Enjoying The Sweeter Things

This past weekend, we spent our time in Chiang Mai and were able to mix extreme sporting, friends, family, and of course food and shopping. So many of our weekends are filled with the sweeter things in life: playing with friends, exploring, beautiful sunsets, exotic food….We got in on Friday and saw 5 fellow American ESL teachers. They all work near us and we love meeting up for weekends. We’re able to share stories and laugh about work life. One friend explained how the town they live in recently put up a billboard with their picture on it. The caption translates to something like “the school with a white teacher”. It seems that I am not the only one living in a comical-circus-world.

On Friday night we went to a night market and walked around with dried fruit and beer in hand. Towards the end of the night, I was presented with a rose from LJ. I turned around, and he revealed a rose from behind his back. I heard Thais who were working at their stands, say, “Ohhhh, eyyyyy, yaaaa”. One woman started clapping and others were holding their hands to their chest, in endearment. I looked at LJ and said, “What the hell is going on?”. He said, “They think we’ve just met”. I smiled and gave him a mischievous look. Nothing like being thrown into a little improv acting! I gasped and put my hands over my mouth. “Oh my gawwd! For me?! But you’re so handsome!”. He bowed his head and I hugged him. The crowd went wild! Only kidding, just a little more clapping and Thai ladies giggling. Never a dull moment here; especially on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

On Saturday morning, LJ and I went mountain biking. It was fantastic, tiring, terrifying, and totally worth it. I was nervous at first because I have gotten used to riding a cruiser-style bike, not a forward-leaning mountain bike. I felt unsteady and like I might tip over at any moment. The instructor had everyone in the large group of 25 people ride over a small log and use the instructions we’d been given. Many people went before me and had completed the task effortlessly. How hard could it be? I got on and rode toward the log. I slammed on my breaks and slid off my seat. The man who was both a comedian and biking instructor said to me, “America! You’re embarrassing me. You get an F.”. I tried again and succeeded; nonetheless not off to a great start. We broke off into smaller groups of 8 people and went down our designated courses. Our instructor called me “America” and told LJ not to help me because I’ll only get mad at him. He had lots of wisdom and was incredibly entertaining.

I started off our biking course pretty timid but in no time I became nothing short of an adrenaline junky. I was right behind the biking guide and I felt like I was being filmed for a promotional ad on Extreme Mountain Biking. We started the course at the top of a mountain, Doi Suthep, and we made our way down the mountain. Our bikes were at a 45 degree angle for most of the ride; we rode over sand, dirt, rocks, logs, and broken roads. We dodged cars, motor bikes, and other bikers. After a few rough patches, I asked LJ if his arms, wrists, and back were exhausted and hurting. He didn’t know what I was talking about, so I brushed it off.  About 3/4ths of the way down, the instructor told us to lock our shock on the front wheel our bikes. We were going uphill and having our shock in use is counterproductive. I couldn’t lock my tire because it seemed it only had one setting: locked. I had other people help me and it happened to be that my bike was stuck in the lock setting. If you haven’t already guessed, this is not good for mountain biking. “Body shock” is what it felt like, and 3 days later it still feels that way; my body was absorbing all of the shocks instead of my tire. Although I could barely get out of bed the next day, it was a total blast. We also met a lot of interesting people in our group. There was a business man from Singapore that usually works in Hong Kong; a family of four that is from Utah but has been living in Saudi Arabia for 6 years; two women from Amsterdam, one woman from India, and one man from Africa. So many interesting stories and perspectives; they made the ride much more enjoyable.

On Saturday night, we met my cousin and his wife for drinks and dinner. They are from Arkansas and have spent a week in Chiang Mai to help friends with their business. Their friends, originally from Arkansas, started a business 3 years ago called Living Mosaics, which offers jobs to women working in the sex industry. It was so great to see family and have conversations with people who not only speak the same language but also know you as family. I talked with Katie about working in a hospital (she’s a genetic counselor) and I reminisced with Jamie about that time I tried to marry him when I was 5 years old. After drinks, dinner, and talking for several hours Katie and Jamie looked like they might fall over. It reminded me how exhausted LJ and I used to feel. Getting used to the time difference and the overwhelming change in daily life can be too much to handle some days. I think they had a lot of fun in Thailand and I was happy they were able to experience our home away from home. This weekend was another successful mix of the sweetest things in life: wonderful people and unforgettable experiences.

American teachers with our Tuk Tuk driver

Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking

Chedi Luang

Wax monk

Hottie with a body

LJ, Caroline, Jamie, and Katie

 

 

Gratitude

I have experienced and recycled many perspectives and outlooks since moving to Thailand. I have felt overwhelming joy, bouts of anger and frustration, moments of indignation, and many glimpses of how beautiful this world is. A feeling returned to me on Sunday night that I had felt so strongly when LJ and I arrived in Thailand. A concept I didn’t realize I would grow to understand so well by moving to SE Asia. It is a feeling and perspective that has crystallized for me since being here: the privilege of being a white American. Before, I would read articles about privilege and the discrepancies in wealth around the world but now, I am seeing it for myself.

On Sunday, LJ and I had a sobering conversation with a teacher from Ngao. She teaches at the private school in Ngao and is from Cameroon; her name is Maria. She has been in Ngao for 7 months and has had a very different experience in comparison to LJ and I. It was a good reminder that reality can be raw, brutal, and unfair.  Maria is fluent in French and speaks English moderately well. We have seen Maria around town but we haven’t had the chance to speak with her in depth until the other day.

LJ and I were already on the bus when we spotted Maria. She started climbing in the van and sat a seat away from LJ and I, which was the only spot open. The Thai woman sitting between Maria and I looked very uncomfortable once Maria sat down. She scooted to the edge of her seat, presumably so she wouldn’t have to touch Maria. Maria rolled her eyes and told the woman to sit in her place so she would have more room. Also Maria, LJ and I would all have an easier time conversing. Maria said in her thick French accent, “Yes, many people here are very racist. My students plug their nose whenever I walk by them. It’s ridiculous. Thais, very racist”. Unfortunately, this is something that didn’t shock LJ and I because we had already experienced the very counterintuitive phenomenon of Thai racism. One clear example of Thai racism is when a Thai teacher asked me why I voted for Barak Obama. I said, “I think he is a good man”. She responded with confusion, “But, he’s black”.

We quickly found out that Maria had been unceremoniously fired from the private school in Ngao last Monday. LJ and I were shocked and asked her why. She stated that she discussed with the principal that she needed to miss a day of school and he allowed it. She asked if she needed to fill out any papers and he told her she didn’t need to. When she returned to school, the principal asked her to leave and never come back. There was no clear explanation and he told her that she never filled out papers to be excused for one day of school. She also disclosed how much the school paid her for doing the same job LJ and I have. Maria only made 50% of what LJ and I make every month. After Maria explained the story, I was left shocked. She concluded her story by saying they would have fired her anyways; they were just waiting for a reason, waiting for her to “mess up”. After she told me this story, I had a flashback to when LJ and I arrived in Ngao. We met a teacher from the private school and she said in broken English, “I wish you teach at our school. You are better than our teacher. She is no good”. She had just met us, she had no idea if we were good teachers or if we poisoned children for fun.

As Maria explained her experiences in Thailand and her unfair termination, my head was spinning. All I could see was my students screaming my name, “Teacha CC, I love you!”, locals pointing at me and smiling, people shouting “Ohhh!” and batting their eyes when I say the words, “I’m from America”, and 80 year old women calling me beautiful as they invite me into their house. I could feel the guilt seeping through my pores; my undeserved celebrity status was haunting me in that moment. Then, I said something that only a 23 year old privileged American would utter. I asked, in all seriousness, “Maria, are you going to look for a new job?”. Her brow crinkled and she said, “what choice do I have?”. I was immediately embarrassed at how my question was so clearly laced with privilege and naivety.

