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[ESL Hobo]

Barcelona part 3

My normal weight is about 185 pounds, I was down to 145, about 40 pounds under weight. No matter how much I packed away from the free school lunch and kids snack times, it just wasnt enough to sustain my average body weight. A lot of interesting stories happened during the year but are of too much of a personal nature to share here. Anyway, by the end of the school year I realized I needed to move on, someplace where I could afford to eat. My second wife and I seperated, she eventually went back to the states and got her green card and is a successful doctor there. I went to southern Thailand, where on a small salary, I could afford to eat tons of delicious Thai food, by the end of the summer I had gained back 30 pounds!

But that's when the pipe bombs starting started becoming more frequent and closer to home. So I packed up and moved to Taiwan with a suitcase and 4 dollars in my pocket.

[ESL Hobo]

Before I move on to my Taiwan stories I should tell a couple from Pattani, southern Thailand, where I worked for the summer at The Prince of Sonkhla University and the College of Islamic Studies. Entitled:

Wanawadi Angel of Pattani

I had only been there a few days when I met her. I was 42 and she was 22. She asked me if I wanted her to help- me order food in a restaurant, I suppose my gaunt looks might have made her think I wasnt very good at that yet, hah.
I agreed and offered to buy her dinner but she refused. After dinner I thanked her and said I had to get back to the dorm.Then she wanted to take me for shaved ice, so I agreed only if she let me pay for one for her. After we finished I again said good night, but she refused to leave me alone and asked if she could come back to my dorm with me. I said,ok. We sat in my tiny dorm room and talked until past 12, then i asked if she wanted me to walk her to her dorm, she said no, she wanted to stay the night. I pointed out there was only one single bed in the room she said thats ok she would sleep on the chair, so we put 2 chairs together and she made herself comfortable and watched me as I slept the night and snuck out in the morning without being noticed.

When I look back on that night I realize how pitiful I must have appeared, I was so severely depressed, and she sensed it and guarded me through one of the toughest moments of my life.
The next day teaching the wonderful Thai students cheered me considerably and I was on the road to recovery.

Next: Wanawadi Angel of Pattani, part deux

[khmerhit]

the first class i taught was in a sink skool phnom penh

i think they called it a 'demo'

i had a big bandage on my foot and it was bleeding
( i had tried to jump over a bonfire on a beach in thailand)

all the kids and the dos laffed cruelly at the fat bleeding newbie

thats life but it got better

it turned out the skool couldnt afford western teachers anyway














C A M B O D I A

try it and see

[ESL Hobo]

I sure would like to hear more stories about Cambodia.

I crossed the border into Cambodia for about 30 minutes to get my visa for Thailand. The kids were great, they gathered around to ask for money. I had already given all the change I had so I started singing Old MacDonald and happy birthday, they all laughed and cheered and sang along until our bus pulled out.

Going into the huge passenger bus was a sign that read,

"ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED ON THE BUS"

I guess the driver couldn't read English because he was plastered all the way there and back to Bangkok.

[ESL Hobo]

Wanawadi: Angel of Pattani part 2,

Our relationship had developed during the summer and we were spending a lot of time together. It made me feel young and vibrant to be with her, even though her favorite hobby was taking naps. My favorite thing to do was to take little day trips or weekenders and of course devouring Thai food.

It was a storybook romance, we even stole a furtive kiss on a tiny Ferris wheel that came to campus with the school fair. It was as if I were living in a dream. A perfect dream where everything goes right and everything is wonderful and then you keep telling yourself, this has got to be a dream, and pinch yourself.

The students were wonderful as well. They were fairly attentive and respectful, also highly creative with their projects and I took an active part in their lives outside of class by playing basketball with them in the evenings and taking part in the school talent show with them. Again it was all like living in a fairytale.
Then, one weekend, Wanawadi asked me if I would like to visit her mothers hair salon in Hat-Yai. Sure, I said.....

to be continued...

[ESL Hobo]

Wanawadi part 3

So we set out in the late afternoon on a friday by bus. We arrived and got a hotel room, I thought she would be staying with her mother, but she said it was getting late and she we could see her mother in the morning. Wanawadi was not the wild party type so we went out to dinner then retired early. I had never stayed in a hotel that was less than 1 star, hhahahaha. The room was dingy, with cracked walls, paint peeling off, rusty bathroom fixtures at least 40 years old, a hard single bed mattress and an AC that blew warm air. Yet I couldn't have been happier.

The next morning we went to a magnificent park, there were some people fishing who were busy baiting their hooks while assembling french fry and hamburger cartons for a nearby fast food restaurant with their wormy fingers, yuk! We hired a small boat and took a turn about the placid lake. It was a veritable garden of eden and very dreamy," row row row your boat gently down the stream, merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but a deam"

3 hours later we were having lunch with her mother. She was my age but looked at least 10 years older, her face was worn with care and she had massive scars where she had slit her wrists. Afterwards she dyed my hair black, and cut it free of charge, I looked totally ridiculous but I was happy anyway!

