A Bunch of Characters

With two days under my belt at my new teaching job, I feel pretty good about my new line of work. The kids are ridiculously cute, complimentary breakfast and lunch every day, and a new (hopefully!) group of friends. Last night Hayley and I went out with about 15 of my new co-workers to a swanky bar not far from the school. We drank, danced, and met some cool people. My colleagues are a melting pot of crazy folks: several Brits, three Irishmen, four Americans, one Canadian, three Aussies, six Philippinos, one Frenchmen, one Spaniard, etc. I call them crazy because that is what they are...they live and work as expats in Thailand. You have to be a little crazy (like myself) to subject yourself to the heat, grime, and cultural differences that Thailand guarantees.

We arrived at the bar at around 8:00 pm and the party was already in full swing. As the night went on, my colleagues got more and more loose lipped. Here are some of the things they told me/anecdotes from the night:

Kellen: Took his clothes off after one drink and danced with his belt. Does this sounds familiar?
Jamie: Told Hayley that he liked her but did not like me already. We have have spoken five sentences to each other. Way to give a girl a chance....
Rob #1: Recently fired for talking back to the administration.
Rob #2: Used to live on Patpong Street (a crazy area known for its transvestites, lady boys, prostitution, etc). He told me he would be willing to take me there and show me around; he even offered to pay for a transvestite to show me his/her newly operated on "parts". How nice of him...
David: I met his wife of five years. She is a beautiful (and I mean beautiful) Thai girl around the age of 28. She does not speak a word of English and David likes it that way...
Kellen: Recently fired for talking back to the administration.
Rob #3: Has been in Thailand for two weeks (also a newbie) and has not had any action. He thought this was complete and utter bullshit.
Tracy: Told me that I'll be able to get away with anything because of my looks. Also told me I was hired based purely on my looks. That made me feel competent...
Alex: Recently fired for talking back to the administration.


Although my colleagues were brutally honest, they were extremely nice, generous, and made sure we were okay. The next few months with them should be interesting.