Today was a really cool day. There's this awesome lady named Pat who works at Chitralada and she is quickly becoming a grandma figure to Tiller and I - she's great. She's been working at the Palace school for years and years and has taken it upon herself to make our transition into this completely different world as seamless as possible. Pat somehow found out that Tiller and I would really like to have a Thai silk suit tailored for each of us, and she pulled us aside yesterday and said that there is a great seamstress who frequents the school and will tailor virtually anything for you! So, of course we were immediately interested, and today the seamstress came! We were introduced and handed two books chock-full of beautiful Thai attire. Most Thai women have several silk suits that they wear for special occassions, which appear to occur quite often here - the Thais love any reason to celebrate! Anyways, we thumbed through the books and found a beautiful skirt suit (yes, we picked the same style :) and then were measured after telling the seamstress which colors we would like. I, of course, requested a coral/peony pink colored suit, lol. It's cool because the seamstress is going to pick the Thai silk herself and when we get to see the suits early next week, what they look like will be kind of a surprise! Pat is such a sweet woman, and one who is highly looked up to at the school. She works in an office with a couple of women who practically run the school, and we were surprised to be able to go in there, lol.
Today was also a great teaching day. I taught 5 year-olds about clothing, ie: buttoning and zipping up, putting on a hat, what one wears to the beach, etc. and it was SO fun! The kids got a kick out of seeing me put on different types of clothing and trying to demonstrate wearing sunglasses, a sunhat and a sundress to the beach, wearing my raincoat in the rain or my strawberry pajama pants to bed...they were just in stitches as I threw the clothing on and off like a clown. Then we did a game where I divided the class into 3 teams and I had the person at the head of each team's line run to the pile of clothes that corresponded with a location picture that I held up. I was really hesitant to try a game like this because the language barrier can be SO frustrating. Usually even the simplest of instructions can take massive amounts of charade-like behavior (on my part) to ge the point across, but the kids picked up on the game incredibly quickly! They were SO into it, and I was just ecstatic to see that the language barrier does not have to dictate my classroom activities. After the game, we had workbook time and did some review from past lessons, and at one point, I was helping a student one-on-one with some spelling, and when I turned around to see what the rest of the class was up to, I saw a huge clump of kiddos trying on all of the clothing props I had modeled at the beginning of class. It was just about the cutest thing ever. One of the girls was proudly modeling my beach dress, one of the boys was sporting my bright yellow sunglasses coolly, and several others were just cracking up on the floor over the whole dress-up-behind-the-teacher's-back situation - it was hilarious!
If I've learned one thing so far, it's that teaching little kids brings so much joy. At first, I was so worried about messing up and not meeting people's expectations, but I've learned that class can be messy, fun, crazy and simply hilarious - AND the kiddos can still learn. I never expected to like being around that many kids so much, but they just have a way of changing one's perspective on each day for the better.
The day ended with a yoga session that Tiller and I signed up for yesterday. We had no clue what the class would be like, but had heard that one of the teachers would be leading the class after school, so we changed into shorts and t-shirts and booked it toward a makeshift yoga room on campus. We were late, but somehow happened to be the first ones there (I'm beginning to notice a looseness about being on time here). Then we saw some of the older women teachers trickle in with their yoga mats and stretchy pants - no, we didn't have mats, and we were the only ones in shorts, lol. Hey, you live and you learn, right? Luckily, one of the teachers lent us these lawn chair type cushions to use as sudo yoga mats, and by the time we hit the first position, Tiller and I began to laugh, not so subtlely. The instructor had us place pressure on our noses in an alterating motion with our thumbs and pinky fingers, while moving our heads up and down...it was so weird/funny, and we were already in a giggly mood over the awkwardness of not having mats and being in shorts, so you can imagine that it was hard to remain composed. Then, we did these spread eagle moves and ab-intensive lean backs that made my whole core area shake like a phone on vibrate - it was pretty entertaining to watch I'm sure! But, we decided that it would be a great Tuesday activity to commit to, and we could always use more intensive exposure to Thai. I think I've got numbers 1-10 down-pat as the yoga instructor repeated them several times with each position. I think it's nung, song, sam, sea, ha, ho, jet, pat, cow, sip. See, I'm learning Thai!
