The students at school are very shy and giggly. A few brave ones come running up to me at various times of the day asking my name, saying goodmorning, and giving me a wai (putting their hands together and bowing as if in prayer). When I walk past the other teachers laugh and translate what the students are saying, they call me “super star.” They all want to touch my hair and “ohhh” and “ahh” and say it’s lovely. Which is funny because I haven’t even bothered to brush the afro mess of curls that the humidity created. I don’t even know why I bothered to bring a straightener or hair dryer.
I feel like I live in a college co-ed dorm. There are many students who stay at my guest house during the week because they live too far away to commute every morning. Mostly boys. They run up and down the halls and slam doors and play their guitars at random hours. No different than American teenage boys, except a teacher from their school lives in the room smack dab in the middle of it all.
The guest house is basically a hotel, I get a bed, a fridge, a tv and a bathroom. Hopefully I can get a motorcycle soon so that I can move out into a house. A house is not only more spacious and private, but also cheaper. And I wont feel like I am babysitting all the time.
Met a lot of Farong (foreigners) tonight at a popular restaurant. Meeting these people is a great way to find a bike and a house, which hopefully I will be blessed with soon. At the dinner there was a man who mentioned that a teacher who got really sick with gal stones has to go home to the states and has a brand new automatic motorcycle she just got two months ago that she needs to sell. She paid 45,000 baht and will sell it for 30-35,000 baht. Word on the street is that is an amazing deal for a new automatic. And automatic is the easiest to learn how to ride. I’m praying I have enough money to buy it so I can move out and have more chances to do my work here instead of being dependent on the motorcycle taxis or bus system with is long and unreliable.
Taught my first two classes today. I am shocked at how little English these students know, when it is supposed to be an English School. The problem is, a 50 percent is passing, and no student fails. If a student fails, the parents will pull them out, which means we don’t get the money. So what happens is, and this is typical of all thai schools, the students will be given extra work until they reach 50 percent. An 85 is considered an A-, so it is very lenient. If I knew I would pass and not have to learn or do any work, I wouldn’t pay attention either.
No comments:
Post a Comment