Sports Day

I think it is important to mention this event, purely for the craziness of it. On the Thursday and Friday of my 3rd week we had the (poorly named) Sports Day. So this meant that nothing was done in the build up as everyone had preparation to do for it and most things take precedence over academia over here. I missed the Thursday as i was in Lamphun, the provincial town, to get my work permit which was surprisingly straightforward. Anyway Friday comes around and i head down to the football field for 7.30am in the fog which was a bad idea. I still havent adapted to thai time. This basically means that nothing starts on time and so it wasnt for another half hour or so that anything started on this day. First thing i am told is i am a judge of some sort which is news to me. So i get dragged to the table and sat down. Then a parade comes through the gate of the school and goes in front of our little table. This is the opening ceremony of te sports day which is odd as this is the second day. While this is happening i am told im supposed to be judging a description of each part of the parade in english. this is difficult as only half of the descriptions are in english and those i cant hear over the music. I should also point out at this stage that the school is split into colours or teams for the day and all this was decided a while back. the teams then compete against each other for the day and prepare everything without teacher help. I also have a colour but i dont have to compete (thank god) as the teachers are exempt. Im green, which im pleased about (being irish obviously).

Anyway back to the parade. This is a menagerie of colour with each group having a unique theme. If you look at the pictures on facebook you will see one of them was called "wizardland" which presumably has something to do with thai kids fascination with all things world of warcraft et al. I also enjoyed the marching band's rendition of 'smoke on the water'! So the kids have designed all this themselves which is pretty impressive but it gets better. Next up is the dancing. Firstly the younger kids perform their aerobic routine to some music and they finish on the ground in an impression of the olympic rings. Pretty good but then the primary school steps up and do their aerobic routine. All i could think of was how the teachers managed to get the kids to do any kind of choreography at such a young age. This bizzarelly finishes with Ronan Keating blaring out of the soundsystem (it was a medley of songs) to my complete surprise and mild disgust. Next each of the colours send out their dance troupe who are basically cheerleaders for the day. The green group demanded i get in a picture with them so i sat through a series of pictures with a gang of teenage girls all dressed up (hence why i am not smiling in my own one). Which was obviously a great challenge for me ;) Anyway the teams all put on good shows with a small bit of thai dancing in some but mostly they did their own thing. All by themselves i think.

Once the dancing is over i get told that i have to judge the shelters and cheering. I had no idea how to do this so i went and got lunch then wandered around near the shelters with the marking sheet and pen looking very obviously like a judge. The kids picked up on this and basically a heap of them from each group got up and with a few drums and bongos basically went nuts on the grass in front of their shelters. All kinds of dancing and jumping around were part of the mayhem though one group had choreographed routines which was cool. So i gave marks for the more enthususiastic gangs and the crazy looking shelters and that was my judging over for the day.

Most of the sports on this day was races so that got a bit old after an hour or so. I found out that all the others had been held the previous day which i was a bit unhappy about. I'd been looking forward to watching the takraw and badminton. The day kid of petered out bar the odd call for me to present prizes to race winners...." Teacher alan will present the next prize....Teacher alan....where is teacher alan?" This was followed by me bemusedly showing up wondering why someone was bellowing my name into a mike and being handed some certificates to hand out to kids on a podium. Oh and get my pic taken.....again.

The next day i got a bus to chiang mai again and spent the night getting drunk with Pez and Cindy as we all needed to unwind. Oh and i saw some more waterfalls.....

Teaching in thailand

I have now been teaching here in Li for 3 weeks and with that wealth of experience behind me i will try and give a taste of what i have found teaching to be like over here. To recap I am teaching English, Math and Science. The English is only for 5 hours a week and that is to Matayom 4 (fourth year of secondary school) and the other 9 hours is spent equally between Math and Science to Matayom 1 (first years). The M1 kids have as good if not better English than some of the M4 kids but i suppose they need to be good to get into the MEP. No point being there if you dont understand english! I guess im pretty lucky in that most of my students understand most of what i say some of the time.

