Thailand, an Intro

First of all, Thailand is amazing! I have never made a better choice than coming here. Not all of my group is as adventurous and me and honestly they are missing out. as a result the people I am becoming friends with are mostly the Canadian teachers who have come over here to teach for a year or more and are really into the Thai lifestyle.

Yesterday morning when I woke up I was very confused as to what to do. No one was in sight. As it turns out the 3 others at Campus 1 slept in, perhaps jet-lagged. I found a student from the University of Manitoba who had been here a week. He showed me the quickest way to walk to the school. 10 minutes later, having navigated the street-side vendors, and detoured around a Buddhist shrine we arrived at the copper-coloured school building. I think it is 7 or 8 floors high. The numbering is a bit strange. The staffroom is on the 5th floor and it looks like something out of a police show. It has whitewashed walls and a desk with a computer for each teacher to work individually. Interactions are usually only with those in your general vicinity. To offset this police station feel guests sit on plastic lawn chairs as they are much cheaper than office chairs. This first week is for planning. The students will arrive next week but I will not start teaching them seriously until the 23rd. This weekend is a long weekend due to Coronation Day and a Buddhist holiday. The first week of class the students go to Ethics camp to learn the correct way to behave in school. I will see them only for introductions during this period.

My class consists of 4 grade 6 students and during English and Social Studies we join with the grade 5s, making 16. The students in the program which I teach are paying extra for 85% English immersion rather that only 50% English immersion. This results in smaller class sizes. Everyday I must be at school from 8am until 4:30pm. Class starts at 8:40am and goes to about 3:30pm. After this, students who pay extra go to Homework Club where they have help with the mandatory 30 minute daily homework. the day starts out with Candle Ceremony, which I will describe more once it is explained to me. I teach core subjects from Manitoba curriculum: English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Students do not have recess apart from lunch recess. As a result they have time for extra classes. They take Thai language, Ethics, Music, Gym, Swimming, Computers, and Scouts. They have to learn Canadian history but also Thai history. They celebrate Canada Day. There are two pools inside the school for swimming but they don't swim past October because it is "too cold."
Teachers are greatly respected here because of the hierarchy. It goes Buddha, then the King, then parents, then teachers.

The teachers here hardly ever cook. We can buy food at the street vendors, usually for less than 30 Baht (~$1 Canadian). For breakfast I had scrambled eggs and toast for 30 Baht. For lunch I had Thai Chicken Curry for 30 Baht and a big glass bottle of Pepsi for 14 Baht. Dinner consisted of fried plantains in Carnation milk caramel sauce for 20 Baht. Once school actually starts I will have the option of free lunches. Tap water is not safe to drink but a 2 litre bottle of water costs 14 to 20 Baht and there is free filtered water at the school. I drank 3 litres and a 1 litre Pepsi yesterday.

Most streets here are narrow and lined with street vendors. People drive motorcycles mostly and even drive them on the sidewalk. Children as young as ten can be seen driving motorcycles and sometimes whole families sit on one motorcycle. Other people drive cars and public transport consists of buses, trains, and taxis.

Oh and it is safe! Women can walk alone at night here, although groups are still suggested. My apartment has 24 hour security. To walk into my apartment it goes as follows. First you enter through a big metal gate guarded by a security guard. Next you find the correct building, to get in it requires a fingerprint scan and password. Providing you are able to complete this there are high quality locks on both my apartment door and bathroom door. (By the time you figure them out I will have escaped out the window!) No stalkers, please!