finally return home to Vancouver (and which will certainly make my brothers jealous). Because I didn't want to pay high prices for shipping, the guy offered to drive me on his motorbike to the post office to get the cheapest shipping price (which I did get thanks to him!). However, the experience of driving on the back of his bike was absolutely one of the most terrifying experiences of my life! As soon as we got going, the rain came down and hammered the streets, completely blinding me as we zoomed in and out of traffic through narrow alleyways . Drivers in Thailand rarely stay on one side of the road, and this painter was no exception! At one point, we actually hit a bump and got off the ground! I have no idea how he was able to see in the rain, without anything shielding his eyes from the pelting raindrops, but thankfully he got me back to my hostel in one piece and shook my hand goodbye. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

This morning, we took a flight to Phuket on a tiny, little plane which looked like it was straight out of an Austin Powers movie and began a tour with TourPhuket. The first day was short and sweet, a few stops at key cultural points in the city, but nothing too special. Tomorrow, we being an island-hopping adventure and visit the sites of two famous movies so I will update you soon on how that goes.

Hope you're all fantastic and keep me updated on your lives too!

Ciao for now,

Max

"We Just Stood There Getting Wet, With Our Backs Against The Fence..."

Hey folks,


Sitting in my hostel room in Hua Hin right now as I write this and the rain is pouring down like crazy. When I last wrote, I had just finished a cooking course in Kanchanaburi and the weather was still sweltering hot. How quickly the weather can change in Thailand! That night, there was a monsoon of epic proportions, the most rain I have witnessed in years and that is saying something coming from Vancouver! We sat out on our porch at VN Guesthouse, stranded but happy to have some time to contemplate a little and think about the past and the future...


My thoughts these days keep coming back to Israel. The first time I went to the country, it was on a program that suspended reality for 10 days and gave my brother and me the opportunity to see all the famous historical sites and do a bunch of fun activities, but not really absorb the real culture of Israel. We were surrounded by other Canadians the entirety of the trip and were not exposed to any Hebrew or daily interactions with Israelis, only those who make up the tourist industry and the program of Oranim. That is one of the reasons I wanted to return so badly when I got back. I had a taste and knew I liked the flavour, almost like an Israel amuse-bouche, but I wanted the main course!


And so I applied almost immediately when I returned home for a full five-month program with Oranim and was told to wait until closer to the date. For months I counted down the days till I could apply, and my feelings about Israel didn’t dissipate, they only grew stronger. Once accepted to the program, my plan for a year abroad materialized and I had a wonderful adventure to look forward to and work towards, a reward after so many years of hard work and nights spent in a dimly lit library...


Once in Israel again, the first month was full of splendour and new friendships formed with both my group and the previous one. I began to learn Hebrew, saw my family and was part of a cousin’s wedding, and of course became an English teacher and started making an impact on my students’ lives. Two more months passed, and life became a little too much of a routine. I questioned my choice some days as things got stale, the students took advantage of us at school, and my roommates became a little hard to handle. I wondered once again whether I was getting the “real” Israel experience because I spent so much time around Americans, Canadians, and Brits. My interactions with Israelis, aside from my coordinators and students, were limited. I isolated myself at times from the group and chose to focus my energy on planning for Thailand and Malaysia, the South East Asia adventure on my horizon...


But then the last six weeks happened. A new group arrived and my Israel was revitalized. I found myself acting as a tour guide for the new group in Ashdod, exploring the country more and capturing a new fervour for daily life. I made some of my best friends so far in the last six weeks, was going out on nearly a daily basis, and began to realize how much I was going to miss this new routine once I left. My problems with the social aspect of the program the first three and a half months seemed like they never existed. I redeveloped an interest in playing guitar and singing, I had a blast sitting around laughing with my roommates, cooking delicious food, smoking hookah and simply enjoying life. My students started to realize we were leaving and chose to focus all their energy on learning, and I saw the results in their English. I began to worry about leaving but I kept saying to myself, “You have a whole new adventure in Thailand to look forward to with two of your best friends from the program.” This mantra I repeated frequently and I managed for the most part to stave off feelings of hopelessness and loss of control at my fast-approaching departure...


