Friendly Fishies

These are fish that eat the dead skin our your feet. It feels a little funny at first, but it's kinda fun once you get used to it. Most were pretty little, but some were a little large for my preference. They have no teeth, so they can't bite. That's what the sign said, but now that I think of it, I'm not sure how they eat the dead skin without teeth. . .

A New Year

So I decided that I should write on here again . . . I'm afraid to write again because if I start now again I feel like I'll have to continue writing regularly. When I hadn't written for 6 months, I feel like I don't really need to anymore. But I'll write something now and see if I keep it up this year!

This is the beginning of my fourth year in Laos! I never thought I would still be here, but I am and I love it most of the time. 

I'm currently in Phnom Phen helping new teachers get their TESOL certificate. I'll be here for about a month and then head to Laos. I'm also moving to a new city this year - Savannakhet or Savan for short. So there will be some new adventures in a new city and at a new school!

I have a few more responsibilities this year as team leader. I'm excited for it, but also a little worried. We've been going over expectations and such for this year this past week; and while it's good, it also reminds me of what being a leader means. Being a leader means being a servant. As a sinner, I'm a pretty selfish person - I like to do things my way on my time. But that isn't usually the most loving way of doing things. And I wanna love people more than I wanna be selfish, I just don't always do it like I want to. 

But I also know that JC works best through our weaknesses. I don't need to try to be nice and kind and patient, I just need to rest in him and rely on his strength. In him, I can be the best, most servant like leader ever! - by relying on JC's power and not mine. 

key

Here's an interesting fact about Lao. key = poop (or crap or anything nasty) The Lao language makes sense in so many ways, and this is one of the best!

So you can just add the word key (crap) with another word and it means the nasty form or another way it can be associated with the word. Here are some examples for you.

Ta = eye.  key ta = the crap in your eye.

dang = nose.    key dang = can you guess? snot!

key nyuea = trash because trash is dirty gross.

key head (hua) = dandruff


It can also be used as an adjective to describe something/someone bad.

lazy = key kan

ugly = key lai

lie = key tua

naughty = key duh

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!