Still Looking

Let me start at the end of the day and work backwards. I had two important things to accomplish today. I went for a job interview at the most prestigious public school in Thailand and I had to get a visa for my trip to Burma. Both were intersting. I have had experience before looking for embassies. For some reason, in Bangkok anyway, they are non descript and hard to find...probably on purpose. When I went to the Vietnamese embassy it was virtually impossible to find and the Mynamar embassy not far behind. The treatment in both was the same. Lousy!

I was there before the crack of dawn and waited until it opened at 9 am. I filled out the papers, affixed my pictures with the glue they provided and passed them over to the clerk. Since I am going Tuesday morning(and Monday is a holiday in Bangkok) I needed the visa with express service today. Even though it says this is possible in on the web and in my books, I had to plead and beg for him to do this. For some reason, when I told him I lived in Bangkok and was a school principal, he seemed to cave. When you are in such a bureaucratic atmosphere, you are absolutely at their whim.

After that experience, I rushed to an interview at a local public high school downtown for a 10 o'clock appointment. Apparently, all of the key government officials send their kids there and it has a wonderful history. It reminded me in many ways of Jarvis Collegiate since Jarvis has the Rosedale crowed yet is a public school.

When they saw me, they said I was too old, overqualified and didn't want me to go home June 5 which is the first thing I told them since school starts May 1. I spoke with them for a few minutes, then was about to leave since they told me I had too many things going against me. The head of the department walked in and talked for a few more minutes and when I was really getting ready to leave again, said anything was possible in Thailand and was told they were going to invite me back to do a demonstration lesson. It is actually very appealing to me to finish my career back as a teacher ( albeit with 50 kids in the class) but kids all the same. I am frankly energized just thinking about it.

Then back to the embassy to pick up the passport. The area, Sathorn Road is really interesting and I spent a few hours walking past a number of interesting things. There was a fascinating Hindu temple, very colourful and busy. I noticed that everybody who passed prayed. I wonder if Buddhists pray to all Gods? Would they put their hands in submission and pray in front of a synagogue or church like the bus driver who stopped the bus and puts his hands in a prayer position?

Finally, when my feet were getting sore I hopped on a bus and just went. Bangkok is so huge I simply had never seen this area before and was absolutely fascinated. This was the 'real' Bangkok as opposed to the Manhantinized Bangkok I know in the Sukhumvit area where all of the foreigners live.

Tomorrow I am off to Chaing Rai, as far north in Thailand as you can go, Tuesday to Burma for a week of presenting workshops and the thirteenth or fourteenth off for a Songkran holiday with teacher friends. I am also considering going to Australia for Pesach on the 18th if I do not have a job so have passport and travel.Isn't life great?