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!