Home for the Year in Thailand

I live in Phuket!

We graduated the TESOL course in Hua Hin on Thursday, which was a bitter-sweet occasion. My instructor Justin surprised our class with a rendition of Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again, which was the start of a tearful goodbye.  It was incredibly tough saying goodbye to these friends, and it’s crazy to think we had only met each other three weeks prior. They’re a swell group of people and I know that they’re going on to do amazing things in Thailand and wherever they head to next.

The overnight bus ride to Phuket was long. We got here bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 8AM and met our agent. We spent yesterday at a brief orientation and looking for houses. At the orientation I learned that I will not, in fact, be teaching P1 English, maths, science and health, but rather will be just teaching P6 maths. Curveball! As I’m just teaching maths to two classes, that means two hours a day (or ten hours a week) of teaching. I really hope that that changes tomorrow and they give me another subject, because I’m not entirely sure how I’ll fill the other 30 hours I’m required to be on campus. Maybe I’ll spend that time trying to relearn the concepts that I’m supposed to be teaching to my 11 year olds. Actually, that’s exactly what I’ll spend my time doing.

I was hoping to live alone when I got to Phuket just because I think that it’s time to try real adulting for a bit. Things didn’t quite go as planned, but it all worked out and I’m living in a really nice house with two friends. The adulting is in full swing though, as I just got back from renting my new scooter! Her name is Snoopy and while I’m f’ing terrified to ride her on the streets, I got a good first lesson and can only get better. Hopefully.

Now it’s just a matter of getting the house set up properly and getting to school. As of tomorrow, you may refer to me as Teecha Jeena. Wish me luck!

x J