Thai people are exceptionally friendly and once they find out that you can speak Thai, the questions start flowing. It can be kind of overwhelming at times, but luckily, nearly everyone wants to know the same things. These are the top five questions.
True to Thai form, I was told that I was going to be hosting a teacher camp for matayom teachers just over a week before the scheduled dates at end of day on a Friday, with no further information other than maybe 50 teachers and four days long.
In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
So after nearly 5 months in Thailand I finally made it to Bangkok for more than a couple of hours. I spent an entire long weekend in the capital city in fact. However, this was one big farang trip. There was no sight seeing done on this excursion. There was an unspoken ban on eating Thai food. And it was a nice chance to rejuvenate.
I was told that school started for teachers on May 13 and for students on May 16. I showed up for work ready to do whatever it was for the teachers to do on Monday and found out that I would have my own classroom, but which of two rooms would be mine was undecided (one room was the meeting room, the other was just built and has no fans). Other teachers cleaned their rooms. After a couple hours, I was told I could go home and not come on Tuesday. OK, Thailand. On Wednesday morning I woke up and it was one of those things where you know that something is happening.
In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
Before going to Khon Kaen, one of my fellow PCVs put out a request for help with an English camp for Paw Aws in Surin. I decided to volunteer to give a hand and hopefully help make things less stressful than my own experience. It was also taking place the last week before school was supposed to start and she suggested going on a weekend bpai tiao after the camp was over, which I was all about. One last big trip before buckling down to get to work.
In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
School is out, and so that means plenty of English camps being held for all kinds of school staff. After Jessie helped me out with my principals training, I happily returned the favor for her. Her training was held at Tat Ton National Park, where I visited with my host family not too long ago. Being more prepared to go this time, I made a video for you to experience it yourself a bit better.
In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
Per Peace Corps policy, freshly minted PCVs are not allowed to leave their site at all for the first month in order to encourage integration. Vacation days are not to be used during the first three months of service. However, that still leaves weekends and holidays free for travel after the first month logged at site. In celebration of making it through the first month, Cinco de Mayo and Coronation Day (a national Thai holiday) all falling on the same long weekend members of Group 124, who have been here for a year, arranged a meet up in Khon Kaen.
In between the training that I did for the PESAO staff and the training for 200 principals on conversational English, I spent a weekend at my homestead. I found out the day that I got home that one of the yaais (grandmothers) in the village had died.
Just before I left the US, my great aunt had died and so I had recently experienced a funeral in the US and I wanted to share about the differences between the rituals around death between Thailand and the US.
In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
Khao Yai National Park is Thailand’s largest national park and it’s in my home province, Nakhon Ratchasima. After helping out with another volunteer’s camp that was being held near the park, some friends and I decided to make a trip out of it. There’s lots of awesome animals and the guides know all the good spots to go. Check out the video, and visit virtually.
As I said in my last post, I was finally called upon to do some more traditional work and do some trainings in conversational English. Only this time, I was given three days to find help and plan for 2 two-day trainings for 200 principals in total. Half of the principals would attend the first two days and the other half would attend the second two days. Seeing as it was Friday when I was informed and the training would start on the following Wednesday (and the trainers be at the hotel on Tuesday) I didn’t have an ideal amount of time.