Here we go again...

The weekend after my birthday was a quiet one. On the Sunday, had a pretty uneventful day, watched Stardust on my laptop, whilst making a Guess Who game for my students (didn't go down as well as I'd hoped! Though some were good!), and then in the evening went to watch the tennis. Didn't go as planned, and after the break in the 4th set, I headed home for dinner instead of watching the end!

Monday is never my favourite day, but 5/1 made it a good one, by totally understanding my hotel conversation lesson, and saying it was easy (result!)! Always like teaching the older ones best, because they tend to care a bit more! Some of the younger boys especially, don't seem too bothered about learning English, even when I give them Guess Who to do. New finding this week though - wordsearches go down very well, even with kids who don't care about much! So this is my new keep-them-quiet activity! :p

Monday night, we were due to be going to a friend's birthday (Aui), but noone was around, so went for dinner and drinks, and about to head home when Jew turned up to provide us with beer and drive us there! There were a few people we knew there, and quite a few we didn't, but was loads of fun - they top up our glasses with beer, even when they're just a little bit empty, so you have no idea how much you are drinking. Singing along to English and Thai songs (new favourites below!) with the occasional English translation, for our benefit. Didn't get home till about 1am, which is not ideal on a weekday!

Luckily for me, Tuesday I had to go to Chongchom in Surin to get my visa extension, so no school for me. Khim from TTT came to pick me up about 8am, and we drove there. Chatted the whole way there and back - always nice to speak to someone different and he was giving me all the gossip! Didn't take too long to sort out, just a couple forms to fill in, and a couple stamps in my passport, and then headed back. Home by about 11am, so caught up on my emails etc, and then had an afternoon nap (felt naughty because I wasn't at school!).

They were meant to be having officials from Buriram observing the teaching at school too, so I was happy to be missing that... Though as it turned out, I didn't because he came on Wednesday instead! Had to go to a meeting at the end of the day (which I didn't understand obviously), which everyone else looked just as bored about as me - everyone seemed to find it funny that they didn't have lesson plans when he turned up to observe - can't imagine the response from Ofsted if teachers said the same at home!

Wednesday night, we'd been invited to go to a Housewarming party with Kru At, Wit, Wave, Raw, Jeans, Aui, Jew and some other people we knew! The people whose house it was own the best restaurant in town, where we've been a few times. Anyway, the party was not quite what I expected... We arrived, and it was like a wedding reception or something, tables everywhere, chair covers, a big stage with singers, lights, lots of food and drink!

When we turned up, the guy who works at Baan Peet (the restaurant), came over to say hi, and give us beer for the table, and then one extra "for Nic!" Haha. A while later, I went inside the house to use the toilet - the house was really nice - and on my way back, he asked if he could have a photo (not unusual over here!) so I said yes... And then, he took me into the bedroom of the new house, which had petals on the bed, and I had to have photos with him and each of his friends individually, on the bed! Couldn't stop laughing!

Anyway, was a really good night, drinking, dancing, people singing, playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with a crazy little girl... At the end, there were just a few of us left, and a couple of people were on stage singing Robbie Williams - the first English song of the night! I got a bit into it, so joined them on stage to sing along!

A second 1am finish of the week, and it was only a Wednesday - so Thursday wasn't fun! Just 2 lessons though, and then should've planned lessons for the following week, but not really feeling it!

Friday night, after school, I headed to the bus station to go to Sisaket to see some friends. Got there about 5.15, and told the bus would be "20 minutes"... over an hour later, I eventually got on a bus. I was sitting around, when everyone stood up, and I realised that the national anthem was playing (6pm every day in public places) but I hadn't heard it, so was sitting there, wondering what was going on! Stood up just in time though, so hopefully didn't look like too much of a rude/clueless foreigner!

Got to Surin, and had to wait for another bus. Was told there wasn't one to Sisaket, then there was, that I'd have to wait 2 hours.... then a couple of girls tried to help me... then after being told about 5 different things, I was told to get on a bus marked 'Bangkok'... but made it to Sisaket, so all was ok! Motorbike taxi across town to our friends' hotel, and I'd completed my little mission! That night, we went out in town - there was a live band in the club, as is normal in Thailand, and some strange dress sense going on too (from the singers!).

The next day, we wandered into the town again, and Alex and I got the train back to Surin. We were buying our tickets as the train turned up, so bit of a rush! Nice journey back though, seeing all the little stations along the way. And it only cost us 20 baht to go an hour and a half! That's 40p!

Had dinner in Surin before getting a bus home, so we could relax for the rest of the weekend. Sunday, caught up on washing/sleep/planning (sort of). In the afternoon, popped to the supermarket, and on the way back, walked past Kru At's house. He invited us in to see his students, and to play some English games with them. They really enjoyed it, and were really good at English - much more confident than my students too! Was really nice to see. In the evening, he took us for Thai BBQ, with some other friends, which was nice.

Monday morning at 3am, I awoke not feeling well, and I saw a dark shadow crawling across my floor - a cockroach! Not entirely unusual, but I didn't enjoy it at that time of day!

Usual rowdy crowd of students on Monday, except my good class - but I missed half the class, because we went out for lunch (totally normal!), so we just played some games instead, which they were pretty good at!

The rest of the week so far has been relatively uneventful. This morning, some of my students spoke in English on the stage at assembly, and then we did a little English radio at lunchtime on the loudspeaker too, which was good. I have been a bit unprepared with my lessons today, which wasn't ideal when the head of academics guy came in and started observing my lesson (the first time it has happened!). Then I had to cover a class that I had already taught today - think they had had enough of me for one day... But some of them are really good, and try really hard, so they're the ones that keep me going!

Not sure of weekend plans, but maybe going to a big market, and celebrating Chinese New Year with the locals!

Hope you're all well at home. It's absolutely boiling here at the moment, and I am covered in mosquito bites! So the cold isn't all bad.... at least there's less insects.

Speak to you all soon xxxxx

PS. Links for my favourite Thai songs, if you're interested!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXf3sWxIhfY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEWrvDW3Z8w
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpNBi_yr29U