Last week I was asked to prepare a test for my students to do as it is nearly the end of term. So far I have taught Occupations, Family, Prepositions, Descriptions, Directions and Body Parts (plus Christmas lessons), so I decided to do my test on body parts, prepositions, family and descriptions.
It's probably not the best put together test, but it does it's job and is nice and simple. I thought that it might be too simple for some of my classes (the 3rd years in particular), but so far no one has full marks. The highest has been 19/20, and the lowest has been 0. For the first couple of lessons I found it quite difficult getting the kids to understand what I wanted them to do, so asked one of the Thai English teachers to come in and explain it to them. I find it quite funny that some of the students think that after me and a Thai teacher explaining what to do they can still claim that they don't understand, despite the fact that the rest of the students seem to be able to figure it out! I have had some pupils who sit and do nothing even after several of their classmates have explained to them what to do. This happens quite a lot in some of my lower classes, and unfortunately there is very little that can be done about it. I have been told by the head of English (Kru Nid) that if students are like that then I should just "let them go" which is an example of the "mai pen rai" attitude a lot of people have here. "Mai Pen Rai" translates as "it doesn't matter" and is heard everywhere you go around Thailand. In some ways it is lovely to be in such a laid back community, but it does mean that sometimes things don't get done until last minute and things that should be an issue just aren't. Despite the simplicity of the test, every now and then I get some hilarious answers. One that springs to mind is "she is one arm" and "she has face hair" which I thought were very amusing!
On Sunday Caitlin and I went to That Phanom for the Thai Phanom festival. The biggest festival day is meant to be this Friday, but we are going to be in Bangkok by then (we're going to visit Pippa) plus we've been told by many people that it is so crowded that it's impossible to get anywhere on the Friday, so we decided to go earlier. It was brilliant - basically just an enormous market with Prathat Phanom (the temple) in the middle. I spent far too much money but bought some very pretty things! I got a t-shirt that has a map of Thailand made up of all the province names written in Thai which I love, a pair of shorts, a lovely kaftan, a new watch and a butterfly necklace. To be fair, everything I bought is something that I will wear and that will be useful, so really they're all investements... :P
This week is our last teaching at NaKaePitt. until after the two month holiday. For the next two weeks we are teaching full time at St. Joseph Primary School because due to holidays usually being on a Friday (the day we're meant to teach the primary kids) we have missed a lot of days there. It should be brilliant to be teaching there constantly, the kids are absolutely lovely and because they are younger the lessons often revolve around songs and games! Fun fun fun! After that we are lucky enough to be going to Phukhet on a teacher-trp with some of the teachers at NaKaePitt. I can't wait for it, it'll be so brilliant to spend so much time with the other teachers and get to bond with them. We are then back in Na Kae for two days (14th and 15th) to help out at an English camp at St Joseph, then the holidays begin! As of yet our holiday plan is rather sketchy... I am hoping to be doing a week of volunteering at an orphanage in Nong Khai, but am waiting to hear back from them to find out if they have any week placements. I have a list of places that I want to see, and I think that our plan at the moment is to head south at the start of the holidays towards Bangkok as one of Caitlin's friends is coming over a week into the holidays. I doubt it will be a direct trip to Bangkok, that would be far too boring, so we'll probably wiggle our way southwards, pick up Jake and then continue southwards towards some more islands. After that I suppose the only way to go is north! Seven Steps Waterfall is definitely on the list, as are some caves that a family friend (Ian) recommended. We are hoping to be able to get over to Cambodia at some point to visit Ankhor Wat, but at the moment we don't know if that'll be possible due to the situation on the Thai-Cambodia border in Si Sa Khet. Hopefully it'll have cleared up by then, but all border-crossings have to be okay'ed by Project Trust so it depends on whether or not they think it's safe.
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