The one where I got cold in Thailand

It’s cold season in Thailand.  At least once a day someone asks me ‘nao mai?’ (are you cold?) and my answer is always no, with a smile.  I explain that ‘cold season’ in Thailand is like my summers in America - the weather is perfect and I love cold season.  Students come to school with jackets and long sleeves under their school uniforms.  I see people in the community putting on scarves and hats and wearing what look like winter coats.  They think it’s funny that I still walk around in short sleeves with no coat on.  They laugh at me and discuss the fact that the farang isn’t cold yet.  My office building, the local government administration building, recently held a meeting to pass out bundles of blankets to village representatives to distribute to people in their communities to keep warm. It was a lot of blankets, and most people receiving them were dressed in coats and hats.  It's funny to think about Thai people getting cold when it's 75 degrees outside. 

Then today it got cold.  It hasn’t rained in quite a while here, and last night I heard sounds of torrential downpours outside my open windows.  I’ve been wanting rain and appreciated the sound.  This morning I put on pants and my one long sleeve shirt, thinking it’d be a little cooler with the continuous drizzle I noticed outside.  I grabbed my rain coat as I headed out on my bike, mostly so I wouldn’t get wet on the short ride to my Monday school (not because of the cold).  I still haven’t taken my coat off.  When the teachers commented on the weather I finally agreed with them that yes, it was cold.  I checked the temperature and it was 63 degrees.  I looked at temperatures around Thailand, expecting I might see similar numbers, but Bangkok was at least 20 degrees warmer.  My barefoot toes have been cold all day.  I’ve blown on my hands a few times to warm them up.  At lunch time I was told we were going home to eat.  We usually eat lunch under a little pavilion outside at the school, but today they said it was too cold for that.  I went home with the teacher I live with and we ate hot soup with rice and then had hot coffee afterwards.  On the drive back to school I noticed people bundled up outside and a few fires lit under roofs to keep warm.  I got a little concerned about my own wardrobe, as it’s not really suitable to keep me very warm (I never thought that’d be much of a concern here, but living further north is teaching me otherwise).  I’ve had thoughts all day of going home and getting under the covers in my bed and keeping warm the rest of the day.  I haven’t felt like that in almost a year, and it’s a welcomed experience.  It might not last long and before I know it I’ll be sweating uncontrollably again as hot season approaches, but for right now I’m enjoying being cold in Thailand. 

Angkor Wat and my first half marathon

Peace Corps has a way of challenging me in all sorts of ways and pushing me to try things I’ve never liked or always found a little scary - like running.  I’ve never really been a runner (mostly because it's hard and not fun for me) and yet I found myself starting to run out of necessity several months ago.  I don’t have many options for exercise and biking everyday only does so much for me.  I didn’t make it far the first time, nor did I really like it very much.  But it was something, and it helped relieve some of the daily frustrations and clear my head at the end of the day, so I kept at it.  It got easier and more enjoyable.  I got smiles and thumbs up from the monks I would pass on the small dirt paths behind my house and I loved it.  People from a neighboring village would give me high fives as they rode past on their motorbikes and kids would stare and laugh at me.  There's an older woman that I've never really met and yet somehow manage to see almost every time I run, riding one way or another past me on her motorbike, and she gives me the biggest smile, waves her hand in the air and tells me how great I’m doing.  I found myself running more days than not, and actually enjoying it every once in a while.

A couple months ago I decided to sign up for the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon along with several of my fellow PCV’s and I started a training program to prepare, not feeling totally secure in the fact that this was actually something I could attempt and accomplish.  At the end of November I traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia for the December 1^st race and a couple days of sightseeing around the temples of Angkor Wat.  We headed to the starting line at 5:30 am on race day in time to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat as we waited for the race to start.  The course was easy and beautiful, full of groups of Cambodian kids eager to give water, waves and high fives (one of my favorite parts).  The race was great for the most part – I developed some knee and hip pains during the last few miles, which were discouraging (and pretty painful) but only slowed me down a little bit. I finished and I'm incredibly proud of myself.

Sunrise at the starting line 

Along the race route 

After the finish: Thailand PCVs

The rest of the time in Siem Reap was spent exploring the incredible temples of Angkor Wat, which were massive and beautiful.  At the entrances/exits to each temple stood a mix of women and children, each holding a basket of various souvenirs and handmade gifts.  They're relentless and won't stop asking you to buy their goods, even after you've said 'no, thank you' for the fifth time.  The kids are adorable and it's hard to say no, especially when they keep after you with their guilt-inducing pleas and everything is just "one dollar."  

Angkor Wat

Monks inside the temple grounds

Another view inside Angkor Wat...it's massive

Another temple - can you see the faces?

Another temple

The temple that was apparently in Tomb Raider...it has trees growing through it everywhere

These kids were everywhere...it's hard to say no

On top of another temple for the sunset

Watch them work 

Sunset on the train from the border back through Thailand

Siem Reap was great and Angkor Wat was incredible, but I've found myself anxious to go back for more exploration of many more parts of Cambodia.