Hello January from Bangkok Thailand (SEA-TEACHER DIARY)

January Memories In Thailand

I will share my experience during the one-month SEA-Teacher program. I am one of the SEA-Teacher program participants organized by SEAMEO. I joined this program when it was the Batch Fifth. This program starts on January 22, 2018 and ends on February 18, 2018.
I am a third year student of Mulawarman University Samarinda, Indonesia. My destination university in Thailand is Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (SSRU) located in Bangkok city. I will share my experiences during this program about the experience of being a student on campus, the experience of being a teacher at school, and the experience of traveling around Bangkok with friends from Thailand and Philippines.

Day 1 (Sunday, January 21^st 2018)

This is the first time, I go to another country. I arrived in Bangkok at 17.00 but I must come to immigration check-up before I can take my baggage until 17.30. At gate 5 student from SSRU, Chu and Tawan have to wait for me for picking up me and Tyas to Hotel with a van of SSRU.

When I and Tyas on the way to the hotel, Chu, and Tawan introduce my roommate. He is named Areechai Manee (Yodd). After that, I and Tyas arrived at Trang Bangkok Hotel at 18.30. In night Chu and Tawan invite me and Tyas to buy a dinner at Seven Eleven shop, because at here to hard bought a halal food. After that, Pi' Yodd has come. He is a fourth year student in Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University and his major is Science Education. He is older than me, he is now 23 years old. He is very kind, although he is not very fluent in English, he always tries to learn English. He invites me to play Uno in the room of us with his friends and with friends from Philipines until 23.00.

Day 2 (Monday, January 22^nd 2018)

Today is the first day I go to Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Location of SSRU not far away from Trang Hotel, maybe just around 10-15 minute. SSRU is a very large university, SSRU has kindergarten, elementary school, middle-high school, library, canteen, hotel, cafe, Seven Eleven shop, and much more including laboratory (for more information visit the website of SSRU, ssru.ac.th/en/home).

When I arrived the campus, I with all participant of SEA-TEACHER Batch 5th was invited to the meeting room for opening ceremony with Dean of Faculty of Education SSRU and several teachers of SSRU. And I was given a schedule and topic which I will be teaching at the middle-high school. I will take a course in Physics Lecture with Pi 'Yodd every Monday at 9:00 AM. Then for the school, I got M. 2/5 on Monday at 11.50 AM and M. 2/3 on Monday at 13.30 and Tuesday at 14.20. Topic that I teach about Earth Science.

After the opening ceremony, we all go around the campus to see the condition of class from kindergarten class until campus class. All class in here very good than my campus, because all class has air conditioner so as all student can enjoy and focus when studying in the class.

In the afternoon, during lunch at the campus restaurant, I met my buddy while in Thailand, his name was Teeradet Weerathongprasert, he was called name. He was only 1 year younger than me and he was a second year student. Name seems to come from the rich because he every year he always vacation abroad and last year he went to Indonesia that is in Bali so much he told me about Bali. And the words that are remembered while in Bali is "Ayam Goreng"

The lunch menu is Tom Yum, Cap Cay and Thai Fried Chicken

  

After the campus, we went to the zoo with all buddies. There are a lot of animals and everything is in well-kept condition. The price for the entrance fee is 50 Baht for each person and can be as much to get around there.

  

In the evening, I with Pi' Yodd go sport to the Rama 8 Park. The place is not far from the hotel (about 15-20 minutes) by foot. Then when we got there we went jogging around the park from 18:00 until 19:00. After finishing jogging, we did aerobic exercise in the park. Soon we exercise then Jherelyn, Lyzel and Dream come for exercise as well.

After exercise, we eat Papaya Salad in the Rama 8 Park along Jherelyn, Lyzel, Pi' Dream, Pi' Yodd and friends Pi' Yodd.

Day 3 (Tuesday, January 23^rd 2018)

Today is the first day I have to do class observation in school. The class I observed was M.2 / 3 class at the SSRU Demonstration school. I started observing at 14:20 so that in the morning I went to Yodd class to study physics lecture about electricity with Dr. Sumalee Tientongdee. Dr. Sumalee Tientongdee is a physics lecturer at SSRU, she earned her doctorate in another country (not in Thailand). Therefore she is very fluent in English. but while teaching she still uses Thailand language so I only understand her lesson from the presentation she made. Sometimes Pi 'Yodd helps me translate what Dr. Sumalee says. The topic taught today is about the resistor, on my campus, I've learned about this topic. But no problem, because by studying this same topic makes me more understanding of this topic. Before teaching, Dr. Sumalee always gives a pre-test on topics taught to students for about 5-10 minutes, then after that, she taught about 1 hour and after that group activities to answer the questions given by her. At this time I was a group with Pi 'Yodd, Pi' Dream, Pi 'Phon, Pi' Korn, and Pi 'Eve. (Pi' is the name of someone more senior than us in Thailand)

After the physics lecture class was over, I had lunch in the cafeteria with Pi 'Yodd and his friends and then I started to observe in the classroom M.2/3, I was accompanied by Name to translate the language that the teacher taught to his students, because the teachers there use Thai language while teaching. Before the teacher taught the material, I was welcome to introduce myself in front of the students.

