Between the adventures to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and everywhere else inbetween-I technically am here to teach English. This has been my first week of full teaching, sans holidays and I have really been trying to settle in (since I have a whole 3 weeks left...). I am finally getting to know my students and get a feel for the atmosphere and personality of each class. So far I've noticed a few things about my Thai students...
General Rules for Thai High School students:
1. No matter what I am explaining, how quickly, or slowly I go over it-when I ask the million dollar question-"Does that make sense? Do you understand?"-do NOT answer me. Do not give me any indication of your comprehension. Stare blankly ahead at me. Do not frown, or furrow your brow, or nod your head in agreement. Please keep me, the teacher, as clueless as possible as to your understanding.
I need to come dressed in a clown suit or a bikini (now THAT would scare everyone) to get some sort of a reaction from these kids! After a week of this from my classes-I have requested again and again that they at least nod their heads "yes", or shake their heads "no" when I ask a question. Apparently any verbal answer is just out of the question-but I am so frustrated! Their English textbooks are quite advanced, so I want to make sure that I'm not boring them or teaching them things they already know-but dear lord you would think I was either mute, or speaking in tongues.
2. Giggle at me when you pass me in the hallway 15 times a day. Everytime you see me-the white girl-PLEASE giggle. I need to know that you think I look funny. If you are really brave you can mock me by saying "Good MORNING!" in a sing-song tone back when I say it to you. If you are a Thai teenage boy-shout "I LOOOVE YOU!" loudly and giggle. This pleases me at 8 am when it is 100 degrees outside and I am sweating. I enjoy this. Especially 3 weeks in when you are well aware that there is a white girl running around your school.
3. Come late to class. Everyone talks about "Thai time", and truly-teachers and students alike stroll into class like they are promenading on the boardwalk. I usually end up waiting 10 or 15 minutes (out of my 50 minute classes) for everyone to show up. I have to start my lesson, and no one comes on time, but of course when they do decide to show up, they insist on asking, "Teacher may I come in?", disrupting the lesson and the rest of the students.
Ok enough of the ranting. Once everyone can get past the crazy white girl who has the weird accent and settles down, the students are great for the most part. There are always a few boys in my classes who try to be jokesters, or the "it" guy. What is up with teenage boys? It must be the hormones. How did I ever, EVER, find that attractive in high school? What was I thinking? Sadly I think the last question is something I'll be asking myself for the rest of my life.
Highlight of the day was definitely when a group of students came up to Crystal and I, with the lyrics to "My Heart Will Go On" printed out and insisted that we serenade them. It was 3:30 pm, it was deliriously hot, and I had been up since 5:30-why the hell not? We gave it our all-hand gestures and all. What a power ballad-I think we did Celine proud.
Not much else has been going on this week. My host brother is home for the week as his school closed for a swine-flu outbreak. Lets hope I don't start coming down with anything...Our school isn't closing, but a lot of the students have been wearing medical masks. It looks kind of funny to see people in everyday life wearing them to Americans, but in reality, and especially given my germ0phobia, its a great ida and I am warming up to it. Now if they could only put soap in the bathrooms so that people could wash their hands (out of the thousands of bathrooms I have visited in this great country, only 2 have had soap so far), they would really be on the right track. Note to future Thailand travelers: Hand sanitizer. It has been my saving grace.
All for now, miss everyone and keep those emails coming! :)
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