I asked Maria if she would ever go back to Cameroon. She said, “No. I cannot go back yet. I need to make money to send to my family”. She explained that Thailand is more developed than Cameroon and that making the equivalent $375 usd/month is more than she could make in Cameroon. Maria talked about the government and how the president has been in power for 30 years. Later, I did a little research on him and the president of Cameroon has made many lists for “World’s Worst Living Dictators”. She said, “I am old now, 34, and I need to make a better life for my daughter”. My eyes widened and my head started spinning again. I said casually, not wanting to embarrass myself again, “How old is your daughter?”. Maria’s eyes lit up and she smiled as she said, “My daughter is 7”. She explained that her daughter is living with a friend because where Maria’s mother lives is remote and unsafe due to a lack of healthcare and resources. Maria said that she may go back to Cameroon but not until she has more to give her daughter. When I heard this, my chest tightened and my throat became full with emotion. All I could do was smile.

Our hour long conversation with Maria was one of the best things that has happened to me in Thailand. Although Maria is from Cameroon, I knew her experiences and struggles are similar to those living all around me. One of the reasons I came to Thailand was to understand the world better. To understand it’s vastness, it’s beauty, it’s struggle. To connect with people whose lives have been very different than mine. To remind me that I am in a category of people who are some of the luckiest people on the planet. The poverty, discrimination, and difficulty of life I have seen on this side of the world does not compare to the poverty, discrimination, and difficulty of life I know in America. It reminds me that Thailand is much more reflective of real world problems than what most Americans face. As I said in the beginning of this post, I never thought much about being a white American before coming here. Now, I think about it often. Last week, a Filipino teacher said in all sincerity, “I wish so much I was an American”; so casually betraying her national pride for the idea that she could be an American. It’s a reminder to all who are reading out there, you are lucky. We do not deserve the freedom, education, or healthcare anymore than the next person. There are so many people in this world, and not many have the opportunities or resources that most Americans have. Although my conversation with Maria made me sad, it also made me overwhelmed with gratitude. LJ and I were silent as we walked home from the van station. After a few minutes LJ said, “Literally, not one of my problems is as big as any of hers.” We’re learning that the world is unfair and unkind but it is also magnificent in its beauty. Every life does not have the same opportunities but whatever the situation, be grateful for yours.

Teaching in Thailand: A Farang’s Persepctive

Thailand has been an amazing adventure thus far. We have seen and done some amazing things. We have been filled with wonder and pushed way outside our comfort zone. During so much of our time here we are filled with that rush of excitement and curiosity that occurs from seeing and experiencing amazing, new things. However, the majority of our time is spent at school teaching, planning or talking with the other teachers. Our daily life has become a routine that does not really feel like an adventure anymore. In many ways this is exactly what we wanted to happen. We wanted to learn what it was like to live and work in Thailand and finally feel like the everyday is normal. Along with this normal-ness comes a whole new set of challenges that are deeper and more complex than those challenges that you experience upon first arriving in a new place. Many of the challenges we experience are related to school and how school functions.

One of the biggest frustrations for me has been the lack of actual class time students have. Many time students will come to school and then not come to class. Not because they are skipping, but because of some random 2 hour long ceremony or another school mandated function. In December we had 22 school days where the students came to school and only had classes on 12 of those days. The majority of my classes are Mattayom 6 students, the equivalent of seniors in high school. I was told on Monday last week that I would not be having classes that day because students would be studying for the compulsory national exam called the O-NET. After inquiring further I learned that I would not have Mattayom 6 for the next two weeks because of “test preparation”, which is one teacher with a microphone talking about the O-NET while ~200 students chat unaware in a large meeting room. Supposedly this will help the students focus on exam preparation, but they are really not focusing at all. This leaves me with 2 weeks of class before I have to give a final. Wouldn’t the students going to class be more valuable?

I have taught 6 full weeks out of a possible twelve and even when the entirety of a class is not missing, many individual students are missing for school-related functions. I know this happens in the states as well, but students here miss so much class. Caroline and I only see each group of students 2 times per week and with all this missed class time it is hard to string together successive lessons that actually help students progress with their English speaking ability. I feel like I am not making a very big impact and it is incredibly frustrating. Our experience in this regard is very similar to the experience of other foreign teachers we have met. I try not to generalize the entire Thai education system based on our experience, but when others have very similar stories it is hard to not generalize.

The laid-back attitude of many Thais and small Thai communities is prominent in school culture. Oftentimes, instead of teaching class, teachers will have students clean their classrooms or look at pictures or do some craft not related to the subject at all. When students skip class or do very poorly the Thai teachers just kind of laugh it off. The lack of seriousness in school makes it seem like there is a lack of rigor. Teachers do not seem to challenge students to have high expectations. Many classes are just a teacher droning on while the students half-pretend to listen. Students that are self-motivated or parent-motivated do well, but other students are not really challenged. When students are challenged they often shut down, especially when they are asked to produce an answer on their own or think critically. Teachers seem like they genuinely care about their students as people, but do not seem to care that much about their learning. It is important to have students that are good citizens, but it is also important to have students that are competent in basic academic areas.

About two weeks ago I was so furious about the Thai education system. I was so frustrated that students were wasting valuable school time on things outside of class. In my opinion sports and clubs are meant to be an after-school activity. I did not understand why teachers thought it was a better to cook a Thai meal, while letting their students work on homework. I was irritated every time something came up out of the blue and I was told I had no class or I needed to teach a class for another teacher that was absent. I wanted to write a post like this a month ago, but waited. I waited because I wanted to get over my sense of frustration that was so blinding at times that I did not see the good parts of Thai schools. It is also unfair for me to compare Thai education to American schools because they are different. Much of my frustration can be chalked up to cultural bias. I do not understand so much about Thailand, but that does not me that what I do not understand is wrong or less than.

Thais seem to get a lot right in school. Students are very rarely in bad moods, which is crazy because they are all teenagers. There are so many smiles flashing at me every day I cannot help but be uplifted and feel happy as well. Our school, Pracharatthammakhun, is known as “the happiness school.” Maybe it’s just something in the water, but Thailand is known as the land of smiles because there is such an importance placed on being happy and not stressing out over the little things. There is a deep sense of community at our school and a deep respect for teachers. I absolutely love teaching these students. When I actually get a chance to teach I am filled with a sense of purpose. The students laugh and are enthused very easily. I am taking each day as it comes and trying to notice the things that schools here do right. A little less stress and a little more fun might be a good thing in many American classrooms and schools. There are many great teachers here that I plan to observe more frequently to glean what I can. As a foreign teacher there is very little expected from you. Caroline and I joke that this will be the most laid back job we will ever have. I can watch birds from my classroom window in between classes. We have time to surf the Internet, work on videos and pictures. We typically only teach 4 hours out of the day and in those 4 hours I have a lot of fun. Other teachers are very kind and there is never a lack of food. We need to embrace the good and let the frustrations float away. I think we are finally beginning to understand, with 3 weeks left of teaching, that we’ll never quite grasp the complexities of a Thai education.

The People

Our experience in Thailand revolves around the places we have been, but more importantly around the people that we have met. So many travelers and expats cite the “friendly people” as a reason that they enjoy Thailand so much. Thais do seem to take hospitality and generosity toward strangers to a level I have not seen before. I think that this has been especially true for Caroline and myself in our small town of Ngao. Our coordinator Tanitta told me at lunch that we are famous in Ngao and they even have a name for me “soon bak soon Ngao” which apparently means something “the tallest man in Ngao.” I don’t know if that’s a nickname or just a fact because I quite literally am the tallest man in Ngao by several inches. Caroline and I would like to share a little bit about these people with all of you. Some we have only met briefly, some are like our Thai family, but all have had quite an impact on our experience.

Sam and Tanitta Soong

These two wonderful people are like our Thai parents. They give us food, take us to see amazing attractions and make sure we feel like we have a place here in Ngao. Tanitta is the head of the English department and Thai mom. She constantly brings us food after she goes to the market or if one of us is feeling ill she will give us the traditional Thai herb or food dish to cure that specific ailment. I feel so grateful towards Sam and Tanitta. They go out of their way to make sure we are happy and comfortable. They invite us over for dinner and take us out to eat. We saw the Golden Triangle and Hill Tribes with them. At times they can be a bit overbearing (like real parents), but I cannot imagine our Thai experience without them.

