Well, as time passes I'm getting less enthusiastic about the international schools. It seems as though I really do have too little experience to score such a job... now. All is ont lost yet, but the two that have bothered to respond have said no.
On the bright side, my boss in Nong Chang has finally talked to me, asked for a written proposal, and will talk to his boss about it on February 1st. He will then let me know the following Monday if it is a go or not... or at least he'll talk to me about it again.
We shall see...
Michael
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Deadlines and Life
On Friday I discovered that the deadlines for most international schools hiring for the 2008/2009 school year is sometime around January 20th-25th. So... I have decided not to wait around for my director to find time for me. This, of course, doesn't mean that I have given up entirely on the idea, but I'm certainly not going to let all of my viable options flutter away, leaving me stranded in Nong Chang for another year.
Some of the schools I have applied to are faaaaaaancy... A few offer a competitive western salary (36k-50k USD per year) in addition to housing... and this is in Thailand... I can't imagine what it would be like to live in Thailand with 30k+ pure spending cash a year, I'm doing quite well on an 8-12k per year salary... I guess I could start investing in my retirement and taking weekend 5 star trips to Singapore? Not my style, more likely save (and invest a touch) and do on again off again work-volunteering-education/self growth...
So, to break the news to everyone, I don't particularly see myself living in the USA long term anymore. Trevor's job will always have him working internationally, and now, so will mine. I'll be able to see him pretty much as often by coordinating countries as I would by sittin' around waiting for him in the US of A... so there's no conflict there... and... well, America is great, but so are a lot of other places, and I have an opportunity to see them all as a first hand resident (with a darn good income!).
It seems the main thing my resume is lacking at this point is experience (most schools ask for 2-3 years, which I have, shakily, as a substitute teacher) which leads me to think I should take any decent job I can get my hands on, especially at an international school... I am seriously considering making international education my lifelong career. Which would mean that a year or two in an international school is the next big thing to put on my resume...
I have applied to mostly 3 types of jobs. Upper Primary homeroom teacher, highschool drama teacher, and general English/ESL teacher (Primary and Secondary). I am shocked to see how many Drama positions there are out there, and since I actually have a decent background in the field + a Masters in teaching, perhaps I can actually overcome my lack of experience and get them to hire me?
So, I've re-polished my CV and portfolio, and am working on buffing it up a bit. I have applied to take a CELTA course in March. CELTA, run by the University of Cambridge, is an English teaching course so prestigious that you actually have to apply and interview for the honor of taking the course. I have no doubts that I will get into the course, so long as my application is in early enough to get me a slot...
So, 2008's goals are mainly career oriented. I've been toying with writing some articles, getting some things published... etc. etc. I will probably be getting my own computer shortly, which will mean being able to work on projects in the comfort of my home rather than amidst kids playing computer games and listening to Thai cheesie-pop. Maybe then my writing career will be more prolific?
Much Love... I'll visit for next Christmas, and... as always... keep you posted.
Some of the schools I have applied to are faaaaaaancy... A few offer a competitive western salary (36k-50k USD per year) in addition to housing... and this is in Thailand... I can't imagine what it would be like to live in Thailand with 30k+ pure spending cash a year, I'm doing quite well on an 8-12k per year salary... I guess I could start investing in my retirement and taking weekend 5 star trips to Singapore? Not my style, more likely save (and invest a touch) and do on again off again work-volunteering-education/self growth...
So, to break the news to everyone, I don't particularly see myself living in the USA long term anymore. Trevor's job will always have him working internationally, and now, so will mine. I'll be able to see him pretty much as often by coordinating countries as I would by sittin' around waiting for him in the US of A... so there's no conflict there... and... well, America is great, but so are a lot of other places, and I have an opportunity to see them all as a first hand resident (with a darn good income!).
It seems the main thing my resume is lacking at this point is experience (most schools ask for 2-3 years, which I have, shakily, as a substitute teacher) which leads me to think I should take any decent job I can get my hands on, especially at an international school... I am seriously considering making international education my lifelong career. Which would mean that a year or two in an international school is the next big thing to put on my resume...
I have applied to mostly 3 types of jobs. Upper Primary homeroom teacher, highschool drama teacher, and general English/ESL teacher (Primary and Secondary). I am shocked to see how many Drama positions there are out there, and since I actually have a decent background in the field + a Masters in teaching, perhaps I can actually overcome my lack of experience and get them to hire me?
