Happy Month-iversary

And what a month it has been folks. As I write this on the last teaching day of November, it is crazy to think it has been over a month since I started at Assumption. I really can't express fully how amazing but incredibly stressful and hectic teaching here has been. I am finally starting to get comfortable here, establish the level of my classes and be comfortable with the routine. But even more than that, it is so weird for me when I realise how accustomed I am becoming to living here. Like, I will just happily walk around alone at night to get groceries (in the sense that I don't feel unsafe), I'm starting to meet new people and even though I have yet to master a lot of Thai, I still manage to find my way around. And the weather...I really just can't get enough of it. Waking up on a Monday morning in late November in the UK (I can see it now...); grey, wet, depressing...not really a good way to get up ready for the working week. But here? Sunny, clear, warm...it really sets your mood for the week! And as we are approaching the halfway mark of the semester, I have just finished writing up my students' midterm exams ready for mid-December...yeah it is that time already! I'm not quite sure if all my students are ready (I mean half of them don't really want to learn) but the exam is like 80% multiple choice and they can't fail it...so I don't think they really care! Despite the ups and downs of teaching classes, there are lot of things to like (and dislike...) about this school. I'm gonna start of with the negative, because it really is only two (minor) things...one? The FOOD. Yep, I'm sorry chefs at Assumption but constantly eating rice every day accompanied by some weird, spicy meat (which is actually mostly bone) and veg (half of them being unrecognisable) concoction is not my idea of a school lunch...sometimes I think the kids get better meals than we do (terrible right?! haha :P). Apart from that though, the only issue (though I guess it's not particularly pertaining to the school) is communication. I feel like I am constantly out the loop and that the staff never know anything. I'm starting to realise why they call this school ASSUMPTION - because I'm certain the administration staff just ASSUME that we know everything that's going on. For the most part, I can kind of just take it on the chin and not worry, but there are times it is really stressful as I don't like being disorganised or not knowing what is going on. But hey, it's Thailand and everyone here seems so chill and nothing has necessarily gone wrong with this method of laid back-ness(?) so I guess I just got to go with it.

On a better note, despite the mishaps in comminication, I really do love the staff here. Everyone here is so nice and like I've said previously, there really is a sense of family and looking out for each other here. One way or another, we all seem to help each other out and work out things eventually. It's really nice to bond with teachers from all over the world. And with the mention of the staff, the thing I would say I love the most is the events they put on! The school hosts the coolest events that involves everyone one in the school and they really go full out! I guess because I'm not involved in the organising of them, I don't see the inevitable stressful side to it. But it is really cool to see everyone really be proud of Assumption and wants to make sure people know they are the best almost. Just last week, we had a few stalls around the school for a book festival and being the "token foreign teacher" of sorts, I was able to try my hand at pottery. Yeah, I was not the best at it but it did turn out somewhat like a pot so I was pretty chuffed with myself.

Only thing missing was "Unchained Melody" playing in the background.

The next event in the Assumption calendar was celebration of the Brother Directors birthday. We were invited to attend a mass (with it being a catholic school) and then attend a dinner which was outside accompanied with many many photos and laughs. (I really wish I could remember more in depth...memory is terrible). The dinner was mostly fish-based which is wasn't a massive fan of, but I gave (most of) it a try so I wouldn't be hungry - especially as we were eating outside...whoever came up with that idea...(but we got cute pics of it).

Just had to be the star of this picture...so unnatural. haha.

Finally saw Sports Day fever hit the school. And this was the event of the season. The entire school had been prepping for it the last month and it certainly paid off; what an event it was! Extravagant costumes, marching band, cheerleaders/dance troupes...it was awesome to watch. It was crazy to think that these kids would be running in 30+ degree heat (I couldn't imagine doing that as a kid) but everyone got in full spirit and it was a nice break from teaching classes. Half way through the event was a cheer/dance competition. Each team have their respective troupes and they performed in from of the assumption staff and group of brothers. I couldn't believe how much time and effort (and money) went into these performances. My favourite performance came from the Violet team. Their performance was Egyptian inspired and I felt like it was very "Madonna-at-the-SuperBowl". I was just in awe of the routine and wished I was able to something like that when I was there age. Seeing performances like that with both girls and boys in it made me have more admiration for the students - especially the guys. I have quite a few gay/ladyboys in my classes and I am so proud of them that they feel comfortable being themselves and doing performances like this - I would have LOVED to have done something like that or be in an environment where I had friends who were into the same things as me. I just know that this would be ridiculed in the UK...all out of ignorance...shame really. Anyways, back to Sports Day; a few of the foreign teachers signed up to participate in the teachers relay. This was held at the end of the day which saw 4 Foreign teachers and 4 Thai Teachers represent each team and run a 8x50m relay (maybe they thought we were all too 'unfit' to run a full 100m haha) and I was so looking forward to it. And luckily, I came out of it with a silver medal!! I was so chuffed and it marked a great end to the day. Just before we all left the event, we did the standard protocol of singing the national anthem but then we all joined hands and sang "Auld Lang Syne". The students, teachers, and brothers all came together and it was an overwhelming experience seeing 1-2000 kids look back at you. Even though the song we sang in Thailand is known as "Samakkhi Chumnum" which translates as "Together in Unity", I still saw it as Auld Lang Syne and as a sign of bidding farewell to an old year or marking the end of events but for me, I really saw it as marking the end of an old chapter of my life, and focusing on this new chapter; a new chapter of becoming a teacher in Thailand and really striving to work on myself and find myself again after feeling lost for quite some time. And in relation to the Thai version, I really do feel like I belong here; that I really feel part of a big family and that I have a purpose. Korat, you might be boring and Assumption, you might be stressful at times but hey, it could be worse and I'm really enjoying myself here thus far!

Off to Bangkok this weekend so will keep you posted on those adventures!