In which I learn how to navigate children, and Thailand

So today was my first day at placement here in Thailand. We got a late start due to some special circumstances involving some volunteers who were having their final day, so class had already started by the time I got there.

They introduced me and all the kids introduced themselves as well, at once, naturally.

Then they played some games, which I think were actually stretches in disguise, before Poi, the head teacher, had them do the Thai alphabet. I was sitting on the floor doing it as well (or trying.) then they had me do the ABCs, before moving on through things like colors, days of the week, etc.

It was funny because when I first arrived, the kids were sweet but distant. It was like when a shark swims through a cluster of fish and they all leave this huge circle around it; I was essentially the Great White Shark, and they sure weren't coming close. In like five seconds however, one by one a child would brave coming close enough to touch me, and eventually they decided I was safe enough and soon I had various kids competing for attention.

There's one kid, Daum, (pronounced Dom) who was a sweetie. He would run up to me smiling and waving, and point to kids and just repeat their names. During the alphabet, he saw me laughing at this one kid who had zero volume control and who would go from a whisper to a shout in the same letter, so he got this really desperate look on his face and just started shouting. Not even the alphabet, he was just making his voice louder with his tiny little eyes darting from me to the letter all "does she see? Is she catching this? This is talent lady!" It was cute lol.

Today was mostly me figuring out what was going on and keeping the kids from punching each other. While Muay Thai is a beloved sport here in Thailand, it is apparently frowned upon in the classroom. No Muay Thai in pre-K, you save that for 1st grade.

After that, shower and nap. Some of the kids slept under a mosquito net outside, but most stayed in the one room that serves as the school.

I met back up with Jack and Benz around 1:20, and we headed off to pick up the other volunteers.
We began our trip through the mass transport system with a faulty boat ride. The first pier we stopped at was out of order, so basically we chilled with the local homeless for a while before scooting on down to next pier.

Then, this part was great, well...I thought it was great. The water taxi rolls up, but Jack accidentally went down the exit ramp instead of the boarding ramp, so we turned around to go down right ramp and the water taxi was just like "na,son" and promptly pulled off.

It's like when a person just taps the breaks at a stop sign; it wasn't a real stop at all.

I personally thought it was hilarious, but I don't know how amused everyone else was. Jack just laughed, and a few of us made jokes, but then we all had to chill for about 10 minutes before the next one rolled up. That one we were the first ones on.

All in all, Jack escorted us through the water taxis, the sky train, the subway, and then what was to be a taxi and turned into a Tuk Tuk.

We split up in the Tuk Tuks: Jill and Sarah in one, me, Jack and Victoria in the other.

It was vaguely amusing that public transport is considered a cultural activity but the experience was honestly invaluable, especially for volunteers who would be staying long term. Even if I come back in between my return to Cambodia, I know I will be grateful to have this knowledge.

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Location:กรุงเทพ-นนทบุรี 46,Bang Sue,Thailand