One Week To Go!

And so the countdown begins...

Considering there is only one week to go until my trip, I feel relatively organised and I am really starting to get excited! I have been doing a lot of research on the country and I know where I would like to visit and what I want to see when I am out there!

I have also started to learn the basics of the Thai language, thanks to YouTube and many iPhone apps, but knowing how to say 'how are you' and 'don't worry' is only going to get me so far! So I think I need to make a bit more progress on the language front.

The only thing left to sort out is obtaining my DBS certificate and buying my insurance. With regards to insurance, there are so many different companies and types of cover that finding a suitable one is a lot of effort, but it is my aim to do that today :)

I have made a two A4 long page checklist of everything that I need to take with me and I am slightly concerned that it's not all going to fit in my 23kg allowance but I am a self-confessed over packer; maybe I need someone to help me cut down on all my junk....maybe I don't need six nail varnishes...

Getting my visa from the Thai embassy in London on Tuesday made it all seem very real, but at the moment I feel organised and prepared so that can only be a good thing. I reckon I'm going to spend the next week seeing friends and family and making the most of good old English food before it is all unobtainable!

Lastly, I am really looking forward to teaching children. Having learnt more about what is required of us and our duties, I realise that it is going to be a huge challenge but an amazing one at that. What we will learn and the experiences we will have are going to be hugely invaluable and a fantastic learning curve which will undoubtedly benefit us ETA's in the future.

Countdown: 6 days to go

 

Post Pre-departure Meeting

So I went to the pre-departure meeting on Thursday and it left me feeling..

1. Excited - Being told more about what we are going to be doing in Thailand as an ETA was great. It was interesting to hear from previous ETA's and their experiences and reassurance that we will, in fact, arrive back in one piece! Something else that made me feel this way was learning about how we will spend our weekends. Every weekend is spent travelling around Thailand, seeing all the different sights, like the palaces, temples and islands. Having travelled to Thailand, I saw a fair few tourist attractions however I think it will be great to have 2 months in order to see much more of the beautiful country.
2. Overwhelmed - We were given a huge amount of information; facts about Thai culture, what our role entails as an ETA, what not to do whilst you're there, information from the British Embassy and the Foreign Office and we heard about an ETA's previous experience. 
3. Proud - Being at the meeting made me feel extremely proud to be part of the 'Teaching English in Thailand' scheme. Only 220 students in the UK were selected to teach English to Thai school children out of thousands, thus I realised what a great opportunity I have been given.
4. Motivated - Lastly, the meeting left me feeling motivated. Motivated to start learning Thai, motivated to get organised for my trip and motivated to make sure that I have a great experience and that I truly make the most of it.

Countdown: 18 days to go 

 

'Welcome to the Thailand English Teaching Project 2013'

Those were the words that evoked a whole load of emotions when I saw them in an email from the British Council. It was a mixture of satisfaction as my application was successful, along with nerves and anxiety regarding travelling to a foreign country alone and staying there for two months.

 

So this is my first post. I figured that I would set this blog up seeing as previous ETA's had done in the past and it seems like a great way to keep in contact with family and friends back home, as well as providing my with a virtual diary of my time in Thailand as a teaching assistant.

 

I am travelling to Thailand with the British Council, through a scheme provided by my university, to teach English to school children but also to travel around the gorgeous country and meet lots of new people. 

 

So far, I have filled out the standard travel/visa admin and have sorted out the long list of vaccinations that I need to get in order to stay healthy when I'm out there! I just need to book my flights to Bangkok, which is the exciting part.

 

The plan is to fill this blog with photos and details of how I am spending my time in Thailand, so fingers crossed, it should be interesting to read!

 

At this point in time, I am both excited and anxious, but hopefully once I have sorted flights and been to the induction meeting next week, I will feel ready to embark on my Thai adventure :)