That’s pretty much the feeling here as I sit down at the Ban Phe internet cafe, having just survived a ride into town on the back of my roommate Simon’s motorbike. The streets are not actually all that perilous here (nothing like what you may have read about Bangkok), but Simon most certainly is. At any rate, Ban Phe is absolutely beautiful, particularly if you live directly on the beach in the beautiful Rayong Condo Chain. Our room is little more than two single beds and some really bad wallpaper (think 70s, and peeling off the walls a bit), but the beach is exactly as gorgeous as you’d think it would be and it starts about 12 steps from my front door. Not to worry, pictures are on the way (hopefully sometime this week).
Basically, I spend half my time on the beach and half my time at a local temple, where our TEFL classes are held. We share the temple with a few dozen monks-in-training (orange robes and all), who range from about 12 to 18 or so. At the end of the week, we’ll be teaching them English for our teaching practice. Again, pictures to follow.
I’ve already purchased some fisherman’s pants (they go for about 100 baht, or $3) and I’m now in the market for a King’s Shirt (yellow polo with the royal symbol, which is to be worn every Monday on the King’s Day) and a knock-off watch to replace the one I lost on the beach in Ko Samet (more on that later). Things are obviously going extremely well and I’m starting to understand why so many people come out here and never leave (like the current owner of the bar we frequented on Ko Samet, who came out here 19 years ago and now owns the place and spends his days training as a Muay Thai fighter).
As I said, pictures are on the way just as soon as I can remember to take my flash drive to the internet cafe when I have a ride into town. I have a few thousand more stories to tell you, but that’s it for now I think. Safe to say I’m here, doing well and having a ridiculously interesting time.
hello! i was worried you actually got sold into the white slave trade when i didn’t get an email back, but i forgot you had this blog! anyway, just to remind you, I AM SO JEALOUS OF YOU!
what are your students like? do they call you Mr. Mike? I hope so…
liz
Hi friend! I am also glad you have not been sold into slavery/prostitution because Liz and I discussed it, and being sold into slavery isn’t that cool. Keep posting pictures so I can keep pretending that I am in Thailand!!!
molly
I haven’t been assigned to my real school yet (or even told where it might be), but I’ve taught the monks at a local temple school in Ban Phe for the past week. Sadly, students in Thailand seem to call every teacher by the same name. They just raise their hand and yell “Teacher, teacher.” It’s actually pretty adorable, especially because they are 12 years old and wearing monk robes.
More pictures are on the way, not to worry. And I do have a few of the monks that I’ll get up when I get to Bangkok, hopefully.
The good news is that I have not been sold into slavery, or made to work in a factory as we were all speculating on the bus ride from the airport. And since I’ve just finished my last lesson plan, I am now just four months of teaching away from actually getting my TEFL certificate.