Day in the Life
We asked volunteers to give us a peek into their daily lives. We hope this short piece will give you an idea of what life is like in Thailand. We update these regularly, so check back occasionally.
Odd and new routines
Amanda Ortega, Thailand 2010-2011
My morning alarm is set to 6:30am, but I hardly need one. As soon as 6:00 am hits, my street becomes alive with sounds of loud televisions, music, motorbikes and neighbors chit chatting. It has only been a week since I settled into my house in Pla Pak, but my routine is quickly forming. It now includes the 6 am wake up call. I live on Pla Pak Wittaya’s campus, on a teacher-housing street. While I deem it perfectly acceptable to walk the two blocks from my doorstep to the school, the other teachers continuously prompt me to hop on the back of their motorbikes while teasing me for walking. This too, has been added to my new routine. Thais don’t seem to enjoy walking, whether it is one block or forty-eight.
Stepping out of my house on a daily basis causes me a smidgen of anxiety. Not because of teaching for the day nor being at school, but rather the walk itself, short as it may be. During this first week, I’ve been bombarded with overly enthusiastic students yelling, “hello teacher” or “teacher is so beautiful” whenever I am outside. The arrival at school tends to be the most intense. In the beginning, it was quite shocking, but as it has become part of my new routine, I’m quickly coming to love the interaction. Throughout the day, while I’m not teaching, I tend to plan lessons or simply hang out in my office. The few times I need to use the restroom cause other classes disruptions, simply by my walking passed the classroom. Students will giggle and wave frantically as another teacher is clearly in the middle of a lesson. It is rather odd, but I won’t deny that the attention flatters me.
My students greet me with a smile and enthusiasm, ready in class and excited to learn English. I’ve never been in a classroom where the students were as eager to learn and as excited to see me. When I approach the classroom and they realize that I will be teaching them for the day, they clap! Their attitude encourages me to do my best, and to make lessons as fun and as meaningful as I can.
When 3:30 rolls around, I head home with the intention of taking a nap. That has yet to happen, even though my intentions are very strong. Neighbors like to congregate outside and chitchat, or Kajang, the 1-year old next-door neighbor, wants to play. Soccer is played right outside my house; many of those who play are my students. They frequently shout out my name “Amanda!” “Amanda!,” so that I come outside and watch them play. It is annoying, flattering and ultimately endearing, so I generally find myself outside. It is simply another part of the routine of being a farung celebrity teacher in Pla Pak Wittaya high school.