Kunyarot “Little”

“Little” is a student teacher in the English department and speaks English pretty well. Well enough that we can have conversations. Because of this we feel a strong conenciton to Little and often ask her questions about the way things work in Thailand. She sometimes acts as our cultural guide in school. She is also young, energetic and therefore easy to relate to. Her “good mornings” are so genuine. She is also a very good teacher.  We frequently observe her lessons and they are both educational and incredibly fun and energetic. I have learned a lot about being a teacher just from watching her.

Ting

Ting owns one of the restaurants in town, but unfortunately it is only open for lunch Monday-Friday and it is closed for every holiday. So we do not get to eat there much, which is a shame because it is our favorite restaurant in town. His “khao op sapparot” or pineapple friend rice is amazing. Every time we see Ting he shouts out in his Thai accent, “LJ, Cawoline!” and invites to have something to eat or drink. He has lured me into restaurants several times by holding up a bottle of beer and saying “only one, only one”, which inevitably leads to an hour long talking and drinking session. He loves to practice his English and absolutely loves singing American songs, particularly Rodd Stewart and Michael Buble, and he will always serenade us. He affectionately refers to me as his Thai brother.

German Man

It’s 4am, it’s 50 degrees, it’s cold, and LJ and I are standing in line at the Chiang Mai Immigration offices. We were #16 and #17 out of line with 70+ people trying to stay in Thailand legally. In the process of our grumbling and groaning we made a friend. He first got our attention because he seemed like he understood the system and that this wasn’t his first time standing in line at 4am in the morning; “those damn Thais, never been very efficient” he said as he smiled. He had a dry humor and a thick German accent; He wasn’t particularly attractive but he had a charm about him. Over our hours of standing in line he disclosed that he had been living in SouthEast Asia for over 10 years although he was never very clear why he was here or how he made a living here. He mentioned that he lived on a boat for 5 years and that he’d stayed in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bali. He told us, “No one asks me for money anymore because they know I’m just a cheap, old bastard!”. My mind started wandering when he mentioned that he had a newborn baby. He was probably around 54 years old, so I assumed that he had a child with a younger Thai woman; it’s a semi-common phenomenon here. Then another hour passed and he mentioned he had been married to his American wife for over 25 years and they were never expecting a child; she is now 47 and their baby boy Tristan is 4 months old. He said, “yeah, she’ll be here around 8am”.

In my sleep-deprived state of mind I started thinking about what his wife was like. Is she funny and dry like him? Does it look weird that she 47 and nursing a 4 month old baby? Is she pretty? Who is this lady? Naturally, 8am rolls around and LJ and are sleeping on each other’s shoulders. We are so tired that we no longer make sense and we have headaches. Our German friend chimes in, “Oh, there’s my wife”. LJ and I straighten out and open our eyes. In walks this breathtakingly beautiful, African-American woman who looks no older than 28. Honestly, she was gorgeous. She looked like Naomi Campbell’s more attractive twin or something. LJ and I still laugh about it now. We’ll say, “Remember that German man’s smokin’ hot wife?” It was the last person we were expecting to walk through those doors after talking to him for 4 hours. He was unkempt, slightly insulting, and dry and his wife was kind and beautiful; looking like a runway model with a baby. So many surprises in Thailand, and this German Man’s life was no exception.

Retired Teacher

One day while sitting at my desk, a small, elderly man walked in wearing a green beret. He is about 5 feet two inches and around 70 years old. He is usually seen carrying plastic bags that are filled with laminated photos from his travels around the world. People usually refer to him at the “Retired Teacher” or “The Ngao Millionaire”. He used to be a teacher at Pracharattamakhun but now he is retired. The Retired Teacher splits his time between travelling the world and walking around school showing people his pictures. One time, I was giving out an exam and he insisted I wait while he showed me pictures of his trip to Cambodia. Our latest encounter was him showing me pictures of his trip to Florence. He came across some of his pictures of the ever-famous David sculpture by Michaelangeo. Retired Teacher began to giggle like a child; high-pitched and gentle. The same way you’d imagine a “happy buddha” laughs. He said, “Naked but no lady, no lady!”. His eyes squinted and he put his hand on his belly as he laughed. He said, “Maybe we think he a homosexual”. The Retired Teacher is always entertaining and if he can articulate well enough, he can be quite insightful.

Oregon Biker

It’s a slow Tuesday morning when I look down the hallway and see a white-skinned, light-haired woman walking toward me. This was one of many moments where I question my own sanity. Am I hallucinating? Is this a really vivid day dream? I am the only white woman within 30 miles, who is she? She greeted me with a shy smile and said, “Hi, I’m Mellissa”. I could tell she felt a little out of sorts and she continued to tell me that she is a cyclist biking through Northern Thailand. She said she was biking through to a city but her legs were too tired, so she began following signs for Ngao, our little town. She said she was biking through the city when someone invited her into their home. Of course, none other than the overly friendly Retired Teacher. He showered her countless pictures of travel and told her that there were Americans at the local school. He offered her tired legs a place to stay for the night and brought her to Pracharattamakhun the next day. She is originally from Oregon but she teaches at an International School in Barcelona, Spain. She sat down and we talked for probably 45 minutes. It was so refreshing to have someone to talk to that was from America and shared a lot of the same perspectives. One of the first things she did was comment on the comical “English learning signs” around the school. She said, “what are those? They’re not even in correct English?”. We talked about the Thai education system, the inviting spirit of the locals, and our journeys through Thailand. She was very curious, comforting and kind. She said several times, “Wow, you’re experiencing the ‘real deal’. This place is the Real Thailand”. We said our goodbyes and I knew I’d probably never see her again. She hopped on her bike and rode off in hopes of new adventures.

Man with 33 Teeth

He runs at the local track and always approaches me as if we’re old friends. He sees me and puts his hand up in the air to give a casual wave; like we’ve been friends for years. He can only say ~10 words in English: Hello, running, karaoke, okay, and “are you happy?” but his smile is contagious. His smile radiates kindness and I believe he has 33 teeth. He has a small sliver of a tooth in between his two front teeth. Some people might be embarrassed to have an extra tooth in such an obvious place, but not this guy. I only see him smiling and he always looks so damn happy. Sometimes he runs beside me but after about 200 meters he starts to walk again. I can always count on him for a friendly, extra-toothy smile at the end of the work day.

The Thai Jason Bateman

The second I saw him I said, “LJ, doesn’t that guy look like The Thai Jason Bateman?”. LJ laughed pretty hard; I took that as a confirmation of my subjective observation. He is one of the 4 sub-directors at our school; sub-directors are like vice-principals. He stands about 5 feet 4 inches tall and he has a very serious “resting face”; for his size and stature he is quite intimidating. The first couple weeks at school I rarely saw him but then one day I was walking down the hall and a Thai woman shyly ushered me into someone’s office. She didn’t speak any English to me besides, “come, come”. I sat down in the office, confused as ever, when in walks The Thai Jason Bateman. I was thinking, “Oh, this is gonna be good”. And it was. He sat down and stared at me for about 10 seconds. I thought he was plotting my death but I quickly realized he was sorting out enough English words in his brain to formulate a sentence. He said, “You teach”. I didn’t know if that was a question or a statement, because I’d consider both pretty accurate. I said overenthusiastically, “Yes! I teach!”. We sat in silence for another 10 seconds. He said, “You go, over weekend, where you go?”. I said, “I will go to Lampang for a teaching seminar”. He looked at me, perplexed. I tried again, “I go Lampang”. His scary resting face vanished and his eyes got big and a sweet smile appeared. Jason Bateman said, “You go to Lampang?”. I said, “Yes!”. We were both glowing with pride for our successful communication. He said, “You happy?”. After being in Thailand for a few weeks, this question no longer surprised me. I get asked this all the time, are you happy? The first time I was asked this, I laughed; the second time, I scoffed; the third time, I think I rolled my eyes. I find this question so ridiculous because it’s so impossible to answer. Happy? Isn’t that a pretty profound question to ask someone you just met? I looked at him and said, “I am so happy!”. His sweet smile got even bigger. I wai-ed to him, put my shoes back on, and went on with my day.

