Day 151: 31/5/13
I had about a half an hour of a sleep in this morning which was very welcome as I didn't get much sleep at all last night. I had been reading a book and didn't go to bed until around half eleven, when I finished the book! I was fast asleep then and thought I heard my alarm and was trying to turn if off but it wasn't my alarm at all. When I woke up properly I realised that I'd been sent a text at 2am. I got another one at 2:30. Both were to tell me that one of the parents in the school had won the lotto!! The winnings were 10.5 million but she'll be sharing it with her partner. I taught one of the kids last year and one of them a few years ago in 3rd and in 4th. They definitely wouldn't be loaded but they were always very generous in school. They used to write cards for all the teachers at Christmas, not just their own. So I'm delighted for them!! Millionaires!! I couldn't sleep for ages after that and then I looked up the headlines and there were pictures of them in all the papers. There was a YouTube video aswell- I haven't heard the Mulligar accent in a while!! I found the mother on Facebook and sent her a message of congratulations without adding her as a friend. I don't add any parents or pupils! I'm sure she'll have a million messages and probably won't even see it but I wanted to say congratulations! There'll be great excitement in the school today!
Anyway, I knew where I was going this morning. It makes such a difference not to be waiting for a call! I was in a prep class all day, not the one I was in on Monday. The teacher had all the work left but the kids were giddy enough. They had assembly first which was fine. Then they had their fruit while I called the roll and I explained why they had to do in reading groups. There were two girls being really silly and just deciding not to sit down with everyone else. There's always a few that will follow aswell! So I had to battle with them most of the day! They eventually settled to do their reading tasks. I was to read with one group and the other groups were to work on by themselves. Even though there was a parent helper, they still hadnt a clue what to do! One had to order sentences from a story, but they couldn't read them!! I don't know they had managed all week! After break they had investigations which means they play for an hour! Them they had Maths and we worked with the class next door, measuring various objects in the classroom. They were grand for this as they had counters to play with!! After lunch we had to go to the library to exchange books and then go to a 5/6 class so they could read with their buddies. That was really cute! The 5/6's were really good at looking after them. The day was pretty straightforward apart from the few girls that didn't want to do anything we were supposed to be doing!! I got round them eventually but they'd wreck your head!!
The infant teachers next door are never that friendly. I've met them a lot at this stage and if I need something they will help me out but if you try to have a conversation they look at you with ten heads! So I've given up! There was another CRT in one of the other prep classes and they didn't talk to him either. I don't know what that's about! It's like they're too busy to bother making small talk with people that they won't meet too often!
I had a text on my phone after school anyway to work Monday in the other school I've been in a lot. So I'm delighted to know where I'm going!
I spent a while on the Internet then this evening and I booked my accommodation in Bangkok before the tour and the accommodation in Hanoi after the tour. I just booked the hotels that the tour is staying in to save me checking in and out of places. They are dearer than the hostels but still cheaper than any hostel over here!! It will be nice to stay in a hotel and have a room to myself for a few nights! I won't know myself!
I did very little else- bed early for me tonight. I'm wrecked after waking so early thinking about lottery winnings!!