Catching up with school!

Ahh...yes we do! I'll catch up with a post on what's been going on at my school/with my students. It's kinda long, and full of pix - so grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the read!

First up: SCOUT CAMP!!

So back at the beginning of February, I was invited to my M3 (14-15year olds) scout camp. Now, this is NOT like English camp - this is SCOUT CAMP. So it's like boy/girl scouts - except done through the school. Since they were going to Krabi, I said yes. That means I would be the ONLY farang there (only one who HAS been with them before on this camp) and that NOTHING would be "english catered" all Thai - all the time. Even the teachers were not fluent English speakers. But hey, when in Thailand....

Time to load up!

Bueller? Bueller? Bueeelller?

 So Friday morning I got to school, and we boarded up the busses. Most of my 3/9 class and some of my 3/10 class was going - and I ended up on the bus with the 3/9's (along with some other M3's that I don't teach). After a quick check to make sure everyone was accounted for we were off!!!

 Stop 1: CAH TOON (aquarium) 

We took a stop at an aquarium, and as soon as I got off the bus, my students grabbed me and took me around. They showed me their favorites: Nemo and Dory and I snapped some pix of both my students AND the fish.

Some of my 3/9's

NEMMOOOOOO

"Teacher, you see Dory?
Nemo's best friend!"

 

Then it was back to the buses - and then it was Stop #2: Fossil Beach

We wanted onto the beach, and had lunch from the food carts - and of course bought random things made of shells. 

Then finally - we made it to the camp site!! We were right across from the beach, so the teacher I was "rooming" with told me I could go sight see on the beach...so of COURSE I did :)

But it wasn't long until the students had finished setting up their tents (yes, they had to build their own tents they slept in) and rushed to the beach!

Thai's: They're just like us!
They go to the beach!

 After they were all worn out from the beach, it was time to head back to the campsite for dinner, and then the night-time entertainment. The campsite came with a live band/comedian and they had the students dancing, playing games, etc. Apparently they were surprised to see a "Farang" there so of course they constantly had me come up to dance to their silly songs. 

**This is about the time they nicknamed me to ALL the M3 students and the teachers from camp....Teacher April = Ajarn Mesaa. (Ajarn = Teacher in Thai, and Mesaaa = April).

Once they got the kids all tuckered out - it was bedtime! And man, I was exhuasted!

Saturday AM we woke up and headed over to the student's tents for breakfast. Then it was time to get ready for a day of adventures around Krabi. 

Stop 1: Hot Springs

There are apparently only 2 Salt Water Hot Springs in the world...Scandanvia and Thailand. Whelp, here I am....

Yes, those are all students behind me in the boiling water,
Yes, I am doing the Asian peace sign,
and Yes, this is right before I almost fell off the stairs.

Afterwards, we headed to the next point of fun: EMERALD POOL!

Yes, I felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz...minus the Lion, Scarecrow, Tim Man, and Toto...ok, so maybe it ONLY felt the the Emerald City part.

We get to the site of the pool - and we have to Hike to it! So my yellow brick road was just a jungle-ish walk.

 After about a good 20 minutes of walking...we came to a clearing and here it was!!!!!

The entrance to Emerald City?

 All my students wanted me to get in the pool - and luckily I had brought my "Thai bathing suit" - really, it was running shorts and top, so I jumped in.  Some of my students couldn't swim, so I carried them from one side of the pool to the other.

Thai Swimming!!!!

After about an hour, it was time to load back up and head back to camp, for "fire night". So off we went!

Once back at the camp, I went down to the beach to see the sunset.

Sunset through the clouds...surrounded by islands, while a long-tail boat floats past.
SUAY MAK MAK!!

Then it was time for dinner and "Fire night".

When I think of sitting around a campfire, I think of a roaring fire, marshmallows, camp songs, and etc. No worries - so does Thailand!

the "Fire Pit"

Opening number by some of the students

Instead of marshmellows, they poured baby powder on each other - and included me.

Songs by the campfire.

Kumbayah? Try a most pit instead.

Each of the different classes put on a performance. Some sang, some danced, some performed skits - and in between all these there was a "camp pageant!" Since it was all in Thai, I couldn't really understand it, but luckily one of my students came over and offered to translate the skits for me. The COOLEST thing about the performances was when each performance was done, the rest of the camp would stand up, recite a compliment (I imagine it was something along the lines to the effect "you are so talented and wonderful and I love you" -  most likely it was "Thank you for performing for us, it was fun to watch") and then the performers would stand up and thank them for the compliment. Talk about camaraderie!!! Get on that, America!

After the shows were over - it was off to bed again. Sunday was the trip home, which only took a few hours. 


**Random things**

- At one point early on in the trip, 2 students walked past me. One said to the other "Farang!" and the other said "No! TEACH-A!" and smiled at me. I am no longer Farang to them, but instead I am a Teacher  :)
- During the camp pageant - a lady boy performed. Instead of the "macho guy" students poking fun, they got into it by hooting and hollering, and being excited whenever he danced past.

- I still here "Ajarn Mesaa" as I walk around the M3 halls (of course not by my particular students - I will always be Teacher April to them).

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Next up: SURATPITTAYA OPEN HOUSE!

One Friday at school we had an open house. All classes were cancelled, and each department had a "booth" set up with activities for the kids. All the SRP (Surat Pittaya) students had to go to specific booths and get a teacher to sign a paper to prove they were there. Some primary schools came to visit, and stopped in freely at any booth they chose.

The MLP booth had both the Chinese teachers AND the English teachers manning it. The Chinese teachers had "chinese script painting" as their activity, as well as a craft. The English teachers had sort of a trivia thing going on. The student would do a word search - once they finished they picked a question out of a bag, and if they answered correctly they got a prize. We even pulled out scrabble for a little! It proved to be pretty fun for the students - and we all had a blast all day.

But I'll let the pictures do the talking....

The MLP booth

  

 

My student performers

       

Athletics Demo
Muay Thai demo and a basketball tournament

                 

Others of the MANY booths
Artwork, the OTHER English teachers, Tarot Card Reading, Bingo, and a "gift tree"

    

    

  

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So there ya go - the latest with my school, and my students. It's currently the last week of teaching, next week is FINAL EXAMS and this another semester is dust in the wind.

Sawasdee Kha,
Apes :)