Monday, July 31, 2006
Technologicalization and Pig's Head
I have just spent the day technologosizing Sriwiangsawittayakarn school. (technologosizing is a quote from one of the thai english teachers)
I am exhausted, at first I thought it would be a great deal. No teaching all day (2 classes of those pratom 1 brats..) and just setting up a few email addresses.
See....apparently an urgent memo came from the provincial education office that all teachers must be able to be contacted by email. That's cool, I mean it is easier than the memos they literally still send over by horse-cart (a la the horse and carriage in Mowbray, South Africa) ..... Anyways there is internet all over this school and its about time everyone got an email address. What i didn't anticipate was the day turning into a how-to computer seminar run by Laura!!!!
Everyone who is aged 5-30 right now remembers what it was like when their parents discovered the computer. 'HOW DO I WRITE AN eh-mail to your aunt?' 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN GO TO FILE?' 'Where are the pictures? What is a www address? ...." and my personal favourite.... 'NO don't just do it, explain and show me!' ....oh dear. Well today was like that X100 + in THAI - any ability to grasp the concept of why I just can't make up an email address of noot@sriwiangsawittayakarn.com
They didn't even know what email server they wanted to use, so I googled around and found thaimail.com which they could navigate in Thai. But 1/2 way through that stopped working. So we moved over to Yahoooooooooo. Which they kept yelling for the next 3 hours. (Think asian-cowboy voice). I made up not only their email addresses, but their english-translated names. It was a long lound day with over 50 teachers in my office yelling at me in thai about their phonetic names. "OIIIIIIIII OIIIIIII OIIIIII" which they demaned be spelt Oil....but of course there is no available oil@yahoo.com .... ahhhh
And now i just got asked to fill in a spreadsheet (all in Thai on THAIexcel) of all the names/emails/phone numbers...etc. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I haven't sat infront of a computer this long since UBC's essay-season in March.
So anyways moral of the story is.....I should have them blogging by September ;)
WAIT!
I am exhausted, at first I thought it would be a great deal. No teaching all day (2 classes of those pratom 1 brats..) and just setting up a few email addresses.
See....apparently an urgent memo came from the provincial education office that all teachers must be able to be contacted by email. That's cool, I mean it is easier than the memos they literally still send over by horse-cart (a la the horse and carriage in Mowbray, South Africa) ..... Anyways there is internet all over this school and its about time everyone got an email address. What i didn't anticipate was the day turning into a how-to computer seminar run by Laura!!!!
Everyone who is aged 5-30 right now remembers what it was like when their parents discovered the computer. 'HOW DO I WRITE AN eh-mail to your aunt?' 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN GO TO FILE?' 'Where are the pictures? What is a www address? ...." and my personal favourite.... 'NO don't just do it, explain and show me!' ....oh dear. Well today was like that X100 + in THAI - any ability to grasp the concept of why I just can't make up an email address of noot@sriwiangsawittayakarn.com
They didn't even know what email server they wanted to use, so I googled around and found thaimail.com which they could navigate in Thai. But 1/2 way through that stopped working. So we moved over to Yahoooooooooo. Which they kept yelling for the next 3 hours. (Think asian-cowboy voice). I made up not only their email addresses, but their english-translated names. It was a long lound day with over 50 teachers in my office yelling at me in thai about their phonetic names. "OIIIIIIIII OIIIIIII OIIIIII" which they demaned be spelt Oil....but of course there is no available oil@yahoo.com .... ahhhh
And now i just got asked to fill in a spreadsheet (all in Thai on THAIexcel) of all the names/emails/phone numbers...etc. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I haven't sat infront of a computer this long since UBC's essay-season in March.
So anyways moral of the story is.....I should have them blogging by September ;)
WAIT!
