The Yoofe of today

Here's a play-by-play of my Saturday :

Songtaew here (a school in Lampang) was bearable but slightly disappointed I couldn't sit with my kids. They shoved me in the front seat with the driver, who happened to have the most annoying voice thus far. Like a Thai Mister Smee. The hour-ish drive did give me a lot of time to think. It was also beautiful, most of it through the mountains between Lamphun and Lampang.

At spelling bee competition with the kids. So far has proved an interesting experience... Not the spelling bee I'm used to. They've got multiple choice questions, with a sentence and definitions, and it's like a section of the SAT or something.  There are two MCs that are reading out the questions and spelling the answer choices; I think they're famous because every time they walk near the back, all the spectators (teachers and fellow students of the competitors) are snapping photos. But then again Thais are crazy about pictures and selfies. When we walked in, the ushers we thought were going to take us to our seats immediately waylaid Char and me for photos. Everyone still coming in had to squeeze around us to get to a seat. Then, when we tried to sit with our students and fellow teacher, another usher came up to us and said "Come with me, please" and led us both up to the front of all the (hundreds of) kids to sit in the first couple of rows like VIP. Got that farang status. Strange.

The upper level words are so easy. Youth, torch, satellite, astronomy, enlarge, kingdom, politician, etc. These choices are upper level high school! Wtf?

Finishing out the day listening to Mary J Blige at an older British gentleman's 57th birthday party in Thailand, at his own request because he just "goes to pieces" when he sees her; Following that with a rapper, also at his behest: Not where I thought I'd be. Also, according to said British gentleman, I've "got soul," which he defines as a "zest for life and experience." Considering I've just met him (and this comment was after Char, MC, and I karaoke-d NSYNC), it seems a very nice thing to say. I hope I continue to live up to that judgement.