Now I’m in Thailand and life is fast-paced here. My first week was so full of new experiences and adventures that I barely had time to reminisce about the life I left behind in Israel. But the rain setting in has caused our plans to alter and has spurred a plethora of swirling emotions. My heart yearns to be back in Israel whenever I lie down at night and hear the drops falling down from the drainpipe. Granted, it has only been two weeks since I left and so these feelings might pass, but at this point they are so strong that I am checking flights back to Israel after South East Asia, to see off the group of people who became my best friends over there, to see new members of my family (I have another baby cousin on the way), and to really discover the “real” Israel because I still don’t quite know it. Although I spent five months there this time around, I was part of another program, and right now I don’t know if this hole in my heart is from missing the country or from missing the people. I know it is a mix but the question is which do I miss more?


To all you reading, I know you must think I am acting spoiled and ungrateful. I am incredibly fortunate to be in Thailand right now experiencing the things I am experiencing. Not everyone gets the chance to travel without having to worry too much about a budget and leave financial worries for later. However, everyone gets homesick and I now truly feel I have two homes: Canada and Israel. I can only try to focus on the present for now and try to keep myself busy to suffocate these feelings of longing. But when I go to sleep at night, I will dream of both my families.


Ciao for now,


Max


P.S. As always, keep guessing what song my blog title is derived from!

Kanchanaburi: Home To Hellfire

Hey folks,

So another few days have passed and I have explored an entirely new city, the smaller but no less interesting region of Kanchanaburi. We left Chiang Mai on Saturday night and took a train down to Ayutthaya to transfer into a minivan to our final destination. The train was supposed to take 11 hours but ended up taking close to 13. Luckily, because it was an overnight train, we had beds to sleep in. The set-up is quite ingenious, with the overhead compartment folding down into a bunk bed and it was large enough for someone my size to sleep in pretty comfortably. So after a long commute, we decided to treat ourselves to a little pampering at Kanchanaburi's top rated destination, Suanachaat Spa. I got a scalp massage, Thai full body massage, coffee scrub, and herbal steam room treatment, plus an amazing sandwich and smoothie and pick-up and drop-off at our hostel, for a total of 1700 Baht (about $55 CDN). After such an all-star treatment, I am feeling much more limber and relaxed and the time in relaxation gave me pause to contemplate the goings on of the past 6 months and the future that lies before me.

Tier 2 of 7 at Erawan Falls

The Bridge Over River Kwai

After a day of relaxation and rest, we were back to our busy schedule and did a full-day tour to pack in all the famous sites that Kanchanaburi has to offer. We started with a trip to Erawan Falls, the largest and most beautiful waterfall in Thailand, consisting of a total of 7 tiers and amazing pools to swim in. The pools also have plenty of fish swimming around inside, and I allowed some of them to nibble on the dead skin on my feet for the experience. It didn't take long to learn that I'm not a fan and I will be skipping the Fish Spa in Phuket... Next we headed to Hellfire Pass. We walked through the museum and learned all about the P.O.W's during the Second World War and how they were made to work 18 hours a day on the Death Railway, carving rock out of the mountain to create a passageway for supply transport from Thailand to Burma. The Japanese were ruthless in their punishment of the prisoners and even romusha, workers who were supposed to be paid from around SEA but who were treated worse than the P.O.W's and the workers had to walk for hours just to get to the work site in the morning and in the pitch black at night. Over 100,000 workers died during the construction of the railway in just a mere three year period! The history of the torture site was very interesting but a little hard to hear about knowing that I was essentially walking on the tombs of the prisoners... We took the Death Railway next, packed to the brim with French, Spanish, Russian, Israeli and American tourists and thankfully equipped with some ceiling fans. It took us most of the way to our final destination, perhaps the most famous spot in Kanchanaburi, the Bridge Over River Kwai. We got there just in time to watch the sunset and had a spectacular view of the market and the peaceful river. After a full day of touring, we still decided to go out and we met plenty of other backpackers along the way, from Canada, England, and Slovenia. Our favourite spot was a little kiosk where you could sit down on the side of the road and order 10 Baht shots (that's the equivalent of 30 cents CDN)! We also stopped at a bar to smoke some hookah, desperate for a reminder of Israel and our friends there.

My rendition of Fried Chicken with Cashews

Today, we walked next door after seeing a sign when we arrived, and signed up for a cooking course. The course started with a fantastic trip to the local market where we saw spices, fruits and vegetables, and meat of every kind being prepared and sold. The craziest was one butcher who was removing the skin off of frogs while they were still alive and squirming! Our instructor treated us to some fantastic coffee concoction served in a bag to cool our sweating brows before we headed back to her guest-house to prepare the kitchen. We got a chance to make three dishes of our selection, and we ended up choosing Pad Thai, Green Curry, and Fried Chicken with Cashews. All three were excellent, despite our lack of expertise, and I now head home with some authentic Thai cuisine knowledge!