I'm just about to post this blog entry, and Noot (one of the thai-english teachers) comes in and says that we go eat downstairs since she passed the exam to become a director (principal) and placed 3rd out of 50 competetors. So it turns out she bought some food because she promised the Gods that if she passed the exam she would have a feast. Sweet! But then she says to me, "I think you mae chop..." (I think you wont like) and I give her my now famous suspicious eyes (i use these in Thailand more than you can imagine) that just by looking ask the person if they're serious of just putting me on because i'm a farang.... So she says, "OK come with" I go downstairs to the outdoor/indoor room and what do i see sitting on the table.
A BIG GIANT PIG'S HEAD. Teeth, eyes, ears, spine sticking out..everything there. and the teachers laughing their heads off and offering me little pieces they have cut out of the cheeks. Now i'm not too picky anymore thanks to Thai cuisine presentations....but this was sick. And it didn't even taste like meat. oh man. Well ya. so that is my story about Pigs and Technology. It's just another Monday at Sriwiangsawittayakarn
ps. happy birthday dad
Saturday, July 29, 2006
The Welcome Wagon Just Keeps Coming!
Most places i've been too, things get more mundane the longer I stay there. I've been introduced to most food/people/activities and I usually get used to those weird and wacky things that were so crazy at the begining. NOT in Wiang Sa. Here's just a short list of the weird and random stuff that keeps being introduced to me.
- Daily outdoor aerobics for all the fat people in Wiang Sa. In front of one of the government buildings, what I could only describe as spandex-clad Thai soccer moms, gather at 6pm each night to do Sweatin' with the Oldies for a good hour. Miranda and I have promised to go back at least twice a week. I don't know what is a better workout, the laughing or the aerobics.
- The ladyboy volleyball team. Well its not all ladyboys, but the ones on the team sure overshadow the others. First, the grade 6 team (boys and girls) could for sure beat the varsity team I played for at the University of Cape Town... they're amazing. Second, the ladyboys are great players. Mostly setters, but still have great height to play the net. But when they do something good or bad it's their reaction that is priceless.
- The tour de france seems to have made a detour through Wiang Sa too, as there is this man who is decked out in full-body spandex and state of the art biking gear who goes past us at warp speed everyday at dinner. This is weird especially in a town where nothing moves faster than the grass grows. But everyday there he is whizzing by all aerodynamically.
- Shortages. Now i'm used to the electricity being shut down at random periods of the day, but when we didn't have water for 5 days...not cool. And at school we ran out of paper. There was no bug spray at TESCOS either. Not to mention Miranda and I have watched every english VCD that Lotus has to rent.
- The small birds that fly into my window repeatedy every morning between 6am - 9am. I can see once thinking they can fly through (although its really dirty) but they fly full-speed into it over and over and over again making the most annoying cling-CLUNK sound. After each hit I pray that it's broken its neck, but there it comes again.
- THE FOOD. Everyday its something new put in front of us. My recent favourite was the 'sun dried bananas' that were black, oozing some pus stuff, and tasted like pure mold. Sickest things i've eaten in Thailand hands down. We had some great mini-crepes that were folded like tacos with what I think is marshmallow creme and sugar on it, but there is no such thing in Thailand... so I don't want to know what it really is. Other meals this week have included: Seafood wonton soup, Thai spa-ghett-tee that looks like XLong KD noodles (so hard to eat b/c of the long hole in the middle) and is covered in a garlic oil sauce, and a drink in a bag that tasted like that McDonalds orange drink concentrate mixed with ice. I'm not complaining since I end up loving 70% of what I am given to taste, but that other 30% doesn't go down easy!
- Lizards in my toaster. There is this one lizard (one of the pale ceiling dwelling ones) Who loves to live on/in/under my toaster. So everymorning I have to pick it up and shake it to get him out. Even though i'm expecting him there, it still gives me a little fright when he scuttles out! Miranda and I tried a control-burn the other day to teach him that the toaster is not a safe refuge. (Don't worry he ran away once it got hot) But he still came back the next day!!! So weird.
ps. check out my webshots albums link on the right for pictures from when Christine, Megan and Heather came to teach at Sriwiangsawittayakarn.
