The Day I Became "Mr Mattheuu"

The honeymoon period is finally over. My last weekend of 'freedom' was a chill one; between splitting my time hanging in the mall (what looks to be my default hangout spot), exploring the streets (walking around Korat, stumbling upon food markets, temples, and stray dogs), drinking with expats (where a beer was around £1.50), or struggling with communication (thank the gods who created google translate!), I've been anxiously waiting for my first day to come. Even though I had no lesson plan to prepare, I will still freaking out that I might just spontaneously get chucked into a classroom and left there...thank goodness that didn't happen.

Waking up late due to lack of sleep and stress definitely did not prep my day off to a great start. But as the group of new teachers headed over to the school ground and stood on the quad waiting for the morning ceremony (not too sure what the official name for it is), I began to feel so overwhelmed. The Thai flag began to rise with the national anthem playing the background and as I stood there seeing the little kids sing along I began to realise that this moment could mark the first day of what could be many for me as an Educator; this could be the first day the marks where I end up in life and the beginning of a new chapter in my life. After everything that has happened this year, and experiencing moments where this all seemed like a dream more than reality, I was so happy that I had finally reached the goal and began the adventure I've been waiting for since February; to be a certified English teacher working overseas. What is my life?!

Thankfully I will only be observing a few classes this week, just to kind of get a feel for the school and get my bearings. I met with the rest of the EP and MLP departments (EP students have all their classes in English whilst MLP have just English classes for 2 hours a week) and it was nice to be able to speak to some fellow brits who had been teaching out here for many many years. My first observation was with a teacher from Liverpool called Carl and his group of around 20 Secondary 3 (Year 9 as we would call it). In my section, I would be teaching around double that amount in my classes but it was to at least get a sense of how the children behave in the classes. Funnily enough, the class I shadowed were being quite "rowdy", but I would deem that a normal class. They spent pretty much the entirety of the lesson writing an essay on "What they did on their holidays" which pretty much consisted of kids writing little to no english or just copying off each other. It was so interesting to see that for a class that is deemed to have more advanced English skills, they are still very much lagging behind in their grasp of grammar and tenses - instead of writing "I went to Bangkok" they would write "I go to Bangkok". If thats what its going to be like in that class, then I really have no idea how much English learning my classes of about 50 are going to understand...

My timetable consists of 18 lessons a week, which equates to about 20/22 hours a week. Classes begin at 8:30am and finish at 4:45! Luckily for me, I get to finish at half 3 but have to stay on campus; a good opportunity to use the free gym or pool! Compared to British schools, I have free periods throughout the day which allows me to plan and mark work without having to do it when I finish (totally taking that as a luxury as I know that's not how it works in the UK!). Overall, the structure here is a looser than that of the UK and the respect for their teacher is just incredibly different - their naughtiest of kids are loud and don't listen but you will never expect backchat or violence. What is most interesting is the fact that the students also take their shoes off before entering the class, and their uniforms are different depending on the age, day and level (I think?). Also, kids will bow (or wai as it is known here) to you when you walk around campus, and some will come up to you and want to talk to you. After walking on the quad this afternoon, a student stopped me and wanted to know my name and where I was from; being the only teacher in the whole school from Wales, I think he was confused as he had never heard of that country before - its pretty much all English, Irish, Indian and Filipino teachers who teach English here. But regardless, he seemed genuinely interested in wanting to talk to me and after finding out I could potentially be his teacher, it was nice to see that I broke the ice with a student. I can't wait to start my own classes where I will become more recognised and actually put all my preparation and previous experience from camp etc. into practice.

The only downside to all this excitement at the moment is the downtime, like I said it will be nice when I have work to mark and lessons to plan but right now I'm really struggling to find ways to use this time productively - just because there is nothing to do. Earlier on today, we decided to play Heads Up and Hangman in our staff room which was fun and definitely killed time for a good hour. The problem is that when I'm sitting around doing nothing, thats when the tiredness kicks in. The heat doesn't help either - it gets so warm around early afternoon here (easily low-mid 30s) and when you're wearing a suit, I feel like I'm melting; the sweat is just dripping off me (sorry guys...). As I write this, I'm sitting in the staff awaiting for my fingerprints to be taken; they are used to clock in and out of work. That is the only thing that is between ending this pretty quiet first day of work. Can't complain though, I could be sat at home doing nothing so why not do it in a 30 degree heat eh?
Will update on the weekend. ลาก่อน สำหรับตอนนี้ (Lā k̀xn s̄ảh̄rạb txn nī̂/Bye for now)

