Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Jun 29/01) - An interest in seeing more of the world is leading Christine Skenderis on a big adventure.
Skenderis, who has taught at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school since November, is preparing to start teaching in Thailand this August.
"I'm interested in seeing another culture, and picking up some of the language," Skenderis said.
"I'm just getting into Buddhism right now, so that will be an ideal place to learn a bit more about it, and the practice of it," she said.
"I don't want to say I'm going for religious reasons, but that was one of the reasons I chose to go there."
Skenderis lived in Australia when very young, before her family moved to Hamilton, Ont. She got her teacher training in Australia and taught for two years in Fort Hope, Ont. before she came to Inuvik.
Skenderis has had an interest in going to Thailand for the past two years, and got the job after emailing schools there. She will teach kindergarten at the Lanna International School in the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.
Skenderis will teach in English.
"Because it's an international school, there will probably be kids from all over the world."
Skenderis is researching Thailand more and has talked to some people who have been there.
"It's really an inexpensive place to live, apparently, and the people are nice and friendly," Skenderis said.
"The language is very different than English. It's a different alphabet, totally."
She said that from what she's heard, the people are still quite traditional.
"They haven't really been influenced a lot by western culture yet."
Skenderis said she's feeling nervous but excited too. She also confessed she will miss Inuvik.
"I'll miss walking down the street, talking to people I know, saying hi to strangers. It's a nice community and I'd like to come back, maybe after Thailand," Skenderis said.
"I've met a lot of really interesting people, and the staff at SAMS is amazing."
