ERIC - English Resource and Information Center at Khuruprachasan School, Chai Nat Province

Charlie Jones "Adversity is the first path to truth." - Lord Byron		Once again I was asked to participate in a teacher's training program, this time on a Saturday in mid-January in Thailand's rural Chai Nat Province. The setting for the clinic was at the Kruruprachasan School, a monster of a school with an enrollment of over 1,600 students and a English department staff of 10 teachers. The weather had changed radically only the day before with most of the gulf and inland areas being caught up in a cold front bringing dark, overcast skies and the first rains that I have seen in months to Thailand. Along with the inclement weather, came colder temperatures and shivering Thais bundled up in everything from jackets to hats to socks. Quite unusual for this time of the year but for me a welcome change reminiscent of previous years in Europe and the US. After being met at my home on the banks of the Chao Pray River (in the small village of Sapphaya), I was driven to the teacher's clinic by my school's English director, Ajarn Anong, and her husband. It was here that I was introduced to the program's director, Suriya Channiam, a dynamic lady who heads up what is commonly referred to as 'ERIC'. ERIC is an acronym for the 'English Resource and Information Center', which serves as a focal point for English learning and training in Chai Nat province. Ajarn Suriya likes to be called 'Sunny' as her name translated from Thai to English means 'the sun'. As this makes it very easy for me to remember, I just call her Ajarn Sunny! After our polite introductions, Ajarn Sunny introduced me to my classroom that I was to use for the day. I was however in for a bit of a surprise as when I walked into the room there were over 100 teachers already sitting there! As this was a bit over the 25 teacher trainees that I had been led to believe would be in the class, I raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Although we were suppose to start at 08:30 AM, it soon became obvious we were working on 'Thai time' and after a bit of maneuvering to secure a board and some paper in which to present my lecture on 'Intonation', the class of 135 teachers was sub-divided into 'smaller' groups of 43, with the remaining going into the last larger group. You get use to this sort of thing here and you need to always be aware that numbers have a way of growing from what was promised to what it becomes (except for pay!). I had been led to believe my groups would be no larger than 25 but in fact became 40+....but as always, you go with the flow and make it work. As these things go, the prepared lesson for me was well done with minimal mistakes. Sometimes I am asked to teach a class only to show up for the training session and be handed material that makes absolutely no sense to me....or to the poor student in the class! Today however wasn't one of those days and the 1st class of an hour and a half went off pretty well I thought, with the right amount of laughter and smiles (that are a requirement for a successful class in Thailand). The first session went until 10:30AM followed by a 30 minute break and than another session until noon having to cut it short for lunch. Each session was designed to bring native speaking skills to Thai teachers with the focus of this day's session rising and falling intonation, combined with a long poem from my childhood days. We also practiced the inflections used in questions while I also tried to introduce the ideas of inference in teaching English to their students as well as the politically correctness of American English and the use of questions to actually give commands. After what turned out to be a marvelous lunch and some interesting conversation concerning teaching in Thailand, we re-convened at 1:30 PM whereupon I taught another hour and a half session. I was also asked to teach another session in February, which I knew before I even asked the question was going to be on my birthday. And sure enough, as fate would have it, it is to be held on Sunday, February the 13th....my birthday!!! Having just taught at a Christmas Camp on Christmas Day, it seems my 'holidays' (if there is such a thing) was not to be for my birthday as well. Once again, trying to keep things flowing, I accepted the invitation. It was after this and the afternoon session that I had an opportunity to meet some of the other teachers outside as we shared some drinks and cookies. It was here that I was invited to the following evening's (Sunday) 6PM 'Teacher's Day Party'. Over the years I have found saying 'yes' is much better than saying 'no', and even though I was feeling dead tired from both the week's teaching and the Saturday session, I agreed and made my way home, back to my home on the banks of the Chao Pray River.

Copyright © 1998-2007
Charlie Jones
All rights reserved.
mysticsailor@gmail.com

Teacher's Appreciation Day at Khuruprachasan School in Chai Nat Province Thailand

		Teacher's Appreciation Day at Khuruprachasan School in Chai Nat Province
e-mail Charlie Jones "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered. The point is to discover them." - Galileo Ajarn Chai and me having a lot of fun and a few laughs. Ajarn Chai lighting his candle for the ceremonies. A little bit of dancing was the order for the evening... Ajarn Preeda from Sapphaya Witthaya School-my gracious chauffeur for the evening's festivities. I hope he enjoyed the evening as much as I did!		I was once again very fortunate in that I was invited to the Sunday evening 'Teacher's Day' festivities in mid-January at the Khuruprachasan School in Chai Nat Province. As you can see from the photos below, it was quite a production, starting with 2 straight hours of song and dance performed by the school's students. To put it mildly, it was quite a show! The dancers and singers from the high school performing for their teachers during teacher's appreciation day. I had been invited to the celebration the previous day after completing a teacher's training session for the English Resource and Information Center (ERIC) at the school. The senior staff of the session were kind enough to extend an invitation to me and after discussing it with Ajarn Anong from my school at Sapphaya Witthaya, she indicated to me she would arrange transportation out to the school for me the next evening. In the middle, Suzanne, on the right, Ajarn Chai , English teachers who actually speak English! Ajarn Chai was not amongst the honored senior guests this evening, he has ONLY been teaching 32 years and is a very young looking 52. At around 5:30 PM, Ajarn Preeda, who also lives in my teacher's compound on the banks of the Chao Praya River in Sapphaya, knocked on my door and a short time later we were on the road to Sangka Buri and the school. Although Ajarn Preeda felt there would be no one there when we arrived at 6PM, we were both surprised to find both many cars in the parking lot and tables full of teachers. Young men dressed in green army uniforms were directing cars to parking spaces and there was a rather large contingent of the province's finest (police) on hand as well. It was long before the sun set and the true mood of the party became apparent as thousands of multi-colored lights came on an a spectacular array of colors and shapes. Combined with the music, dancing and singing on stage, it created quite a relaxing and entertaining mood for a 'winter' evening in Thailand. In Thailand you can't have any event, no matter how small or large, without food. It is more than tradition, it is mandatory and this evening was no different, with plate after plate of food being brought to the tables including two separate courses of fish, a typical spicy Thai soup, a plate of duck and vegetables and of course, a bottle of Thai rum! Looking around me, I didn't notice too many full bottles or dishes of food when we were leaving. It was all particularly good! At 8PM, the official part of the evening began with announcements, songs thanking the teachers and a ceremony for senior teachers. As Ajarn Chai wasn't in the ceremony (as he ONLY has 32 years teaching experience!), one can only wonder how many years of total experience was on the stage represented by the dozen or so teachers being thanked for their many years of work. After this part of the program, there was a candle lighting ceremony where each table of teachers lit a candle for each teacher and after the ceremony placed the candle in sand bowls in front of the stage. It was really quite special and left quite an impression. After these events, the music and dancing started once again and as the evening wound down (at least for me), I suggested to Preeda at 9PM we head back home to which he agreed. It was only 15 or minutes later we had returned to the banks of the Chao Praya River and home amongst what I call, 'The Teachers of the River'. An Asian Mystic - May the Gods be with you.

