Time is passing quickly at Vientiane College. Since the Pi Mai celebrations that kicked off the beginning of term, the first half of Term 2 has sped by. Midterms are past, and there are only a few weeks of term remaining. For my daytime students, this means that their tests, which we’ve spent all term preparing them for, and which will help determine whether or not they receive a scholarship to study in Australia, are approaching in the next few weeks. Stress levels are high, and the teachers are doing the best we can to try to keep them both relaxed and focused on their long-term goals. My Young Learners Fairytales class now has Goldilocks and the Billy Goats Gruff under their belt, and are preparing to tackle Jack and the Beanstalk next. Exciting things are also happening in Core 3, the class that Alex is developing, and I am co-teaching, this term. We’ve challenged the students a lot, but they’ve managed both to keep up and impress us weekly with their thoughtfulness. I’m looking forward to the upcoming personal essay assignment, but I’ll write more about this another time.
Some teachers celebrating the halfway point of the daytime program with our students.
Term 2 has been punctuated with many celebrations, as usual. There has been Easter egg decorating, a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, a birthday party, and the Vientianale film festival. We’ve also been celebrating the arrival of several restaurants that have set the Vientiane expat community abuzz. Perhaps one of the few things that passes faster than time here is word of mouth among expats. New arrivals include a tapas restaurant (iBeam), a European-esque sandwich shop (Benoni), and a cafe, Common Grounds, that serves burritos! (the only thing previously missing from Vientiane cuisine). In addition to the feasting and fiestas, I’ve traveled out of town for two long weekends this term. Updates about my Bangkok weekend and village trek are coming soon!