So, I've re-polished my CV and portfolio, and am working on buffing it up a bit. I have applied to take a CELTA course in March. CELTA, run by the University of Cambridge, is an English teaching course so prestigious that you actually have to apply and interview for the honor of taking the course. I have no doubts that I will get into the course, so long as my application is in early enough to get me a slot...
So, 2008's goals are mainly career oriented. I've been toying with writing some articles, getting some things published... etc. etc. I will probably be getting my own computer shortly, which will mean being able to work on projects in the comfort of my home rather than amidst kids playing computer games and listening to Thai cheesie-pop. Maybe then my writing career will be more prolific?
Much Love... I'll visit for next Christmas, and... as always... keep you posted.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Oh director, Mine director
So, now that I'm waiting around for my director to be willing to have a meeting with me, I thought that I would take a few moments to discuss the charming man.
When I first arrived to Nong Chang it was very evident that my director aimed not only to please, but to seem like someone who had the power to please. I had to sit through a four hour lunch with him (during which he got me very drunk insisting that on a day when I'm not teaching classes it was perfectly fine to be drunk at around noon. There was no saying no.
Since then, it has become very apparent that he is quite a creature of his ego. He constantly discusses how grand his school is, how it is the biggest in his district, and how he has Farang (read: white) teachers. He insists that we dress nicer than any of the other teachers, and also that we wander about in the mornings so that everyone can see how gloriously white we are.
He also refers to himself as "Big Boss," especially when discussing how he wants to help us if we have any problems, which he seems himself doing (helping us with problems) at apparently every turn. Every conversation with the Big Boss ends with him saying "you are welcome." Conversations with new farang arrivals (as at English camp) begin with "I am happy that you could meet me." They felt very honored, I'm sure.
He's a nice enough man, I do like him and don't mind working under him, but I have to be sure to always know my place. That is one reason, the main reason, why I haven't had much chance to talk to him (and am afraid I may not get to any time soon). Meetings with him must be very formal, and unless I have a problem to be fixed, I'm not worth bothering with... and often when I do have a problem to be fixed he tells me to speak to one of the assistant directors (I.E. his relatives and friends he has given high paying jobs and don't do much).
He is almost never at school, perhaps 15% of the time or less, and when he is stays well secluded in his air-conditioned office (the only room that has the aircondition on most of the time, the assistant directors get the privilege occasionally, and the secretaries did once. Our office has an AC but we've never been so blessed as to turn it on.).
All in all he runs an excellent school, although he tends to see things like giant fountains more important than new books or televisions for the students, which is a little disheartening.
Oh director, Mine director...
When I first arrived to Nong Chang it was very evident that my director aimed not only to please, but to seem like someone who had the power to please. I had to sit through a four hour lunch with him (during which he got me very drunk insisting that on a day when I'm not teaching classes it was perfectly fine to be drunk at around noon. There was no saying no.
Since then, it has become very apparent that he is quite a creature of his ego. He constantly discusses how grand his school is, how it is the biggest in his district, and how he has Farang (read: white) teachers. He insists that we dress nicer than any of the other teachers, and also that we wander about in the mornings so that everyone can see how gloriously white we are.
He also refers to himself as "Big Boss," especially when discussing how he wants to help us if we have any problems, which he seems himself doing (helping us with problems) at apparently every turn. Every conversation with the Big Boss ends with him saying "you are welcome." Conversations with new farang arrivals (as at English camp) begin with "I am happy that you could meet me." They felt very honored, I'm sure.
He's a nice enough man, I do like him and don't mind working under him, but I have to be sure to always know my place. That is one reason, the main reason, why I haven't had much chance to talk to him (and am afraid I may not get to any time soon). Meetings with him must be very formal, and unless I have a problem to be fixed, I'm not worth bothering with... and often when I do have a problem to be fixed he tells me to speak to one of the assistant directors (I.E. his relatives and friends he has given high paying jobs and don't do much).
He is almost never at school, perhaps 15% of the time or less, and when he is stays well secluded in his air-conditioned office (the only room that has the aircondition on most of the time, the assistant directors get the privilege occasionally, and the secretaries did once. Our office has an AC but we've never been so blessed as to turn it on.).
All in all he runs an excellent school, although he tends to see things like giant fountains more important than new books or televisions for the students, which is a little disheartening.
Oh director, Mine director...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Children's Day and Teacher's Day
In the past week our school has celebrated two holidays, Children's Day and Teacher's Day. After seeing both of them, I have decided it is probably better to be a child in Thailand than it is to be a teacher.