So now it's off to a new place to explore. Tomorrow we head to Hua Hin to begin our beach vacation, with a whole afternoon free to laze in the sun. The Full Moon Party is only a few days away and we are getting more and more stoked for it every day! The trend of cool names of our guides and instructors continues to this point as well (my masseuse was named Newt and our cooking instructor was named Sugar). As always, keep reading and keep writing me back. I love to hear from you all!

Ciao for now,

Max

Up, Up Never Down With Bang & Mr. Cash

Hey folks,

Another whirlwind four days have passed by, and unfortunately we leave Chiang Mai in about an hour and a half on the train. We will be making our way down to Kanchanaburi to check out Hellfire Pass and the Bridge over River Kwai before proceeding to the islands for some sun and partying.

But the past four days have been amazing and have made me fall in love with the region of Chiang Mai. I don't understand how so many tourists can come to Thailand and not come to the North to absorb the incredible culture and lifestyle here. Granted we have done a lot of things specifically designed for tourists, however, some of our experiences have been very authentic and have given us a real sense of Thai living and how unbelievably funny, kind, and hospitable the people here are.

Relaxing on the slope of our second waterfall

  We took off from our hostel Spicythai Backpackers on Tuesday morning, packed like sardines into the back of a truck with 10 of us in total making up the group, all American or Canadian pretty much. After a stop for supplies at a local market, we drove up the side of the mountain and got off for a little hike down to a waterfall where we went swimming. We then proceeded to hike up some 200 odd stairs to the top of an outlook over the jungle with a huge buddha sitting atop its peak, 7500 metres above sea level. This was an incredible spot to stop at and a nice view before the hike began. We hiked for only an hour and a half the first day and made it to our camp for the night at around 5PM, a simple, little camp owned by a Thai family with very primitive huts to sleep in with bamboo mats. Our tour guide, a hilarious guy my age named Bang, made us an awesome dinner over the fire and we spent the rest of the night sipping on beers and playing guitar. The next day we hiked for about six hours total with four stops at four separate waterfalls along the way. The first one we were able to go right behind the streaming water and sit behind the waterfall, the second one has a nice spot to lie down and get a water massage, and the third had a gentle slope that was super smooth, allowing us all to use it as a natural water slide. The hike was full of amazing scenery as well, and Bang gave us nice little tidbits about leaves that make noises, termite nests that you use to yield sap for liquor, and berries that are full of vitamin c and nutrients should you get lost in the jungle. Our accommodation the second night was a little more comfortable and the food was just as good as the night before. Once again, we sat around with good people and spent the night talking and laughing. I tried my hand at Thai guitar too, a funny little instrument that has only four strings, each in a set of two that sound the same. I didn't think I sounded very good, but the group said I actually sounded like the owner of the instrument so I guess it is supposed to sound a little monotonous and twangy... On our third day, we didn't have to do much hiking, it was all about new experiences, adventuring, and culture. We started the day with a small hike to one last waterfall (after a botched trip to a bat cave) called Mae Wang Waterfall, one of the most popular in the region and home to some cliffs that are perfect for jumping. I never used to be afraid of heights as a kid, but over the past few years, I have developed an uneasiness when perched high above the ground. Despite this fear, I climbed to the top of the 10-12m cliff and lunged into the suds of the waterfall below, an adrenaline rush well worth the slight nausea the experience induced. After our stop at Mae Wang, we drove to a camp to start our bamboo rafting adventure, led down the river by a 10 year old boy named Nawt. He was an awesome captain of our expedition, laughing and steering us away from rocks and yelling "Snake!!!" before slamming his bamboo spear/paddle into the water to splash us. This little raft ride was one of the highlights of my week in Chiang Mai so far, as we passed through little tribal villages on either side of us and floated on the pristine, ice cold water, blasted by the blistering afternoon sun. After thanking Nawt, we finished our jungle trek tour with a 45 minute elephant ride. This was definitely a cool experience, but the ride itself was not very comfortable and our elephant did not seem entirely happy or well treated so I am a little disillusioned by the whole thing. We have another one in Phuket at the end of the month, so hopefully it will be smoother and the elephants will be happier.