Copyright © 1998-2007
Charlie Jones
All rights reserved.
mysticsailor@gmail.com

ERIC Teacher Training at Bangpleeratbamrung School Samutprakarn Province (Bangkok)

		ERIC Teacher Training Bangpleeratbamrung School Samutprakarn Province (Bangkok) January/February 2005
e-mail 03-Jan-2006 Last Edited Charlie Jones "The least deviation from truth is multiplied later a thousand fold." – Aristotle Me and Ajarn Bussara Jeedlumduan. A very helpful member of the staff and teacher at the school. Ajarn Sajan, English Department Director at the Bangpleeratbumrung School and an extremely capable and caring administrator. He made our jobs so much easier. Working on material at the school's English training center. "Adversity is the first path to truth." - Lord Byron		In mid-January I was asked to take a 'holiday' from my normal teaching duties in Chai Nat Province and head south for the urban sprawl of Bangkok, where I was to 'teach the teachers'. Being notified only a few days before leaving was typical of such things and unfortunately it made for some serious consternation back on the home front in Sapphaya with the two school's English department heads where I was teaching. Things seemed to happen however and a 'replacement' teacher arrived and the next morning at 04:20 I was headed by bus to Bangkok's monster bus terminal at Mor Chit. I had been informed that I was to wait there until 2PM when someone would come to pick me up. It seemed another teacher was also heading for the upcoming two week seminar and he was to arrive at 2, whereupon we were to be taken to our apartment near the seminar and the school. I had been able to gather that the seminar was to be near Bang Na, although it wasn't exactly clear where it was to be held. Indications were that 70 teachers were to be my 'target audience' but other than that, as usual, I was flying blind (As it turned out, the count was over 100). On top of that, other than an email stating I was to teach things entitled 'Communication Learning', 'Authentic Assessment' and 'Methodology', I was unable to get further clarification of just what was expected or the topic materials that was to be taught. Hopefully, I was thinking, these things would be given to me when I was picked up at 2 on Saturday afternoon. Taking things in stride as I usually do here in Thailand, I decided to make use of the time and head for one of my favorite places in Thailand, if not Asia, Jatuchak Plaza (Market), which just so happens to be a few minutes away from the bus terminal by motorcycle taxi. Arriving at Mor Chit Bus Terminal nearly three hours later, I stored my bags at one of the two left baggage facilities (30 or 20 Baht for each bag depending on which storage area you used-the one closer to the front doors which the signs point to is more expensive) in the departure terminal and headed out, arriving at the 6,000 stall market just as doors were going up and merchants from all over Thailand were setting up their wares. Although one could talk for hours about this place, suffice it to say for this journal article that some of my favorite places were still as interesting as they ever were, with some (like the used book vendors) having expanded into the newer buildings near the new MTR subway station of Kamphaeng Phet (which just happened to be closed this particular Saturday due to a large accident in the system only a few days before.) After a few calls and after determining that the other teacher wasn't arriving as scheduled, I was picked up before 2PM and was soon being driven into a massive school complex in an area in which the highway signs refer to as 'Bang Phli' (also known as Bangplee). As I discovered later when I made my way south towards Pattaya in the afternoon is that this area is just before the new Bangkok International Airport's connector road as you head south. My school however was still another 3 kilometers south from the road, lying between the southeasterly headed elevated roadway and the Gulf of Thailand. My apartment turned out to be down a dirt road within easy walking distance of the school. The road outside the entrance to the school which was next to a very large Wat, was being referred to as 'Soi Nam' (water) as there was a large lake at a the intersection at the end of the school's road. My room for 2 weeks within walking distance to the school. Clean and very basic. A sink would have been nice but the washing machines in the lobby were a convenient touch that I haven't seen before. The man who owned the 7-story apartment building was amazingly friendly and helpful. He called himself 'Manop' and spoke excellent English. It was a bit later that he told me he had worked for Nestle for over 30 years and had recently retired from them. His boss had been Swiss and apparently still saw him occasionally when he returned to Bangkok. It seemed that Manop had done well for himself having built what was a 7-story apartment building and was constructing another one across the dirt soi. Obviously he was doing well for himself. (I found out later that the school was paying 150 Baht a night for me to stay there.) As It was Saturday afternoon and I hadn't had a free weekend on any time due to either teaching duties at seminars or visa runs in the previous weeks, it was time to head south for some relaxation and a bit of fun. No material had appeared and it seemed that Monday morning, the start of the session, would provide me (hopefully) the material that I so desperately needed. Until then however, not knowing anything more than there would be 70 'English teachers', there was no reason to worry about what I couldn't change. Sometimes here in Thailand you just have to realize some things you can't and never will change, and one of those things is pre-planning. The weekend turned out to be a good one with me heading back for the school on Sunday evening. After a good night's sleep, I awoke early and as I was getting ready heard a knock on the door. Answering the door, I discovered a 25 year old 6'4" tall, blue eyed, curly headed American standing there. He introduced himself as 'Stephen' and as I quickly found out, he was as professional and conscience as anyone I have ever met (except for maybe the fact he had no ties with him!). Stephen Fillner, a very impressive American teacher. After a bit of small talk, I suggested he use one of my ties, as here in Thailand, that is expected with foreign teachers as looking good is part of the job. Being entertaining is as well, and as I discovered, he was a master at both. I wish I could say the seminar went off without a hitch but anyone who has been here and done such things would know better. Beyond the fact we weren't given training material until only 15 minutes prior to the start of the first class, most of what we did receive was in Thai, with certain sections of my material not having a single English word! I had only found out only on the previous Thursday that I would be heading south from Sapphaya to teach at Bangplee while Stephen had found a bit earlier on the previous Monday. Both of us had attempted numerous communications with the company arranging the seminar to provide us the material that we were to teach so we could prepare, with me personally getting back an email stating I had the title of the classes (mentioned before), and what more could I possibly need? Riggggghhhhhtttttt...... Needless to say, things started off with some major hiccups and although it was not really clear as to what or who was to blame; there did seem to be a lot of finger pointing going on between the school officials