So day 1 of teaching. I set my alarm thinking i'll get up for a swim. Wake up after having little sleep, cos this bloody sand bag of a mattress is keeping me up all night. So i decided to ditch the beach and catch some more Zzzzz. Alarm goes off, and i get up, shower and make as little noise as possible.. As i start to get out of the room i think to myself "uuurrrm i haven't set my phone clock to Thai time" DOH! i'm up an hour earlier, or should i say the right time that I could of gone down to the beach.. But no, i'm up, dressed, and hungry. I sit back jump online and to my delight my Mum's on. Have a good old natter, and Mum points out that I sould like a real Aussie, and seeing as we haven't spoken on the phone/skype for so long it must of been a shock! It was a lovely way to start the morning.. But poor Mum had to still speak to me with a gob full of food.. :-) I enjoy listening to how my little brother is getting on and it makes me miss home a bit, like home home.. Gotta make this more of a regular thing. I slurp down my coffee, brush the old teeth and jump on the scooter for my morning 40min commute up the ocean road via the gasoline shop.. I still find it funny how its not pumps, but spirit bottles filled up with it- the guy gets in about 6bottles, costing me 270B for a full tank (AUD$8.40)
The drive to the school was easy. I love the ocean road in the morning, the roads are quite, and i can wrip round the corners like a wannabe pro at all speeds.. Its funny cos you see loads of school kids in the back of trucks all in matching clothes going to school, eyballing me on my little hair dryer of a scooter. I like watching the fisher men drive down these roads with their rods awkwardly balanced on their laps obviously going out for the day.
I get there after everyone else, as they only live behind the school and notice I'm the only weird looking one there, haha...
It was like being back in school, i felt fidggety and start tapping pens, slumping in my seat and looking around the room- I want to be there but its just that hole sitting behind a desk, looking at a white board does that to me i guess...
Anyway, after all being introduced to one another and doing a few group activities i feel a bit better and i guess the clumsy, daft Lorrie comes out and I just can't stop nattering on.. We get told about allll sorts of little things, from the Royal family to "wai" to how all Thai's like to tell us "its only 100m" when in fact its probably a few hundred klicks away...
At lunch time we're told about a local joint that does 45B meals- we all head there having a gossip and sit down for lunch.. Not sure what I had, but it was yum, chicken, with spring onions and noodles and a floresent green fanta!
Heading back to class we have out Thai speaking section. Isn't as hard as I thought, but still can't remember anything... I wrote it all down, so i may make up my own flash cards and wave them at people when i want something, and hope they get my drawings? The most important sentance I need apparently is "Mai chai farang"- Which means "I'm not a tourist" Oh and also, " Chan ben ajarn" - "I'm a teacher" Which apparently here in Thailand teachers are very highly respected and even having said that when I got back tonight and told Lek what I'm doing here, and her must be only 6yr old daughter translating for me that I'm here to teach.. my meals double in size, and i get pens for free for my homework!
After class we all head to Bang Tao market. Bad move. I do like a good market. The teacher showed us round the food stalls showing us the fruits and veggies etc, and there was some craaazy looking things there for dirt cheap. Definately doing my shopping there when I can master how to drive with shopping bags on the handles. The locals seem to know us, and apparently when a new class comes in they all want to know everything and everything about us. So we've been told to keep ourselves on our best behaviour when out, as it could come back to bite us. After the group leave i decided to have a look around and test my bad Thai pleaseses and thankyous and obviously to buy some fake ass sunnys!! Oh and the hundreds of fake Mulberry bags (that brakes my heart, haha) and zillllllions on LV and Prada bags.. apparently I need all of these according to every man in the stalls.
On the drive back as I was racing some of the Aussie boys down the hill there is MASSIVE amounts of traffic which ruined my buzz back, and millions on annoying farangs (tourists) who decided on holiday to hire one out for the first one, and don't know what on earth there doing, or which way to drive and then BEEP at ME for driving around them like everybody else is doing.. Sorrrrry if i can drive?! haha
Towards Karon i notice these black objects in the sky. A little closer observation I notice they're lit up- paper lanterns. It was beautiful, magical and gave me a huge smile reminding me that this country is so spiritual yet so backwards, and I'm starting to slowing love it. I later find out that around the month of Novemeber the Buddist's realese them into the sky to rid them of their sins.. :)
I may not have wanted to come, deep down.. but slowly, I'm starting to like this... Even if i'm still trying to get this homework done. I Guess after this update I have no choice but to finish it! hhhmm, maybe 1 more ciggerette before bed time?? haha, only joking, I should get this done.
