Last weekend, I stumbled across Phuket Municipality’s celebration marking the Mid-Autumn Festival (in Thai, Wan Wai Phra Jan -- เทศกาลไหว้พระจันทร์). Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival), it falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. This is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox when … Continue reading Mooncake Festival in Phuket
Thailand
The Second Por Tor Parade 2013
The 2013 Por Tor Festival will end tomorrow, 4th September, with celebrations centered around Phuket Town’s main fresh market on Ranong Road and the Por Tor Kong Shrine near the intersection of Kra and Phuket Roads. This past Friday, I once again joined a parade – marching in the procession that started from the Queen … Continue reading The Second Por Tor Parade 2013
Por Tor Festival in Phuket: Day One’s Procession
Today is the first day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar. It is the beginning of the annual fifteen-day period that Thai-Chinese people believe the spirits of their ancestors are released from heaven to visit their relatives. In Thailand, it is popularly known as Ngan Por Tor or the "Hungry Ghost Festival" … Continue reading Por Tor Festival in Phuket: Day One’s Procession
Phuket’s Provincial Hall
Yesterday was a rather rainy holiday in Phuket – the 64th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. A mid-afternoon break in the rain gave me the chance to take a short walk up the tree-lined Narisorn Road in northeastern Phuket Town. This is where most of the province’s government buildings are located and so is … Continue reading Phuket’s Provincial Hall
Postcrossing in Phuket
I recently rejoined Postcrossing, a project which allows users to request addresses in order to exchange postcards with other members. Upon registering, you can request up to five addresses which are assigned randomly. You write a unique identifying number on the postcards that you sent and when a user receives one of those cards, he/she … Continue reading Postcrossing in Phuket
Siam’s First Stamps
The Thailand 2013 World Stamp Exhibition opened at Bangkok's Siam Paragon this past Friday. In part, it marks the 130th anniversary of the Kingdom of Siam's first official postage stamps. The 4th August 1883 release of those first five adhesives came some 43 years following the issuance of the world's first prepaid stamps, Great Britain's … Continue reading Siam’s First Stamps
To Cambodia, Part 1: Phuket to Bangkok
As a teacher in the Thai government school system, I don’t have much of a salary during the long between-term breaks (March-May is summer vacation). Thus, I have to plan any travel very carefully and take the cheaper option whenever possible. There are easier ways to get to Cambodia from Phuket (there may even be … Continue reading To Cambodia, Part 1: Phuket to Bangkok
Kru Mark
This is my second year teaching at Piboonsawasdee Municipal School in Phuket Town. We are nearing the end of Term One and I would say that I’m generally well-liked by the majority of the students (with the possible exception of some trouble-making boys in P6 and one or two individuals in P3). Yes, all the … Continue reading Kru Mark
On Substitutions
On Tuesday morning this week I am filling in for another teacher at a different school before returning to Piboonsawasdee in the afternoon. This will be my first substitution this school year and I’m looking forward to it. It might sound odd but over the years some of my best lessons have been (often last-minute) … Continue reading On Substitutions
Writing Final Exams
At my previous school – dare I say it’s name? (Kajonkietsuksa – one of the top three schools on Phuket in terms of popularity and success) – I became somewhat of an expert at creating exams. For the mid-term and final exams we had a definite timeline for writing these, going through a rigorous approval … Continue reading Writing Final Exams
Mark Joseph Jochim 