Mocktails all round

Disaster has struck. Despite feeling like we had hit the jackpot with our accommodation in the fact it had a shower unlike many other ETAs from the sounds of it, today the water has stopped working. We were told in broken English that the water tank has broken and it's going to be fixed but this could take up to a week.

My 1st year hospitality EPs

As well as this, we had been naive to not fill up the massive bucket in our toilet (thai toilets often don't come with flushes so you have to pour water from a large bucket next to them.) so we have enough waters worth to flush the toilet for one day and that is it! It appears we're going to have to wash using bottled water in a bucket which is SUCH a waste considering we had to bike 3km in the baking heat with heavy water bottles in our baskets...

Mr Smith and the "lady boys" who were so so lovely

Yesterday was an amazingly beautiful day. The weather certainly does not disappoint despite it being the rainy season. Wednesday is also the day that everyone who was a scout in the college would come dressed in their scout uniform and would take part in a parade and do some other scout activities and so, as me and Flo had no scheduled lessons for the afternoon, we decided to go and watch their parade instead of swelter in the tiny English office we were assigned any longer. In the end we saw little of the scouts but did get talking to a teacher nicknamed Mr Smith and his non English programme hospitality kids who were lovely. As it's a vocational college all of the students study subjects like hospitality to then go into the tourism industry, or mechanics ect. Hospitality is a very female dominated course here and there were only two guys in the whole class who were, in the nicest way

Nai Yang beach is not too shabby

possible, extremely camp. Even in Thai. However, their teacher Mr Smith kept pointing to them and shouting "Lady boys lady boys" to us to get us to understand and I felt so bad for these poor guys! However, it does seem like quite a brutally honest culture here and no one really seems to mind. Another teacher who was talking to us (whose name I have no idea) is slightly on the overweight side and didnt seem to mind being called "fatty" by the students/teachers.

After school we decided that enough was enough and we had to go and sort out transport so we could have some independence while we're out here and FINALLY got a lift down to the beach! We managed to hire bikes for a month which were cheaper and probably a lot better idea than hiring a motorbike so now we can get to the shops on our own-

#nofilter

and even better the beach! Nai Yang beach is 3km from the school (around a 20 minute bike ride if you're as unfit as I am) and is very very much worth it. It's so stunning and as it's low season the beach was virtually empty of tourists. I have fallen in love! Cycling in the 30 degree heat up a steep hill till you're sweaty and hating life is a small sacrifice to be as close to that beach as I am. That night Smith also took us for pancakes at this restaurant at the side of the road which were the nicest pancakes I've had in a long time. It's nice that the teachers are starting to take us out and look after us. They have all been very welcoming but in the evenings tend to keep themselves to themselves. Smith offered to drive us to Phuket town on Saturday which should be good!

Today was fun! My class of teaching went well and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. So much so that the game of hangman I shoved in at the end to fill up a 10 minute gap lasted 45 minutes before they wanted to

Making mocktails

stop. I really like the classes I'm teaching here. The kids are all so sweet and are starting to come out of their shell in the past few days. Some of them are so cheeky- one asked me if me and my boyfriend were going to have a baby! Either I need to lose weight or she was just curious...

In the afternoon, the hospitality 2nd years made mocktails for practice. It was so great and bless them they let us try each and every one they had made themselves before they would have any. I couldn't believe my look (also a pink mojito is the bomb. Crush some mint leaves, lime, add pink guava juice, sprite and ice and you're golden!). I can't believe I've managed almost a full first week as a teacher it's so crazy.

Super proud of my effort- pink mojito