Ryan and I recently went to visit the Bua Tong “Sticky” Waterfalls located about 60 kilometers from Chiang Mai. I often enjoy riding around on our scooter almost as much as I like seeing whatever it is we went to visit in the first place. The countryside around Chiang Mai is beautiful and the cool breeze feels great on a hot and sunny day.
When we reached the falls I was thrilled to discover that they were even more spectacular than the scenery. The rocks are “sticky” from mineral deposits that give them a sort of grip. Ryan and I climbed right up through the cascading water barefoot without any troubles. Although we were walking in water, the rocks had the same grip they would have if they were completely dry! I felt like a super hero. It was awesome!
Some of the sections were relatively steep and most of them had a rope to assist, but in other areas, we were on our own. Still, it wasn’t difficult in these areas. We made our way (carefully) up and down three series of different waterfalls and had a blast! It was slightly overcast but the water was a nice temperature. At the bottom of the third waterfall, there was even a place where we could go and stand beneath the falling water.
Ryan and I had a wonderful time exploring the Bua Tong Waterfalls. It was probably one of the coolest things that I’ve done! My parents are coming to visit in a couple of weeks and we’re definitely going to take them there to try it out for themselves. Get ready to get your grip on, Mom and Dad!
I’m not ashamed to admit that Tangled is one of my favorite movies. This is probably one of the reasons my husband knew that I would be thrilled to attend Chiang Mai’s Sky Lantern Festival. Sure it was noisy, crowed, and chaotic–making it just the type of event I would normally avoid–yet as I watched thousands of paper lanterns light up the sky, only one word came to mind. Magical.
Throughout Thailand, and in many parts of the world, it is considered good luck to release a sky lantern. It is widely believed that doing this is symbolic of problems and worries floating away. In Thailand, these lanterns are often made of oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame that serves to suspend the flame source and keep it away from the walls of the lantern. Ryan and I bought a medium-sized lantern and a lighter for next to nothing so that we could participate.
Once we lit the flame source, we had to wait 3-5 minutes while the the lantern filled with hot air, making sure the paper didn’t catch on fire in the process. It was crowded and we had to manage this while other people lit and released their lanterns all around us. We even had to dodge a couple that were released too early, which caused them to drift horizontally for a time, before making the vertical climb. It made for a wild and exciting time. Unfortunately, not all the lanterns made it. This one even plunged off the bridge to its untimely death.
I’m happy to report that Ryan and I were sufficiently patient, and once we’d made our wishes, we released our lantern and watched it float quickly up into the sky to join the thousands that were on their way to some unknown destination. The sky was beautiful and I watched the show for much longer than Ryan expected. (I usually enjoy fireworks shows for about half-hour before I’m ready to move on.) The paper lanterns were different. Ryan practically had to pry me off that bridge. I could have watched them all night long.
We hadn’t realized at the time we were making plans to take Matt and Sheree to the beach that their visit was during rainy season. It wasn’t the best time to go to a beach in Thailand, but it was a must-do on our list and so we made it work. We chose Pattaya because it was basically the driest place with a beach in Thailand. We stayed near Jomtien. It was less touristy and we had surprisingly little rain for which we were grateful. Once we arrived, our plan was to relax, eat, and soak up some sun. I think we did well in all three categories.
Our hotel had access to a very nice pool and Sheree and I fully utilized it while Ryan and Matt went scuba diving. The pool wasn’t actually connected to our hotel. We had to wander a little ways to find it and we almost got lost in the process. It made us really appreciate having our boys around to do the navigating, but we were glad that they were enjoying their underwater explorations. They returned with smiling faces and a full report. They also had some great pictures to share. I think they enjoyed their scuba experience even more than they’d expected they would.
Sheree found a tea she really liked and we enjoyed trying the southern Thai food out. I have to admit that I fell in love with a place that had a great American breakfast. The owner was from New York and the food tasted just like home. However, we were in Thailand so we tried to stick mainly to local food. We were able to find some giant prawns, which are Sheree’s favorite. We tried a variety of spicy salads and the boys got some beer. My standard since I’ve been in Thailand has pretty much been pineapple fried rice, because it’s been one of the few things I can find that isn’t spicy. The good news is that I love pineapple fried rice, so this works out well for everyone.
