Once again, I know I’ve been slacking on the blogs. The truth is I’ve been very busy working and traveling. I remember about 2 months ago I was sitting at home in the hammock reading and thinking about how absolutely bored I was (yeah, seriously, I’m crazy). I talked to my American mom that day and was complaining a bit when she reminded me to enjoy it while I have it because I would wish I had that kind of time later. When she said this I imagined she was talking about two years in the future when I was home and working hard-core American style around the clock. Nope. About one week later I started working and I haven’t slowed down since.
My typical week consists of teaching Monday-Thursday, English after-school clubs on Tuesdays and Wednesday, Language exchange with a science professor at the university, working on my community project (regional teacher trainings) on Fridays, and traveling on the weekends. I’m actually exhausted, and I still have to write a couple more pages in my recent training manual before going to bed. Oh, and I’m heading to Chiang Rai this weekend (it’s in northern Thailand – 21 hour bus ride).
Apparently my house has become the after-school hangout for the neighbor kids. I get it though. I have the hammock, which doubles as a swing. I have ping-pong. I have darts. I have a ball that bounces. I have stickers (thanks mom!). If I were still 11 years old I’d be hanging out here too. I taught them how to say, “Can I please have darts?” which has actually backfired.
Last week I was pretty sick and needed a nap every afternoon. I was trying to sleep when they started knocking on the front door (I taught them that too. Thais just usually stand outside your house and yell). I decided to ignore them, but Thai kids just don’t know when to quit. After about 5 minutes of this I think they realized that I wasn’t going to answer. That’s when they started knocking on the windows.
Them: Ajaan Kelleeeee. Can I please have darts?
Me: No! I’m sleeping.
Them: Can I please have darts?
Me: No!
Them: Yes!
Me: NO! I’m sick. Go home.
Them: Can I please have darts Ajaan Kelleeeee?
Me: Go away! I hate you! I will kill you, and then you will be dead (in English)!
Them (whispering to each other): Ajaan Kelleeee sleep.
Them (again, yelling): Can I please have darts?
I finally got up and explained that I was sick and needed to sleep. It took that to get them to go home. Then they stayed away for a week.
My typical week consists of teaching Monday-Thursday, English after-school clubs on Tuesdays and Wednesday, Language exchange with a science professor at the university, working on my community project (regional teacher trainings) on Fridays, and traveling on the weekends. I’m actually exhausted, and I still have to write a couple more pages in my recent training manual before going to bed. Oh, and I’m heading to Chiang Rai this weekend (it’s in northern Thailand – 21 hour bus ride).
Apparently my house has become the after-school hangout for the neighbor kids. I get it though. I have the hammock, which doubles as a swing. I have ping-pong. I have darts. I have a ball that bounces. I have stickers (thanks mom!). If I were still 11 years old I’d be hanging out here too. I taught them how to say, “Can I please have darts?” which has actually backfired.
Last week I was pretty sick and needed a nap every afternoon. I was trying to sleep when they started knocking on the front door (I taught them that too. Thais just usually stand outside your house and yell). I decided to ignore them, but Thai kids just don’t know when to quit. After about 5 minutes of this I think they realized that I wasn’t going to answer. That’s when they started knocking on the windows.
Them: Ajaan Kelleeeee. Can I please have darts?
Me: No! I’m sleeping.
Them: Can I please have darts?
Me: No!
Them: Yes!
Me: NO! I’m sick. Go home.
Them: Can I please have darts Ajaan Kelleeeee?
Me: Go away! I hate you! I will kill you, and then you will be dead (in English)!
Them (whispering to each other): Ajaan Kelleeee sleep.
Them (again, yelling): Can I please have darts?
I finally got up and explained that I was sick and needed to sleep. It took that to get them to go home. Then they stayed away for a week.
The newest addition to the Beach beach-house is the new dog. It seems the word has gotten out in the dog community here in the coconut grove because I came home from my last weekend away (in Phitsanulok – I bowled and drank with 10 other volunteers) to find an extra dog just hanging around. The neighbors were laughing, and I kept trying to explain that I didn’t want another dog. That means nothing. He won’t go away and he eats the leftovers of the dog I already had. He has even started sneaking into the kitchen and hiding on the side of the washing machine. He’s desperate for attention and just really wanted a home. So I started feeding it – now I have two dogs. His name is Glua, which means “scared” because he seems afraid of everything. If you say it in a different tone it means “salty”, which I’m not opposed to as a name either.
Random Info:
-I got a 2 free days in Khon Kaen for safety training – LOTS of karaoke.
-I found that I can go on a day trip to Surat Thani (2 hour bus ride) to see my friend Roxy and eat pizza on Sundays, if I’m home.
-I heard gas is up to $4.50… probably more in LA. I have no clue how y’all are doing that.
-There is a former volunteer who lives in my town. He teaches at the university.
-I’ve been offered several jobs as a professor.
-The university in my area is hiring a native English speaker to teach classes. Seems you don’t need any sort of credentials either, if anyone wants to come teach on the coast of Thailand for awhile. I’d take it if I didn’t already have a job.
-I got a 2 free days in Khon Kaen for safety training – LOTS of karaoke.
-I found that I can go on a day trip to Surat Thani (2 hour bus ride) to see my friend Roxy and eat pizza on Sundays, if I’m home.
-I heard gas is up to $4.50… probably more in LA. I have no clue how y’all are doing that.
-There is a former volunteer who lives in my town. He teaches at the university.
-I’ve been offered several jobs as a professor.
-The university in my area is hiring a native English speaker to teach classes. Seems you don’t need any sort of credentials either, if anyone wants to come teach on the coast of Thailand for awhile. I’d take it if I didn’t already have a job.
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