Teaching in the sticks
31 cool and awesome things about living and teaching in rural Thailand
Before we get into the list I just want to mention that everything is written in good fun. Expats and Thailand veterans will understand more than first timers. Certain sentences and parts reflect my own specific experience more so than the general one. Some of it might come across as sappy, but I've had a very positive experience in Thailand and the glass is half full for me.
Your girlfriend Nan......
.....and her words translated
I'm dangerously unstable when provoked and I'm also insanely jealous. That's not a figure of speech - I really am bonkers! If I think that you aren't channeling your entire life towards me, I'll fly off the handle and my sulks can last for days
Kicking out the undesirables!
Postbox letter from Doctor Evil
Thais are seeking disciplined, neat, clean, organised, mentally stable and responsible foreign people to actually "live" here in Thailand.
A farang mute!
Why I have no intention of studying Thai
We all have our different reasons for being here in Thailand. Yours may be to experience adventure and to embrace different cultures. Mine's just the opposite. I came to be left in peace.
Ten reasons why I love my job and my life in Thailand
Thought you would enjoy reading something positive
Life offers many twists and opportunities to those with an open mind; and after an amicable divorce from my wife and selling my house and possessions, I hit the road with a small backpack for company. After three years on the road I stumbled into Thailand.
How to talk to foreigners in Thailand
We don't bite. Well - a handful might I suppose.
This won't be a list of grumbles about Thai ignorance or rudeness. I don't intend to criticise Thai culture here - that's another debate entirely. If you're a Thai who couldn't care less about foreigners, don't particularly care about their feelings and think screaming "Helloooo!" at them from the back of your Fino is the height of wit, this article is not for you.
When your face just doesn't fit
When a school wants to fire you, what can you do?
I had been working as a Maths teacher for just under four months at a Catholic school in Bangkok when the head teacher, who is always happy to deliver bad news in a very dramatic way, informed me that parents had complained about the homework books not being marked. This was just the beginning.
Teacher dress codes
Postbox letter from Sarah
Don't waste your money buying pants. Maybe the school you work at will not be as strict with this policy, but unless you have overwhelming feelings about this topic, buy skirts and dresses to be on the safe side.
Neighborhood watch
How do Bangkok neighborhoods differ?
I've been thinking about the five different neighborhoods I have lived in during my twenty-odd years in Bangkok. Which ones did I enjoy? Were there any neighborhoods that I particularly hated? What were the advantages and disadvantages of each community that I spent time in? Perhaps it would be interesting to draw some comparisons.
What you may not know about her
Tales from Thai society
The story begins with a new foreigner who came to our village two years ago. He was an Australia man, strong and handsome, not so old, but he spoke no Thai and never smiled. I would see him sometimes, with his wife, at the local noodle shop. She was from the tambon, the small town about fifteen minutes bicycle ride from my farm.