- Daily outdoor aerobics for all the fat people in Wiang Sa. In front of one of the government buildings, what I could only describe as spandex-clad Thai soccer moms, gather at 6pm each night to do Sweatin' with the Oldies for a good hour. Miranda and I have promised to go back at least twice a week. I don't know what is a better workout, the laughing or the aerobics.
- The ladyboy volleyball team. Well its not all ladyboys, but the ones on the team sure overshadow the others. First, the grade 6 team (boys and girls) could for sure beat the varsity team I played for at the University of Cape Town... they're amazing. Second, the ladyboys are great players. Mostly setters, but still have great height to play the net. But when they do something good or bad it's their reaction that is priceless.
- The tour de france seems to have made a detour through Wiang Sa too, as there is this man who is decked out in full-body spandex and state of the art biking gear who goes past us at warp speed everyday at dinner. This is weird especially in a town where nothing moves faster than the grass grows. But everyday there he is whizzing by all aerodynamically.
- Shortages. Now i'm used to the electricity being shut down at random periods of the day, but when we didn't have water for 5 days...not cool. And at school we ran out of paper. There was no bug spray at TESCOS either. Not to mention Miranda and I have watched every english VCD that Lotus has to rent.
- The small birds that fly into my window repeatedy every morning between 6am - 9am. I can see once thinking they can fly through (although its really dirty) but they fly full-speed into it over and over and over again making the most annoying cling-CLUNK sound. After each hit I pray that it's broken its neck, but there it comes again.
- THE FOOD. Everyday its something new put in front of us. My recent favourite was the 'sun dried bananas' that were black, oozing some pus stuff, and tasted like pure mold. Sickest things i've eaten in Thailand hands down. We had some great mini-crepes that were folded like tacos with what I think is marshmallow creme and sugar on it, but there is no such thing in Thailand... so I don't want to know what it really is. Other meals this week have included: Seafood wonton soup, Thai spa-ghett-tee that looks like XLong KD noodles (so hard to eat b/c of the long hole in the middle) and is covered in a garlic oil sauce, and a drink in a bag that tasted like that McDonalds orange drink concentrate mixed with ice. I'm not complaining since I end up loving 70% of what I am given to taste, but that other 30% doesn't go down easy!
- Lizards in my toaster. There is this one lizard (one of the pale ceiling dwelling ones) Who loves to live on/in/under my toaster. So everymorning I have to pick it up and shake it to get him out. Even though i'm expecting him there, it still gives me a little fright when he scuttles out! Miranda and I tried a control-burn the other day to teach him that the toaster is not a safe refuge. (Don't worry he ran away once it got hot) But he still came back the next day!!! So weird.
ps. check out my webshots albums link on the right for pictures from when Christine, Megan and Heather came to teach at Sriwiangsawittayakarn.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Back in the WIANG
Uncle Jai, Miranda, Me, Pa Pian and some of the randoms who came to Bangkok with us.I'm back in Wiang Sa, where no one appreciates my tan!
Back to teaching too. Same old same old. It's a lot cooler here though now! I didn't even need to use the fan in my room last night! AND i'm not sweating as I write this ;) Anyways nothing is new here. The tables got re-arranged at Pa Pian's restaurant, that's big news.
Megan, Heather, and Christine are coming up here on Sunday and we're going to do the Wat circut of Nan, hopefully hit up some waterfalls and then they're going to find out what it's like to teach at Sriwiangsa as they take all my Monday classes!
Back to teaching too. Same old same old. It's a lot cooler here though now! I didn't even need to use the fan in my room last night! AND i'm not sweating as I write this ;) Anyways nothing is new here. The tables got re-arranged at Pa Pian's restaurant, that's big news.
