Week One on the Farm

Okay, an update on my last week in Vang Vieng and on the farm.










I feel like I haven't been doing a lot. My mornings are spent eating breakfast which usually takes an hour and a half. I'm having wonderful banana or mulberry pancakes and talking with my new friends or people who are just passing through. After that I usually go find a spot to sit and work on my embroidering that I started last weekend. It is a slow process but I can see my progress daily. Cara usually comes and sits with me and we talk before finally deciding that we should have lunch. After lunch I complain about having to figure out my lesson plan for the day. Cara has been wonderful and has been coming with me. English grammar is giving me a run for my money. At 2:30 we start to head to our first class. The first class changes everyday but it is 1st through 5th grade. The younger classes are so hard. The kids just can't sit still. My second class of the day is an advanced class. There are about 10 boys, 14-20 years old, and they all want to know more about grammar. This week I have been teaching about when you use "to" and "to the" in a sentence. After three lessons they got it. Next it is when you use "to + verb" and "verb + to". My last class is in the evening, it is another advanced class. For this class I have a book to follow which is sort of helpful. I am teaching about past tense. At 7:30 we come back and eat dinner with the other people who are at the farm. By the teaching has worn me out and I am nice and full so I head for my room.

The farm is great, it is away from town which I am happy about. I much rather feel lazy reading, talking, or working on my embroider rather than sitting in a restaurant all day watching Friends. It takes an hour to walk into town. The walk isn't that bad in the morning but once it gets hot it's not so much fun. This is my second time in town. I am finally able to sit down and write a proper blog entry. The farm has internet but I just briefly check my e-mail with it. It doesn't seem like there is a lot to buy here in the way of stuff to bring home. Also internet is twice as expensive as it was in Thailand.

The last few days have been cold in the morning and at night. This morning it was 62 outside! I didn't think it would get this cold and have been wearing all my warm clothing and have still been a little cold. The sun finally warmed me up on my walk into town and now I don't need my jacket anymore.

On the farm there are women who spin silk which is every cool to watch. And they are very good about using all parts of the cocoon and the worm. Last night I tried a silk worm. It tasted a little like chicken but the wrong consistency. Strange, I don't feel the need to start munching on them for a snack.

Thanksgiving was a little sad for me. This was my first Thanksgiving away from home and I felt it. My thanksgiving dinner consisted of 3 English, 6 Americans, 1 Mexican, 1 Dutch, 1 Australian, 1 Canadian, and 1 Belgium. The closest thing to anything Thanksgiving like was pumpkin soup. I am thankful that I have met so many great people along the way, that I have such a great support system at home, and that I have been able to do this trip.

Valerie, from T2T Nong Khai, is in Vang Vieng and will be staying for the week. I think she will help me teach. I haven't seen her yet. Next week, Nina, T2T Nong Khai, will come up and travel with us. I'm excited to see more of Laos and to have a week long break from teaching.

Teaching is a lot harder here. In Thailand I was teaching colors and animals... here I am teaching grammar. I have never thought about how hard English is to learn. I know I have my own problem with the language but trying to teach/explain why something is the way it is makes my head hurt. But the kids who are in my advanced class want to learn and are happy that I am there.

I know there is more I wanted to write about, but now that I am at the computer I have forgotten it. My pictures are taking a really long time to upload so I'm not sure if I will get them all up.