Yes, indeed, we have arrived...

Today is our fourth full day in our new residence, the broad outlines of which Josh described more than adequately in his previous post. Like Josh, I find that my easiest access to internet is at the aubotau (spelling doesn't count. It's not an English word. And Thai has different letters...), from which I currently write. And like Josh, I am finding our settling in with the family to be comfortable and somewhat natural, especially compared to the first few nights we laid awake during our PST homestay.

Although Josh gave a pretty good outline of what he expects to be doing, at least at this point, my entry into the workplace will be somewhat delayed, since we have arrived at site during "bit-term" or summer vacation. "Bit" means closed. Term means just what you think it means because it's an English word. British English, that is.

Anyway, the students, with the exception of the anuban (kindergarten) kids, are off for the next six weeks, and just like in America, so are the teachers. I have seen one of my co-teachers almost every day since our arrival, and have begun somewhat planning with her what we will do and what I will be "teaching" when the term opens, but it won't be until tomorrow that we sit down again with the other co-teacher and discuss how the arrangement will work between the schools and what the expectations of each teacher and each paw-aw (school director) really are. While everything will be very fluid throughout the 2 years I'm here, we are responsible for turning in a two-year work-plan to an office within the Royal Thai Government that supports and oversees the work of volunteers and NGOs within Thailand.

As those of you who know me can well imagine (just try, I dare you), I'm ready to jump in and start writing the two-year plan, to start working on the wording of the objectives, the activities, and the timelines into which it should all fit. But my teachers are on a well-deserved and surely much needed summer vacation. Even though they have been remarkable enthusiastic under the circumstances, they have the right to a break. And as much as I wish I could, for purely selfish reasons mostly related to relieving my own inexplicable anxiety, strong arm them into figuring everything out RIGHT NOW, I'm learning to relax and learn a few much needed lessons myself.

After all, I'm not here to make the teachers do anything. I'm not here to teach. I'm here to be a resource, a resource used in as many professional capacities as make sense. But I'm not here to accomplish my goals. In fact, my number one goal, personally, is really not to have any goals. If I could remember the positions in soccer, I'd throw in a nice sports metaphor here, but I can't, so I'll let those of you with any remaining knowledge stemming from your AYSO days come up with it for me. Let me know when you get it.

I know that when the school year is approaching, rather than appearing like a spec on a distant horizon, that my co-teachers are full of ideas and will be as anxious as I am to get started. But for now, it appears that I will be learning to wait. And to find a mode other than anxiety with which to interact with this new and beautiful world.

GREEN