Cowgirls and Dancers

It all started with a parade. This past Friday the 29^th of January was High School teacher sports day in Nakhon Phanom. This means that all the high schools in the province, around 50, cancelled classes for the day and the teachers all converged in town for a little friendly competition and, of course, a parade. As I am white, and somewhat of a novelty, I was selected by my Director to lead my school in the parade, I was told I would be wearing a costume and holding a giant baton. Thursday night, at 10:30pm, after searching for a costume large enough to fit my foreigner body, we found fishnet gloves and a hat, I was told that I would need to wake up at 3am for a 4am hair and makeup appointment. Needless to say I was a little shocked and irritated but mostly just amazed that hair salons would open at that ungodly hour. I arrived at the salon bleary eyed and yawning not sure what to expect. First they took a straight razor blade to my eye brows to thin them out, a horrifying ordeal that I was too tired to protest but actually turned out pretty well. Next my hair was braided into giant, corn row type braids and then layers and layers of makeup were applied to my face to make me look as white as possible. (White is beautiful here people, don’t forget!) After I was finished being made “say” (beautiful) I changed into my costume of jeans, a cowboy hat, long sleeve black tee-shirt, fishnet gloves and a pleather studded vest and was ready to represent Wangasae in the parade, flanked by my cowgirl sidekicks. We marched through the town and people waved and shouted and took photographs, the local TV station even filmed the whole event.

Posing after hair and makeup were completed

The final product, we are ready to march!

On Sunday the 31^st of January I was told I would be dancing with my students in a festival that evening. They sat me down and within five minutes had my hair piled on top of my head in a hair tower with gold chains, flowers, and golden spikes protruding from it. Next I was wrapped in a traditional dance costume and then had white powder applied to my back, shoulders, arms and chest because, yet again, I simply wasn’t white enough. After having my makeup completed and fake eyelashes glued on I was piled in a bus with my students and we were whisked off to the festival to perform. I was feeling quite a bit anxious about dancing on stage, with hardly any practice, but my students took the time to show me a few moves before we arrived, encouraging me through the learning process as I usually do for them. When we arrived we ate a quick dinner backstage and then we started dancing.

In Thai dance the dancers use move their hands and fingers in intricate ways in time to the music. From the time girls are born their parents start bending their fingers back so that they are flexible and graceful. My hands just cannot move the way theirs can. In every dance there is one dancer who pretends to play a stand of four clay pots in time to the music. This was what I had to do, not so hard, and I managed it quite well! Four people came up to the stage during our performance to give me leis of marigold, though I think it was more for my whiteness than my dancing skill. It was an amazing experience to be part of with my students. It brought us closer together and really solidified a bond between us. This whole week students have come to me in their free periods to just sit on the floor around my desk, either to chat or just relax, or teach me new Thai words.

Some of my students all dressed to dance

Kate the Thai Dancer

Me and some of my students

This past weekend was a weekend of firsts and once in a lifetime experiences that I will never forget. Tonight I am off to Bangkok with a group of fellow teachers and students; I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience as well and leave me with another story to share.