Go to Bangkok, Go to Buddha

I've been busy. The past two weeks have been filled with travel, amazing experiences, overwhelming frustrations and cultural connections and crossroads.

The evening of February 4^th I boarded a mini-bus bound for Bangkok with a few students and fellow teachers. The purpose of our trip was to attend a science fair and support the students who had gone down ahead of us with their science projects. We arrived at the out skirts of Bangkok around 4:45am on the 5th and stopped at a rest stop to get dressed for the day's activities (students in school uniforms and teachers in pink Wangasae shirts.) We ate a quick breakfast and then headed to the science fair, housed in a colossal convention center in the industrial district of Bangkok. We wondered the science fair for hours, waiting for it to finish so we could pack up our school's projects and head to the Amphawa floating markets. My roommates, Yout and Pom, kept telling me to "Put more make-up on so you look beautiful". Apparently I looked too tired and this was somehow unacceptable. My excuse of waking up at 4:45 and not having any coffee were not accepted and I kept being led to the "hong nam" (bathroom) to reapply concealer to my dark circles, though eventually I just started pouting and refused to do what they asked saying "in America I only put makeup on once a day!".

Finally we packed up and headed to Amphawa, home to a beautiful floating night market and numerous fireflies. We stayed in a "home stay" and had a total of four rooms for 33 people…needless to say the sleeping arrangements were a little cramped. We wandered the night market and ate dinner on the steps to the canals, food served to us from small canoe-like boats floating in the gentle water. As dark fell we boarded several wooden, motorized boats to take a ride through the canals and search for fireflies. We followed the shoreline closely and were rewarded with the sight of trees filled with fireflies, they flickered to some unheard rhythm and many of my students pointed and yelled, "Teacher, Christmas tree!!" I had never seen so many fireflies congregated in one spot before, it was beautiful. Unfortunately I was unable to take get any pictures of the sight as my flash disrupted the bugs and without it all you could see was darkness.

The Floating market

I had been under the impression that we would be staying in the Bangkok area for two days but unsurprisingly plans changed (a common occurrence here in Thailand where the idea of a hard schedule or consistent plan seems not to exist) and no one bothered to fill me in. The next morning, we boarded the mini-bus again at 9am and returned home around 1am! Though we did stop along the drive home to view beautiful temples, including one surrounded by fields of sunflowers, it was an incredibly long ride and my large, American behind was rather sore from all that sitting.

My students and sunflowers

On Tuesday the 9^th of February I embarked on yet another adventure with my some of my students, a Buddhist retreat. The retreat was to help students learn to be "Good teenagers and Students" and about 150 students participated. The group was made up of the "worst" students (failing grades, poor attendance and those caught drinking and smoking) and the "best" students (members of VSTAR, a student leader group with high grades and stellar records). The badly behaved students made up the majority of the group and I was, needless to say, a little apprehensive and unsure what to expect. We drove for about an hour to a Buddhist temple located on the top of a mountain, it was a small mountain but the views were beautiful nonetheless.

The View from the Temple

Upon arrival we all changed into all white outfits, a mandatory requirement when you "go to Buddha". We remained at the temple for four days and it was one of the most amazing, exhausting, frustrating and beautiful experiences of my life. Each day consisted of sitting on the floor in a room for periods of 4-5 hours at time. Since there was a figure or Buddha in the front of the room and most lectures were given by monks, we had to keep our feet hidden. This means sitting with your knees bent, feet curled behind you in the "polite position". It may sound like no big deal but I have to tell you I have never had such sore knees in my life! Everything was done in Thai and nothing was explained to me at all, teachers would turn to me and ask "Do you understand?" and I would reply, "No". To which they would just nod and go back to listening. The students, and majority of teachers, woke at 4am everyday for prayers and ate only two meals a day. Each day was strictly structured and the students did not have a single moment of free time until they were released for sleep at 11pm. I found the juxtaposition between Thai and American teens to be shocking, not once did a student complain, talk back, or try to break any of the rules during the four days. I tried to tell them that in America students would never be able to do what they are doing, but they seemed surprised at this and not to understand why.

Some students taking a break to take in the view

The first night we walked in a silent line with candles and incense around the pagodas on the grounds around the temple. It was beautiful and powerful to see everything lit by candle light and hear nothing but the wind and the calls of birds and insects. We ended with prayers and meditation led by the monks and though I didn't speak the language I feel that I still understood.

On our third day at the temple we went for a hike around the mountain. We hiked for 7 kilometers in flip flops over rugged terrain and steep inclines but it was worth it. We stopped for lunch in a cave cut right into the side of the mountain that overlooked the lush surrounding jungle. We continued on after eating and were rewarded by many beautiful vistas. The Monks eventually led us off the path to the foot of a large rock formation where the students were allowed to gather nuts and crack them open with giant rocks for a snack. One of the monks had a great sense of humor and told me this was the "Flintstones" part of the trip, and asked if I had thought I would see cavemen in Thailand. After eating their fill of nuts we climbed the rock formation and were led by the monks in both a walking and sitting meditation.

