I also think about my future students at Sawananan Wittaya School a lot. I've been shopping on Amazon for a few books on ESL teaching techniques and other materials to better prepare and equip myself for when the time comes. I've read a book on Thai history, bought a Thai language book (I highly recommend Poomsan Becker's book), a guide to SE Asia, and a Thai-English dictionary. When I think about my future students, I try to be aware that my first and foremost job is to help them speak English better. Secondly, I want to share America with them, and I proposed in my grant that I would teach them ballroom dancing. I've been taking classes again to review, but I'm realizing that it is very difficult to teach (I tried it on my sister) especially because I don't know the follower parts very well! This is funny, because the follow is the spotlight of any dance. As my dance teacher said, "The lead is the frame, and the follow is the picture." I've danced lead all my life, and I never thought once that I should pay attention to the follow parts. I am also working on Thai language acquisition, and so far it is going well. I usually put on Thai music or lessons on my iPod whenever I go to the gym to get used to the tones and the pronunciations. I've noticed from just glancing at some writing lessons in my language book that the Thai script and Burmese script are somewhat similar, especially when it comes to the vowels.
Perhaps I'm over-planning things, but I don't think it ever hurts to over plan, as long as one approaches the future with openness and a ready acceptance that things may be completely different from our expectations. In all this planning, I try to consciously remind myself again and again to not go to Thailand with preconceptions and expectations. I've noticed in the past that my predictions have caused me trouble, especially when they don't come to past. I want to go to Thailand with an open mind and an open heart and take in things as they happen. I realized when I was talking to a friend the other day that my past experience in Thailand last year may serve as a stumbling block to me even though that experience was the one the propelled me to apply for the Fulbright. This is because the few weeks I spent in Thailand last summer was one of the best few weeks I've experienced in many years. Those weeks were filled with happiness or kwaam sook as we went on adventures to the west, visited hospitals, and also built the community sala in Chachoengsao. This time, I expect happiness as well, but I tell myself to end that expectation right there. Just happiness. Not how, not when. Just happiness.
With the kids at the sala in Chachoengsao (July 2009)
