Two easy and fun classes where the grade 10s were teaching me how to improve my pronunciation. I let them make fun of my pronunciation so that they don’t feel too bad when I correct their English. I did some reading with them and was quite happy to see them trying and not just looking to me to tell them. I really wish that I had more time to be able to do that with them individually or in pairs.
The best thing about today was:
It was another all-around good day without one thing being better than another.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Likewise to above, anything that was out of my control didn’t get in my way today.
Something I learned today?
I should probably stop reading about the genocide of the Palestinians. It’s frustrating and inhumane. Of course, there is nothing I can do about it but at least know that if there is evil in the world it is openly on display by the Zionists. Religion, whilst preaching goodness and acceptance continues to do exactly the opposite.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
Giving lots of encouragement to my grade 10 students and support to my grade 7s. Even though the 7s are still a little distracted they can get back to it if I keep shepherding them. I can see some friend group dynamics shifting a little in that class too. It will be interesting to follow.
Who do I trust the most, and why?
Obviously, this is Amy. Now we have shared 15 years of our lives together and have a deep sense of trust in each other. Our actions have proven that. Whether we are in the same country or not, we trust each other.
I am generally quite trusting of others, though also have a reasonably good radar about people. I like to think that most people are good and decent and I am also prepared to be let down.
Baipad took this picture because I asked her to take a selfie of the fursuit head that she is making. She reckons she can sell these for 150 USD! That’s wild. She’s a little critical of her work because she lacks confidence. She’s only 14 and her skills will only get better and better.
I’m seventeen today I’ve learned very little so far Don’t expect so much This is the way we are
I’m only seventeen This is no time for babies The future so uncertain My life so full of maybes
Yes, I’m seventeen Full of doubts and bluster I can do anything With the energy I can muster
I’m already seventeen Stop telling me what to do I can do what I want I don’t need to listen to you
I’m dead at seventeen My life already done Everything a disaster Will eighteen never come?
I’m still seventeen Inside an adult insecure Learning all about life Always growing more
Today I’m feeling:
Back to normal though I still have some phlegm on my chest but it doesn’t bother me now. I’m feeling good and positive mentally too.
Today I’m grateful for:
The bread shop at Big C that has a black sesame mochi-bread type thing that is a yummy snack and then a little chocolate pastry that I follow up with. It’s a small treat for myself sometimes.
The best thing about today was:
Having a reasonably simple but long (for me) conversation in Thai with Goya about the colours of the day in Thailand and the colours of the shirts we were wearing and our shirts for sports day. It was only as I walked away I realised that we’d been speaking in Thai the whole time and I felt a little bit proud of myself. I’m grateful to Goya for that today.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I had a simple class in the morning and the kids were trying to catch up on work for their science class, which frustrated me at first.
I took all their work away telling them that there was plenty of time and that if they finished my class they would be free to do the work they wanted. They reluctantly agreed and most of the class completed the work with plenty of time to spare…. except three students who wanted to go to the bathroom and disappeared for about 20 minutes.
It is still a case of herding cats with some of these kids though they are slowly improving.
Something I learned today?
Brodie Grundy has joined the Swans from Collingwood. Amy used to mention how handsome he was whenever she saw him playing but she’s not so keen now he’s looking a bit older.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
Once again I offered Earn some advice because she is shy to talk to the boy she likes. I told her that if she doesn’t talk to him she will never know how he feels. And if she does talk to him then she will know and whatever way he feels about is a positive outcome for her.
Really, she is not shy at all, she is just scared of rejection. She agreed. She then wanted to focus on how pretty she was. I told her that that is only one element of who she is and not to get so hung up on it. She appreciated my advice but I’m not sure that she is strong enough to act on it (yet).
Little Nicha is also crushing on a boy in her class but insists that he doesn’t like her. She is also too shy to find out. I talked to him a little today, asking if he liked any girls in the class but he is either too shy to talk about it or hasn’t even thought about it yet. The girls seem ready for ‘romance’ whilst the boys are stuck on football and video games.
I don’t know if I have the best advice for these kids but what I do want to get across to the girls is to be strong and independent.
I joined Baipad, Jan and Apple in the canteen at lunchtime and they also introduced me to their friend Chompoo. I tried to get them all talking about things in English as much as I could instead of looking at their phones.