Doing some absailing down a 40 foot drop to the platform below

To finish off our week in Chiang Mai with style, we woke up at 6AM this morning and got picked up to head to the middle of the jungle for some ziplining with the world renowned company, The Flight Of The Gibbon! Our trusty guide (and guardian) for this expedition was another hilarious individual by the name of Mr. Cash, who was quite a joker and well versed in five languages, including Hebrew! The names of our guides so far have been quite awesome and I hope this trend will continue; the record stands: X-Man, Bang, and Mr. Cash. After explaining the safety rules and regulations and filling out some waivers, we were off and flying through the jungle like the very primates the tour is named after. For the second time this week, I had the opportunity to conquer my fear of heights! It is quite an awe-inspiring experience, especially with our third line which spanned an entire 800 metres and crossed the jungle from one mountain to another. The course consisted of about 18 platforms, including some Superman type jumps where the cables were attached on our back and some absailing, where you drop down free-fall style. We finished the course with a 40 foot drop which we all did upside down before checking out a waterfall and grabbing some lunch. Definitely a worthwhile experience and one I will not soon forget!

So now it's time to leave this city I have grown to love so quickly, and head off to our next destination. Hopefully the internet will be as accessible there as it has been so far and I will update you all soon.

Ciao for now,

Max

From Horsemail To Hotmail

Hey folks,

In my boxing get-up at the gym

Only our third full day in Chiang Mai, and already there is more to report on our crazy adventures! Yesterday morning, we woke up super early at 5:45AM and headed to a gym to learn all about Muay Thai boxing. This was something we changed in our tour instead of going to botanical and butterfly gardens because it more suited our tastes. I couldn't be happier that we switched because it was an amazing authentic Thai experience and something I will cherish forever! We started with a skipping warm-up and then were greeted by a gym regular who showed us some basic moves while we waited for the trainer to arrive. We stood in front of the mirror and watched our form, all decked out in our boxing shorts that we purchased at the Sunday Market. Once the trainer arrived, a man who seemed to be American but who has lived in Thailand for quite some time (and has boxed for quite some time; he had hardly any teeth left!) explained the basic philosophy of the art of Muay Thai. Essentially, Muay Thai can't be taught, only practiced, and technique is completely individual based on personal preference. Contrary to other boxing methods, there is not bouncing or dancing while you move, and movements are made more in a shuffling manner using the back foot (in my case, my right) as a pivot. He showed us proper rotation and the importance of not moving forward too much when jabbing, but rather keeping the back straight and using the feet to advance in an actual fight. After a bit more explanation, I got a chance to try my skills in the ring. My trainer was a 14 year old kid who was actually surprisingly hard on me and got me working up a killer sweat. Whenever I let me hands down from my face, he would give me a sharp jab to the gut, so I learned quickly to keep my jaw protected. For close to 20 minutes, I railed on this sturdy little teenager, using jabs, right hooks, uppercuts, right and left kicks, elbows and knees. By the end, I was so tired I had to drink about 2 litres of water to recuperate before moving to the bag. There I was joined by another Canadian on the other side of the bag who was about twice my bulk and made me look fairly insignificant as I kicked the bag as hard as I could. Nevertheless, I majorly improved my technique and will be checking out gyms when I return to Vancouver. If for nothing else, Muay Thai is an incredible workout!

After the boxing, we had a quick stop at the hotel to shower before heading down to the Ping River for a boat cruise in what are called Scorpion-Tailed boats. We had a fantastic tour guide named Samak who was both informative and hilarious. We learned about the teak log and that it takes one log per boat, boats take four years to make, and they used to transport supplies to and from Bangkok (like salt which was scarce in Chiang Mai). He explained that horses used to be a common form of transport as well, and gave us a great quote, saying that Chiang Mai has progressed from "Horsemail to Hotmail." As we drifted down the river, we saw men fishing, kids swimming in the river, the only 6-star hotel in Chiang Mai (which charges $800 a night), and a t-shirt shop on the edge of the water that sells shirts for only 2 Baht each! That's 15 shirts for $1 CDN ladies and gentlemen! After the cruise was over, we got out at Samak's home and he showed us around his garden before feeding us sticky rice, mango, and lychee juice. In his garden were many interesting and funny plants, the best being the Man-Tree, the Woman-Tree, and the Chiang-Lady plant, which shrivels up and retreats when you touch it. He also displayed to us the original use of the Chinese finger-trap, a long weaved staff that was used to catch snakes by placing small frogs in the end part of it, and some snake whiskey, supposedly very helpful for men who are suffering from troubles in the bedroom and a good alternative to Viagra.

