Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
This week I started my new school in Phuttamonton. I woke up at 6am to the sounds of geckos', crickets and bright red sun rise shining through my window. My studio room resembles your great grandmother's spare room with flowery bed sheets, dark brown antique wood double wardrobe, dark table and chairs with an old TV in the corner. I'm on the second floor with a view of a lake and forest. "Where ever I lay my hat that's my home". So with a few of sharms touches, it has a homely livable feel to it.My walk to the school down the country lane (displayed in my photos) is a little bit of challenge, as you are walking in the road, as I've mentioned Thais drive crazy everywhere in Thailand. So I'm dodging cars coming from behind me, then to the left of me are acres of forest and land. 10 minutes in to my walk I saw a green snake sliver in to the wilderness, I shrieked and stood in the road doing the Irish jig!.. Nearly got killed by how many cars, scary but funny moment.
The school I'm working at is huge, the classrooms are modern, and décor has allot of unusual and crafted detail. Very professional but laid back, I feel like I should be doing more than I am, the other foreign teachers have been amazingly supportive and really made me feel welcome. There are 3 Americans, a guy from Manchester and a guy from Africa. At the beginning of the school day The head teacher stands on a huge platform outside in a huge yard, they have like an award ceremony every morning , you have to keep turning anti clockwise after a prey or speech, the American girl Jessie gave me nudge every time I was due another pirouette .
After this bizarre but peaceful service I was introduced to my head of department, again everyone's so lovely. My day of teaching went well, not allot different from an English school apart from the language barrier, The pupils are very engaged lots of energy and lovable .At the end of the school day Jessie and myself walked along a canal as a short cut, which is the route Jessie takes home every day for 50 minutes…she is brave, instead of a pathway the canal has a small unsafe bridge with canal water on each side, the water was deep green and cloudy, with god knows what ever is living underneath there. We continued to walk up the canal opposite was what I call "work of art" self made houses which was well cool, wouldn't live there myself! But what a huge achievement to create your own little den made of straw and wood, I also saw a monitor lizard jumping in to the water minding its own business, again I s*** myself lol.
I left Jessie and made my way to quite a modern local gym I have joined and trained hard until the sun began to set, I walked back the long way down the country lanes at a good speed because it's too dangerous be wondering around the wilderness at night by yourself.
As I got home I had a warm welcome back from the Thai family and huge smile from the 17 year old daughter Quarn, who I'm really bonding with. After I freshened Up I headed back down stairs and sat outside on a deck with Quarn talking to her via I phone on the I translate app….thank god for modern technology, she is teaching me Thai and I'm teaching her English. She went in to her family home and ran back out with a smashing plate of Thai food, then her mom and dad came out with huge smiles. I think I've been adopted and I've defiantly adopted Quarn. So here I am for 4 weeks living a real Thai life, a real adventure, a real life change, a real cultural experience and loving every moment of it.
- comments