Megan, Heather, and Christine are coming up here on Sunday and we're going to do the Wat circut of Nan, hopefully hit up some waterfalls and then they're going to find out what it's like to teach at Sriwiangsa as they take all my Monday classes!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Full Moon - Koh Phi Phi
So last I checked in I was preparing for the Full Moon Party...well preparing as much as you can. Megan and I tried to nap, but the gosh darn ocean at our front door kept us awake! I started the night off like any true athelete: Carbo-loading. Had a complete meal pasta and mashed potatoes mmmmmmm. Then we hit Had Rin in true F.Mooner style, with classy buckets of whiskey, sprite, and redbull. The beach was packed. Not only do you have everyone on Koh Pha Ngan at this party, but there are speedboats coming from Koh Samui every 15 minutes bringing in more partiers. You couldn't find a place to stand on the beach amongst the throngs of flourescent-body painted people dancing on the sand to dance, techno, pop, R&B. Jon, Jen, Megan, Christine, Heather and I decided to take in the beach scene by heading down to the Mellow Mountain Bar at one end of the beach. Its not really mellow, and not really on a mountain, but provided incredible views of the craziness that is the Full Moon Party. The rest of the night was fun. Danced with people, lost people, met people, crashed into people...its all part of the fun. Us girls had to meet our taxi at 6am that morning to get off the island though - so we went home and packed at 5am. And then began our epic travel journey.Just so you can get a sense of what we went through with ZERO sleep and 2 buckets in our system, our next 14 hours went like this:
hike - taxi - boat - bus - taxi - wait at a random restaurant - bus - boat - boat - hike.
And looked like this:
At the end of it we were on Koh Phi Phi, the AMAZING island off the Adaman coast. Although not before we got caught in a huge storm off the coast of Krabi that caused waves to go over our boat (and in through the many cracks) and made your stomach jump every 3 seconds. Needless to say everyone was feeling a little vominos!! The same storm caused us to have problems trying to get a 'boat-boat' to our beach on Phi-Phi, with no roads you have to take longtail boats everywhere, but with the waves no one was willing to go to Had Yao. So we had to go around the island and hike over to the beach. We sure deserved our air-con/4 person/hot-shower/beachfront bungalow that night!!!
I don't want to preach about the lasting affects of the 2004 Tsunami.... But you can still see the affects of the destruction on Phi-Phi Don. It's sorta like the re-development stalled after 6 months or so. While I was down there I read an article saying that international Tsunami relief donations totalled around $7,000 USD per person affected. At least on Phi-Phi I didn't see anywhere near that put back into recovery. It's such an incredible island that I hope that when it does get back into developing its tourism infrastructre that they do it right without overdevelopment like we saw on Koh Samui. Ok sorry, that was a little bit of preaching....
Our three days there were incredible and SUNNY (rare in their off season). It was topped off by our trip over to the national park of Koh Phi-Phi Ley. What a stunning island. It's like Cape Town, you can't believe such immense natural beauty exists even though its right infront of your face! We took a sunset cruise over there, stopped off at Monkey Beach, where dozens of monkeys came out to meet us and eat our bananas. It was there I learned that my ass looks just like a piece of banana because I literally had to fight off the monkeys who kept grabbing it!! We went over to Pilah Bay where we got to kyak around the huge lagoon with sheer 10 storey rock faces plunge into the sea. It was so....just so ahh! Then it was over to Maya Bay, the famous location where the Beach was shot in 1999. Now I'm really starting to think that Richard, Etienne, and Francoise had it easy getting to their secret beach. A few miles of swimming, a drug field or two and a simple plunge off a huge waterfall. EH Whatever!! When we went the sea was still too stormy to get into the bay through the Western opening. so we pulled around the backside and had to dive in the water off the boat and swim over reefs to a cliff face with a small patch of not-so-sharp coral that only sorta-cut Christine's feet. The waves would push you up the slippery coral and you had to find some way to navy-seal your way up. Then through a small cave and up a waterfall to the 5 minute hike into the backside of Maya Bay. It was so worth it though - the empty bay was so incredible, and the perfect backdrop for a TB2BThailand photo shoot!! After 1/2 hour it was back on the boat for some GREAT fried rice and back onto Phi-Phi Don where us girls celebrated our last night together with the Full Moon After Party at Hippies Bar. Megan and I attempted the drinking contest that involved lots of running on the beach and drinking alcohol in various containers. We wern't much of a match for the 4 other teams of boys. It was much more fun to settle onto our beachmat table and watch the fireshows.
