“Bye, Miss!!!!! Bye, Mister!!!!” students always holler at the end of each school year, throwing themselves on us teachers with melodramatic bear hugs.
“Not ‘Goodbye’!” I always scream, grabbing each student by the shoulders and looking them in the eye. “You never, ever need to lose touch with people you care about nowadays. I’ll stalk you forever on Facebook if you want!”
And I do. From Thailand, to Japan, to Costa Rica, to Rhode Island, it is deliciously [...Read More!]
We passed our Level Two final massage exams! This means that with 60 hours of training under our belts, we are now official graduates of Level One and Two Thai Massage school at ITM. Woooo hooo!!
“So what does this mean, practically?” you ask as visions of co-opting my friendship into long hours of forced massage labor dance through your head. Easy now, cowboy! Read on…
Here is what a 60-hour massage certificate REALLY means:
1. It means we [...Read More!]
Today in Thai Massage class we learned to fix a broken heart. We also learned to twist each other like wet pretzels.
Sweat was shed, spines were cracked (in the good way), and everyone gasped to their partner when it was over: “Your legs are really heavy!”
The French fellow had a meltdown. “But it ees too fast! I am lost! I am lost!” The Canadian hysterically giggled when Olivia touched her armpit for move number seventy-three: [...Read More!]
When the director of your Thai massage school tells you that you have to walk two miles Friday morning to arrive in time for 8:30 am Tai Chi/Qi Gong in the far Southwestern park of Chiang Mai, you grumble profusely.
Once you’re stretching your arms high above your head in the fresh morning air, however, and once you hear the birds singing in the bright green palm trees, all is made clear.
And it’s all even better when three random Japanese tourists [...Read More!]
Today is Thanksgiving, though you wouldn’t know it in Northern Thailand.
Geckos are squeaking, the breeze gusts warm, and there ain’t a turkey in sight.
But wherever we are, even kooky Canada with its October Thanksgiving, it’s still that time of year to say thanks!
And this year’s thanks goes out to the students and staff of Boston Public Schools. Everything during this year around the world is making me think of you. I feel so lucky to still be able [...Read More!]
Part 1: The Blind Food Gamble.
Look at the menu pictured to the left. What would you order from it??
For week one in Chiang Mai, I resided in the heart of tourist world, and thus browsed menus and ordered food with ease. Now, however, I’m in the far North of town by the massage school, and words I can read are few and far between.
And just like that, we enter the culinary world of point, mime, and pray! [...Read More!]
“A question, please,” said my classmate Olivia shyly. “In Brazil we don’t have this idea, but I hear that in America and Europe, Thai massage sometimes is, um… well… how you say…” “Linked with prostitution?” I asked. Olivia’s face lit up and then flushed bright red. “Um, yes.” “Oh absolutely!” I said, thinking of all the joke emails from friends I currently have in my Inbox in reaction to the news that I’m taking a Thai Massage course. The majority [...Read More!]
I have gotten a bevvy of queries asking for the scoop on Thai massage schools in Chiang Mai, and so scoop you shall have!
ITM Massage school was recommended to me by a number of fancy online sources, but also by a friend of a friend who studied here for a month and loved it.
Other popular schools in Chiang Mai (which is THE place to learn Thai Massage) are The School of Old Medicine and Sunshine Massage School, but others abound.
My name is Lillie and I thank you for reading and taking part in this journey.
I'm the Boston coordinator of a national event on extended travel on 9/14/10. Sign up for details at: MeetPlanGo.com!
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