Let's start with the English as that was the main thing that brought me over here. I thought that was all i would be teaching but in fact its more the other way around. M4 is broken up into different levels based on their academic ability. I have the top 4 classes, the very best one i have twice a week and the other 3 only once. Its very hard to get any kind of link between classes when you only have them once a week and even that isnt assured thanks to all the random days off or half days or what have you. I do have a basic outline of what im to teach M4 but after that its up to me. I began my first class by introducing myself and where i am from. They havent a clue where ireland is so this took longer than expected as i attempted to draw a map of europe on the board. I followed this up with a few sentences on the board with blanks in them such as "My favourite football team is....." and "In my free time i like to......" This gave me a chance to gauge their level of english and i finished with a game of Hangman (thai kids love hangman). I used this in each M4 class so that was the first week taken care of there! Basically what i found out is there a few enthusiastic kids and a lot of very quiet kids. Once i went in with a lesson plan and some whiteboard markers i felt ok and once i got into a flow i was fine (your lesson plan is your armour and your markers are your weapons!). If i go into class unprepared it all turns to mush so to have any hope of getting anything done i need a small bit of structure. Anyway i found English ok for the first few classes as i got my bearings and got a feel for each class to see what i could teach them and what was too easy/hard. They get a bit rowdier once they get used to you but i can still keep them under a bit of control by raising my voice calmly by increments. I havent yet gotten to full volume i dont think so thats a positive. It is very challenging to teach these kids (especially on a topic like the environment) when they have very little english. I need to have some kind of game or activity to hold their attention or they get bored and even then its hard to keep coming up with games all the time. The biggest problem i face is laziness because thai students cannot fail. I mean there is no mechanism in the thai education system for a kid to fail, there is only a low pass upwards. Therefore why should they try? I mean they will pass anyway so there is no incentive to work. This is just in class so homework is a complete waste of time. This is incredibly frustrating but its something i have to deal with.

Math and Science are different. For a start i have a book for each (the kids also have this book) and i have a fairly straightforward curriculum. This makes lesson planning a sight easier as i just follow the book and put my own twist on it. Also the kids know the stuff already having done it through thai and i am just giving them the english version. These classes are easy enough though i have the same thing with the games and activities. Essentially thai teachers lecture and the kids just memorise everything without understanding it. Im supposed to be the opposite and get them to understanding stuff rather than memorising it. I also have co-teachers for Math and Science, Goy for Math and Noon for Science (these are there nicknames as there regular names are tricky to pronounce). They are a big help both in preparing lessons and in controlling the class. They are Thai Math and Science teachers with good English and guide me as to what the kids can manage and what is difficult for them. Obviously the kids would never tell me this themselves as they are too shy. So i have a translator there if the kids are having particular trouble, often there is a thai translation at the end of each lesson. Between us we try and get the kids to learn something. I spend most of the class trying to explain things and trying to engage the kids in the material which i eventually get through sheer persistence (sometimes). Most of the time they look at me, then at the co-teacher for help and eventually the message gets across!

So for someone who hadnt taught a day in their life im probably not doing too bad, i think. Some days are better than others which is a combination of the material and my approach maybe working. If things dont work in one class then i just take a different approach in the next class. All in all its a pretty cushy number though. I have 14 hours of class a week and even then if you add a generous 1 hour prep for each class on top of that im still under 30 hours a week. I have to be in work from 8 till 4 every day so that adds up to a lot of free time!

Im sure i'll expand on this in a later entry but i wanted to give an insight into what it is like to teach over here from my perspective. Its not all pretty waterfalls and drinking but is still fun, or in thai: Sanook Sanook!

Thailand is:

• putting krab or ka at the end of every sentence. Example Sawat dee krab is hello for a guy, girls use ka.
• HOT! Choose between hot and wet or hot and dry.....
• smiles everywhere. Its just the way they are over here, always smiling.
• the wai. Clasp your hands in prayer at your chest, below your chin or to your forehead and bow. The higher the wai the more respect you pay to the person you are greeting.
• food everywhere. Anything and everything on sale. From snacks to dinner you can get whatever you want, pretty much whenever you want.
• meat on sticks. Its a game to guess what the meat is!
• Rice or noodles with every meal. Usually rice though. Oh and rice based desserts too.
• Everything in a plastic bag - rice, curry, cola all served in a plastic bag as a takeaway. If its a drink you do get a straw.
• Street vendors: Often difficult to tell what they are selling, especially the guys who cook it there and then as all you can see are a jumble of ingredients. "Can i have one of whatever it is you sell?" Response is blank stare.....
• eating at the side of the road. Some vendors will have plastic tables and chairs and you can eat the food hot off the pan.
• dinner for 20 or 30 baht. That's under a euro.
• rarely wearing shoes indoors. Its impolite
• never getting angry. Its impolite and you will lose face.
• bottled water unless you want some exotic disease of the tap water.
• different toilets. Faced with a hole in the ground, no paper and a tap and bowl to one side what would you do?
• fans and AC indoors at all times. See HOT!
• not using the letters L, S, X, OR V. There are no plurals in thai, their l's sound like r's and vise versa and their v's sound like w's. X is just alien to them.
• stressing all of the above letters now that you hear them not being used.
• mosquito repellent. Your new aftershave for night time.
• tuk-tuk - a 3 wheel bike that can seat anything from 1 passenger to x passengers depending on how inventive the driver is feeling. If you get one in Bangkok try not to breathe in.....
• songthaew - a cheap taxi,its basically a covered pick up truck with two benches on the bed.
• pick up trucks. If you dont have a motorcycle then you buy one of these. Why buy a 5 seater car when you can fit at least 10 people and a million bananas on the back of this?
• motorcycle. If you cant afford a pick up you get one of these. helmet optional.
• weaving all over the road while driving. They do indicate though, most of the time.
• spicy - you dont know the meaning of the word till you try some of this stuff. dodge the chillies.
• chillies - on everything and i mean everything.
• hello teacher/ good morning teacher at all times of day followed by giggling.
• eggs all over the place in food especially but can be a dessert also.
• maybe - do we have class today? / will the students show up today? / will they do anything if they do show up?
• mai pen rai - translates roughly as "Ah well....." Applies daily
• blank faces. the regular response to any question in english.
• cheap - pretty much everything is cheap. See dinner for under a euro!
• mosquitos are everywhere after dark and you will get bitten if you arent wearing repellent.
• colours, bright colours everywhere. Pink is the king's colour.
• monarchy. just dont say anything and you may avoid being arrested.
• crap music and lots of it.
• crap tv and lots of it (not that ive seen too much, just from watchign in other people's places).
• random days off or half days. They seem to decide on the spot sometimes.
• not showing up to things on time. Its not unusual to wait for at least a half hour plus. Can range from small to big events as well. See mai pen rai.....
• no dairy - hard to get milk, very hard to get butter and i havent seen cheese yet.
• thai massage - getting brutalised by someone who uses mostley their bony forearms and hands. But still pretty relaxing.
• beer - not great and in the greater scheme of things not all that cheap either. 660ml bottle will usually go for about 100 baht in a bar.
• whiskey - ok and a good kick.
• fruit - often weird. Example: their bananas are small and chewy....
• Buddhist temples or wats all over the place.
• thai language is unique. it has its very own alphabet and there are five tones. This means that while you think you may be asking to buy something you could be insulting that person's mother or something...
• ultimately crazy but good fun!!