I left Phi-Phi VERY reluctantly the next day and while we left Christine and Heather tanning on the beach Megan and I endured a ...ahem...nice... 30 minute hike in the midday heat to Ton Sai through the jungle, mud pits, across beaches and into town. But I still loved every second of it and i'm seriously thinking about heading back in September. Plus we never found Harvey!!!
Just a few photos are up - I don't want to give away the farm! Check the rest out on my webshots album
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Koh Pha Ngan: Pre-Pre-Pre Full Moon Party(s)
So from Koh Samui we slowly made our way to Koh Pha Ngan, getting picked up EARLY from our guesthouse (!!) and then transfered twice to get to the ferry which was packed with other farangs spread all over the decks. And I believe that the taxi/sangthaw drivers have control over mother nature here because as soon as we stepped off the ferry it started to monsoon and of course the taxi drivers are more than willing to drive you the 2 blocks for an absurd price. We waited it out and then tried to find a place in Had Rin with room for us. It was harder than finding a room for a baby in Bethleham! Everywhere was full, and we trekked barefoot wiht our backpacks through the dirty puddles and up dirt roads and finally found a nice little resort that apparently had room. Well the bungalows they had were....ummmm.... about 50 meteres up a mountain side that turned into a mudslide during the afternoon monsoon. The poarch was falling off, and i'm still positive that the rest of the structure is not far behind. There was some incredible mold formation on the walls (Heather's picture) and we were defenitly living in some ants main abode. I did not fit in the "bathroom" with the door closed either. FUN! So we got up extra early the next day to see if we could switch and lucked out with two beachfront bungalows 1 meter away from the surf. 400 Baht a night too! We fall asleep to the moon setting over the ocean right in front of our picture windows, and the crashing waves keeping heather up all night.
The past few days have been spent exploring the town, doing some great shopping in the little boutiques that have mroe than the usual knockoff stuff in most Thai tourist traps. I've contributed to my backpacking uniform and bought some of the cotton puma running shorts. Soon i'll fit in with the rest of these farangs! At night we head to the beach and on the way stop at one of the convienence stores to pick up a bucket, bottle of red bull, 1/2 mickey of whiskey and a can of sprite/coke. Mix them on the way, and go chill at the beach, sometimes go into the open air dance clubs that line the beach, others watch the fire dancers (not as good as the ones in South Africa at Clifton though!) Its fun since all my GAP volunteer friends are here, Jon and Jen, the TB2BTs...I run into someone wherever I go! Yesterday we went on one of the boat tours around the island (Munchies Boat Tours.....we decided against the snoop dog tour, or the bob marley tour since Christine doesn't like the 'nnst nnst' noise in Bob Marley songs.....) You go to the waterfalls with about 500 of the other travelers, snorkeling at a remote beach, swimming at bottle beach and have lots of other fun extras thrown in at no cost. Execpt yesterday we got caught in the afternoon monsoon and it was defenitly a 'white squall' moment...if they wore sarongs and sunglasses in the movie.....Eating is fun. For dinner I had pad thai with a side of french fries (I feel it's really symbolic of my life right now...) And Schnitzel sandwiches for lunch. This place is exactly like Alex Garland's Beach - even down to the movies shown in the restaurants every night. Its really fun though....and even now looking out the window there are just so many people here (expecting about 8000) just waiting for the biggest beach party.
Tommorow we leave for Koh Phi Phi at 6am.... So no sleep after the FM party i'm pretty sure.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Birthday Part 2: Koh Samui
I love Southern Thailand!!!
