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| Tourney Champs!! |
What could be more fun than coaching and chaperoning the Varsity Girls Basketball team on a school trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand!? Winning it of course...and that's exactly what my girls did! For those ISL folks out there, the tournament we took part in very much resembled a NECIS tournament, and there were 8 teams in the tournament. My girls took first in our pool, won the cross-over game, and were victorious in the finals. It was a sweet feeling for all of the girls, and a great way to end our basketball season. The progress the girls made over the course of the season was incredible and I really was proud of each and every single one of them. We went 11-7 overall, and throughout the course of the season, the girls really learned to believe in themselves and desire that sweet taste of victory. I feel blessed to have been able to work with such wonderful girls!
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| Local Market! |
Besides playing basketball, we had the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities. A Thai cooking class was first on the list, and it turned out to be a fun and educational time for sure! We started the evening off by walking through a local market, soaking up the Thai culture from the smells, the people, the animals, and all that a market has to offer. I cannot believe how incredibly CHEAP everything was in Thailand...a meal at a nice restaurant was about $5, but you could easily eat some great food for $2 everywhere! Once we made it to the cooking school,we learned how to make pad thai, both red and green curry paste and curry, chicken in coconut milk soup, spring rolls, and sweet sticky rice with mangoes. Our food was delicious and the girls thoroughly enjoyed it, not to mention it was a fun team-bonding activity!
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| Team picture after cooking! |
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| Bathing in the river! |
Another highlight of the trip was going to the Maesa Elephant Camp. I really didn't know what to expect and I think the thing that impressed me the most was the intelligence of an elephant! I was floored by their ability to paint BEAUTIFUL pictures with their trunks! I know you are probably thinking that sounds crazy, but it was incredible to watch, and really see it with my own eyes. Not only can they paint pictures, they can also play darts, soccer, and basketball, along with swinging hula hoops! Another thing that shocked me was how gentle the elephants were...and how the trainers really let you get up close and personal with the elephants. We all took a nice little jungle trek on an elephant and overall the elephant experience was awesome!
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| What the 5 elephants painted during the show! |
A trip to Thailand isn't complete without the market experience, however, keeping track of 12 high school girls in a market is somewhat like herding cattle! It was crowded already, but high school girls and their shopping eyes made it that much more fun, and challenging to keep tabs on all of them! A few of the girls were really great about bargaining and finding the "friendly" price, and lets just say the girls walked away with many bags in hand and a few group purchases on lamps and purses!
Wats were everywhere in Thailand, and most of the ones we came across were Buddhist temples. They were really interesting, and I found that the culture of a temple is much different than that of a Christian church. The exterior was exquisite and had such intricate details, always full of color. Visiting countries, and even living in country where Christianity is not the major religion really gives me appreciation for my faith!
Overall, the trip to Thailand couldn't have been better...we went undefeated on the court with some really exciting games and also got a taste of the Thai culture and all that it encompasses. Luckily for me, I will be heading back to Thailand this summer, and can't wait! God truly has blessed me with amazing opportunities and I'm so grateful for all of these experiences!
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| Beautiful Thai Face! |
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| Very typical...no helmets for kids! |
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| How many can you fit? |
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| Which type of transport would you choose? |
What could be more fun than coaching and chaperoning the Varsity Girls Basketball team on a school trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand!? Winning it of course...and that's exactly what my girls did! For those ISL folks out there, the tournament we took part in very much resembled a NECIS tournament, and there were 8 teams in the tournament. My girls took first in our pool, won the cross-over game, and were victorious in the finals. It was a sweet feeling for all of the girls, and a great way to end our basketball season. The progress the girls made over the course of the season was incredible and I really was proud of each and every single one of them. We went 11-7 overall, and throughout the course of the season, the girls really learned to believe in themselves and desire that sweet taste of victory. I feel blessed to have been able to work with such wonderful girls!
Besides playing basketball, we had the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities. A Thai cooking class was first on the list, and it turned out to be a fun and educational time for sure! We started the evening off by walking through a local market, soaking up the Thai culture from the smells, the people, the animals, and all that a market has to offer. I cannot believe how incredibly CHEAP everything was in Thailand...a meal at a nice restaurant was about $5, but you could easily eat some great food for $2 everywhere! Once we made it to the cooking school,we learned how to make pad thai, both red and green curry paste and curry, chicken in coconut milk soup, spring rolls, and sweet sticky rice with mangoes. Our food was delicious and the girls thoroughly enjoyed it, not to mention it was a fun team-bonding activity! 
A trip to Thailand isn't complete without the market experience, however, keeping track of 12 high school girls in a market is somewhat like herding cattle! It was crowded already, but high school girls and their shopping eyes made it that much more fun, and challenging to keep tabs on all of them! A few of the girls were really great about bargaining and finding the "friendly" price, and lets just say the girls walked away with many bags in hand and a few group purchases on lamps and purses! 
Wats were everywhere in Thailand, and most of the ones we came across were Buddhist temples. They were really interesting, and I found that the culture of a temple is much different than that of a Christian church. The exterior was exquisite and had such intricate details, always full of color. Visiting countries, and even living in country where Christianity is not the major religion really gives me appreciation for my faith!