I'm sure i will find more stuff to add as the months go on so expect another version! Also i didnt put this in any particular order, just as it came to me so dont try reading too much into the layout.

Prison massage and Doi Suthep

One of the guys (Brian) put a message on facebook saying he was going to be in Chiang Mai if anyone cared to join him. This was music to my ears as i was bored stiff in my little town so for the second weekend in a row i went to Chiang Mai. This time i was going to attempt it on my own, emboldened from having been there with someone who knew what to do. Unfortunately i found out that there is no transport after 4pm to CM so that ruled out going Friday evening. This offered the thrilling prospect of getting up for the bus on Saturday morning for either 6, 7, 8, or 9am. Great...... So i manage this (barely) and step outside of my room into a cool blanket of fog. As i walk towards the main st to hail down the passing bus, several people walk by me. We all looked at each other the other person was crazy. This is mainly because im in a Tshirt and shorts and they are all wrapped up as if its below zero! The fog was already starting to burn off even at 7am so i was damned if i was goin to wrap up for the sake of a half hour. And lo and behold within an hour i was sweating away on the bus on my way to CM! Thai people have no tolerance for cold as they so rarely experience it so i think the 'cold' season is going to be a disappointment to me. I may at some point need a jumper....maybe.... and all the thai people will be wearing layers.

Anyway by the time i reach CM its a bloody scorcher. I book into a hostel and meet up with Brian and Nancy. They announce we are going for a thai massage in a women's prison. Now i had been looking forward to my first thai massage but i hadnt thought it would be in a prison. I went along anyway and was pleasantly surprised. We arrived in and asked for a full thai massage. We were then handed a set of 'one size fits all' trouosers and shirt and told to change. we store our gear in lockers provided and head to the massage room. We are asked to lie down on a mattress on the ground ( with a cup of green tea to relax us) and the massage begins. Now for those of you oblivious to what a thai massage entails (as i was going in) it is basically all the muscles in your legs, arms, neck, shoulders and back getting stretched and massaged by your masseuse who uses her hands, forearms, elbows and knees. you get manipulated into all sorts of weird shapes and stretches and you get very close to your masseuse in an entirely non sexual way. When she is using her elbow to cut the blood flow from the main artery in your leg (basically where your groin meets your upper leg) then you see there is nothing sexual involved! They stop the blood flow before working on your limbs which i asume makes the massage easier or better. feels weird though. Anyway i'll leave some of the rest as a surprise ( It certainly was to me) but suffice to say we were all happy with our decision afterwards. We were all alongside each other and mine was the first to start so the other two got a sneak preview of each part before it happened to them. We all had a good laugh though. we got some lunch afterwards and headed for Dio Suthep!

Doi Suthep is a mountain next to CM and is a popular tourist attraction. We got a songthaew to the top and visited the wat there. To do this you must climb the stair of 300 steps. We had a wander around and looked at the various Buddha statues and temples but the best bit is the view. You can see right down over CM and it was a truly impressive sight. A cloudless day meant it was untarnished as well. After this we tried to figure out what to do next. An enterprising songthaew driver spotted our indecision and approached us with a map. We decided to head to a waterfall before returning to the city. This a beautiful sight and a good way to wind the day down. We began climbing the various levels of it (there are 8 and we saw 3) before we got tired and returned to our waiting songthaew. we were disappointed we didnt have swimming gear as it looked like a nice cold shower!

