19 May 2007

I survived the first week of school, unlike last year I still have a voice (though it now has a slight husky quality in a very unsexy way), the kids here have no sense of discipline, they don't know about standing in straight lines and some of them find it impossible to stay in their seats, there has been shouting (me not them), there has been line writing and break missing, parents written to and the naughty chair has been used, nearly had one boy in tears, oh I'm so mean, I'm hoping for the dragon reputation (goes with the red hair). So we will see how we go next week.

I'm still really liking the new school, the sense of community is much stronger but because it is so much bigger than Chockchai each department has quite rigid policies and child centered learning has in part been sacrificed for curriculum centered learning in order to keep all the classes at any particular level on the same page (literally, especially math which is run by a
Sth African who suffers from megalomania).

My Teaching assistant (you are all dying to know) is really sweet, she again has no control over the kids but what she does in her lessons on the whole discipline front is up to her (though of course it has a negative flow on effect in my classes and the Thai language teachers are even worse).

A week later and this is shaping up to be a really boring post, sorry guys, I had an observation this week and the class was a disaster, but it's worked out really well because I got lots of tips and suggestions on ways to improve in the feedback session, I have started using some of them and it's an improvement.

The kids here are considerably better versed in English than those in Bangkok, two of my kids don't speak Thai much at all and several others don't have it as a first language, many of the children are fluent (for their age) in three languages with a smattering of a fourth, sometimes trying to teach them stuff I feel a little fraudulent.

Enough of the work stuff. In Phuket it is easier to be a vegetarian than it was in Bangkok, (except at school where they have a sometimes policy on the vegetarian food front, oddly they have a section for vegetarian food though often some chicken or some such has found it's way into the soup). There is a big Chinese community down here though and they of course are much more serious about their vegetarian food especially around the temples where their is a selection of vegetarian restaurants.

Phuket though is a dangerous town to live in, one of the guys at school had a burglar in his house last night and another guy is limping around the place after a motorbike accident. It seems every week there is a new incident of some kind or another to one of the staff, I saw a girl come off her bike in front of me at the lights the other day, she was ok, it's the second accident I have seen since I've been here.

on the other hand the beaches are beautiful, and just being under 30 minutes away from one is fantastic, we went to Rawai this weekend, one of the quiet beaches (by Phuket standards) and it reminds you how great it is not to be in Bangkok, or more specifically not to be in Rangsit. We ate beautiful food on a table in the sand, it was couriered over the road for us from the nearest restaurant, I wandered around the rocky outcrops and swam in the turquoise ocean and found little secluded bays every where you park your bike along the road, it's all delightfully relaxing.

Saw both Spiderman 3 and Pirates of the caribean 3 this weekend, neither impressed me very much, choreographed fight scenes, mawkish romance and bombastic sound tracks are as predictable as sunshine in sth east asia.

So lets see if the tanks roll in agin on Wednesdy, the King is nervous, the mood of the people is hard t gage, we're all holding our breath here (not so much in Phuket but certainly in Bangkok. I have no passport at the moment so lets cross ou fingers.

Later, N.J.

Phuket 03 May

So, the first few days in the new job, it's going really well, love the fact that I have lots of company and everyone gets on, no politics as yet, it's a very different structure and set-up from Chockchai, we'll have to see if I like it so much once the kids actually arrive. Lesson plans here are really minimal, which could be a bad thing for me as I like my classes to have a structure, I like to be able to refer to a guide, so I will probably write my own anyway. Everyone here scuba dives so I should have no drama finding buddies but of course the season is almost over so we shall see. Oh and did I mention that we clock in and out at work using our fingerprints, it's all very James Bond (or Kim possible).

I hired a bike for the month (Don't read this next bit Uncle Chris) I am still extremely nervous on it (your Gran drives more recklessly than me) and haven't tried night time yet (mostly because the street lighting is minimal if it exists at all), while in Patong the other day mind you I discovered what I suspect is one of the main causes of the high death toll here. Driving (like at home) the Thai's believe should be done on the left hand side of the road, except every now and again of course, when they don't and suddenly you come across a road where you have to drive on the right!!!?! They also only follow the traffic lights if there is traffic, if the road appears clear they just ignore the red light, sometimes it's chaos out there I spent my first couple of days not even making it out of second gear! I have relaxed some what now but the motorcycle helmets are not even glorified bicycle helmets, they won't be protecting much and thats if the wearer actually has the thing done up!

I went into Patong on my last day before I started work and discovered the back streets away from the intense tourist area are actually quite nice, beautiful old fashioned architecture crowded in by the usual Thai soi life, noodles on the street and the familiar ordours of asia. Every second house runs some kind of semi retail business out of their front room, the sight of little sparrows feeding straight out of the huge open sacks of rice, which are all on display for the shoppers convenience.

Anyway I have lesson plans to write, later guys.

Love N.J.