My training program is about halfway over at this point. And that is simply crazy.

Today, for the first time, we got to practice teaching in front of a classroom of real Thai students. It was incredible. Exhilerating. Nerve-wracking. Coming out of that half hour lesson was like coming down from a ridiculous adrenaline rush. But. I think it went pretty well. I taught a lesson about sports to a class of 20-25 (they kept coming in and out) 7 yr olds. I got to use lots of pretty coloured pictures and lots of very basic words. I sang a song. I did a dance. These are not activities I do well, but I did them. I wore a granny skirt, a classy long-sleeved shirt that buttoned up to my neck and practical shoes. My hair looked neat - not my normal attire. The kids spent a lot of the class wiggling in their seats, and we played a lot of games to keep their energy up, but maybe they learned a couple words? That is pretty much all I can hope for.

Tomorrow I'll teach again, this time a lesson to an older group of students, they'll probably do a better job of staying in their seats. They probably won't be quite as ridiculously adorable either, so I won't be at risk of wanting to just squeeze all the cuteness out of them (note. I did not squeeze any children today... but I wanted to)

The most incredible part is that my program has my teaching job all lined up, I will officially be a teacher in less than two weeks. Incredible. At a Catholic School with about 3000 students here in Bangkok. Crazy. This will not be the rural, primitive experience I may have been expecting... it will be... gasp! A job. Work. Eek.

But, I'll have a paycheck (thats a pretty crazy thought, eh?) and an apartment and I'll have weekends and holidays to explore more of Thailand.... Check out the beaches, the islands, the jungles.... and the great news is that some of the friends I'm making will end up in different parts of the country, so I'll have people to visit, and potentially couches to sleep on!

Speaking of couches, I will let the world know as soon as I have one of my own, I would love visitors. At the moment, I don't make the most capable cultural ambassador and tourguide, but I'm getting better at the language every day (I can count to ten!!!) so by the time you get here, I'll be pretty pro.