Quote: “You’re only poor if you give up. The most important thing is that you did something. Most people only talk and dream of getting rich. You’ve done something.” – Robert T. Kiyosaki
I don’t consider myself rich though where I live others might consider me so. I still gauge things in Aussie dollars and in comparison, I’m not rich at all. Comfortable, I suppose.
I never really expected to be rich and when I dreamt about it I was fully aware it was a dream. I never thought to try and marry rich or even chase money particularly. I was lucky to have a very well-paying job for a few years and whilst saving some I also invested it into philanthropic art with my music label.
So all this time I was busy doing things, doing something. In fact, I even made a T-shirt that just had two words on the front ‘do something’. I had been practising this even before leaving England with my free pamphlet ‘Fuck Around’.
Whether you like something or not, you have no right to reply if you are doing nothing yourself.
One of the purposes of this trail of words on this blog is to look back at all the something I did.
I got this picture from August because my students were supposed to be working but hid themselves behind some stage props in the classroom and started their own little photo shoot. As the quality of the picture shows I caught them before they got very far. I told them that if they didn’t finish my work today I would send the pictures to their homeroom teacher and, sufficiently threatened, they mostly got on with it. It was an empty threat anyway, I just wanted to see my naughty students having fun. Pictured are Fah and Nicha (holding the guitar).
Better after arriving at school this morning, the kids cheered me a little.
I struggled a little with getting up and exercising but once I got going it was ok. I ate extra yoghurt for breakfast too as I think that now I’m eating better because of Amy’s cooking I’m not actually eating enough. I seem to be losing weight quite easily; it feels a little too easy. I will try to eat a little extra today but must stick with healthy things.
Today I’m grateful for:
The free time I had today and also finishing early to watch some of the students practising for their sports day events (or just sitting around waiting for instructions and complaining a lot!). The kids are sure happier to spend less time in class.
The best thing about today was:
Some of my old grade 9 students saw me working in the small teacher’s room and came to chat. One of them, August (the girl who likes dance), was curious about what I was doing on my computer.
I was translating one of my lessons about sexual abuse in Thailand into Thai because I will teach it again to my grade 10 class whose English isn’t so good and I want them to understand as much as possible.
As she was reading the Thai translation I was quite happily surprised when she started reading it out in English, doing the translation in her head. She was then curious about the rest of the lesson and I went through it quickly with her, asking for her opinion on what is appropriate behaviour or not.
She had finished the work in her own class, where she was supposed to be and so stayed and asked about what other lessons I was teaching, so I showed her one about relationships, which I had also got translations for and she then helped me find better words for students to understand.
In the end, time was up but she was enjoying helping that she was reluctant to go.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I sat and talked with the grade 7 student who reached out to me about mental health. His English is very good, much better than the rest of his class, and as a counterbalance to that, he can’t communicate as well in Thai! This is causing him some problems with making friends in his class.
He is also very thoughtful but sometimes he thinks too much and goes over things again and again. He is, thankfully, quite self-aware.
I gave him some suggestions and feel like he will be able to work things out though I think his abilities will mean that he will always feel a little separate from others.
What am I looking forward to this month?
The thing I look forward to most at the moment is being at school and I think this month will be a lot of fun, with having shorter classes and the kids excited about sport, Christmas and days off.
What is one thing I learned about myself this month?
I learned that I can still keep calm despite the reasonably big stresses of money and visa issues this month. I’ve learned to trust in myself and others and that things will turn out ok. This is a little different to how I might have been five or ten years past.
In Western countries, life can be quite rigid and your posture adapts accordingly. Things need to be known and in order for them to run smoothly.
In Thailand, I’ve learned that things rarely run smoothly but that everyone readily adapts without complaint. I’ve been learning this over the five years I’ve been here so that the problems that have occurred in the last month that might have been stressful before are more manageable now.
I took this picture from a video of the super naughty (and hilarious) KB hamming it up for the camera and her friends after fighting with me about doing work. It’s difficult to get angry with her because she is so funny and she does usually finish things with a push. She is also capable but just immature and lazy right now.
A sermon for every sin A sin for every hour And all the dreams later Wishes to enter this tower
Just one more sin, one more sin This sermon the last Begging to be let in From the long nights past
inspired by Chapter 4(?) of Wuthering Heights
Today I’m feeling:
Pretty good in the morning and Amy and I had a nice lunch at Nut and Bruno’s. We came back and had a nap but I felt not quite right after that and now I just feel like doing nothing. I’m in bed at 6.30 already.
