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Impressions of home
Observations on a country and culture I'd almost forgotten
Scott Hipsher
I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly, polite and nice the people were. Maybe this was because I was primarily in smaller towns and rural areas, but even while in the airports in Chicago and Denver, it just seemed so easy to strike up conversations with the people I were interacting with.
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A dream lifestyle in Thailand
Does Chiang Mai offer the perfect place to live and work? Well, live anyway
I'll put my hands up and admit I've been somewhat unkind to Chiang Mai in past blogs. On past visits, I've usually had the job of playing tour guide to my ageing parents and a couple of their friends. It's never easy to move a group of elderly folk around a sizeable Asian city without having every tout and unofficial tour operator descending on you from miles around
We’re so sorry
A sad and shocking day for all Filipinos
Millions of Filipinos, including me, were shocked at the poor handling of the hostage situation by our own security enforcers. It was an embarrassment to our capability to save lives. This we cannot deny.
Is Ratchadaphisek the new Sukhumvit?
An area of Bangkok that is rapidly gaining in popularity as a place to live
So what has happened to Ratchada to transform it into this now arguably superior status? Well obviously it has benefitted immensely from the MRT stations and metro line and this has given Ratchada not only a new lease of life, but has encouraged others to come and live in the area.
Drugs anyone, anyone?
Simon Gunn’s TEN talk
Information about TEN’s next event and an upcoming event hosted by Oxford University Press.
A Haven for Filipino Teachers
Some suggestions on where Filipinos might find teaching work
Each agency has different sets of procedures and requirements. Just prepare all your credentials when you apply, including your ID pictures. Be ready with some teaching materials too because a number of agencies require 5-10 minute teaching demonstration.
August 2010
All the latest news from Thailand's TEFL course providers.
This month, one TEFL course is offering its Bangkok program to any interested parties and there is absolutely no franchise fee. Another provider has opened a couple of new centers and has a very special offer for ajarn.com readers.
The Mismeasure of Thais
Teachers rarely take the blame for students constantly failing exams.
It is not the students’ fault that they are failing tests and exams. All students want to pass. They simply don’t know how since most teachers have never taught their students how to study effectively and to recognize the pitfalls of taking tests and examinations.
Skirting around the problem
Why focus on issues that have nothing to do with problems in education?
Why are these banal topics regularly raised when so many critical and more pressing problems are evident in the Thai education system? What about the huge shortfall of qualified teachers? The embarrassingly low salary offered to them?
Getting claims paid
Three types of health insurance buyer
As a rule, there really are no good or bad companies when it comes to paying claims, although some are a little better than others. It’s mainly a matter of timing and situation.
Those crazy government officials
Just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier
Once again, a high level government official has given an answer that doesn’t care one whit about reality on the ground, in the real Thai world. And who cares that, within a few years, Thai children will have no native speakers to teach them in the public schools?
Travel phrasebooks - blessing or curse?
Sometimes a phrase book can be the one thing you wish you had left at home.
I’ve been doing some travelling in China lately so I dusted off my travel phrasebook to make sure I’d be able to practise some useful language and not feel too alien in this country with more than one billion locals.
Most recently answered question:
is it illegal to work as a teacher on an ED visa ?
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