36 Hours in Khon Kaen

Sawatdee kaaaa!
I was just talking with my housemates (Joey and Jordan) about how hard it is to write a blog when it is your everyday life. And yes I know I just got here but it seems so normal already. I will try to do some good explaining though.
So I got here just fine-no late flights, no lost baggage and they served me some excellent vegetarian meals. I probably slept about 4 hours total from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. It's hard to get comfortable in airplanes and airports. My neck pillow allowed me to get the four hours! I watched a lot of movies that I would never chose to watch but I was too tired to read and not be able to fall asleep so a few romantic comedies were watched on the way to Tokyo. I even teared up at one-probably more at the feeling of leaving people I am connected with for so long (or so short depending on how I look at it). I got into Bangkok at 11:55pm on Saturday the 2nd. Collected all of my baggage and carted it to a taxi, which took me to the domestic airport. I made friends with a man from Texas who was vacationing in Udon Thani (another small town in the Northeast). He watched my things while I tried to make phone calls, go to the bathroom, and while I slept sprawled out on my bags and the uncomfortable chairs. Again, thank you neck pillow for adding some comfort. The next morning I flew out to Khon Kaen (KK) which is about 45 minute flight or 6 hour bus ride.
Joey and Pin picked me up in a car at the airport early that morning and took me back to the apartment. I met Jordan but then she went to work-she has Monday and Tuesdays off but works Wed.-Sun. I unpacked and talked with Joey until it was time for us to go to Khon Kaen University (KKU), where we both are English professors (I am called Ajarn Mara, Ajarn has more respect than teacher). Joey drove me on his motorbike so I got that over really quickly. I figured if I actually saw how people drive I would be more scared so I just got on the back (with my big and safe helmet)! It was good and Joey is a safe and smart driver. There is a reason to the driving madness and I am starting to understand it. They do drive on the left side of the rode and that messes me up still. We got to campus and I was introduced to many people. It was hard to know what to do-since we are all English teachers I didn't know if I should say sawatdee kaa or hello, shake their hands or wai (which is the thai greeting-pronounced why, put your hands together like a prayer by your face and bow your face below your hands). I was sorta quiet which was mostly because I wasn't sure what to do but luckily everyone knew I had just arrived so they assumed I was tired. And I was and am exhausted when I stop to think about it! Luckily I had some syllabi on my desk for my classes along with my class schedule. I teach three different classes but they are all introduction English classes for freshman. I have students who will be doctors, dentists, engineers, and one class that has many different majors. Two classes use the same book which will be nice for planning except the classes are at different levels. The medical and dentistry students understood and spoke the best but they tend to be the top students anyways. I have 15 teaching hours which is nice. I will have plenty of time to do my own thing.
I went with Joey to get his haircut. He chopped off his long curly locks for short hair and as he accurately called it "thai hair". The hair stylist just kept chopping, straightened his hair, cut some more...I couldn't watch because I found it hilarious. It turned out but a very small example of language barriers and cultural hairstyles! Joey, Jordan and I went out to eat with Carl at a restaurant near our apartments. I have learned that there are many restaurants in KK but it is hard to find a)a restaurant with English, everything is written in Thai characters which I find difficult to even recognize one word b)a restaurant that is vegetarian-Joey and Jordan know the veggie restaurants but it actually does limit you here becuase the notheast is known to use a lot of meat in their meals. So far I like the food and even tonight at dinner I felt like one of the dishes was bland because there was not spice! What a funny feeling.
So my first class was today (June 4th) at 9am. Joey and I hopped on the motorbike at 8am. I did nothing really to prepare except figure out what icebreaker I would use. I was not feeling nervous at all which was good and sorta surprising. Just going in there as a teacher and knowing they are so respectful relaxes me compared to a college presentation. I had the medical students first. They laughed as I read through names since I said so many wrong! I'm happy I at least looked at some learn Thai books so I know a little bit about the sounds letters make but I know nothing about tones and Thai has 5 distinct tones that are very important. My icebreaker for all of my classes was having them write 4 words or less to describe themselves. Then i taped this sheet to their backs and we roamed the room asking each other our names, reading the other person's back and asking them quesitons about what they had written. Some examples..."very handsome and funny"(from the seemingly class clown), "I love to love", "all boys are mine", "loves to sing", "homesick", "I love KKU", "smiling is my life", "cartoons are my life"....you get the idea. It was very fun to see what they all wrote about themselves. It was very hard to say their names correctly but they usually did correct me which was good. I want to be sure to create a classroom where they feel comfortable asking questions and using their English. So anyways, the icebreaker went very well and I did not have to remind them to use English too many times. Many times I did have to encourage people to meet new classmates, especially boys and girls meeting each other. In one class there was literally all the boys on one side the room not talking and all the girls on the other side being very talkative! Some gender stereotypes coming true.
The various majors class (105) told me I was speaking too fast. I thought I was already speaking slowly! Joey.....told......me......I.......should.......speak.....like.....this. AAAHHHH! Goodbye fast paced life-unless i'm on a motorbike.
I bought a cell phone today so I am uber connected with anyone in Thailand. But for all of you back home, you should download Skype so I can hear your voice. Let me know if you have questions because already I am so used to some things that it seems obvious or not a big deal to mention. Oh yes, and it is hot. Truly, no one is outside for long periods of time and there are lots of fans and shade to help deal with it. People will ride motorbikes while holding an umbrella to block the sun! So far no rain but everyone seems to think it's coming. Like Minnesota, talking about the weather is very popular.
Tomorrow I have two classes of engineering students from 9am-10:30 and then 10:30-noon. That will be a long day since it is the same class back to back. Nice to not have to worry about preparing a lesson in these two days, but on Wednesday i get to start right in.
I will take some pictures and write more later in the week. I hope this was a good overview though! Annie (another PiAer) will be here on Thursday and Meredith comes this weekend so that will be exciting.

All in all things have been very good. Joey and Jordan are very patient to me asking quesitons and tagging along all the time. I am waiting for culture shock. So far I am been pretty mellow. everything is new but I am not uncontrollably excited. It is just overwhelming so I am taking it all in rather than meeting this head on and tackling new adventures on my own. Soon I will have to venture out on my own. It will be good but hard! I need to sign up for Thai classes soon because I am already frustrated with no ability to communicate at restaurants and shops.
Talk to you all later. Sawatdee kaa (hello and goodbye are the same for those of you who noticed)
Mara

The People:
Joey-my housemate, married to Jordan, went to school at Indiana University, calls Chicago home, taught in Miami, was an organic farmer, also in the Princeton in Asia program and started teaching at KKU last October
Jordan-my other housemate, married to Joey, went to school at Indiana University, from Valparaiso, Indiana, was in Teach For America in Miami, said to be a natural teacher, vegetarian, teaches English to little kids at a private school in KK.
Karl-our neighbor who also teaches English at KKU. He has lived here ?six years or so I think. Family lives in California. Lives next door to us. Taught me how to ride the song taew.
Bow-my officemate at KKU. We share an office and she is the assistant to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. She answers many of my random questions and speaks English very well. She graduated from KKU and has her Masters from a Bangkok school.
Pin-part time English teacher at KKU. She is very shy and did not want to speak in English to me when I came so she told Joey to tell me she does not speak English!
Annie-Another PiA fellow, from LA area but went to boarding school out east for high school and just graduated from Princeton. She majored in religion. She is living with Meredith in a VERY nice townhouse!
Meredith-Another PiA fellow from Philly area. Graduated from Princteon with an English major. I stayed with her at orientation. She has already gotten sick here! Uh oh...