The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

good2bhappy · 18-08-2008, 12:29 PM

thats why I love TD

bruceveld · 18-08-2008, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by good2bhappy

thats why I love TD

lol glad we are here to entertain you!

I get PM's and stuff saying I should just ignore it because the idiots are "just jealous". Hey if I were Bill Gates or Michael Jordan I would figure it comes with the territory but I just run a freaking TEFL course.... I simply do not deserve all this attention.

Nawty · 18-08-2008, 08:13 PM

There is nothing wrong with home schooling if it is done right.

In outback Australia many hundreds of kids are educated by 'school of the air' not even have teachers present.

Others are educated with a governess or such and any combination of the above.

Many of these kids turn out well educated, many go from primary school like this onto very good boarding schools and excel.

So what is being discussed here is bascially the same and can be done I guess. But as I said before, hiring one person as a teacher for 30k baht a month who is good at all aspects of teaching would be hard to come by.

But I may just try this myself one day, get a nice little swedish backpacker teacher for a year at a time. Build a sauna and jacuzzi as well.

Smeg · 18-08-2008, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceveld

Smeg, the nearest international school (one hour drive from my house--BY CAR) is not a good school. ISB is one thing. This school is not ISB.

I can honestly say my kids are doing well. They are bright, inquisitive, intelligent, and socially well rounded. If this is because of or in spite of their education, we will never know.

Do you deny that they are having to put up with a highly economised and disjointed education simply because YOU want to live in a developing world country and can't/won't pay out for the type of school they could go to in the US?
Do you not see the irony in a guy who advertises a school which charges $1590 per month who himself limits his own kids' educational investment to $80 per month each?

bruceveld · 18-08-2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smeg

Do you deny that they are having to put up with a highly economised and disjointed education simply because YOU want to live in a developing world country and can
t/won't pay out for the type of school they could go to in the US??

Do you DENY? Sorry, Smeg but this is not a trial of Bruce. I could do anything I wanted and it would be none of your f$#%ing business. So my suggestion would be to change the tone of your questions next time or you will NOT get an answer.

Please realize that my wife is Thai and my children are dual citizens. While they have visted the US for a total of 9 months, they have spent the vast majority of their lives here and my wife and youngest daughter STRONGLY PREFER living in Thailand and are not in the least bit interested in moving to the US. My two sons are certainly very happy here and while the oldest sometimes says he would like to live in the US, he is also very happy in thailand. If there is any of the five that would like to spend more time in the US it is me. So it does not seem to be a very accurate portrayal you are painting to begin with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smeg

Do you not see the irony in a guy who advertises a school which charges $1590 per month who himself limits his own kids' educuational investment to $80 per month?

And another warning. Lets completely avoid who I am here and what I do. Its not the subject at all. Don't bring it up in this thread or, again, you will not get the courtesy of a response.

But I will cut you JUSt a bit of slack this time. Apples and oranges. One month specialized intensive course to 12+ years of education. Vocational training to traditional education. Shall I go on?

For me, as their father, my primary goal is to have them be prepared for study in a US university. This seems to be working. next I want them to be happy and well rounded. Again, this seems to be working. Next, because they are Thai, I want them to retain their ability to speak, read and write in Thai and to retain their Thai culture. Again, this seems to be working.

If ISB were right next door I could not afford it anyway. And if I could I would be very concerned about drugs and social problems. Would I send them anyway if it were free and right next door? Probably.

But ISB is NOT right next door and the nearest international school, while technically affordable is still quite expensive (with three kids I believe it would be $30,000 per year and that is half my salary) and too far for a daily commute anyway.

I would NEVER consider boarding school for my kids. That is an option in Thailand. but not for me. You only have them once.

Right now this (combined Thai school + home schooling) is an option that is working.

Smeg · 18-08-2008, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceveld

I could do anything I wanted and it would be none of your f$#%ing business. So my suggestion would be to change the tone of your questions next time or you will NOT get an answer.

You start a DISCUSSION thread to tell the world about your private life and how clever you are and then get shitty and start swearing when people don't agree. Headcase....

Smeg · 18-08-2008, 10:11 PM

Personally, I would NOT raise a family in Thailand unless I

1) Worked in a good international school and received free education for them
2) Had enough wealth to effortlessly send them to a school as good as they could go to in my native country
3) Worked for a multinational that paid for it.

Your hare-brained penny-pincher scheme about using thai schools and a TEFLer sounds daft to me. So sorry that you don't like my opinion.

bruceveld · 18-08-2008, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smeg

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceveld

I could do anything I wanted and it would be none of your f$#%ing business. So my suggestion would be to change the tone of your questions next time or you will NOT get an answer.

You start a DISCUSSION thread to tell the world about your private life and how clever you are and then get shitty and start swearing when people don't agree. Headcase....

Smeg, I expect more from you. Don't be a brainless jerk like a few of the others.

I started the thread because there was a long thread about international schools and how expensive they are so I decided to be helpful and tell people an alternative that they may not have thought of.