After the boat cruise, we stuffed ourselves silly at a buffet included in our tour, checked out two more factories (one leather, one cotton) and then got dropped off by X-Man at the Chiang Mai Zoo & Aquarium. The aquarium is the biggest one in Asia and was quite a sight to behold but it was the zoo that really impressed me because we don't really have a good one in BC. The sheer size of the park was incredible, and after walking over 6km in the blistering hot humidity, we finished the circuit. We saw macaques, a hippo and a pygmy hippo, giraffes, camels, rams, ostriches, emus, a Bengal tiger, koala bears, crocodiles, deer, and more. The highlight was definitely stumbling upon a tortoise mating session though, slow and steady winning the race and making the most ridiculous sounds in the world! Due to bad timing, we missed out on seeing the panda but maybe we can stop again later in the week. After the zoo we had a five minute stop at the hotel to drop off our stuff before we were off again to a Khantoke dinner nearby. Basically, you sit at low tables with buffet-style food and there are dances and shows going on during the meal. There was a fingernail dance, a candle dance, and a sword dance, the sword one being the most enthralling. I capped off the night with a one-hour Thai massage to get rid of my soreness from boxing before retiring for the evening. Most of it was quite painful but it feels good today and I'm pretty sure she cracked every crackable bone in my body!

One of the ladies at the Karen long-neck village

This morning was jam-packed with more activities, starting off with a trip to a Karen hill tribe village, where the long-neck women reside. These women begin wearing a bronze neck brace from the age of four and continue to do so for their whole life as part of their culture. Originally, the brace warded off tiger bites, but now it is simply a custom and draws many tourists in to witness the unique tradition. Our 500 Baht entry fee went completely to supporting the village, as all of the families living there are refugees from Myanmar, which is currently undergoing civil war. After the village, we stopped at the Monkey Kingdom, enchanted by a little show in which monkeys completed crazy feats. Some of the tricks included: untying a rope from my wrist, gathering coconuts from the top of a tree, slam dunks and three-point shoot-out in basketball, push-ups and sit-ups, lifting weights, guessing numbers we had chosen as an audience, and collecting donations for monkey balm with proper change for those who didn't have it! The monkeys were adorable and seemed to be happy although at times, the practice seemed a little inhumane. Next, it was time for Snake Kingdom where we witnessed snake wranglers at their best. The specific spot we journeyed to is where the beginning of Rambo was filmed with Stallone a few years ago and it lived up to its reputation. We got to wear pythons around our necks and watched in awe as the wrangler kissed a King Cobra, the most poisonous snake in the world. At one point, the trainer lost control of the snake and it lunged out of the pit towards my foot, scaring the bejeezus out of me as I looked into the trainer's eyes and saw uncertainty. That is never a good sign when looking at someone who is responsible for your safety! Considering our adrenaline was already pumping, we continued the high with a stop at the shooting range just down the road. We each took 30 shots with three different guns, two were hand pistols and one was a revolver. This was my first time firing a gun and it was quite nerve-wracking, especially due to the lack of instruction. However, the feel of the gun in my hand was somewhat exhilarating, almost too much so when my gun malfunctioned and shot two bullets at once, the second one going into the wood right above me due to the kickback from the first. When I got my paper back at the end, my grand total was 23 shots out of 30 landing on the paper, not terrible for a first time, but definitely not fantastic either. Despite the desire to improve, I have a feeling it will be my last time on the range...

Taking my first shot at the shooting range

Now it's relaxation time for the afternoon before our jungle trek starts tomorrow. We're off to visit tribal villages, go rafting, and ride some elephants. Stay tuned for updates!

Ciao for now,

Max

Chillin' With X-Man...

Hey folks,

This is now my first official blog post from Thailand! After a 3 hour wait in Ben Gurion airport, a 3 1/2 hour flight to Kiev, Ukraine where it was 0 degrees celsius, a 9 hour flight to Bangkok, a 3 hour wait in the train station, and then a 12 hour train ride, we eventually ended up in Chiang Mai, one of the most culturally significant cities in Thailand, and our only destination in the North. Despite the sleep deprivation from such a lengthy commute, we couldn't help but be bewildered by the buzzing city as we took a cab from the train station to our first hostel, Spicythai Backpackers. The streets are swamped by motorcyclists here, edging in and out of traffic, usually carrying 2-3 passengers per bike, all without helmet. Weaving through the cars, they all look relaxed and carefree, as does everyone so far in this country. Full of smiles, polite greetings and stories and culture to share, the Thai people have proven very welcoming in the past 24 hours, and have given us culture shock from the sometimes-abrasive nature of Israelis we have become so accustomed to. There has been no trouble whatsoever in finding our destinations or getting information, and we have been surprised by the amount of English spoken here. Goose, Dan and I did not brush up on our Thai before arriving, so this ease of communication is a major comfort in such a foreign land.

