I somehow got duped into "helping" my Chinese teacher out with his Master's thesis. My cut is a bottle of JD Red, and Chinese lessons twice a week indefinitely. But indefinitely means I probably will have to help him with English stuff regularly. Oh wel, its worth the trade I guess. Red goes down smooth.
I have to come up with about 60 questions to test the level of English of front-desk hotel staff in Chiang Mai. Along with that I need to write up some interview questions for the recorded part of the paper. No fun.
I can't decide which classes I will take for next term. The pickings are slim as usual. Below are the schedules I'm considering.
MWF 10-11 Modern Business
11-12 Instructional Skills
3-4 Sociolinguistics
The good side of this setup is that I don't have to wake up too early. The bad side is the 3 hour gap between IS and Socio. Also, 3 days a week where I won't have time to exercise. I study Chinese 6-8pm MWF as well.
OR
TuTH 8-9:30 Communication Technology
9:30-11 English for Labour Law
12:30-2 Small Group Communication
This would leave me more free time to work/exercise/study independently. However, I would need to wake up around 6am twice a week. And Tu/Th's I study Korean from 4-6 and then Chinese from 6-8.
Both of these schedules suck as far as I'm concerned. While Tues/Thur will certainly be more painful, I'm leaning towards it at the moment. I'm also taking 2 exemption tests early next month. Academic Writing and Business Eng II. I'd test out of more high level classes, but I can't because they never offer them. The end of the semester I can probably take 1 or 2 more. I think I need about 18 classes plus my internship. I should be able to finish in 3 terms, including the one that starts next month.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
Argh My Place Sucks - Nothing Interesting Here
I've been looking for a new place to live lately. No luck as of yet. I need faster internet. The speed in my room has been awful lately if its even friggin working. I went to complain at the office today and they said they were upgrading the line again this month. I asked how much to install a private phone line so I could just get internet directly from the company, but my complex charges something ridiculous like 5000 baht to install the line. Thats not including the 1200 or so you actually have to pay the company for the installation. I hate this place. If the building wasn't in such a key location, or if I had a vehicle, I would never put up with this shit. And the moving part is a big hassle. All my friends with cars are nowhere to be found when I need to move.
I just finished this 5 day 2 hr/class course with this 15 yr-old kid from Bangkok. He comes here twice a year with his family to visit relatives. He studies at an international school so his English is pretty good. I didn't have a clue what to talk about for 10 hours, so I bought a paper each day and make him read articles and then we would discuss them. He had no idea about what was going on anywhere. Wars, bombings, etc. I got a call earlier from the same school, they want me to teach for 6 hours tomorrow. Not sure what that is going to entail, but I took it because I need to scrape up some cash quickly. Too many companies/people owe me money right now and I've had to wait far too long and I'm worried. I also have to pay tuition next week because my school won't renew my visa until I've registered for the next term.
I have some crazy injury or something and I'm not sure how it happened. My knee was hurting a bit the other day and then yesterday I woke up and from my foot to my thigh my entire leg has all these pain points that fire up each time I step/move/twist my leg. Its not a pain I'm familiar with.
I just finished this 5 day 2 hr/class course with this 15 yr-old kid from Bangkok. He comes here twice a year with his family to visit relatives. He studies at an international school so his English is pretty good. I didn't have a clue what to talk about for 10 hours, so I bought a paper each day and make him read articles and then we would discuss them. He had no idea about what was going on anywhere. Wars, bombings, etc. I got a call earlier from the same school, they want me to teach for 6 hours tomorrow. Not sure what that is going to entail, but I took it because I need to scrape up some cash quickly. Too many companies/people owe me money right now and I've had to wait far too long and I'm worried. I also have to pay tuition next week because my school won't renew my visa until I've registered for the next term.
I have some crazy injury or something and I'm not sure how it happened. My knee was hurting a bit the other day and then yesterday I woke up and from my foot to my thigh my entire leg has all these pain points that fire up each time I step/move/twist my leg. Its not a pain I'm familiar with.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Crazy Dreams
My cat was a rat, and it could talk. But then it turned into a bug and I killed it by accident.
