When are you nervous?

I woke up today not feeling very well. Initially, I thought I ate something bad last night at the movie theater. But considering it came and went all day, I think I've just got a huge case of the nerves.

As Leila said, it's only Monday and I've already had a crappy week.

Today I started my first of two cooking camps (I have one this week and one next week).

I love cooking and I love teaching so on the surface this sounds like the best camp ever. Well, looks aren't everything.

Having 11 children in one room with sharp objects, incredibly hot cooking utensils and the threat of food-borne illness is incredibly stressful. I don't think I've ever washed my hands so many times while cooking. (Not to say I don't wash my hands while cooking, but we went OVERBOARD today.)

Then I had my last demo today. It's the last demo this class will ever have to do and it's the last demo I will ever have to do at all. Demos are always stressful even though they shouldn't be. Given that I'm leaving and so if anything had gone wrong there is nothing they could do to me I shouldn't have been so worried. Alas, my co-teacher David would end up getting all the complaints and I love David.

He's a great teacher and they don't give him nearly enough credit.

Today was also stressful because I started telling my students that I'm leaving. I told them that the class we have next week will be the last class we have together.

I expected some sort of reaction. These classes actually like me quite a bit (not to be conceited) but I think they've just been through it so many times now that it didn't have the same shock value as it would have if I were their first teacher. I guess that's a good thing though.

We'll see how it goes next week. I plan on playing games for the last 20-30 minutes of every class and told the kids they can bring snacks. I like the idea of going out on a good note.

So on top of all of that stress, I'm freaking out about my upcoming trip and getting everything done. I had the craziest dreams last night.

One even involved a triggerfish (a rather aggressive fish in Thailand) at which point I woke up making the symbol for triggerfish with my hand and kicking my feet as if I were actually SCUBA diving at the time.

Believe me, I know I have the weirdest and most vivid dreams.

However, despite all this stress and the way it is manifesting itself in my brain and my actions, I had a lot of fun today and something wonderful did happen.

I got my end-of-contract bonus today! Hooray for money to put toward my trip and living in Europe!

The secretary handed me the money and asked me to count it and make sure it was right. After I was done and signed the piece of paper acknowledging I had received it, she looked at me and asked, "Teacher, what is all the money for?"

I thought that it was hilarious that she handed me a fat wad of cash because the head office told her to and she didn't even ask them what it was for. I told her it's because I'm an awesome teacher.

By this time in two weeks, I will be in Bangkok again. I'll probably be so anxious I can't sleep.

That's my soonest dilemma. Should I stay overnight in the airport lounge or should I get a hotel for the night? Airport hotels are so expensive. Hmm, decisions, decisions.