Wow...talk about 'throwin' ya in...'

So I knew there wasn't going to much communication between all parties in this situation...certainly not at the level that I have grown accustomed to at the corporate level...but OH MY!

I'll spare you the details...but essentially...I arrive to the village this morning...the hosting teacher told me I had my choice of two families to live with...she drove past both houses...  Before we got to either she told me option #1 was living with 2 people: grandmother and grandchild (who was one of the students) - this house was 1 mile from the school.  Option #2 was living with 4 people and it was 2 miles from the school...

We drive by Option 1 and it's like a palace (at least by the standards of what I've seen in the village and Bangkok...  Then we drive by option #2...wow.  SHACK.  literally. as in made from scraps of metal found at the dumpster...

I didn't know what to do.  if I go with option 1 I'm being 'typically western'...  but #2 was much farther from the school...and with 3 additional people...  I asked if both homes have hosted teachers before...they had.  Then I asked her opinion of where she thought I should go.  She told me to go with Option 1.  So I did.  But I felt guilty.  I've had time to rationalize it now...and it's fine.  Mostly because I'm here to teach.  And to teach, I need to focus and plan.  To focus and plan I need to have the right tools...i.e. electricity, etc....

So then we go to the school and I'm introduced to about 15 teachers...one of which...Pee Fox is completely wasted.  no really.  COMPLETELY.  hiccups and all.  but the kids love him i guess...  he also took a special fondness to me...Pee Puy (my overseeing teacher) reprimanded him promptly (wooo!)

Then lunch time...everyone congregates around a table (like 15 teachers that i was just introduced to)...and I deduce that I should also bring my chair around (as my eyes bulge at the 3 bowls of fried maggots on the table...TRUE!)  So Pee Puy says "No...this is too spicy for you...here is some fried rice..."  So I just sat and ate at my little table.  A scenario that I am not too unfamiliar with...and rather enjoy...

So then she tells me that tomorrow I must make a speech in front of the entire school...that would be 900 kids (oh yeah...large school...another thing that I did not know...)  So that will be a good time...

Then...I go straight to teaching classes.  As in...by myself.  For the entire day.  Which is why i have spend the last two hours frantically making worksheets, homework assignments and anything else 'fun' that kids may like to do (which is quite difficult as I didn't exactly have a gamey/fun childhood...)

So...trying to learn the 10 pages of Thai conversation...make lesson plans for Thursday and Friday...do a little draft of my speech for tomorrow morning and attempting to avoid Pee Fox...(who now has started calling me meaow cat...and saying things like "Fox is Cat"...  

I don't really get it...but stand-by for Chapter 2 tomorrow...should be REALLY interesting...

Off to print lesson plans on Halloween...

I'm liking this teaching prep though...it makes you think...and be creative...we'll see how the teaching goes...