Children's day was a full day of unorganized do whatever you want and eat a lot of free food. The whole campus was left open and kids just wandered around and did as they pleased for the day. Not a single planned event or activity, other than the opening of the day which included the usual flag raising and prayer with an added on bonus of feeding the monks.
Teacher's day, by contrast, was long and boring. We still had to go do to school (the students had the day off). We were instructed to be there a 8 am... sharp. Well, of course, nothing of significance happened until just after 9. Then it was 2 and a half hours of prayer and speeches that I didn't understand. Of course, we were given seats of honor in the front row with the Nong Chang officials so everyone was watching and could not if were weren't paying due attention. Unfortunately, they didn't think to put someone next to us who could speak English well enough to give us some idea of what was going on.
After the speeches, prayers, and awards were passed out (none of which I understood) we had lunch. Then, in the afternoon, were sports games where teachers from the school competed against each other. In the beginning of the day we had agreed to participate, thinking it would be a fun, un-competitive and friendly game.
As the afternoon progressed, we watched about 8 games (2.5 hours) before we got to play ourselves. As each game passed I said to Anno, "They're taking this pretty seriously." No smiles, lots of strategic huddles, and what seemed to be the very best players from each school. All for volleyball.
Well, we waited nonetheless, even though we could have gone home as early as 11:00... and finally our time came. We went in there, not really knowing the rules or having any experience with the game to speak of, and began our pre-game warm up. It was at this point that I got blindsided square in the face with a very hard volleyball. For some reason, it hit me just right that it didn't do any damage or even really hurt all that much, but it certainly surprised the hell out of me and disoriented me for a few minutes.
When I finally got my bearings, Anno was laughing so hard he was crying (which continued the rest of the day whenever he looked at me) and apparently the person who had thrown/hit the ball had gone into hiding. I was fine, and everything continued as normal.
So, after waiting for hours and sustaining head injuries, we got kicked off the team within two minutes. Neither Anno nor I knew what to do, and what we were expecting to be a friendly slow passed game was a fierce competition. 3 points into it they stopped us and told us to leave...
Well, I thought. Well indeed.
Children's day was a full day of unorganized do whatever you want and eat a lot of free food. The whole campus was left open and kids just wandered around and did as they pleased for the day. Not a single planned event or activity, other than the opening of the day which included the usual flag raising and prayer with an added on bonus of feeding the monks.
Teacher's day, by contrast, was long and boring. We still had to go do to school (the students had the day off). We were instructed to be there a 8 am... sharp. Well, of course, nothing of significance happened until just after 9. Then it was 2 and a half hours of prayer and speeches that I didn't understand. Of course, we were given seats of honor in the front row with the Nong Chang officials so everyone was watching and could not if were weren't paying due attention. Unfortunately, they didn't think to put someone next to us who could speak English well enough to give us some idea of what was going on.
After the speeches, prayers, and awards were passed out (none of which I understood) we had lunch. Then, in the afternoon, were sports games where teachers from the school competed against each other. In the beginning of the day we had agreed to participate, thinking it would be a fun, un-competitive and friendly game.
As the afternoon progressed, we watched about 8 games (2.5 hours) before we got to play ourselves. As each game passed I said to Anno, "They're taking this pretty seriously." No smiles, lots of strategic huddles, and what seemed to be the very best players from each school. All for volleyball.
Well, we waited nonetheless, even though we could have gone home as early as 11:00... and finally our time came. We went in there, not really knowing the rules or having any experience with the game to speak of, and began our pre-game warm up. It was at this point that I got blindsided square in the face with a very hard volleyball. For some reason, it hit me just right that it didn't do any damage or even really hurt all that much, but it certainly surprised the hell out of me and disoriented me for a few minutes.
When I finally got my bearings, Anno was laughing so hard he was crying (which continued the rest of the day whenever he looked at me) and apparently the person who had thrown/hit the ball had gone into hiding. I was fine, and everything continued as normal.
So, after waiting for hours and sustaining head injuries, we got kicked off the team within two minutes. Neither Anno nor I knew what to do, and what we were expecting to be a friendly slow passed game was a fierce competition. 3 points into it they stopped us and told us to leave...
Well, I thought. Well indeed.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
New Horizons
Over the past few weeks I've grown unsure of my long term success here in Nong Chang. It started, primarily, when my land lady stopped by and asked if I would be here next semester. I believe so, I said, more or less. Then she went on to tell me that the director had called the teacher from last year, and she wasn't sure who of us, Jack, myself, and Anno, would be working next year.
