Day 4: I'm in LOVE, I'm in LOVE, and I don't care who knows it!

So...I'm in love. We moved to Bangkok Christian College today, and it's absolutely unbelievable. As soon as we walked in the gates we were greeted by hundreds of screaming, playing, amazing Thai boys! And at that moment, Thailand stole a tiny piece of my heart from Honduras. It's interesting how much the Thai people remind me of Hondurans. The only difference is the slanty eyes. Haha. But seriously, the boys at this school are adorable. We had the chance to walk around and observe some of the IEP (Intensive English Program) classes, and it's impressive how much English they already know. One little boy said to us, "Student teachers of Lee University, who are you?" Haha. Adorable. There were also some very attractive teachers from England and Roswell, GA (I wouldn't be Cwalk if I didn't include a side note about that). :)

So anyway, needless to say...I'm incredibly excited about teaching at BCC. I'm going to be teaching 5th and 6th grade math and science in the EIP (English Immersion Program) and I couldn't be happier. The differences I've noticed in Thai students and students in the States has already been obvious to me. Thai kids have a respect for those in authority already instilled in them from their culture, so classroom management seems like a breeze. Also, teachers here freely give their children opportunities to yell and play with each other, but when the time comes to sit down and shut up, they do it willingly and without complaint. I think it's going to be an easy transition from a US classroom to a Thai classroom, but going back to the States will be a little more difficult.

Ok so lunch...wow. What an experience. Thai people take peer pressure to a whooooole new level. So we had lunch with the director of BCC and several other distinguished administrators. Of course, Allison and I had to sit directly across from the director, and let me just tell you...that woman ate enough food to feed an army...and she tried to get us to as well! It started off innocent...just a few appetizers. Spring rolls and fish cakes...yum. Even worse yet, the spring rolls had cucumbers in them!!!! I'm sure my faces were priceless, but I tried so freaking hard not to be rude. (You're supposed to eat everything you're offered and clean your plate....um, yeah right.) So I took one for the team and ate all that mess. Then the actual meal came (it wasn't too bad). Then more appetizers (Indian bread and curry...bleh). Oh, and can't forget all the fruit at the end...rose apples, some kinda grapefruit mess, and fruit that looks like eyeballs! (Mmm...) And finally, the dessert...coconut sorbet with coconut meat! New rule: Allison and I can't sit next to each other during important meals, because we caught the uncontrolable giggles and couldn't stop. A combination of nerves and hilarity of our disgusted faces made for those kind of giggles that turn your face red and leave you gasping for breath...all in front of the BCC Director. Absolutely RIDICULOUS.

We made an amazing discovery today...HEALTH LAND. Oh yes. It's one block from BCC, and it is for sure our new paradise. We opted for an hour and a half aromatherapy oil massage today, and I'm pretty sure it was heavenly. It was slightly awkward though because um...well, we had to get butt@$$ naked. Haha. But our masseuses were girls, so it's not like we had something they've never seen before. And hey, this might sound completely arrogant of me...but I'm just sayin', I feel like us Americans groom ourselves a little better than Thai women, so we were probably a treat for those masseuses. Haha. But yeah, that massage was unreal.

We ate at a super nice restaurant tonight called The Blue Elephant. It was waaaaay nicer than anywhere we've been so far. It was part of a cooking school, so all the dishes were like creations. And the fruits were beautifully cut and my meal was served out of a pineapple! They brought us non-alcoholic shots (haha) and all sorts of complimentary stuff to try. But overall, the meal was super expensive. Joann Higginbotham is by far the most amazing professor I've ever had a Lee. She has treated us girls so well, and the pampering hasn't stopped yet. I can't even guess how much money she's spent on us this week, and we're going to have to figure some way to thank her for everything.

Ok, I've typed a book...I'm gonna shut up now.

I'm out.
Cwalk.