The topic taught by the teacher today is about the type of rocks. And the teacher who taught was Pi’ Jub, an SSRU student who was apprenticing, so at the time of Pi’ Jub teaching seemed to be a lot of students who did not really listen to what Pi’ Jub is taught. Most of the students were just busy talking to each other and disrespecting the teacher in front of the teaching class, so that a few minutes before the class finished Teacher Pat seemed to be angry with all the students (even though I did not understand what she was talking about), and Name said all the students given the assignment of lessons taught and gathered tomorrow morning.

Teacher Pat is a beautiful teacher in Demonstration School of SSRU. Although her face looks fierce, actually she is very kind. Teacher Pat is a science graduate not a science education graduate, but she is one of the best teachers at the Demonstration School SSRU.

In the evenings I was invited by Pi’ Yodd to go back to the sport at Rama 8 Park like yesterday, but at the moment Lyzel also goes for aerobic exercise and jogging. After that, we went to eat chicken near the park and it cost 35 Baht and to drink the mineral water here for free.

Day 4 (Wednesday, January 24^th 2018)

Today still lives in Bangkok's Trang Hotel, and on this day my roommate from Thailand, Pi’ Yodd wore his scout uniform because in the afternoon he had scout activities. Arriving on campus, Pi 'Yodd invites us to see him with his friends to practice for scout activities at the campus park. In this campus park there is a bunker used by Thai citizens to take refuge from the world war.

Because the weather was so hot we moved to the library, but Yodd stayed with his friends for the Scout training. Then arrived there was a library in the SSRU is very large, has 3 floors with theater on the 3rd floor. All registered students can watch movies at this theater

In the afternoon I went with Name into the class that is Teaching management class. While in class suddenly the name teacher asked me to explain how education is in Indonesia, and I'm very nervous because I do not know much about education in Indonesia. But I keep going to the front of the class to explain briefly about education in Indonesia. Although my English is not good at least I've tried hehe.

Day 5 (Thusday, January 25^th 2018)

Thursday, if in Indonesia Thursday is the day of batik. But different here, here no one uses batik at all, hahaha ... so that when I go to campus, I have seen many people because my clothes are very different from the others. But do not worry, maybe they want my batik 5555...

Earlier in the morning, we all had to move our luggage and clothes to move to the dorm. Goodbye Trang Hotel.

On this day I did not have a lecture or observation so I went to the name class at that time there was a Physics class. And when Dr. Sumalee's entry turned out to be a topic in the Name class just like in Pi' Yodd's class Dr.Sumalee told me not to tell anyone about the subject or topic being taught. In this class I'm like being an assistant to Dr. Sumalee because I told Dr.Sumalee to share their tests and collect their tests.

After the class finished I was invited Name to go to the mall near the Victory Monument for lunch, there is a delicious and not so expensive Mie Tom Yum only 14 Baht for a small bowl. After that, we went to another place for tea, milk or coffee. Because I was thirsty, I bought a milk with Butterfly Pea flavor, the milk was blue and tasted like soy milk. Once full and around the mall we go back to the campus. During the trip from campus to Victory Monument, we use the bus and it costs 15 baht.
Distance from there to campus about 15-25 minutes.

   

Before returning to the faculty, we went to 7/11 to buy snacks and drinks, and while there I noticed the beans with a wasabi taste. I bought it and tried it and it feels strange and it is spicy so, then Name say like eating ants, because he never ate ants accidentally when the electricity at his house is being extinguished haha ....

In the night, I went to the Ratchada night market with Name, PI' Yodd, Lyzel, Jherelyn, Grace and Julie by bus. The Ratchada night market is a huge night market, there is a place that sells clothes, accessories, pants, food, drinks and more. The Ratchada night market is a recommended place for shopping in Thailand.