My favorite part of this leg of the adventure was when we visited the Sanctuary of Truth. This incredible temple was built entirely of wood. The carvings were beautiful and intricate. Part of the temple was still under construction and my understanding is that they are expecting it to be completed in 2050! We spent quite a lot of time here exploring the grounds and taking in all the details. It was one of the most impressive temples I’ve ever seen and a great end to a wonderful trip. Thank you so much Matt and Sheree for flying so far to visit us. I can’t express how grateful we truly are. Until the next time we get to see you, we’ll miss you!
I think both Matt and Sheree enjoyed the quiet, laid-back feeling of Chiang Mai after a bustling Bangkok. (I was certainly glad to be back.) Ryan and I hadn’t been living in Chiang Mai long before the arrival of our company, so we had fewer plans than usual. Knowing Matt and Sheree’s great love of spicy food, we focused a good portion of their visit on finding them a variety of spicy local dishes. I was truly impressed with how fearlessly they conquered the food in Thailand. They were happy to try everything, and I think they liked most of what they tried. They were both fans of khao soi. This noodle soup is found in Myanmar, Laos, and northern Thailand. It consists mainly of a curry soup base, coconut milk, hand cut rice or egg noodles, and a choice of protein (although it’s commonly served with a chicken drumstick).
Khao soi with spicy northern sausage
Aside from the spicy papaya salad, I believe that Matt’s favorite dish was tom yum soup which is considered a “hot and sour” Thai soup. The main ingredients may include stock and fresh ingredients such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal (tropical spice), lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed chili peppers. We found an especially good version at a very local place off the beaten path. The small plastic chairs were not accustomed to supporting a person of Ryan’s size and midway through the meal his splintered beneath him, dumping him to the ground. His considerable impact with the hard floor scared us and embarrassed him, but the locals sure got a kick out of it. He was a great sport about the whole thing and after that, he was much more selective with his choice of chairs.
Tom yum with squid
We did do more than just eat. Matt and Sheree had come a long way to see us and we wanted to show them as much as we could. Visiting the “Doi Suthep” temple (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep) was one of the highlights of the trip. This temple is located 15 kilometers from Chiang Mai at the top of the mountain with the same name. It overlooks the city and offers a nice view. To get to the temple from the parking lot near the top, you can either climb the 309 steps or you can take the tram, which was most convenient and very reasonably priced. Once at the top, we had to remove our shoes before entering the temple grounds, which is customary. Inside there was a beautiful golden stupa (or chedi) and a lot of people, but we took our time looking around the impressive grounds.
Chiang Mai from Doi Suthep
One of my favorite things about Matt and Sheree’s visits is the girl time Sheree and I often get to spend together. During this trip, we enjoyed some nice (and for the most part, relaxing) massages. Although we’d asked for foot and calf massages, our massages were performed on regular massage beds and attention was payed to most of the other parts of our bodies as well. Towards the end they were even bending me and twisting me in ways that I wasn’t sure I should be bent or twisted, and I’ve always been fairly flexible. It was a good test to tell me that I probably wanted to avoid actual Thai massage in the future. I think Sheree had similar opinions about the experience. We also enjoyed getting pedicures. There were no surprises here. Just a relaxing hour spent with the world’s best mother-in-law!
Ryan gets his love of cats from his mom and he surprised Sheree by taking her to Catmosphere. I’d never been to a cat cafe and I thought it was so cool! When we arrived we were greeted outside by one of the friendly employees. We changed into the provided slippers and sanitized our hands. Then she waited for the escape artist Eve to get distracted before we were quickly ushered inside. Most of the cats were so used to the constant influx of people that they paid little attention to us. Sheree however, had a magic bag that she used to entice a couple of the more curious ones over. There were 26 cats at Catmosphere and by the time we’d left, we’d seen at least 16 of them. Ryan renamed my favorite Sir Pufferton. His closely shorn haircut left him with noticeable man boobs. Poor Sir Pufferton.
Our time in Chiang Mai was mostly relaxing, and that was the intent. We’d eaten some good food, seen some sights, and had some hopefully memorable experiences. It was time for the final part of their adventure, so we loaded Matt and Sheree into the back of a songthaew and we all headed to the airport to catch a flight to Pattaya. We figured they hadn’t come all the way to Thailand to leave without getting to go to the beach. I don’t know about you, but when I think of Thailand, I think of white sand and crystal blue-green water (and sharks–but that’s probably just me). With any luck we’d have some nice weather and giant prawns to enjoy once we got there.