“Little”

Ting

Thai Jason Bateman

Educational English Signs

Oregon Biker and Retired Teacher

Tanitta and Sam

Travel: The good, the bad, the ugly

This past weekend LJ and I went to a Northern town that we hadn’t been to yet. It’s called Pai (pronounced like pie) and it is a very popular destination among backpackers. It provides an artistic culture; markets filled with hand-made paintings and clothes, and absolutely beautiful views. LJ and I rented a motorbike for the weekend so we were able to cover a lot of ground. We visited a hot spring, swam in a waterfall, climbed 500 stairs to a temple on top of a hill, took a hike through the jungle, and ate lots of delicious food. But, believe it or not, this blog post is not to gush about another amazing weekend in Thailand. Actually, quite the opposite. It’s to paint a picture of how frustrating and difficult living a transient lifestyle can be at times. The good definitely out weighs the bad, but sometimes I feel as if the circus I am living in turns into one of those evil, crazy haunted houses. Where I can’t get out of this whirlwind of misunderstanding, cultural confusion, and travel-exhaustion.

Pai is about 6 hours from Ngao: 2.5 hour bus to Chiang Mai, 2 hour bus to Lampang, 1 hour van ride to Ngao. LJ and I have traveled enough in Thailand that we feel pretty comfortable with the public transportation system which consists of buses and vans. When we first got to Thailand we would try to “reserve” a seat on the buses and vans beforehand, and we quickly realized that is not how it works. You cannot reserve a seat any earlier than an hour before it leaves; with the exception of one bus company. No planning ahead, no schedule, you just show up and wait. So, here we are in Pai, and we decided we’d like to get back early on Sunday. We wake up at 6:30 am and get to the bus station before 8:00. She tells us the next available van leaves at 1:30pm. Damnit. We quickly realize that this throws off the rest of our transportation because the last van from Lampang to Ngao leaves at 4:30pm and we won’t make it. We decide we’ll have to stay in Lampang overnight and wake up very early to make it to school on Monday morning. What a drag. We tried to get around it and saw if there was any way to take a different route home via public transportation; there wasn’t. We book a ticket (with the one bus company that allows you to) from Chaing Mai to Lampang at 5:00pm so we had some sense of security on getting where we needed to be. Since our van left at 1:30 and it only takes 2.5 hours we shouldn’t have any problem.

So, we sit and we wait in Pai. We have our heavy backpacks and bags with things we had acquired over the weekend; a bag of gifts and a bag filled with a papaya and passion fruit. We go from restaurant to restaurant, sitting there as long as we can, staggering our orders of coffee, toast, and eggs. We waited for 5.5 hours until 1:30 finally hit. We get into our van and we begin the most treacherous ride one could imagine. Pai advertises it’s location as “the drive of 762 curves”. Literally, they sell t-shirts and coffee mugs that say, “762 curves”. The first 1.5 hours from Chiang Mai to Pai is not too bad; a couple of curves every few minutes. The latter half of the drive is truly unbelievable. Up hill, down hill, 180 degree curves, one after another; spinning, turning, nausea ensues. Even the locals get car sick; usually each van has 1 or 2 people throwing up in a paper bag as they sway from side to side. So, after our 5.5 hours of waiting we jump in our van for a ride of a lifetime. LJ obviously falls asleep immediately; the more treacherous a car ride the sooner he falls asleep. On the other hand, I am sweating, bouncing my leg, reciting hail Marys (I’m not even Catholic), and hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Once we make it into Chaing Mai, LJ and I start getting nervous. The car ride that only takes 2.5 hours was taking much longer. We hit construction and bad traffic. We were counting down the minutes and were just about to miss our 5:00 bus. We were in the thick of the city and the van driver informed us that he would be dropping everyone off at the bus station at the start of the van ride. He pulls over on the side of the busy, city street and in his broken English tells everyone to get out. Someone asked, “What about the bus station?”. He says, “No, sorry, sorry”. Damnit. We get out and strap on our heavy backpacks and grab our bags of fruit and gifts. We haggle with a few Tuk Tuk drivers to take us to the bus station but since we were standing right by a market their prices were much higher. So, we walk a ways and we find something cheaper. At this point, we knew we had missed our bus; it was 5:15. Feeling defeated, tired, and car sick, we make our way to the bus station. We ask around to several different kiosks if there is another bus to Lampang and someone tells us there is one leaving at 6:00. Thank god. We rush to the platform but our bus isn’t there.

We wait. We wait some more. The bus pulls up at 6:20. At this point, I am standing on the edge of the platform curb so eager to get on the bus but so emotionally and physically tired. The bus pulls up but the bus driver does not get out or open the doors. He proceeds to put on his “bus conductor” uniform and tie his shoes. He even started using a toothpick on his teeth; so casual, so relaxed, not at all fazed by the time. I am standing about 5 feet from him; only the window glass between us. I could feel myself glaring at him but I was trying so hard not to. All of a sudden, I realize a monk is standing in front of me. He starts gesturing something with his hands and I thought he was asking me what I was doing. I pointed to the bus and said in my most basic form of English, “Yes, bus, bus” and gave him a forced smile. He looked at me like I was crazy and made another gesture with his hands. Then, I feel LJ pull on my shirt and I stumbled back. LJ says, “Caroline, he was asking you to move. You’re a woman, remember?”. Damnit. Of course I’m a woman. Of course he can’t literally brush shoulders with me. As we wait for the “bus conductor” to open the doors, I called our teaching coordinator. In so many ways she is like the Thai mother LJ and I never had. She helps us more than we’d like to admit and we usually call her if we find ourselves in a bind. I called her to let her know we’d be staying the night in Lampang and would catch the first bus to Ngao in the morning. She paused and said, “I will be in Lampang (long pause) but I cannot wait for you”. “But my husband will also be in Lampang and he can take you home”. I am thinking, “YES YES YES!”. She proceeds in broken English, “There a Muay Thai fight, is that okay? Finish late, you go with, is okay, is okay?”. Damnit. Is she saying what I think she is saying? I break the news to LJ and he lets out a weary chuckle.

The “bus conductor” finally opens the doors. I walk onto the bus first and I immediately turn around to look at LJ. I give him a look that says,”Oh my god”. The air conditioning was broken and the bus was at least 85 degrees. We get into our seats and immediately start sweating. LJ starts making cynical yet hilarious jokes about our day. I was in a state of mind where you start laughing and then your face crinkles up and you begin to cry-laugh. Where you mean to laugh but at the same time you’re crying. I didn’t even know why I was cry-laughing. I was so tired, hot, and uncomfortable. It was Sunday night and I just wanted to be home and I couldn’t get there. We get to Lampang at 8:00pm and our school coordinator told me someone would pick us up at the 7-11 across the street at 8:30. We got our dinner from 7-11 because that was the only place to eat. We sat on the curb outside; eating our boxed dinner and drinking a beer. We were almost too tired and cranky to have a functional conversation. So instead we stared paranoid at the ground, making sure a cockroach didn’t run across our feet. At 9:00 pm I called our coordinator and she said that someone would be picking us up soon. Someone came to get us at 9:30 pm.

