Week 1 is in the Books!

Ok, so I messed around and let too long go by without an update, so now I've got quite a bit to report. So lets not waste any time with pleasantries and dive right in.

After our short and scary run in with the motor bikes, we spent a few days visiting schools and doing interviews so that all of us could be placed at schools. I've been selected to teach at Wattana Wittaya Academy for girls. For the first few weeks I'll be shadoing several teachers around the school to "get me sea legs" so to speak, but when I finally get my own classes I will be teaching an Intensive English Course to students in Pratom 4 (Elementary Grade 4) and regular converstational English to students in Pratom 6 (Elem. Grade 6) The grades are a little different here, so just go with me. If you want a detailed explanation hit up wikipedia or something.

The mentality toward new teachers here is very interesting. It's very much a sink or swim situation. On the first day we were to be shadowing, I was asked to stay back at the office to fill in for a teacher that had called out sick on a private lesson with a 6 yr old boy....needless to say I was pretty nervous going into it, but once we got going we were ok. Kaboon (his name though it sounds a lot like a cleaning product somebody yells at you in the states) knew a lot more English than I expected him to, and did surprisingly well considering he had a 2 hr lesson. Whoever thought scheduling a private lesson for 2 hrs with a 6 yr old was a good idea has never taught a 2 hr lesson to a 6 yr old. The lesson went off without a hitch except for at about 20 minutes in Kaboon looked at me and said "TeeeCha, Toy-li" to which I responded "no Kaboon we'll play with toys later, right now can you tell me what letter snake starts with?" His urgent reply "TEECHA, TOILET!!" After which he went tearing up the stairs into the women's bathroom, forgetting to close the door which solicited quite the laugh from all the ladies in the office as I tried to keep up with him up the stairs and pull the door shut just as he was beginning to...well, you know.

After that slightly stressful engagement, we had a four day weekend because of a Bhuddist holiday, so we went to Pattaya, which is south east of Bangkok, on the coast. We saw an elephant show (which was pretty freaking awesome). These elephants did all sorts of things: played soccer, rode bikes (not the motorized kind), played darts, painted, and a lot of other stuff i can't remember right now. After that we went to the beach for an hour or so, then came back to Bangkok to enjoy the rest of our long weekend.

Oh, here's a fun story. They told us before we arrived that when we got here it would be in the middle of the rainy season, which was odd because for the first few days we were here, we didnt see a drop of rain. Until. One day we were walking back from the office (we walk places here...despite the having to put your life on the line to do so). So, we're walking back and the bottom falls out. We're talking rain drops the size of house pets). We were all wearing our professional attire and I couldn't run because I had just slipped my shoes back on (we take them off when we go into the office) and I didn't take the time to re-tie them. So needless to say, we got drenched. It was terrible.

As promised, this time I've got a few pictures. These are of my apartment, of which you'll all be super jealous!


This is my bed. The sheets were picked out by some of the thai women who work in the office...they have CareBears on them. Also, notice no blankets to cover with...you don't need them when it's a million degrees outside.


This is my little (very) vanity/desk situation, and my wardrobe where all of my teacher clothes are.

And last but not least.


This is my toilet! You'll notice it is western in style (thank God). Look closely though, and you'll see what appears to be what one would use to wash dishes in the sink off to the left of the picture...lets just say that one isn't for dishes.

Mai Pen Rai!!