It began when I saw my cat (which was a rat in the dream for some reason) laying on the floor looking sad. I asked if she was ok. She answered, "I'm ok." Not certain if I heard correctly, I asked some more questions and determined that she was indeed talking. I asked how old it was and she said she was 80. And she said that she would die before the day was finished. I asked her if she wanted to go anywhere that I could reach in a day, but she said it wasn't necessary.
Later, I was sitting outside and the rat came outside and died. It turned into some funny-looking bug with long feelers. It seemed to be motioning to me so I put it up to my ear. But the feelers going inside my ear was rather ticklish and I dropped the bug. It fell apart into 3 or 4 pieces. I tried to put it back together to no avail.
Later on there was a Korean/Mexican food party at my house. I was completely baffled to why this occured and annoyed that I had just gone out to eat and was full as nobody told me there was going to be a party. A number of Koreans I knew and hadn't seen in a while (x-gf for example) were there and so I was a bit surprised/anxious/uncomfortable. I think this was mainly due to the fact that I would surely be expected to do my usual language monkey dance routing where my Korean ability is tested. I broke out of the dream when some old fat guy at a table with a few other people in my kitchen was asking me if I could run downstairs and get him some dried italian dressing. I may have wanted to kill him. It was blurry as I woke before I was able to respond to him.
It began when I saw my cat (which was a rat in the dream for some reason) laying on the floor looking sad. I asked if she was ok. She answered, "I'm ok." Not certain if I heard correctly, I asked some more questions and determined that she was indeed talking. I asked how old it was and she said she was 80. And she said that she would die before the day was finished. I asked her if she wanted to go anywhere that I could reach in a day, but she said it wasn't necessary.
Later, I was sitting outside and the rat came outside and died. It turned into some funny-looking bug with long feelers. It seemed to be motioning to me so I put it up to my ear. But the feelers going inside my ear was rather ticklish and I dropped the bug. It fell apart into 3 or 4 pieces. I tried to put it back together to no avail.
Later on there was a Korean/Mexican food party at my house. I was completely baffled to why this occured and annoyed that I had just gone out to eat and was full as nobody told me there was going to be a party. A number of Koreans I knew and hadn't seen in a while (x-gf for example) were there and so I was a bit surprised/anxious/uncomfortable. I think this was mainly due to the fact that I would surely be expected to do my usual language monkey dance routing where my Korean ability is tested. I broke out of the dream when some old fat guy at a table with a few other people in my kitchen was asking me if I could run downstairs and get him some dried italian dressing. I may have wanted to kill him. It was blurry as I woke before I was able to respond to him.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Ah Shit
I made a rather crucial error this morning. For some reason I thought that my flight to Bangkok today was at 1:40. I had some tinge of doubt in my mind and because the internet sucks in my building and doesn't work half of the time I went to a net shop across the street. I checked my schedule a few minutes before noon and was rather horrified to find out that my flight was at 11:40.
I went to the airport and the people at AirAsia's counter told me that I could get my flight changed to another time only if I had some valid note from a doctor giving an excuse for missing my flight. I think this is the only Thai airline that does this. There wouldn't be this kind of hassle with the others.
Anyways, I went to a hospital with Ann (gf/mia). The first place I was pretty honest and the doctor wouldn't have any part of it. The doctor refused to lie so I could get to Bangkok and save me the pain of losing 2000 Baht. I went to another spot, and I sat with Ann and stared at this really hot nurse for a while before managing to go up to the counter with my story.
I told them I had a nasty case of ท้องเสีย (tóng sĭa) which translates literally to stomach-broken (diarrhea), and I couldn't make the flight. So I waited a bit then got my blood pressure taken by this really cute nurse who was asking me mighty specific questions about the fun I was presumably having in the bathroom. She named 4 kinds of diarrhea in Thai and asked which one I had. None of the four choices were words I had heard before so I just guessed the one that had a nice sound to it. I'm sure it meant something mighty unpleasant. She took notes and sat me down to wait again. After a short while I got sent in to see the doctor who struggled with a few words of English before I informed him I could speak Thai. I never lie for the most part, but I didn't know any other way around the situation. I told the doc my troubles started the afternoon before and I hadn't eaten anything yet today (which was true) so I wasn't sure if I would still have a problem or not. He offered me a bunch of pills and I threw in the "Might it be possible for me to get a note also?" I explained the situation as he wrote it up. He was surprised that they made me get a note. He experienced a similar situation (he just woke up late) and he called and they let him change his flight - no hassles.
