C to the Rai

We headed for Chiang Rai on the 2nd of January. The bus ride from Bangkok was an eleven-hour journey. Settling in was easy enough. In fact, it was fun showing Kali the local scene, introducing her to the faculty at my school, and helping her prepare for her job at a school in town. Below are pictures of the house we live in and the school. I meant to post these ages ago.

THE HOUSE

(photo: Farang house --four bedroom, two-story house for foreign teachers located in the back of campus!)

(photo: Air Conditioning. Background: my Thai numbers and alphabet posters --Thanks Sumate!)

(photo: take your shoes off at the door please)

(photo: I have been describing our house as an open-air cabin, here you can see what I mean)

(photo: the bedroom. Backgound: that's right, Louisville IronMan poster!, ear-x-tacy stickers, yoga mat, and photos of family and friends)

(photo: going downstairs --a cat actually came into the house through that hole the other day)

(photo: kitchen with only a microwave for cooking)

(photo: first floor, front door)

(photo: looking into the bathroom. I actually took this picture to capture the creature --moth, colorful bat, kite, we're not sure-- chilling out on the bathroom door. We share our house with nature *wink.)

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays Kali and I organize a game club for PCC students after dinner. Thanks again mom for sending all of the great games! Sorry (insert: small encircled “TM”) has been a big hit with the M1 students. Game club attendance ranges from about 4 to 12 students depending on the night. We have played many games of bingo, great for teaching them English vocabulary. Typically the students who attend game club are from M1, the grade that I teach, so it’s really great getting to know them outside of class. Oh, and for prizes we have been giving away UofL T-shirts, pins, cups as well as USF key chains and pins. Thanks again to my boss at USF Athletics and the admissions staff at UofL for providing me with such personalized gifts for my Thai students!

THE SCHOOL



(photo: Main entrance to the school.)




(photo: view from the courtyard of the main school building -four floors, two sides)



(photo: overlooking the pond, in the background is the gym/cafeteria)



(photo: basketball and volleyball courts)

(photo: football (soccer) fields)


(photo: ping pong area)


(photo: skyline in the back of campus)

So, remember the time I got helplessly lost in Chiang Rai the day I bought my bicycle. A man named Bomb was kind enough to drive me home, and this very man turned out to be the owner of a language school in town called New Zealand Educational Services (NES). To make a long story short, because of that eventful evening, Kali now has a job at NES School teaching about 20 hours a week. On Saturdays Kali and I co-teach (I volunteer) a group of five Thai women, each of whom are in their mid to late 40s and are nurses at Chiang Rai Hospital. I have such a great time on Saturdays because the women are very witty and interested in using conversational English in meaningful ways. Our first Saturday teaching the class went great. After the class, Kali and I ended up hanging out with Bomb and the rest of the staff at NES. That night we went with the staff to the Food Festival being held at the old airport in Chiang Rai.

NES LANGUAGE SCHOOL

(photo: Saturday group)

(photo: Kali and her new boss P'Bomb)

(photo: NES School staff --what a fun bunch)

(photo: Kali enjoying a bit of local cuisine --bamboo worms )

(photo: bathroom break! --gotta love it)