Bamboo Rafting and Private Classes

Life has been normal for the past two weeks and often times I do have to remind myself that I am in Thailand. My life has taken on a nice routine and I'm very comfortable living and working here that it's hard to believe I'm in a foreign country, halfway around the world from where I grew up. The development of a "routine" has been nice and I'm definitely filling my time well. Unlike when I first arrived, having an abundance of time is no longer a problem. My afternoons and evenings are filled with students, dinner, friends, practicing the guitar and impromptu Thai lessons. Speaking of Thai, I have noticed that over the past several months my listening, reading and writing have gotten better while it seems my speaking ability has remained unchanged. My guess is this has to do with me speaking English and listening to students speak Thai all day.

I have started to teach private/extra classes to several of my students and really enjoy them. It is a great chance to chat with them one-on-one and really start to talk. I have developed relationships with the students, but it is nice to have time dedicated to this small group where we can all get to know each other better. I have been teaching them for about two weeks and we are really covering a wide spectrum of topics. I told them that I would teach them anything they wanted. They first said science and English. Gradually, they took the idea further and have claimed to want me to teach them to dance, to speak Thai amongst other things. I may have to re-think my "I'll teach you anything" statement. More importantly, during these classes we have been able to ask questions about each other and learn about the other culture. Yesterday we spend a bit of time talking about school uniforms. We talked about the different uniforms in Thailand and how the uniforms are different for primary and secondary school. We talked about how there are no uniforms in the US and which is better.

I have also (I believe) secured another position teaching English after school. My music school (where I am learning guitar) is opening a language school as well and they asked me if I wanted to come to teach there twice a week. I said sure and according to the "plan", I'll start teaching once my semester break is finished.

Speaking of semester breaks, I have only two weeks left before the end of the semester. Next week will be the final week of classes and then the following week will be filled with final exams and then I'm finished with half the school year. I remember always complaining about how teachers would cram material into the last few weeks of school and now understand how it happens. It seemed to jump from having six weeks left to only having two.

I am excited for the break. I have a good friend coming out to visit over my break (Peter Reding for those who wanted to know...And now Peter is famous!) and we are going to travel around Thailand together. Right now the plan is to have no plan and figure it out as we go. I am meeting him in Bangkok and then we are going to move on from there. This trip to Bangkok will be my first trip into the city. I have been in the airport at least a half-dozen times, but I have never left. It shocks most people.

And the last story, I went bamboo rafting last weekend and that marked my second trip to do just that. I returned to the same spot as before, so for those of you who joined me last time you know what I'm talking about. It was much more exciting the first time and you have no idea how you are going to navigate this river with nothing more than a large pole. Then you see the first rapids and think there is no way this is possible. That unknowingness was absent the second time around, but nonetheless it proved to be an enjoyable outing. I went rafting with many of the students who are now studying in Thailand with the school that I studied with. It was good to meet them and talk to them about their experiences so far and try to share a few nuggets of wisdom. I tried not to share too much since most of the really meaningful knowledge came from self-discovery. It was a wonderful trip back in time and was great to meet them.

Well, I should actually work seeing as I am at work, so I will end this update and hope that satisfies you until next time.

RM