Why...

It has been a while. Apologies. Only 26 more days of teaching so the rush is on to get a solid plan into place, find a new job possibly a new country etc. Yes. yes, I know it must sound teribbly exciting to some of you but trust me, the novelty wears off after a while. If only I could just at least decide if we are going to stay here or leave then I could get into "I am leaving need to get shit done" mode or the opposite but instead we are keeping our options open so I have to think of everything from every angle. I want to make sure that the new jobs we have are as good as they can be. We made sacrifices on our priorities to be here and we resent it, we made sacrifices in Korea and we resented it. For once, I want to be 100 percent sure that the job I am doing is what we need from all possible stand points. Professional development, career advancement, adequate accomodation, local amenities, variety of lessons, schedule, school, resources, adequate pay, location the list goes on and on and on and on and on. OK you get the picture. Half the job ads don't even vaguely include any of the information we need and how do you even tell over the internet if a plce is good or not. hmmph.

Moving on before I find more questions to ask myself. My kindergarten have finally discovered my boobs. I am surprised that I got away with it for so long it has to be said. Needless to say a quick grab of the breast is not a parting gesture I am used to and don't intend getting used to, well not from my students of course. I can't seem to stop them , just when I think I have deflected one little so and so creeping in from the left another jumps up from the other side and grabs on for dear life. It's just not a good look. 4 year-olds are not supposed to be boob furniture and I'm concerned they are going to speed up the procees of gravity.

To add to their growing list of 'cute' little foybles. They now think it is hilarious to talk half English half nonsense with me:

Me: " How are you today Pattawee?"

P: " Happy Walloon"

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt he is trying to tell me what a happy little Belgian he is. I dread to think what it actually means if it has any significance in Thai. My helper (in the loosest posibble sense of the word) doesn't crease up with laughter so I think I'm fairly safe from secret abuse.

I don't know much about kids really. I learn something new every day even now, but last time I came into contact with one before I plunged headlong into teaching them, I don't recall the "why?" phase being at 9 years old. I swear my cousin hit it at about 3/4. One of my 9-year-olds is driving me round the bend. Soon the conversation in class will go like this:

AB (annoying brat) : "Teacher, why is the paper cut like this?

Me: because I'm cack-handed and try as I might I can't cut straight and who cares anyway.

AB: Teacher, why do I have to colour the picture?

Me: because I said so

AB: Teacher, why did you write that word in a different colour pen?

Me: sigh....

AB: Teacher, why can't I be on the same team as the other god English speaker?

Me: sigh....

AB: Teacher, why can't I change my team name?

Me: - huge audible kerfuffle

AB: teacher, why is there a pair of scissors in my eyes?


honestly, I just can't take it some days. There are petty children, fussy children, children who take an eternity to comlpete a sentence but this one can actually communicate! Nightmare.

Long weekend this weekend and braving 'the Thai nature'. I actually have my camera this time. So, brave yourslef for some pics.