Half way point

Believe it or not I have been here three weeks and at the half way point of my course. I have my first teaching class under my belt. Had six students (3 women and 3 men). The class was on reported commands. Went real well. The students gave me good marks as did the evaluator. Also went for my first interview today with English First. They are looking for people to start a week from Monday. I will not be available until July 11th. I did tell him I would be available for Friday and weekends.

I am learning how to teach English and about the English teaching "industry" over here. Seems like they are having a hard time finding people with corporate experience to teach busines English. It seems to me that they are paying 600 to 700 Bhat per hour ($10 = 400 Bhat) or 60,000 Bhat ($1500) a month. That is great money for Thailand. I may be holding out for one of these positions.

Graduation is on the 6th and I have a nice trip planned for Aom and I to Puket (area affected by the Tusnami). http://r24.org/bkktonite.com/phuket/bayresort/ Will be there from the 8th to the 10th. We are flying down. It will be Aom's first time on an airplane.

Made It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, as you can imagine I have made it to the LOS or the Big Mango. The weather is hot (90+) and we get a rain shower everyday between 6 and 8 pm. I have finished my first week of school, first in class presentation and first test this morning. Will find out Wednesday my first student teaching asignment for next week. Will do six hours over the 3rd, 4th and 5th weeks.

There are seven of us in my class, 4 Americans (Maryland, California and Flordia), 1 Englander, 1 Welchman and our lone women is from India. Our instructor is from England. We have classes from Monday through Thursday at 9:30 and ending at 3:30. Graduation is on July 6th. You are all invited.

My apartment is nice. Is is on the 16th floor of a 17 story building. Has TV, frig, microwave, hotwater, air and the like. Also maid service once a week. All for 10,000 Bhat ($250) a month. Bought a cell phone over the weekend. Plan to buy a DVD/CD player as the Thai cable is not all that.

Aom is doing well and we manage to get together on most days (7 of 9 so far). She just found out that at the end of June that she will need to find a new job. The hotel is opening there new Sauna and want all new girls. Aom and her friends are trying to strike out on there own. I wish them all good luck.

My health is improving. I do a lot of walking everyday and the heat is not so bad if you drink enough water. The surgical wound in my leg is also getting smaller and has not been causing me any problems. The food is great (no puppies as of yet nor any bugs).

I am trying to figure out the bus transaportation in this city. The buses have there own "conductors" and no fare is more than 30 cents. Found a couple of good bookstores that sell books in English, mostly British publishers. Well I will write at the end of next week and let you know how my first student teaching class goes.