For the love of Tuk-Tuks

Yesterday marked our arrival into Nakhon Ratchasima. The bus journey was pretty smooth and didn't seem like a 4 hour trip like we were initially told. Rocking up to the city in 32C weather, with the sun shining and blue skies made me instantly fall for this place. The air seems so much cleaner than Bangkok; I could certainly get used to this. We were greeted at our school by one of the Primary Maths teachers from the English program called Archna. We were made to feel extremely welcome and thanks to my curiosity on Facebook, I seemed to be already well known by other teachers on the program...wasn't quite sure what to make of that haha. (As much as I may have seemed obnoxious, I was just preparing myself!)

The school is exceptional. The grounds are beautiful, clean and spacious whilst the buildings seemed modern; definitely not what I was expecting. Throughout our tour, we were briefly shown the areas in which we will be teaching and given other useful information we needed to know. The biggest eye opener was the kindergarten department - they have an entire room dedicated to a giant ball pit!!...its making my age group seem really boring now haha. Perhaps the greatest relief was knowing that our class sizes won't be as big as initially expected. Okay, I will still have 40 teenagers to manage on my own but hey, it could be worse!

For lunch yesterday we went for western food at the Mall. Before I came here I thought it would be something I would crave a lot, but after realising how much more expensive it is compared to Thai food, it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. It was nice to be able to talk to fellow teachers though during the meal and finding out more and more about our classes; it eased the panic a little. To actually get to the Mall, we had to take a Tuk Tuk and I LOVED IT. There is something so fascinating and thrilling about them; once you get past the obvious danger that comes with it. As I dart down the Korat streets, I almost go into deep thought about how surreal and amazing all this is; just last week I was sat at home bored in the rain, and now I'm in FRICKIN' THAILAND. I think I'm going to really enjoy my time here.

Last night a few of us made our way to SaveOne market and the atmosphere was great; I didn't feel as pressured to buy things as I have been in other markets, and there were so many cool stalls selling everything from fake designer sunglasses to puppies (Yes, little cute andrex puppies)! I ended up buying some ray bans for 300B (about £6) and you really start to realise how cheap everything is here. Weirdly though, Thais value money way different to that of Brits. For example, a 3 hour bus journey from Korat to Bangkok is cheaper than the western food I had yesterday at the restaurant. Its crazy. Thats really the only way I can describe Thailand right now. Beautifully crazy.

I would be here for days if I wrote every little thing I did everyday so for now, I'll just post mini updates and wait until I've had my first day in school in 48 hours time. Wish me luck!

Arrival

So I'm here! This is completely insane. Apart from sitting next to a fat guy who took up half my seat on the flight from London to Doha, it was actually a pretty relaxing flight. Where I failed was sleeping a bit on the flight to Bangkok meaning I hardly slept last night at all.

One thing I have been bracing myself for is the culture shock; weirdly it hasn't really hit me yet - maybe its because I'm surrounded by Westerners or because I think it's because I see a lot of comparisons with Malaysia and so I think my subconscious thinks I'm there or something I'm not too sure... A bright pink taxi (they're a thing here) took me to the hotel from the aiport. The hotel is basic but it's clean and the staff are friendly. Biggest issue is the plank of wood they like to call a mattress. It is so hard to sleep on and a big reason as to why I didn't sleep well. Let's hope that improves when I reach Nakhon Ratchasima tomorrow!

We spent the majority of today in Orientation - just running through the do's and don'ts of Thailand and expectations for when we start teaching on Monday. The excitement is still there but after meeting one of the officers from Thailand (her name was Pla which means fish in Thai), I cannot help but get a sinking feeling that things are not going to be exactly what I expected. Out of the 8 of us that are part of this orientation group, 5 are heading to Assumption; As friendly and enthusiastic as Pla was, she did make it sound like the 5 of us were going to have the hardest time - 60 kids per class (god help me!) and for me personally, an age group that is not really too interested in learning English (early teens). To make matters worse, we were told that we don't get much help with apartment hunting either - so that's going to be interesting! Hopefully I can secure a pretty nice gaff out there...
As nervous as I am feeling though, and everyone else for that matter, I was constantly reminded to keep smiling and not worry too much about it. Easier said than done if you know what I'm like. As I said though, this has honestly not deterred my excitement. I've just got to prepare myself for the challenge - it will all work out eventually.

