Daily Archives: June 1, 2005

Student Diaries

For the past three months or so, you have been reading the diaries of expats and Thai people living abroad. For the most part, these people are all adults. However, two of the bloggers here are two of my ex-students. One is studying in the UK and the other in a school in Bangkok. Another of my ex-students is Gor who of course used to write a column for the Bangkok Post about his life. At the moment I am hoping that he will start writing his column again. Maybe the other two bloggers will also one day start writing their own column for a national newspaper.

It is not always that easy to get Thai students to write their thoughts down on a piece of paper. I have always criticized the Thai educational system as it doesn’t encourage the students to think for themselves. They are told what to think and not how to think. When I teach my English class of Primary 6 students I get them to write things about their life. It is difficult to start with because they cannot think of what to write. Or even how to write it in a sensible order. So, I first teach them how to draw mind maps which is the first step of writing essays. After a few months of doing this they get quite good. The funny thing is, they are now doing something which they cannot do in their own language. Thai students don’t write essays like foreign students do.

A lot of people found it strange when I told them that Gor could only write his columns in English. His problem is that I had taught him how to think in the English language. When he planned his columns he didn’t write anything first in Thai. He thought about it in English and then wrote it in English. If someone asked him to write the column in Thai he would then fail. He couldn’t even translate his columns into Thai.

Since I first started teaching, things have changed a lot. We are no longer restricted to pen and paper. This year for the first time, I have asked my students to start writing daily diaries or blogs. Basically they are a bit like this one here, but it is all in Thai at the moment. I have found it fascinating to read as it gives you a bit of insight into school life. The students are actually surprisingly frank. They complain about how much homework the teachers have given them and which ones are kind or too strict. You might see that the students sometimes say that I gave them too much homework. So, I retaliated and gave them even more the next day!

http://www.srinaiweb.com/diary/

I think we are in the third week now. Some of them are running out of steam and are having difficulty finding things to say. I think next week I will start giving them topics to write about, much the same as what we already do here on these blogs. I will also later get them to write some diaries and other stuff in English. I think all of this is excellent training for them to be bloggers and even columnists in the future. I wish I had a blog when I was younger.

I will have to stop now because our beloved prime minister wants everyone to turn off the power at 8.45 p.m. for five minutes. Apparently he will be doing a countdown to this event on tv. See you later once power has been restored.

A Little About Me

Me and JaZZ

Here’s my MEME per Oakley’s request. What a great “getting to know you” activity!

Your name:
Alice aka SiamIam

Your location:
Northridge, California, USA

Do you have a Thai nickname? Lis

When was your first trip to Thailand? 2 months old
Your latest trip to Thailand? December 03
Which part of Thailand were you from? Tonburi. Taksin Rd. 40

When did you leave Thailand?
1977

Your latest visit home?
December 2003.

Longest time spent in Bangkok’s traffic:
Can’t remember I think I’m still in it.

Won any money on Thai lottery?
No

Been to Crocodile Farm?
Yes, even posed with the cardboard cut-out!

Floated down (or perhaps across) Chao Phraya river?
Yes, dinner cruise (stinky though).

Ridden an Elephant?
Yes, I had fun riding on my sisler-in-law… no I mean with my sister-in-law… 😉

Been on a squid fishing boat?
No.

Been to a National Park?
Yes, I remember those nasty monkeys they took my chocolate Pocky!

Seen a drag/transvestite show?
No, but I will this time!

Visited a local (read: off the tourist path) temple?
Yes.

Actually talked with a monk?
Yes.

Been to a temple fair?
Yes.

Been stung by jellyfish? (Tribute to Leonardo Dicaprio)
No! And don’t believe what they say about having someone pee on you for the pain.

Hurt yourself partying in Bangkok? (Tribute to Colin Farrell)
No.

Paid a cop to get out of a ticket?
My brother used the “do you know who I am” excuse? Hey, it worked!