We were so fortunate to have Ryan’s parents come all the way to Thailand to visit us! Matt and Sheree have always been so good about coming to visit us wherever we go. So far they’ve visited us in Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico (twice), and now Thailand! We met them in Bangkok for the first part of their visit. Our plan was to spend a few days there so they could see some of the sights and adjust to the thirteen hour time change. They arrived tired, but full of smiles. What troopers!
We love you Matt and Sheree!
We happened to be in Bangkok during the one-year anniversary of King Bhumibol’s death. King Bhumibol Adulyadej was the world’s longest-reigning monarch and he passed away on October 13, 2016 at the age of 88. He was truly loved throughout Thailand and the country spent a year in mourning. Then on October 26th, 2017 they held a lavish cremation ceremony. Many of the regular sights were closed, including the Grand Palace. However, we still saw some pretty impressive temples.
Wat Pho
46 meter Reclining Buddha
Wat Arun
We visited many of the popular tourist sights while we were in Bangkok, including the renowned Khaosan Road. A vendor tried to sell us grilled scorpion, but other than that there wasn’t much happening. There was a temporary ban on alcohol in observance of the holiday and I suspect this was a large part of the reason. We also visited a floating market. I’ve heard that the food in Thailand tends to get spicier the further south you get which worked out well for Matt and Sheree. They have a great love for spicy food. I think that Matt particularly enjoyed the spicy papaya salad. It was a good way to start our adventure and now we were ready to move on to the next location. Chiang Mai, here we come!
This year for my birthday, Ryan and I embarked on a day cruise in Ha Long Bay. This was something I’d very much been looking forward to doing and I was thrilled we were going to be able to take the time to do it while our Thai visas were being processed in Hanoi. To visit Ha Long Bay, you pretty much have to go with a guide. Our group was nice and small, with less than a dozen people from different parts of the world. We were driven about four hours from Hanoi in an air-conditioned van. Then we were loaded onto a spacious boat and fed a nice meal.
Unfortunately, the weather was slightly overcast the day we went so we didn’t get the full experience. Still the scenery was pretty majestic. We spent the next couple of hours cruising past towering lush limestone islands, most of which had some kind of a story relating to dragons. Our guide was informative and he spoke good English so were were able to follow along as he explained the significance of dragons in the Vietnamese culture. Along the way, he kept pointing out different land formations that were shaped like dragons. I often had to take his word for it as the dragons were not always easy for me to spot.
About mid-way through our adventure, our boat docked and let people off to explore some of the nearby caves via kayak or row boat. Ryan and I had misunderstood this part of the experience during our booking (which had to be arranged ahead of time). Thinking that we had the choice of kayaking for an additional cost or exploring some caves on foot, free of charge, we’d opted out of the kayaking. It turned out that this meant that we stayed on the dock with the boat, but at least there was a nice view for us to enjoy while we waited for the rest of our group to return.
We soon discovered that the cave explorations (on foot) were a separate stop altogether. We loaded back onto our boat but towards the end of the trip it docked again and everyone headed up to the caves. Once again, our guide kept pointing out different dragon-shaped rock formations. If these had been hard for me to spot before, my ability only worsened once we entered the caves. Apparently there were dragons everywhere–I just couldn’t see most of them. After many failed attempts at squinting and turning my head this way and that and still failing to see anything that even resembled a dragon, I had to keep myself from laughing. Now it’s a joke that Ryan and I share. “Can’t you see the dragon?” one of us will say, pointing to a random tree or puffy looking cloud. “It’s right there. Next to that other, much bigger dragon.”
Do you see the dragon?
What about this one?
While I might not have been very talented at spotting the dragons of Ha Long Bay, I still enjoyed the trip and was grateful we got to visit one last treasure before leaving Vietnam. For the previous nine months, we’d slowly been working our way from the south, clear up to the north. Dragons or no, we were fortunate to have seen plenty of mysterious and interesting things along our way. There was no question about that.
After nine months of living in Vietnam, we were getting ready to head to Thailand (yay!). Before we could, however, we had to get our visas. Luckily Hanoi has a Thai embassy so we had a great excuse to make our way up to Northern Vietnam to spend a few days in the capital city while our Thai visas were getting processed.
