Creating my blog

With typical British understatement, I have to admit to a bit of a disaster in creating my blog and have had to start over.  I'm working through recreating the early posts - mainly for myself but also for friends back home who would otherwise miss out on my activities.  

Bear with me - I'm trying to do a few each day, so (only if you're interested, of course) please keep checking to see my 'latest' backdated posts as well as the new ones!

My acrobatic gecko!

At last I've managed to get a photo of my little 'pet' gecko, Gok.  I think it's a boy but I'm not sure as it is far too wary to let me get near enough to touch and, in any case, I still wouldn't be able to tell!

I was really missing my pets back home, but this little chap keeps me amused with his antics.  He is only about 8cm long, but that is from nose to tail - the main bulk of his body is approx 3cm. All the other geckos I've seen are very agile and sure-footed (or should that be sure-padded?), however my little one keeps trying to climb into the light fitting above the dressing table then falls down.  A couple of evenings ago, he fell down onto a cup of sweets, which I had ready for my lesson the next day (I freely admit to bribing children in my TEFL class to focus on the activity), and spectacularly trampolined off, bounced against the mirror and came to rest somewhat dazed among the usual dressing table items.  It was the first time he stayed still long enough for me to get my camera.

He didn't move for ages afterwards, but was back to his acrobatics again last night and kept his part of our living arrangement by keeping the mosquito squadrons at bay!

TEFL Role Play

Studying to teach English as a foreign language in Thailand, I didn't expect that part of the course would require me to perform a role play speaking Thai!  But that's exactly one of the tasks we were set.  

I've worked on my own as well as with a partner to research some Thai phrases we could use at the Pharmacy, as well as the possible responses we might receive. Next, we had to actually visit a pharmacy and try out our language skills.  Finally, we perfected our script and performed a role play in front of our colleagues AND some native Thai speakers.  The latter were asked questions about what we had said in order to ascertain whether our speech was recognisable (apparently not all previous students have managed this task successfully).

Happily, all of us passed the exercise with flying colours, with scenarios including: the market, the laundry and a restaurant.  It was a great way to put us in the shoes of our students as we struggled with pronunciation and unfamiliar words.

Lots of travellers decide to fund their travel by taking a TEFL course so that they can teach abroad, save money and then wander different parts of the globe. Although such qualifications are often offered in your home country, it is a great idea to take a course in the country where you'd like to teach. The benefits are that the course providers know the education system there and, through their contacts and advice, can help you towards a job.  

Doi Suthep Temple, Chiang Mai

If you're not too "templed out", Doi Suthep Temple is a lovely one to visit because there are spectacular views from there across the city of Chiang Mai to the hills beyond.  

Actually, Doi Suthep is the name of the mountain, whilst the temple's proper name is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.  Be prepared for the 309 steps ... or you can take a cable car for a modest price and save your energy!

Whilst you're going to visit the temple, there are also the Bubing Palace and Hmong Doi Pui tribal village further up the mountain along the same route. 

There's plenty of fun to be had before you even start the trip if you're hoping to take a songthaew - a shared taxi (created by adapting a pick up truck with 2 benches and a covered cabin).  You really have to accept that a large majority of the songthaew drivers will try to take advantage of the fact that you're foreign (and, in their minds, unfamiliar with the currency), as well as that THEY have a service you require.

A friend and I patiently waited for half an hour whilst a driver tried, in vain, to attract other potential passengers so that we could all travel for a discounted price.  However, the heat began getting to us and we had to resort to walking away before another driver ran after us and offered a much reduced price which we were willing to pay.

There are a number of pagodas, shrines, bells and statues (drawn from both Buddhism and Hinduism) within the temple, along with the impressive chedi.

There are a lot of tourists who visit, but Buddhists and Hindus also come here to pray.  There is a strict code of appropriate dress, but garments can be hired (10 baht) for those who didn't realise and only have shorts and sleeveless tops.

A visitor in the classroom!

Teaching in Thailand is proving really interesting. I'm now half way through the TEFL course and it's turning out to be good fun as well as hard work.  Teaching English as a foreign language when I can't help in any way by translating into Thai is quite challenging, but the children here are generally very polite, respectful and well behaved. They try very hard in our lessons and that's a definite advantage. 

Many schools have an open area on the ground floor where we teach. It's a bit cooler than the classrooms which don't usually have air conditioning, but it also means some unexpected visitors.  A dog wandered in and lay down next to the children during my lesson last week!  No-one paid any attention as it is a common occurrence apparently.  The dog was still around later, so I took a couple of photos.  Another colleague told me that there was a nest above her teaching area and the birds flew back and forth all through her lesson.