I’m neck-deep in grading and lesson planning at the moment.

There are only two weeks of classes and a week of finals to go before my time here comes to a close.

I’m sure I’d be a whirlwind of emotions at the moment if I had the time and energy to stop and think about them, but luckily that’s not the case.

On my way back from Bangkok last weekend I did have some time to reflect.  While going down the bumpiest and most poorly maintained road since the Romans built their empire, I was entranced by the beauty of the rural surroundings here.  Miles and miles of lush green rice paddies, and every so often the bright red and gold roofs of a temple sticking up in the distance.

I reflected on my time teaching, and whether I felt I was successful.  In the sense that my students speak more English than they did when I arrived, I think I was successful.  But I do wonder whether I was able to share any of my passion for English with them.  Unfortunately, I think some of the best things about English are things that you just can’t even get into until you’re at a pretty advanced level for a non-native speaker.  What I love about English are the nuances, the rich vocabulary, the colloquialisms, the odd turns of phrase, the whimsical idioms, and so much more.  I love that there are a million ways to say the same thing, each giving a slightly different meaning based on context or inflection.  Did I share these things with them?  Maybe not.

They’re young still, and there is time for them to learn more and even visit and English-speaking country at some point.  My hope is that when their English is good enough they can find the magic in the language.

On a different note, here are some photos from my trip to Bangkok last weekend.  I had to go apply for a visa for a rapidly-approaching trip to China and I took the opportunity to visit some of the sites I hadn’t had a chance to see yet including Chinatown, the Dusit Zoo, and the throne hall in Dusit Park.  I also partook of some excellent western food and visited a pretty awesome blues bar.