Well I have much time to ponder many things this week. I managed to get through my classes on Monday and now for the rest of the week I just sit at my desk for 10.5 hours while the students take their exams. So I have done some reading and watched a few movies. You read that right. I have finally managed to get my hands on a few movies in English. It is so nice. I am also trying to plan lessons for next semester. With 9 lesson plans a week, and the special presentation for the school on Halloween, I have my hands full. My creativity is near empty but I am trying to forge ahead. Usually my lessons pour out of me as quickly as I can write them down, but coming up with a special presentation and 45 lessons in a day or two is a little much for this poor ole brain of mine. I do have some good ideas but nothing solid or I am not completely sold on some of my ideas. I have plenty of time, but I might as well get it done while I have some free time. I only just found out that I have 3 additional days added to my vacation so that is really cool.
Now on the issue of the October vacation: there has been a lot of talk amongst the American farang here about when our vacations are and their length. I have a new appreciation for my time, however, because I found out that my Thai counterparts do not get a single day of break. Something like that is really humbling. I am not having a busy break but that was by my own choice. Now, not all Thai schools make their teachers work over break, but many schools hold workshops and conferences and make the teachers attend or run them. Then other schools give everyone a month off, so it all depends on the school.
I also have made some new friends. I have new neighbors across the hall. They are Chemistry professors at the University here. I am going to see a Thai lab and I am way too excited for this. I really do love teaching but I miss the lab. Just like I miss libraries. I am hoping this lab won't disappoint but after reading the dissertation from one of the Engineering students at the University, I have some hope it is cool. Who knows, they might even let me work or help out? They speak pretty good English so it could actually work.
Last thing for today: the new farang is causing such a buzz around town. These people are willing to go considerably outside of their way to find out his info. Yesterday I was asked if I would go with a Thai woman to his place of residence and question his landlady to get information. (So they already found out where he lived. No one knows his name, but where he sleeps, they do know.) If I ask about him it is more believable since everyone knows that farang usually know each other in this town. Before you question my sanity, I turned down this "opportunity." I'll find out his info the good old fashioned way: by talking to him. Poor man, though really, this behavior is not all that surprising since it is Thailand and we are farang. I mean, my fellow teachers know what I eat every night even when I don't tell them and I almost had a woman fall into my cart at Lotus the other day while I was shopping, because she was looking at what I was purchasing. I mean, I can be super curious about things....but I will never be quite this curious I don't think.
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