How's it going?

Thai English classes always begin with a ritual with one student commanding, "Stand up!" And the whole class stands up to say "Good morning/Good afternoon teacher. How are you?" and they wait for the teacher to reply, "I'm fine, thank you. And you?" They answer, "I'm fine, thank you." And they wait for the teacher to command them to sit (I always forget this part and my students just kind of stand there).

I taught my students that we don't always say, "How are you?" and that sometimes we say, "How are you doing?" or "How's it going?" And that we can answer in different ways.

So today all the students got up and said, "How's it going, teacher?" and it was really the best thing ever.

I really love teaching and my students are really great. I'm really happy that my students are more confident about speaking English and becoming more comfortable with me. More students are stopping by to practice a few phrases and saying hello when I walk past them (instead of running away). It gets a little bizarre sometimes like when students get in little groups to wave at me through the tinted window, come in shyly to take photos of me (or with me), or ask me for my signature! I don't really understand it all so I just laugh and go along with it. And then there is always the excited screams and giggles in class. It's so cute and precious. And then they tell ME that I'm super narak (cute). Like I said, teaching in Thailand is awesome and bizarre!

The administration and the other Thai teachers are also really great. Some of them even bought little phrase book so they can have conversations with me. I am picking up Thai and Lao phrases/words so I can understand what is going on sometimes. But it's hard to pick up two languages at once. I have no idea what language people are speaking most of the time.

I'm headed to Laos Friday morning at 5:30 AM. I hope we make it there and back safely. I have no guidebook (remember I lost my Lonely Planet?) and I'm just going by what the teachers are suggesting. The teachers are so concerned about me getting some horrible foreigner price so they're telling me how much everything should cost. I still can't believe the foreigner price can be as high as 10 times the local price. I hope I don't get jipped.

P.S. Taurin suggested that I just chill at the Qatar airport for the night. That sounds pretty cool to me and I'll probably be awake because of the time difference. Free wifi! Quiet rooms! And I'd save $300+$15 (visa). But my dad says money is not a concern (this is why I never realized the value of money until I convinced my parents that I should get a job) and safety is #1. We'll see what I decide to do. I'm not worried about it either way. I've been safe my whole entire trip and the Doha airport is pretty nice.

Also, remember the 4th of July celebration at 804! I'll cook Thai food! Bring fireworks!

I am so excited about going to Laos this weekend. I'm actually wearing P. Wan's silk skirt from Laos and I have my hair up high in like a Lao woman. So that's a photo of me from today with some of my students. They are so cute. They always peek into the door and wave shyly. Most of the time they run away but sometimes they come inside to say, "Hello teacher!" Or sometimes they take photos of me. I think it's pretty funny that I'm the same height as my students and I'm in Asia! I stopped growing in 6th grade...

So I FINALLY successfully changed my flight! Life in rural Thailand is great but I am looking forward to being at home. I kind of miss stuff like packaged meat at grocery stores with prices I don't have to bargain. And a big hamburger. The cool thing is that I get to stay the night in Doha, Qatar. But there are no bargain hostels in Doha near the airport! They are all basically $300-700 USD which is not so good for a budget traveler's pockets. With luck, I will find a hotel closer to $100-range and it'll have airport pick up so I don't have to worry about taxis.

P.S. I'm going to Laos this Friday with Alice! AND I'm staying at this hotel built in the 60s. Hunter S. Thompson stayed there. Sweet. It's also only $15. Why can't I have that for Qatar?