School Begins!

My life has gotten a lot crazier lately now that school is back in session. We are currently 3 weeks in and I can honestly say I'm enjoying it. My students are great, I'm getting along with my co-teacher Jeab, the school has been very supportive, and I'm finally getting the opportunity to test out all the new ideas I wanted to try out.

I teach two Matayom 1 classes and two Marayom 2 classes. It's like our Jr. High level. I see each class four times a week, which I really like. Other PCVs don't get to see their classes as often, which makes it much tougher for the students to actually retain anything.

Being introduced to the student body by our school director

 

I currently teach in what's called the ASEAN room. It's where all the important school meetings take place, so it's nicer than most of the classrooms. The classroom we will be teaching in is under construction and will be done soon. 

This is my co-teacher Jeab. 

I also teach the school faculty on Monday afternoons. I make sure to keep it light and fun, just like my student classes. I'm basically teaching them the same things as my kids. 

Meanwhile, rainy season is doing its thing. I love this shot from fellow PCV Danica of her school after a big rain storm. The school continues with lunch as if a foot of muddy water was no big deal.

Brandon, a PCV friend of mine who went home early, visited Mary and I with his girlfriend. We had a fun dinner out. 

The next day we traveled north to Brian's site where we hiked to a waterfall. 

Last week was Wai Khru, a special school day where the students pay respect to their teachers. Here's a shot of our 700+ students.

I was up on stage with the other teachers

Some of my students presenting gifts. 

Summer Break

We are currently on summer break until the new school year begins on May 18th. As such, I've had a lot of free time to explore the city of Chanthaburi with my host family, eat delicious food, and take a three day teacher retreat.

Chanthaburi is famous for having the largest Catholic cathedral in Thailand. It's an impressive looking building on the waterfront. 

At the King Taksin Great Shrine and City Pillar Shrine with my host family. 

Day trip to the National Maritime Museum 

 

Dessert on Chanthaburi River

Vietnamese dinner at home. I could post dozens of amazing food pics here, but I'll let you visit my Facebook Timeline for those. 

I was invited to join the end of school year teacher's retreat to Kanchanaburi, the other side of Thailand from where I live now. They chartered a party bus, and as you can see below, there was plenty of karaoke, drinking, and gambling the entire drive.

One of our first stops was to the famous River Kwai Bridge.

Srinagarind Dam

We visited several wats (temples), including this one at วัดบ้านถ้ำ

and this one at วัดถำ้มังกรทอง

But honestly, the highlight of the trip was this wonderful foot massage.

Out and About in Bang Rachan

We are now halfway through our Peace Corps Training (PST), and the light at the end of the tunnel is nearly visible. Home life with my Thai family is great! While communication is basic--no deep thoughts are being exchanged--we still manage to be understood and enjoy each others company.

My little host brother busted up his arm playing soccer. I've taken over some of his dinnertime responsibilities, like setting the table and pouring water.

I have a lot of fun hanging out with our next door neighbor and her kids. 

Our afternoon badminton games are pretty intense. We use a dirt lot, marking the boundaries with broken bricks. There's no net. This is Goon. She's awesome.

This is Chuck. He hosted a PCV 3 years ago and has befriended many of group 127. His English is amazing. 

He's standing next to a jack fruit tree in his front yard. Those watermelon sized fruit with spikes on the outside. They look like a weapon. 

 This weekend he took me, Anna, and Rhianna on a tour of the surrounding area.Our first stop was at this cool little organic market where we loaded up on treats. Loved this old lady.

Eventually made it to a festival with tons of vendors. Could have used a few extra stomachs. But my first order of business was to buy a hat. The sun was brutal.

This trip was unexpected, unplanned, and I had no idea where we were going and when we'd be back. PCVs call this being Thaiknapped. Happy to have my first experience with it.

Thai Day

We are approaching the halfway mark of our Pre Service Training (PST) here in hazy Bangrachan. I've yet to see a blue sky, which I believe is due to the ever present trash fires and burning of sugarcane fields. I dream of green jungle and clear skies in the North, where I hope to be assigned.

Our days are mostly filled with studying Thai or teacher training. It's a lot of sitting in hot classrooms trying to focus. Some days I feel like I've made a breakthrough, others I feel like I'm broken. I think we are all anxious to come out the other side of PST and get started.

Me with my first language group

This is how I feel by the time I bike home at the end of a long day in the classroom. (I shot this on the one day I got home early, only to find I was locked out of the house. Had to sit out front with our four dogs. I liked how he was using the pot as a pillow.) 

This is from the little restaurant across the street from our training center. This plate costs 30 Baht. (almost $1)

On Saturday we celebrated Thai Day with performances from our teachers and American skits and dancing from the PCVs. This photo is of our teachers singing us a song about how glad they are to have us as students. There were a lot of tears shed. 

We were served a big Thai feast at the end. I am very grateful to be serving in a country with such amazing food. 

Bangrachan Village

Our transition out of the resort and into a host family in Bangrachan Village was a little unnerving for us. Nobody knew exactly what to expect. Would we be thrust into a situation where we can barely communicate with people who really want to communicate with us? Yes. Would we be taking cold bucket showers and squatting to poop for the next two months? Quite possibly. Would we be sleeping on a dirt floor and using stray dogs as blankets? Thankfully, no.

At last the wait was over. We met our new host families in a big room and were driven to our new homes for the next two months. Couldn't help but feel a sense of relief during the house tour when I saw I had my own room, a bed, and screens on the window. Things got better after spotting the heated shower, western toilet (sans seat), and washing machine. All in all, I have it pretty good. Wifi would have been frosting on the cake, but once I got data going on my phone, it wasn't a big deal.

Rice fields near my home

My host family's house

My bed area with  my PC issued mosquito net

The first night was super awkward, as I was a stranger in a strange house with almost zero ability to speak in Thai. I wasn't sure what to do or when to do it. After talking to other volunteers, this seemed to be the norm. However, things got dramatically better over the next few days. Soon I was meeting neighbors and extended family, feeling independent on my bike, and becoming a member of the family rather than a guest. 

A neighbor's pet squirrel

Language and technical training has been non stop since we arrived in Thailand. I feel like I'm back in high school and college--places I never wished to go back to. I'm not the greatest student, sleeping through a good portion of my classroom hours. It's even tougher for me to stay awake here with the heat, dressed in riap roy (business casual). I keep thinking--2 months, I can do this. 

Group 127. There are 70 of us now after one went home. 

Culture training

Community mapping bike ride with my language class

The silver lining to everything in Thailand is the food. It's been great!

Hidamari English School

If you find yourself living in Western Tokyo, you won't find a better place to teach English part time than at Hidamari, run by Kenji. Classes are small and fun, with students of all ages looking to improve their English. Kenji was my boss and friend. I became close to all my students. What more could you ask for?

Lunch at an Indian restaurant with Kenji and some of my students.

Kenji & Keiko

Kazuko & Kyoko

Presented with my first ever bouquet of flowers on my last day teaching.With Yuya, Yuka, & Yuto.

Eriko & Reisa

My farewell lunch was at a quaint family run tempura restaurant. I liked the hanging hornets nest in the entryway.