I have settled into my new place, enjoying having a kitchen
that I can utilize when I want, and a market nearby to utilize when I don’t
want to cook. It is close to school, quiet, and has a wonderful view. I can
spend my entire weekend out on the balcony staring at a gold Buddha image in
the side of Chedi Luang, drinking tea, and surfing the internet.
My newest endeavor has me quite busy, and those mornings on
the balcony are sadly become fewer and father between. But I gladly give up
those mornings of leisure. I have been volunteering at the Burmese Migrant
Learning Center
as an ESL teacher three mornings a week. Each class is two hours long. The
people who work at the center are wonderful. Everyone is extremely friendly; on
my first day I was told I was now part of their family, they are so incredibly
happy to have me there that I have started to feel like a celebrity of some
sort.
The students are great too. They are all adults, and because
they have different motivation for learning English than my students at AUA,
the feel of the classroom is entirely different. It is a very rewarding
environment to work in, and has begun to change my outlook on being an ESL
teacher.
But I can’t lie, my favorite part of working there is LUNCH.
Everyday the teachers and other people who work at the center have lunch
together. Amazing Burmese dishes that vary everyday. Spicy, sweet, pickled,
curried, it’s all there and all delicious. I haven’t eaten anything that I
didn’t like yet. Although I have learned to eat first, ask questions second or
not at all. Sometimes you just don’t want to know, as your western
sensibilities get in the way of enjoyment.
The center is about a half hour bike ride away from my
house. Not bad in the cool air of the morning despite the traffic; but it can
be quite a challenge midday on my way back, with the sun, car fumes, and heat
radiating off the asphalt. But the exercise is great, and I don’t feel guilty when
I take a quick siesta before heading off to work.
http://www.educationburma.net/migrant_learning_center.html