Day 6 (Friday, January 26^th 2018)

Friday, it's time to learn about Thai culture. This morning we have to walk from Dormitory to campus about 15-20 minutes. Arriving there we learned to make a typical Thai dessert and who became a teacher this time that is Yodd with his friends. The ingredients to make the dessert is quite easy that is water, pumpkin, rice flour, pandan, purple sweet potato, white yam, sugar, coconut milk and a special blue butterfly flower. Then for the tool to use bowls, pans, spoons, stoves, and knives. How to make it is crushed pumpkin, purple sweet potatoes, and white yams until soft, then mixed each ingredient with rice flour. Pumpkin for yellow, purple yam for purple, white yam for white. Then for the blue color, we use water from the butterfly flowers are mixed into the rice flour. After that, we make the dough is a small ball-shaped like marbles, then in boiled until the dough was floating and afterward mixed with coconut milk. The taste of this dessert is very sweet and tasty

    

In the afternoon I went to Wang Lang using Tuk Tuk (Traditional transportation in Thailand) and then crossed by Boat (due to Wang Lang closer by boat). There I was with Name, Fang (Name’s girlfriend), Grace, and Four (Grace’s Buddy). There we eat Sushi and Takoyaki and not so expensive, for takoyaki 120 baths can be 20 pieces, and sushi 5-7 baht per unit.

At night we went to Jatuchak Night Market, there same as Ratchada, but here cheaper than there, haha, so I bought the goods there. I bought a souvenir of 100 baht tissues and a nail-shaped keychain costing 120 baht for 6 pieces. Then we had dinner at Jatuchak and this time I ordered Tom Yum Sea Food for 50 Baht. The taste is very good.

Day 7 (Saturday, January 27^th 2018)

Weekend...

Today I, Lyzel, Jherelyn, Name, and Fang go to Planetarium. The distance from the dorm to the planetarium is about 30 minutes. At a cost of 30 Baht can see shows about galaxies and 30 Baht to get around the planetarium, it's relatively cheap. First, we go to see a show about the galaxy in a room using a projector like the one in Tenggarong, Indonesia. Throughout the show, I can only watch without knowing what it means because the show is in Thai, haha. Then after the show finished we went to the planetarium, the Planetarium there are 3 different buildings. The first building for scientific knowledge, the second building on the sea world, and the third building on environmental education.

After that, we went to eat ice cream in the central world. Strawberry with Honey Bingsu for 380 baht for 5 people. Bingsu is a dessert from Thailand. It tastes like ice cream, but it's more delicious, อร่อย.

Day 8 (Sunday, January 28^th 2018)

Today, all participants of the student exchange program and some students go to Ayuthaya province. Distance from campus to Ayuthaya province about 2 hours. There we do social activities to clean up the school, repaint, and make learning media like mading. This time we all can the task to create learning media. For materials and tools have been prepared from the campus, so we just make and put it around the school. This activity starts from 7:00 AM to about 2:00 PM

Day 9 (Monday, January 29^th 2018)

This morning I, Jherelyn, and Lyzel joined Pi 'Yodd to Biology class. This time Pi 'Yodd's class did practicum about protein content in several samples (milk, yogurt, soya, etc.). I think Pi 'Yodd very proficient in biology because during the practicum lasts he looks like a teaching assistant who helps his friends to complete the practicum. While waiting for the class to finish, Jherelyn made me a very beautiful handwriting in my notebook. She is great at writing and speaking English.

then in the afternoon, I have an observation class on M. 2/5 and M. 2/3 where these two classes will be my class next week for a teaching exam. M.2/3 is among the best classes in SSRU.

Then at night me, Lyzel, Jherelyn, Name, and Fang go to Tang Tao to eat ice cream and eat the bread there. The price of food and bread here is not as expensive as yesterday, only about 50 baht for bingsu and 20 baht for its bread. This time we ordered milo bingsu, pandan bread and chocolate bread.

 
Day 10 (Tuesday, January 30^th 2018)

Today I am observing again in class M.2 / 3. Today's topics are about minerals. At the end of the lesson, Pi 'Jub invites me to tell me what materials students should prepare for next week when I teach in this class.

Day 11 (Wednesday, January 31^st 2018)

The last night in January I spent with Jherelyn, Lyzel, Name, and Pi 'Yodd. We went to China Town. It is not far from our hostel only about 15 minutes by taxi. This place is called China Town because the majority here is Chinese. China Town is also a very crowded market, selling a lot of Chinese goods and Chinese food at affordable prices. The night scene in China Town is very nice, because in every building decorated by lamps which when lighted very beautiful.

Continued in February ...