Okay, I'm starting to ramble and it's getting late...off to bed.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
wildlife
Okay, so I forgot to mention the wildlife I have seen so far in my first blog. There's somewhat of a moat that surrounds the school, and in it live these MASSIVE lizards! When we saw them for the first time, we thought they were alligators or crocs, but it turns out they're called Monitor Lizards - they're really intimidating, but they actually run from humans, which is comforting, lol. They move really slow and I saw one crawling out of the water and trying (unsuccessfully) to shimmy through a gate - it was pretty sweet.
Then, get this...there are peacocks that live on the palace grounds as well! So cool, right? I've seen them several times (it might be the same one - I'm not sure), and they're so beautiful. We are in the beginning of the monsoon season, and the other day, I saw one camping out from the downpoor right outside of my office window! I saw one run today too, and realized that I NEVER want to be chased by one of those things. They're necks protrude forward and shoot backwards quickly as they run, and I'm pretty sure they could do some serious damage with that beak...I'll be enjoying them from a distance :)
Hmmm, what else? I have yet to see an elephant. Apparently there are some small elephants that are used as tourist attractions throughout part of the city, but I don't want to see them because I heard they're maltreated and chained like 24/7. We do plan on going to Lampang, which is in the north, where there is an elephant conservation and you can spend a whole day with an elephant! We can ride them there as well, so I'm really looking forward to that!
There are also some HUGE black birds that live in close proximity to the school. We see them every time we walk to the bank and they look like crows on steroids with really big curved beaks. Tiller and I deposited our paychecks in the bank today, and when we were walking back, she jolted all of a sudden and said, "Ow!" When she touched her head to see what had hit her, she felt a huge clump of bird poop! It was more like a bird dump I'm sorry to say. I think it was one of those massive black birds. She's such a good sport, though, and just laughed it off until we got back to school...it was pretty funny.
I'm glad to report that I haven't encountered too many bugs, just the typical mosquito and ant here and there; however, I was walking through a little strand of street vendors the other day and saw a pretty impressive array of insects being sold as snacks. There were crickets, beetles, worms and these monstrous (we're talking a good 2.5 inches by 1 inch) cockroach looking things - DISGUSTING! I tried to take a picture, but was scolded by the vendor...oops. I don't care if they are "a great source of protein," I'm definitely not trying them, sick out. I did notice a girl about my age ordering a bag full of worms or something, though. She was a brave soul.
Well, that's it for now. Hope all is well!!
Then, get this...there are peacocks that live on the palace grounds as well! So cool, right? I've seen them several times (it might be the same one - I'm not sure), and they're so beautiful. We are in the beginning of the monsoon season, and the other day, I saw one camping out from the downpoor right outside of my office window! I saw one run today too, and realized that I NEVER want to be chased by one of those things. They're necks protrude forward and shoot backwards quickly as they run, and I'm pretty sure they could do some serious damage with that beak...I'll be enjoying them from a distance :)
Hmmm, what else? I have yet to see an elephant. Apparently there are some small elephants that are used as tourist attractions throughout part of the city, but I don't want to see them because I heard they're maltreated and chained like 24/7. We do plan on going to Lampang, which is in the north, where there is an elephant conservation and you can spend a whole day with an elephant! We can ride them there as well, so I'm really looking forward to that!
There are also some HUGE black birds that live in close proximity to the school. We see them every time we walk to the bank and they look like crows on steroids with really big curved beaks. Tiller and I deposited our paychecks in the bank today, and when we were walking back, she jolted all of a sudden and said, "Ow!" When she touched her head to see what had hit her, she felt a huge clump of bird poop! It was more like a bird dump I'm sorry to say. I think it was one of those massive black birds. She's such a good sport, though, and just laughed it off until we got back to school...it was pretty funny.
