Here are a few photos of me teaching!
Sorry that it has been a bit of time since I last blogged... I always intend to do better but well, life is just busy! My teaching hours are high again which equates to some pretty long days. I worked 10+ hours everyday this week, without lunch and I went in on my day off. It is amazing how much energy and time teaching takes. I had no idea and I have a new-found respect for anyone that is a teacher. I am learning a lot though and I feel more comfortable with my abilities, which feels really good. I've been teaching for almost 5 months now which is shocking to think about!
I've been trying to have some fun on my days off but surprisingly, that is kind of hard to do in Bangkok. It is such a big city and I know that there are things to do, but I just can't seem to figure out what. I find myself working out, watching movies and just bumming around a lot. It can be a bit boring but sitting with the boredom has proven to be a good lesson for me. I have been reading a lot, keeping up with the world news and my brain feels more activated than before. I'm really thinking about what is going on in the world, ideas, opinions, why the way things are as they are, etc. It has been fruitful and quite enjoyable really.
I also have a few trips planned during the next couple of months and Rheannon and James are going to be here over the Thanksgiving holiday too. I'm really looking forward to that! Kim and I are meeting my Mom and Tom in Australia for the Christmas/New Year's holiday. We are going to the Great Barrier Reef and we get to see the fireworks over the Opera House on New Year's Eve. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience- how cool!
Kim and I had a bar-b-q at our place last night and it was a lot of fun. We had a tiny, electric grill that took forever to cook on but that's just how grilling goes sometimes. Everyone from my office came and we ate tons of food- burgers, chicken wings, potatoes, corn, carrots and onions. Yum! We ate straight-up American fare but it was shared with Thais and a Japanese girl (that one of my co-workers is dating) so the theme was 'East meets West.' Good times. :)
Aside from the boredom, I am still really missing home. I have a hard time imagining myself being away from everyone for another year! That just feels like an eternity and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to manage it. It's tough though... Kim's contract doesn't end until the latter part of September 2010 and that is a major factor in how long I will stay here. We'll just see how this goes I guess...
I feel like I have a lot of personal work to do while on this little adventure so I'm trying to focus on that as well. I am challenging myself to be more present, open and honest with my thoughts and emotions. This has led me down a few dark paths but I am determined to come out the other side. I don't want to continue carrying the guilt, pain, sadness and shame that has burdened me for so long now. This, I know, is the reason why I came to Thailand. I'm in the middle of my personal journey and am working hard in order to reach my goals. It's difficult but very worthwhile in the end.
I miss you all and hope you are smiling. XOXO
I've been trying to have some fun on my days off but surprisingly, that is kind of hard to do in Bangkok. It is such a big city and I know that there are things to do, but I just can't seem to figure out what. I find myself working out, watching movies and just bumming around a lot. It can be a bit boring but sitting with the boredom has proven to be a good lesson for me. I have been reading a lot, keeping up with the world news and my brain feels more activated than before. I'm really thinking about what is going on in the world, ideas, opinions, why the way things are as they are, etc. It has been fruitful and quite enjoyable really.
I also have a few trips planned during the next couple of months and Rheannon and James are going to be here over the Thanksgiving holiday too. I'm really looking forward to that! Kim and I are meeting my Mom and Tom in Australia for the Christmas/New Year's holiday. We are going to the Great Barrier Reef and we get to see the fireworks over the Opera House on New Year's Eve. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience- how cool!
Kim and I had a bar-b-q at our place last night and it was a lot of fun. We had a tiny, electric grill that took forever to cook on but that's just how grilling goes sometimes. Everyone from my office came and we ate tons of food- burgers, chicken wings, potatoes, corn, carrots and onions. Yum! We ate straight-up American fare but it was shared with Thais and a Japanese girl (that one of my co-workers is dating) so the theme was 'East meets West.' Good times. :)
Aside from the boredom, I am still really missing home. I have a hard time imagining myself being away from everyone for another year! That just feels like an eternity and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to manage it. It's tough though... Kim's contract doesn't end until the latter part of September 2010 and that is a major factor in how long I will stay here. We'll just see how this goes I guess...
I feel like I have a lot of personal work to do while on this little adventure so I'm trying to focus on that as well. I am challenging myself to be more present, open and honest with my thoughts and emotions. This has led me down a few dark paths but I am determined to come out the other side. I don't want to continue carrying the guilt, pain, sadness and shame that has burdened me for so long now. This, I know, is the reason why I came to Thailand. I'm in the middle of my personal journey and am working hard in order to reach my goals. It's difficult but very worthwhile in the end.
I miss you all and hope you are smiling. XOXO
