And It Begins

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Today was the first day of class. We took the shuttle to the metro station and then took the BTS to the stop... and discovered we had 25 minutes until class began. Since we were all yawning a bit, we decided to check out the coffeeshop next to the Silom 64 building. I got a cup of premium coffee for only 50 Baht and it was fantastic. I'll try the standard coffee tomorrow (40 Baht) to see how it compares. I wanted something special for my first day.

When we arrived a bit before 8, everyone was sitting outside the center, waiting quietly. We stood silently, sipping away on our still-steaming coffee. Then, the elevator doors opened, and out popped a few more coffee drinkers--but this group was chatty! The ice was broken and people all around started to smile.

We checked in and registered, enjoyed some snacks in the break room (also known as the tea and coffee room), just introducing ourselves and waking up. Quite a few people were tired since most of us arrived in Thailand over the weekend.

Classes began about the time the cakes ran out. There are quite a few of us, I'd say around 36 or so, but I didn't actually count. They've divided us into two classes, and each class has three groups for working on projects and practice teaching.

I'm happy say that my initial prediction of a sea of white faces is way off. There are people from all over the world, some without teaching experience, and some already teaching in a wide range of places. There are people from Britian, Ireland, Scotland, Finland, Australia, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Chile/Mozambique, the US, and I think I'm missing one or two. The teachers teach in Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand, Oman, and I know I'm missing at least one. Each person is kind, friendly, lively, and has a warm smile and sense of humor. I'm looking forward to getting to know them all better and learning from and sharing experiences with them.

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