PLEASE NOTE that I did not say anything like "I welcome criticisms and personal attacks of me and of my decision by people who know nothing about the situation, especially those criticising me just because I run a TESOL course". If I did post that somewhere, send me a link, ok?

This clearly does not benefit me. Its just me participating in a public forum to help a few other people out there who might have kids like me and might be searching for options.

That still does not give you (or anyone) the right to question MY decisions with MY kids. YOu want to have a general discussion abot kids in general, great. You want to ask me questions? Fine. You want to make this some kind of Trial of Bruce, especially since you do not know me or my kids, F%$K off.

But, of course, I say that in the nicest possible way.

dirtydog · 18-08-2008, 10:13 PM

smeg whats the matter? won't kk play with you anymore

Camel Toe · 18-08-2008, 10:13 PM

What did you do to upset the Jewish Defense League? Something about students parading around dressed as Nazis?

Quote:

On 30 October 2000, President Clinton signed Public Law 106-395, the "Child Citizenship Act of 2000". This bill, which took effect on 27 February 2001, made two changes to the laws pertaining to naturalization.

* A child (under 18) -- natural or adopted -- of a US citizen, who is living in the US with his/her American parent as a permanent resident (i.e., "green card" holder), is automatically a US citizen, without any need to apply for naturalization. Children who already met these requirements as of 27 February 2001 became US citizens automatically on that date. This provision also means that a minor child of an alien permanent resident (or residents) automatically becomes a US citizen upon the naturalization of either parent.

* A child (again, under 18, and either natural or adopted) of a US citizen, who lives outside the US, can be naturalized if either a parent or grandparent has fulfilled a five-year US physical presence requirement (including at least two years after the parent's or grandparent's 14th birthday). The child (along with his/her American parent) must travel to the US in order to be naturalized, but this can be done on a temporary visit and need not involve immigration as a permanent resident. One key difference between this provision and a similar provision in Public Law 103-416 is that the child's parent or grandparent can now fulfill the US physical presence requirement after the child's birth. Under the 1994 law, US presence by the parent or grandparent after the child's birth was irrelevant.

Note, in both of these cases, that the child's US citizenship is not retroactive to his/her birth. Thus, there is still a difference between these situations and the "natural-born" cases provided for by INA 301 [8 USC § 1401].

After living in Asia for 18 years, how did you pull this off?

Smeg · 18-08-2008, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceveld

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smeg

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceveld

I could do anything I wanted and it would be none of your f$#%ing business. So my suggestion would be to change the tone of your questions next time or you will NOT get an answer.

You start a DISCUSSION thread to tell the world about your private life and how clever you are and then get shitty and start swearing when people don't agree. Headcase....

Hey dumbass, I started the thread because there was a long thread about international schools and how expensive they are so I decided to be helpful and tell people an alternative that they may not have thought of.

This clearly does not benefit me. Its just me participating in a public forum to help a few other people out there who might have kids like me and might be searching for options.

That still does not give you (or anyone) the right to question MY decisions with MY kids. YOu want to have a general discussion abot kids in general, great. You want to ask me questions? Fine. You want to make this some kind of Trial of Bruce, especially since you do not know me or my kids, F%$K off.

But, of course, I say that in the nicest possible way.

You made this thread personal, not me. You could have quite easily passed on your wonderful idea to the idiots who couldn't come up with it themself without referring to your own kids and without starting a new thread that is personal to you.

Smeg · 18-08-2008, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtydog

smeg whats the matter? won't kk play with you anymore

I used to play with bruce long before kk. I first got to know kk because (like the slimey little scumbag he is) he showed up to give bruce a kick or two when he was down after a long cyber-slog with me.

bruceveld · 18-08-2008, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smeg

You made this thread personal, not me. You could have quite easily passed on your wonderful idea to the idiots who couldn't come up with it themself without referring to your own kids and without starting a new thread that is personal to you.

Dearest Smeg:

Thank you for your worthless and pointless opinion on how you think I should have started this thread. I have noted it and will consider it carefully.

now go find another thread where you have SOMETHING to say.

BYE

bruceveld · 18-08-2008, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camel Toe

What did you do to upset the Jewish Defense League? Something about students parading around dressed as Nazis?

Quote:

On 30 October 2000, President Clinton signed Public Law 106-395, the "Child Citizenship Act of 2000". This bill, which took effect on 27 February 2001, made two changes to the laws pertaining to naturalization.

* A child (under 18) -- natural or adopted -- of a US citizen, who is living in the US with his/her American parent as a permanent resident (i.e., "green card" holder), is automatically a US citizen, without any need to apply for naturalization. Children who already met these requirements as of 27 February 2001 became US citizens automatically on that date. This provision also means that a minor child of an alien permanent resident (or residents) automatically becomes a US citizen upon the naturalization of either parent.

* A child (again, under 18, and either natural or adopted) of a US citizen, who lives outside the US, can be naturalized if either a parent or grandparent has fulfilled a five-year US physical presence requirement (including at least two years after the parent's or grandparent's 14th birthday). The child (along with his/her American parent) must travel to the US in order to be naturalized, but this can be done on a temporary visit and need not involve immigration as a permanent resident. One key difference between this provision and a similar provision in Public Law 103-416 is that the child's parent or grandparent can now fulfill the US physical presence requirement after the child's birth. Under the 1994 law, US presence by the parent or grandparent after the child's birth was irrelevant.