I'm glad to report that I haven't encountered too many bugs, just the typical mosquito and ant here and there; however, I was walking through a little strand of street vendors the other day and saw a pretty impressive array of insects being sold as snacks. There were crickets, beetles, worms and these monstrous (we're talking a good 2.5 inches by 1 inch) cockroach looking things - DISGUSTING! I tried to take a picture, but was scolded by the vendor...oops. I don't care if they are "a great source of protein," I'm definitely not trying them, sick out. I did notice a girl about my age ordering a bag full of worms or something, though. She was a brave soul.
Well, that's it for now. Hope all is well!!
Friday, June 12, 2009
living the thai life
Hello all!
So this is my first experience in the blog world and I always swore I'd never be a blogger. For some reason I associated blogging with publishing one's innermost thoughts and emotions for the world to read, which is so not my style, but I figure it's the easiest and best way to document my Thailand adventure.
Well, I just finished week three of my Bangkok stay, and can honestly say that I'm really enjoying my time here! It's been such a whirlwind since I graduated two days before I moved to Southeast Asia, and began orientation for teaching the day after I arrived - we didn't get much time to process this whole thing, but that was probably good. I've learned that sometimes you have to just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and jump into a new, life-changing adventure. That's what I feel like I've done!
There are fourteen of us teachers from Baylor (9 of which are at Chitralada, the school I'm teaching at). There are also four teachers from Sacramento, California who are teaching at Chitralada as well. We have great community among us so far, and I've made a couple of really great friends already. There are four of us girls that hang out all the time: Me, Tiller (my sorority sister), Lynn and Christy. We have such a great time just laughing and wandering around Bangkok.
I'm not really sure where to begin in explaining everything that's happened on this adventure so far, so I'll start with some highlights:
1. Meeting Members of the Royal Family and Chitralada Palace School:
So, I know you're all curious about the royal family and if I'll get to meet them and whatnot. Just to give some background information, the King and Queen are virtually deified in Thailand. You see pictures of them EVERYWHERE and it's incredibly impolite to talk about them in public. The King is actually the longest reigning monarch in the world, and unfortunately, he is no longer in great health, but I believe he can still get around to some degree. The school I teach at is called Chitralada Palace School, and it is the King's school. There is also a Queen's school in Bangkok, but I don't know anything about it. Chitralada is technically a public school, but it has a private school feel. The children that go there are pretty well off (or so I've been told), but their parents do not pay tuition, instead, the school runs on donations, which I believe are mostly given by the parents and families of those enrolled.
The Crowned Prince's son, Prince T. is currently enrolled in the kindergarten at Chitralada. He's four years old and is just adorable. The first time Tiller and I met him, we were told to curtsy. He goes to class like the other students, but he is constantly surrounded by his people, ie: guards, his photographer, and his doctors are always in the close vicinity. Tiller and I have had our pictures taken with him several times - eek! Tiller is teaching him English this semester, and there is a chance that I will be teaching him next semester. I heard that he studied English abroad, so I think he knows quite a bit already for someone his age.
Speaking of meeting members of the royal family, Tiller and I were caught majorly off-guard about a week and a half ago. We had heard that Prince T.'s mom (the Crowned Prince's wife) was dropping him off at school that morning, but we didn't know exactly what she looked like or when she'd be there - (he tends to arrive at different times each day). So we were just watching all of the kindergartners arrive and noticed that Prince T. had a bit larger than usual crowd surrounding him, so we figured someone important was around, then, before we knew it, his mom came over to us and introduced herself as "his mom" while pointing in the direction of her son. We were so nervous when we realized who she was and half-curtsied/ half-bowed as we said, "Sawadeeka," which is hello in Thai. She was so friendly, though, and it was an honor to meet her!
The third encounter with royalty so far was actually today. One of the King's daughters, the beloved Princess of Thailand, came to Chitralada in honor of the school's opening of the Chinese department. It was a huge deal and we were all told to buy suits for her appearance. She came at 2:00, and all of us teachers lined up to curtsy and smile as she passed by. Her entourage of cream colored Mercedes was HUGE...there were probably 20 cars in all! We actually shook hands with the Chinese ambassador (who was there in honor of the Chinese department celebration), and then curtsied as she passed by. We were only like 4 feet from her, it was so cool! She's known as the beloved Princess of Thailand because she chose to never marry, but instead, considers herself as married to Thailand and its people. Seeing her was such an honor because she is a highly revered woman.