After returning to CM and freshening up we met Cindy for dinner. The menu was a great source of entertainment as their spelling and phrasing was dodgy at best. On a placard outside it stated “It Foods, Taste Great!!”. No idea what they were looking to try with this statement but we thought it was hilarious. Anyway the food was good and the staff were friendly so all in all was a nice meal. After this we made our way to the “walking street’ or night bazaar. This is a closed off road where you can buy whatever you want. It was at least a mile long and we spent a lot of time there (along with a bit of money). I spent the most on a few presents and bits and pieces for myself and still spent less than 1000 baht or 20 euros. So while it felt like a lot at the time it really wasn’t. That’s the thing about Thailand, I’m getting used to the money and spending large amounts of it feels strange but when I convert it back it really isn’t that much. Anyway after a pleasant evenings shopping we head back to our hostels to offload our gear and meet up with Pez for some drinks. He introduces us to a workmate of his and pretty soon we are whisked away to Mandalay nightclub. In here we get some drinks and by drinks I mean a bottle of whiskey and some mixers. After the second bottle my memory gets a little hazy although I do remember being in the bathroom at one point and there was attendants there to massage your shoulders… The next day I bus it back to Li for another week’s work…

End of Week One

So at this point ive been a week here in Wiangjedee Wittaya school in Li. I had about 16 hours of classes but this is open to change i believe. I am here primarily to teach Math and Science to the Mini English Program(MEP) which is a class of about 31 kids at Matayom 1 level. This is the first year of Secondary school for Thai kids. I have English with them as well but i think my coordinator wants to take over this, its not really clear. MEP students have paid extra to be taught subjects through English such as Math and Science. I have English with Matayom 4 for a few hours also but i have 4 different classes and only have the strongest class for 2 periods a week while the other 3 i have only once a week. All in all its been an ok week. Once ive done my preparation the teaching aspect is ok and my coordinator and co-teachers seem happy with my approach. Basically i am in work from 8am till 4pm each day but some days i only have one or two periods. These days drag as there is so little to do besides sit on the computer surfing the net.

Teaching Math and Science through English is not the struggle i thought it would be. With there being a set curriculum i feel pretty happy starting each class off as i have a set idea of what i want to do. English can be a bit more vague as there isnt anything clear to teach. SO far my only complaint is the lack of things to do in the evenings. With nothing to do i usually chill in my rooms after work before going looking for dinner in the village. This usually entails walking to the market and trying to pick out something that is not too spicy. A game of spot the chillies! This wil often set me back 30 baht (less than a euro) for my entire meal. So that is the main positive about this country! After wards i have not much else to do except maybe buy a few bits and pieces in the shop like snacks and fruit at the market. I then either hit an internet cafe or head home and read and listen to music. i picked up a few second hand books in Chiang Mai last weekend so if i keep going back i should be able to keep a steady supply going.

Im usually in bed for around 9.30 or so. I have great intentions to start jogging or something after school but the problem with this is it gets dark around 6 so once i lie down i find it difficult to get up before it gets dark. Also most of the stalls and shops in the town close around 7 so i havent really seen the town of Li in full daylight yet with everything open. Hopefully i will be getting a tv soon and some english channels so i can use it in the evenings. I think i can get a sports channel and a movies channel so that should help me wile away the evenings. heading back to Chiang Mai at the weekend cos im so bored here....

A typical day in Li

6am: Security open the gate beside my house with a loud screech and a bang. Roll over.

7am: Alarm goes off, get up hit snooze, fall back to sleep.

7.10: Alarm goes off. Turn off and get up. Turn on kettle thing (electric pot jar) and electric shower. Grab towel and have shower.

7.20: Slightly more awake after shower, make coffee, eat something.

7.25: School blares crap music out of tannoy. This continues till 8am.

7.55: Leave house and head for work. Kids rush to assembly where they sing the national anthem and raise the Thai flag, some announcements also made. All in thai so i stop going after a week.

8am: Sign in and head for MEP room. Hop on the net and check emails.

8.30: First period starts. I only have this one on fridays so i usually stay on the internet or plan a lesson.

9.20-11: Maybe have class, try to teach Math/English/Science to Thai kids who giggle a lot. Ask a question and get blank looks in response.

11am: Lunch time. Head down to canteen and get a meal for about 15 baht. Lots of "hello teacher" and "good morning teacher" on the way there and back. Oh and lots of giggling of course.

11.50-4pm: Same as before lunch. Maybe have class, usually plan lessons when not teaching. Spend a lot of time on the internet. Occasionally dragged in front of a class to speak. I stay in the MEP room all day as that is where the internet is. Classes run all day in there so sometimes i get called to participate in the class.

