Today was the last day of the phonics training. It was also a half day. However we still hadn’t gotten the teachers to do much Genki English teaching on their own. So we split the class in two, with me taking one group and showing them how to teach one theme whilst the other group did intensive phonics stuff, then swapping round with the other half learning a different theme. The idea being that tomorrow they can teach each other a new theme that their “students” don’t know.

I don’t know what it was though, but just splitting the class down from 75 to 35 made them all eager to ask lots and lots of questions. I also got them to teach me Urdu, which got quite a few light bulbs going off as they realised they can’t just rabbit on without giving me time to think or saying things clearly. So that was good.

Then as the, rather excellent as it happens, phonics trainer was going home today whilst the teachers were filling in their evaluation forms we got changed into Indian dress and learnt a few (very simple) dance moves. And as we walked in the teachers went mad! We had the Bollywood music going and they all got up and started dancing. If Thai teachers are the best singers in the world, the Indian teachers are heads and shoulders the best dancers. I just couldn’t believe how amazingly good they were, with their co-odinated routines, it was like being in a movie.

Then an afternoon off to start work on the writing up etc. before heading out to one of the organiser’s house for dinner. That was really kind of them and another really nice night. And if you ever get to see an Indian wedding book you should, I thought Japanese ones were cool, but our hosts’ tonight was something else. Then we got taken home in a music pumping auto-rickshaw, which confused the doormen tremendously who I guess had been expecting the mode of transport from last night again!