Q & A

People have asked us many questions about Thailand and the school, and while sometimes we know the answer, we are definitely learning as we are going! We love it when y'all ask us questions though because if we don't know the answer, it gives us something to look up and learn! So onto a few common questions that have been asked:

1. Q: Where are you going to be living?
A: ICS has on-campus housing for first-year teachers and they give us a housing stipend. We are so thankful that we don't need to worry about looking for an apartment right away when we get there! Our second year we will need to find an apartment though, but by then we should hopefully be more familiar with the area!

2. Q: Where in Thailand will you be?

A: We will be in Bangkok. Now Bangkok is a very large city and while we can't exactly imagine what it will be like to live there and how "isolated" (or not) the campus is. However, the headmaster, Darren, gave us a description of the location of the school. He said it was half way between the airport and main downtown, 1 block from the main thoroughfare, and 15-20 minutes from main downtown (with no traffic). Not that any of us can really fathom that without really visiting...

3. Q: Will you be visiting the school/country before you work there?
A: Not unless we want to fork over $4,000 to visit.

4. Q: When will you be leaving?
A: School starts August 10th and there is new teacher orientation at the end of July. However, they recommend coming even earlier to get adjusted to the time and humidity. That being said, we will be leaving mid-July. The earliest that we would leave would probably July 15.

5. Q: Do you need to learn Thai?

A: Yes and no. The school is an English language school based on the American school system. We do not need to speak Thai to be able to work at the school (or else we would not have taken the jobs). However, would it be useful to learn the language? Absolutely... I'm sure it would be plenty helpful in the markets. Additionally, there are two different rates in Thailand: The American rate and the everyone else rate. They assume that all Americans have money so they typically charge you more (especially at hotels). Maybe I can fool them with being Korean and speaking Thai; Mike not so much, considering he has blond hair and blue eyes...

6. Q: Do they give you lessons in Thai?

A: Yes, we get a stipend to pay for Thai lessons. The only hitch is that you actually have to "pass" the class to receive the stipend... and teachers are known to be the worst students. ;)

7. Q: Will the school pay you or will you have to raise support?

A: The school will pay us. We will actually be making less than what we make in the US, but we will be able to save more since so many of our expenses are taken care of. It's kind of backwards thinking, isn't it?

8. Q: How long will you be gone?

A: We will be there for at least 2 years. It is a 2 year initial commitment with a renewable contract afterwards. We may stay longer, we may decide to teach in a different country and "country-hop," or we may come back to the US. This all depends on where we feel God is leading us when the time comes.

9. Q: Will you be coming home at all during those 2 years?

A: We anticipate doing so... we just don't know when. Afterall, 2 years is a long time to not see family and friends!

10. Q: How did you find this school?

A: Mike found it on-line! They had positions for both of us, so we applied! I have another post from early February that discusses this a little bit more, so if you want more details, check the archive and look for the "China gets the ball rolling" post.

11. Q: Are you nervous?

A: Not really. I don't think it has really hit us yet that we are going overseas and I don't think that it will hit us until we pack up our classrooms at school, our apartment, sell our cars and furniture, and say our goodbyes. However, I think that God has also really given us a complete sense of peace about going to Thailand. He continues to make it more evident that he has called us to Thailand and we don't regret our decision one bit. However, see my last post about teaching AP (eek), titled, "Relief for the faint of heart."

12. Q: Will you be teaching English?

A: Many people go overseas, especially to Asia, to teach English. However, we are not going to be teaching English. ICS is an international school that is based on the American school system, so it is similar to a private school in the US. Mike will be teaching elementary PE and Karly will be teaching high school Spanish.

13. Q: How big is Bangkok?

A: Approximately 15 million people.

14. Q: What's with all the elephants in Thailand?

A: Elephants have played an important role in Thailand's history, culture and economy. Elephants have a deep religious meaning within the Hindu religion. A story is told about Buddha's mother and a dream she had about a white elephant before he was born. Thai tradition says that the white elephant is a noble beast of special honor, judged fit for only royal duties and exemplifying a king's honor and glory. The Hindu god Ganesha is said to have the head of an elephant, because the elephant is so smart. Elephants were also used for clearing out forests, making it easy for people to open up trade routes. They are smart land mammals and hard-working beasts, and have also provided transportation for mankind. Additionally, during times of war, elephants played an indispensable role in the war machine of Thailand and other Asian countries.

15. Q: Can I come visit?

A: Please do! We would be more than happy to host you if you can deal with the 13 hour time change, the hot and humid weather, the spicy food, the cost of the plane ticket, and the long flight over and back! Just don't come during the rainy season, as I'm sure it won't be as entertaining for you.

Have more questions? Send them our way! Post your question as a comment!