Exploring . . .

     Today, I didn't have to be at the office until 1:30, so I decided to explore. Didn't have much luck with that. First, I thought I'd explore the island, Kho Klang, where I'm staying. It's a small Muslim community, very few shops. It's mostly a bunch of houses and some farm land and pastures for what I guess were water buffalo. Though, they weren't exactly in a pasture. They were just roaming around and ended up in a soccer field. One got it's horns stuck in a goal. I was looking for the part of the island May had shown me yesterday, where I could do my laundry and buy a few groceries. Must have been a turn I missed, for while I saw lots of houses and gardens and goats and cats and people who either smiled and tried to talk to me in English or looked at me like I was an alien (which I am), I never found that shop. Oh well, I've since found out I can probably do it at the house I'm staying at.

     Then I decided I'd explore Krabi. In order to get there, I have to take a long boat, which costs about two dollars. They recognize me at the docks now, and I have one particular older man who always helps me either find a boat or take me himself. If there are other people on the boat with me, I only have to pay about 50 cents. Once I got in to town, I thought I'd find the Buddhist temple. I walked in the direction I thought was the temple, but it turned out to be the road to the beach. I got really lost, I mean, I did lots of prayer walking (which usually went something like this: God, please bless that school and all the teachers and students. Help them be able to find You in their studies. And God, it's really hot. Where am I? Can you please help me get back where I should be?) I was never worried, but I did start to get a few funny looks. I was obviously pretty far from where most of the tourists were wont to travel. Finally, I took a happy turn and ended up at a coffee shop I had been before. While it wasn't exactly what I had been expecting, I did get to see more where the ordinary people lived. May told me she actually lives in a hotel because the regular apartments are so expensive here. She has to eat out all the time, which is hard for her because she likes to cook. I certainly didn't see many houses or apartments or anything. Mostly just shops and workshops.

My lunch today, after I found my way back to the touristy area. This lovely arrangement cost me about $5.

Tourists by sculptures of crabs . . . in Krabi.
     This afternoon, I met with the placement coordinator about what I'll be working on. Tomorrow and Friday, I'll be in a school. I have been warned that they conduct their classes quite differently here. The maximum class size is 45 students! I think most classes around here are smaller, in fact one teacher I met today said she only had 16 in her class. But still. Some of the volunteers told me that there is no discipline in the classes, that the teachers can barely speak English, and that the kids are pretty wild. Apparently, the only classroom management they use is hitting the kids. Not sure how I'll handle that.
This weekend, I'll be attending a workshop for teachers at a local hotel. It should be an experience, because most of it will be in Thai. Apparently I'M the only one presenting in English. On Sunday, I have to prepare a 3 hour workshop for the teachers using their textbook. Yikes! I'm studying the text now, and it shouldn't be too bad, but please pray! There could be as many as 250 people there! And many don't speak English that well!
    I have another workshop to do the following weekend, but we don't know much about it yet. Probably will have to present again though. Next week, I'll be in the schools and working on adding to the curriculum that Projects Abroad has developed. My last week here I should be helping to implement it, possibly even teaching.
     I am very glad to get the details of my placement, it sounds like it will be a great deal of work, but I hope enjoyable. I'm a bit disappointed that I won't be able to travel with the other volunteers on the weekend. I'll have two days off a week still though, so I might try to book a tour with a hotel on my own. There are lots of other foreign tourists here, so maybe I'll make a friend. One of the other volunteers mentioned traveling my last weekend here, and thankfully I'm off that weekend, so I should be able to go. Exciting times. As long as I don't get lost.