Thailand Letter
Dearest Family, Saturday October 31, 1998 6:45
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! I will miss being in Orem to greet all my little neighbor friends as they come to "trick or treat" - I have LOVED that because they make such an effort to dress so cute. I WOULD LOVE EVEN MORE TO SEE JOHN AND JULIANNA DRESSED AS SNOW WHITE AND A DWARF!!! I bought a little "green" squash and put some paper eyes, nose and mouth on it so we could teach a Halloween song for my Friday students last night - I don't believe they appreciated it - Ha!!!
BOB AND CLAIRE - Thank you so much for your letters. I'm proud of Laura's induction into the National Honor Society. I'm also proud that Bob can cut the boys' hair!!! I laughed when I read that Brett needed some leaves for his science project - I know John would be happy to give him some that have landed on their yard. I didn't know they had the "Job Corps" in Utah - I remember so well when they had the "CCC" (I think that was what they were called) young men in Brigham City and I was forbidden to go any further West than main street because they were located in that area. That is sad when I think back on it because it did a lot of good for many young men I'm sure. I'm glad you could help the young man with an abscessed lip.
JOHN - I have loved your little messages. I feel bad that I can't help you with those electrical problems (fuse box, etc.) in the house - that is the hard part of home ownership!!! I always felt like the electrical system downstairs in your bedroom needed help but I didn't ever have problems upstairs. I want to hear about your Halloween!!! Julianna - are you tired of raking leaves???
Little Jesse will be four next Monday - is that right??? I am getting terrible - I can't remember my grandchildren's ages. The teachers in all these schools come up to me and say "What is my name?" - I tell them that I can't remember my own name half the time - Ha!!! They REALLY are sad when they find out I don't know their names and their names are a mile long. We have had such a good week. We have English Resource Center Boxes for a lot of the schools - it hasn't been easy but when they understand why they need them then we get a lot of cooperation. They are SO inefficient - it will take them two hours to get to a store to buy boxes and when they get there they will find they don't have them - in America we would make telephone calls and it would be SO easy. This is the Thai way though. We only have 34 more schools to get boxes and copies of the material made for them.
We had our monthly inservice meeting yesterday with the new teachers and many Thai important people - IT WAS WONDERFUL. About 8 months ago Virginia and I were introduced to an English Teaching Method that we loved. Virginia used it so I didn't but when I left her I got a copy of all the lessons - there are 42 of them. When I moved to Ruam Rudi I started teaching it for my adult classes and when Janet asked me to teach at Channel 9 I used it. WELL - Janet and Darlene didn't like them so I lost my confidence and didn't use them in the schools. It is SO interesting because with this new group of volunteers we have a new curriculum leader and they are using those lessons and building the entire next phase of our teaching around them. I have found this to be true in so many of the things I have been involved in so this has been a WONDERFUL experience for me. I am going to bring a copy of all this home so WHEN any of you are called to go into foreign countries to teach English I will be able to help you.
I have also learned that the very most important qualification a person can have in a situation like this is "confidence" - my new companion doesn't lack one bit in this area even though she has never even been to college. Her new companion will be a qualified teacher though. I feel very fortunate because I have been able to serve in three zones - IT HAS BEEN HARD - Virginia, Helen, Janet and Darlene didn't ever move from their one area.
Our sweet friend who was bitten by the monkey is having to have all kinds of vaccine shots - I believe 8 in all. The doctor told her that monkey bites from Lopburi are very dangerous.
WE will go to Lopburi about 2 o'clock this afternoon - our English class there doesn't start until 6 p.m. and the bus ride will take 3 hours. BOB AND JOHN - I want you to go to Lopburi. You will arrive here on a Saturday and I will be in Lopburi - would you POSSIBLY take a bus or train and go to Lopburi on Sunday morning? That will be the only time you could go there for church because you will not be there the following Sunday. I have heard there is a good "gem" place there but I don't know where it is or anything else about it - should I find out?
I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL. Grandma B