The hostel we stayed in our first night was incredibly pleasant and we will be returning on Tuesday and Friday night after separate tours before taking off for Kanchanaburi on Saturday night. It is run by a nice guy who seems to be American and a few other guys, one Thai and one Scottish. There were a lot of people our age sitting around when we arrived, including an Israeli-Canadian (who made fun of our Hebrew), two other Canadians (one from Vancouver with mutual friends!), a German, a South-African, and a few Brits. After dropping our stuff off, we headed out for a bite to eat and got our first real taste of Thai food for dirt cheap prices. The food here is one of the ways we will be conserving money over the next month as so far, we haven't spent more than $5 CDN for a full meal including an appetizer, a main course, and a beverage. Despite the affordability of the cuisine, it hasn't disappointed and I'm trying new ethnic favourites at every opportunity. New smells are constantly greeting me at every corner and beckoning me to come sample. Resistance appears to be futile and I might end up leaving this country with a little bit of a gut...

The first official day of our trip started today at 9AM with pick-up from our hostel by Destiny Travel Service. We are getting toured around Chiang Mai by private car and our tour guide (who calls himself X-Man) is friendly, funny, and incredibly informative. Our first stop was at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a temple founded in 1383 and located over 1km above sea level at the top of Doi Suthep mountain. The temple was originally a solid cement formation but they later added on gold plates, giving the temple a majestic and awe-inspiring allure. The view from the top of the mountain looks out over all of Chiang Mai and there was live music, buddhist prayer blessings, and many a buddha statue surrounding us as we walked around the tourist site. After leaving the temple, we headed to the Art & Culture museum, which originally served as a palace to the King of Chiang Mai. Inside, we toured through the separate rooms, X-Man following us and giving us little tid-bits unlisted in the museum. We learned that many of the kings whose pictures are mounted on the walls had over 100 children, and that Chiang Mai has switched hands between Myanmar, Thailand, and Great Britain over the course of its 800 year history. We got a quick lesson on how rice is grown and harvested, learned that there are different dialects of Thai in all areas of the country, with as few as 5 different ways to say "delicious" depending on where you are, and were told that Bangkok's real name is the longest name of any city or country in the world, and if written out, would take up an entire page! Our tour continued with stops at some factories for handicrafts that are popular in Chiang Mai, the first factory being one for umbrellas and fans, and the second for silver. The umbrellas created here were incredible and we got to witness some of the geniuses at work, who gave us something to remember them by with emblems on our belongings. I got a dragon (for my Zodiac sign) painted onto my wallet that now makes me smile every time I need to make a purchase. At the silver factory, we were given a quick explanation on how silver rings are made... unfortunately, the man explaining had the weirdest accent I have EVER heard in my life and we couldn't quite catch most of it. It sounded like a cross between Kiwi, Japanese, Thai and some unknown dialect, and every sentence came out sounding different. This resulted in us learning nothing about silver but getting quite a laugh from the experience instead. We ended our tour by picking up a few small gifts and then headed back to our new hotel for some great lunch and a rest.

Chomping down on my first cricket!

After a few hours nap, we decided to check out the incredible Sunday Market. I thought that markets in Israel were busy and large compared to Canadian standards, but nothing prepared me for the magnitude and degree of coolness that Chiang Mai's Sunday Market provides. For those reading this in Ashdod, the market is about 100 times larger than the Ashdod shuk; for those reading in Vancouver, about 30 times the size of Granville Island! We walked along the main stretch endlessly, stopping to snack on mini-hamburgers, chocolate-covered strawberries, and pad thai, and buying ourselves some official Muay Thai boxing shorts for our course tomorrow. We found a temple along the way and took some photos, and then stopped to watch a little performance at the end of the road put on by some Thai teenagers, dancing their little hearts away. On the way back, we had our first bug-eating experience, some crunchy salted crickets. I was up for the challenge and ate a whole five of them, despite the fact that the eyes spilled sour juice into my mouth and I got wings stuck between my teeth. All in all, not something I would eat again! Finally, I stopped and treated myself to a 45 minute foot and leg massage, leaving me feeling rested and light as feather, tingling from the pressure this tiny woman was somehow able to produce on my feet! I enjoyed this experience for the grand total of 60 Baht ($2 CDN) and headed back to the hotel where I sit to write this all down for you now...