and those that had brought us here. The first day started off pretty tense with Stephen and I questioning the other if we could pull this off under the circumstances we had walked into, with both of us getting pretty close to calling it quits in the first few hours of the seminar. Personally, I call this being 'blind sided' and this is something I have little patience for (as well as many other responsible and dedicated individuals). Some of the seminar's teachers painting during the first Friday's student fair at the school. After trying to grasp exactly who we were to teach, their level of English and knowledge and after assessing the material given us, we pretty much came to the conclusion that we had a major uphill struggle ahead of us. Fortunately for everyone involved, we had my laptop and a school provided computer in which we had unlimited access to during the duration of the seminar. We also were pleasantly surprised to discover we had a laser printer and after finding the CD and drivers for it, installed them on my laptop giving both of us a computer and printing capability. It was a good thing too, as from that point forward, we spent many additional hours cranking out material and lessons for the group that we soon discovered were a very mixed level of learners, with an extremely wide difference in their knowledge and use of the English language. What was interesting to find as we proceeded into our discovery techniques was that many of the teachers had been 'drafted' into teaching English. It seems that there is a large shortage of the required number of teachers and that teachers from other disciplines are 'asked politely' by their schools to 'volunteer' to assist the schools in meeting this requirement. Obviously, a teacher trained in math's and sciences is probably not the most qualified teacher to be teaching English. This was one of the main reasons for this seminar being funded by Thailand's Ministry of Education. Ajarn Stephen Fillner along with the wonderful staff of the English department at Bangpleeratbumrung School. The saving grace for me personally was the assistance we got from the English department's staff, teachers and directors. They were extraordinary and considering they continued their teaching duties, went way beyond the call of duty. Each day consisted of Stephen and I arriving at the school before 07:30 where we started preparing more lessons for each day's 6 hours of classes, with our teaching workload evenly divided at 3 hours each. He got the 1st session with my 1.5 hour class ending at 12:15. Each day's lunch break was a dining experience. As the trainers, we were afforded the honor of setting with other staff members and the department and school's directors. This basically meant we didn't have to stand in line with the seminar's 100 teachers to get our lunch as it was already on our table when we went downstairs to the open air 'banquet'. Each day's delicacies were different consisting of curry dishes, fish, chicken and pork over rice. There were usually fresh fruit plates followed by some type of Thai sweet dessert. If our plate was empty (which it was often) it was immediately filled again. I swear I must have gained 5 kilos from eating these wonderful lunches! My last class ended each day at 4:30 PM and after taking a break in the SEAR center office where we always went to prepare classes before our sessions. This office which was a short distance down the hall from the main conference room on the 7th floor was very comfortable, being well equipped with a computer, a laser printer and air-conditioning. The first weekend arrived and I bolted for Bangkok. Some of my friends were in town and I needed a break. Catching a motorcycle taxi to Highway 3 (3 kilometers and 15 Baht), only a few minutes later I was in a taxi headed north from Bangplee to Bangna and than down Sukhumvit to the first Skytrain station at On Nut. Traffic along the stretch is always bad (although getting better as construction on the interconnects from the elevated section continues) so I opted to head up onto the elevated section of this portion of the road. It costs more but it shaves off a good 30 minutes and sometimes more by doing this. If the driver knows the 'back way' onto Sukhumvit before the toll way entrance at the end of the highway, you can make it to On Nut for around 100 Baht. If he doesn't, you fare is around 150 Baht. The saving grace for me in getting around Bangkok over the past 5 years has been the Skytrain or as more commonly known amongst Thai taxi drivers, the 'BTS'. I base all work and living in Bangkok around the BTS system footprint. If I can't get somewhere by Skytrain, I just don't go, and now with the new subway system interconnecting with the Skytrain, there has been an even larger area in which one can get around this monster of a city and its traffic problems. Hard to fit 3,000 students into a single photo, even from the 7th floor! The weekend consisted of a lot of pool (or if you prefer, billiards), a ton of laughs and a bit of beer but unfortunately it ended way to quickly and Sunday night found me once again back in my humble surroundings in Bangplee. Monday once again arrived all to quickly and once again, Stephen and I were walking onto the school grounds, passing the assembled 3,000 students and teachers. Things had settled down by the time of the second week and the beginning of this Monday started and ended with all smiles, from us, the seminar staff and the trainees. Amazing what a little prudent preparation and coordination can accomplish. Unfortunately, communication is a difficult and sometimes impossible problem when dealing with events such as these in Thailand. The times and list is endless for myself over the years and even though it has gotten easier for me to accept this, if you are the person in the middle of the mess, as I have been often, no less difficult to manage and deal with. A photo taken during the 1st Friday morning's student fair. From left to right are ajarns: dsfas, dfasdf, myself, dfdsaf and The second week consisted of a lot more personal contact with both staff and teacher trainees. Small gifts started appearing here and there and as the week progressed, countless photos were shot, usually with Stephen and myself (or both) becoming the subject of the camera. Along the way I had been taking photos of the sessions along with pictures of the school and students as I usually do. Some of the staff asked for a CD of the photos which I gladly provided but was somewhat surprised to discover on Thursday morning several dozen photos laid out along two tables as well as being posted to a white board at the back of the room. Along with each photo was a number. Stephen signing photos of himself for some of his many fans! This surprised me a bit as I soon found out the photos were now for sale. Actually some had come out quite nice. It was funny to discover the next morning after one of the staff showed me the list of photos ordered that one photo of Stephen had gotten the most orders with 23, followed by one of me with 22! Damn, I thought it was suppose to be age before beauty! At the end of the previous week I had been asked to prepare a final exam consisting of 15 questions and to have it ready on Monday. I found out on the following Wednesday that both Stephen and myself would be giving this exam during the later part of our Thursday afternoon sessions, the day before the seminar was to end. As I suspected, we were told we would be assisted with the test grading and would not have to do it ourselves. After