Today I’m grateful for:
My grade 7 student messaging me saying that he wants to talk about his mental health problems. I will meet him tomorrow. I’m glad he is self-aware enough to reach out.
The best thing about today was:
My grade 8 students coming to help or just watch my grade 7s with their reading.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Run out of enthusiasm and my stomach is feeling a little wobbly. Hope to sleep early tonight.
I took this picture because I was surprised to see this reference to the Sex Pistols Bill Grundy interview on a student’s jumper! No one had really looked at it until I pointed it but when they did they knew that fuck was a bad word.
There’s a honey latte running through her head So sweet and milky, her memory a thread Not knowing the day, she ventures to the city Things she thought she knew shined so pretty
Alone, together, the hands are like ghosts Long gone now, sailed to separate coasts Eyeing the barista, nails polished black A laptop hipster, personified slack
She’s a wanna-be adult, yet still sixteen Smart and serious but remains unseen Loving the self-loathing, when will she arrive? Only when she realises she’s always been alive
Wishing for the future and suddenly it’s gone Standing in the middle of what she wanted for so long Nothing left to prove, no longer the impostor Discounted all the time that getting here cost her
Here’s to the memory, the empty honey cup Close the cafe door, breathe til she’s full up Treading familiar sidewalks always reveals the change Yesterday, today and tomorrow always seem so strange
A little tired with a headache and cough again. I didn’t sleep well due to discomfort in my shoulders. I woke up and exercised and felt good for that but my eyes are aching again.
I wondered if part of the problem was connected to the air quality so I checked on the AirVisual app and saw that the quality is already poor and approaching dangerous. Amy has also suddenly got her cough and runny nose back. We will put the air filter in the bedroom tonight.
Today I’m grateful for:
Being able to get paid a little money this month at least. Nancy has figured out some trickery so that I won’t starve just yet.
The best thing about today was:
Finding out that all classes are reduced to 50 minutes for December as kids go off for sports practice at the end of each day. There are also three days off this month. Great.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
When I got to House I was hanging for coffee but Gui’s machine was broken. I stayed a while doing some lesson checking and planning but couldn’t wait in the end and went around to Hobby coffee and I don’t know if it was just the wait but the first cup I got there tasted of delicious honey. I took a second cup back to school and carried on planning.
Something I learned today?
My old student Fah, who was always a bit of a handful but I was drawn to her because she reminded me of me when I was her age, got kicked out of school last semester due to lack of attendance, work, care etc. I wondered why I hadn’t seen her for a while.
Apparently, she has become even worse since, though she is supposed to be studying at another school.
I think she felt an affinity with me, maybe because I never gave her too much of a hard time and encouraged her more than berated her, every time she saw me, without fail she would give me a big hug.
I hope she makes it out there.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I sent Nong Fah (Sonsawan) an encouraging message to keep going with English in the future, using Amy’s story as evidence.
I helped fix many students’ microphone access so that they could read my work today. I’ve managed to figure out on most phones how to change the setting’s language to English and from there allow them microphone access.
When one of my students accidentally mixed up their words today and asked me if I was studying instead of if I was teaching, I told them ‘Yes, I’m always learning!’
I finally got to congratulate Funfai in person and she is very proud of herself for winning four trophies.
Despite being tired and wanting to get home I stayed and played Uno with Kru Ren, Jet, Noah, Lin and Mai after my class had finished and somehow the kids conspired to make sure that the teachers didn’t win. It was a lot of fun.
I gave my last candies to two of my laziest students, trying to buy their attention for our next class!
Rista asked if we could make Christmas cards in our class again like we did last year. Well, I don’t see why not?
I took this picture because as Tonaor and Nicha were on their way to their next class they suddenly shouted out ‘selfie’ and this was the result. I’d forgotten about it until now.
A bit more lively than yesterday and with a little bit of tension knowing that I have a few things to do. Amy will go out for lunch with Aun so there shouldn’t be any interruptions.
Today I’m grateful for:
Poowanut at Heaven and Hell record store for immediately paying for a couple of copies of the Jornada Del Muerto LPs which I immediately got packed and will send to him tomorrow.