4pm: Hometime! Sign out at front desk. "good morning teacher" + giggles.

4.05: Arrive home and flake out on bed. Read and relax, shower and change.

6pm: Go in search of dinner at the market or the few vendors around the corner from the school.

6.30: After dinner just wander around for a bit, maybe hit the internet cafe (in which all the kids play WoW style games).

8pm: Arrive back home and listen to music for a bit while reading.

9.30: Shower and bed time!

So far this is my routine but hopefully i will get a tv soon so less wandering around in the evenings and more sitting around watching crap tv!

Loy Kathrong in Chiang Mai

Its Friday and the end of a camp the MEP kids were doing. I spend the working day helping them to make presentations along with some of the other teachers. This gets them more used to my presence and voice and gradually become less scared of me (because im such a threatening figure). After all this is done and i have changed out of my workclothes i meet up with Reya and Goy who are bringing me to Chiang Mai for the weekend. First of all though we are staying in Goy's parents house for the night before heading on to CM in the morning. Its roughly halfway between Li and CM and i forget the name. Now her parents dont have great english but the dad is delighted to meet me and is constantly practising the few bits of english he has. They welcome me and show me around their home. Its quite a humble little place except for the 32" flat screen tv and the giant pickup truck. Oh and the snooker table.... They seem pretty content anyway.

The highlight of the stay for me is the crazy cat they have, called Suthee (or something to that effect). This cat had no fear and would attack anything that moved or was stationary so...anything. I try to pet him and he chews on my hand, i walk around and he attacks my feet. All in all good clean fun as he doesnt really have sharp teeth or claws so it wasnt sore. So while everyone else is babbling away in thai and doing their own thing im tormenting the cat. After a while we go outside and let some lanterns off in the garden. This is some kind of ritual to ward off spirits and you are supposed to make a wish as you release it. You light the candle at the bottom of the bag and wait till the lantern fills with hot air, then release and it floats away. Ive had a few discussions about what happens when the candle goes out but we dont know.

After this we go for some food but along the way we stop to look at the local parade. This consists of several small villages together parading through them all with their kathrongs that are going to be in a competition. Each village makes a special large one and there is a competition for the best. After watching this we get some food and then venture down to the fair where the parade ended. We sit down and watch a few things on the stage before letting off a lantern with the rest of the crowd. This was really pretty watching all the lanterns going up together. Soon after this we head home and i sleep like a log, its been a long week.

Up for 7am with the two girls we head off for Chiang Mai. The reason we are up so early is because Goy is working so myslef and Reya have the day to ourselves. I arrange to meet the two gang off the programme who i met in Bangkok and who are working in CM later in the day but first we head off to the guesthouse and nap for an hour. Reya is Filipino and has been working in Li for 3 years and knows CM pretty well so she leads us to a cheap (180 baht a night) but nice hostel. She shows me the bookstores where i stock up on some reading materials (english naturally). I get a call from Pez to say he has something to do so cant meet us till the evening so now we have a few hours free to do whatever. Reya is quite laidback so not really forthcoming with exciting ideas and i know nothing about what is here so we are at a bit of a loss really. Then i decide i want to get speakers for my creative so i can listen to music in my room and she brings me to a massive shopping centre (or mall for the americans) and i pick up a cool set for less than 1000 baht. We wander around here for the day and get tired so as the afternoon drags on we decide to go back to the hostel and relax for a bit before we meet Pez and Cindy later for food and drinks.

We meet Pez for dinner a while later and get Italian as i was craving western food. Just as we are finishing we get a call from Cindy who meets us near the Tha Pae gate (where we are and a lot of western style shops, hostels and restaurants are located). Now we go to a rooftop bar which is a bizarre little place. Situated looking down on the square beside the gate it is a hippy looking joint with no seats and tiny tables. The idea is that you sit on cushions on the floor at your tables. We have a few relaxing Leos here and head back down to the square to let off a lantern. Pez and Cindy hadnt done this yet so were excited to try it. Afterwards we head for the Ping river and float a few Kathrongs which is the main part of the festival. All of this, by the way, is with the sound of fireworks being let off left, right and centre around us. They love them over here and they are constantly being let off. Down by the river was the worst as we had people right beside us letting off screaming things. We head back to the gate slightly deafened for a nightcap before going our separate ways.

The next day i wander around a bit again before catching a 3 hour bus ride back to Li. Overall CM is a lovely city with a nice mix of Thai and Western culture without being as crazy as BKK. It helps that it is much smaller of course. There is plenty to do and see as i learn when wandering around and i think i will be back soon to do more of the touristy things but for now it was nice to have a relaxing weekend!