the tests were given and collected, I never say them or their results again. I guess everyone passed... The routine was consistent by now and as Friday morning approached, we wondered what time things would actually finish. At lunch on Friday we got part of the question answered with both of us being asked to attend a party that night which we both had to refuse as both our visas were expiring that weekend and we needed to make our ways to the Cambodian border. Lunch was once again an experience with only the last class of the seminar's two weeks being cancelled (mine!) for a graduation and gift presentation ceremony....along with another photo session consisting of hundreds of pictures and dozens of cameras. Before the ceremony however, Ajarn Sanjay arranged all the teachers by their number so they could be awarded their certificate according to some master list which was detailed by this number. After the seat rearrangement, there was a practice session on how to receive the certificate from the official from the education ministry official making the presentation. Things were suppose to commence at 3PM but the 3 officials were slightly late so things actually got started around 3:15. After the traditional speeches, I was honored at being the 1st recipient of a seminar certificate. Fortunately I had watched the previous practice from the teachers and as I made my way from my chair behind the officials who were seated on the couch next to the stage, did a sharp turn in front of the ministry official, did my traditional folded hands Thai 'wai' (pronounced 'y') and while being presented my award and gifts, had the usual photos taken while this was happening. This was the start of over 100 similar awards and gifts along with the mandatory photos of each, ending about an hour later with once again, another round of photos for staff and teachers. I had joked with Stephen earlier that day to be prepared for at least an hour of photos and that was pretty much what happened. After thanking everyone and packing up my materials, computer and gifts, I made my way back to my apartment where I quickly changed into more casual street clothes and following the procedures from the previous weekend, was once again making winging my way into the concrete jungle of what a very famous song once called, 'Bangkok, Oriental City....'. Those that know the song, know what I mean and where I went... Peace Charlie From left to right, Ajarns Pornpan Sukpol, Busara Jeedlumduan and Orchon Klinjan, teachers from the English Department at Bangpleeratbamrung School and wonderful assistants to both Stephen and me. Some additional notes for fellow native speaker English teachers: Make 100% sure the materials you are getting are in English as you are often confronted with a situation where there is little to no English in what you are given. Make sure you agree to an hourly wage to teach these type of seminars. In my case, although I was paid the amount agreed to of 600 Baht per teaching hour, I spent more than double the teaching time preparing for each session without any compensation whatsoever. Getting anyone to pay for preparation time is practically impossible so ask for an hourly teaching wage that is appropriate for your efforts, qualifications and time. Make sure you survey or ask about your seminar/camp accommodations as it can get very primitive. If you hear the word 'camp', be prepared to be sleeping on the floor and fighting off the mosquitoes. Many times you will find out that 'camp teaching' is an all day job consisting of at least 6 hours. If you do not agree to a wage prior to your arrival, 500 Baht a day will be the amount paid by a head-hunter. If you go direct with a school, 1,000-1,500 is readily agreed to. Be extremely wary of companies who might appear to act as 'educators' which are in fact nothing more than head-hunters or recruiters. There are some smooth operators out there with things haven gotten so bad with some of these outfits and their lack of ethics that some of the political parties here in Thailand in the last general election were stating they would outlaw such companies if elected. Anyone signing on to teach at a Thai school will most probably work through one of these outfits. Be aware their margin for such a contract exceeds 100%. In most cases, you are making less per month than those that get you the contract. Most of the time, even though certain clauses clearly state in English that you will get this bonus or that bonus, reality is you will be hard pressed to see it. Everything is based on trust here as you have no legal rights without a work permit...and they know it! Although not being paid is a major problem in places such as Cambodia, being paid late does often happen in Thailand. Even though you are expected to wait a month to get paid, often times, it actually comes later with some excuse like 'the school hasn't paid us'. Obviously your payment should not be attached to their ability/inability to collect their receivables or accomplish their portion of a contract which you are part of. If at all possible, and you find a school or location you like, go directly to the head of the English department and ask for a position. There is a very good chance you will get it and actually make more than working through a recruiter. Do not expect a recruiter to assist you with any paperwork. Work permits seldom appear and getting them to pay for a visa prior to the work permit will not happen. Period! A work permit is only as good as the visa it is attached to. You go to Laos for a 90 day visa and if you should actually get a work permit, the work permit starts and finishes on the start and stop dates of the visa. Getting a 1-year, multiple-entry 'B' (business) visa is next to impossible in countries bordering Thailand and I am not aware of this ever happening. For me, I have obtained 3 1 year visas in Holland and 1 in Chicago and 1 in Washington, D.C. 5 total that I can remember during the 14 years I have been in and out of Thailand. Some will try to tell you that a work permit comes first and a visa comes second. They are wrong. The following list was provided to me by Ajarn Pornpan's students during the Friday morning student fair while teaching at the teacher's seminar. English for Professional Communication http://ec.hku.nk/epc/ English Grammar on the web http://wwwgsu.edu/wwwesl/egw/grlists.htm English Club www.englishclub.net English for Geologists http://bezzi.colletta.it Educational Testing Service Network www.ets.org/prep.html English Exercise On-Line www.smic.be.smic5022 Dr. Richard Doneskey's writing review pages www.geocities.com/collegepark/bookstore/2142/grammar Editorial Eye Index www.eeicommunications.com/eye/eyeindex.html Dillion's Online Vocabulary http://people.ne.mediaone.net/tomdillion/index.html Dog Hause www.doghause.com Cottage Education Corporation-English Exercises www.cottage-educaiton.org/tests/english/englishindex.html Cutting Edge Call http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/chorus/call/cuttingedge.html Collins Cobuild http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk Comenius English Language Center www.comenius.com Centre for Language Training and Assessment www.clta.on.ca/dhtml/default.html CNN San Francisco Learning Resouces http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/ Canadian Living English Dialogues http://canadian-living-english.freeservers.com Career Lab www.careerlab.com/letters Britspeak http://pages.prodigy.com/britspeak/probworld.html Business-Letters www.business-letters.com/sample.html