The best thing about today was:
Getting everything done that I had planned. The day went way too quickly though. Even what feels like doing nothing in particular goes too fast and being bored is a thing long past!
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
This one happened to Amy but I got to hear all about it. As mentioned above Amy had planned to meet Aun for lunch but as it approached time to leave she called Aun just to double-check, who then said she was still in bed and hungover and could she cancel.
Amy was rightly annoyed and complained to me about this common occurrence amongst her friends in Thailand.
She blamed herself though, saying that she should’ve known better. As she continued I just kept listening and acknowledging her displeasure and she let it all go with a ‘better just to be by myself and not care about other people.’
Something I learned today?
My football team, Ipswich Town, making a bid to return to the top tier of English football lost their first game this season to West Bromwich Albion.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I smiled and acknowledged the old lady (she may not have been old) at Utopia in the morning. She gave me a nod and a smile as she left.
I committed to investing time and money in a new release for SpeechOdd and High Voltage.
A random guy had emailed me last week about wanting to buy a CD in my collection and though I really like it I figured I could track it down again and he seemed really desperate to get it so I decided to let it go today.
Another random guy had emailed me about making music together but he thought that I had made a song that was actually done by Trumans Water. I forwarded his message to the band and replied to the guy that I had done so.
What made me smile today?
Walking into Utopia after riding my pushbike from home, I smiled and greeted staff and customers with a smile because I was in a good expectant mood looking forward to that first sip of delicious coffee.
Seeing Cappuccino and Tigger curled up in the cat tree boxes.
Watching a funny video of a kitten running after a delivery guy whilst I was laying next to Amy in bed after having my morning shower.
I feel like I didn’t smile that much really even though I’m pretty happy today.
What puts me in a good mood?
Seeing my students. They can also have the opposite effect but in general, being around all the students at school makes me happy and picks me up.
Coffee helps too!
I took this picture because I managed to capture Cap’s blue eyes.
Born empty, yet complete A whole thing of being A clean slate to begin Eyes open for the seeing Entropy now underway Holes puncture the slate Until the whole is empty No longer able to create
Pretty reasonable, though exercise was a bit of a struggle this morning. Just a tiny tickly dry cough left and there’s little pain from the tooth extraction but just a little bit of a weird feeling in my mouth.
Today I’m grateful for:
A kind of family dinner at Amy’s folk’s house. I ate as soon as I arrived after school as I had only had a few spoonfuls of yoghurt in the morning. Amy rode out to get me some fish congee which was what the dentist suggested for a couple of days whilst the hole in my gum heals. Everyone else was running around preparing food and then ate outside but I ran inside because of the hundreds of busy mosquitoes.
The best thing about today was:
It seems more common these days to not have anything stand out in particular but just to be generally having a good day all day. This is reflective of a more positive and healthy attitude all round.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
In my last class one of my students advised me that everyone had to be out of the building by 4.30 because the pest control people were coming to spray.
I don’t know why it is that we have to wait for our students to inform us of what is going on in the school but I’ve gotten used to it by now.
Something I learned today?
Sadly Kru Fang will leave our school on Monday which is such a shame as she has been the most helpful and friendly teacher of all in our building. I like her a lot. Nothing stays the same.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
Despite feeling tired during the day I was still happy to accept Amy’s message that we would eat at her parent’s for dinner.
Arriving after finishing school, Amy directed me to walk Leo and though I was hoping to relax for a minute I got over it quickly and let Leo pull me along as he snuffled in any interesting pile of leaves and dirt that he came across. He gives few clues about what is going on his head.
After finishing dinner I was keen to get home but Amy needed some baking ingredient that we needed to go back into the city for. I took it in my stride, even after the first shop we tried being closed and the second shop not having any stock and rushing to the third shop before it closed where finally she got it. I was satisfied with a nice soft cake that I found at the second stop and I think that kept me going.
I sent congratulations to Funfai for more medal-winning tennis and get-wells to Nut, Lin and Baipad.
I sent supportive messages to Aum and Ice because I saw them both enjoying my class of tongue twisters and helping other students.
I managed to go another day without taking a picture. I guess I had opportunities here and there but I did spend a lot of time either in class or in House and distracted with other things like reading or studying Thai.
I feel a little like I’m accustomed now to my environment here in Thailand. It’s not as novel as it once was though I do still appreciate what is around me. I need to get on my bike again soon and go exploring.
