Living in Bangkok

I have now been living in Bangkok, Thailand for two months. While I had visited Thailand frequently during my youth, this is the first time I have set up a residency here. In these last two months, I have been able to visit three beaches, eat lots of yummy delicious Thai food, bar hop on the Chao Phraya River and ride every single form of transportation Thailand has to offer. It hasn't been all fun and games. I've also been working at a Thai private school teaching English and art. This is my first "big girl" job. My first job right out of college. At the moment, I feel like I am working a summer job. An intense summer camp. When my undergraduate friends start up their fall semester classes again, I'm sure my perspective will change.

So, I feel as if I should explain the title of my blog, "Teaching Tinglish Barefoot." Wikipedia explains Tinglish wonderfully. As I mentioned earlier, I am teaching English as a foreign language. The majority of my students speak Thai as their first language. My job is to guide and coax these students to speak and to learn the English language. However, since they are so young (first grade!) they struggle to communicate full basic sentences in English. Even the most common phrases ( May I go to the bathroom? Can I go get a drink of water?) are still speckled with Thai. My exchange with the Thai staff could also be considered as Tinglish. My Thai is quite spotty as I haven't visited in a few years, but I feel like I am improving every day.  My day is filled with small challenges as I hurtle over language barriers with both my students and supervisors. Each day I leave school, exhausted from the teaching actives. Some days I feel like a champion, gaining small victories in my classroom. Some days I feel like a sack of potatoes, not having been able to manage my classes.

The best part of my job is being able to teach barefoot. Thai custom and culture calls for the removal of shoes upon entering a building or a temple. It is a typical to find all of my student's shoes neatly lined up outside of the classroom. As a teacher, it is not mandatory for me to take off my shoes while I teach. However, I am happy to oblige this practice. Every day, I walk into my classroom and slip of my shoes before being greeted by my students. Being barefoot, I feel an immediate flood of confidence and comfort. There is nothing like feeling stable and balanced, and being in an active classroom of thirty-six students, being barefoot is a huge plus. I can move easily, manage and rotate around the classroom.

I'm planning on sharing my successes and failures as I try to find my footing in these Thai classrooms. I am also hoping that this blog will inspire me to post my photographs of my adventures and experiences throughout Thailand.