Chaing Mai Thailand 28th. April to 3 June 2014

We had not expected to be back teaching again this early in the year but there seemed a need.

Our Hotel $200/month + electricity

We have come to Thailand, the city of Chiang Mai, to help for 5 weeks in an English school.  The school is mainly for Chine** Chr#sti**s.  There are about 33 of them.  All are young, energetic and enthusiastic.


INTERESTING
We are starting to find out more about life in China.  The group is quite complex as they come from many parts of China.  One thing they have in common is their faith.  Another is their way of saying "Grace" before meals.  They thank God for the cooks and food and people who help.  They then say something like, " Please clean our food." 
We found that in China there is so often the danger that food is contaminated that they ask for special protection!

CULTURAL
Thailand is very open, friendly and the food is interesting.
During the week we eat with the students but on weekends we are free to wander around,
Actually Monday to Friday we eat breakfast at a little cafe behind the hotel we are in.  Of course we don't speak or read Thai so just started at the top of the menu and worked through it.  Now we have a translation and have our favourites.  Aileen was horrified to find that one of the things we had eaten in our ignorance was pig's stomach.  We pay about $1 AUD for breakfast and get all the tea we can drink.

For about $3.00 the fish will clean the dead skin on your feet.

US
We are well and the hotel is fine.  It's clean and the staff are friendly.  Our bathroom is tiny but modern although the tiler who did the floor needed a spirit level.  By the time you finish in the shower you are paddling in a couple of centimetres of water!
We have been to a small Thai church nearby (10 minutes walk).  They serve a delicious lunch. The markets here are enormous.  We've visited them several times and walked around for hours without covering them all.  Last Saturday the teachers went on a one day bus trip. It was very cheap and different as we rode on an elephant, had an ox cart ride and went on a raft down a river.

The BEST thing is the students.  It's so stressful for them to be in an English only environment, but they are always cheerful and positive.

We would appreciate your prayers for our teaching and involvement.

The priviledge, pleasure and opportunity to be a small part of teaching these people is fantastic.  We are so fortunate and blessed.


Breakfast is just behind the hotel
                                                         - alfresco style!

We are home in a few weeks so see you then.

Peace and Grace

Robin and Aileen