We’d heard about the great food culture located in Hanoi and this was something we were eager to investigate. Ryan was particularly interested in trying the cà phê trứng (egg coffee), which is especially unique to this area. He described it as being crazy sweet (no surprises there as ALL drinks in Vietnam are super sweet, even by my standards) and being too thick to drink.
We also tried some xôi xéo which is yellow sticky rice topped with fried shallots, corn mash, turmeric powder, mung bean, and different kids of protein like stewed pork belly, shredded chicken, and/or meat floss. It was an interesting and appetizing mix with a unique texture. (I definitely thought of my mom.)
A less appetizing option (in my humble opinion) was the cơm hến which is a dish made with baby clams and leftover rice served at room temperature. I think I only made it past a couple of bites before handing it over to Ryan. He was a bigger fan than I was and he was happy to help me out. (This is yet another reason I keep him around.)
Luckily there were some safer options as well. We were able to find two of my favorite Vietnamese dishes including bún chả (grilled pork and noodle) and cơm tấm sườn (grilled pork chop with broken rice). As you can see from the descriptions, there was much less going on here, which made me a happy camper.
On our way back from our yummy cơm tấm sườn dinner, we passed some stalls with what appeared to be roasted pigs. On closer inspection, however, we discovered that they definitely had the skulls of dogs. We’d heard of people eating dogs (and rats) throughout different parts of Vietnam, but this was the first time we’d seen any evidence of it. It was a sad scene for me and I got out of there too quickly to take a picture.
After that it was hard to get the image out of my mind and I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d accidentally consumed dog meat at some point during our nine month stay in Vietnam. I hoped not, but there was no way of knowing. We passed dogs chained outside stores and restaurants and I feared for their fate. Of course there was nothing I could do about it. I guess sometimes you just have to eat whatever mystery meat you get and hope for the best, doggone it. It’s either that, or become a vegetarian.
I started experiencing motion sickness when I was in high school. After that I wasn’t able to go to a lot of amusement parks and ride the rides. As things stand I can barely ride in taxis or on small planes without getting queasy. However, I decided that visiting Sun World while Ryan and I were still in Danang would be worth the risk, pretty much regardless of what happened. It was Sun World and it sounded cool.
So one night we loaded up on Dramamine and followed the distant lights of the giant Sun Wheel until we were standing at the entrance of Sun World. (I’m not going to lie–I was pretty excited.) We decided that visiting at night when the temperatures were more reasonable would be in our best interest. Since I’ve gotten to Vietnam, I’ve learned to love nighttime. Not only is is much cooler, but the lights are pretty impressive around the city and definitely at Sun World as well.
It was fun to see the city from the top of the Sun Wheel. With less than a week remaining of our stay in Danang, it seemed like a nice place to say goodbye to the city we’d lived in for the past six months. The Sun Wheel was huge and slow moving and we made it on and off the ride without a hitch. So far, so good.
I was feeling a little braver so we tried the smaller of the two rollercoasters. It was exciting enough to ride more than once and then after that we stepped it up a notch. The next one lifted us high into the air, only be be dropped straight back to the ground. It was at this time that I remembered that I don’t particularly like heights or fast speeds. (Oops.) We were literally going so fast that I couldn’t breath and nothing but a deep, guttural grunt escaped from my clenched jaw. Still, I’d made it through and I wasn’t feeling particularly nauseous or cautious.
I didn’t have any pictures of us on this ride, so I borrowed this one from the internet. I think Ryan and I were two of four people riding it the night we were there. They made us leave our shoes at the bottom.
This brought us to the Queen Cobra. The park wasn’t busy so Ryan and I had the rollercoaster all to ourselves. We climbed into the front car and strapped ourselves in. The cobra started to move. Slowly it slithered up the track, higher and higher and I again remembered my fear of heights. Of course, by this time it was too late. She took us down. She twisted us around and around and around, then upside down. I slammed into my harness (I even had marks afterwards to prove it). I screamed. I felt like I was thirteen. It was well worth the ride, which I promptly took again.
It doesn’t look like much, especially from this angle, but it was impressive. Although it was a short ride, it was fast and furious. (Ryan even agrees.)
