The Hungarian Padthai

 1) Wildlife:  The other day, I went to the market place and this water monitor was just casually swimming in the channel near the river (or should I say brook?) located close to the market place. I'm already good friends with water monitors so I did not care - also this one was a smaller example of them, look:  This message however, on School's chat was more terrifying:  2) Public transportation Public transportation as such is non-existent nor in Saraburi, but I tend to believe that it goes for the entire country as well. Also, take that into account or consideration that I count as illiterate here, since I do not know the signs and letters, so even if I wanted to, couldn't figure out the train timetable. Add to that the ton of misinformation and misdirection that is usual in Thailand (but honestly in any other countries in Asia). So mostly, I rely on my friends when it comes to travel. However, the Ministry of Traffic is trying to implement new rules and regulatio...

                                                                           Only smiling with our eyes :-)   I desperately need friends.I know, a lot of things are against me: COVID, pandemic, language barrier and such. So I was encouraged by several people to register on a "dating app" which could be used as just getting to know people, too. So you see, I'm trying.... I would like to have some friends out of school because most of my colleagues have families and children. With some colleagues I can only talk about school and that's off the table for me again. With some others, it's impossible to meet up during the weekend because they have their own families and obviously, they won't prioritize me. Also, I don't really want to get too attached with them. I...

Note the date: 2563. Now, if I'm very afraid, I may turn up in 543 years instead - sure, I wouldn't feel any pain by then :-D    There is no week in Thailand that I don't use my medical card or test their medical services - with which I am satisfied so far.  So remember, the first week, I discovered something in my lymphs - which was harmless, luckily, so I had to go to the hospital. The following week, I went to a blood test - my thyroid results came out perfect so I could eventually stop the medicine for a while. :-) Then again, school sent me for another blood test, which was needed for my work permit - good results as it could be predicted.  Then on Thai days, we prepared a dessert, called Chuk Lup (or Chup Luk? can't remember anymore), which contained a lot of artificial coloring, so I got a skin rash (it was Loy Krathong and I was itchy all my body along!), then I had a nightmare. I dreamt I spent a whole day at the dentist's so I took it as a sign and walked ...

All is well that ends well - writes Shakespeare - and once again, (always?), he's right! My day started with the amount of frustration or even anger (towards myself, that I'm so lazy I don't even speak Thai yet.... etc.) and the feeling that I can't understand people and can't make myself understood. Anyway, the end of my day made up for the rough start! :-) Well, let's start at the beginning, then.  Since all my friends cancelled on me today and I thought the day should not be wasted, I thought I need to do something. I thought of a day trip to Ayutthaya which is not far from Saraburi and would be interesting to check out since this was the ancient capital of Thailand (Siam). My one and only Thai friend (who speaks really good English by the way!), didn't give me the correct information about the trains  - which is okay and it happens sometimes. So then I was off to take the bus. The bus - I wouldn't have thought - took about 2 hours to arrive!!! All th...

 This is my first year of teaching literature, I must confess. It's interesting and exciting, especially, because the major analysis of the literary works I'm teaching, we discover with my students. Of course, I do a lot of research and I also analyze the dramas and novels we are reading, but then my students have bright ideas too and I feel that they are also valid, so I incorporate them, as well. It's exciting!  What's more, I feel inspired and creative. So here are two tips (mostly for myself for the future). I just jot it down that I don't forget these ideas that were sparked in me these weeks and possibly, hopefully, I can use them again for different writers / novels/ works.  1.) Teaching about Edgar Allan Poe, I had the idea of creating an escape room for my students. They had to find the keys with which they opened the lockers where - instead of escaping - a bag of candy was waiting for them. First of all, students received this letter:  Dear Class, welcom...

- 1-  Once upon a time, there was a little boy, who only knew his own world. He lived in Thailand and all he ate was rice. He was happy like that, but once, he had the opportunity to travel around and visit other cultures, as well when he tried something else. He knew, it was temptation, he still tried the new bakery in the other country, and he tried cheesecake there.  From then on, all he wanted to eat was cheesecake, so even when he was going back to his little village and his home, and was greeted with rice by his Mom, he could not eat it anymore with as much taste and love as he used to.  Moral of the story: you can try something out and be tempted forever after that, but be aware that the things you got used to before won't be the same afterwards.  - 2 -  Once upon a time, there was a mermaid. She used to live in the sea and eat oysters. She loved oysters, in fact. However, she really wanted to have THE oyster - as it was told to her once she was a child. ...