Teacher teacher!

My first few days in Pattaya, Thailand have been very hectic.  I packed up my things in Cambodia last Friday and spent the weekend on Koh Chang, the second largest island in Thailand.  It was literally an island in Paradise.

I met some really great people along the way and it was nice to relax for a few days before the crazy part of my training began...

For the next two weeks I am teaching at a Christian Church down the road from where I am staying.  I have 12 students of all ages and language abilities, which is why my job is a bit more challenging.  On Monday I walked (more like was thrown) in with my own written lesson and a structured plan, but in actuality I absolutely had no idea what I was doing.  I felt like I was on a freight train headed straight towards Disaster Town with me hanging on for dear life.  I didn't expect my students to come in ready to discuss the philosophy and major works of John Locke, but I did expect them to know how to speak and write basic sentences.  Something simple like "Hi my name is Rachael. I am from California in the Unites Sates.  I like to read books." MISTAKE.  When I said okay your turn, I was greeted with blank stares and silence.  Clearly they had no idea what the hell I just said.  Double friggen frick.  My whole lesson plan was now moot.  So from there I had to improvise, make something up, and pretend like that was my plan the entire time... Crisis averted. Although it was a very narrow miss.

The great thing about my students is how nice they are.  They bring me coffee, juice and breakfast every morning.  

"Teacher teacher! I take care for you!"

In asian cultures, teachers are highly respected, especially farang (foreign) teachers.  Days two, three and four went a lot smoother as I got to know my students and could gear my lesson plans towards their ability.  They appear to really like me and come in eager to start learning.  My favorite part is when they thank me after each lesson and sit down and pray for me.  Funny how a small act of appreciation can go a long way.  I love it.

The Chaos Theory in Motion

Driving to class can be an adventure in itself.  In the states we are generally accustomed to abiding by the rules of the road; stopping at a stop sign, slowing down at a yellow light, never crossing a double yellow line, etc.  Here in Phnom Penh, there are two main rules of the road.

1. If you see a gap, drive towards it.
2. Use your horn whenever possible to signify that the gap is yours.

It's the chaos theory in motion, but it works.  Yes of course there are traffic lights, but they are merely just pretty things to look at as you whizz through the intersection.  I'm also almost positive that one is supposed to drive on the right side of the road, but you could never tell in Phnom Penh.  If you need to get somewhere, then you simply just go, even if it means driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic.  Just don't forget to use your horn.   If I were to stop and take a picture of traffic in a main intersection, I could guarantee to find at least ten things wrong with the picture by American standards.  Four people on the back of a two person moto, children not two years old riding on the handle bars, women in skirts riding side saddle, a car with a steering wheel on the right side of the car, people driving on the sidewalk, twenty people crammed into the back of a pick up truck, and whatever other traffic violation you can think of.

I told Dara that I got a texting while driving ticket back in California and he literally laughed out loud.

This last weekend I also had the amazing experience of visiting Angkor Wat, which means "City Temple." This was hands down one of the coolest places I've ever been to, and I've been to some pretty neat places.  Angkor Wat was built during the 12th century for the king and is the world's largest religious site.  Relatively little damage was done during the war and Khmer Rouge control during the late 1970's and early 1980's, and thank goodness because where would've the movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider been filmed had it been destroyed? Point being Angkor Wat is a fascinating spiritual site and I could feel the energy as I walked through its temples, and I'm so thankful I was able to make it there.

I also passed my exams with high marks which I guess means I am grammatically and phonetically able to pass on the english language knowledge to my students, but the hard part is coming up next week.  The actual practice of teaching a class full of students under observation. Yikes!

Back to Class!

Learning from books, learning from others, learning from experience, learning from mistakes.  I love learning in every sense of the word.  Part of the reason why I want to become an english teacher is because I want the reward of watching my students progress throughout the year.  I want to see them grow and learn and come away wanting more.

This is why I woke up eager on my first day of class and for the first time I walked in thinking what it would be like once the roles are reversed and I am standing in front of the room waiting for my students.  And not gonna lie it kinda freaked me out. Needless to say I was really excited to see what the first day brought me.  

I was apparently the only person in my class who lugged two heavy books on English grammar and structure halfway across the world with me.  I whipped them out before realizing that everyone else had only a pen on their desks and immediately knew how Hermione must have felt during Defense Against the Dark Arts class.  "Miss Granger, five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all." 

We learned a lot of important things on Monday, like how to engage students at the beginning of class, the concepts of content, context and modeling but one of the best lessons of the day was how to re-write our resumes.  Resume writing in the US is all about academic accomplishments and making yourself sound like a God walking amongst mere mortals.  The great the thing about Southeast Asian employers is they don't care about things like scholarships, honors, or 4.whatever GPA's.  Delete, delete, delete. They care about things like dedication to helping others, personal achievements, and fun things you do well. No joke.  Things like open water diver certification, soccer coach and surfer. Check, check and check.  I can actually put awesome things on my resume? How cool is that?  (The fun things you do well part is about seeing if you are able to teach an additional subject/sport/instrument/etc. in english to help the kids practice their english in a different way.)

