allencraig

7 hours ago, TSF said:

One activity I've done a couple of times for demos for kindy positions is do the stretchy fruit routine. You'll need half a dozen pieces of plastic fruit or flashcards. You start by pronouncing the name correctly. Ex: Mango. Have the class repeat after you a few times. Then ask the class "Could we stretch the mango?" Then stretch out the word moving your hands apart as you stretch the word....mmmmmmanananananangogogogogogo. And have the class repeat after you as you do it again. And same with other pieces of fruit...Orange, Apple, Banana, Pineapple....whatever, could also use vegetables. You can clown around a bit as you do this and greatly exaggerate everything.

 

The beauty of using this for a demo is the kids love it and find it hilarious, the whole class becomes hysterical with laughter. And management observing will love this as 'sanuk' and total class involvement are such an important factors.

 

I've used it twice for job demos and saw management nodding their heads in approval, and I was instantly offered the job. I also told this to a good friend a few years ago and he instantly got the job.

 

Good luck.

Seems fun! But my subject is math and the topic my demo has to be on is about how shapes relate to (our) lives.

Hi everyone,

Almost all of my ESL teaching has been with adult learners, but I'm about to interview for a kindergarten homeroom position at an international school.

I love kids, I'm totally comfortable with them and could make fun activities on any given topic, but I'm uncertain what schools specifically look for in a demo class. The subject is math and the topic provided is about how shapes relate to (our) lives.

I have to (also) provide an official lesson plan. Any suggestions, tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

13 hours ago, ratchetcrank said:

No TM7, just appointment and go with passport?

Yes, this is what I was told. Make appointment and just show up with a passport—although we do have to enter at the same outdoor waiting area, so who know how long they'll keep us waiting.

At that point, we'd have one week (or so) remaining of the 30-day extension we're receiving this week. So it's depending on what announcement they make between now and then that will determine what the next steps are next month. I assume they'll allow us to continue doing 1-month extensions with embassy letters until the borders fully reopen.

<removed>

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

@allencraig

 

Did you have to pay 1900 baht for the extension or was it free?

Oh, I definitely had to pay! But they said when I return for the final week there would be no additional payment necessary. So it's the usual 1900thb.

50 minutes ago, Jackcwba said:

I’ve seen conflicting reports that the extension date starts from the 27th September and then people saying it starts from the day you apply... which is it....

 

 

It's starts from the 27th.

38 minutes ago, WhateverDude said:

We went to Samut Prakan (Pak Nam) immigration today. We both got "under consideration" stamps that say to come back on October 14th for the "final" extension stamp. I asked if I can come back sooner, and they said to only come back on the 14th unless there is another official announcement.

So all told, my current "extension" is good for just shy of 3 weeks. For good measure, I will likely be going back with a new embassy letter for October, just to stay "officially" covered somewhat.

A little off topic, but can anyone living in bkk go to Samut Prakan immigration office? It would so much easier for me transportation-wise.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

1. The main office is the Immigration Bureau that located at Soi Suan Phlu.

 Chaeng Wattana is under Division 1 of immigration that is under the immigration Bureau.

2. Division 1 will just check that all the required documents and approve it. It is just a double check.

3. The report back date is just a estimate of how long it will take for approval plus a little for delays. It might be approved sooner and you could check with immigration to find out if it was ready.

Ah, interesting. Thanks for the explanation.

On April 3 this year I received a "under consideration" stamp at Muang Thong Thani too. But that ran to May 1st—just two days short of a full month so I considered it essentially a full month. That was just before amnesty.

1 hour ago, Oldie said:

Please check again - it is not only 3 weeks! If you want it longer you have to come on the last possible day of the amnesty like probably thousand others... On the other hand we are talking about a few days longer. 

This is incorrect. The extensions start on the 27th—the day after amnesty ends—and will run until the October 27th. Only I and others have to make two trips for the full one-month extension.

54 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They have been issuing a under consideration stamp for every special 30 day extension since March when they first issued them.

The extension has to approved at the division level of immigration.

 

Hm, interesting. I would have thought that

1) Muang Thong Thani/Cheangwattana is the main immigration office for all of Thailand and so top decision-makers would be there already, and

2) what else is there to approve? Is there additional information available to higher-ups that the front-line officers sitting behind computers attached to the internet don't have access to? And also,

3) What's difference between three weeks and four from their perspective?

I'm not questioning you ubonjoe, I'm more thinking outloud.

28 minutes ago, Fibonaqi said:

Why did you go to CW AllenCraig? I thought tourist visa extensions are dealt with at Muang Thong Thani. Did you do the online appointment?

Oops, sorry, yes, I went to Muang Thong Thani.

So this "30-day" extension they've promised is not so simple.

At CW today I was given a tourist visa extension not for 30 days, but only through Oct. 21—at which time I'd have to return to get a stamp for the final week. Supposedly no paperwork or additional payments needed. I did present my embassy letter, so paperwork wasn't an issue.

No one mentioned anything throughout the application process, and it was only after looking at my passport stamp that I saw I was only provided three weeks' extension.