Copyright © 1998-2007
All rights reserved
Charlie Jones
mysticsailor@gmail.com

ESL Construction Terms Glossary

Construction Terms Glossary

by Ajarn Charlie

Abutment -
the outermost end supports on a bridge, which carry the load from the deck

Aluminum -
a lightweight chemical element (Al); the most abundant metallic element in the Earth's crust

Anchorage -
a secure fixing, usually made of reinforced concrete to which the cables are fastened

Aqueduct -
a bridge or channel for conveying water, usually over long distances

Arch Bridge -
a curved structure that converts the downward force of its own weight, and of any weight pressing down on top of it, into an outward force along its sides and base

Arch Dam -
a dam with an arched shape that resists the force of water pressure; requires less material than a gravity dam for the same distance

Architect -
a person who designs all kinds of structures; must also have the ability to conceptualize and communicate ideas effectively -- both in words and on paper -- to clients, engineers, government officials, and construction crews

Beam -
a rigid, usually horizontal, structural element

Beam Bridge -
a simple type of bridge, composed of horizontal beams supported by vertical posts

Bedrock -
the solid rock layer beneath sand or silt

Bend -
(v.) to curve; bending occurs when a straight material becomes curved; one side squeezes together in compression, and the other side stretches apart in tension

Bends -
(n.) see caisson disease

Brace -
(n.) a structural support; (v.) to strengthen and stiffen a structure to resist loads

Brittle -
characteristic of a material that fails without warning; brittle materials do not stretch or shorten before failing

Buckle -
to bend under compression

Buttress -
a support that transmits a force from a roof or wall to another supporting structure

Buttress Dam -
a gravity dam reinforced by structural supports

Cable -
a structural element formed from steel wire bound in strands; the suspending element in a bridge; the supporting element in some dome roofs

Cable-Stayed Bridge -
a bridge in which the roadway deck is suspended from cables anchored to one or more towers

Caisson -
a watertight, dry chamber in which people can work underwater

Caisson Disease -
an affliction developed by people moving in and out of caissons quickly; also called the bends and decompression sickness

Cantilever -
a projecting structure supported only at one end, like a shelf bracket or a diving board

Cast Iron -
a brittle alloy with high carbon content; iron that has been melted, then poured into a form and cooled; can be made into any shape desired

Civil Engineer -
an engineer who plans, designs, and supervises the construction of facilities essential to modern life

Cement -
a binding material, or glue, that helps concrete harden

Coffer -
a sunken panel in a ceiling

Cofferdam -
a temporary dam built to divert a river around a construction site so the dam can be built on dry ground

Column -
a vertical, structural element, strong in compression

Compressed-Air Chamber -
the space at the bottom of a caisson into which air is introduced under pressure to exclude water so that excavation can take place

Compression -
a pressing force that squeezes a material together

Concrete -
a mixture of water, sand, small stones, and a gray powder called cement