We arrive at a festival off of the highway that could be none other than a Thai celebration. Bright lights, painfully loud music, and people everywhere. It probably took them a week to set up and would take them three weeks to take down. There was a Ferris wheel, two stages, and a big boxing ring. There were several projector screens so that people could see the Muay Thai fight from where ever they were standing. The festival was for the Lampang District Muay Thai Championship. There was our coordinator’s husband, Sam, and other teachers from our school. Everyone was so excited to be there and most people were anticipating the main fight. There were several fights that night between students, but the main attraction was a fight between two girls; one of them being a 10th grader from our school. She was the reigning champion from the previous year and she was fighting to hold the title. Although I was exhausted and cranky, I could see how amazing it was that the main attraction was two females boxing. Since we’ve been in Thailand I have tried to get a grasp on gender roles and equality, but I’ve had a hard time doing so. In a culture so different, it’s hard to see what lies beneath in only 3.5 months. Regardless, watching the fight made it clear that females can hold an admirable place in the sports world. Muay Thai is the token sport of Thailand and to be a good Muay Thai fighter is an honor. There was a short ceremony for the girls before they fought. They were acknowledged by all of the main directors of the district and their fighting outfits were the same as the boys. They fought like champions and they were in amazing shape; strong and agile. It was all so impressive. In my state of mind, I was a bit mesmerized; fascinated. The main fight ended around 11:00 pm. We didn’t leave until 12:30 am. We got home around 1:45 am. We set out in the morning to be home before 3:00 pm on Sunday afternoon and we didn’t get home until 1:45 am Monday morning.

Usually travelling is amazing; sometimes it can be exhausting. We have seen so many things and had so many experiences that wouldn’t be possible without leaving our village but navigating a foreign area with a foreign language and foreign customs can feel impossible sometimes. LJ and I feel forever grateful for our experiences so far. Also in hindsight we know the pains of travelling have caused us to grow. We’re becoming more flexible and we have pushed ourselves further than we thought we could go. Despite my post, I would say that travelling is one of the most wonderful opportunities I’ve been given and worth every minute; even the bad ones.

Temple on the hill

Road sign in Pai

Workin’ men

Flower boy

LJ & CC

Our first moped

Traditional dress and music

Waterfall

Exploring Southern Thailand

I can’t lie to you. I won’t tell you that the heat was too much, the beaches too dirty, or that the Andaman Sea looks the same as Lake Michigan. I can’t and I won’t because our Christmas/New Year vacation was spectacular. I feel a bit sadistic writing this while most of you reading it are in -1 degree weather but I shall proceed. LJ and I went to the popular destinations of Phuket and Krabi from December 27th to January 3rd. Phuket/Krabi is located on the southern end of Thailand: 18 hours by car to Ngao (home) and 5 hours to the Malaysia border.

We began our travels by flying into Phuket at midnight on a Saturday. By Sunday we were sitting on the beautiful beach of Karon. There are numerous restaurants that overlook the beach, which is where we drank our coffee and ate lunches and dinners. We spent the next two days laying on the beach and swimming in the Andaman Sea. One afternoon, LJ and I decided to stand in the Sea and experience the ever-entertaining Ocean waves tossing us around; as if you can’t weigh more than 60 lbs. I had not been in Oceanic waters since I was in Mexico, 10 years ago. At first, we were laughing, jumping, and giving each other under-water smooches. I was thinking, “This isn’t so hard! I am one with the Andaman Sea….peace and love baby!”. My delusions quickly came to an embarrassing halt when I tried to walk out of the water and back onto the beach. First off, it’s always a little difficult when your swimsuit is kind of falling off and there are rows of people periodically glancing at you. You sort of feel like you’re at an audition for the next shooting of Bay Watch. So, here I am trying to gracefully stroll out of the water when the most powerful force of crashing waves hits the back of my knees. BAM! I fall on my knees, holding onto my swimsuit bottoms. Obviously flustered, I look up and see I am only 10 steps from dry sand. BAM! Another one hits me, but I am already on my knees and I fall further with my hands buried in the wet sand. For the next 10 seconds I was in a very physical wrestling match with the Sea. BAM BAM! 2 more waves. I remember at one point I was actually scared, realizing I had no control because the water was just that strong. Then, to my wonderful surprise, I felt someone had grabbed me. LJ wrapped his arms around my stomach and pulled me out of the wrestling match. I had lost my sunglasses in this dramatic event and he found them firmly in the sand, suggesting at one point I had face planted. So, instead of my pseudo-sexy Bay Watch exit, I wobbled out of the Sea with my hair plastered to my face and my swimsuit half way around my body. Overall, a smashing success! Pun intended.

On Tuesday morning, we left Phuket and headed to Phi Phi Island. We travelled by ferry and the views were amazing. We had 4 hours on Phi Phi, which is a relatively large island. There are resorts, restaurants, and some entertainment. According to Wikipedia, the population is ~2,000 and it is more than 80% Muslim. When we walked onto the beach we were awe-struck by its beauty. It was surrounded by limestone rock and cliffs and the sand was a pristine white. We rented a kayak and navigated around the bay for an hour. LJ and I were fascinated with how clear turquoise the water was; you could see to the bottom and fish were swimming on the floor. We got back on the ferry and travelled to our final destination of Ao Nang, Krabi. We were happy to end our trip there because we found the views even more beautiful than Phuket. It was hard to take a bad picture with scenery so unique and colorful.

We had a wonderful New Year’s Eve with friends and like any good 20-something, we over-indulged. I was feeling worse the next day than LJ was, and he decided it would be a good idea to rent pattle boards for 6 whole hours. In case you feel like spicing up your day after you’ve been drinking the previous night, I suggest you try to stand up on a pattle board. Just when you muster up the courage to try again, you might find yourself face-first in the water. Despite my initial reaction, I actually had an amazing time. We looked like real amateurs and could barely keep our balance with the rough waves but we managed to travel to another beach. We pattled past caves and monoliths and even managed to find a small, remote beach on the way. We ventured back to our neck of the woods around the time of a gorgeous sunset. It was a sunset that I hope I remember when I am 100 years old, sitting in the nursing home. Honestly, I hope I never forget it. LJ and I laid on our pattle boards underneath a burnt orange, limestone, cliff overhang. Palm trees were growing out of the rock and the water was clear and blue. The air was warm but not hot. There were monoliths in the distance and a beautiful, big orange sun setting in the distance.

On Wednesday, and Friday we spent time travelling to nearby islands. There are a handful of islands only a couple of miles away. You walk up to the beach and catch a “boat taxi” that can take you where you need to go, which is obviously so much cooler than getting in a regular taxi. We had a few friends that were also staying in Krabi during our stay, which made our time that much more fun. We snorkeled, kayaked, and laid on the beach together; ate our meals together and lit paper lanterns together on New Year’s Eve. It was great to have the company of friends while being on the vacation of a life-time. LJ and I hope to travel back to Southern Thailand because we found it so breathtakingly beautiful. The beauty and charm lent itself to adventures, new experiences, and memories I hope to hold for a life time.

Kayaking in Kho Phi Phi

Ferry ride to Krabi

Bananas

Ferry ride with Railay Beach behind us

Sunset on Ao Nang, Krabi

Paddle Boarding

Island hopping

Island hopping

Sunset on Railay

Karon Beach, Phuket

New Years Eve 2014

Paddle boarding novice

Paddle boarding expert

Christmas in Thailand

It is the future in Thailand. We are 13 hours ahead of those in the Midwest and we just finished our Christmas school day, which was a whirlwind. We had a special 45-minute assembly in the morning dedicated to Christmas. Unbeknownst to me before I began researching Thailand pre-departure, the 95% Buddhist country of Thailand loves to celebrate Christmas. It is not the intimate family Christmas that many Westerners are fortunate to celebrate, but rather a celebration of a strange and mystic tradition. Christmas staples like Santa Claus, Christmas Trees and Christmas cards are morphed into something uniquely Thai. Thais celebrate Christmas in the way many people in the states celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, except instead of green everything is red and a whole spectrum of other colors. The main point of the day is to have fun and theoretically experience some foreign culture. And on this day of foreign celebration they obviously asked the only farang in town to be Santa and Mrs. Claus.

