First day of Orientation

Sawadee Kha!  สวัสดี ข่า
Today was my first day of orientation at CMIS.  I met the rest of the new staff.  Some are returning from working previous years.  Some are brand new like me.  We had a detailed tour of the campus and a detailed account of health issues here in Thailand. 

After lunch, we had our first Thai Culture/Language training as mandated by the government.  It was actually interesting and we learned a few new words and phrases.  Hopefully I'll still remember them tomorrow.  We also learned about the Wai's which are the greetings.  There is definitely a way to do it and it depends on who you are doing it to.  There is a high level of respect for people who are older, royal, monks etc.  Teachers are respected which is a breath of fresh air.  I think many of my students from last year could have benefitted from Thai culture training.  There are many things I didn't know through my research of Thailand so its helpful to learn them now.  I've also learned that the Thai people have a lot of grace even for us farangs(foreigners is pretty much what it means) when we make mistakes.  It doesn't mean you get away with stuff, it just means there's a lot less stress and argument and a lot more compromise.
Last night, my coworker introduced me to the market scene.  We went into the older city area which is full of many bargain shops, food including Subway and night life.  There is definitely an active night scene in the busier parts of town.  Also people here eat all day and night so many places are open late.  Their metabolisms must be amazing.