Tomorrow is a big day, plenty to do, plenty to see! I figure I will be posting on here pretty often due to the accessibility of internet and the amount of things I have to report so I'll keep you all updated. Don't forget to update me on your lives as well! I leave you with a list of cultural differences I have noticed already below:

Differences in Culture:

1. Bathrooms - The facilities in this country are not quite what we're used to living in Israel and North America, with many toilets not having a seat and being low to the ground. The bathrooms often smell pretty terrible and some charge for use. Finally, because of a poor sewage system around the country, it is expected that travelers dispose of toilet paper (for #1 or #2) in a garbage can next to the toilet rather than the toilet bowl. This seems like such a strange practice to me that I don't know if I'll ever acclimate!
2. Money - Everything is cheap! Israel was a fairly expensive country, so this is a welcome treat and means I can go sans worrying about cash flow too much for the next month. The actually currency itself is cool too, with bills mostly being in large denominations (1000 Baht = $33 CDN) and all sporting wacky colours, each bill plastered with the face of the King in his prime.
3. Shoes - It is important for many different reasons that you walk barefoot in some places in Thailand. At the temple, you must take off your shoes as a sign of respect and it is essentially one of the biggest culturally no-no's you can make to not obey this rule. At our first hostel, we also had to remove our shoes to enter, although this time it was because of sanitary issues, the Thai people believing that shoes will track in infection for those who do walk barefoot, and so an even playing field is required for all.
4. Hospitality - Just as I write this, two separate hotel workers have closed the blinds to make sure the sun didn't get in my eyes, put a fan behind me to cool my back, and brought me water to make sure I was hydrated, all without me saying a word. Our tour guide X-Man also told us not to hesitate to change our itinerary and has already offered to tag on extra stops according to our preferences for the rest of the tour, essentially allowing us to cater the tour to our interests.
5. Working Children - Many children are put to work here at a young age to help provide for the family. Although my Canadian dollar goes along way in this country, the Baht does not go quite as far for the struggling local family. On our way up to Doi Suthep, little girls were all dressed up and wearing make-up for photos with tourists... little boys played instruments outside the temple for a few spare Baht... and finally, there was a troupe of teenage girls performing some American songs at the Sunday Market to raise money for school. The work ethic here in Thailand is quite strong, and develops early.

Ciao for now,

Max

"I'll Smile When I Remember"

Hey folks,

My experience in The Slingshot in Eilat!

This will be my last blog post before I take off for SEA as my flight is in a little over 12 hours and then I have 36 hours of transit before I arrive in Chiang Mai and begin our first tour. This last week has been a whirlwind of emotions and different experiences. Last weekend, we headed to Eilat, a city situated all the way in the south of Israel, surrounded by mountains and desert, and crystal clear water on the shores of the Red Sea. We stopped on the way to do a great hike, the first actual "hike" that Oranim has provided for us in five months. We then headed to the hotel and had a bit of time to relax after having traveled close to 5 hours by bus, before taking part in a Kabbalah Shabbat with close to 280 other Oranim participants in our hotel. After the ceremony, we ate a great dinner and went out to the bar nearby to party the night away. Great music, great friends, and all in all, a fantastic Friday night all around! The next morning, I went down to the beach with 5 girls from the new program and on the way, met up with my old friend Richard from elementary school. He decided to come down to Eilat for the weekend to see me before he starts his 4 month kibbutz program. We rented banana boats, did some tubing, and rounded the hour off with pedal-boating. A lot of fun, but definitely left me with a lot of bruises from smacking against the water after being dragged by a speedboat. That night, we all crammed onto a boat cruise and danced the night away while drifting out on the Red Sea, smiles plastered on everyone's face and chants of "Team Ashdod" echoing into the night louder than all of the other groups combined. I followed up the boat cruise by going on a crazy contraption called "The Slingshot" with my friend Jordan, essentially a cage that is flung up over 100 feet into the air and then dropped into free fall. It was super fun but incredible disorienting and nerve-wracking at the same time. The next day, we finished off our Eilat trip with another hike, this time to the top of a mountain with a view of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel all from the same vantage point. It was quite breathtaking and made me incredibly emotional knowing that my time to leave this country was coming so soon...