That got me thinking... perhaps my position here isn't quite as stable as I had thought? If it's not, would it be so bad to leave? Perhaps not...
As I was evaluating my place here, I began to realize that a full year of this job maybe isn't the best thing for me anyway. Having 800 students, seeing 50 of them at a time for only an hour a week, am I really even a teacher? At times I feel much more like a favorite TV show than a teacher. Truly, my students are learning, but am I really making the kind of impact--changing lives and enriching the community--that I had hoped for?
No, I'm not. I don't even know my students names, let alone guiding each of them towards academic and lifelong success and happiness. 800 students is just too much, 1 hour a week is just too little.
So what now? Leave Nong Chang. I had begun revamping my resume and cover letter (and it's quite a beaut now!) and searching for jobs online. I am now planning to get more certifications, CELTA (Cambridge University's international English teaching program), and eventually the YL extension (CELTA is for teaching adults, but is still the most respected program in all types of education).
Also, I've been looking into getting more academic. Living in a small town as a mute really encourages reading. I've plowed through more novels in the past 2.5 months than I had time to read during the entirety of my 2 year masters program. But still, I want to be enriching my mind in a more direct way. Pushing for something, rounding out my career. I want to be a thriving, successful educator, perhaps even a force within education itself.
So, I've begun those adventures, and now may be staying in Nong Chang after all (although that doesn't dissuade me from further certification and education). Saturday we had our English Camp, a mostly silly and mostly fun day of English games for kids who signed up (and I assume paid) for the privilege.
After the camp, the director invited us all out for dinner (the instructors that is) and got quite drunk. In his ramblings, he mentioned that he would very much like to open a mini-English program in his school. One class of thirty students with one teacher learning in English all week.
He spoke about it as if it were a distant and unattainable pipe dream, but it put a glint in my eye... a hunger that consumed me for the rest of the weekend. I could put this program together with no problem. I could get books donated, perhaps even money for such fanciness as a television and DVD player for English movies, I am qualified to teach all subjects, and would be willing to do so at my present salary (or close). I would be overjoyed to hand-pick 30 students to have under my wing for a full year.
I could build the perfect class, the perfect learning environment. I could develop the curriculum and frame the program and do it all... if only he will let me.
Currently I'm trying to get him into a meeting to tell him this. He's a very difficult man to pin down, and is often not at school at all... But as soon as I can, I will pin him down and get a yes or a no and get to work...
Wish Me Luck!
That got me thinking... perhaps my position here isn't quite as stable as I had thought? If it's not, would it be so bad to leave? Perhaps not...
As I was evaluating my place here, I began to realize that a full year of this job maybe isn't the best thing for me anyway. Having 800 students, seeing 50 of them at a time for only an hour a week, am I really even a teacher? At times I feel much more like a favorite TV show than a teacher. Truly, my students are learning, but am I really making the kind of impact--changing lives and enriching the community--that I had hoped for?
No, I'm not. I don't even know my students names, let alone guiding each of them towards academic and lifelong success and happiness. 800 students is just too much, 1 hour a week is just too little.
So what now? Leave Nong Chang. I had begun revamping my resume and cover letter (and it's quite a beaut now!) and searching for jobs online. I am now planning to get more certifications, CELTA (Cambridge University's international English teaching program), and eventually the YL extension (CELTA is for teaching adults, but is still the most respected program in all types of education).
Also, I've been looking into getting more academic. Living in a small town as a mute really encourages reading. I've plowed through more novels in the past 2.5 months than I had time to read during the entirety of my 2 year masters program. But still, I want to be enriching my mind in a more direct way. Pushing for something, rounding out my career. I want to be a thriving, successful educator, perhaps even a force within education itself.
So, I've begun those adventures, and now may be staying in Nong Chang after all (although that doesn't dissuade me from further certification and education). Saturday we had our English Camp, a mostly silly and mostly fun day of English games for kids who signed up (and I assume paid) for the privilege.
After the camp, the director invited us all out for dinner (the instructors that is) and got quite drunk. In his ramblings, he mentioned that he would very much like to open a mini-English program in his school. One class of thirty students with one teacher learning in English all week.