This project is almost over Say your farewells and let me go I’m tired of these waking hours It’s time I slept Don’t shed tears, it’s not failure But a circuit complete I dream one day to be an eagle Or a happy fat cat But now we must let it be
You’re welcome to say a prayer But save it for yourself Whisper it to your own ear And listen to that breath
Today I’m feeling:
Well enough to exercise again but I’m coughing up lots of phlegm and although my throat isn’t too sore from coughing its giving me a headache.
I’m pretty tired after my first class and could easily sleep. At least I finish at 2.30 and can get home and relax for a while.
Today I’m grateful for:
My grade 8 class students slowly maturing, advancing their skills and understanding what I require of them. I’m starting to like them again, despite loving and loathing them!
The best thing about today was:
Finishing writing up two books to blog posts. Now there’s a bit of space in my bag again though there’s plenty more books to go yet.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
My broken tooth is starting to get sensitive and its fricking painful to drink anything cold. My other dodgy teeth seem to also be coming out in sympathy pain too.
I go to the dentist in a couple of days but I don’t think that they will fix it there and then (unless they have a go at pulling it out, which maybe the best option in the end)
Something I learned today?
There’s a lot of volcanic activity in the world at the moment so it seems though perhaps it is just that I’m seeing more of that type of information presented to me. In the same manner it seems to be flooding everywhere that is usually a desert.
Our perceptions are so easily manipulated.
Hey, all is quiet down our street.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I tried to get over my dislike of one of my students by involving him in the class a little more and trying to be firm and consistent when he acts up.
In another class I supported a couple of the struggling readers with some one-on-one time and also tried to broker peace in a quarrel that they were having.
Amy ordered a new shoe rack which I duly put together with little complaint even though there were other things I wanted to do.
I believe there were no vile deeds today (as per most days now).
What are some of the sources of stress in my life right now?
Not having a visa currently us a little stressful, though in the process of getting sorted out.
The possibility of not getting paid next month is also stressful especially as I have a few things that require some extra cash, such as getting my teeth fixed again.
This is a tiny tattoo A minimal gift to you Sent through space and time To land now on your eye
This is the written proof A document of truth Often forced into rhyme These words can never die
Today I’m feeling:
Much better again than yesterday but still not 100%. I’m hoping to get back to exercise next week and want to be physically capable.
Today I’m grateful for and the best thing about today was:
All the students at school who feel comfortable talking with me. It feels like more and more that students I don’t teach have heard that I’m friendly and approachable and as I’m often around the school rather than stuck in the teacher’s room I’m visible and available too.
Although many of my own students came to me today, many others that I don’t know did too. It’s also become more common for just random greetings from students passing by as well.
I know some teachers like to be seen to be in a traditional teachers’ room, friendly but somewhat aloof. I prefer to be in amongst the melee, near the action.
I don’t see any real difference between us; we are all students. I still have so much to learn and there’s no need to hide that fact from the other students around me.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Last night I got the message to go to Primary at 8.30 am to start interviewing students but when I got there they wondered why I was there as no one had told them that it had changed from the afternoon. When I went back to ask Kru Mai what was happening he said that the time had changed to 9am and that he’d forgotten to tell me!
And then in the middle of all this I experienced my first earthquake! Apparently I’ve been in earthquakes a couple of times before but I never knew. This time I knew. What a strange feeling. It reminded me a little of being on a floating jetty but it being in an inappropriate place because you’re standing on land! It was very brief, probably not even five seconds but by all accounts it registered 5.9 and the epicentre wasn’t that far away, perhaps within a couple of hundred kilometres.
Of course, the whole school of kids was frightened and excited but today was a big day for the grade 9s, as they too were being interviewed for their programs for their final three years.
Many students ran to me to help, reassure and comfort them but a couple had sudden bursts of tears as they were so stressed about it. I did my best for them but my old student, Apple, couldn’t control herself and was teary all throughout her interview. It doesn’t reflect her skills and ability to study, only her emotional control in a stressful situation. I hope she can still make it.
15th Feb 2024 – Happily, Apple made into the high school English program. As she is friends with Baipad I have been trying to meet them a little each day and give them more confidence with themselves and with English.
Something I learned today?
I read, studied and listened to a lot of varying things today but two minor pieces of information come to mind because this morning I learned that it was Jet’s birthday and in the afternoon I met her in the canteen to give her some candies that I bought.
