a reflection on march

Hello! In this post, I’m going to tell you about my March!

In short, March was crazy busy but also crazy rewarding. I truly feel as if I’m finding my footing here in Malaysia and I can say that I am starting to love it here. Sure, there are personal challenges, but March was net positive. So here’s what happened:

At school, I spent a lot of time with my Form 2 students. I run a weekly singing workshop for them and they were chosen to perform at the Prize-giving Ceremony at my school — a program where the school recognizes the academic achievements of students. Prize-giving is a big deal because parents and school administrators are in attendance! We worked hard on our performance material: an English song (“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran; they LOVE him) and an English choral speaking piece (basically, its a choir-type thing where they speak in unison). After much practice and shaking off the nerves, my students got up on stage and performed at the ceremony! It was awesome to see them overcome their fears and be confident in front of an audience. A very rewarding day.

My Form 2 students performing at the Prize-giving Ceremony in front of an audience!

Last month I also ran an American sandwich-making mini camp with my PPKI, aka special education, students. We made two staple sandwiches: PB&J and CLT (chicken, lettuce, and tomato). The consensus? they liked PB&J better! It was a really fun program and the students learned some new vocabulary in a hands-on type of way. Plus, food!

Students making their CLT Sandwiches!!!!

March was a fantastic month at school and every day I learned something new about my students, Malaysian culture, and myself.

In the second half of March, we had a week-long break (which was much, much needed). Six of my ETA friends and I went to our neighboring country of Thailand. We visited two spots: Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, and Phuket, in the south! Those two places were great to go to back-to-back because they’re two very different vibes and the juxtaposition between the areas was cool to observe.

I loved Chiang Mai a lot. It’s a place with so much to offer. From breathtaking temples to beautiful landscapes, it really had it all. The city feels distinctly historical due to the significant presence of its Old City, which maintains pieces of a past time, with beautiful remnants of bygone brick walls. That aura of a gone zeitgeist pulsates throughout the city, where it feels like you are transported back to the 1500s, the time of the reign of the Lanna Kingdom in Chiang Mai. The result is magic.

While in Chiang Mai, we went to a waterfall nicknamed “Sticky Waterfall” because visitors can climb up the rocks of the waterfall very easily due to the rather adhesive texture on the surface of the geological formation. I felt like Spiderman. There is really nothing like ascending a waterfall while the water is still actively flowing in the opposite direction. I also visited the most well-known temple in Chiang Mai called Doi Suthep. It’s golden beauty was absolutely breathtaking. Also, the night market in Chiang Mai was so much fun! Obviously, I bought jewelry hehe

For the next half of the break, we were beach bums in Phuket! We commuted to Phi Phi Island, a two hour ferry from Phuket, and stayed there for one night. In Phi Phi we took a boat to a couple of quieter beaches on the island and it was pure bliss. The water was clear, the sand was soft, and the sunset was glorious. It was a real mental break, a true vacation.

Our peaceful paradise on Phi Phi Island.

So, basically that’s it for my March! Can’t wait to tell you what happens in April :)

xxx,

karis

blog: 10 months in malaysia