First day at work

I wake up having slept like a log and have a shower. A little while later Adjarn Chaweewan arrives to greet me. She is my coordinator here in Li. So she and the teachers i met last night (whose names i have forgotten) bring me to the Mini English Program (MEP) room that is to be my workplace for the next 5 months. Inside is the MEP class of 31 students who i will have for the majority of classes. They are Matayom 1 level which is the first grade of secondary school here so they are quite young. Basically their parents paid extra for them to get into this program so already i feel under pressure to do a good job. Anyway im told to get up in front of the class and introduce myself. No problem right? Well I assumed this would be a few minutes job but boy was i wrong. I got left up there for a half hour while we waited for the monk to come along and take over class for the day. It was tricky to think of stuff to say just off the bat but somehow i managed it. I took inspiration from various things dotted around the room. The local monk was teaching the kids meditation for the day once i was finished.

After this i sit outside the classroom and greet various members of staff that drop by having been tipped off about my arrival. I also talk with my coordinator about what my schedule is like and what im expected to do. by the end of the day im pretty wrecked from the heat of the day and from repeating the same spiel to all and sundry. I head back to the house and arrange to meet the other english teachers for food later. As for the accomodation, it is ok as you can see from the pics on my previous post. Its pretty spartan but i wasnt expecting hotel style furnishings so i'll manage. The important things are the mosquito mesh on all entrances into the room and the fan to cool me down in this sweltering heat. I live in a terrace with some of the other teachers who have the same rooms i do so im not isolated on my own or anything.

We head out for dinner to a place where you have a buffet of meat and veg and then on your table you get a big dish thing where you cook it all. You can turn it into a soup and fry all on the same contraption. We have a decent meal and i get to know some of my fellow teachers who all get to practice their english on me. Afterwards we play with some fireworks that they have and all have a good laugh ( they love their fireworks over here). By this time im exhausted so i go back to my room and pass out.

Arriving in Li

So after our 3 hour bus ride from Kanchanburi to Bangkok we arrive to our 1st hotel where all our coordinators are waiting for us. This is a surprise to all involved as we thought that we would have some time to freshen up. Most people had to grab luggage and got bundled into vans headed to their respective destinations. I was one of the slightly luckier ones i guess as i went with two other girls (Vanessa and Nancy) to a hotel in Bangkok with their coordinator and 6 other teachers from their school. On the way we stopped at a restaurant for dinner and had a traditional Northern Thai meal. We got to know each other a little better as all the teachers were brimming with questions for the farangs. After this we went to the hotel they had picked out and did a little shopping on the streets of Bangkok. I needed to get some clothes for work as i hadnt enough with me. Now i mentioned earlier that Bangkok is an assault on the senses but this night it took its toll. A combination of spicy food, exhaustion, dehydration and the smell of Bangkok led to me throwing my dinner back up. Luckily i had most of my shopping done by this point so we headed back to the hotel where i had a shower and jumped into bed after gulping down as much water as i could. Cue a night of no sleep, lots of vomiting in the toilet and general discomfort.

The next day we rise at 6am to leave around 8 for Bang Saen beach. I attempted to eat some breakfast but couldnt stomach thai food just yet. Bread and water kept it simple. Then we hop in to the van after a lot of "poor Alan" and head for the beach. Im comple

tely exhausted of course as i didnt sleep a wink and manage to pass out in the van for a bit. We arrive at a big deserted beach which doesnt fit the white sand and clear seas image of beaches in thailand. This is where everyone from Bangkok goes at the weekend so when we were there during the week and at 9 in the morning there was nobody around. We hop back in the van and begin our long journey north to Li and Bang Hong. Now ive taken a few long journeys in my time but never have i had so many pit stops along the way. We began stopping about every hour or so for bathroom breaks which basically meant i couldnt get any sleep which is what i needed. We stopped for food at one point where i managed to eat some fried chicken and ric

e and i also got some motilium. Also on the way the teachers were buying bags of stuff and trying to get me to sample it which i tried my best to politely decline. The girls however were not so lucky as to have an excuse like mine. They had to sample everything which was hard for Vanessa as they couldnt get their head around the idea of a vegetarian. "Only sometime?"

All of this meant i arrived in Li at about 8pm. Now i was exhausted getting up at 6 so you can

imagine what i was like by this stage. I had dinner with the teachers from Bang Hong which i also kept down (progress!) before they dropped me at my accommodation on the school grounds. So i

meet some of my fellow teachers at Vianchedi

Wattaya school. They showed me my place which consists of my bedroom/main room, bathroom and 'kitchen'. I also got to use their internet for a short time before i faded. Early to bed and in the morning i was to meet my coordinator for the

first time along with more staff and some of the kids.....

The work starts here!

P.S. These are pics of my accommodation in Li. Bedroom, Kitchen and Bathroom. I have an electric shower in the bathroom but the whole room is my cubicle, its not separate like we would have in Ireland. Also note the toilet, anything missing from this picture?

Elephants!!

