A day of adventure

This morning started off like a regular morning...got up and went to school.

However, today was full of random-ness. Enough so, that I decided to fill a post about it!

Sitting in the teacher office before heading off to our classrooms to administer finals we hear a loud BOOM. I don't mean a small boom like we are used to hearing (it's fireworks season) but like a HUGE EARTH SHATTERING BOOM!! Even the Thai teachers squealed, and many of them thought it was a bomb! I looked at Tim and said "If we were in America the school would already be on lock down" but not here in Thailand. The windows were covered by smoke from the firework - some of the teachers thought the AC unit on the first floor had blown out. All I thought was "So this is what it would be like to teach in Surin" (Surin currently has fighting going on by its border, also one of the places we were asked to teach at).

Then we were off to our first exam. During the exams Tim, Mark (the Filipino teacher), and I were called to another building. The Mayor of Ubon Province was at our school and wanted to meet us. So we headed over to building 9 (where my students are) and waited to meet the Mayor. While we waited, we chatted with (mostly listened to) his staff members who tried to convince us NOT to move to Bangkok and to keep teaching in their province. Then the Mayor's right hand man gave me his phone number and said "when you want to go to Ubon, do not take the bus. Call me and I will send a car" Well, no complaints here!!! Luckily some other teachers (I was the only female sitting in this 'boys club') made comments about Tim and I being a couple. Whew!

When the mayor was done talking to a class of my students we went in to take pictures. I had already told my students last week that I was leaving, and when a few of them noticed I was taking pictures they smiled real big and started waving (mind you, they were getting their picture taken WITH THE MAYOR), some even poked their friends and pointed at me so they would see me too. Of course I loved it :)

(2 Thai teachers, me, Tim, the Mayor, Assistant Director, Mark, 3 women Thai teachers, our school director)

After we met the Mayor it was time to head back to Finals...or so I thought. My Finals Co-teacher walked with us back to the building we were giving exams in, then looked at me and said "Oh, someone is watching the students in our class. We shouldn't go back. But Tim and Mark must go to their classrooms. You and I can go to our classroom this afternoon." It was 10:30am, so I was free until 1:00pm. WOO HOO!!

During lunch Tim and I went to the BANGING fish curry place in front of the school. Afterwards we decided to get some ice-cream from our favorite ice-cream shop (owned by a lady boy). As we pulled up to her store, we realize there had been a scooter accident. So we get our ice-cream and become part of the bystanders as we watch the young boy (who seemed drunk) yell and the old woman (who kept trying to drive away). Eventually the cops came, and a barber came out of his shop to yell about the whole incident. Tim and I just stood there watching and eating our ice-cream. No one was hurt, but it was still quite eventful.

Once back at school one of the teachers, P.R., asked if Tim and I were free on Tuesday. Since it is teacher work week we said Yes. She said they had a surprise for us, but we would find out on Tuesday what it was. About 20 minutes later she yells to Mark (who is across the room) "Mark, on Tuesday at 11:00 we will have a party" and I respond "P.R. is it a surprise party?" and she realizes that 1) Me and Tim are in the room and 2) She is not speaking Thai so we understand her. This makes all of us crack up, and she said "April, do not listen. Cover your ears!" Hahah, that woman cracks me up!

That's our fun stories from today...hope you enjoyed!

Sawasdee Kha,
Apes :)