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| PunPun, Aum, Sun, Ham, YoYo Pop, Ann, Earn, Me |
I have done and seen some amazing things since I have been over here in Thailand, but this was my favorite!
I teach Health to a bunch of kids from 7th grade to 11th grade. Since a few of them could use some bonus, I offered bonus points to anyone who participated in the Bangkok 5K. On the Friday before the race 9 kids decided to participate.
I was shocked that any kids would want to give up their weekend and actually meet at 5am on Sunday morning in order to make it to the race on time.
All 9 of them showed up Sunday morning! We piled into 2 taxis and took off for Wat Phra Kaeo where the race started. By the time we arrived the area was packed with runners and the race was about to start.
It was really hard keeping a group that size all together and we were constantly on our phones trying to regroup. I am pretty sure the race was starting when we finally made it to the baggage check area, but it really wasn’t about winning the race. We did manage to get one group picture before taking off.
Everyone jogged for the first little bit and then our group spread out over the entire course. A couple of the kids ran the whole thing! It was awesome to see especially since they did nothing to prepare! Only one of the kids had actually run in a race before.
It was really hard keeping a group that size all together and we were constantly on our phones trying to regroup. I am pretty sure the race was starting when we finally made it to the baggage check area, but it really wasn’t about winning the race. We did manage to get one group picture before taking off.
Everyone jogged for the first little bit and then our group spread out over the entire course. A couple of the kids ran the whole thing! It was awesome to see especially since they did nothing to prepare! Only one of the kids had actually run in a race before.
I tried to run/walk with everyone at some point and would go back a couple hundred meters to meet each kid as they came across the finish. It was a great morning!
A few of the kids stuck around with me and cheered on the others as they came by. We took a lot of pictures and ate the free food and drank the free drinks. McDonalds helped sponsor the race. (Crazy and ironic) At the end of the race they were giving away free chicken or pork sandwiches. I am not going to lie. I did eat one of the chicken sandwiches. First time I have eaten McDonalds in years! Definitely the last time I will eat it, especially after running- I felt sick for a few minutes.
Once everyone was done and we made it back to our bags, I handed out the t-shirts and medals. No race is complete without a t-shirt and medal. Especially the first one.
One last thing I forgot to mention. While Ann and I were talking, she said she saw ‘a man shitting along the course.’ I was kind of taken aback at her choice of vocabulary and the fact that the man didn’t just find a toilet since there were plenty. How do you reply to that? I think I said something along the lines of ‘Oh, well, that can happen during races, but usually people will find a toilet if there is one available.’
Clearly I didn’t get it. She said something else about him cutting or not going to the turn around point and then I realized what she was trying to say à She saw a man cheating! So of course I started cracking up asked her if she knew what she just said. I got a shaking head and blank stare. I repeated what I heard and she started laughing and saying ‘No teacher, no!’ When I asked her to say 'cheating' it still came out 'shitting'. Hilarious!
Clearly I didn’t get it. She said something else about him cutting or not going to the turn around point and then I realized what she was trying to say à She saw a man cheating! So of course I started cracking up asked her if she knew what she just said. I got a shaking head and blank stare. I repeated what I heard and she started laughing and saying ‘No teacher, no!’ When I asked her to say 'cheating' it still came out 'shitting'. Hilarious!
Turns out almost all the kids say shitting.
On Monday I had 7th grade English class and that’s when we worked on pronunciation – specifically the difference between CH and SH. It was the Cheating vs Shitting lesson and they did get much better by the end of the week. It was the funniest class I have taught. Without realizing it, one of the words I put up on the board for them to say was Chat..... Ahhh, good times!
The race was a blast and it was a morning I’ll never forget!
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