It is such an honor to get to work at this school, and it's so fascinating to see such an intimate part of Thai culture firsthand. I don't know if I'll ever get to see the King or Queen, but I think there are huge celebrations for their birthdays, in which case, we'll probably get to see them pass by.
2. Adventures in Food:
So the food situation here is one of the most interesting parts of this cultural experience. The stereotype is true, they do in fact eat rice with EVERY meal. I don't eat it for breakfast like the locals do, but I do have it everyday with lunch, which is served at the school. Lunch usually consists of a couple of meat choices (oftentimes unidentifiable meat), a really spicy dish either in the form of a curry or a soup, sometimes a dish with veggies in it, and an extremely odd dessert. They serve a lot of chicken, fish and pork, but sometimes the meat dishes are a bit like mystery meat. It's not uncommon to see fish soup with all of the bones and parts thrown in, they also serve fish balls that look like gray, rubbery things a little smaller than ping pong balls. Some of it is really good though, like the curry dishes with rice, or sometimes we get an omelet to accompany white rice, which is surprisingly delightful.
The desserts are by far the most fascinating. The first day we ate at the school, the dessert was a big jug full of green, wiggly, squirmy, wormy looking things that you eat in a bowl with crushed ice and coconut milk on top. I actually kind of enjoyed it. They're really into gelatinous desserts that are oftentimes served in the form of balls with a shredded coconut coating. They also really like little squares of lightly flavored, firm gelatin with fruit in a sweet, clear syrup or coconut milk. My favorite dessert so far is a little reeses peanut butter cup-sized serving of sticky rice with a sweet, toffee-colored topping. I also really want to try sticky rice with sliced mango and coconut milk on top - that sounds really arroy (yummy in Thai).
There are also tons and tons of street food vendors throughout the city. They sell a lot of meat kabobs and sliced fruit, but I haven't really been brave enough to sample food from the street stands just yet. The city seems so dirty with all of the smog, and it's usually full of really unpleasant smells, so I haven't found the street vendor option to be all that appealing just yet. I'll be here for about a year, so I'm sure I'll be trying it all in due time :)
3. Weekend trip to the Island of Ko Samet:
Last weekend, we all went on our first mini-vacation to the island of Ko Samet. 18 of us went and it took about 3 hours to get there from Bangkok by van and speedboat. It was a beautiful beach with white sands and clear blue water. The girls and I stayed in a bungalow with two queen-sized beds about 20 paces from the water - it was phenomenal. We pretty much just relaxed the whole weekend, enjoyed good food, the sun (a little too much because most of us got sunburned), the warm water, and good company. Our friends Audrey and Stephen graduated from Baylor a couple of years ago and have been living and teaching English in Thailand for a shade over a year, and they helped us get to Ko Samet and figure out the van and speedboat system. It was such a nice and relaxing weekend away from the city that I would like to go back a few times if possible!
4. Learning to be a Kindergarten Teacher:
Each day that I've taught has been a huge learning experience for me. I never realized how complicated it'd be to teach English to 3-5 year-olds, some of whom don't speak a lick of English. It's definitely a challenge to keep 17 kids interested and attentive for about an hour, but they are all so precious and fun, that even if my lesson plan gets fudged a bit, they make me smile and laugh a lot. I was given a curriculum to follow for my 4 and 5 year-olds, but Tiller and I have to make up our own for the 3's. I've learned that teaching such young children requires an abundant amount of energy (or at least the appearance of it). It's like performing charades or doing an act on stage when I teach, but I'm up for the challenge, and am so excited to see my kiddos grow in their understanding of the English language.
I honestly never pictured myself as a teacher before this experience, but I see now how people grow to love it. It's really encouraging and sweet to see how excited the kids are to see Tiller and I each day - they all just scream, "Teachah Erin!" or "Teachah Ashley!" It's so cute.
