I got a REAL job!

 Great news, I'm employed full-time! It has been a wild couple of weeks, and it is really nice to be settling in to a permanent position. I was joined two weeks ago by one of my good friends from high school, Mr. Forrest Patterson (Patty). I had stayed with him in L.A. for a few days while I was getting my Thai visa, filling his head with talk about English jobs in Thailand. Two months later he bit the bullet and flew to Chiang Mai to join me. I felt bad in the beginning because I had told him how easy getting work would be, only to find the market in Chiang Mai was already swamped with teachers, since it is such a desirable place to live. A few days after he arrived we began sending out applications via email, looking for jobs that would take the both of us, no matter where in Thailand they were. One school called us back immediately, and said they need teachers right away, and that we should come in for an interview at their office in Bangkok. The offer sounded promising, so we made the decision to move to Bangkok (now affectionately referred to as The Kok) because it seemed like thats where the jobs were. We were both intimidated by the Kok's reputation as a giant, hectic, polluted mess, but were intrigued by high salaries, active nightlife, and general excitement and exoticness of the city. We made our decision and hopped on the 12 hour train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. The ride was pleasant enough, but the train was one hour late and we were both losing our minds a bit at the end.

After two nights in a guest house we went in monday morning for the interview. We filled out paperwork, met with administrators, and gave on the spot teaching demonstrations. They gave us a third grade class and just said “Teach about any subject. Go.” I played a game involving names of body parts, and Patty was interrupted halfway through his lesson when they demanded he teach drama. This led to 5 minutes of getting kids to imitate animals, which was absolutely hilarious. Finally we met with the supervisor, who offer us positions. I took a position teaching science to 7-9^th grades, and Patty is teaching drama and math to K-3^rd. We both think the others person's job sounds much harder, so we are happy with what we got. We get a free place to live, a nice salary, and after three months a teaching visa and health insurance.

We were overjoyed with the offer, and thankful to stop job hunting and have some stability. We moved into some temporary housing today, with our permanent house not available until saturday. We start teaching tomorrow, 5 periods of 50 minutes per day, monday through friday. Not bad at all! I am going to have to brush up on my basis sciences, most notably chemistry and microbiology. I will have a Filipino aide to help me, and Patty will have a Thai. It is strange being thrust into a such a professional and important role, and starting with basically no training or guidance. But that's the best way to learn right?

The school is on the outskirts of Bangkok, and doesn't feel like it is in a mega-city. The school is huge, with 8500 students and almost 200 foreign teachers. We will be living on campus, which comes with pros and cons. Wish me luck for tomorrow!