In America the Christmas countdown seems to begin as soon as Thanksgiving is over. People decorate well in advance and advertisements are pervasive. Even though we had this big assembly the English department really began decorated on the 23^rd and 24^th. To us this did not make much sense. Why decorate only a day before Christmas? But these decorations will probably stay up for at least a month. Over those two days snowmen were made, a tree was decorated and two entire floors were covered with streamers and Christmas cards. There are many very talented students at our school. Some of these cards are just amazing, I kind of want to steal them. We were also asked on the 23^rd if we would play the roles of Santa and Mrs. Claus, aka Santee, on Christmas day. Of course we said yes and two costumes were pulled out of storage. Caroline’s outfit looked cute and was a decent fabric. The Santa Claus costume looks like someone whipped it up out of curtains and feather boas. It is definitely way too small, but I think I pulled it off in a homeless drag queen Santa sort of way. I had one major wardrobe malfunction. My beard did not fit very well and it was not very clean. The mouth hole began near my bottom lip and I thought that it covered my entire mouth. This resulted in me looking quite perturbed in most of the pictures because I was not smiling or I am making a ridiculous “ho-ho-ho” face.

During the assembly Caroline and I, along with our mini Santa and Santee were the stars of the show. I was actually thrilled to have a mini-me. They were so darn cute. We stood on stage awkwardly answering questions, standing next to speech givers and Caroline even busted out a little “Jingle Bells”. The best part of the day was when we ran out into the crowd of students and threw candy to them. I did not so much run as hobble because I tweaked my ankle playing basketball. The students and teachers thought it was hilarious to keep saying “khaaw dow Santa”, which roughly translate to “broken leg Santa”. There is just a sheer rush of joy that goes through you when you are throwing candy to adoring fans. The rest of the day we stayed dressed up and I belted out as many “Ho-ho-hos” as I could muster. We played games, watched Home Alone, ate cake and said Merry Christmas a few hundred times. I am pretty sure that Merry Christmas and Happy New Year are two of the about 50 phrases that most students know. Thai students must think that Christmas is a big candy filled party, but it is about so much more that is lost in translation.

I have really enjoyed and learned from spending Christmas in a totally new and different culture. However, the holiday season has been difficult. I have been especially grumpy because I am missing home, friends and family. We both dearly miss our own Christmas celebrations. We are not able to see family that we rarely have the opportunity to see like Caroline’s Aunt Maria and my grandparents, Aunt Winnie and Uncle Gordy. Facetime and Skype make us feel closer to home. Being able to say I love and Merry Christmas was a great gift. We both love when our families get together because they are such special moments in our lives when we are completely surrounded by the love and warmth only a family can provide. We also missed Caroline’s niece, Fiona’s 1^st birthday (even though we were there in photographic spirit).

I am also hitting the culture shock part of the acculturation process. Culture shock can happen after being a part of another culture for a while. What is happening to me is that many of my experiences tend to have a negative vibe. Things that I once found charming, I have been finding annoying. The laid back attitude is seeming more like sloth, the kindness that is shown seems hollow and the inability to communicate is no longer challenging, but isolating. And the 35 degree temperature swings in the 5 hour school day are just uncomfortable. I am still happy to be above freezing all day. Luckily I have a PIC (partner in crime) who has already been through this culture shock. Caroline assures me that things will get better. I am so glad to be here with her. I really admire people who are on their own in an adventure like ours because I would be pretty depressed during Christmas if I were here by myself.

There are many reasons to be happy this Christmas. We could not have done this without our supportive families and friends. We are going to Southern Thailand to lay on white sand beaches, swim in clear blue water and visit tropical islands. As I think about back home, I am sad, but I am also filled with a gratitude I have never felt before. I am so grateful for the families and friends that Caroline and I have. I am grateful to be in Thailand and have this life perspective shaping experience while we are young. Thanks to all of you for being a part of our lives and being there even though you are ~ 8,300 miles away. We love you so much and have a very Merry Christmas.

My students with a scary santa

Unknown teacher posing for a photo-op

Stylin’

Christmas ceremony interview

Just one more picture

Ho’ Ho Ho kids

Mrs. Clause

Recently In Thailand…

“Recently In Thailand…” is a reoccurring post that consists of personal short stories. It struck me that so many things have happened to us here that are worth sharing. All of these eclectic experiences have made our time in Thailand so unique and special, yet admittedly sometimes bizarre. So, I want to write these posts to give you a more complete, honest depiction of what living and working in Thailand has been like through short stories.

Chicken Feet

Recently in Thailand, I unknowingly ate chicken feet. LJ and I were riding home on our bikes after running errands in town. In the distance we hear, “Er Jay, Er Jay, Cawowine!”. Our charismatic, Thai friend, Ting, was inviting us into his house. Ting has a wonderful restaurant right outside of his house where he cooks, cleans, and serves the town of Ngao. His parents are in their 80’s and he cares for them while he cooks the community delicious food! Ting is 54 and relatively tall for a Thai man, maybe around 5 feet 10 inches. He is thin with a very small beer belly and is someone who cannot sit still for more than 3 minutes at a time. He served us beer and put down a plate with fried food on it. Seeing something familiar, I said, “Oh, what’s this!?”. He said, “Chicken”. He quickly ran into the house and within moments there was Michael Buble blasting from the speakers outside. He said, “You know? You know?”. After an impatient 3 minutes, he decided he wanted to listen to one of his favorites, Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young”.

This is around the time that I made the epic mistake of putting that little fried nugget in my mouth. I bit down and started chewing around the same time as LJ. My cheeks puffed out and I looked at LJ. “What the hell is this…?”. Lj said, “I think it’s chicken feet”. My stomach dropped and as the chicken bones pierced my mouth I said, “Oh my god…”. LJ said, “Caroline, don’t do it. Stop it, just swallow it”. I said, “No, I can’t, don’t make me do it”. LJ gave me a look like, “don’t embarrass us in front of the locals and be that over-picky, too-good American princess”. I made a decision. I pictured steaming hot pizza, an ice cream cone, and frolicking unicorns and reached for my beer. I took a ginormous swig and that was that.

Rap Music

Recently in Thailand, LJ and I heard some incredibly vulgar, American rap music. All schools in Thailand have a week-long event called Sports Week. It is a school wide sports tournament. They play football, bocce ball, basketball, volleyball, and local Thai sports all day for 5 days. The school hires referees and different teachers act as announcers for the day. The school fields have large speakers that they will play music from in between games or during lunch. While LJ and I were waiting for a basketball game to begin we heard something familiar. Students and teachers were everywhere and the music coming from the speakers was so loud it could probably be heard in the next village. The music that was playing was “Fire Water Burn” by Bloodhound Gang. For those of you who don’t know the song, its chorus goes something like this….”The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire, We don’t need no water let the mother****** burn, burn mother****** burn.” LJ and I looked at each other in slight disbelief. Is this happening, are we listening to bad ass middle school rap? We looked around for some type of reciprocated reaction and all we saw were students and teachers alike bobbing their heads to the music, chattering away. Our guess is as good as yours, but we’re thinking they had no idea what they were listening to.

Attendance

Recently in Thailand, I was asked to take my roll call without cheating. You’re probably confused, I don’t blame you. Just like everywhere else in the world, teachers in Thailand ramble off their student’s names and mark if their present or absent. When we started teaching, I was pretty nervous about pronouncing 140 Thai names each day but I quickly learned that each student has a number associated with their name (e.g. 1,2,3,4…). Heck yeah that’s how I took attendance! This is until a Thai teacher walked past my classroom and said, “What you doing? Why you say numbers?”. I briefly explained that’s how I take attendance. The teacher laughed like she had never heard anything so hilarious and said, “They don’t know numbers!”. Oh dear god, those Thai students are tricky geniuses. So, as this highly amused Thai teacher hovered over me, I butchered 42 Thai names and I’ve been doin’ it ever since! Day after day, I mispronounce their names and they laugh historically. Sometimes if they laugh too hard, I figure I’ve just said something naughty. Just so you can feel a little bit of my pain, I’d like you to give it a try…..Akkarawanicha, Duanghatai, Patcharaprapa, Ruttanawalee, Surusswadee.