Assisted by strangers? (i.e. a place to stay for the night, a free meal, a ride somewhere, lost item returned.)
Hope so.

Most touristy thing you’ve ever done while in Thailand:
Went parasailing and got fondled by a “tourist catcher”.

Most memorable culture shock moment:
When I had to shush away a guy near Patpong showing my hubby an album with pictures of girls in it. I told him to lay off, I’m already working on him”… ha-ha (sorry, was that kosher?)

3 favorite Thai dishes:
Noodle soup with meatballs, Tod-Mun (fish cake), gang som, gang pa, nam prik pa-tu, oh… you said 3 (sorry)

3 favorite spots in Thailand:
Phuket, MBK, Airport (behind the airport, can’t remember the name but Louis Vuitton and Gucci open their stores there)

3 favorite things about Thailand:
Food. Shopping. Food. Shopping. Family. Friendly Faces. Shopping.

Thai-Blogs’ MeMe

What the heck is a “MeMe”?

A MeMe is a term for those questionaires about yourself you get in your email, or someone posting them on a message board or blog. It’s all about ME! And here is my version of a MeMe especially designed for Thai-Blogs! Everyone is welcome to participate.

All you have to do is copy the following text onto the comment box (or in another blog entry, if you’d like), and replace MY answers with your own.

Ready? Let’s go!

Your name:
V. Oakley Boren

Your location:
Long Beach, California, USA

A few questions for non-Thai folks:
Do you have a Thai nickname? (For example, our very own Thaiphile here, David, is called Wit.)
I actually do have a Thai nickname, Oh+

When was your first trip to Thailand?

Your latest trip to Thailand?

And now a few questions for Thai folks living abroad:

Which part of Thailand were you from?
Bangkok. Soi Langsuan, to be exact.

When did you leave Thailand?
1993.

Your latest visit home?
November 2004.

The rest is for EVERYONE. All about your THAILAND experience.

Longest time spent in Bangkok’s traffic:
3 hours getting back from Silom Road to Soi Langsuan. That is, what, less than 3 miles?

Won any money on Thai lottery?
Nope

Been to Crocodile Farm?
Yes. When it first opened gazillion years ago.

Floated down (or perhaps across) Chao Phraya river?
Yes.

Ridden an Elephant?
No.

Been on a squid fishing boat?
Yes.

Been to a National Park?
Went to Kao Yai when I was 5.

Seen a drag/transvestite show?
2003 in Pattaya at Tiffany. Our “girls” are gorgeous!

Visited a local (read: off the tourist path) temple?
Yes.

Actually talked with a monk?
Not by myself, but yes.

Been to a temple fair?
Yes.

Been stung by jellyfish? (Tribute to Leonardo Dicaprio)
Thank god, no.

Hurt yourself partying in Bangkok? (Tribute to Colin Farrell)
I wish. HAHA!

Paid a cop to get out of a ticket?
Not personally. But I was in the car when my brother refused to pay up and actually took the ticket. Good man!

Assisted by strangers? (i.e. a place to stay for the night, a free meal, a ride somewhere, lost item returned.)
Not yet.

Most touristy thing you’ve ever done while in Thailand:
Went to Loy Kratong event at the Oriental. It was a ritzy affair, but boy do I feel like we should just be out there with the locals instead of glamming it up in here!

Most memorable culture shock moment:
This was years ago. A couple of sales girls in a department store thought I was a tourist and started talking about how I looked and what I wore while I was browsing. It was fun to watch their reactions when I went up to them to pay for my things and speaking perfect Thai.

3 favorite Thai dishes:
Thai omelet with oysters. Tom Yum Goong. Morning Glory stir fry (Padd pak boong).

3 favorite spots in Thailand:
Chiang Dao in Chiang Mai. Phuket beaches. Soi Lalai Sap…hehe.

3 favorite things about Thailand:
Food. Compassion. Smiles.