He spoke about it as if it were a distant and unattainable pipe dream, but it put a glint in my eye... a hunger that consumed me for the rest of the weekend. I could put this program together with no problem. I could get books donated, perhaps even money for such fanciness as a television and DVD player for English movies, I am qualified to teach all subjects, and would be willing to do so at my present salary (or close). I would be overjoyed to hand-pick 30 students to have under my wing for a full year.
I could build the perfect class, the perfect learning environment. I could develop the curriculum and frame the program and do it all... if only he will let me.
Currently I'm trying to get him into a meeting to tell him this. He's a very difficult man to pin down, and is often not at school at all... But as soon as I can, I will pin him down and get a yes or a no and get to work...
Wish Me Luck!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year
Well, I didn't get any time off for Christmas, but for New Year's we got a 4 day weekend. Trevor and I decided (after much waffling) to go to Um Phang, the site of Tee Lor Su, Thailand's most beautiful waterfall. It was quite a trip and full of ups and downs...
The trip began with a bus ride to Nakhon Sawan which was supposed to be immediately followed by a bus ride to Mae sot. Unfortunately, New Year's weekend is a huge travel time for Thais and every bus was full. Eventually we got on a bus to Tak (on the way and close enough to get another bus the next day) with standing room only. After about 4 hours of standing on a bus at night, we arrived in Tak, spent the night, and made our way to Mae Sot the next day.
That's where the fun really started. From Mae Sot to Umphang is a 4 hour ride by Song Tiew (a pick up truck converted to take passengers... the conversion consists mostly of adding a roof and two benches on either side of the bed). But, these were also full, so for the first 45 minutes we stood on the back hanging on to the roof. After that, Trevor asked if we could climb on top. That was much nicer, and, surprisingly enough, probably safer.
So, for four hours on winding mountain roads with no inlets or outlets, we rode on (not in) a song tiew. Finally, we arrived in Um Phang the city, not the park. We were dropped at a resort that arranged expensive trekking packages. We weren't up for a 5,000 baht package that would have a guide following us the whole way through, but we negotiated a 3,000 baht package that just got us to the waterfall via raft and back via truck.
The raft ride was amazing, much of it was walled on either side by beautiful cliffs and overhands dripping with water to create a very impressive effect. By that afternoon we were at the main campsite just a half hour hike from Ti Lor Su. We set up our tent, and hiked, and enjoyed a few hours swimming and basking in the sun while climbing from pool to pool of a very beautiful waterfall.
This is a very popular tourist destination for Thais so it was incredibly packed. Every one of the many pools had Thais swimming and having a good time. Trevor and I were virtually the only farangs living in the shanty town that had built itself up at the main campsite (i saw about 4 others in the throng).
I hurt my thumb while swimming, which was unfortunate. It actually approximated a type of Chinese torture that involves shoving bamboo shoots under a man's fingernails. It was dirt, though, and only my thumb, but it hurt immensely. That, combined with the freezing cold mountain night that we were totally unprepared for led to a miserable sleepless night.
That morning our ride never showed up. We arranged to ride back with another group from the same company amidst a good deal of confusion. They kept trying to figure out who our guide was, who had abandoned us and who should be in trouble... but we didn't have one, we had only arranged for a ride which never came. But, they let us in the truck nonetheless.
About halfway back we stopped at a fruit orchard where they told us we wouldn't make it in time to get back to mae sot if we stayed with them, so we had to climb onto a pick up truck full of rubber. This was terrifying, as I laid down on a pile of rubber with absolutely nothing holding me in and very little to hold on to on the windy roads.
But, another couple had done the same thing and they had room in their very nice SUV to give us a ride all the way from Um Phang to Mae Sot (circumventing the terrible 4 hour song tiew ride that I was too sick, tired, and injured to be very happy about). The ride was lovely, very VIP for two unkempt farang's who had been traveling by bus and songtiew for months now...
We spent New Year's eve in Mae Sot. I spent most of it in the hotel room, although Trevor dragged me out around 10:30 to go out and ring in the New Year... We never found the big parties or packed bars we expected to, but we ended up at a nice little restaurant and wiled away most of the time, ending up outside for the fireworks a few minutes before new years.
The ride back from Mae Sot to Tak to Nakhon Sawan was just as it was coming up, standing and long, but we made it. I got up early this morning and left for Nong Chang so I could be at work mostly on time (I am supposed to be there at 8 but don't start teaching until 11). When I walked up to the house I realized that I had left my key with the bag that stayed behind while Trevor slept in.