Also, for a little extra money, we are allowed to tutor on the side, and I was recently asked by a Thai teacher if I could help her learn English. I said yes, of course, but I need to figure out how best to tutor an adult...am I qualified for this I wonder? lol.
Wow, I think that about covers a lot for now. I'd love to hear from you, and thanks for reading my blog!!
So this is my first experience in the blog world and I always swore I'd never be a blogger. For some reason I associated blogging with publishing one's innermost thoughts and emotions for the world to read, which is so not my style, but I figure it's the easiest and best way to document my Thailand adventure.
Well, I just finished week three of my Bangkok stay, and can honestly say that I'm really enjoying my time here! It's been such a whirlwind since I graduated two days before I moved to Southeast Asia, and began orientation for teaching the day after I arrived - we didn't get much time to process this whole thing, but that was probably good. I've learned that sometimes you have to just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and jump into a new, life-changing adventure. That's what I feel like I've done!
There are fourteen of us teachers from Baylor (9 of which are at Chitralada, the school I'm teaching at). There are also four teachers from Sacramento, California who are teaching at Chitralada as well. We have great community among us so far, and I've made a couple of really great friends already. There are four of us girls that hang out all the time: Me, Tiller (my sorority sister), Lynn and Christy. We have such a great time just laughing and wandering around Bangkok.
I'm not really sure where to begin in explaining everything that's happened on this adventure so far, so I'll start with some highlights:
1. Meeting Members of the Royal Family and Chitralada Palace School:
So, I know you're all curious about the royal family and if I'll get to meet them and whatnot. Just to give some background information, the King and Queen are virtually deified in Thailand. You see pictures of them EVERYWHERE and it's incredibly impolite to talk about them in public. The King is actually the longest reigning monarch in the world, and unfortunately, he is no longer in great health, but I believe he can still get around to some degree. The school I teach at is called Chitralada Palace School, and it is the King's school. There is also a Queen's school in Bangkok, but I don't know anything about it. Chitralada is technically a public school, but it has a private school feel. The children that go there are pretty well off (or so I've been told), but their parents do not pay tuition, instead, the school runs on donations, which I believe are mostly given by the parents and families of those enrolled.
The Crowned Prince's son, Prince T. is currently enrolled in the kindergarten at Chitralada. He's four years old and is just adorable. The first time Tiller and I met him, we were told to curtsy. He goes to class like the other students, but he is constantly surrounded by his people, ie: guards, his photographer, and his doctors are always in the close vicinity. Tiller and I have had our pictures taken with him several times - eek! Tiller is teaching him English this semester, and there is a chance that I will be teaching him next semester. I heard that he studied English abroad, so I think he knows quite a bit already for someone his age.
Speaking of meeting members of the royal family, Tiller and I were caught majorly off-guard about a week and a half ago. We had heard that Prince T.'s mom (the Crowned Prince's wife) was dropping him off at school that morning, but we didn't know exactly what she looked like or when she'd be there - (he tends to arrive at different times each day). So we were just watching all of the kindergartners arrive and noticed that Prince T. had a bit larger than usual crowd surrounding him, so we figured someone important was around, then, before we knew it, his mom came over to us and introduced herself as "his mom" while pointing in the direction of her son. We were so nervous when we realized who she was and half-curtsied/ half-bowed as we said, "Sawadeeka," which is hello in Thai. She was so friendly, though, and it was an honor to meet her!
The third encounter with royalty so far was actually today. One of the King's daughters, the beloved Princess of Thailand, came to Chitralada in honor of the school's opening of the Chinese department. It was a huge deal and we were all told to buy suits for her appearance. She came at 2:00, and all of us teachers lined up to curtsy and smile as she passed by. Her entourage of cream colored Mercedes was HUGE...there were probably 20 cars in all! We actually shook hands with the Chinese ambassador (who was there in honor of the Chinese department celebration), and then curtsied as she passed by. We were only like 4 feet from her, it was so cool! She's known as the beloved Princess of Thailand because she chose to never marry, but instead, considers herself as married to Thailand and its people. Seeing her was such an honor because she is a highly revered woman.
