SWN Academic Exhibit 2023

Every year, before the school year ends, there is supposed to be a "Success Day" when students showcase their projects and share applied knowledge and skills through public speaking. Apparently, our Department had to change this to another event called "Academic Exhibit".  

We were informed by the Coordinator (Supervisor) that we have 4 groups in this event namely: America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.  In each group, there were only three main (3) countries, and we must highlight their history, national food, and clothes. I belong to the Asia group, and I represented South Korea. 

This is our group, representing Asia

I just got lucky to borrow a Hanbok (Korean costume) from my group mate. Becky chose the Philippines and Nora and Claire presented Japan. We all had our national costumes for Asia Group - SWN Academic Exhibit 2023. It was so exhausting, yet amusing, and impressive. It was my first time wearing a Hanbok.

Me, Myself, and I in Korean Costume🦋 It was eventually given by T. Nora🙏 

(It's an early birthday gift!😍☘️💕)

       This is our Station💕

Students from Years 1-6 were dressed up, representing the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea

       History and Basic Facts in each country

       Food Display 

       Fashion Show and Presentation of Three Countries 

     

Philippine Peso and Korean Won (It's difficult to print Japanese Yen😅

Filipino bread - Pandesal for free tasting❤️ baked by T. Becky (It was sold out for 2 days)😍

It's a two-day event and we feel so honored by the outcome of our collaborative effort. I was blessed to have cooperative, thoughtful, generous, creative, dynamic, resourceful, and responsible teammates. I'm very grateful to my teammates for their great contributions and selfless attitude, which I really admire the most because they're truly an inspiration. I wish to be part of their group/team in each event and activity, for the next years to come. 감사합니다 (Kamsahamnida = Thank you) 🙏  

Voodoo Cafe: The Enchanting Place in Nongchok

 

Voodoo Cafe in Nongchok, Thailand (image from their website)

I usually teach business English conversation, and ESL classes on Saturdays, from 12 noon to four in the afternoon. Surprisingly, my students (a family of four) suggested changing the venue of our tutorial classes to Voodoo Cafe on the 18th of February (Saturday). It was my first time visiting the place, so I had no idea what was in there. They picked us up from our place. 

By the lake view

The restaurant ambiance is fascinating, elegant, and has positive vibes. It's perfect for pictorials (weddings, birthdays, friendship bondings, and family reunions. The garden's landscapes are captivating. We went to a private air-conditioned room, a house on a raft, which has an additional room service charge (for an hour). The dining room that we got is a raft in the middle that can accommodate 6-8 people. We're actually 6 (4 students + Me and my kid). It feels like home and very nostalgic, for me. It's a little far from my place. To get there, I'll need to take a cab and the downside is that the taxi is difficult to find. Perhaps, online booking might be great(?) Going back home, I paid 120 Thb for the taxi. My overall rating is 9/10. 

The room was neat and clean and the food servers were hospitable, respectful, and easy to talk to. The food that we ordered was delivered fast and the presentations look exquisite. The tastes were so delightful.

Matcha Green Tea Frappe and Baked Beef Lasagna 

Truffle Mushroom in Charcoal Dough

Ham and Cheese Pizza

Seafood 

Hawaiian

Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread

Pad Thai with Shrimp

Green Beef Curry

Chocolate Layered Cake

Oreo Milkshake, Apple Soda, Matcha Green Tea Frappe

I love the vintage placemat😍

This is a must-try!😘

We ordered a lot of food for late lunch: bake beef lasagna, padthai, shrimp, truffle mushroom, ham and cheese pizzas, chocolate layered cake, and green beef curry. We actually tasted everything as we shared our food on our plates (with serving spoons, of course, 😏). As we were having lunch for more than an hour, we also had basic English conversations with the family (my students). They felt at ease learning with us. Last week was at Chonlatte Cafe (I'll talk about it later😆.

I guess we're just so lucky to have them as sponsors for our lunch in the past two weeks already. They enjoyed our chatting and our presence. I was encouraging them to order food in English😅 But, they said later because they need more practice in speaking. The total cost of our meal was quite expensive but worth it. My rating for food is 10/10.

After our meal and a few walks, we went to the Brave Horse which is actually on the side of the fence. 

