Oh my dears, I knew it would come, and I tried not to think about it but, here I am a sad little Kru miaw. Saying goodbye is a drag. I took my last bike ride at sunset, children on the road waving and smiling and saying" hello Kru miaw!" " good afternoon!" The ride I discovered last week through the farmland has become my favorite ride. The houses out there are where most of my students reside. They just light up when they see me on my bike and wave! My heart is full of little moments like that. My time here has been remarkable and I am so glad for this experience.
I will miss my little home on jirawat street. Which. Kru Su nformed me means pimple in Malay. I have no idea what it means in Thai. It has been a lovely container for all of my memories here. It really doesn't seem like to long ago that I first shut it's door behind me and jumped around like a maniac because I was so overwhelmed by it's quaint adorableness! Last night I started packing up all my goodies into my tiny little baxkpack, slightly melancholy but anxious for the next phase of adventure.
Yesterday was my last full day of classes. I taught colors and shapes to level one with silly bingo and kitty cat puppets. After class Kru Kung told me that I would be teaching my level one and two classes on my own as she had to go to a meeting. So far all of my classes have been in the English room, but today I had the lovely fortune of teaching to them in their home classrooms. I had time before class so I went down to the playground to strum my ol uke and practice the fun new song I've undertaken: don't worry be happy! A good motto for me on my journey and the kids all know the word happy! Before I knew it I had also undertaken the company of about thirty kindergartners! We literally got in a battle for my uke and I had to rescue it, quite funny actually. We hokey pokeyed and I taught them the bunny hop! They lived my abc song, don't worry be happy, you are my sunshine, and ol. Max Donald's farm. Super way to spend the afternoon, I don't know hey I haven't spent more time with the kindys!
Level two was awesome, I like their home classroom, it's more open and homey, smaller desks, the english room is like cubicles! The kids were stoked to have me too! There's this one girl who is really smart and talks super duper loud, she nearly screams everything! It's beneficial because it makes the rest of the class less shy! I taught them numbers 13 to twenty four and played teams of matching games. It's fun to have no idea what kids are saying to you, but you get the gist and they get the gist somehow! Although in the older classes I'm sure the kids are so lipping off to me sometimes, but the great thing is I don't really know so I can't really care! Well it wa my favorite class ever and the students really seemed to start remembering the numbers in their own, well most of them. I ended class with a round if hokey pokey, why not! My other class looked a little more like mayhem! I had to beat the desk with a ruler an make angry faces and be a jerk, all without Thai, well it didn't do much good but I eventually got most of them to listen to me and settle. More bingo and dances and songs and alphabet. I really just floated through the day and enjoyed all the sweet moments. After class I watched the students practice their cheer routine for next weeks sports day, too cute for words! Super special way to end my experience. I really felt like a teacher yesterdsy. Ido see improvement in their speaking ability!
Today oh dear just gloomy in general, the usually sunny sky overcast and gloomy. Knowing it's my last bike ride to school. Mt. Thavee brought me out to say goodbye at the assembly and it was so hard not to cry! I enjoyed my last breakfast and cofffeeeeee. I've been getting little gifts from the teachers, a knit kitty Cat key chain, a bag woven from reeds, a bookmark, sweet little things. I think the best was saying goodbye to Kru ya, Oy 3, and Kru gai, we talked in broken English and took photos! They made me feel very appreciated and loved! The teachers here have been so good and like lovely family! I will miss them allllll! I will miss the dirty streets, my corner store and supermarket where the cashiers taunt my lack of Thai. The homes that line the main roads, that double as stores, the fronts roll up like storage lockers, the huge pots of roses that line my driveway ,the three dirty golden retrievers who sleep just beyond my driveway, the morning rides by charcoal pits of meaty searing breakfast stands, my fruit vendors rainbow of cheap juicy delights, the huge golden framed
pictures of th king and queen, the kids sweeping the school grounds before class, the nervousness that flits around before class, the sweet smiles and nervous laughs that surround our blocks to communication and connect us in our similar humanity. Thank you Tapraya thank you Anuban school thank you life for bringing me here and all
Of you who have helped me arrive!
No comments:
Post a Comment