Right now I am staying in Bangkok; I haven't really experienced much of the city yet, but from what I've seen it seems like a pretty hectic place. Some guys from the orientation group and I headed to a nearby park which felt odd to see something so pretty and calm in the hustle and bustle of an extremely busy city (A tiny central park of Bangkok if you will...). Furthermore, where do I even start on the weather?! It is so hot here! It is around 30C but because we are in rainy season, the air is extremely moist, making it feel warmer than it is and making everyone super sweaty. Not nice. What IS really nice though about it all is the fact that there are people around me who agree and are in the same boat; the orientation group are super nice and pretty much all come from the UK/Ireland. It's nice for now that I can do my typical British moaning enough to not sound grumpy if I was doing it to the locals for example.

We had lunch at a local restaurant and just ordered several dishes and tried them all out. I have to say I was really proud of myself that I tried pretty much all of it - even the catfish! (And for people who know me, I am not the biggest fan of fish). My spice tolerance seems to be working in my favour at the moment as I haven't had anything yet (and I strongly emphasise YET) that I haven't been able to handle. This will most certainly change as Nakhon Ratchasima is notoriously known for having some of the spiciest food in Thailand...thanks heavens I bought some Immodium with me!

Off out to dinner tonight with the group and leave early tomorrow morning for the 4hour journey to Nakhon Ratchasima. This has just flown by and its crazy to think I start teaching in just under 4 days.

Will update more when I reach my base for the next 6 months.

Dear Future Me,

Holy smokes, I leave for Thailand tomorrow. This is insane.

As I make final preparations for my trip, I wanted to do something a little corny (okay, very corny) but also very meaningful; I wanted to write a short letter to my future self, and when this adventure ends in however many months, I wanted to look back at it and see if I have accomplished what I wanted. This post also serves as a thank you to all my friends and family, wherever in the world you may be, who have been nothing but incredibly supportive of my endeavour and I cannot wait to share all the amazing experiences I am sure to have with y'all. It is so nice to know that across the world, I have people that I can reach out to in times of need, or advice, or just general banter. It just goes to show that the world is such a small place, and although we all may live our lives worlds apart for whatever reason, our paths crossed for a reason too and that is beautiful to know. And if you're ever in Thailand for whatever reason, you better come visit!

So here goes... (apologies for not finding more synonyms for 'hope' - I'm a terrible writer.)

Dear Future Me,

Well, its now coming to the end of your adventure in Thailand and I want this experience to have been it has been everything you expected and more; that you got to visit some outstanding places, experiences things you never thought you would and make friends and connections that will last a lifetime. Additionally, I anticipate that you have used this time to work on yourself both mentally and physically and can come back to the UK (if you want to come back that is) with a fresh outlook on life; that you can take a look in the mirror and be happy with what you see. Most importantly, I really hope this experience has opened your eyes to whether a career in International Education is for you (I really hope so because I want to travel more!). 
I hope you had a wonderful Xmas/New Year break and got to spend it with incredible people in incredible places. And that your trip to Malaysia in December worked out and the visa situation sorted itself out by then! I have a checklist in mind which I have taken with me to Thailand and by the time this letter is read at the end of the trip that you can tick most of them off - riding an elephant, petting baby tigers, checking out the Bangkok Gay scene and taking a massive selfie with your class are the top priorities!

On a more personal note, I wish that everything that seems hazy and unsure to you at the moment has become clearer and you are happy with the direction its going in. This may mean saying farewell to some things/people as you leave Thailand or more positively welcoming new people and things into your life. I really hope the relationship between a special person in your life (and you know who you are if you're reading this too) has gone in the direction in which you think is for the best, and after months and months of emotional journeying(?) has brought you both to a place where you can be happy again. I want you to finish this journey having no regrets. Everything you have gone through on this trip has happened for a reason, even if you might think it wasn't what you wanted. Without meaning to sound too sappy (I am writing to myself after all), I want to say how proud I/you should be that you did this! It may have flown by and at times you may have wanted to pack it in, but you did it! And like I said before, I really hope this is just the beginning of an exciting career and goal.