Afterwards I got to thinking that my evening at Sun World was not unlike my time in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City was terrifying, but it was also exciting and I thought, “Hey, I can do another city. A different city. Let’s go to Danang” After that it was, “Why not another country? I can give Thailand a try.” Ryan and I have been traveling since 2014 and it’s not always easy for me. There are many aspects of our new lifestyle that are well outside my comfortable zone. Yet I keep at it because scary as it may be, the thrill of the experience is well worth the risk. We are on our way to Thailand next. Once again I’m going to strap myself in and get ready to go on yet another wild ride. We’ll see what this one brings. Thank you Vietnam, and goodbye.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe that Ryan and I have spent most of our marriage living abroad. The desire to continue to see more places and do more things (along with complicated visa restrictions) has led us to adopt a nomadic lifestyle which for the most part we truly enjoy, even if it means moving to a new country every two to three months. It’s therefore not too surprising that we always seem to be in transit during our anniversary. This year was no exception. When July 11th rolled around, we found ourselves needing to do a short visa run, so Ryan took me to Melaka (also spelled Malacca). Located on the peninsular west coast of Malaysia, Melaka is a city with a population of nearly 900,000 people. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and many areas have a colonial feel, evident by some of the Portuguese and Dutch architecture. This was especially noticeable in the Red (or Dutch) Square which was one of my favorite parts of the city.
Stadthuys
Christ Church
We stayed near the infamous Jonker Walk which is considered the Chinatown street of the city. Every weekend there is a night market here offering a variety of interesting food, such as durian cendol and fried carrot cake. While cendol is a sweet iced dessert–similar to shaved ice, albeit with some rather unusual toppings–we quickly discovered that fried carrot cake is nothing like its name suggests. I was expecting a truly delicious dessert and instead found myself puzzling over the surprising texture and odd mixture of flavors. Even after eating it, I really didn’t have a clue what it was made of. Only later did we discover that “fried carrot cake” consists of stir fried cubes of radish cake. It was interesting and worth trying, but not something I’d likely order again.
Cendol with green rice flour jelly and sweetened red azuki beans
Jonker Street Night Market
Fried Carrot Cake
From our conveniently located accommodations, many of Melaka’s main sights were easily accessible by foot and we made it a point to walk to every attraction we visited. These included the nearby Red (or Dutch) Square, St. Paul’s Church, and the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, which is apparently the oldest functioning temple in Malaysia. We also enjoyed a river cruise along the Malacca River and took in the view of the city from the Taming Sari Tower. It was like going up in Seattle’s Space Needle except that it was constantly turning as it made its way up to the highest point and then back down to the ground again.
St. Paul’s Church
Cheng Hoon Teng
Ryan, taking in the view
Malaysia is a wonderfully diverse country with many ethnic groups, the three most predominant groups being Malay/Bumiputera, Chinese, and Indian. As can be expected, the food scene reflects this unique combination of cultures. While were were in Melaka, I had some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. One of my best meals consisted of tandoori chicken, butter naan, and a mango lassi from Restoran Pak Putra. This restaurant appeared to be a hotspot for both locals and tourists. It was so busy they set up additional seating in-between parked cars in front of the restaurant and the food was absolutely delicious! We went there twice while we were in Melaka and we were happy with both visits.
Tandoori chicken
I was also a big fan of the coconut shakes. Although the Klebang Original Coconut Shake establishment was one of the few places we went to that wasn’t easily accessibly by foot, Ryan had read that they would be worth going somewhat out of our way to try, so we hired a taxi to drive us. We were not disappointed once we got there. I don’t know what made these shakes so good, but they were truly amazing! Not only did we consume 2 shakes each, but we returned for a second round a few days later.
The Klebang Original Coconut Shake establishment
It may not look like much, but it was scrumptious!
Another exception to our foot explorations while we were in Melaka was the day we visited the Melaka Zoo via taxi, although we did a good deal of walking once we got there. There were plenty of animals to see and they appeared to be well taken care of. I got an unusually good look at some of the more exotic animals, including some of the big cats and the Bornean Gibbon, which looked like Sasquatch as it was walking towards us. Unlike Sasquatch, it was surprisingly friendly!
Pretty kitty
The Bornean Gibbon
He was a friendly and curious fella.
