Anybody want to join?

Tomorrow Copplestone and I are going to ride an elephant. If you want to come, meet us at my school at 10 am. See you there.

A round of applause?

Yesterday, as I was finishing my run at the reservoir in town, I passed a group of older men that were streching after their run, and one of them stopped stretching to clap for me. He literally gave me a round of applause and clapped loudly enough for me to hear him over my iPod. It wasn't even in a creepy way - just totally well-meaning and congratulatory. I think it might have been because I'm a woman and Thai women don't ever go running, but I'm not quite sure. I've gotten used to being stared at everywhere I go, but if the Thai people go and up the game and clap at me wherever I go, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. Not a bad way to end a workout, though.

Happy Teacher's Day!

Today is Teacher's Day in Thailand and we have a day off from school to celebrate. After last week, where I had to break up a fight by physically removing/carrying a student out of the classroom and deal with the aftermath of a boy in 5/4 pulling a knife on a girl in 5/1, this is a much-needed day off. On the agenda for the day - cleaning my room because Copplestone will be in Nan in one week! He will bring the blonde population up to a solid 2. I'm dying to post pictures of the Asian Forbes Family Christmas, but my laptop power cord is broken so that will have to wait until a new one arrives from America.

In the meantime, enjoy this video of my roommate, Steph, teaching her fourth-graders, "I Feel Good" by James Brown. Yes, that really counts as an English lesson, and yes, I really get to teach kids that are that cute (you know, when they're not threatening each other with knives).

Also, I think I've finally stopped being and dumb and figured out how to do links in here, so family member who aren't on facebook, enjoy the following albums:

July vacation to Ko Samet

A trek we did with some friends

A trip to a temple with the 6th graders

Kindergarteners

5th Graders

6th Graders

Back in Nan, Safe and Sound

I've heard about the bombings in southern Thailand, so I just thought I'd report that I'm fine, though a little sad to return to normal life after some amazing travels. Details and pictures to follow. Sawat dii bii mai ka! (Happy New Year!)