The hospital visit cost me 574 Baht. We rushed back to the airport, as the next flight was the last flight, and gave them the note. They sent me upstairs to their supervisor who was looking kind of mean. But eventually she said she could get me on the flight, but she had to increase the already outrageously expensive fare. She wanted 107 Baht. I'm not sure if that was a bribe or a tip, but I seriously doubt it was legit. From her office, I rushed to the gate just before they started boarding.
Following that mess, I spent about an hour and a half in shitty Bangkok traffic to get to this Japanese vegetarian restaurant that I really like here. After my first meal of the day around 6pm, I went with my friend Eve to get a flower and a cake for Orli (I came to Bkk partly because of Orli's b-day). Now I'm going to shower and go out to some club where I imagine there will be some serious drinking and I didn't get a room tonight so I'm not sure where I'm going to sleep yet. I hope somebody has a camera at this jam.
I think I'm going to go visit this other friend in Pattaya tomorrow. Still debating that one. It should be a fun weekend either way.
I went to the airport and the people at AirAsia's counter told me that I could get my flight changed to another time only if I had some valid note from a doctor giving an excuse for missing my flight. I think this is the only Thai airline that does this. There wouldn't be this kind of hassle with the others.
Anyways, I went to a hospital with Ann (gf/mia). The first place I was pretty honest and the doctor wouldn't have any part of it. The doctor refused to lie so I could get to Bangkok and save me the pain of losing 2000 Baht. I went to another spot, and I sat with Ann and stared at this really hot nurse for a while before managing to go up to the counter with my story.
I told them I had a nasty case of ท้องเสีย (tóng sĭa) which translates literally to stomach-broken (diarrhea), and I couldn't make the flight. So I waited a bit then got my blood pressure taken by this really cute nurse who was asking me mighty specific questions about the fun I was presumably having in the bathroom. She named 4 kinds of diarrhea in Thai and asked which one I had. None of the four choices were words I had heard before so I just guessed the one that had a nice sound to it. I'm sure it meant something mighty unpleasant. She took notes and sat me down to wait again. After a short while I got sent in to see the doctor who struggled with a few words of English before I informed him I could speak Thai. I never lie for the most part, but I didn't know any other way around the situation. I told the doc my troubles started the afternoon before and I hadn't eaten anything yet today (which was true) so I wasn't sure if I would still have a problem or not. He offered me a bunch of pills and I threw in the "Might it be possible for me to get a note also?" I explained the situation as he wrote it up. He was surprised that they made me get a note. He experienced a similar situation (he just woke up late) and he called and they let him change his flight - no hassles.
The hospital visit cost me 574 Baht. We rushed back to the airport, as the next flight was the last flight, and gave them the note. They sent me upstairs to their supervisor who was looking kind of mean. But eventually she said she could get me on the flight, but she had to increase the already outrageously expensive fare. She wanted 107 Baht. I'm not sure if that was a bribe or a tip, but I seriously doubt it was legit. From her office, I rushed to the gate just before they started boarding.
Following that mess, I spent about an hour and a half in shitty Bangkok traffic to get to this Japanese vegetarian restaurant that I really like here. After my first meal of the day around 6pm, I went with my friend Eve to get a flower and a cake for Orli (I came to Bkk partly because of Orli's b-day). Now I'm going to shower and go out to some club where I imagine there will be some serious drinking and I didn't get a room tonight so I'm not sure where I'm going to sleep yet. I hope somebody has a camera at this jam.
I think I'm going to go visit this other friend in Pattaya tomorrow. Still debating that one. It should be a fun weekend either way.
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