Working in Bangkok # 1

So, it has been a while since I have posted on this blog. I feel guilty for not maintaining the posts that we did in Vietnam but for some reason or another (lack of inspiration, working to much) the words haven't flowed.

Most of our time, since our last posts, have been taken up working so I will explain what that really means here in Bangkok. Celine and I are both corporate teachers. We work for an English language school and are sent out to companies across the city to teach English. At the moment I am working everyday and my clients include a Dutch wholesale supermarket, a tyre manufacturer. a baby formula producer, an American software company and an alloy wheel manufacturer. Today I will talk about the alloy wheel manufacturer.

The company is located about 40km out of the center of Bangkok. I take a motorbike taxi, sky train, and bus to get there. That sounds terrible but the transport system is pretty efficient so I can jump off the motorbike taxi for example and be on the train a few minutes later. The bus drops me at the front door. The company is in a big industrial estate on the outskirts of the city; factories on one side, green fields the other.

To get into the grounds of the company I have to pass a security area. After the formalities of the first visit I am now whizzed straight through with an aura of regality. The young security guys, all dressed smartly in matching attire, snap their legs and salute me as I pass. If there happens to be a few then they will all address me the same way. Once, there were eight guys who I presume were in the process of changing shifts. With 4 guys on either side I passed through a tunnel of salutes. After security there is a green square which is home to a big budda statue.

I teach the senior managers at the company. They are all starters (which means they know a little but not much English). Often when I arrive they don't have a room ready for me to teach. The girl at reception has limited English and will use her fingers to tell me which room I am in. I always look forward to what I might find in my allocated room. Always the lights in the room are turned off but rarely do I find them empty. Girls will be in there chatting, in darkness, and eating their lunch. They laugh and giggle as they leave. Other times the men will be sleeping. There was once a guy with his neck bent backwards, eyes towards the ceiling, mouth open and snoring like there is no tomorrow. They rub their eyes and yawn ad they leave. I am not sure if they are hiding from their boss or are very environmentally conscious but the lights are always off.

I teach 3 one-on-one classes to senior managers and then a group class. I am there from 1pm-7pm. Starters are a fun level to teach, I think, but they never get my jokes. The managers all wear pink or cerise (I don't know the difference) polo shirts which isn't the most manly colour for a factory. Around the different meeting rooms are different posters outlining the companies mission statement and values; all written in Thai, broken English and Japanese (it is a Japanese company). My favourite sign is a laminated guide on how to properly present the end of the toilet roll after use. The sign is on the back door of every cubicle and has an 8 step picture guide on how to fold the toilet paper. I had a go for a few minutes but it was too difficult for me. I left discreetly.

There is a young girl in the kitchen who brings me drinks and snacks all day. She is awesome. I practice my Thai, which is virtually non-existent, with her. After my classes, at 7pm, a company van takes me back towards the city. Lately we have been battling flooding from torrential rain so at times the road is completely submerged in water.

All the students are excited to learn and will get involved in the class so I have no complaints teaching these guys.