Since I last wrote, I finished one session of classes and began a new one. The last day of class last Thursday was great. My morning class (plus about six students I inherited for the last week from Toni, a teacher who’s out with a bad back) went out for breakfast after the final. Jan, Pui, and Pisamai took me to the Royal Grand Palace and this sweet teakwood museum, two big touristy spots in Bangkok that are pretty worth seeing. I made it back in time to give my p.m. class their final, and then we all went out to this nice restaurant for dinner. We had a lot of fun together—or at least, they had a lot of fun and I enjoyed watching them have fun (because most of the fun was in Thai). We ate a LOT, of course.
I’ll miss my students! I’m glad most of them are still around for level 2. My morning class requested to have me for level 2, but I think they like to let the students have a variety of teachers, for some reason. Anyway, I’m honored, even if the spokesperson who put in the request happened to be a male student who’s also given me fruit and snacks a few times. Hmmm.
This past weekend I went to Saraburi, a province just outside Bangkok, with Rung and Kwang. It was a business trip, to check out the campsite where the school is having “friendship camp” in a couple weeks. It was nice—I think it will be a good place to have a retreat. It was also the first time I was really aware of how hot it is. April is the hottest month of the year, and the temps are creeping up above 40C these days. I enjoy spending time with Kwang (I think I spelled it “Gwang” before). She’s May Awn’s daughter, 17 years old, and she’s such a sweetie. She’s in one of my classes this session :) When we got back to Bangkok, Rung took us to her favorite restaurant, one that’s floating in a pond. I’ve decided that if you’re at all interested in food or shopping, Bangkok is by far the best city in the world. It has SO many incredible restaurants and SO many markets. I don’t think you can even imagine it until you see it. Oh yeah, and we ate a LOT.
Last night Rung took me to see Alice in Wonderland in 3-D. It was actually the first full-length 3-D movie I’ve ever seen, and it was pretty sweet.
The beginning of this new teaching session has been so much smoother than my first. It’s satisfying and encouraging to look back and see how much I’ve adjusted over this past month. I love knowing how things work here, how to get around, order food, say a few things, teach classes, etc. And I love having friendships that are starting to get below the surface. I feel like I’m right in the middle of a pendulum swing, where I can still feel the extreme I came from (wishing I’d never come) but can anticipate where I think I’m headed (wishing I never had to leave).
Because it’s summer, there are more students this month, and also more teachers. There are a couple volunteers in their 20’s, Cassidy and Marie, who’ve done short-term overseas stints before and came here together. I feel like I connect pretty well with them, and I’m so grateful to have them around. Even though they have each other, I hope I can be a support for them if they need. Yesterday we had meetings all day and I found out what classes I was teaching, what time, and got trained for them. I have a level 3 class from 1-3 p.m. and an advanced conversation class from 7-9 p.m. I am STOKED to not have any morning classes! It seriously makes an infinite difference. My creative writing class was cancelled because not enough students signed up for it :( I guess most of the interest was from other teachers and from my level 1 students, none of whom are allowed to take a level 5 class. I’m praying that I’ll get to teach it in April, and I’m glad for more of a chance to prepare it.
Level 3 is structured fairly similarly to levels 1 and 2. I have 9 students, most of them high schoolers. Advanced conversation is very different, and I think I will like it. The structure is flexible, and the point of the class is, well, conversation. So basically we get to ask questions and talk to each other for two hours every day—it’s a class in making friends. There are only 4 or 5 people in that class, two girls around my age and two people in their 40’s or 50’s.
Isaac’s visa came through! So he’ll be here starting April 3!! The time is flying by. I have to get on the ball with making various travel plans—a trip to Chiang Mai, one to Rung’s province, one out of the country (maybe to Laos?) to renew my visa, one to the Philippines (hopefully with Isaac!!), and finally, a one-way ticket back to MN! I know I’ll be sad to leave Asia, but I am also deeply looking forward to being in Minnesota again for a little while and having a lot of good friends in close proximity. I never realized what an incredible luxury and blessing that is.
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