It has become ever more apparent this week just how slim a grasp that both teachers and students have of the English language and its ever confusing complexities. On Tuesday we were teaching a class of 11 year olds basic conversation e.g 'what are you doing' 'I am running / writing / sitting / reading' etc. that was a pretty difficult concept for them granted. The following day their regular teacher hands me a sheet and says 'today you teach this, I don't understand it'. And I'm not bloody surprised. Basically it was a sheet of problem solving prompts which the student marks off in a chart to then ultimately find out a particular answer. Now I can be pretty dense at times I know but it took us (the volunteers) a good half an hour to even solve the task ourselves and this was before we could even introduce the task. So if we didn't get it instantly, and their own bloody teacher, how are the kids going to understand after a teeth-pulling lesson of 'I am eating, I am sniffing, I am failing to understand this non-sensical language'. Suffice it to day, I gave the poor kids the answers and just had them repeat the words to me such as 'green, horse, five'. Absolutely no hope. I appreciate that I'm coming across as ranty but yes, I was pretty pissed off with the teachers scope of the pupils current ability and level and just dumping it on us.
Anyways, today wasn't much better, our normal 'supervising' teacher buggered off all day today leaving us to teach her classes by ourselves lessons on family members. Easy enough but it was hot as balls today, kids weren't interested, and many a fight broke out in class in which I found myself in the middle of.
When not in class we attempted to find a bit of piece and quiet in a lovely little gazebo thing to collect our thoughts. Then kindergarteners found us and any serenity quickly vaporised. Sitting there enjoying the sun, a small child rocked up, pulled his pants down and wee'd in the adjacent plant pot, pulled his pants up and made frisbees out of his colouring books. Another volunteer summed the day up quite poignantly 'come to school, do a piss in the plant pot, chuck some books about, go home'. Brilliant.
The day ended on a downer when I found myself intervening in a pretty serious fight (when none of the actual teachers seemed interested) involving a knife, knuckledusters, a 13 year old boy the size of a house and a lesser-sized boy in tears. Great. After the situation was diffused I was off home. Apparently this village is dry (ie no booze, it's far from actually dry - it's one of the largest producers of bloody rice [which I'm growing increasingly bored of now]) so could only celebrate the day with a strawberry fanta and a packet of oddly flavoured lobster crisps. What I would give right now for a snickers, Budweiser, and a packet of cheese and onion crisps. Christ, what a day.
1 1/2 days left then ill be back in the relative normality of Bangkok then taking a leisurely boat ride to Ko Samet for white sandy beaches, hot showers, and hopefully a lot of alcohol.
Enjoy the pictures below! (Me and the school director - he invited me back to Thailand for free with the prospect of a job, get in! / The pupils lined up in the morning before class / our cruisers - hardly hells angels / and a little mate that joined me today while I relaxed in the hammock)
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