End of Term

Here it is -- the last week of school. My students are busy taking their exams, while I wait around to finish the grading. Let's be honest -- they all pass. It's just the difference between someone getting an 'A' (very few), and someone getting a 'D-' (majority). I've had people tell me, "there's no such thing as a bad student, only bad teachers." To this, I reply, "You've obviously never been a teacher!"

I sit here and reflect upon my experience -- 9 months! It feels like just yesterday I was finishing graduate school, packing up my personal belongings, saying good-bye to my friends and family, and heading off to the other side of the world. As I sit here and think about what's left of my experience, I'm starting to think about the things I will and will not miss about living in Thailand.

1. Fresh Food -- I will definitely miss the fresh food. I can walk to the market on any given day and find the freshest food. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, pork, chicken -- some of it still very much alive; just waiting for your craving to end their existence. And what's more -- it's all so cheap!
   
2. Cost of Living -- I will miss the cost of living in Thailand. Not the standard of living, but the cost of living. Thailand is a very affordable country. I can get a cup of amazing coffee or even a whole pot of tea for 25Baht (less than $1). My rent in Thailand costs less than my monthly student loan payments. I can get from Lampang to Bangkok for less than $25 -- a 10 hour trip by train. Living in Thailand is easy and very affordable -- when you're coming from a strong currency or being ridiculous overpaid for teaching English.
   
3. Staring -- I will not miss being stared at like a monkey in the zoo. This is one of my least favorite aspects of living in Lampang -- the constant staring. Over the past 9 months, I've learned to stop smiling when I'm stared at, and hold their stare. They're almost always the first to look away. I guess it makes them uncomfortable when people stare.
4. People -- I will definitely miss the people. Not only the amazing people I've met -- friends, colleagues, lovers -- but also the Thai culture as a whole. Thai people are amazing -- very communal, and willing to help. They will purposefully go out of their way to assist you, and add to your Thailand experience. It would not be unheard of to be walking down the street (as a foreigner), and have Thai people come up and offer you assistance, or even invite you out to eat with their family. Initially, being from the US culture, I found this to be a bit creepy. Now, I find it one of the most endearing aspects of the culture.
   
5. Bodily Functions -- I will not miss the nose picking, phlegm hawking, or spitting. I can't tell you how many times I've witnessed someone pick their nose and then continue to engage in some other inappropriate activity (i.e. preparing food, shake hands, touch anything). While I'm a big fan of certain bodily functions, I find the nose picking and spitting to be the grossest aspects, and better saved for a moment of solitude (apartment, bathroom, padded cell). Boogers are gross! There's also nothing more sexy on a woman than when she steps out of a shop, only to spit a MLB-sized loogie in the gutter. As Paris Hilton would say, "that's HOTT!"
   

While I continue to contemplate my next steps, I've decided to take some time and continue to enjoy the remainder of this experience. Sure, I could have flown home the day after I finished teaching, and started looking for a new job. But, I took this journey to be exactly what it's been -- an experience; one that will forever change me and help me grow into the strongest person possible. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I think I've actually digressed in Arthur Chickering's Vectors, and honestly I don't think I'll know the impact this experience has had until I find myself completely finished with it. Until then, I can simply say that the one thing I do know -- I will not be renewing my teaching contract for the 2009/10 academic year at the LCCT in Lampang, Thailand. My future is uncertain -- everyone's is. The least we can do is be happy, and enjoy each experience -- the good, the bad, the really bad -- for all their worth; a chance to be the best person imaginable.