In the Middle of Nowhere

Sawatdee-ka!

For the past week I have been teaching English at a remote school in the poor northeastern Thai province of Si Saket... and when I say remote, I mean REMOTE!! I am over an hour away from internet access and any form of a town, 3kms away from the nearest cluster of shacks and I am surrounded by forrest and rice fields. I am living in my own private double-story 'house' with no fan/air-conditioning, no flyscreens except in my bedroom and no furniture (I sleep on a thatched mat on the floor). My house is plagued with mozzies, ants, spiders and locus and three days ago I had a scary visitor in my room... a snake!!! I have managed to clear my room of most insects by spraying daily, never turning on the light and having my door closed permanently, however to venture downstairs to the 'kitchen' or to have a shower (a shower entails splashing myself with a putrid bucket of water) means subjecting myself to countless bites from god-knows-what. My northern Bali experience doesn't come close to this as far as shitty living conditions!!

But the warmth and hospitality from the 17 other teachers and 350-something students more than makes up for it. I have never been treated with such kindess in all my life! I have been given several bunches of roses, the students have made various handicrafts for me and a fancy ceremony was organised in my honour - some old Bramahan came to the school and blessed me for over an hour, throwing rice and water at me and giving me a boiled egg to eat, while the teachers and students tied white string around my wrists. I am always given a seat next to the Pa-a (school director) at meals, I was asked to open the village games and present trophies to the highest-achieving sports stars and this weekend I have been treated with a lovely tour of the province. I feel very special!!

The Pa-a and teachers have told me they are blessed to have me teach at their school, however I think it is moreso the other way around! Helping a bunch of kids in the middle of nowhere learn English to improve their career opportunities gives me so much satisfaction, words can not describe. And when the head of the 2-person English department tells me that the kids rave about how helpful and funny I am I can't help but choke up. It all sounds so gay but it makes me soooo happy to watch these kids learn. They are such beautiful kids and I wish that I can do more for them. Maybe one day I will.