Listening

We have some Vietnamese students who are practicing teaching at my school this month. Last week they observed me, this week and next, I will observe them. They're doing a great job teaching; it is just pretty boring to sit and listen in class for 3 hours every day. I'm not and never was the most diligent student.

One thing I don't understand though is how my students listen so much better to their directions than to mine. First of all, the Vietnamese have a different accent than I do and than Lao people do. I'm now used to the Lao accent, but not to the Vietnamese accent. I struggle to understand what they're saying sometimes. 

I also do a pretty thorough job of giving instructions. (Or at least I thought.) I want people to understand so I go through them carefully, slowly, step by step. After giving them I check to see if they understand and then I'll probably give them again just for good measure. 

Often after I give instructions, and I'm pretty sure everyone understands or at least they should after hearing them 7 times, my students sit there and wait for me to do something else - to explain again or I don't know what. But with these Vietnamese teachers, as I'm still trying to figure out what they are trying to get my students to do, my students are half finished with the task already! They jump out of their seats and are doing whatever the teacher told them to do before I even know what they're supposed to do. Maybe I need to try to mumble some mumble jumble and then my students will be able to decipher my instructions quickly. 

I can also never get my students to hurry to do anything - especially when I want them to write on the board and pass the marker to the next student. I think it takes each student a minute to write two words. I've tried everything to encourage them to go quickly but nothing has worked! 

Not for these Vietnamese teachers - my students are running and racing all over the classroom to write on the board or to finish anything quickly. 

I definitely need to learn a few pointers from these student teachers.

Cows

This is a picture from when Grandma was here. It was fun to see the things that she found interesting. After being here for two and a half years, the "weird" things become normal. Having to stop for cows in the road is not an unnormal thing. But Grandma thought it was.

Party!

Our neighbors are throwing a huge party to do something with the monks and ancestors and stuff. They asked a while ago if their guests could park by our house and walk through our yard. They came over yesterday to ask for my and Julia's names. Sone told us that they're probably going to give us an invitation and an envelope which means that we need to pay them money to go to their party. They usually use invitations like this at a wedding - the wedding present that I give in the invitation is money to help pay for the rental of the hotel and the food that I ate while I was at the wedding.

So, we need to to this party of our neighbors that we don't really want to go to; but will go to because we want to be good neighbors. But we also have to pay to go to this party that we don't want to go to. We didn't ask them to throw this party. And then we will be forced to drink beer at this party that we don't want to go to and don't want to pay to go to. They better have good food. :) And Lao parties have the LOUDEST music ever!

We're already making plans for what we'll be busy with Saturday afternoon so that we only need to stay an hour or so. :)

Maybe we can throw a party next month and send out invitations so that everyone has to pay to come to our party. . .

Back to School

We started teaching again on the 7th. It's great being back in the classroom and seeing students and teachers again.

I have forgotten almost all of my students names :( which means I need to relearn them all again! :( Hopefully I'll catch on a little quicker this time.

Also enjoying the cool weather and not sweating as I'm teaching!

You're Fat

Lao people are very honest with telling others about their appearances. I have been told dozens of times, "Teacher, you are fat." or "Today you are fat." or "Teacher, you have a big stomach, I think you are four months pregnant." While I enjoy hearing that I'm looking nice and thin much more than looking big and fat, I do appreciate their honesty.

If someone has many zits, they will tell them that they have lots of pimples. If someone has dark skin, which is considered a bad thing here, they will make sure they know they have dark skin. They are also pretty quick to compliment people on their beauty or nice white skin or perfectly shaped body. (Also, what they say is true. I could lose a few pounds. The person with a lot of zits really does have many zits.)

In America, we would NEVER tell someone they were fat. Even if that someone was complaining about being fat, we would reply with, "Nooo! You're not fat at all!" Even if he or she was.

I think we often worry too much about wanting to appear perfect or at least good enough. At home, I wanna suck in my 4-month looking pregnant belly so that I seem like I'm nice and trim and fit and that I work out every day.

When Lao people tell me that I'm fat, I feel like they're really saying that even though I'm not perfectly shaped with a rockin' body, they still love me just how I am. They wouldn't love me any more or any less if I was thinner than I am now.

So, even though I don't really like being told I'm fat, it's true, (relatively) but it doesn't matter. They love me just how I am, even though I'm not perfect.