After Eilat, the reality kicked in that there were only a few days left to organize and say my farewells. Monday night, we had a ceremony for our group that was attended by teachers, the new group, our coordinators and some of the host families of people in our program. I wrote a song for the occasion which was a big hit, and summed up some of the things we loved about living in Israel and specifically, living in Ashdod.  I've posted it below... The ceremony also included a fantastic speech by my buddy Dan Richman (one of my companions in Thailand) and a slideshow by roommate Dan Amster which perfectly combined photos from volunteering, trips around the country, Israeli nightlife, and our beach and ruins. The ceremony was followed up by an awards ceremony for different roles in our group: class clown, king of the group, queen of the group, etc. I came in as runner-up in the category of most improved Hebrew, which was a real honour after my hard work to learn the language. Tuesday was incredibly busy, complete with a trip to Tel-Aviv to say goodbye to my family and see my new cousin Yael, a pizza party at our coordinator Kineret's moshav where we got to make and bake our own pizzas, and one last Bad Decision Tuesday at Pigal, our go-to bar for bottomless beer. Finally, yesterday was a day to get chores done and finish packing up a lot of my belongings and I organized a bonfire down at the beach for both groups to have one last hoorah. Boris and I went to a construction site and stole a bunch of wood for the festivities. We built a magnificent fire, complete with a bed thrown into the mix and rounds of corny songs like "Wonderwall" and "Time Of Your Life". I went night-swimming one last time and went to bed at 6:30 this morning, pleasantly tired after having seen off some of my very good friends.

I can't believe that it's time to say goodbye to Israel. I have grown very attached to the people and lifestyle here, the amazing sights and landscapes, the culture and the language, and it will be hard to leave it all behind. This trip has further affirmed that I love this country too much to stay away and I know 100% that there will be a return visit in my future. Time to go now, I only have a few more hours in Ashdod to say my mushy last goodbyes to my amazing roommates and catch a cab to the airport with my buddy Goose. Miss you all and will be thinking of you in Thailand!

Ciao for now,

Max

THE ORANIM BLUES

I woke up this morning, five months had passed

Oh where did the time go, it flew by so fast

Now my heart is heavy, as I prepare to go

I'm folding and packing, and planning and tracking

כש אני חוזר ל פו

But I know it won't be long, till I'm back on that flight

Staring out my window, Israel in sight

Games of Durak and Contact, that we played so well

The hustle and bustle, and sore aching muscles, and sandbags at Sar-El

The ruins at sunset, trips to the Seamall

Crazy karaoke, and Tuesdays nights at Pigal

If there's one thing we've learned here, if there's one thing that we know

It's that Israel, ארץ Israel will always be our home

So goodbye dear students, Oranim 56

Goodbye Shiry, Kineret, you will be sorely missed

Goodbye to Yod Alef, goodbye Har Mezada

Goodbye to Ashdod, and תודה רבה

And whenever I'm lonely, when I'm sad or just plain down

I'll think of all the memories, and turn it right around

My Time At Keshet

Hey folks,

I wanted to take the time to write a little about my time at Keshet school these past five months. Last week, I had to say many goodbyes, to the students that have become such a huge part of my life and the teachers that have become my colleagues. On Monday, our English teacher organized a large staff party for us after school, supplying us with amazing food, a generous Body Shop package, and a speech about our dedication throughout the program to kids who needed our help. It was especially touching and rewarding to hear her note that she never in a million years would have expected 22 year old guys to volunteer five months of their life to teaching in a country with kids as stubborn as Israelis, as we could be skiing, partying and doing much more selfish things with our money and time. But I consider my time at Keshet time well spent, where I made a difference, learned a lot about myself, made friends with the families of some of my students, and gained a more worldly perspective on the education system. The next two days, our students held parties for us and showered us with gifts and letters about how much they would miss us. I played guitar for them and said my goodbyes, sad to know that I would probably never see them again despite the one-on-one connections I made over the course of almost half a year. These are some of the things I will miss about Keshet:

1. The million high-fives I got every day just wandering into the school and from class to class, kids beaming from ear to ear, just happy to see us.
2. The chants of "Max ve Boris" whenever we did something unexpected in front of the students.
3. The amazing Shabbat dinners I was invited to in the last month by students who wanted to give back to us.
4. Our English teacher Gaby, who definitely used us to our full potential and didn't allow us to slack off like some other volunteers in our program. I got a lot more out of the opportunity because of her high expectations.
5. Our chance to speak Hebrew and learn from the kids. They were always willing to give us suggestions for improvement.
6. Working with Boris, a hell of a character and so many memories together.
7. The English songs about barnyard animals that got the kids so riled up... I LOVE MY ROOSTER!
8. The feeling of contributing lasting memories to the kids and setting a good example for them. I had kids tell me that they wanted to be like me and help people and there is no more rewarding feeling than that!

That is just a handful of the things I will miss, there are countless more! Like I said in my last post, this experience has further affirmed my desire to work with children and I can't wait to explore new opportunities in the education/speech therapy field when I return home.

Ciao for now,

Max