If you realise that this isn't for you, then I know that there is a good reason for it. I've always gone with my gut instinct in the past and it has never steered me wrong so far. Just enjoy the ride and look at this blog as a wonderful way of looking back on what could be/has been a life changing experience for you.

Finally, I want to say this: (lets hope you can read Thai by then!)
หากคุณสามารถอ่านภาษาไทยแล้วฉันจะภูมิใจ หากคุณสามารถแปลมันฉันจะประหลาดใจ ;)

MC (Oct 2014) 

Final Countdown

With less than five days to go before the big adventure, I can't help but feel a multitude of emotions.

The first is a feeling of bittersweet-ness. It was my last day working for Pizza Express yesterday and I will miss it so much; its been a great last 3 months and I really felt I became part of a great team. Despite that though, I definitely felt it was time to move on and I'm glad this opportunity presented itself when it did.  I think that moment really stuck with me that this chapter of my life is now coming to a close. And as much as I like to reminisce on the past, I have learnt to not dwell on things that have happened previously; from experience the things that are out of your control are not worth spending your time and energy on. And despite the roller coaster of a year I've had for whatever reason, I am really striving to focus on the future and mentally and emotionally prepare for the adventures ahead.

The second (and right now I would say the most overwhelming) of emotions is fear. Despite the negative connotation it brings, I do feel it can be good in small doses. Okay, maybe the dosage of fear I'm feeling right now isn't that small, but I'm beginning to embrace it and tell myself that not knowing what lies ahead can actually be an exciting thing. I feel the more I talk about it with people though, the more scary it sounds. Its the questions I get asked frequently; "You're going on your OWN?!" "Have you even been to Thailand?!" "Is it safe?!" - I mean c'mon, if I was always worried about things like that then I'd never go anywhere would I?! That being said though, this adventure is extremely daunting; not just because I'm going to a country I've never been before that speaks a language I've never spoken before, but because this is my first real teaching job. Working with kids in the past has led me to this but I still feel so unprepared! There are some many 'what ifs' running through my head and a concern that everything I learnt as part of my T.E.F.L. qualification I will have forgotten. I know my friends reading this though will be saying to not worry or overthink things, and this emotion of fear will subside. Yes, the first month will be hard, but once that hurdle is over, I just know all the things I feared will clear and I will enjoy the experience.

Of course I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I'm going to a country I have always wanted to visit and will be basking in 30 degree weather whilst my fellow brits will have to endure this frostbitten winter we've got coming apparently!!...(sorry not sorry). Perhaps what I'm most excited for though is giving myself an opportunity to start afresh; I did that when I studied abroad at Willamette and I could not have had more of a life-changing experience. Like I've said before, I want to use this time away to really see if a) teaching is for me, b) I can survive living in a different country on my own (and more independently than studying abroad) and c) work on myself to come back to the UK a better person who has grown and learnt from this experience. I really want to go out there and work on myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. I want to go to the gym and improve my body and my fitness (i.e. come back looking smoking hot), whilst at the same time working on my mind and emotions after struggling with that particularly over the past 3 months. This is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for me and I know instead of worrying about what it holds, I've got to embrace it and know that whatever happens, it was meant to happen for a reason right?

4 days to go. Shit is getting real.

Destinations, Detox, and Discoveries

FINALLY, things are starting to come together and become all the more real. Luckily I received my ACRO police check within 2 days of filling the application in! (Okay…£100 down the drain but completely worth it!) With that, I’ve been able to book my appointment for the Thai Consulate and fingers crossed, I should have a visa by Tuesday! Panic over.

Also, I’ve gone ahead and booked the flights! As tempting as the flights prices were via SkyScanner, I decided to spend a little bit more and book directly with the airline. Thankfully, it was only around £40 more expensive and in the long run, it means it will cost less to amend the return flight next year as I’m not sure when I’m coming home yet. I decided to fly with Qatar Airways; I flew with them when I went to Malaysia this summer and couldn’t fault them, plus the layover was great and Doha Airport is stunning - they have showers! (I didn’t even know you could do that in an airport…). With the flights booked, I shall be arriving into Bangkok on Wednesday 22nd October at 7:05pm. Glad it turned out that way really as it’ll mean I won’t have to attempt to stay up all day which I have failed at in the past.

