Eastern Technological Institute versus American Schools

       Today is the first day of orientation in which we will meet all the students in the business department. E. Tech is a vocational school where students can come to master a trade and then be placed in a job in the local community. There are technology programs, automotive mechanic trades, IT trades and business trades throughout this school. Sounds fairly simple right? Wrong! This school consists of about 10,000 students all rambling about to get to class, as slowly as possible of course. If you haven't heard about my family and our inability to be on time, I will tell you we run on what is called "Tabb Time." Where being somewhere at 2, really means about 3; its a given. Except when food is involved, then we rush to get there around 2:30. Trust me, its bad. My mom is famous for doing the laundry or starting to vacuum 5 minutes before we are set to leave, and now I find myself doing the same thing. "Oh you can't leave the house with dirty dishes in the sink" or "Well let me just do this one thing really quick!" I used to think I was incredibly punctual because if we were late for practice or meetings we ran. If we didn't power walk to class, we ran. If we didn't do what the coaches wanted, we ran. You get the point! We ran a lot! So I came to Thailand with a mix of Tabb Time and terrified punctuality, only to find that Thailand runs on "Thai Time". Okay, I can dig that, except when it comes to school. In America students are expected to be punctual and on time. Roll is called when the bell rings, and if you aren't there then too bad. Thailand, however, does not work that way. The students are not given time to walk to another class or any form of breaks in between. One class will start at 10 and go till 10:50 and the next class will start at 10:50, while the students mosey on in when they feel like it. They have 10 minutes out of a 50 minute class to get there before they are marked absent. Crazy! That is 1/5 of the class time! Not that I plan to be the teacher that marks students late at 10:00:30 but still. We have been spending this last week doing orientation and mock teaching lessons, and the main things that we have been told are 1. The students will cheat, and there is nothing you can do about it. We are to try to discourage it, but all students cheat in Thailand. EXCUSE ME! This is being told to the girl who cheating in Kindergarten (Also, I never knew kindergarten was spelled with a t and not a d, learn something new every day I guess) on a quiz and when my gym teacher game me a "Good Job" sticker I ripped it up because I felt so bad. 2. That the students will talk with each other through the whole class, and we are just supposed to teach over it. Granted I am a loud person, but to me this just seems rude. It is weird the different cultural norms that are present in different countries, but I am sure that there are weird things that I do that they don't understand. For instance, waving. The Thai do not wave they wai, which is putting your hands together like praying, bringing it to your face and bowing. Think the Karate Kid when we would first meet Mr. Miyagi and he would bow! I have been walking around all day today waving at students and saying hello and they look at me like I am insane, but hey different cultures right. I will have to adjust. Honestly, walking around orientation, in a crowd of thousands of students and parents, is like a circus "freak" being paraded around, but the moment people see me they give a huge smile and it makes being a giant American in a world of shorter Asian people seem wonderful.

         I may be a giant and I may never fully adapt to Thai time, cheating or constant talking but I do know that the Thai people are awesome, and that my classes will be filled with amazing young men and women (thing 10th and 11th grade) that will absolutely change my life, and I cannot wait to get started.

          P.S. For anyone thinking of coming to teach in Thailand, apparently only dark colored clothes are aloud, pants are not the norm and mostly frowned upon in the classroom for women, and shoes are only to be closed toed heels or ballerina flats. Guess who brought none of those things! This girl! I brought one navy skirt and then bright paisley colored skirts, floral dresses and all sandals or wedges. I'm from the coast of Virginia with a hint of beach and a dash of southern, black is not in our summer wardrobe, and neither are closed toed heels (although I do have them, I just never expected to wear them in a country who's temperature is a solid 95-100 everyday). Anyways, for all you future teachers, when they say teachers dress it is really corporate board room style not Southern Virginia coastal style. OOPS! Mai Pen Rai (Think Hakuna Matata or It's all good in Thai!)