I've had a crazy last 3 days meeting up with basically everyone I know in Asia right now! Came down from Wiang Sa in a van with 12 other "friends" of our homestay family. I got a really nice 1ft. cube to make myself cozy in for the 12 hour drive. Had an interesting birthday breakfast at 5am with some of their friends in Bangkok - fish head soup. Then went to the airport to meet Jon and Jen who just arrived from Taipei. So fun to catch up with them and share teaching (horror) stories. Then we took the beautiful ferry across the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand and ended up at Koh Samui where Chritine, Megan and Heather met me at our little bungalow resort. We talked for about 5 straight hours and headed out to check out what Chewang beach is all about. Ended up having swordfish and sangria, then to HAGEN DAAZ for some pleasure baskets of chocolate ice cream and fresh fruit. mmmm heaven. Chilled on the beach at the bars that have lounge chairs on the sand and drank interesting cocktails called "osgrams" hmm?
Met up with Maeve and Ece too and enjoyed a few days where all we worried about was where to eat and how much sun we should get. Last night we found out where basically all the white people in Thailand are: At the Green Mango. Sorta a street of 5-6 bars that just pour onto the street and you can hear at least 3 different songs at one time. Watched a bit of the Por-Ger game and had some late-night McD's to top off a perfect birthday week.
Today its off to Koh Pha Ngan to try to find some accomodation for the full moon parth week. It shouldn't be too hard, but we're just wondering if we really want to stay on teh beach where the techno music starts at 10am.....Heather says yes.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Birthday Part 1: Wiang Sa
Today is my Wiang Sa Birthday. The teachers got me the cutest cake (who knows where they found somewhere in Nan to buy a birthday cake!) and the director sang me Happy Birthday. Which was odd since he has never spoken a word of english, or spoken to me at all for that matter, since i've been here.
Then as I was teaching my Pratom 5 class - The Ovaltine truck comes up and starts unloading speakers, prizes, free ovaltine drinks....kinda like the old Pepsi taste test.... so classes get cancelled and we all drink cold ovaltine for the rest of the morning.
My grade one class didn't really understand it was my birthday, but decided that the funniest thing in the world today is "PEE" and kept sneaking up to the chalkboard to add 'pee' to my good-morning/good-afternoon drawings.
Anyways, its officially vacation and in 5 hours i'm heading off with Uncle Jai and his family in a 11 seat minivan for the 12 hour trek to Bangkok. Meeting up with Jon and Jen at the airport and flying down to see Megan, Christine and Heather on Koh Samui!!!
Then as I was teaching my Pratom 5 class - The Ovaltine truck comes up and starts unloading speakers, prizes, free ovaltine drinks....kinda like the old Pepsi taste test.... so classes get cancelled and we all drink cold ovaltine for the rest of the morning.
My grade one class didn't really understand it was my birthday, but decided that the funniest thing in the world today is "PEE" and kept sneaking up to the chalkboard to add 'pee' to my good-morning/good-afternoon drawings.
Anyways, its officially vacation and in 5 hours i'm heading off with Uncle Jai and his family in a 11 seat minivan for the 12 hour trek to Bangkok. Meeting up with Jon and Jen at the airport and flying down to see Megan, Christine and Heather on Koh Samui!!!
Monday, July 03, 2006
POGGS
I can see why the teachers at Southlands Elementary School banned 'POGGS' when I was in grade 4.
The kids at Sriwiangsa have these 'Advent' cards that they collect and then play this game where you hold them in your hand and then high-five someone else with one and the cards fall to the floor and someone wins. I obviously as an ancient teacher don't understand it, but I do understand how annoying it is when the kids are secretly playing the game, or trading the cards, or shuffling them, or....ahhhhh!!! I mean isn't the riviting lesson I'm teaching about prepositions and nouns exciting enough???
I snapped today and took them away from a kid, and he started to cry. Not that crying even bothers me anymore, a kid crys about twice a lesson: but I was nice and gave the cards back after his 5 minute time-out.
