Another bad day.

  Although I have refrained from discussing negative things in my blog, I would like to share about some of the difficult things that have happened at work recently.  Morale at my school is very very low.  My director "does not believe in discipline" and it shows.  Students can walk over teachers, and nothing will be done about it.  Teachers can also walk over other teachers, and nothing will be done about it.  People that speak up about it in staff meetings are silenced and told to talk to my director about it in private.  People that go to my director in private are told that they can only worry about themselves and it is up to them to have a positive morale.  I have gone to him several times, always with the school's best interests in mind, and have been treated like a child.

  Last week, my director's boss came into town (this was the man who interviewed me for my position, and I know he cares a lot about the school).  We were given the option to meet with him if we wanted to, and I took it.  I stressed how the school was suffering; he agreed with me and said that he had talked to several staff members about it, but that it was my director's responsibility to fix the problems.

  Today, after a meeting with his boss, my director wanted to speak with me in private.  He reaffirmed that he knew that we did not agree on the discipline issue, but that his position was that discipline was not always the best option (so an alternative...?).  I was told that if I wasn't happy with the way the school was being run, that I did not have to sign a contract to come back next year (his boss did tell me last week that I had to stay on for another year, so I am getting mixed signals).  End of discussion.

  I am stunned with disbelief.  I have been told by several staff members that the only way to survive is to stop caring.  But I don't really want to stop caring.  If I didn't care, I would not have become a teacher.

  Real like kinda sucks sometimes.  Why did I have to graduate?

My sad story.

This week has been my most difficult of the year.  I am not going to go into detail, but it has been six weeks since we had a day off and both the students and the teachers here are needing it.  Just six more days until a break...

Starting off my day well...

Well, here is the story:

Today on my way to work, a crow flew over me and dropped something big.  At first I thought it was a giant solid poop that had bounced off of me, but birds don't have solid waste.  So I looked down, and what did I see?  A big, bloody toad laying in my lap.  I had to turn around and change my clothes.  Hopefully this is not an omen for the day ahead of me.

Boring Update

Well, there is not a whole lot new with me.  School is in the grind, same old, same old.  But there is one interesting new thing that I have found out: I will be teaching advanced placement (AP) calculus next year.  This may come as a surprise to many of you, especially Dr. Wetzell who last taught me math (a sad year indeed), but I am excited for it and already putting together my syllabus.  I will also be attending an AP conference this summer, hopefully in Vermont.  More updates later.

Momma's coming to town

With my mom finally back safe in America, I decided to post some of the highlights from her visit, if you would like more details, her phone number is 952-221-8156 and she can tell you all about it.

Bon Appetite

Well, I finally had the opportunity to try mealworms and crickets.  The mealworks weren't too back.  No flavor really.  A slight bit of grease as I bit into them, but otherwise no flavor.  Easy to swallow.  The crickets were a little different.  Also no flavor, except for the slight bit of grease as I bit into them.  The texture was more dry though, and I had to drink some water to get them down.  I did not have the guts to try the cockroach or larger locust (as seen in the picture).  Maybe next time.  The best part: soon after buying the fried bugs to eat a ran into a few primary students from the school.  I offered them a taste (at which they looked excitedly into the bag) and then I got 5 screams in unison.  I am such a nice guy.

Thai Copperfield and other short stories...

The Story of Thai Copperfield:

  I'd like to begin with a story about Thai Copperfield.  Never heard of him?!?  What a shame, let me enlighten you.  Thai Copperfield is a Thai man that dresses like a cowboy and does magic tricks.  Most of the students at QSI know him, besides being a hot commodity at birthday parties, Thai Copperfield can be randomly seen all over the island.  My first time meeting Thai Copperfield was at a student's birthday party.  This past Saturday I went to the Marriott in Kamala for said party.  Thai Copperfield was a pretty good magician, but an even better performer, his jokes kept most of the students laughing, even if they had seen his tricks before.  Half-way through the show, Thai Copperfield put his red hankerchief into his hands and lost it.  Where did it go?  Well I guess I must have had it, because I was called forward.  Even though I stand in front of the students five days a week, it still felt awkward to go up front (but they cheered for me, so that was encouraging).  Thai Copperfield checked my shirt pocket, but his hankerchief was not there.  Then he checked my left and right sleeve, but still no hankerdhief.  Where was it?  Well, he bent down, unzipped my fly, reached in and pulled out a hankerchief.  (I didn't have the heart to tell the students that it was not the same hankerchief, but he in fact stole my red one that I keep in my pants.)  An awkward trick and an awkward moment in my life later, I walked away as my students continued to cheer for me.  (Asians don't share the same feelings of physical boundaries that Westerners like myself have.)

(PS. This is the third photo I own where you can see that the hair on the back of my head is thinning...)

The Story of Skyping with Meridel:

  My sister Julie and I have been planning a time for me to Skype with my niece Meridel.  Today, I received an email agreeing on a time and giving my her skype name.  I signed on 8 hours early to make sure that I had her screen name added, and by chance they were on.  So I skyped with them early.  It was my first time seeing my niece in a non-picture form.  I enjoyed it.  (We skype again tonight, at our originally planned time.)

The Story of the Thai Postal System:

  Yes, my stories are getting lamer and lamer.  I mailed four postcards on Monday.  Impressive because it is my first time mailing anything from here, home.  Four people will be receiving postcards in the next two or three weeks.  Don't feel bad if this isn't you, I only mailed things to people who put specifically requested it because I felt obligated to.  Don't feel bad if it is you and you now think that I only sent you a postcard out of obligation, I was really going to send you one anyways.  Really.

The Story of Celebrating Chinese New Year:

  Ok, I didn't actually celebrate the Chinese New Year at all, but I watched as some people lit fireworks that were hanging from a powerline.  Why they did this?  I don't know.

The Story of Me Telling Stories:

  This is what happens when I am allowed to ramble...