I eventually got into the house, after having my fellow farang and thai teachers scour the school for an extra key (the sister of my land lady works at the same school, and she eventually rescued me). In the end, I was only 2 hours late for school and still a full hour before my first class, so it worked out just fine.
All in all, the trip was stressful, but I got to see many beautiful things and experience the mountain towns of Thailand I may not have made time for otherwise, so it was certainly worth it.
I hope everyone else had a wonderful New Year and a Merry Christmas!
Michael
The trip began with a bus ride to Nakhon Sawan which was supposed to be immediately followed by a bus ride to Mae sot. Unfortunately, New Year's weekend is a huge travel time for Thais and every bus was full. Eventually we got on a bus to Tak (on the way and close enough to get another bus the next day) with standing room only. After about 4 hours of standing on a bus at night, we arrived in Tak, spent the night, and made our way to Mae Sot the next day.
That's where the fun really started. From Mae Sot to Umphang is a 4 hour ride by Song Tiew (a pick up truck converted to take passengers... the conversion consists mostly of adding a roof and two benches on either side of the bed). But, these were also full, so for the first 45 minutes we stood on the back hanging on to the roof. After that, Trevor asked if we could climb on top. That was much nicer, and, surprisingly enough, probably safer.
So, for four hours on winding mountain roads with no inlets or outlets, we rode on (not in) a song tiew. Finally, we arrived in Um Phang the city, not the park. We were dropped at a resort that arranged expensive trekking packages. We weren't up for a 5,000 baht package that would have a guide following us the whole way through, but we negotiated a 3,000 baht package that just got us to the waterfall via raft and back via truck.
The raft ride was amazing, much of it was walled on either side by beautiful cliffs and overhands dripping with water to create a very impressive effect. By that afternoon we were at the main campsite just a half hour hike from Ti Lor Su. We set up our tent, and hiked, and enjoyed a few hours swimming and basking in the sun while climbing from pool to pool of a very beautiful waterfall.
This is a very popular tourist destination for Thais so it was incredibly packed. Every one of the many pools had Thais swimming and having a good time. Trevor and I were virtually the only farangs living in the shanty town that had built itself up at the main campsite (i saw about 4 others in the throng).
I hurt my thumb while swimming, which was unfortunate. It actually approximated a type of Chinese torture that involves shoving bamboo shoots under a man's fingernails. It was dirt, though, and only my thumb, but it hurt immensely. That, combined with the freezing cold mountain night that we were totally unprepared for led to a miserable sleepless night.
That morning our ride never showed up. We arranged to ride back with another group from the same company amidst a good deal of confusion. They kept trying to figure out who our guide was, who had abandoned us and who should be in trouble... but we didn't have one, we had only arranged for a ride which never came. But, they let us in the truck nonetheless.
About halfway back we stopped at a fruit orchard where they told us we wouldn't make it in time to get back to mae sot if we stayed with them, so we had to climb onto a pick up truck full of rubber. This was terrifying, as I laid down on a pile of rubber with absolutely nothing holding me in and very little to hold on to on the windy roads.
But, another couple had done the same thing and they had room in their very nice SUV to give us a ride all the way from Um Phang to Mae Sot (circumventing the terrible 4 hour song tiew ride that I was too sick, tired, and injured to be very happy about). The ride was lovely, very VIP for two unkempt farang's who had been traveling by bus and songtiew for months now...
We spent New Year's eve in Mae Sot. I spent most of it in the hotel room, although Trevor dragged me out around 10:30 to go out and ring in the New Year... We never found the big parties or packed bars we expected to, but we ended up at a nice little restaurant and wiled away most of the time, ending up outside for the fireworks a few minutes before new years.
The ride back from Mae Sot to Tak to Nakhon Sawan was just as it was coming up, standing and long, but we made it. I got up early this morning and left for Nong Chang so I could be at work mostly on time (I am supposed to be there at 8 but don't start teaching until 11). When I walked up to the house I realized that I had left my key with the bag that stayed behind while Trevor slept in.
I eventually got into the house, after having my fellow farang and thai teachers scour the school for an extra key (the sister of my land lady works at the same school, and she eventually rescued me). In the end, I was only 2 hours late for school and still a full hour before my first class, so it worked out just fine.
All in all, the trip was stressful, but I got to see many beautiful things and experience the mountain towns of Thailand I may not have made time for otherwise, so it was certainly worth it.
I hope everyone else had a wonderful New Year and a Merry Christmas!
Michael
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