Other than students being students, I'm having a great day! My lessons this week are so great, some of the best I've come up with I'm sure. This weekend was fun. On Sunday I rode my bike to Laos. Well by mistake, I just turned right instead of left and kept going. Apparently I rode the 30 km to Laos and had to turn back at the river. On Saturday it was Canada day, and as all my friends in South Africa know, I'm pretty passionate about spreading the greatness of Canada through culinary methods. So I figured I'd make my Thai host-family, the random neighbors who are always around, and the teachers some Kraft Dinner. Using one of the two precious boxes I brought from home. I got the rice maker (the only cooking item we have) some milk and butter (not easy feats in rural thailand) but everyone was busy that day....argh. So instead of waste the precious blue box I decided to save it for another day. By the time i'm finished traveling the world is going to be so confused as to what day is Canada Day... (Texas and South Africa already think it is August 1st) I had some fun conversations about the day though, this one took place at lunch with Pa Pian our homestay aunty....
Me: "Today is Canada day. Birthday of Canada"
Pa Pian: "Yoo? Birftdahy Loourla?"
Me: "Nonono, pratet (country) Canada, today, now, birthday."
Pa Pian: "Ohhh Caaaanaaadahhhh. Miss Universe? Natalie!!! Souuuai (beautiful)"
Me: "No. Not Natalie. Canada. Pratet. Birthday. neung roi sam sip ho (136) Like King birthday in Thailand. Now Canaday Birthday"
Pa Pian: "_____________" (the stunned look with mouth partly open that I get about 698792 times a day)"Ah roi maa kah?" (do you find your lunch delicious?...changing the subject to what we talk about every single meal)
Me: sigh.... "Jow, ahhh roi maaa" (yes I find it delicious...giving up any hope of sharing my cultural celebration...)
The kids at Sriwiangsa have these 'Advent' cards that they collect and then play this game where you hold them in your hand and then high-five someone else with one and the cards fall to the floor and someone wins. I obviously as an ancient teacher don't understand it, but I do understand how annoying it is when the kids are secretly playing the game, or trading the cards, or shuffling them, or....ahhhhh!!! I mean isn't the riviting lesson I'm teaching about prepositions and nouns exciting enough???
I snapped today and took them away from a kid, and he started to cry. Not that crying even bothers me anymore, a kid crys about twice a lesson: but I was nice and gave the cards back after his 5 minute time-out.
Other than students being students, I'm having a great day! My lessons this week are so great, some of the best I've come up with I'm sure. This weekend was fun. On Sunday I rode my bike to Laos. Well by mistake, I just turned right instead of left and kept going. Apparently I rode the 30 km to Laos and had to turn back at the river. On Saturday it was Canada day, and as all my friends in South Africa know, I'm pretty passionate about spreading the greatness of Canada through culinary methods. So I figured I'd make my Thai host-family, the random neighbors who are always around, and the teachers some Kraft Dinner. Using one of the two precious boxes I brought from home. I got the rice maker (the only cooking item we have) some milk and butter (not easy feats in rural thailand) but everyone was busy that day....argh. So instead of waste the precious blue box I decided to save it for another day. By the time i'm finished traveling the world is going to be so confused as to what day is Canada Day... (Texas and South Africa already think it is August 1st) I had some fun conversations about the day though, this one took place at lunch with Pa Pian our homestay aunty....
Me: "Today is Canada day. Birthday of Canada"
Pa Pian: "Yoo? Birftdahy Loourla?"
Me: "Nonono, pratet (country) Canada, today, now, birthday."
Pa Pian: "Ohhh Caaaanaaadahhhh. Miss Universe? Natalie!!! Souuuai (beautiful)"
Me: "No. Not Natalie. Canada. Pratet. Birthday. neung roi sam sip ho (136) Like King birthday in Thailand. Now Canaday Birthday"
Pa Pian: "_____________" (the stunned look with mouth partly open that I get about 698792 times a day)"Ah roi maa kah?" (do you find your lunch delicious?...changing the subject to what we talk about every single meal)
Me: sigh.... "Jow, ahhh roi maaa" (yes I find it delicious...giving up any hope of sharing my cultural celebration...)
