The travel tales of a lost PR girl: Week Three Teaching, River trip and the War Memorial in Kanchanaburi

Another weekend later and after some substantial after care from getting bitten by the mosquitoes in Bangkok, its week three of teaching. Nearly half way through the course! I know I'm falling a little behind with this so I'm sorry but its all good!

I'm trying a variety of teaching techniques and this week was the turn of bingo cards.

Bingo, bingo, bingo... Oh no:
After speaking to a fellow Thailand volunteer back home (name: Tulsi Panchal) I tried using bingo cards to get the attention of my older students. So the concept is simple; a load of words on a card which are associated with a particular topic. I then separated the students in the classroom into teams and each team would get a point for pointing at the correct word, spelling it and saying the word aloud to the class. I mean what could go wrong?

P6:
Opposites and fruit and vegetables would be the topic of the week and it went down really well. The enthusiasm I felt from the kids as I separated them into four different groups and handed out the bingo cards was so encouraging and the lessons (that week and even the previous weeks with this class) were easy and fun. I even got a very well done from PacSai after the lesson! Absolutely love this class!

M1:
As the P6 lesson went down well I decided to teach the same topics to the year above the P6 too, which also went down a treat... Apart from the paper planes (of which, by the end of the lesson I had a great collection emerging on the desk that held my notes). I also had one M1 lesson observed by Lordy (a LoveTEFL member). He was over at the school to see me teach so he can provide me with a reference at the end of my teaching experience here. The lesson went well and my creativity, enthusiasm and encouragement ensured my observation went without a hitch. Little yey for me!

M2 and M3:
No words can describe my shock this week when they actually paid attention. As well as using bingo cards with the fruit and vegetables, I also prepared a conversation based on answering 'how are you?' and negative emotions. These students are old enough to tackle this and I see and hear a lot more English being used during these types of activities (I've observed PacSai's lessons and the conversation exercise goes down a treat).

The successful use of bingo cards to become familiar with a topic in the English language is great way to get students to actively look and attempt to associate the spoken word with the written language. I will definitely be using these for future lessons.

Apart from the teaching, the lovely lunch (for one, as for the majority of the week Roseanne was unwell) and the themed school uniform week, there isn't much more to mention...

Actually... NO WIFI. The Tuesday night was the first night here, since we arrived, that we weren't able to access WiFi at night. It did however ensure a great eleven hour sleep which was well needed. I now think since this I've embraced a little (let's say a tiny) WiFiless lifestyle here.

Kanchanaburi weekend:
After getting to Kanchanaburi in a record time with thanks to the crazy bus driver we checked into Peng Pong this weekend. Its nicely located behind Noble Nights and has become a popular place to chow down traditional Thai and western food. After tucking into a fish and chips, we relaxed at the back of the guesthouse looking over the river Kwai then adventured out to the road to a bar and more food (one thing for sure is I haven't lost my appetite here once... and it's now showing!).

After a cheeky second dinner at Bells pasta place where I engulfed the spicy pasta, once again. A few of the LoveTEFL group enjoyed a few 40TB lychee vodka buckets and after a cheeky unsober tattoo (written in Thai saying blessed) for Callum and a YouTube playing neon bar visit till 3am, we hit the hay for what would be one of the best days EVER!

Kayaking down the river Kwai was amazing and something I would never consider doing back at home. Whilst eating breakfast that morning, with group, it was decided I would trust my life in Wilson's capable hands as I embarked on this kayaking adventure. There were only five of us; myself, Wilson, Olivia, Mark and Ed who were up for it and we helped put the kayaks onto the tuk tuk and then were dumped seven kilometres up the river Kwai.

Once we got to the starting point of our adventure, we were helped into the river by some of the local children who were bathing (which gently reassured me that there were no crocodiles or killer animals hidden in the murky water). The concept was simple though; gently paddle up the river back to the black topped temple and get picked up. But nothings ever that easy in life, especially not me.

So paddling, I was reminded (or gently shouted at) by Wilson that I was paddling the wrong way... Truth be told that still didn't change by the end of it. It just wouldn't register which way I needed to paddle to turn right or left. If I'm honest I still don't get it! Oh... It may also help if I knew my left and right though too. Doh, stupid butterfly effect!

The day was perfect. The blue sky above the river, the heat from the sun beating down on us and the great company made the day complete. A few group selfies by pulling the boats together, a picture of the river Kwai from below and discovering a dead fish (and a few personal selfies too) made the trip. What didn't make the trip was getting out the boat with a wet ass! Cute story... Wilson loves the waves, so as a speedboat or fast ship drove past I was kindly directed to the after waves. At first it was fun and I even paddled towards it, but little did I know the bigger the wave the better likelihood it would end up on me... and yeh did I mention Wilson also (gentlemanly) gave me the font seat, little did I know this was the reason why... But hey, still an amazing experience all the same!

After a slippery step (and quite literally too) out the river we waited alongside another group who were also from the same kayaking group for our Thai timed lift back to the guesthouse. Travelling back on top of the tuk tuk rather than inside it was the most cultured journey possible but still didn't dry my shorts.

Oh my days... an Indian restaurant in Kanchanaburi who'd have thought it. A delayed but lovely lamb curry with aromatic rice and nan certainly felt like a little bit of home. Fine the service was slow but the staff had gone to Bangkok and not returned, poor guy. But like I said great curry, well its the only Indian food I've had in weeks!

The night ended with an amazing banana and coconut milk dessert at a little cafe down the road. So yum that we ended up heading there for breakfast the next morning.

Sunday morning breakfast consisted of an mozzarella stuffed omelet and a piece of wholemeal bread to accompany it, before we trekked down to the War Museum. I didn't understand the history or emotion till visiting the museum. The prisoners of war, the importance of the people and those who died building the train tracks and the mementos of the prisoners from their families. The film about the bridge over the river Kwai is one thing I will definitely be watching when I get home and I'll also be hoping to do a little research about my family and our journey.

After an incredible weekend who thought we could top that so soon?... Here we come Chiang Mai!