A hazy few days in Bangkok, my alcohol tolerance is back up to a normal standard with doctor's advice of a strict two beers at lunch time. This place is wonderful, I mean it's not but after 3 months away from the 21st century, hygiene and general good old fashioned fun its a wonderful holiday... And how long is it going to last? :)
I just had a cheap bowl of soup and seafood noodles and got chatting to this bloke, Sean, from Australia who just got a teaching job outside of Bangkok, no qualifications, $1000/month, free studio apartment and free training... hmmm, this is a new development and is seriously having me doubt the idea of going to study for the full TEFL qualification now. I need to work out a lot of things and if I want to do the 4 week extensive qualification I need to be in Chaing Mai by Saturday or Sunday bearing £900. You see the thing is is that I don't have £900, I never really had £900, I was just hoping things would work out - which to be fair they probably would. Loans could be paid back, but at what cost? Why put yourself in debt when you can potentially get a job without that little bit of paper costing you nearly a grand, a grand that will come out of more paychecks than you actually have time for out here? I have accepted my place for Oxford Brookes so I have to be back by August to start early September, that will give me only 2 months of teaching after the month course... Paying back £450/month will leave me with too little to live on, well at least to live well on and working one wants to let off steam etc... of course, you'd go mad if everyday you just went back to your apartment alone and ate instant noodle soup whilst watching TV that you can't understand, my students would become my only friends and that's just weird, that's probably how pedophiles are made.
And that's another thing, I will be at university next year getting a degree and by the looks of things most countries in Asia care more about the degree thing than the actual TEFL thing. Ross, the comedian I met in Kathmandu was teaching in Soel, no TEFL only a degree in Sound Engineering, so it doesn't matter what you have... just a spark for teaching which I think I have, well at least I take huge enjoyment out of it... I might just call up Sean and see if he can get me the interview he offered to get me half and hour ago. I didn't refuse I just said I'll call him... the phrases 'they're screaming out for English teachers in the start of the new year' and '30,000 baht a month' really made an impression on me... also the jobs are all over, bangkok, down south, chaing mai, who knows what beautiful place I'll end up - and I could do it for 3 months instead of two... less disappointing for my employer when I leave (although there is no mention of time in the contract) and thats a net pay of over £3000 above rent! I'll have money to go home with, what a nice change that will be.
I mean there are disadvantages, I will go home without a qualification, a qualification that was a goal to achieve out here, but I am going back to get another bit of flimsy paper, and heck I can even do the same thing back home to be safe, it will just be a little less exotic. I think I seemed to have made up my mind haven't I? I love blogging, it gives you the impression that someone is listening even though they may not be... depressives all over the world, get off the £200/hour couch and set up a blogspot account, it'll save you a lot of money and silent, ambiguous head nods.
So looks like my leave from Bangkok will be procrastinated a tad, I was planning on going up to Ayutthaya before getting the train up to Chaing Mai the next day for a day of floating noodle shops and Templetastic scenery... ah well, there's always next week :)
Shit i never remember to talk about the title, well today I had a 10 baht coin rejected by my guesthouse because it had the markings of a coin that had been placed in somebody's mouth before they were cremated... kinda weird, but also a little cool in a culturey kinda way... but it does mean that somewhere in this country a cheap bastard is picking through the sacred ashes searching for 20p, there's always one isn't there :)
Quick shout to Amelia and Nini, was so lovely to see your faces and hear your voices again, anyone who wants to skype im at leo-fabbri. Peace and Love
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