back to school!

Back to school is what all the posters read at every shop in town. School took back in on May14th and, this my friends, is why Reffa and I have been extremely bad posters lately.

It was pretty hectic ! We had a meeting before school even started to solidify everything (which, if you've been paying attention really means -in thailand- that it's about to be further complicated...) . At this meeting there were 5 teachers, when we were distictly told that there were only 4 positions to be held by us four (scott, reffa, myself and an australian named Adam). So the spare man there, who was Gary was confused and embarassed when they FIRED reffa ON THE SPOT in front of everyone in a really awkward way- the assistant directer said "so there are 5 teachers and only 4 positions.. maybe one will have to go (giggle giggle) i think maybe reffa (bent over double laughing)"
we thought this was a joke. but it wasn't. Gary, an Englishman stood up and said if you'll excuse me, I'm embarassed that you've put me in this scenario. I Was under the impression that there was an opening, not a firing. and he left. Right after he left the assistant directer looked sheepishly at Reffa and said "... welcome back " with a big smile. This was the first 5 minutes of the meeting at 8:30am. OMG Thailand is hilarious.
The most ironic thing about it, is that they hired this Gary guy as a science teacher, when they had already told both Reffa and Adam (experienced teacher with a BSc) that they would be the science teacher?!!!!! ahhahahahahaaha. Now Reffa (the least experienced teacher with the least amount of education- ie. no degree....) is the official English Science Program Teacher for all of the school. HAHAHA I love it. (She really is the best of us 4 for the job though).

okay so , now it is back to the four of us teaching at Tuongwit patana private language school. it's a school only for pratom (meaning elementary school) . Boy oh boy is there drama. It's insane what we go through every day.

We were under strict orders not to speak even a word of Thai in our English classes (makes sense, right?) but this new guy, Adam can speak beautiful and fluent Thai (which I am so jealous about by the way... he's lived here 15 years mind you..) . He managed to take all of Scott's classes (which were the EP classes.. meaning English Program.) basically EP is the richer kids whose parents pay extra for them to have twice as much English training, Air conditioned classrooms (blissful), and proper testing. Scott now works on the third floor with younger kids who are non-EP with no Air conditioning... ugh. Adam is a cool guy, but Scott really wanted his same classes from last year. Adam is the only one of the 4 of us who does not get checked up upon and critisized . We suspect this is becuase he does not have the same language barrier as us.

Also,

Starting this week we will be working with our friend Kingsley, who quit the school where we're working, fucked over Orapin (The disorganized lady who left our important papers in the tree.... and other similar rediculous stories....... which we haven't yet told you half of. ). .. anyways .. he fucked her over by opening a brand new language school behind her back!!!!!!! He's employing us!!!!!! So now we're awkwardly working for both, whom are fighting with one another. (the three of us are helplessly stuck in the middle of our business-agressive high tempered english friend and our disorganized, confusing, broken english thai employer.... figure that one out..) .

Right now we are making 375 baht an hour. The school pays 500 baht. Orapin gets the extra 125 baht per hour for being our employer and she's supposed to take care of us, help us with paperwork etc etc. but she really does nothing of the sort. the only thing she does is cause a greater headache for any issues we already have on our plate by making it more erroneous, more ambiguous, and more confusing with extra elements. Starting next semester (if we make it that long ..) we will be working direct for the school and upping our wage by about 25% YAY. much better. AND we won't have to deal with Orapin.

We are also about to purchase a new motorbike. We are currently renting (from orapin of all people...) but have no idea about insurence or anything. we want to buy our own so that any problems are our own. We don't neccessarily trust her to take care of us in case of an accident or something. YIKES. We just drive extra super duper safe.

Our crazy neighbor is at it again.
I was laying in my underwear watching a movie (common for Saturday mornings) when a strange smoking man showed up at my door. he spoke thai asking if he could "do fai nai hong nohn" which means, can i look at your lighting in the second bedroom. I said.... umm... no.! who are you? (in thai) and then my crazy neighbor said (in half enlgish half thai) "Jesse! he come to look at light, broken light in house!" and so I let him in (cigarette and all..) to look at the light (after putting clothes on, of course). I'm hopelessly wanrdering around trying to figure out what's going on while he "fixes" our lightbulb. All in all, his strange and unexpected visit costed me 400 baht (about 12 dollars) just because our neighbor somehow knew that our lightbulb was going to burn out soon. !?!!!!!!!! (and it was, but I don't care- we don't even use that room!!!) she will NOT leave us alone. AND for the past week, we daily have strangers coming to our garden and planting weird plants. I don't know why, or how it's being paid for, but I think Par (neighbor's name) has something to do with it........ crazy crazy lady. I hear her beating her autistic child everyday. what a sin. we can't report her, because you're allowed to do whatever you want with your children.

what else is new....
congratulations to all my friends who graduated this year from university!! I'm super super proud of you. :):) HUGS.

OH my school from February FINALLY paid me the last of what they owed me so that problem has been solved!!

OH YEAH!! and, something very very exciting happened last week. We met a WHITE PERSON!!!!!!! this white person invited us to "quiz night" last thursday. We went and it was a lot of fun and it turns out there are a lot of people our age, who SPEAK english in Surat Thani. We have friends now!! (and one of the boys is really cute.. from California!). We are going again this week and they have like parties on the weekends and stuff and there are apparently certain bars you can go to where the Thai's are used to white faces and so you aren't stared at (I'm not sure if we've mentioned this lately... but they stare at us and gossip about us as if we're celebrities... everyone knws where we went and for how long on our vacation.. everyone knows where we work and what we wore yesterday... etc etc.. ) .

Anyways.. we can feel normal with friends that we can actually communicate with. this is a big deal. HURRAAAHHHH!!!!!

things are going well here,
although it's almost unbearably hot. we drip in sweat and shower 3 times , every day. it must be over 40 degrees? dunno. sometimes we're immobile for the afternoons we can't do anything but sweat and try to sleep away the heat. same as the Thais. it's defiantely hot season. hot/rainy season actually. *panting* it's 9:30pm and I'm still sweating today.

oh one more thing,
we went for our second round of laser hair removal in the arm pits. FUCKKKKKKING hell it hurts so bad. (excuse my french.) but honest... it hurts wayyy more than my tattoo did!!! I have red blisters and marks and swelling on my armpits (reffa fared better than I did- less sensitive skin) but you should see us getting lasered on the table... we like writhe in pain... cry etc. the works. yikes!!! It's ALMOST not worth it, but it is... to never have to shave again. Amazing though, hahaha it's only about 90$ per treatment and you only need 3, so just under 300$ to be hairless in one area. much more expensive back west. and the joules they use in Canada and America are between 13-18 (according to a website that I read up on). I want you to guess.. just GUESS before reading how many she used on me...


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SIXTY EIGHT JOULES. wowza. no wonder it hurts.

okay, that's all the news I have for today! So sorry that it took a while to get another post up.
Rishard: safe travels my friend.
Charlotte: send me some wedding info
Maggie: OH BABY
Ally: xoxoxoxox miss you!
Mama: you're my favourite
Dad : congratulations
Erin : call me tomorrow
Grammie: If I could take all your pain away I would- and thank you so much for taking care of Lilly and replacing me!!! I can never thank you enough. :)
Grampie: Thanks for reading! I miss your hugs

Everyone: I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox