Tag: TEFL

General, Travel

The Terror of the Visa Run

Liz Whitehouse

Never have I been so acutely aware that I live half way round the world, in a country where I don’t speak the language, as I was this weekend. There are some things that can only happen when you travel to a far-flung location: swimming with dolphins, cocktails on the beach, elephant trekking, bobsledding, you get the idea. There are some experiences that you wish to remember for as long as you live and are the very essence of exploring.

And then there are those that you wish had never happened, and that you could remove.  Continue reading “The Terror of the Visa Run” →

General, Travel

Observing the madness

Liz Whitehouse

As you know, I am currently teaching in Thailand. If you don’t know, where have you been and what have you been reading?! AYC, the company that employs Jade and I, sent the dreaded ‘we’re coming to observe your lesson’ this weekend. Of course they said they would turn up on my busiest day – Tuesday – when I have no time to sit and talk to them. Well, they said they were coming on Tuesday, then rocked up a day early. Continue reading “Observing the madness” →

General, Travel, University

I touch the future. I teach.

Liz Whitehouse

I don’t know whether you have ever looked for a specific quote on the internet, or for a quote about a theme you are interested in, and experienced the shear amount of brilliant, eccentric, and sometimes downright nonsensical waffle that people have come up with over the past [insert generically long time-frame here] years. I’ve had difficulty coming up with a title for this post, and so I decided to look up quotes about teaching, and it reminded me just how many of these sorts of quotes relate to knowledge, learning, education, and therefore teaching. Continue reading “I touch the future. I teach.” →

General, Travel

Have Yourself a Thai Christmas

Liz Whitehouse

December is well and truly here. It has rained, it’s gone cold*, and the Christmas decorations have gone up. Despite being half way around the world. I’ve received some Christmas cards from family, which has been lovely, some of which have turned out to be advent calendars (thanks Gran and Auntie B), so the whole place is beginning to feel a lot more festive.

*It’s only about 27 degrees this week, so, erm….cold. Continue reading “Have Yourself a Thai Christmas” →

General, Travel, University

Back to the Future

Liz Whitehouse

Before I left to travel, before I graduated University, before I chose my University course, I was thinking about what I was going to do. What career would I pursue? Where would I consider living? Fairly big life questions all things considered, and to be honest, I ust didn’t want to think about making them yet. So I decided to travel. Continue reading “Back to the Future” →

General, Travel

Settling In

Liz Whitehouse

I can’t believe it has been a month since we all went our separate ways after the tour. I can’t believe it has been a month since that fateful getting to know each other massage in Bangkok. I can’t believe I have been ,living in Roi-Et for 4 weeks. I can’t believe I have been away from home for 2 months. I can’t believe I have finished my third week as a full-fledged English Language Teacher.

Time really does fly by.

Continue reading “Settling In” →

General, Travel

Time Wasting

Liz Whitehouse

I am not sure teaching is what I expected it to be. At first, I wondered if it was because I was teaching in a different language. It’s not easy to communicate with the kids, and the adults, in a foreign language, whether teaching or just in general conversation. It’s not easy teaching different ages one after the other, assessing the ability of each class, and the ability of the students within the class as well. I expected those dilemmas to crop up, teaching English in a primary school isn’t like any teaching experience I had so I knew there would be issues that I hadn’t faced before. What I am struggling with is the boredom and wasting time.

Continue reading “Time Wasting” →

General, Travel

Loi Krathong to the rescue

Liz Whitehouse

I’ve been in Asia for 1 and a half months now, and this week was the first time where I felt a little more settled and at home here. That might have something to do with the fact that I have a home here now, and have settled a bit into the city. The teachers in my school are lovely, they speak very little English, but they’re nice, and the students are good, rowdy, but good. We’ve made new friends, we’ve been to our first proper Thai festival, and we’ve survived our first week as proper teachers.

Continue reading “Loi Krathong to the rescue” →

General, Travel

Meet my new friend

Liz Whitehouse

In all my life, in pretty much everything I have done, I have had self-confidence. I don’t particularly think I am arrogant, but I have faith in myself that if I have prepared and organised my resources and time, I can complete any task/job I am expected to. Self-doubt, nerves, and panic are emotions that I am simply not used to!

Until now.  Continue reading “Meet my new friend” →

General, Travel

Roi-Et: Home Sweet Home?

Liz Whitehouse

Roi-Et is a city located in Roi-Et province in the North-East region of Thailand more commonly known as Issan. It’s situated nearish the Laos and Cambodian borders, and is a fairly big city within the area. It has an airport and a river, shopping malls and a cineplex. It’s not Bangkok, but it has everything you could need. We have our own little Bungalow a couple of miles outside of the hustle and bustle of the city centre. It has A/C, it’s detached, it’s located right by Jade’s school.

Sounds perfect, right? Continue reading “Roi-Et: Home Sweet Home?” →