    

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co9VOy2jdZP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The horses are super cute. There are two horses who have different eye colors (dark brown and blue). Sofia was riding a brown horse named "Jacky". They charge for the ride by the hour.  

It was an amazing Saturday. I didn't even feel that I was actually working🤓 I got paid for two hours, had free lunch, and free horseback riding (for Sofia). It was indeed a work + fun day!😊  It is a restaurant that is suitable for everyone in the family.

If you're interested to visit this place, here is the address: 

44/7 Moo 10, Mitmaitri 6, Nong Chok, Nong Chok, Bangkok, Nong Chok, Thailand, Bangkok. Mobile - 064 935 9901 -  FB https://www.facebook.com/voodoocafe.th 

https://youtu.be/aVc8XAgmoHs

goo .gl/maps/pq7MHKTjFjK2

Reposted: My Blessings💕

Edit: I did some reorganization on my main blog and decided to move it to my post instead of my page. As I was doing so, I came across this post about my blessings. It was before I got pregnant with Sammy, who is now incoming to Grade 6 this year (2023). I thought of moving this here to look more organized.

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To have a family is indeed a blessing. It is something that we cannot buy because it's precious and priceless. My family means the world to me.

This was our photo souvenir of the first Christmas party that we attended this year (2010). He is a camera-shy guy so I grabbed this opportunity to have this photoshoot with him because I knew he won't.. but, he couldn't refuse the offer (laughs).

This is my mom and my two kids. The first pic together was taken at DSWD Central Office in Quezon City. We visited her then for her birthday dinner with us after office hours. She had no idea that we were coming to see her when we arrived. It was a surprise trip  ;)

Screaming Crazy Hunk Waiters at Staneemeehoi in Bangkok

  

Photo from facebook.com/staneemeehoi

Staneemeehoi is so famous for its eccentric theme and service. It employs a team of muscular young men who wear skimpy female costumes or clothing, and try their very best to act girly, and funny, as they serve, and entertain customers; that includes imitating a girly scream, dancing provocatively, and puckering their lips as they pose for selfies.

Photo from facebook.com/staneemeehoi

Staneemeehoi (which means Shell Station) is just one of many seafood restaurants here in Bangkok. As the name suggests, it specializes in shellfish and judging by the hundreds of reviews on TripAdvisor, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, and Blogs. The dishes and dips served here are above average, but that’s not why tourists are eager to visit this astonishing place.

My college friend, Sarah booked a trip to Thailand with her children on the 1st week of February for a short vacay, and our college reunion coincidingly. My other friend, Rizza, and I are both Filipino ex-pats here in Thailand. The three of us were classmates at Centro Escolar University in Manila. We took Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, batch 1994-1998. It's been ages since we last met in the Philippines (due to Covid19), along with our classmates/friends. We finally agreed to meet up, and visit this very unique restaurant, as suggested by Rizza. 

This image was taken on the 4th of February 2023 (Saturday)

I must say that the food was very scrumptious and the service was great. No dull moments. Celes paid our bill amounting to 1,080 Thai Baht. We ordered a set of shellfish on a plate, a large plate of crab fried rice (large chunks of crab😘, so sorry not in the picture because we ate it first😅), a big fried fish with crunchy garlic, papaya salad with slices of salted eggs (som tum), and drinks (beer, mineral water, three soft drinks). It’s not too pricey, to be honest. We really enjoyed the treat! Thanks to our most generous friend, Celes😘.

Menu

Somtum with Salted Eggs

Seashells on a large plate

Fried and crunchy fish with garlic 

Here is my review rating; 

