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Published: March 10th 2014
Feelin' the Love
Okay, this is from Valentine's Day. But the feeling lasts longer than that.Well, it's March now and I've officially lived in Bangkok for a little over 8 months. I can't believe it. Last week someone asked me how long I'd been here and I had to correct myself! The time really does fly.
So, how is life treating me here? Pretty well, actually. I'm tired, but that's because I'm always on the go with work, friends, or other exploring fun. They say it takes about a year to really settle into a place and build a life, and I think I'm on track.
Work is going well. We're still getting more and more students and now we even have a second foreign teacher! I'm also fortunate enough to have a great boss and team to work with. Knowing I have support makes such a difference day to day. Most of my students really like me (there's always a few holdouts) and I like them, so we have a pretty good time. There are days, though, where I honestly wonder how my primary school teachers made it through the day.
I'm still going to my weekly pub quiz and it's always a high point of my week. My team is like a family in a way. I know they'll always be happy to see me, laugh with me, and support me if I need it. I can talk to them about nearly anything and get advice, hugs, or just encouragement. In a city where so many expats are passing through for only a few months, I consider having them in my life a real blessing. Besides that, it's impossible to go wrong with beer and trivia.
My Thai lessons are also coming along, and it's quite a different experience from my first Chinese lessons. Part of that is because I knew what I wanted (and didn't want), and part of that is because my teacher is really good. My first Chinese lessons were greetings, numbers, and then a month about food. (2 weeks on canteen food, 2 weeks on restaurant food.) So two months in, while I had been given lists with a variety of ways to order string beans, beef, and other foods I didn't want to eat, I was unable to ask where the bathroom was, tell you where I was from, or explain that I simply didn't understand.
My teacher has over a decade of experience teaching foreigners (from all over, not just Westerners) and he's really good at what he does. Not only has he broken down the language and lessons into useful categories, he's also my window into the world of Thai culture. I believe my transition to living here has been much smoother because he's willing and capable of answering all my questions about culture, religion, politics, and current events. And he manages to do all of this with quite a bit of humor and patience, which leaves me much more relaxed. It's not good to feel intimidated when you're trying to learn a language!
So while I have a long ways to go, I am slowly puttering along. Since I live in a neighborhood where most people don't speak English, it's really useful on a day to day basis. (Actually, once you get away from the more tourist and expat areas, a lot of people don't speak much English.) Fortunately, most people here are willing to try and figure out what I'm trying to say, rather than just looking at me like I have three heads. I originally thought learning Thai would just be fun and I'd use it from time to time or when traveling; I'm amazed at how useful my language lessons have become.
Otherwise, I'm getting out and meeting people at Meet Up events. Here it's hard to meet people with common interests who are also planning to be around for longer than 6 months. I've had more luck recently since there have been some smaller, more specific meet-ups and it's been easier to talk with people. People I might actually share interests with. People who are also looking to make new friends. Mingling over coffee/drinks/dinner in a crowd of 30+ is exhausting, tedious, and seldom productive if you're trying to meet new friends.
So here I am. Some days are damn near perfect. Some days are a challenge. But I'm 8 months in and making progress and I'm on track.
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Time flies when you are having fun...
and obviously you are. I pleased you are getting to know the real Thailand and not the tourist one. And it's great to have a fun circle of friends. Thanks for the status report. Mango season is about to start so have a mango and sticky rice for me...with a picture.