Note, in both of these cases, that the child's US citizenship is not retroactive to his/her birth. Thus, there is still a difference between these situations and the "natural-born" cases provided for by INA 301 [8 USC § 1401].

After living in Asia for 18 years, how did you pull this off?

Let me explain from the beginning, OK?

OK first you need to find a GIRL. GIRLS are different than BOYS. Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina. If you are already confused, ask mommy.

Next you have to have SEX. Go to Pantip and pick up some "X VDO". Watch and learn.

next you have to do THAT with a GIRL. No, really, its the ONLY way.

Finally, if you manage to do all that right, 9 months after a baby comes from her tummy.

When all that happens (and my guess is that it will be years if it ever does at all), send me a PM. I wil lbe very happy to help.

Smeg · 18-08-2008, 10:24 PM

Be seeing you then darling

Texpat · 18-08-2008, 10:27 PM

Good info Bruce.

Educating our children is important and too many options are always better than too few.

Have a green.

Smeg · 18-08-2008, 10:36 PM

^ so where is my green for highlighting the downsides that Bruce in his perfection would find it impossible to mention?

bruceveld · 18-08-2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smeg

^ so where is my green for highlighting the downsides that Bruce in his perfection would find it impossible to mention?

Several people had questions about how it was working and I answered. So far so good. After all, it wasn't working we would not continue and I certainly would not be here advocating it!

Only a few jerks tried to make this into an anti-Bruce thread.

Repent Smeg, repent!!

Texpat · 18-08-2008, 10:49 PM

Have a red smeg for being a twat.

Bruce never claimed his system was perfect, only that it seems to be working for him, for now. I'm sure others in his situation might appreciate hearing the advantages and disadvantages of alternative options.

Why are you being such a twat? Does it pain you to see people taking an imperfect situation and tweaking it to make their lives better?

18-08-2008, 12:29 PM	#41 (permalink)
good2bhappy Senior Member Last Online: Yesterday 11:44 PM Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Klong Samwa Posts: 5,304	thats why I love TD

18-08-2008, 08:13 PM	#43 (permalink)
Nawty Elite Member Last Online: Today 07:26 AM Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,977	There is nothing wrong with home schooling if it is done right. In outback Australia many hundreds of kids are educated by 'school of the air' not even have teachers present. Others are educated with a governess or such and any combination of the above. Many of these kids turn out well educated, many go from primary school like this onto very good boarding schools and excel. So what is being discussed here is bascially the same and can be done I guess. But as I said before, hiring one person as a teacher for 30k baht a month who is good at all aspects of teaching would be hard to come by. But I may just try this myself one day, get a nice little swedish backpacker teacher for a year at a time. Build a sauna and jacuzzi as well.

18-08-2008, 10:11 PM	#47 (permalink)
Smeg Thaiophile slayer Last Online: Yesterday 04:07 AM Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Land of shifty lethargic smiling retards Posts: 4,030	Personally, I would NOT raise a family in Thailand unless I 1) Worked in a good international school and received free education for them 2) Had enough wealth to effortlessly send them to a school as good as they could go to in my native country 3) Worked for a multinational that paid for it. Your hare-brained penny-pincher scheme about using thai schools and a TEFLer sounds daft to me. So sorry that you don't like my opinion.

18-08-2008, 10:13 PM	#49 (permalink)
dirtydog The Dog Last Online: Yesterday 10:58 PM Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Pattaya Posts: 34,371	smeg whats the matter? won't kk play with you anymore

18-08-2008, 10:24 PM	#55 (permalink)
Smeg Thaiophile slayer Last Online: Yesterday 04:07 AM Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Land of shifty lethargic smiling retards Posts: 4,030	Be seeing you then darling

18-08-2008, 10:27 PM	#56 (permalink)
Texpat ฝรั่งพูดมาก Last Online: Today 07:41 AM Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Nong Khai Posts: 9,772	Good info Bruce. Educating our children is important and too many options are always better than too few. Have a green.

18-08-2008, 10:36 PM	#57 (permalink)
Smeg Thaiophile slayer Last Online: Yesterday 04:07 AM Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Land of shifty lethargic smiling retards Posts: 4,030	^ so where is my green for highlighting the downsides that Bruce in his perfection would find it impossible to mention?

18-08-2008, 10:49 PM	#59 (permalink)
Texpat ฝรั่งพูดมาก Last Online: Today 07:41 AM Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Nong Khai Posts: 9,772	Have a red smeg for being a twat. Bruce never claimed his system was perfect, only that it seems to be working for him, for now. I'm sure others in his situation might appreciate hearing the advantages and disadvantages of alternative options. Why are you being such a twat? Does it pain you to see people taking an imperfect situation and tweaking it to make their lives better?

18-08-2008, 10:55 PM	#60 (permalink)
Smeg Thaiophile slayer Last Online: Yesterday 04:07 AM Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Land of shifty lethargic smiling retards Posts: 4,030