Construction Manager -
a person who coordinates the entire construction process -- from initial planning and foundation work through the structure's completion

Continuous Span Beam Bridge -
simple bridge made by linking one beam bridge to another; some of the longest bridges in the world are continuous span beam bridges

Core -
central region of a skyscraper; usually houses elevator and stairwell

Cut and Cover -
a method of tunnel construction that involves digging a trench, building a tunnel, and then covering it with fill

Deck -
supported roadway on a bridge

Deform -
to change shape

Diversion Channel -
a bypass created to divert water around a dam so that construction can take place

Dome -
a curved roof enclosing a circular space; a three-dimensional arch

Downstream Face -
the side of the dam that is not against the water

Dynamite -
a blasting explosive, based on nitroglycerin, but much safer to handle than nitroglycerin alone

Electrical Engineer -
an engineer concerned with electrical devices and systems and with the use of electrical energy

Embankment Dam -
a dam composed of a mound of earth and rock; the simplest type of gravity dam

Engineering -
a profession in which a knowledge of math and natural science is applied to develop ways to utilize the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of all human beings

Environmental Engineer -
an engineer who designs and operates systems to provide safe drinking water and to prevent and control pollution in water, in the air, and on the land

Fire-Setting -
an ancient tunneling technique in which rock is heated with fire and then doused with cold water, causing the rock to fracture

Force -
any action that tends to maintain or alter the position of a structure

Geodesic Dome -
a dome composed of short, straight pieces joined to form triangles; invented by Buckminster Fuller

Geotechnical Engineer -
an engineer who evaluates and stabilizes foundations for buildings, roads, and other structures

Gravity Dam -
a dam constructed so that its great weight resists the force of water pressure

Gunpowder -
any of several low-explosive mixtures used as a blasting agent in mining and tunneling; the first such explosive was black powder, which consists of a mixture of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal

Iron -
a chemical element (Fe); one of the cheapest and most used metals

Joint -
a device connecting two or more adjacent parts of a structure; a roller joint allows adjacent parts to move controllably past one another; a rigid joint prevents adjacent parts from moving or rotating past one another

Load -
weight distribution throughout a structure; loads caused by wind, earthquakes, and gravity, for example, affect how weight is distributed throughout a structure

Masonry -
a building material such as stone, clay, brick, or concrete

Mechanical Engineer -
an engineer who applies the principles of mechanics and energy to the design of machines and devices

Monolithic Dome -
a dome composed of a series of arches, joined together with a series of horizontal rings called parallels

Movable Bridge -
a bridge in which the deck moves to clear a navigation channel; a swing bridge has a deck that rotates around a center point; a drawbridge has a deck that can be raised and lowered; a bascule bridge deck is raised with counterweights like a drawbridge; and the deck of a lift bridge is raised vertically like a massive elevator

Nitroglycerin -
an explosive compound made from a mixture of glycerol and concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids, and an important ingredient of most forms of dynamite

Perimeter -
the distance around the outside of a shape

Pier -
a vertical supporting structure, such as a pillar

Pendentive -
a triangular shape that adapts the circular ring of a dome to fit onto a flat supporting wall

Pile -
a long, round pole of wood, concrete, or steel driven into the soil by pile drivers

Pile Driver -
a noisy machine that repeatedly drops a heavy weight on top of a pile until the pile reaches solid soil or rock or cannot be pushed down any farther

Plastic -
a synthetic material made from long chains of molecules; has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure

Pressure -
a force applied or distributed over an area

Reinforced Concrete -
concrete with steel bars or mesh embedded in it for increased strength in tension; in pre-tensioned concrete, the embedded steel bars or cables are stretched into tension before the concrete hardens; in post-tensioned concrete, the embedded steel bars or cables are stretched into tension after the concrete hardens

Richter Scale -
used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake; introduced in 1935 by the seismologists Beno Gutenberg and Charles Francis Richter

Rigid -
(adj.) ability to resist deformation when subjected to a load; rigidity (n.) the measure of a structure's ability not to change shape when subjected to a load

Rock Tunnel -
a passage constructed through solid rock

Shear -
a force that causes parts of a material to slide past one another in opposite directions

Shear-Walls -
solid concrete walls that resist shear forces; often used in buildings constructed in earthquake zones

Silt -
sediment particles ranging from 0.004 to 0.06 mm (0.00016 to 0.0024 inch) in diameter

Soft-Ground Tunnels -
a passage constructed through loose, unstable, or wet ground, requiring supports to keep the walls from collapsing

Span -
(n.) the distance a bridge extends between two supports; (v.) to traverse a specific distance

Spillway -
an overflow channel that allows dam operators to release lake water when it gets high enough to threaten the safety of a dam

Spire -
an architectural or decorative feature of a skyscraper; the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat includes spires but not antennae when calculating the official height of a skyscraper

Stable -
(adj.) ability to resist collapse and deformation; stability (n.) characteristic of a structure that is able to carry a realistic load without collapsing or deforming significantly

Steel -
an alloy of iron and carbon that is hard, strong, and malleable

Stiff -
(adj.) ability to resist deformation; stiffness (n.) the measure of a structure's capacity to resist deformation

Story -
floor of a skyscraper

Strong -
(adj.) ability to carry a realistic load; strength (n.) the measure of a structure's ability to carry a realistic load

Structural Engineer -
an engineer who investigates the behavior and design of all kinds of structures, including dams, domes, tunnels, bridges, and skyscrapers, to make sure they are safe and sound for human use

Suspension Bridge -
a bridge in which the roadway deck is suspended from cables that pass over two towers; the cables are anchored in housings at either end of the bridge

