Pattaya Post

I finished my 3rd day of practice teaching in Pattaya, Thailand today. I am at a kindergarten (glorified daycare) everyday teaching about 2 hours of English a day for these next two weeks. My teachers observe and give me feedback, and then in the afternoons I learn how to speak Thai. or attempt to speak thai. Teaching at the kindergarten became a lot more tolerable once I set my expectations more realistically. We do the alphabet, numbers, and colors...lots of songs and games and all before naptime.

Everyday brings something completely new and unexpected. Yesterday Susan and I took a Baht Bus (pick-up truck with a roof...kindof. 10 baht to go along the route) to the biggest and most extravagant mall I have ever set foot in. The shock was intensified because this was the first taste of civilization for a few weeks and it was this gargantuan display of wealth. It was mostly tourists walking around and shopping. And tons of older white dudes with a young Thai girl on their arm...an ALL too common sight, especially for Pattaya. We gawked around for awhile and saw a movie on the 5th floor--The Road. I guess neither of us really knew the plot ahead of time, and we left feeling pretty down. I'll use that to blame our consumption of pistachio gelato and Pizza Hut--mmm comfort food.

It's a little ridiculous how accustomed I have become to living out of a suitcase, showering whenever our water works, walking without shoes, bowing to thank, eating with a spoon-pushing with a fork, and beckoning or hailing a ride with a down-turned palm (up-turned palm with finger wagging is reserved for dogs..). I haven't even been here that long but sometimes throughout my day I will realized how I've slipped into adaptation to the South East Asian culture. Susan and I have been keeping each other sane and laughing at certain oddities or discomforts that could send some people packing. It's all part of the experience, and I'm trying to take it all in.