Then came the shocker. On the return bus trip Wanawadi asked me so sweetly,"Do you like my mother?" Yes, I replied. "Would you like to marry her?" Of course I was floored but I felt a warm glow of laughing at myself on the inside. Had Wanawadi befriended me all this time in order to lure me in to be a husband for her mother. Wanawadi began to explain about her mothers sad life story,,,that she wanted someone nice like me to love her mother,,,but if I didnt want to we could still go on with our relationship!!! The evening sun was streaming through rainbow painted clouds into the windows of the bus. It was a magical and mystical moment I will never forget, a baffling Koan, indeed.

Next: conclusion to Wanawadi: the angel of Pattani

[ESL Hobo]

Wanawadi conclusion:
Fifty clicks away from my dorm, a pipe bomb killed a native teacher. Things were beginning to heat up between the Budhist and the Muslims. But I went to my classes as scheduled even though threats had been made to bomb the university.

Then a week later another pipe bomb went off at a nearby hotel, which took out a phone booth, but no one was injured. Oddly enough, just outside my dorm was a pipe cutting shop and they were busy every day, I would always smile and wave to them on the way to class. Little did I know the surprise they had waiting for me...

Wanawadi was sweeter than ever, she never gave me a moment of trouble, never asked for money, always payed her own way when we went out together. She didn't mention anything about her mother anymore until one day I brought up the subject that perhaps I could marry them both, I was trying to be silly of course and she gave me a jab in the ribs along with a cute giggle.

My summer contract was coming to an end, a week away. The director had thought of a few changes in the new contract for the upcoming school year that I didn't like which included more hours and less pay. I was spending a lot of time thinking about what to do, where to go, how we could stay together. Then something happened that that helped to make up my mind for me. A pipe bomb exploded under my window, it didn't do much damage and I was on the second floor, but it sure put the fear of G_d into me. Wanawadi agreed that I should go to Taiwan but that she had to finish her last year of school, then we could be together.

That week I found a job in Taiwan through the internet and made arrangements to leave. Parting with Wanawadi was one of the saddest times in my life. And the sorrows lingers these 8 years gone past.
I arrived in Taipei with one suitcase, and 4 dollars. But I was safe and there was potential to earn much more money. My plan was to work one year then Wanawadi would be finished with her university studies and we could live up north together. But as plans often go amiss, mine were totally de-railed.

[JZer]

ESL Hobo, are you currently in Taiwan?

[JZer]

Berlin, Germany:

Sorry this is not an ESL story but my first time abroad in Germany as a student. I am from the country side. Then I studied at a small college in a small town since I was afraid of the life at a big university. Anyways after my junior year I decided to study abroad in Berlin, Germany.


Part 1:

Well the adventure began after my first day of German classes in Berlin. I knew which Strassenbahn(Streetcar) to take but forgot where I lived. I wondered around for hours trying to find my apartment. I didn't have a cell phone or any money to take a taxi back home. Somehow after wondering around Prinzlauerberg in Berlin for several hours I managed to make it back home. The fun was just beginning.

[ESL Hobo]

Waiting for part swei

[JZer]

Berlin Part II

German roomate. My study abroad program placed me in an apartment with a German woman around 30. I was 21 at the time. As it turned out her arm pit hair was longer than mine. I am a guy. I could tell more but I don't think it would be allowed on Dave's!

Anyways she used to walk around the house in her tanktop every day with her armpit hair hanging out.

[ESL Hobo]

Latest Story from Taiwan

I recently jumped through more hoops than a circus clown to land a part time gig at a local university. But I didnt pass the 3 month probabationary period because of the student evaluations, given on the third week of class.

The students graded themselves (introspectively) with a grade of 90%.

They graded the Textbook and gave it 80%.

They graded their teacher (me) at 69 %.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous about teaching during the first two weeks as I havent taught at the uni level in almost 10 years, so I spent at least an hour preparing for each class.

My coordinator said it wasnt my fault but the reason for not asking me to return was that they werent sure of fall enrollment.

I think the main problem was that they have very good teachers at this school and the teacher they had before had just finished her Masters and had had one years experince in that particular school. She is very sharp and knows all the ropes, so then I show up as their next teacher, (someone who needed a chance at getting started again) but I guess there was too much of a contrast between me and their last teacher and perhaps that shocked the students into giving me an average grade.

I really have enjoyed my time with the students and my co workers. We have one more week until the term is completed and I plan to show up and do my best. I have learned a lot and am better off from the experience.

[ESL Hobo]

Oops,,,mispelled,,,probationary.
I sure would like to hear some stories from other teflers.

[khmerhit]

Darf ich fragen, Hobo, sind Sie Deutscher oder...? Ich kenne Berlinnicht aber vielleicht ein Tag ... hier in Kanada est in ein biscehn langsam. Was denken Sie?


















K A M B O D J A


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[ESL Hobo]

hi khmerhit,
i put your german through the translator and it came out pretty garbled.
Not sure I understand what you want to say. Still I am happy someone else is writing on the thread