Tailings Dam -
a dam, usually made of earth and rock, used to contain mining waste

Tensegrity -
an array of tension cables and compression rods that supports a structure; invented by Buckminster Fuller student Kenneth Snellson

Tension -
a stretching force that pulls on a material

Tension Ring -
a support ring that resists the outward force pushing against the lower sides of a dome

Torsion -
an action that twists a material

Tower -
the vertical structure in a suspension bridge or cable-stayed bridge from which cables are hung; also used loosely as a synonym for the term skyscraper

Truss -
a rigid frame composed of short, straight pieces joined to form a series of triangles or other stable shapes

Tuned Mass Damper -
a mechanical counterweight designed to reduce the effects of motion, such as the swaying of a skyscraper in the wind or in an earthquake

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) -
a mechanical device that tunnels through the ground

Tunnel Shield -
a cylinder pushed ahead of tunneling equipment to provide advance support for the tunnel roof; used when tunneling in soft or unstable ground

Unstable -
characteristic of a structure that collapses or deforms under a realistic load

Upstream Face -
the side of a dam that is against the water

Wood -
a common natural material strong in both compression and tension

Wrought Iron -
an iron alloy that is less brittle than cast iron

2007 Baden-Baden Germany Oldtimers Classic Car Show

2007 Down the Mekong-Chiang Klong, Thailand to Pakbeng, Laos

Chiang Klong

OK, I thought, here I am, what next? Taking a look about me and looking back at the guesthouse we just passed, I figured it looked as good as any and as it was closer, maybe even better! Throwing my rucksack over my shoulder, I hiked back the few hundred yards and entered the well kept yard of the establishment.

I went through the guesthouse and could find no one. I kept yelling ‘hello’ to anyone who could hear me but no one was answering so I went back to the street and the shop in front where eventually a man poked his head out from the back of a shop and we communicated that he was the guesthouse owner and I wanted a room.

He told me he had a room with a fan for a 100 Baht with a fan and ordered his son who had now appeared as well to show me the room. I got the immediate sense that this man was all business and his son was somehow intimated by him although he was most probably 17 or so.

Anyway. The son showed me the room and after making comments like it is so hot (not exactly salesman material), I said it looked fine and would do for what I needed, a cold shower and a night’s sleep.

After grabbing my shower, I went back out front to pay where the elder man and I started a conversation about visas and ferries to Luang Prabang in Laos. Seemed to the point and straightforward telling me his prices were the lowest in town so being in a good mood after a day’s traveling through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and having survived it, I gave him the 2,500 Baht that was needed for the Laos visa and the 2 day boat trip down the Mekong into Laos.

It was then after giving him my passport that he turned around and called me ‘Captain’. I looked at him with stunned surprise and asked him why he called me that? He said it says it on your visa and that I worked as a pilot.

I thought to myself, it really says that as I had gotten a visa some years ago in Cambodia when I was working as a first officer for a defunct airline in Thailand and they sent me there to get a visa to work. I guess what had happened is they did put the visa in and in Thai indicated where I worked and what I did. OK, I thought, yes I was but I was thinking to myself why did he want to know this? That information came shortly as he soon started to tell me his son was going to be an air traffic controller and could I help him?

I explained to him that more important then anything at first was could the boy speak English and if so, what were his scores on the TOEIC? As the boy was standing there and was unable or unwilling to speak, I tried to tell the man that maybe a good way to get into that profession was through the Thai Air Force. It seemed however he had other plans for this lad and it eventually came out he was sending him to Chiang Mai for English classes and somehow, that was the ticket into this profession that I suspect he had chosen for his son, for whatever reason.

Being as helpful as I could, I gave him my email and phone numbers which were on the name card I always carry around Asia as well as a good friend who was also working as a Captain down in Bangkok. It seems however the slight issue about the need for a very high English score to enter the profession was somehow to be sidestepped by the Thai style thinking of it isn’t what you know, but who you know that gets you the job. In Asia, anything is possible I guess…..

May 11, 2007 - The Crossing

This part was not easy and the Laos side people made it a pain in the ass, as it turns out there are a lot of people getting a slice of the 900 Baht I paid for the 2 day ticket on the ‘slow boat’ to Luang Prabang.

Getting stamped out of Thailand started with a bit of a start as the immigration guy was saying my Thai visa expired in 2000! Now wait a minute I thought, what in the hell is this guy talking about as I just got it in Amsterdam a few weeks ago and on top of that my passport was issued in 2001! I looked at the passport and saw the problem; he was reading the Dutch written ‘8’ as a ‘0’. Problem solved, and with a smile I handed him back the passport and after the necessary exit stamp, off I went down the dirt ramp to my…boat?

Hmmmmm…..where is the boat? All I could see were numerous river ferry longtails and the girl who was touting rides across the river wanted me to pay 10 Baht each for each bag. This is rather odd I though but eventually figured out we needed to cross the Mekong and clear Laos immigration where we would board the river ferry downstream.

That part was easy and after getting stamped into Laos there were a couple of folks on the Laos side who told us to put our bags together and eventully we were escorted to our first of what became 3 more stops before getting on the boat.

Once again, it seemed, my paperwork was missing or lacking and they asked me for my ticket. What ticket I asked as I had a receipt but no one said anything about a ticket. The girl was very firm, no ticket, no boat. With a grin and my typical sarcasm, I said no problem, I’ll walk. She said you can’t do that. I said yes I can and we went back and forth with this fencing match. Obviously, someone, somehow thought they had a way figured out to make me pay again……but wait!!!

Me……I have a phone!

Her……You have a phone?

Me…….Yes I do and it is Thai!

Her…….You have a Thai phone?