Dog Fight

Recently in Thailand, LJ got in an altercation. No, LJ did not Muay Thai fight a local or beat up a student. As I’ve mentioned, there are stray dogs everywhere in our village. There is a wide array of street characters:  some cute, some scraggly, some macho, some frail, most are nice, but I’m convinced that some have joined a dog street gang. They are mean, agitated, startle easily, and are seemingly a bit schizophrenic. They usually stay away from you, but they’ve got that “I’m crazy” look in their droopy eyes. One night, LJ ran to the store and I stayed home. When he came back he was out of breath and frazzled. He was sweating and mumbling something. I said, “What happened to you?”. Exasperated he said, “Those dogs! Oh my god, what is wrong with them!?”. He started explaining how they were chasing him while he was on his bike (I had seen this happen before). LJ’s big heart doesn’t translate into Thai doggie language; they think he is evil. While explaining his doggie drama, I could tell he was at some sort of breaking point. He said, “Caroline, I don’t think you understand. I had to kick a dog in the face. Think about that, it’s so terrible!”. The thought of him kicking a dog in the face gave me a full range of emotions. I wanted to laugh because it was so ridiculous, but I felt bad for the dog, and LJ was obviously distressed, but the dog was obviously deranged….In the end, we both ended up laughing about it and I now I make sure to look out for the “I’m crazy” eyes while cruising around town. For those of you who are genuinely concerned: LJ’s spirit has recovered and the dog was not actually hurt.

Blue Marker

Recently in Thailand, I taught with blue marker on my face. Some may be wondering, Caroline, what’s your teaching method? How do you turn Thai children into articulate English-speaking poets? Wow, I wish I knew. I usually speak a decimal below screaming, move my body so that every sentence is like charades, and switch between glares and scary-big smiles every 10-15 seconds. That’s the secret sauce. I usually write with a red or blue white-board marker. I write something, I point to it, I act it out, I ask, “you know?”, and shrug my shoulders to insinuate that I’m asking a question. So, while teaching a riveting lesson on god-knows-what, my class starts historically laughing. So, I shrug my shoulders which is my go-to when I need to ask a question. A girl runs to the front of the classroom with a compact mirror. Meanwhile, the class is roaring with laugher; kids are literally falling out of their chairs and onto the floor. I’m thinking, “will someone please let me in on this hilarious joke!?”. The girls makes it to the front of the classroom and whips out a mirror. She aligns it in front of my face for me to see a beautiful blue mustache I had made for myself. Almost like a poorly-groomed goatee. The sweet girl who was trying to help me could not contain her laughter, she said, “teacha, teacha, yous face!”. As I usually do with my students, I made it into a melodramatic silent movie of sorts. I yelped and opened my mouth. I said “Oh my, Blue Face!”, I thought I could segue into a “teaching moment” on colors or emotions but they could only see my blue mustache and at this point most of them were on the floor having a laughing party. Overall, a great lesson for living and working in Thailand….In no situation should you take yourself too seriously.

Never-ending laughter

Stray dog

My impossible attendance sheet

Sights, Sounds, and Smells of Thailand

So many things in Thailand are different and new. I have been wanting to write this post for a while but I wanted to wait until we had been living here for at least a few weeks. LJ and I have been in Thailand for 8 weeks and are beginning to find the “different and new” more normal. Some things we have gotten used to and hardly notice anymore but some things will always feel unusual. For those of you who have not been to Thailand, I wanted to share some things that are culturally normal and are a part of Thai life. These are things you see every day; sights, sounds, and smells that local Thais consider “life as we know it”.

 

Beautiful Views Everywhere

Living in the Northern part of Thailand can be truly breathtaking at times. The North is filled with mountain ranges, rice fields, and wild vegetation. Just the other day, LJ and I were riding our bikes and decided to venture to a part of town we hadn’t been. We were biking past the usual small shops and food carts that line the street when all of a sudden we were amidst a post-card worthy view. It was around 5pm and the sun was starting to set. The mountains looked navy blue and the sky was pink and purple. There were rice-fields that went from the road to the mountains. There were wild flowers and exotic plants sporadically throughout the fields. We biked alongside the scenery for several miles, it appeared that the breathtaking view had no end in sight. It was gorgeous and practically right in our backyard.

Stray Dogs

I love the stray dogs. I can say that stray dogs in Thailand are more intelligent, more independent, and more resourceful than the pampered house dogs of America. They find their own food, make other doggie-friends, dodge cars, and make people friends. There is one stray dog in particular that has befriended the Foreign Language Department. His name is Jacob (the Thai ladies think that name is hilarious) and I have fallen in love with him. He knows who we are and wags his tail when he sees us on the streets of Ngao. We eat breakfast and lunch together and he is quite a strapping fellow. A stud among the strays. He recently got into a dog fight (it is dog-mating season right now) and he came to the office limping. I was so sad; I fed him fried fish and he seemed to improve. They are usually only ferocious to each other and they can be so cute. We have a couple of stray puppies that hang around the school and needless to say they melt your heart with puppy cuteness.

Wai

Wai is pronounced like “why”. To wai is similar to shaking hands in America but unlike shaking hands, it ranges across casual and formal situations. Therefore, you can wai casually to your teacher or friend and also wai to a monk or The King. My students wai to me when they enter the classroom and I wai to other teachers when I see them in the morning. When you wai, you put your hands in a prayer-like fashion and give a slight bow. I felt very uncomfortable wai-ing when we first arrived but now I find myself wai-ing all over the place, not even noticing.

Food Carts For Every Meal

LJ and I had a great misconception of Thai culture before coming here. We knew that Thai people are smaller and thinner than the average American so we assumed they ate small, healthy, occasional meals. So wrong, so, so wrong. Thai people eat often and they rarely cook. A big part of Thai culture is food and people making you food. I am not talking about chain restaurants or that adorable hole-in-the-wall brunch place, I am talking about food carts.

LJ and I were nervous about moving to such a small Thai community. In our mailing address is the line, “Village No. 5”, so we were unsure what to expect. Although it is small, there is such a sense of community. Their collective culture translates into morning and night markets with fresh food from local farmers and Sunday and Tuesday clothing markets. Most Thai people buy their breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the lady down the street. Most meals are about $0.90-$1.50. She can make you whatever you want with the ingredients that she has that day. She might have chicken on Monday but only pork on Tuesdays and those little, fish balls every day of the week!

Squat Toilets.

Oh, squat toilets. What a challenge. Squat toilets are quite common in Thailand and if you are in a rural area they are almost everywhere. An article I read reported that 90% of Thai households have squat toilets but that the country is trying to move towards western toilets. If you are in a larger city like Bangkok or Chiang Mai you will see mostly western toilets if you are doing “touristy” things. Several restaurants and shops that I have been to have a squat toilet. Bus stations and van stations often have squat toilets. Lucky for LJ and I, our house and our school have a “western toilet option” (it is alongside a squat toilet).

 Shoes Outside

Shoes outside the house, outside the classroom, outside the temple, outside the bank, outside the store. It is a sign of respect and Thai people do it without thinking. My students take their shoes off before coming into the classroom. So, while I am teaching, I look outside and there are 40 pairs of nicely aligned black shoes. I have asked why this is a cultural custom and the only answer I have gotten is that is a sign of respect. As most cultural norms, Thai people have been doing this since they were children so they have had a lot of practice. As LJ and I are untying, unstrapping, and removing our shoes as if it was the most painful process ever, the Thai’s gracefully whip their shoes off with ease.

 Monks in your Seven-Eleven and Temples down the street 

Buddhism is everywhere. In our small town/village there are 2 temples with active, practicing monks. There are men from the community and other towns who live in these monasteries. I see monks in the 7-11 and there is a monk that is usually in our school. Many men in Thailand become a monk at some time in their life. Some are only monks for 7 days and some are monks for their whole life. Around Thailand there are numerous temples. There are ancient, uninhabited temples and there are also many active temples. Temples are to Thailand as Bars are to Wisconsin.

Buddhism is a big part of Thai culture and 93% of Thai’s consider themselves Buddhist. LJ and I have enjoyed living in a Buddhist country for many reasons. It is a reminder how powerful religion is on a culture and most Thai’s try to follow the teachings of The Lord Buddha. Buddha is used as a symbol and inspiration for personal enlightenment and good-doing. Thai Buddhist put emphasis on meditating, visiting temples, and keeping their emotions steady.

