Another week, figured I should do another blog!

So I moved into my apartment on Tuesday last week (when I posted last). I was told I'd be working that day, and I'd be picked up at 8am and arrive at school just a little late... but it got to 10am and I hadn't heard anything! So that's how things work over here. Anyway, it didn't matter because I slept while I waited for Nang and Khim (who were going to drop me here), and ended up not going into school. The Head of English, Pe Ni (her nickname is Ni, but I have to call her Pe Ni because she's older than me), wasn't in that day anyway because her sister had a baby girl over the weekend.

It gave me a chance to unpack etc, and have a little wander - though I still don't feel like I know the area that well, as I'm only ever here in the evenings, and it gets dark at 6am every day.

So Wednesday I started school: Pe Ni picked me up late, so I arrived at school what I thought was 3 minutes before my first lesson, having been told she was going to observe me! Turns out we were actually late, because the timings are all different here this week and last - they have been having shorter lessons so that they have the afternoon to prepare for sports day.

The lessons went ok anyway, basically just an introduction, where I tell them about me, and see if they can ask the relevant questions. Most of the classes have responded quite well to it, and there are normally at least 1 or 2 students who know what's going on! The students normally smile and laugh at me, even if they don't know what's going on, but I'm happy with that! Haha. The real test comes in lesson 2, when I actually have to try to teach them things, whereas lesson 1, I just wanted them to be happy to talk in English!

Had noodles in the canteen for lunch, which I had with Pe Ni. She said she liked my teaching style and that I'd got better from the first to the second lesson, so that was good.

The rest of my lessons last week and this have been much the same - with some classes better than others. I have had some good ones, where I've had some board runs going on, and got them talking in pairs, and others where they have blank looks on their face for some of it, but I know what it's like having a rubbish class at home, and these kids are generally pretty good, so I don't take anything to heart. And anyway, if they don't like what's going on, I don't understand them!!

Thursday morning, we arrived during assembly, and I'm standing around wondering what's going on, while one of the teachers is talking away on the microphone. Next thing I know, Pe Ni says to me "you have to go on stage now and introduce yourself" - no warning or anything! Then that afternoon, after lessons, I had to go to a staff meeting, where I listened to 2 hours of talking in Thai, and didn't understand a word! Again, I was not paying attention (not that it would have made a difference!), and I'm told "he just introduced you to come up to the mic"! Scary, but they don't know what I'm saying most of the time anyway!

By Friday, I was totally ready for a weekend. After school (we finished early!), the Prakonchai crew headed for the bus station to go to Si Saket, to meet some friends. When we ask about what time the bus is, we're told "10 minutes", only to be given the same answer 20 minutes later when the bus hasn't arrived... so pretty sure that's the only answer they know! Made it to Surin, and then had to get another bus to Si Saket. We had a while before the bus, so went for a beer. Then standing at Surin bus station, there were huge cockroaches flying around (I'm not joking when I say we thought they were bats to start with!) in the dark, and when they crash into the wall, about 5 people start running to pick up the cockroach that's landed on the floor. They grab the live cockroach and put it into a plastic bag, already full of lots of other wriggling cockroaches! All in the name of a tasty snack apparently. Funny sight and quite a lot of screaming going on! I need them to come to my apartment and take away any stray insects I think!

Anyway, turns out we then found out that it would be another 2½ hours before the next bus to Si Saket. So one of the guys did a bit of negotiation with a random man with a pickup truck who was parked up at the bus station, and we got him to take us instead. If I can set the scene, there are 6 of us in the back of a pickup truck, going at about 50mph, for over an hour and a half! Very windswept, but we had some drinks, sang songs, and managed to entertain ourselves! One of those things you wouldn't even think of doing at home, but seems quite normal over here! And we made it alive and earlier than the bus J

Went out to a club that night, but as with the one in Surin, the 'dance floor' is in fact covered in tables and stools, so no one is actually dancing. Then a live band comes on, which I particularly enjoyed. Everyone else went outside to chat, but I stayed inside dancing (yes, I am the crazy foreign white girl, who everyone stares at!), and persuading some Thais to dance too! I didn't know any of the music, except Gangnam Style of course, but it was fun. I managed to get a drink from the table next to us, and the singer came to speak to me after as well!

Outside afterwards, we met some ladyboys, who were interesting! They came right up to us saying "I am ladyboyyyy!" - felt like saying, "yes, love, I can tell that...." All very friendly though, and everyone likes to meet the local farang so fair enough! 'Farang' means foreigner here, so we here that quite a bit!

On Saturday, we went for some food at the local farang cafe, and then headed back to Surin, for another night - just a few drinks and a catch up with some TTT friends (and of course a bit of karaoke).

By the time I got back on Sunday, after lunch with some of the girls, I was shattered!

Then Monday comes around all too quickly, and back to school!

As the days go by, more students come and talk to me, and say "hello!" or "good morning!" which is nice! In particular, there is one student who is 17 and really good at English and very hardworking - Rattana - she tells me her auntie is married to an English man, and so she has friends (his relatives) in London. She has come to me on more than one occasion to ask how to pronounce something, or just to read some words from an English book for her to practise. Very sweet! Always nice to have someone speak to you and when you reply, they understand!

Also, as the days go by, I get more and more covered in mosquito bites - so much so, that we have taught a local man (who is a 65 year old English teacher in Prakonchai, and stops up to have a drink with him in the evenings) the word 'itchy'! He's very sweet, and speaks good English which is nice. He's always had a few beers and tells us he is always very "happy"! One of his friends has invited us to his 30th birthday party next week as well. He doesn't speak much English, but everyone wants to know us, and he seems very friendly!

Today, when we got to school, everyone was dressed in yellow (not unusual to be wearing different clothes - they seem to have a different uniform every day!) and I'm told they were going through the last things they needed to organise for sports day.

I had 2 classes in the morning, then managed to get the printer working with my laptop, ready for some lessons next week, and then one of the other teachers came to get me to say we were going to Prakonchai. We went to have lunch (I had Kao Moo Daeng - literally rice pork red - quite nice!), then had to get sweets for the Red team tomorrow (Go Reds!), then pick up the staff sport t-shirts, and then back to school. There were no lessons this afternoon, and the same goes for the rest of the week.

I think we had the opening ceremony this afternoon, with a LOT of Thai chat on the mic that I didn't understand, flags carried through the gates of the school, and a long parade of all the students and teachers (photos to follow). Then we had some group routines and some Thai dancing going on. Not clear whether this was a practice for tomorrow, or the real thing, but either way, quite interesting to watch. One of the teachers gave me a very flattering (!) hat to wear as well! It was sooo hot! So now, I have 3 days of sports day to watch. I have to wear my new pink t-shirt, like the rest of the staff (apparently, I will look the "most beautiful" because of my white skin!), and I think my only duties are to cheer on my team!

We shall see....!