Me……..Yes, and I bet you know the number of the guesthouse I stayed in.

Her……..Why yes I do and it is here on my Laos phone but it is too expensive for me to call, we have to use your phone.

Me……..Sure, I said, no problem, please call them.

After the call, by writing my name, guesthouse and room number on a piece of paper, somehow magically I no longer needed a ticket.

Busted!!! One more scam that got pulled apart.

OK. Back to getting on this ferry. As we waited in yet another place another young lad said he wanted our passports for yet another police check. Another one I asked? Don’t you think having been stamped into the country only an hour ago and having had 3 people check my passport since then was enough? Another? I said no.

Once again, I stated I am not giving my passport to some stranger I have never seen to go somewhere to do something that made no sense. If he wanted my passport, he could take me along with him. Eventually, he reluctantly agreed and we made our way down the hill, past a gate crossing the road, up another hill that overlooked the ferries where there was some type of ‘official’ looking office that in English indicated it was a station for health checks…for AIDS, HIV, bird flu, SARS,…..god only knows what I guess.

I bought some cookies and some water from a girl who said there was nothing on the boat to buy which as it turned out was an outright lie, but at least I was covering my bases.

Eventually, our cattle are herded down to a boat which has obviously seen better days, even in comparison to the other similar ferries we were rafted up against.

I settled down towards the rear of the passenger section after throwing my rucksack on an ever increasing stack of bags behind the engine towards the stern. I figured the plastic chair was as good as it was going to get as the wooden benches looked as comfortable as a school detention room bench and after a quick glance around, noticed that none were attached to the deck. Guess this vessel could carry pigs and chickens as well as humans, depending on the moments needs.

The engine itself was quite interesting but what made me smile when I first saw it was the offerings to the engine god that were placed on top of it during the entire boat trip. No sense any pissing anyone off and covering all your bases is a good thing. God how I love Asia!

The boat is full but we don’t leave. More people come and the boat is fuller, and we still don’t leave. We wait some more, more come. This continues for another hour and the boat is not just full, we are now jammed in like sardines. Oh joy I thought, 2 days going down a river jammed to the gills with humans. This was not part of the plan…

I also did forget to mention that at the ‘health inspection station’ there was a sign in the local language that indicated tickets for this journey were 95,000 kip and yes, you guessed it, significantly cheaper than the 900 Baht ticket I paid for but didn’t get. The exchange rate is a loose affair in these parts and depending on whom you change money with and with what currency, it is a very fluid thing as they seem to really like US dollar for reasons I will never understand as well as Baht but Euro exchange rates are HORRIFIC!!!! Buyer beware.

A rough rule I used in these exchanged was 5000 Laotian Kip for 20 Baht and 10,000 Kip to the USD. The official rates in Luang Prabang were:

273 kip to 1 Baht

9,550 kip to 1 USD

11,900 kip to the Euro but travel agencies will only exchange Euro to $$$ at 1.16 instead of the market exchange of 1.37. Ouch!

As I listen to the conversations around me, I hear journey times to our evening destination of Pakbeng as ranging from 5-8 hours. Seems no one really knows for sure and maybe that is because each trip is different depening on the number of stops for those getting off and on and the river conditions itself.

At 11:30 the boat from Dantes departs and a sign off to port (left side) indicates 332.0 km Houei Sai. As it turned out, this was the only sign indicating any position, anywhere on this river I saw and I looked everywhere.

By the way, did I mention there were no life jackets, rafts, chains or anchors? What the hell I guess, when running down a river for days with no markers or bouys or charts, why the hell would you need a life jacket if we hit a rock in the rapids and the boat sinks? Silly me.

Ok. We made it down the Mekong though some interesting waters the 1st day and managed to squeeze between boats moored on the steep banks of a village called ‘Pakbeng’. I was tired and just didn’t want to deal with the touts that flooded the boat trying to sell this or that guesthouse, and as usual, from the moment you enter Laos, everyone, everywhere is trying to sell you dope of one form or another, whether it is pot or opium, or something in between.

Anyway. I looked at the faces of those selling their wares and picked a girl that looked calm and happy and asked her if she had a guesthouse. She said she did and it was very clean and only a minute away up the hill. Taking her up on her offer, I made the climb and as promised was delighted to find a 7 room, newly built place with 2 floors that was beautiful! Wow! And only 200 Baht with a fan…..but as I was getting the key the owner said the electric went out at 10:30 and handed me a flashlight.

As I started to climb the stairs and about half way up to the 2nd floor I stopped and thought, wait a minute, no electric? Does that mean no fan? Of course it does you idiot I thought…and shrugged my shoulders and went on up to my room for a shower from heaven as I was soaked in sweat from the days trip.

The evening was pleasant enough having hooked up with other travelers for a dinner and beers at an Indian restaurant. Afterwards, and Irish couple wanted to have another beer before ‘lights out’ so we strolled down the street to a café where just after opening a cold ‘Beer Lao’ we watched and listened to a fight from a couple who owned the restaurant across the street.

It seemed the wife got pissed when the husband, obviously drunk, pick up their toddler and throw him across the room. That started a screaming and crying and beating event that lasted for awhile until other villagers eventually intervened and pulled the two apart as all this noise was bad for business! After the show, I had had enough of Laos for one day and went off back to my room.

After I turned out the light I laid there for a bit listening to the fan and at 10:30 I noticed that the electric was still on……but off it went at 10:45 and the village went black and silent…..with only the musical of the geckos and crickets to be heard………

May 12, 2007 – Pakbeng to Luang Prabang

………..to be continued……….a hint……the boat gets smaller and passengers increase…