Ok i have now been over a week in Thailand after orientation in Bangkok. I'll begin with the last two days of orientation which consisted of a trip to Kanchanburi and a visit to the river Kwai. We head on buses in the afternoon after our last working day of orientation and stop on the way at a restaraunt called 'Prawn Volcano' for dinner. This was a bit weird as they brought out a plate of giant prawns or something then put a plastic model of a volcano over it. The proceeded to pour what looked like white spirits over it and set it on fire.... Not sure what was going on but was fun to watch. Anyway after a hearty meal of seafood and rice we set off for our hotel. The whole bus journey was 3 hours and dinner was about halfway along. Its dark when we arrive and we are all a bit tired so we grab our bags and head for our rooms. On the way a few of us agree to look for the bar and get a nightcap before bed. So we go looking for the bar and find out its closed but a few waitresses show up and can offer us some overpriced beer. We agree and sit down for a bit with our beverages. After a while we hear splashing and laughing so some of us go to inspect. Now not all of us were at the 'bar' so we were kind of curious as to where everyone else was. We find them nightswimming at the pool! Well im feeling pretty sweaty and need a clean so i head back to my room grab my trunks and head back down for a dip. This proved refreshing and we stayed there till they kicked us out at midnight.

The next day we get up early to go elephant trekking and bamboo rafting! We hop back on our buses and a short trip later arrive at the main camp. We see our first elephants here and are treated to a little show.

Now we get split into two groups and i join the group going rafting first. We are given lifejackets and plastic bags in case our valuables get wet. Then we hop onto our rafts (four to a raft) and float calmly down the river for a while with our guide who steers it. Some of the girls even get a go at the paddle. This was really relaxing once i got over the fact that if i fell in i was going to float a long way down the river before i managed to swim to the shore.

After the rafting we got on some pickups and raced back to the elephant base. This was a bit scary as they sped along without a thought for their passengers so if you didnt hold on it was your own fault if you fell off! We got back and switched with the other group and we both assured each other the activity we had done was great. I got onto the seat on the back of the elephant with Andrew and we trundled off. The mahout looked bored but i suppose i would too if i was trekking the same route several times a day. The elephant's gait was rhythmically soothing and quite enjoyable. I was a little worried when we got to the water where the elephant wades for a bit and the mahout instructed me to take his place on the neck of the animal and he w

ould take pictures. Now i was trying to climb off the seat onto the neck while the elephant was standing in water so if i fell there would be a big splash. I survived though and we moved off again. It wasnt the most comfortable on his neck as i had to move with his shoulders or break my hip but i got some nice pics as the mahout got a bit triggy happy with my camera. After our adventures we got some lunch and headed back to the hotel for the afternoon.

We had the afternoon free and since it was a hot day we all wanted to hit the pool. There being a large group of americans they soon turned this into a mini 'Spring Break' with everyone drinking and playing games. It was a good laugh as the frisbees came out watching a few of the lads taking running jumps to catch a frisbee as it passed over the water. In the evening we went to see the Bridge over the River Kwai which is a railway bridge (still in use as we found out when we were on it) which has not been adapted for pedestrians in any way shape or form. if you slip you will land in the river and that may be the last of you. There were platforms where we could stop along the way over the bridge to take pictures and look at the view. After a while when we were walking back we were bathed in a light from behind us, then we heard a loud honk and quickly vacated the bridge as a train came rumbling by! After all this we went and had a meal and went back to the hotel again for our last night together as a group.

This obviously meant that we had to get ridiculously drunk together, i mean how else would we celebrate this event? So a drunken night of beer, drinking games, dancing at the (now open) bar and some more nightswimming was had by all. This was paid for the next day when we got on the bus back to Bangkok especially for those people who had to travel further long distances with their coordinators that evening. My next entry will focus on my quazy journey to Li via a road trip.......

P.S. Dont be afraid to leave comments, more info on this, less on that etc. I will also get around to a blog on thai culture and maybe a little language and go into how different it is from home. And believe me you cant take anything for granted over here!

Irish Guy!

After a few days in Thailand i am starting to get the hang of living in this strange country. Im picking up words here and there and can get by at buying food and greeting people kind of. Not much but if you heard the language and saw the script they use then you might give me some credit. I've now had a few days of orientation and im starting to get a little more confident about teaching. The classes we are getting to train us are fantastic and have given us all a confidence boost in our own ways. We have also had classes in thai language and culture so we understand a little bit better the ways and customs of these people. As far as tourism is concerned we were brought to the Grand Palace the other day which is pretty impressive. At the end of orientation we will be going on a 2 day trip to Kanchanburi where we will see the famous bridge over the river Kwai. While there we will get to go elephant trekking and bamboo rafting so we are all looking forward to that.