Pet Geckos and Cockroaches

Geckos can actually be very cute. Cockroaches will never be cute.  Regardless of their cuteness level, geckos and cockroaches are most places. If you are in the city, there are rats and cockroaches galore but in the rural parts you get your fair share of gecko pets. LJ and I have several geckos currently living in our house. We’ve tried to count but we are never sure if we are counting the same geckos, so we’ve given up and just accepted our little green pets. They shower with us, watch TV with us, and sleep with us!

Spirit Houses

A spirit house is a small shrine outside of a home, school, business, restaurant, ect. They are outside of every home, including our own. Spirit houses are found in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. The shrine is usually placed in an auspicious place, often the corner of a property. It is intended to provide a place for spirits to stay and to protect the house or institution that it is outside of. When students and teachers pass the spirit house outside of our school, we wai to it out of respect. Thai people also give offerings outside of their spirit houses. It is usually something like: a Coke with a straw in it, an unpeeled banana, flowers, or raw meat.

Comical, Incorrect English

Thailand is notorious for their incorrect English signs, and I can say first hand things can get pretty hilarious. Usually, simple signs (e.g. Toilet, Exit) are not incorrect but you often run into signs that are grammatically incorrect and if you’re lucky you’ll catch a sign that makes a scandalous error. For example, “Handsome Sandwiches”, “New Manu”, “Fried Exit”. You will surely enjoy, “Gold Card: Please show your member to staff”, and “Shoplifters will be prostituted”. There is a sign in a Bangkok temple that reads, “It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if dressed as a man”. Hmmm….are you sure that’s what you meant? I don’t think English is that hard but of course I wouldn’t, I’m an English teacher.

 Families on Motor Bikes

Not everyone in Thailand has a car but almost everyone has a motor bike. Everyone drives around town on their motor bike…it is fuel efficient, easy to park, and little did you know, you can fit your whole family on it. I have quite seriously seen 5 people on one motorbike before. This is not an unusual sight. Also, something most American mothers would never allow is her 3 month old baby riding on a motor bike. You guessed it, babies in Thailand are very talented and can also ride motor bikes. When they are under 18-24 months their mother is usually holding them while they are on the motor bike. Once they have graduated to motorbike independence they often have their own “motor bike high chair” (my words, not theirs). It is a small cup-like chair that screws into the front of the seating part of the motor bike. Little baby gets a front row seat and gets to feel the wind in her hair! When we first got to Thailand I was slightly appalled and incredibly amused by families and babies on motor bikes. Now, I am starting to think it’s very eco-friendly, acts as a killer ab workout, improves your spidey-man agility, and is all around a genius idea. It’s funny how 8 weeks can change your perspective!

Fried chicken food cart

Child monks

Speaks for itself

Ngao, Thailand

Spirit houses outside school

Uniform shoes

Celebrating Bhumibol Adulyadej

We spent the past weekend in Chaing Mai which is definitely one of our favorite destinations. It is the largest northern city and has a lot of cultural significance. Chaing Mai is also among the highest mountains in the entire country. LJ and I met some fellow teacher friends from America that are originally from New York and Washington D.C. and we explored the city. We had Friday off from teaching because it was the King’s 87^th birthday. The King’s birthday is a national holiday and is also Father’s Day. Not surprisingly, the Queen’s birthday is also Mother’s Day. The King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, has reigned since 1946, making him the world’s longest reigning current monarch and the world’s longest serving head of state. LJ and I have enjoyed living in a country that has a constitutional monarchy because it severs as a symbol of unity, respect, and adoration for every Thai person we have talked to. People love to love the monarchy and it’s fun to be a part of. Every house, restaurant, school, and place of business has a picture of the King and Queen. People do not worship their pictures, rather they have their picture as a sign of deep respect and reverence. Our school has a small, separate building that is designated to the King. The day before his birthday, the school had a ceremony where the school officials sat inside the small building and students would walk into the building with offerings. They would ceremoniously walk toward a large picture of the King, wai to his picture, and offer a flowered decoration. I should make clear that it does not feel as weird as it may sound. Everyone is casual and relaxed, it does not feel like a fear induced gesture, more so a cultural fixture that has been in place for a very long time. Similar to the way we stand up and say the national anthem or chant bible verses in Church. To an outsider it seems so different and their behavior appears unusual but to an insider it’s all very normal.

So, not only was the King’s birthday fun to celebrate but it also gave us a long weekend! We got to Chaing Mai on Friday and went to an absolutely beautiful temple on top of a hill outside of the city. The temple is called Doi Suthep and it is located on a small mountain 9 miles outside of Chiang Mai. It is said that the temple was founded in 1383 and the first road to the temple was built in 1935. Most things in Thailand have a lengthy historical significance because the country of Thailand (Siam) was founded in 1238. Thailand’s 776 years of history is much longer than America’s 238. It is an adventure in itself just to get to the temple. The 6 of us took an open aired sawng taow (a pick-up truck with benches) through winding roads to the top of the mountain. We arrived at the top and walked up 309 steps to finally reach the temple. You never quite know how much beauty any individual temple will offer. Some temples are moderately impressive and some blow you away. This temple definitely exceeded our expectations with its wild vegetation, gold paintings, flawless architecture, and breathtaking views of the city below. There were several practicing monks walking about the temple and local Thais meditating, wai-ing, and giving offerings. All of us agreed it was one of the best temples we had been to yet. In our awe-inspired state-of-mind, we found the nearest beer garden. We spent the rest of the night walking around, talking, drinking, and eating.

On Saturday, you could say we walked on the wild side. We each decided it was good idea to risk our lives and walk into tiger-filled cages. We visited Tiger Kingdom, where we each spent 15-20 minutes petting and taking pictures with tigers. Needless to say, it was a very interesting experience. Some people believe that the tigers are drugged but after fiercely observing them I would say that they did not seem drugged in the slightest. I said several times that day, “I don’t know what this says about me as a person, but I’d kind of like my tigers severely sedated”. From our experience, all of the tigers were well behaved and playful but there was a time or two when I was staring into a tiger’s eyes and he was saying to me, “Wow, you look like one juicy American…..”. After sitting with the tigers, we walked around the rest of the park and saw white tigers, a lion, and a newborn tiger. Let me tell you, I was pretty tempted to throw that newborn tiger in my purse but on further reflection I decided against it. Once our nerves settled from the Tiger Kingdom, we found a sushi bar and walked the Night Bizzare in Chaing Mai. The Night Bizzare is a night market that is only on Saturday and Sunday Nights. It spans over 2 miles of small, local vendors selling food, clothes, purses, and other various goods. It’s a shopper’s paradise. I victoriously move from stall to stall as LJ eats pork on a stick and drinks wine coolers out of a straw….win-win!

We ended the night at a small jazz bar down the street from our hotel. People were pouring out of the small establishment and onto the street. There were people sitting in chairs on the side walk and across the street just to listen to the amazing music. And amazing it was. I don’t usually listen to jazz and I have only listened to live jazz music once before. Somehow we managed to get amazing seats that were hovering right above the band. As I sipped my gin and tonic, I became mesmerized by the drummer. I am not very knowledgeable about the art of drumming but the man playing the drums was a crazy Thai drumming genius. It sounded like, beep bee boop baap doo oppp (I warned you I was a novice). He twirled and effortlessly moved his drum sticks through the air. Paired with the guitar, bass, saxophone, and trumpet the band was electrifying. People swayed in their seats, tapped their feet, and absorbed the jazztastic music. While sipping my drink I had a mini epiphany that jazz is a lot like Thai life for LJ and I. Sometimes we are confused, occasionally we feel a part of something chaotic and nonsensical, other times it all falls into place, but most of the time we find ourselves grateful for experiencing something so unfamiliar and sublime.

Unnatural

Jazzzz

Doi Suthep

Pondering…

Hanging out of a Sawng Teow

He’s a natural

Jazz Club