Malaysia Bound

My first six-week term is behind me and now I have a week off. I had to leave the country for visa reasons so I'm on my way to Penang, Malaysia with Allan, my friend from the course who's in the same boat (well, plane actually, but he needs to leave the country, too). It makes for a great excuse to travel, and I'm looking forward to another landscape. It's funny that most people come to Thailand to vacation, but I'm actually leaving the Land of Smiles for my R&R. I finally picked up Culture Shock, a book that Sarah lent me with the message that it'll be like my Bible here. One quote in particular hit home: "One of the paradoxes of the modern world is that a man, or woman, can be uprooted, flown halfway around the globe, dropped down in another time, climate, culture, and expect to get up the following day and function as usual." This has been my story for the past three months, starting school almost immediately, and then straight to a new job, career even. There was no easing into the new culture, but I'd bet jumping into the deep end has its advantages. Nevertheless, now it's time to kick back and be a tourist for a bit.

Here's a picture one of my students took on the last day of class. I almost fit right in, huh?

And she captured me doing I don't know what on another day, but this gives you an idea of the classroom. They have a lot of character, and the wall I'm facing is all windows, which is nice.