Now, as much as I have prepared for this journey mentally, I have decided to do a little bit of physical preparation as well; a detox. I’m not going to stray away from this blog and give you a day-to-day update of my progress with this detox, but I have given myself 9 days to cleanse my body, maybe lose some weight in the process and get my body ready for the new diet I will be experiencing once in Thailand (Oh, I’ve heard there’s a KFC not far from the school so all hope is not lost if I don’t like my new diet!). I have also decided that I’m going to use this time in Thailand to get into shape. I’m going to sign up for the gym, a good friend is creating a workout plan for me and I’m gonna work really hard to stick at it and come back to the UK tan and toned! (Fingers crossed!)

This is a new chapter, and I’m mentally and physically preparing myself for it. I’ve got to be organised right?! That’s an integral part of being a teacher.

Finally, I’ve been speaking to some colleagues from my new school which is gearing me up even more! As excited as I was to find out I won’t need to be cleanly shaven all the time, I am now discovering that we have to wear different uniforms for different days…including pink polo shirts - I feel like I’m in Mean Girls! Now, of course I don’t mind switching up my uniform but the one thing I am concerned about is my forearm tats - for those of you who don’t know (I’m sure most of you reading this do) but I have 4 chinese tattoos on my forearms which, with a long-sleeve shirt, can be easily covered…but not with polo t-shirts or other clothes I’ve been told I’m gonna have to wear…I really hope that its not going to be an issue, or I’ll have to scope make-up shops and see if they have some sort of ‘sweatproof/waterproof’ tattoo concealer. I’ll guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Two Week Warning

Today marks the two week countdown until I arrive in Thailand. As exciting as all this is, I can’t help but feel so unprepared! I’ve yet to book any flights or have any visa. Stupid right?! But, as usual, I’ve been having issues with obtaining my police check; the one I originally had has been ‘lost’ by my previous employer which means I’ve had to fork out nearly £150 to get a new one sent out to me ASAP. Without that, I can’t book any appointment to the Thai Consulate in Cardiff and therefore cannot obtain a visa…F***K.

Flights are looking pretty cheap at around the £450/£460 mark at the moment which is great! I may honestly just go ahead a book a flight in the next couple of days just for peace of mind…even if I have been advised against it. Thankfully I have been able to connect to some people already out at Assumption or just some expats living in Nakhon Ratchasima. They have all been extremely cool and have answered any questions I may have. For one, I don’t need to completely shave my beard as I was originally told (thank god!) so now I won’t look like a 12 year old teaching 12 year olds! Secondly, an expat group on Facebook has proven extremely helpful when asking about transportation and amenities in the city…Korat is shaping up to be a pretty nice place to live! Not to mention, the holidays/term dates seem to be matching up by whats on the website so I’ve gone ahead and booked a flight down to Malaysia (I know what you’re thinking…you need to get out there first!) for the weekend of December 5-7; I get the Friday off for national holiday so going to make the most of it to catch up with some good friends.

Anyways, I know everything will figure itself out but I still can’t help but feel stressed that things are out of my control…one thing I better snap out of if I’m going to fit in well in Thailand.

Will post more once everything is confirmed.

Confirmation

So the job has been confirmed!! I will be working in the English Language department at Assumption College in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima (or Khorat as its more commonly known) starting in just over 3 weeks time…YIKES, I feel so unprepared! This is my first real teaching job and the fact that it’s half way across the globe in Thailand definitely adds to the pressure.

Assumption College Nakhonratchasima

The next 3 weeks will consist of panicking, preparing, packing, more panicking, and maybe some partying (this is definitely something worth celebrating right?!). I just have to get insurance, my visa, book flights, buy clothes etc. etc. and then we should be all set. October 22nd, I’m ready for you.

For those of you who don’t know (I didn’t before I did some research), Khorat/Nakhon Ratchasima is a city located about 300km North-East of Bangkok. It is the gateway of the Isaan province (the largest in Thailand) and is the second biggest city in Thailand with a population of around 200,000 people. The school itself is a private institution located about 10 minutes from the city centre. The school has around 2,000 students and I will be teaching Years 8/9 with classroom sizes of around 40 children. My working hours are from 7:30am - 4:30pm Monday-Friday and I will be teaching up to 24 50-minute periods of English throughout the week. (this is sounding more and more daunting as I write this!).

As scary as this all sounds, I am BEYOND excited to be given such an amazing opportunity and I really see this as a fresh start and a new, exciting chapter of my life. I have never been to Thailand before nor (as of yet) can I speak a word of Thai so that’s going to be fun