House Hunters- Chiang Mai

When schools in Thailand say, "interview" what they really mean is, "Can you teach for free for a day?"

When I walked in for my interview at a small international school in Southern Chiang Mai, I was ready. I had gone over my three strengths and had manipulated one weakness to look like a fourth strength. I had made up some situations where I encountered a problem and heroically solved them. I even had a five year plan, even though in real life I haven't even booked a place to stay tomorrow night. What I didn't have prepared was SEVEN hours of lesson plans.

I smiled politely and told her about my two weeks, yep that's right WEEKS, of teaching experience in Pattaya. She listened quietly while I spoke.

"You go with me to classroom." Was her adorable response.

I followed her through the delightful schoolyard and met the children at morning assembly. As the children busily slipped off their shoes and scurried into the classroom she turned to me once more.

"How long can you stay?" She pleaded with big brown eyes. I'm not sure I can teach, but all those acting classes I begged for as a child were finally going to come in handy.

So that's how our own episode of House Hunter's International began.

After my improve teaching session was over we grabbed an old bike (Seriously this thing was cryptic, E.T.is going to be pissed when he returns to earth and finds that his bike has been moved) and set off to find a place to call home for the next year.

This is how it went:

House #1- Suburbanite's Delight: Close to school, Lots of space, Expensive.
House #2- Modern Highrise: Modern appliances, Stylish, Tiny (45 sq ft!)
House #3- Solid Studio: Good price, Far from school.

Through all of this I can't help but be in a constant state of chuckling. All of the people around us raise eyebrows as we giggle down the grocery store aisles picking up foreign bottles and cans. This is their everyday life, but to us it is just a dream. I guess pretty soon it will be our life too.


Video of our bicycle adventure.

Biking around Chiang Mai from Carrie Winters on Vimeo.