Mariah Moment

So here it is, a period of time that seemed unreachable a mere 9 months ago. We are in the throes of the last week of classes. Grading and deadlines hit at every turn while we are also struggling to soak up the last few classes left with each different set of students.

Today marked my last day with my M2 students. It's been a long year and to keep it short, I can only hope that I have changed and affected their lives in the way that these rambunctious hellions have affected mine (and I mean that with all of the genuine mirth I have within me).

Nevertheless, I sappily digress. As I said, today ended my M2 run for the 2008 - 2009 school year (or 2551-2552 if you're feeling especially Thai). The day was a mess - passing back 4 week old graded papers, having small pow-wows with students that were missing work, smiling and taking pictures with the overly-emotional girls, and trying to settle the classes down long enough to review for their inevitable final exam that will take place in the following week.

I managed to make it through the first two sections of my M2 classes undaunted and unfazed by the last class theatrics but then M2 section 2, my self-admitted favorite group of students within that grade. The first thing I noticed was that they were unusually cooperative - no bouncing off the walls, no crying, no ripping apart of worksheets with their teeth while crouched tiger-style on the desks (hey... this is Thailand). Owing it to the exhaustion of a full day's excitement, I quickly worked through the review and they dutifully took notes. At the end, I took my seat and announced into the microphone that they now had an amazing 30 minutes of free time! Their faces were blank and conveyed nothing of the unabashed joy that I would have expected from such a declaration. Finally, Anda, English-speaker extraordinaire spoke up:

"Well Teacher Star?"
"Erm... yes Anda?"
"It's the last day of our class."
"Erm... yes Anda."
"So... remember what you promised?"

What I promised?? Jeez, I know what I should remember. 13 year-old students have minds like elephants when it comes to trivial or possibly embarrassing things while these are the very students who can barely remember the homework that I announced 15 minutes earlier in class!

And then it hit me... oh sh*t. Earlier in the school year, I managed to be persuaded to participate in the school's Music day where I sang "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Jambalaya," accompanied by the post-office dude on acoustic guitar, to the glee and entertainment of the entire Chitralada school. There was a John Denver craze that hit the school for the whole of that week as students in every one of my classes begged me to sing in class for them - I absolutely refused of course! But... for my dear, precious M2 section 2 students I stupidly promised that I would sing a song for them on the last day of our class.

All these thoughts were flying through my head as Anda asked again,

"Well, Teacher Star?" Her eyes filled with the hope of youth that would, most likely, one day lie shattered at her feet but I was darned if I was going to be the one responsible for it now!

"Of course I remember Anda! I wouldn't let you guys down." I gritted through my teeth.
"Yay!!!!!" went the class, "Teacher Star is going to sing!"
"Aherm, aherm..." I coughed, I hacked, I prayed I would be struck mute at that very moment. But then, I began...

"There's a hero... (thunderous applause)...if you look inside your heart, you don't have to be afraid of what you are."

Yes.
Of all of the songs I promised to sing.
I promised this: Hero, by Mariah Carey.

I sang obediently, I trilled the high notes and roared the lows. I pulled out all of the theatrics and bravura befitting such a song and then... something happened. I started thinking of the last time I sang this song - I thought of Nina, Melanie, and Ali, my Karaoke partners-in-crime. I thought of how desperately I have missed them since their return to Germany. Then I thought of my own upcoming return to the States and how I looked forward to being home with my family and seeing my new niece. I thought of my friends back home who I longed to see and was saddened about those whom I knew I wouldn't. I thought of my life and revisited the knowledge that everything I had prepared for had been set aside so that I could... sing Mariah Carey to 13 year-old Thai students!!

And then I started to cry. I couldn't help it. It was a freaking set of water works. But then, they started to cry too... my students went crazy! We were all crying! I don't even know how it happened but suddenly they were on me, from every corner. Arms around my waist, holding my hands, wait... was Gun sniffing my skirt?? Regardless, it was probably the most emotional moment I've had to date here in Thailand and it was pretty damn special. We cleaned our faces, we laughed, we talked about our hopes for the next school year and they let me know how happy they are that I'll be back for the next term.

And you know what? Regardless of the moaning that I do from time to time, I know that I'll be so happy to come back next term to those little hellions... I mean... students. :)