Oddly, my favorite wildlife sightings were not at the zoo. Rather, we spotted them frequently as we strolled along the Malacca River, which runs through the city. At first we thought they were Komodo dragons, but we later discovered they are called Asian water monitors and are among the largest lizards in the world. They can grow to be more than six feet tall! A common mature weight can be about forty-three pounds, but some can be over one-hundred ten pounds. These guys were huge and they were everywhere. I have to admit that they were one of my very favorite things about Melaka.
Asian water monitor chilling out on the bank of the Malacca River
Asian water monitor swimming in the Malacca River
Of course my very favorite thing about Melaka was being there with my husband, celebrating our third anniversary. We enjoyed a nice dinner at the Sirocco Restaurant located in the nearby Holiday Inn. We hadn’t made a reservation, but once our waiter learned that we were celebrating our anniversary, he decorated our table and brought out a complimentary dessert. He even volunteered to take photos throughout dinner. It was great service, great food, and a wonderful occasion. Afterwards we took a romantic stroll along the Malacca River Walk. Thank you so much, Ryan Vredenburg, for 3 exciting years of marriage! I can’t wait to see where our adventure is going to lead us next.
At long last, I’ve gotten a job. Ryan is thrilled to see his dream of having a sugar mama become more of a reality, although I’ll have to put in more hours once I get used to everything to really make that true. I’ve been teaching online with VIPKID for over two months and things are going well.
For the first time in nearly three years, I’m back to a more traditional routine. A typical day begins with me waking up around 8:30am. I walk up and down the four flights of stairs in our building eight times (trying to ignore the already radiating Vietnam heat). Then I take a shower and get to work in my messy and cluttered work space. Ryan has graciously allowed me to confiscate the entire kitchen table.
The schedule for VIPKID is extremely flexible which was one of the things that drew me to the company in the first place. I teach 7 half-hour classes 5 nights a week (Thursday through Monday) from 5pm to 9pm (Danang time). This is one hour behind Bejing time. The classes are one-on-one with adorable Chinese students usually ranging in age from 5-12 years old.
Because I’m a new teacher (and a major perfectionist), it still takes me a ludicrous amount of time to prepare for each class. I take the morning to log into each class and go through the 25-30 slides (45-50 slides for assessments), taking notes as needed. A lot of the students are very young with a very limited English vocabulary and so I have to grade my language, cutting out any unnecessary words while still speaking in complete and correct sentences using language the students will understand. This was harder to get used to than I originally expected it to be and I practiced A LOT in preparation for the job interview, which involved teaching 1-2 mock classes after the initial interview.
VIPKID is a really fun company to work for and teachers are encouraged to use a lot of props and creativity to make the classes more engaging for the students. This is where I excel. I may not be an especially efficient person, but I know how to do fun! I use stickers and music and sometimes even dancing to reward the kids for doing a good job and to keep them engaged and focused throughout lesson.
It seems to be working. I currently have a perfect parent feedback rating (all five apples!) and more than half of my students are recurring students. Some of my favorites are Jake (age 7), Rose (age 5), and Liangyi (age 5). I always smile when I see these cuties on my calendar.
So, back to the typical day. After I arrange and organize my props for each class, Ryan and I head to lunch and when we’re finished eating we sometimes swing by a copy store on the way home. I’ve found that with some of my younger, lower-level students it helps to make customized flash cards to help them learn the new vocabulary. Sometimes, if they learn 1-2 new words a lesson it means we’ve done good.
I have a few hours to kill in the afternoon doing whatever I want. Sometimes I go to the beach or play a game of Settlers or work on one of my books (not much happening there, unfortunately). Around 4:45pm I eat a hard-boiled egg, brush my teeth, and change into my orange t-shirt. This is as much of a uniform as VIPKID has. Then I log into my first class and wait for 5pm.
I’m particularly proud of this prop. It’s come in handy!
When the student logs in, I turn on my camera and say “Hello! My name is Teacher Amanda. What’s your name?” I almost always get a response, although sometimes the kids have to be encouraged to speak by supporting parents (especially for new students). I haven’t had one run and hide from me yet, although I’ve heard stories of this happening from other teachers. I HAVE had one parent sit their child in the chair in front of the computer and literally pick up her hand to make her wave at me (she wasn’t having any of it). Most of the kids however, do seem to want to be there and I try to help them enjoy their lesson as much as possible. As far as I’m concerned, there are worse ways to make some money. Thank you VIPKID for this great opportunity!