Whilst doing this Funfai suddenly appeared. She’s like a ghost sometimes, just stands waiting until you notice her. I guess she’s thinking it’s more polite to not interrupt any conversation I’m having but at the same when I see her I have to interrupt the conversation myself anyway!
She told me that she will go to Chiang Mai on Monday for a tennis competition. Good luck FF!
What is the best gift I have ever recieved?
This question has me singing Cows ‘Gift of Life’ in my head. I need to listen to more Cows again. I had a Cows phase for a long while, back when living in Sydney and can remember clearly the environment of the apartment at the time and then when I consider this I realise that it is more than ten years ago!
I haven’t answered the question, I know. Maybe I will if I revisit this entry later.
No pictures today. This one is from a couple of weeks ago when I was up on garage roof.
Oh homeless man, the new waiter The undercover friend, the infiltrator TV celebrity, the idol musician The data points inform the position
Oh trendy barista, petulant child Enraged protestor, a traveller wild The service staff, the queuers waiting The data points accumulating
Oh gentle find, words so kind A bus conductor helping the blind Kissing the ugliest and prettiest face The data points fall into place
Oh fighting man, the bruise creator The best, and worst – lover, hater The times recalled of instant regret The data points are all being set
Oh husbands, wives, fathers and mothers Every conversation where meeting others Their influence felt without fail The data points tell their tale
Today I’m feeling:
Pretty rough in the morning but I knew as the day went on I would improve. My cough has gotten worse but the sore throat is almost gone.
After my only class in the morning, which went well enough considering, I’ve been running around getting documents copied, printed and pictures taken.
By the time I got home I was tired but not sleepy and if I had slept it would have been long and deep and then I wouldn’t sleep tonight. But that has left me a little deflated and unenthused.
I played guitar for a little while before stopping feeling a bit frustrated. Some days don’t feel right and I can accept that much better these days.
Today I’m grateful for:
The immigration officer who was sympathetic to my situation though unable to do anything to help. He was kind and friendly.
I’m also grateful to TLC to put together all my paperwork for my visa and dealing with immigration for me this time.
The best thing about today was:
The feeling of things getting done and finished by mid-afternoon, even though it’s not really completed yet. It was just satisfying that after the running around everyone said ‘ok, done’. Now wait for the next bit of running around.
Maybe I still have to do a border run to get another 30 days extension if this visa application through TLC isn’t ready in time but even that could at least be an interesting day out.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
A little frustratingly in my class this morning many students were having trouble recording audio on their phones due to permission settings.
I’m getting better at figuring out how to change their phones’ language setting to English so I can then figure out how to fix the app permissions. In the course of doing this on one girls phone though I found she had about 60 porn website pages open.
I wasn’t particularly bothered about the content just that there were so many pages open possibly draining her battery and taking up bandwidth so I started closing them. When she saw that I could see these pages she wanted to grab her phone but I told her not to worry, that it wasn’t important right then and I eventually fixed her settings for her.
When I got home I sent her a message to clean up her phone just in case another teacher or her family members might see.
I also told her that I understood that all the kids her age are curious about these things but wanted her to understand that pornography doesn’t represent what sex is really like and that it is acting.
I sent her a translated version so she could more easily understand and she soon replied, though just with a simple ‘ok’ so I’m not sure exactly how she might be feeling.
Sometimes when I see my 13-year-old female students I’m reminded about the book I read years ago about a poor Thai girl who sold her virginity at that age to an old white guy. It was sure a depressing story and I can’t imagine the desire that drives people to seek out youngsters in that way.
Yes, they are cute, curious, sexy and everything else but actually having sex…? It doesn’t make sense to me.
Something I learned today?
I learned that I have to go and interview the primary students in the morning tomorrow instead of the afternoon as originally planned. Who knows, it might still change again in the morning….
What is something positive happening in my life right now?
My attitude. Considering I’m stuffing around with visas yet again, maybe working without pay, dealing with naughty children constantly and many other little niggles that could accumulate to get me down I’m still surprisingly upbeat and positive.
I took this picture because Pat turned up late to my class the other day with her hair like this and I found it quite amazing. I think another couple of girls who were late had helped her. Well done, good job! I still marked them all late in the attendance system though.Fatman report
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