I would use my laptop, but see, I tried that already. And bought the wrong attachment, because the one that I need for my ancient MacBook never actually made it to Thailand. Since my laptop is 8billion years old in computer years, I'm SOL on that front. But thank goodness for my iPad, because I think I can find something for it.
This week and last week have been interesting at school... The kids are having a Sports Day on the 21st (whatever that means....) and have been practicing their cheering in the afternoons, so we have had half days for these 2 weeks. Last week, we had all the morning classes. This week, our afternoon classes have been moved to the morning and we don't see the morning classes. Confusing? Yeah. Everyone pretty much is.
Ben is leaving next week to go back to America for grad school in the spring. I'm slightly jealous, but I'll be back soon enough I suppose. (Come on, April! Or May?.... Maybe June..... Hmm....) There's a chance that when he leaves I will take over his lower level EPDP classes, which I think will be a good thing as I will sort of have a co-teacher. I have mixed feelings about it because I really like my M.4s and will feel bad to abandon them, but I feel these kids would be better served with me helping the classes in which more students want to learn and are younger so they'll pick up the language faster. Hopefully.
I have also now started a new job, in order to save money to extend my stay at least to the Songkran (new year/water fight) festival in mid-April. I'm tutoring elementary school kids and I already love them. I have one set Wednesday and Friday, and another set Saturday and Sunday. They're so stinkin cute and really bright. I'm trying to get them talking and playing, but I never realized I could be good with little kids before so it's a learning experience for all of us. Thankfully I have found a really good website with games that get them out of their seats and interacting with me.
This weekend is Loi Kratong, and I'm really excited! It's the lantern festival, and there are already tons of paper lanterns being hung everywhere and kids are playing with fireworks... There are vendors for the floating lanterns everywhere, too. Part of the tradition is to make a kratong, which is basically a slice of banana tree on which flowers and incense and candles are arranged, and the kratong is floated down a river. I'll be going to the festival in Lamphun on Saturday and the one in Chiang Mai on Sunday, as Fang is playing with his bands for both occasions. Hopefully I'll have a bunch of pictures for y'all after this weekend!
On a similar note, dating a Thai has been an interesting experience. He encourages me to wear makeup and nice clothes, but I have realized that it's part of the cultural differences. I may have mentioned before that the Thais are very very heavily invested in surface appearance. Everything is "soo-ay"(beautiful) and they don't have much stock in the idea of anything being ugly. So one is expected to make themselves look a certain kind of presentable in order to provide a pleasing aesthetic for those around them. It's a point of pride to invest time in your outward appearance. I've never worn makeup this much in my life. And PJs in public? Alas, I cannot.
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