Module 3

I’ve started my third and final module at language school. Monday at the start of the day we had a huge class of 10 students. They split us into two groups of 5. Those of us who have been studying together the last two months narrowly avoided being separated.

 

Entrance into module 3 means an official start to my learning of the writing and reading of the Thai script. I’ve already got a bit of a start. I’m looking forward to literacy.

 

In other news, 60 kids from the northeast of

 

Thailand moved into the church on Monday. They are here for an English camp. They will be here until I leave.

 

 

I may have mentioned that in the apartment where I am staying there have been two locked bedrooms. They are no longer locked. Staying in the rooms are people my age who are here to help with the English camp. This obviously expands opportunities both for language and culture learning, and for the unintentional, but hurtful breaking of cultural rules. I’ve realized how often I’ve been wearing my shoes inside my apartment (as much as I’m a fan of being barefoot, barefoot on tile gets old).

 

Not only am I in danger of breaking rules as a Westerner in Thailand, I’m also in danger of breaking rules as a male unaccustomed to mixed gender environments. Modesty rules for travel between shower and bedroom change dramatically with the introduction of females. One of the two rooms has I’m still not sure how many girls in it (I’ve gone to bed before they all arrive, and left before they all get up; there are 4 mats in the room). The other room I think has 3 guys (I’m unsure for the same reasons).