1. Food/Drinks - 10/10

2. Service - 9/10 

3. Venue - 7/10

4. Bathroom - 4/10

5. Show - 10/10

6. Theme - 9/10               

7. Entertainers - 7/10            

The food was appetizing and very affordable. Our orders arrived on time. The large plate of crab-fried rice is good for 3-4 people. The location of restaurant is inside the Huamom Night Market. The size of the venue is quite small, it’s indoor but non-air-conditioned. You must get in the queue before getting in, and if you're unlucky, you'll need to wait about 1 hour or more because the venue is full. or reserved. They open at 6PM. It was 8pm when we visited, and we needed to wait for an hour. We saw many tourists from Korea, China, Hongkong, Macau, Japan, and the Philippines. There are no walls, so the show can be seen from outside. If I were the owner of this restaurant, I'd rather build a closed door with an air-conditioned venue, so that people would really have to get in and order something. It will create more mystery and will generate or motivate many customers. There are parking spaces in the market. While we wait in our queue, we walked around and checked out other restaurants and shops because it was really quite boring, standing there and waiting to be allowed inside. There were also so many bystanders and customers, just like us. The bathroom or toilet is outside of the restaurant, it’s actually a communal use for shoppers and customers in the market. A few steps away from the restaurant. You'll need 3 Baht coins to get in, and no available tissue. I guess it's just okay than nothing at all. It's not very dirty though (so-so). They probably should have one inside, too. My overall restaurant review is 8/10. With little improvements, it’ll be 10/10.

Happy Hour

https://youtu.be/DvUu4yOdeHU

If you're interested to visit Staneemeehoi, you can check their Facebook website to contact them. Here is the address: 1 Prasert-Manukitch Rd, Lat Phrao, Bangkok 10230.

SWN Sports Day 2023

This is the last day of January 2023. I was still amazed at how our Sports Day had turned out, notwithstanding the obstacles I encountered this year. I think it's getting worse and I only have control over myself and my reaction. 

I was assigned to practice for Years 4-6 students to dance "Survivor", originally sung by Destiny's Child. But, the song's got a different rendition of it that it took me a while to think of the steps and formation. It's not like I can readily get any music videos that have dance steps that are easy to follow. If you've been teaching Thai students to dance, you'll get what I meant by saying this. My students don't give their heart and soul to dancing. When they dance, they only move their hands and feet, not their hips, waist, or shoulders. 

Here are the problems that I encountered:

1. I was only given 3 days to practice with my students. (My students aren't professional dancers)

2. There's no budget for this activity. (I was really shocked 😮 why would you organize or conduct any activities without any budget?)

3. I was told not to let students buy a costume. (Really? I found it contradicting when I saw my co-teachers prepare their student's costumes. Some parents provided the costume. I've never seen a Sports Day without any preparations, not to mention the costume😳)

4. I didn't get reimbursement for 350B that I spent on the paper props/costume. (and it won't happen again!)

5. There's no proper venue to practice. Considering 26-30 students is a huge group to fit in a small size classroom.

6. I had to use my own sound system.

7. My effort was useless when the director saw it, she said she didn't like it, she didn't want the steps and change everything. That was Day 1 of practice and 1st general rehearsal at the same time.

8. I was the only one who thought of the steps from Day 1. While other groups had got 3-5 teachers to teach students. It's difficult to manage students with different age groups. The outdoor was crowded with students and teachers from all grade levels, sections, and departments (Bilingual from KG-HS and  IEP PP3-Y9) practicing for Sports Day. The timetable was a disaster because we needed to practice altogether at the same time creating chaos. It was super noisy during practice.  

9. The lack of support and encouragement in the office made me really furious. (They wanted to have a spectacular event without a budget, without anything to worry about if we needed something, or if we were having problems. It's like we have to always solve our own problems by ourselves!🤨)

10. The double standards that it's okay for others and not okay for me. They can, and I cannot.  It's like wishing me to fail every single time. 

The video below was taken during our Sports day, this month.

I'm so proud of my students; they did their best to perform on Sports Day. Though they didn't thank me and acknowledge my efforts, I feel good about just looking at them in this video. This is what it looks like when you got only 3 days to practice. I created the dance steps and formation in 3 hours! 

Did I change the steps and formation on Day 1 when I was told? Yes and No. Yes, because I agree that the students had to be facing the stage not against it. So, instead of the circle formation, I changed it into the "U shape" so the students are seen by everyone on stage. No, I didn't change the steps only the formation because we're running out of time, then. I just figured it will be fine, regardless of what the director might say.

What did I learn from these experiences? I have to be in control of my own emotions, in front of insensitive, ungracious people, and those who lack common sense. Patience is indeed a virtue. Even if this presentation turned bad, I should probably be okay because I know in my heart that I had done my best. Thank God, it was great and I received compliments from my co-teachers💕