Phnom Penh, Cambodia Day 1

The first thing I noticed as I stepped off the plane was the incredible heat and humidity, even at midnight.  It hits you like a wall and fills your lungs, pores, and within seconds you'll be drenched in sweat.  And this is the "cold" season. I swear when I move back to San Diego I will never complain about the weather again.

The second thing I noticed was how completely different Cambodia is than any other city I've been to.  While on the scooter powered taxi car (Cambodian tuk tuk) on the way to my accommodations, I saw so many things I'm not accustomed to.   But at least I had a warm welcome and an escort service to take me home.

Meet Dara.  He is amazing.  He's our driver, unofficial tour guide and new friend.  He also lives with us and sleeps in a pool chair in the common room.

Here are some of my favorite Dara quotes thus far:

"You want coffee? I know where come."
"Breakfast only one dollar."
"You no been to Angkor Wat? First time you go Angkor Wat you be so happy. I been many times, and every time I am happy." 

There are 15 other people in my program, and only two are continuing onto Thailand with me. The rest are split between China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.  I have only met 7 of them but we all get along great.  Part of that reason is because of our common desire to get out of our comfort zones and try something different.  I am one of the youngest people in my program, as the rest of the people are in their late 20's and into their 30's and maybe 40's.  I find this extremely encouraging because it shows that no one is too old to start a new adventure.  No one can use their age as an excuse to not experience such an incredible opportunity like this.

On my first day in Phnom Penh, I explored the city with the group.   The most valuable advice we got all day was how to cross the street in Cambodia when there are scooters and cars flying at you from all directions.

"The key to getting to the other side of the road is to walk slow. The worst thing you can do is run because you will die."

This defies all common sense in this real life Frogger game, but the reasoning is you walk slow so the drivers have time to figure out how to get around you...

Putting aside all the dirt and grime of this third world country there are places of astonishing beauty.  It's  unbelievable yet unforgettable how this city has almost been demolished numerous times in recent history due to war and genocide.  We got to explore Watt Phnom and the Royal Palace.  And feed monkeys. No big deal.

Somewhere over the Pacific

With Harry Potter and some drugs

I really can’t think of two things I’d rather have with me than H. Pot and Nyquil to help make this long flight a little more bearable.  13 hours from San Francisco International (SFO) to Seoul Incheon (ICN.)  Another 6 hours from ICN to Phnom Penh.  Woof.  Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City stated that she wanted to step off the plane into Paris looking “impossibly fresh.” I am afraid that I will step off the plane into Cambodia looking tired as hell.  

I flew Asiana, which is a Korean Airline.  If you’re flying to Asia anytime soon, I would totes recommend this airline.  It's clean, roomy and the flight attendants are all so nice and attentive and they’re skinny enough to actually make their uniforms look good.  

I don't believe in goodbyes

Only see you laters. 

Oh hello there! This blog if for my friends and family and anyone else who wants to keep tabs on me as I adventure halfway across the world to begin my new life as an English teacher in Thailand.  Call it what you want; bold, brave, crazy, adventurous, you name it I've heard it, but this is what I will be doing for the next year of my life.

Now, I have to paint you a portrait of who I am as a person in order for you to understand why I am packing my life into a suitcase and a duffle bag, boarding a boeing 777 and landing in a foreign country to teach english to a bunch of Asians.  I will also try to answer all your questions, or at least the ones I got asked most often...

As many of you know I graduated with a BS from San Diego State University in the school of business with an emphasis in Integrated Marketing Communications.  What is that you ask? Doesn't matter because it relates to teaching english abroad oh...not at all.  My decision to take on this project stemmed from my desire to find a fulfilling full time job, one of which I could be passionate about.  Upon graduation I was working two part time jobs, making good money, but a turn of events caused me to really look at what I valued in a job.  None of the full time job offers I got seemed to meet these needs.  So I decided to get away from society's pressures of getting my business career going as soon as the cap and gown came off and do something I actually want to do.

I love traveling and exploring.  I also have a passion for new cultures and foreign languages.  Teaching abroad seemed like a great opportunity.   The program I am going through can be found at this website just in case you want to look into it.  LanguageCorps

I begin my training in Phnom Phen, Cambodia and finish training in Pattaya, Thailand.  From there I can find a job in any city that has a need for english teachers.  I will most likely be teaching at the high school or elementary level.

Why Thailand? Have you google imaged Thailand before? It's gorgeous.

Are you going by yourself? Yes, technically I am going by myself but I love meeting new people so the idea of making new friends is exciting.

Aren't you scared?  It's a very bizarre feeling being nervous, excited, freaked out, and anxious all at the same time.

Is this your own Eat Pray Love journey? Yes and No.  This is not a trip where I need to "find out who I am," I have a pretty good grasp on that already, but if I learn something new about myself along the way, so be it.

You're effing crazy.  Yeah but only the best people are. ;)

I miss everyone so much but I will see you all very soon.