Month: March 2019
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Don’t Have Syphilis, Get a Thai Work Permit! Phrao, Thailand
Warm Heart dog. Warm Heart Volunteer I arrived at Warm Heart Worldwide to volunteer as a TEFL teacher. Located 70km north of Chiang Mai, this nonprofit is tucked in the village of Phrao. My students—the orphans—would depend on me to teach them and deliver fun, engaging lessons. I felt nervous, but thankfully had my TEFL…
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Chiang Mai the Polluted, Chiang Mai the Hipster Art Scene
I think every post has to start with a dog. Chiang Mai has the illustrious honor of being in the news for being such a pretty and charming city with a small town vibe. Now it has the ignominious honor for being the world’s most polluted! More polluted than India, Bangladesh, and China! This past…
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Luxury, Kawaii, and Too Many Chocolate Cakes: Vientiane, Laos
I flew to Vientiane, Laos to make my volunteer visa for Thailand. Unfortunately, I had failed to consult the Thai Embassy calendar and didn’t realize that Friday, May 8 was a national holiday—”International Women’s Day”. I had assumed I could pick up my passport that day, and fly out that same evening. But after having…
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Devotees at Ramana Ashram
Upon successfully completing my TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) course, I had to leave Thailand in order to apply for my volunteer visa. I would submit my application in Laos, but I took a detour to Tiruvannamalai, India in order to visit Arunachala and Ramana Ashram again. This devotee couldn’t help but wilt…