I am a little nervous about the town im going to as i havent met my coordinator yet and i dont know anything about the place. Everyone else had their coordinator arrive in Bangkok to meet them bar a small few so its a tad disappointing but something to ignore and just get on with. I had questions i wanted to ask and having spoken to a few people after they met theirs it would have been nice to get some answers. All i know is i am going to be the only farang (westerner) in the town and there are only 2 in the province i think. These being the two girls from the programme staying in a town called Lamphun. I might also be teaching Maths and Science as well as Englsih which sounds a bit weird. I dont know what level i have to teach either so all in all im being thrown in at the deep end a little i feel. The coordinator from the school in Lamphun is going to bring me along with the other teachers in her school on a little road trip on route to the town of Li. She plans to show us Bang Saen beach as well as Ayyutayah and Chiang Mai. It is a nice if a little strange offer as i dont know the woman but that's Thailand for you!

On the teaching programme there are 91 of us which is 4 times the size of the last group so everything a bit messy. Of that 91 there are 6 fo us not from the US. 3 irish including myself, 2 english and one canadian. Its all a bit crazy but we all get along and have had a fun few nights here in Bangkok so far. Im fast becoming known as "the irish guy". With my bright red hair i stand out in a crowd of white people so imagine what its like in a crowd of Thais! Anyway its strange to think that in a few days time we will all be going our separate ways across the country and might not see each other again. So we are all making the most of the week we have.

The weather here is one of the other major talking points. I mentioned before about the humidity but we are getting a fair bit of rain as well as we are at the end of the rainy season. This means that a random thunderstorm might suddenly blow in and blow out again in the space of an hour or two. And when it rains here it absolutely hammers down. Last night i was sitting in a shelterd beer garden looking out at at a crazy storm, watching the lightning flash across the sky. On that note beer is relatively cheap over here, you can usually get a 660ml bottle for under 100 baht in a bar which is about two euros. Obviously in shops its cheaper again. I havent gone too crazy yet though as i've been getting tired quite easily due to a mixture of long days and the heat. Hopefully in Li it will be less humid and more bearable but i'll also be working there so might not be a good idea to go out and get smashed during the week.....

First day in Bangkok

This is about my first full day in bangkok which was a bit interesting so im going to include it here. It starts with me getting out of bed relatively early for breakfast. I head downstairs to the restaraunt for a buffet breakfast which features everything from cereal to pork soup with rice. They serve rice with every meal here which is a tad odd and a little bit tiresome. Anyway i sit donw near some farangs who (surprise, surprise!) are teachers on my programme. We get talking about where we are all from, we are all a bit relieved to meet some others off the programme. Pretty soon there is a about a dozen of us sitting together and chatting. At this point i meet Calan who has also lost his luggage. We arrange to head into the city centre to do a spot of shopping as we dont know when our bags are going to show up and i dont have too many clothes with me in my small bag. So we head off to ring our respective baggage people and i get the good news that my bag is on route and it should arrive at the hotel that evening. Calan's is still lost in the system. Buoyed by this i head into the city anyway for a look. So myself, Calan and Mark, his roommate, all get a taxi into Siam Square where we are told there is a shopping centre (or mall) and we can get a few bits and pieces. We land at this place only to find that this mall is designer stuff and pretty expensive, im talking irish or american prices. So we ditch that and go for a walk, and this is where the fun starts.
While walking the street we are approached by a man wearing a shirt bearing the logo "tourist police". A little bit dubious we stand there and listen to this guy tell us all the wonderful things to do and see in bangkok. He shows us on a map some places to pick up clothes and sunglasses and shows us a place to get a boat ride on the river. We thank him and hop in the proferred tuk tuk in the direction of a 'sunglasses factory'. We arrive at a shifty looking shop down some alley. We are then brought inside, up the stairs and into the back room where the guy lifts a section of the wall and guides us into another back room. Now inside here is an array of items from handbags to watches and sunglasses as well. We three look at each other having realised fro definite now that we were being scammed and that the stuff in this room was most likely stolen and our 'tourist policeman' was obviously getting a cut of this transaction. Anyway Calan and i pick out some sunglasses as we needed them anyway and get a steepish price. Not quite designer shop price but by no means market stall price. We leave the smiling staff and get into our tuk tuk which has waited for us and head on to the next stage, the boat ride. Having copped what was going on we back out from the boat ride and make our escape once we arrive assuring the guys we will return the next day. On our way back towards a main road (we were down another alley) we spot a little restaraunt and decide to get some lunch. This place turns out to be delicious and we even get iced towels to cool us down which is a welcome relief in the searing heat. Afterwards we catch a taxi and head back to the hotel for some R&R. On the way we drive through a big storm which would have made our little boat ride fairly uncomfortable had we taken it. We arrange to meet up later to get some food off the street vendors near our hotel and then get some beers all of which we do without problems. We bump into a few more teachers and begin to realise how big this program is before heading for an early night before our first day of orientation in the morning. So my first full day in Bangkok and i get scammed just like every other tourist.... Oh well at least i got some sunglasses out of it!

P.S. My Irish phone is not working over here so dont bother using my number. If you wish to get in touch my thai number is +66852171920.