Enjoy this short story I wrote for some friends.
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Being a teacher in Taiwan has given me a lot of opportunities to explore. For example I just got back from my Chinese New Year vacation. I thought for sure I would spend that time exploring Taiwan more, but instead I ended up exploring Cambodia and Thailand. The draw was warm weather (a bit nippy in Taiwan in February) and time with my brother (he flew in from Afghanistan to be with me).
Angkor Wat was the first destination. Angkor Wat is a series of ruins in Cambodia that make me reminisce on Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. The ruins are still in shambles, which makes them feel very authentic. Around every corner it seems there are stone lions, snakes, elephants, dragons, and of course Buddhas that stare at you in their hardened way. Even though there are thousands of tourists clambering around on the sites, you can still find lots of halls and side temples that are vacant. By the end of our second long day of touring we had seen all of the major ruins. In the end the detail carved window jams were not seen as a picture frames anymore, but as a place to sit down and play some Catan on my iPod. But what better place to play a game!
Next up was Thailand. We jumped from Chiang Mai to Phuket to Bangkok. It was a combination of good food, nice weather, and fun times. There was the rather personable elephants that did some soccer practice for us. It was a really memorable experience because of the one miss kick that sent the ball flying into our stands. It came straight at me, fortunately there was someone if front of me, unfortunately he got nailed in the face by the grossly oversized soccer ball (don’t worry he lived and after about five minutes he could wince out a smile again). Then there was the fifteen minutes I spent cuddling a full grown tiger. It was a sort of unnerving time for me. I don’t really want to reflect on it. Down south it was exploring the many beaches and snorkeling with the fishes. Afterwards it was sunburns and aloe vera; a disappointing side affect of blue sky and sun.
Now I’m back in Taiwan and I’m stoked. This is not the country of Tomb Radar backdrops or Elephant soccer teams, but it is the country of great people and fun work (for me anyway). In a few days I’ll be playing games, breaking up English words, singing songs, enjoying great food, and just having a blast with my 5th graders. Praise God for this amazing opportunity!
This program is expanding and there’s room for you! Shoot me an email if you want to learn more about what is happening in this part of the world.
-Andrew Corson
Mr.Andrew.Corson (AT) gmail.com
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