For most of the twelve years I taught at the school at Wat Klong, Ayutthaya, Thailand, a new school was under construction. In one of my first years there a bulldozer appeared and pushed up a high berm along the canal (klong is the Thai word for canal, thus: temple by the canal.) For some time the berm stood alone. Then slowly a new school began to take shape atop the berm. Construction proceeded in fits and starts as there was money at the wat (wat=temple). The building was finally occupied in 2020, the first year I didn't return.
None of the teachers, nor I, were keen for the new building. They had no say in the matter. The school buildings are provided by the wat so the decision is made by the head monk. The teachers and I all liked the funky, old wood school building. It had charm and character unlike the new concrete structure. It would be interesting to visit the new school. One advantage for me would be more headroom in the dining room, as I often bumped my head in the old one. Another advantage of the new one is that is farther from the highway. Thai highways are rife with loudspeaker trucks blasting at a zillion decibels. When they passed the windows of the old school, very near the highway, teaching stopped until they'd passed.
The principle of the school told me that all the teachers have had one COVID vaccine.
Takk for alt,
Al
Pictured below the old and the new buildings.
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