It is such an honor to get to work at this school, and it's so fascinating to see such an intimate part of Thai culture firsthand. I don't know if I'll ever get to see the King or Queen, but I think there are huge celebrations for their birthdays, in which case, we'll probably get to see them pass by.
2. Adventures in Food:
So the food situation here is one of the most interesting parts of this cultural experience. The stereotype is true, they do in fact eat rice with EVERY meal. I don't eat it for breakfast like the locals do, but I do have it everyday with lunch, which is served at the school. Lunch usually consists of a couple of meat choices (oftentimes unidentifiable meat), a really spicy dish either in the form of a curry or a soup, sometimes a dish with veggies in it, and an extremely odd dessert. They serve a lot of chicken, fish and pork, but sometimes the meat dishes are a bit like mystery meat. It's not uncommon to see fish soup with all of the bones and parts thrown in, they also serve fish balls that look like gray, rubbery things a little smaller than ping pong balls. Some of it is really good though, like the curry dishes with rice, or sometimes we get an omelet to accompany white rice, which is surprisingly delightful.
The desserts are by far the most fascinating. The first day we ate at the school, the dessert was a big jug full of green, wiggly, squirmy, wormy looking things that you eat in a bowl with crushed ice and coconut milk on top. I actually kind of enjoyed it. They're really into gelatinous desserts that are oftentimes served in the form of balls with a shredded coconut coating. They also really like little squares of lightly flavored, firm gelatin with fruit in a sweet, clear syrup or coconut milk. My favorite dessert so far is a little reeses peanut butter cup-sized serving of sticky rice with a sweet, toffee-colored topping. I also really want to try sticky rice with sliced mango and coconut milk on top - that sounds really arroy (yummy in Thai).
There are also tons and tons of street food vendors throughout the city. They sell a lot of meat kabobs and sliced fruit, but I haven't really been brave enough to sample food from the street stands just yet. The city seems so dirty with all of the smog, and it's usually full of really unpleasant smells, so I haven't found the street vendor option to be all that appealing just yet. I'll be here for about a year, so I'm sure I'll be trying it all in due time :)
3. Weekend trip to the Island of Ko Samet:
Last weekend, we all went on our first mini-vacation to the island of Ko Samet. 18 of us went and it took about 3 hours to get there from Bangkok by van and speedboat. It was a beautiful beach with white sands and clear blue water. The girls and I stayed in a bungalow with two queen-sized beds about 20 paces from the water - it was phenomenal. We pretty much just relaxed the whole weekend, enjoyed good food, the sun (a little too much because most of us got sunburned), the warm water, and good company. Our friends Audrey and Stephen graduated from Baylor a couple of years ago and have been living and teaching English in Thailand for a shade over a year, and they helped us get to Ko Samet and figure out the van and speedboat system. It was such a nice and relaxing weekend away from the city that I would like to go back a few times if possible!
4. Learning to be a Kindergarten Teacher:
Each day that I've taught has been a huge learning experience for me. I never realized how complicated it'd be to teach English to 3-5 year-olds, some of whom don't speak a lick of English. It's definitely a challenge to keep 17 kids interested and attentive for about an hour, but they are all so precious and fun, that even if my lesson plan gets fudged a bit, they make me smile and laugh a lot. I was given a curriculum to follow for my 4 and 5 year-olds, but Tiller and I have to make up our own for the 3's. I've learned that teaching such young children requires an abundant amount of energy (or at least the appearance of it). It's like performing charades or doing an act on stage when I teach, but I'm up for the challenge, and am so excited to see my kiddos grow in their understanding of the English language.
I honestly never pictured myself as a teacher before this experience, but I see now how people grow to love it. It's really encouraging and sweet to see how excited the kids are to see Tiller and I each day - they all just scream, "Teachah Erin!" or "Teachah Ashley!" It's so cute.
Also, for a little extra money, we are allowed to tutor on the side, and I was recently asked by a Thai teacher if I could help her learn English. I said yes, of course, but I need to figure out how best to tutor an adult...am I qualified for this I wonder? lol.
Wow, I think that about covers a lot for now. I'd love to hear from you, and thanks for reading my blog!!
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