I and a few other people were arguing the reasoning, but the immigration officials were not budging at all saying this is the case for everyone.

Does this hint at some future visa option, or is this just another nonsensical, short-sighted decision by immigration officials?

Not sure if this relates to what's being discussed, but at CW today I was given my TV extension through Oct. 21 only—at which time I'd have to return to get a stamp for the final week. No paperwork or additional payments needed.

I and a few other people were arguing the reasoning, but they were not budging at all.

...Or is this just another nonsensical, short-sighted decision by immigration officials for no real reason?

Hello Tour fans!

The free Tour live stream British-Eurosport1 page on the ShadowNet site was moved! (And 30km from today's finish! ???? )
Any suggestions for where to watch a live stream WITHOUT a VPN? (Tor Browser ExitNode edit completely doesn't work for me.)

Big thanks to anyone who has a valid link suggestion!

"sleep". I know, I know...

Hi Sheryl,
Those Harvard pages support to a small degree what you say about variations in sleep stages, but generally it does say that there IS a cycle that would normally be followed. 

I'd had an overnight sleep study done at a sleep clinic years ago in Bogotá, and had been struggling with poor sleep and daytime fatigue for years before that, so I'm somewhat familiar with my problems. 

I guess I'm just poking around for some periphery input to gauge whether my sleep problems are changing as I get older. (For the better would be nice.) I know I need to be retested and most likely get fitted for a CPAP mask. I couldn't get the mask years ago as my insurance ran out and I left the country.

Here in BKK I'm waiting to get health insurance before I visit one of the sleep centers here. I know it's a serious problem and I think about it daily. Sigh.

I know a doctor is who I should be asking, but for the moment, just in case anyone here has any experiential insight I thought I'd ask.

The setup:
I have clinical severe sleep apnea, yet I dream on occasion.
Sometimes I've dozed off for 20 minutes but have had dreams in this short time.

I have understood:
"You move through sleep in a particular order of stages to complete the sleep cycle, like steps to a dance," says Breus. One 90-minute sleep cycle consists of five stages: stage one (light sleep), stage two (full sleep onset), stage three and four (deep sleep), and REM sleep (dream sleep)."

So, my question is:
If i dream (stage 5 - REM), does that mean I have progressed through all 4 previous sleep stages?

Is it POSSIBLE to enter the dream/REM stage without the proper progression through stages 1–4?

Thanks for anyone's insights.
 

On 8/16/2020 at 11:55 AM, Pilotman said:

Our house is circa 180sqm of living space, ex outside kitchen, with a 10 x 5 metre pool. We use one air-con at night for approx 7 hours, then just fans (3). 2 fridges, normal kitchen stuff, our elect bill never exceeds 2,500 Baht.  I would say something is very wrong. 

Yes, I agree. Comparing your place and mine, If you're at 2500thb and I'm between 1000 and 1400 then somehow I'm getting screwed.

On 8/16/2020 at 11:47 AM, kenk24 said:

do you pay a premium for trendiness? 20 sq m. - is that correct... ?? closet sized? 

My rent is certainly higher than what a studio like mine would cost elsewhere, no doubt. But unless MEA charges more for condos in this tourist area, that shouldn't make a difference. I'm billed directly by MEA.

19 hours ago, kenk24 said:

does your landlord boost the bills by charging above meter rates.. this not uncommon.. 

.

is trendy a new word for tiny

No, I get billed directly from MEA and pay them directly. I cringe every time I tell anyone I live at the "Trendy" Building. 

On 8/12/2020 at 1:20 PM, Baht Simpson said:

You say a "not new" a/c. Has it been serviced? If it's old and/or the filters need cleaning it could be working overtime costing you money. 

Yes, I had it cleaned recently becuase it blows a hellofa lot of dust into the apartment. So it probably works about as good as this thing is going to work.

12 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

Shes Indian and Asian but whatever. 
 

Anywho, real fantastic pick right there. Arguably one of the most unlikeable and unprincipled of them all, but it was the obvious choice considering the state of lawlessness going on in the states.  

She's Tamil Indian and Afro-Jamaican mix. (India is considered being in Asia.)

11 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Then why is it so talked about her being "a woman of color" ? I agree though, she's American, end of story.

She's of Tamil Indian and Afro-Jamaican descent.

The high bills are a concern, yes, but more concerning is the change in schedule without equivalent reduction in listed usage.

From 7 days a week working/living at home 24/7, then a switch to 5 days a week out of the house 6am to 5pm, then minimal A/C at night (I mostly use a fan then.) With that huge change in A/C usage, my bill went from 1400 thb previous month to only 1100.

4 hours ago, taninthai said:

Bills definately seem high ,I live in 40m2 house ,big fridge freezer, 2 hot showers aday,boil kettle 2 times in the morning and run aircon 7/8 hours a night .....never at the house in the daytime.
never had a bill above 700 ,,normally 500-600 bht.

Hmm, I've only been below 300 twice in the past 8 months, otherwise I'm in 320 to 460 range—with the only difference being outside temp./A/C use. But it was 311 in the recent month I'd been out of the house all week during this "cool" season. There MUST be something amiss with my charges.