Work – Page 10 – C. Buddha's Hasty Musings

Work

Thanks for the D

I was in a bank the other day, holding Max and waiting for Nam to finish renewing our car insurance, when a student from a while back spotted me and came in to say hi. Then she started tearing up and thanked me repeatedly for passing her last year, and pointed down to her bulging midsection.

“I’m six months pregnant,” she said, “and I just don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t graduated yet.”

I remembered her case very well – it had been a tough call, with various problems if I chose to help her, but in the end, I passed her. I dealt with the problems. I forgot about her class and started teaching new ones… and now she was here.

I was kind of embarrassed, but I squeezed Max closer, and looked her in the eyes and told her to be a good mom.

—

It’s 50,000% better to be told someone’s pregnant after you make a decision like that than before.

Cold. And sleepy

4:30 AM. Meeting in front of my office for trip to Wang Nam Keow. Students arranged the time. Why am I the only one here?

Dawn in Laem Ngop

From the front of our bungalows, we can see Koh Chang.

Laem Ngop, Trat

That’s where we are. Ain’t a bigeye around that can say it properly, either. Sounds like Ho Chi Min hockin’ a loogie or something.

Work experience visit

Our two students at the resort in Saraburi are doing well… Or at least one is pulling the other along. That’s just how it is sometimes.

The 5 we are visiting in this tiny harbor village in Trat, however, seem to have it a lot harder. They are working at a Tourist Authority of Thailand office here which seems an improbable situation at the least, since there isn’t even a 7-11 in town (a primary indicator that you are in the middle of nowhere in Thailand). Anyhow, we will visit them at the office in an official capacity first thing in the morning.

As a sidenote, we entertained ourselves this evening by catching little crabs at low tide on the rocks our bungalows overlook. They look just like the one I used for bait fishing for sheepshead at Catalina with my dad when I was an Indian Scout.

Why Android is the best for now

Two words: Google Maps

Yes, I know you have it on the iCrap, too, but Google will never make it as good for you. Fact.

I’m heading off on a trip to visit some 3rd year students interning in Saraburi, Trat, and Koh Chang for a few days. Leaving at 5AM tomorrow, so I’m starring destinations and saving route info (toll and non-toll, with different ferry options to the island) in Google Maps on my PC. Tomorrow, I’ll be able to access it all from my phone. This is the kind of techno-wienery I’ve been dreaming about since I was 7.

Day 1: Maha Sarakham to Saraburi and Trat (city)

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Day 2: Trat (city) to Koh Chang Destinations

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On the way home from Nam Nao

English camp was extremely successful this year; our new teaching format worked out very well and feedback from the students has been overwhelmingly positive so far. The biggest complaint I’ve heard is that they don’t want to have class tomorrow, which is understandable, but necessary since last Friday was a national holiday and I can’t let them fall behind the other class taking the same course.

Ajarn Teera is driving and I’m sitting shotgun, my weapon of choice is this trusty Samsung Galaxy 5 loaded with Android 2.1 and an improved Swype haptic input system.

It seems a member of the royal family is in this area because there are police stationed every hundred meters along the highway.

A few miles back we stopped on a particularly scenic bridge and I may have gotten a good shot:

Category: Work