Time flies when you are crazily busy

I just looked at my last post and realized that it has almost been a month since I have written about my arrival in Thailand.  It also means that I have been in Thailand officially a month, as I arrived on July 31st. I honestly don't know where the time has gone, as it feels like I just arrived a week ago.  Yet somehow, I have survived my first three weeks back at school, managed to make it to my first payday, flown out to KL to sort out a visa issue with the boys, and worked my behind off to keep up with the requirements of teaching and being the IB Coordinator.

Wow, just writing that last sentence I feel exhausted.  However, I realize that my exhaustion has mostly been due to working until 5:30 most evenings this week due to necessary meetings, and then coming home, preparing dinner, and then getting back to work until I almost fall asleep at the computer.  I am enjoying the work, and finding that I am managing, but I just need to get myself sorted out for some necessary exercise and me time to balance life a bit more.  I have to find a yoga teacher with whom I feel comfortable, and I have to begin swimming again.  If I wanted I could also add a variety of other activities to my pursuits - bike riding, walking, tennis, squash, golf, and even going to the gym that is a few minutes down the path.  Desire is not lacking, but finding the energy and organizing my time properly to include has seemed to elude me in the last weeks.  I know it will come, and I probably have to ease back in more slowly than I would like to get back to my 6 times a week of exercise!  I may have to enroll new friends here for the timings factor.

As ever in a new place, the end of the first month means the honeymoon phase is over.  The realities of life and work are much more in your face, and rose tinted glasses begin to fade to let in some of the stark colors that you are peripherally unaware of.  As in every school, there are things that need to be solved, yet they are no worse, than any other place I have been before.  I am looking forward to being a part of the solution process, and working with the staff who are truly talented and knowledgeable teachers who have gathered from many locations around the world.  There is a lot to do in terms of curriculum mapping and organizing structures and processes that will help this growing school to continue to develop.  But they are all manageable processes, and what I find exciting is that the staff care about these thing too, and want to be a part of the process.

I am adjusting to finding myself in middle management with an ear to the ground about almost everything that is happening in the school, but not being able to share the knowledge due to confidentiality.  As I get to know people and spend time with others in the school, I realize that there are a lot of opinions on many items, and I have to temper my own statements and participation in conversations very carefully.  Last night at dinner I found myself uncharacteristically silent on many issues, and just listened.

That is all fine, but I know that I am going to have to branch out beyond the school community soon to have evenings that have no work related conversations.  I am happy that I have a friend here who has been hired to work in another international school, and we will be able to spend time together.  Then other friends have connected me with other people who live here in Chiang Mai.  I just have to start to organize to meet them.  Then I also have to find out if there are any Latvians in the local community.  Supposedly there is an honorary Latvian consulate, so I may be able to get some connections that way.  Anyone out there know of any other Latvians in the area.  But it still is only the first month here, and I do have to give myself the space to put these types of things into place.

The boys are settling in well.  Didzis already has a birthday party he is invited to this weekend, and has an International Award camping trip next weekend.  As always he has settled in quickly, has a large group of friends, and is finding himself a part of an active and happy group of kids.  Namejs as usual is taking a bit more time to settle in, because of his desire to carefully search out and select the people that he finds most like-minded.  He is not in a rush and seems to be observing and learning very deliberately.  It is interesting observing two very different approaches to moving and fitting in into a community.  I think about myself in this way, and I seem to use both approaches combined.

Today I have an acupuncture appointment organized by one of the other teachers here who was going this morning - I am driving her, so she arranged the appointment.  It is in the center of Chiang Mai, so we will have to navigate our way into town.  I am finding using a map to be much easier here than in KL, and thus far have not gotten lost driving.  I have regained confidence in my navigational abilities.

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