School Has Started

Well, I started my 3rd semester and 2nd year at the Rajabhat. Teaching a couple of writing classes as well as a first year basic English Communications class. I am teaching the 4th year English BA's two classes (they are the same group of students that presented the plays earlier this year. I find them fun to teach).

The 6th thru the 8th of June was English Camp at Supalai Pasak Resort (see previous entry for link). It was an enjoyabe experience. We had about 60 students divided into 5 teams. The first two days each of the 5 group leaders had an English exercise for them to do. Our group had the team pick a short sory (Golidlocks and the 3 bears, Snow White, etc.), write a short play and then perform it in front of us. They all did a good job. The 2nd day the students played Jeopardy. We would give them a word in English and they would give us a question using that word as the answer.

The 2nd night was the talent show. Some groups were very funny. One group had the Ugly Miss Universe contest (Ms. Laos won - lost? The Thais like makeing fun of the Laotians). Another did Thai commercials in English. They set up a big cardboard screen and had two brothers fighting over the remote control and channel hoping. They were the best that night. Another group performed a quiz show (popular in Thailand). It was a lot of fun.

Not much going on outside of work. Planning a trip to Pattaya the 13th of June for the weekend. It is a beach resort town near Bangkok. I have decided to put off starting my Master's program until next June. I can't believe it's only about 8 months until I turn the double nickel and can get access to my pension money. May use some to buy a car (or truck). Will write more after i get back from Pattaya.

Back from the States

Well I have been back from the States 2 weeks now. Not much going on right now. I will be teaching 14 hours this next semester which starts June 11. We have an English camp next week from the 6th until the 8th. The English BA's and BED's are required to attend at least three camps to graduate. They will divided into 5 groups and be expected to do a task in English. The first day they will be given a short sory and must put together a dialogue for a 5 minute performance. The 2nd day we are going to play a version of Jepordy. We will give them an answer and then they must come up with the question. Should be fun. One night we will have a talent show and I have been selected to MC. Trying to draw me out of my shy personality.



Our English camp is at the Supalai Pasak Resort which is about 100 Kilometers from here. Attached is the link. http://www.atsiam.com/hotels/saraburi/supalai_pasak_resort_hotel_photo.asp



Last week I signed my new contract and went to immigration so I have a job for at least another year.



I enjoyed my trip home and miss everyone already. My next planned trip home will be October of 2008. I hope to start my masters degree June of next week so hopefully both breaks will be at the same time. If not I plan to come home in April of 2009.

Director In Action

First day we had no microphones and loud children. We had this corrected by the 2nd day.

Can you spot the funny director (Salvidor Dali look alike). As I have said before these are a great group of kids.

Intoducing the actors to the kids. They loved the wicked witch, scaregrow and the lion. They liked the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

Kanae (BB Canoe) is with the lion. She is one of the Japanese teachers leaving at the end of this month. Dan from Canada is kneeling to her right.

Most of the senior teachers with the actors. To my left is my assistant director, Bundit. On the end to my right is Mai the other Japanese teacher. She has since returned to Japan to teach kids.

Wizard of Oz pictures

This our Dorothy or know by all here as Pookie. She had the most lines to learn of any of the actors. She came through as a trooper. All of the students said that doing the plays in front an audience helped to boost their confidence.

The Wicked Witch of the West or also know as Bee. She had the best laugh for the part.

The other three main characters: Ton as the scarecrow; Bill as the tin man; and Nookie as the lion. The lion is holding Dorothy's Toto.

Here is Glenda the good witch, played by Poopay, and Arm as our wizard of Oz. It was also an audience participation play were the audience members helped stuff the scarecrow, stuff the tin man and the like.

Alice in Wonderland Pictures

My Alice, cook and Frogman. Yes that's her twin sister.

Both groups together. They are all 3rd year BA English majors that were thought by many to be lazy. They worked hard on these plays (Alice was 30 minutes long and Oz one hour). They worked 3 to 5 nights a week for two months. Everyone though they did an excellent job. You must remember that they are native Thai speakers. I am very proud of these students. I hope to teach them again in June.

This is Alice falling down the rabbit hole.

Alice first comes on stage.

Talking to the Dormouse in a lake of her own tears.

Alice and the white rabbit. The white rabitts Thai nickname is Tay which is Thai for rabbitt.

Tears again

At the beginning

Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz

The 14th and 15th of February will be days I remember for the rest of my life. A wonderful Valentine's Day and Birthday. This semester I am teaching an English course called English and Drama. Part of the class curriculum required the students to perform in a play (usually 15 minutes in length). The 3rd year English BA's have a reputation as a group of misfits that are hard to motivate and sort of like the group that couldn't shoot straight. After their performances their reputation on campus has improved immensely.

Note: The Thai's have very long first names and are given nicknames as birth which is what I use here. If the name translates into English is is included in Parenthesis.

The cast of the Wizard of Oz (OZ) I matched to the type of personality of the character. Ton was my scarecrow and did the falling down physical stuff of the original. Pookie who played Dorothy could easily pass for a 14 year old girl (even though she is 21 years old). Pung (Bee) who played the Wicked Witch has the most evil smile and cackle that would make the original WW jealous. Nookie play the lion and had that part nailed down pretty good. Poopie as Glinda, Bill as the Tin Man and Arm as the Wizard were all pretty good.

Alice in Wonderland (AW) was also done very well. The entire cast of eight women did a fantastic job. Gao (chicken) played Alice. She's a small women that could easily pass for a teenage girl. She has a great giggle. Miss Bill played the dormouse and is sort of mousy. She also took on the role as the group's leader. Tay (rabbit) was the White Rabbit and could speak rather quickly. Som (orange) played the duchess and could sing way off key. Da played the fish, Fon (rain) played the frog footman, Bo as the cook and Bee played the Cheshire Cat (she has a great smile).

After about six classes the entire class was devoted to the practice for the plays. They had difficult times memorizing their lines (AW was 30 minutes long and OZ was 60 minutes long). We rehearsed 3 days a week and they had to be off of the scripts by January 15th. This got pushed to the 22nd of January. AW was moving right along going quit well. Oz on the other hand was not. So on the 22nd I told the OZ group that I would give them four more days to learn their lines. If not I would cancel the play and the persons not knowing their lines would only get half of the points for the play. The play was worth 50 points towards their final grade so 25 points was quit a bit. The only two that had their parts memorized were Poopie (Glenda) and Pung (WW). Well I came to rehearsal the next day and they said that they wanted to rehearse without me and since I thought they wouldn't meet the challenge I said OK. Well that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday they ran through the play four times a night. I would come around for a few minutes a day to show my support but didn't say a word. It was their grades on the line.

Well Friday morning came and we rehearsed. They weren't perfect but had vastly improved. I was really proud that these seven people had the motivation and willingness to work that hard. Nonetheless the play went on as scheduled and all 15 students got their 50 points.

This is one of the best things I have ever done. I am proud of this group and love them dearly. If they forget whatever English they have learned and even my name they will remember in 50 years time some of their lines from this play. I can hear a 70 year old Bee telling her grandchildren "Who killed my sister? Who killed my sister?"

DERMAN

P.S. I will post pictures of the plays when they become available.