Off on a Hike!

Lunch with a View

Rock Top Meditation with the Monks

I enjoyed my time with the Monks immensely. Previously I found the monks I had encountered in Thailand to be very intimidating and unapproachable, a shocking contradiction to my experiences in India. Yet at this temple they were intrigued by me and referred to me as "Kru Farang" (foreign teacher) and sought me out for conversation. I was invited to return to the Temple at any time to be taught the way of Buddha and to teach English to the novice Monks, it was very flattering offer and perhaps one day I will find my way back there. For now I will continue to teach and learn from the students I have come to love at Wangasae and look forward to sharing my next adventure with you all.

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.

Free Bird

Last week I attended a party. A party here in the Isan region basically means that one sits around on straw mats on the ground and drinks whiskey sodas or a beer with ice, cooks meat on a fire and listens to blaringly loud music. This party was a goodbye party for a teacher leaving Wangasae to teach at a new school. The party was being held next door to my house and when I arrived I was handed a big bowl of “moo” (Thai for pig) that had just been pulled off the fire. They then gave me a glass of beer, with no ice per my pleadings, but seemed to think it was strange I did not want my beer on ice and kept offering it to me. I proceeded to eat my “moo” and pantomime/ talk with my friends. Loud Thai music was playing and occasionally someone would jump up and dance or enthusiastically start clapping and going “uh uh uh” to the beat. It was a fun time, everyone was relaxed, things were good and bellies were full…or so I thought.

I then heard a horrible shrieking, screaming noise by the fire. There is a baby, named Telephone, who lives with her parents at my school and I thought perhaps it was her, restless at being held for so long. Yet when I turned around it was a chicken, being held upside down by the flames having its feet tied together. The bird was shrieking and clucking, objecting fully to what was happening to it. My fellow teacher, who was holding the poor creature, looked at me and said,

“Kate! Fried chicken!” He looked incredibly pleased with himself. He then placed the chicken upside down in a plastic bucket at the edge of the gathering and put the lid on. The chicken continued to shriek and scream in the bucket. I told people that this was somewhat hard for me as in America we never really see the meat before it is meat.

Fifteen minutes passed and the chicken grew silent. I assumed he had suffocated and said a little chicken pray to myself for the poor bird and tried to think of an excuse to walk away so I wouldn’t have to watch them pluck it, drain it of blood and chop it up to put on the fire. I thought that putting the thing in a bucket to kill it was pretty inhumane and contemplated briefly becoming a vegetarian as I nibbled on my remaining “moo”, which was delicious!

Next thing I know the bucket EXPLODES! The chicken somehow kicked the lid off and threw itself out of the container. Everyone had had their fair share of alcoholic beverages so at first no one could do anything but look on in surprise and make shocked exclamations. The chicken madly kicked around on the ground and somehow got its legs untied and took off, running faster than I have ever seen a chicken run, into the night. People started yelling and trying to catch the bird, flailing wildly at it as it ran past them towards the woods. I started screaming “wing ghai, wing!” (Which translates to“run chicken run!”) I seemed to be the only chicken cheerleader of the group, as everyone else was running after it or getting flashlights to try and find it in the woods. They looked for that chicken for the rest of the night, but never found him. Needless to say we did not dine on fried chicken. That was one free bird and one unforgettable party.

New Year, New Adventures

It was a great adventure. Ten days off with good friends to explore a new part of Thailand. It started off with a bang. Patricia and I headed into town together to catch our Bus to Pattaya. Usually it’s fairly easy to catch a ride into town. One can either flag down one of the large buses that travel between provinces or wait for a baht bus; often time’s people stop just because you are white, or they are the friend or a friend of someone who knows you so therefore by extension they know you, and give you a ride. However, Tricia and I walked along the side of the road for 45min to no avail. Eventually two old men grew bored watching us wait and decided to offer us a ride on their motorbikes. Worried we would miss our bus if we didn’t take the ride we said yes and each jumped on the back of a bike and took off. We wore our packs on our backs and let the wind whip our hair as the men whipped in and out of traffic, beeping at everyone we passed so that they could show off how fortunate they were to have young white girls on the back of their motorcycles. Twenty minutes later we arrived at our bus stop safe, though a little upset the men decided to charge a ridiculous amount upon arrival at the bus…but it was well worth it for the story…

Pattaya was a whole crazy, different story. It wants so badly to be like Las Vegas, yet it only is similar in its neon signs. During the day the city is full of shoppers or those just back from the beach. At night it transforms into a giant brothel. Go-go dancers show their best moves in windows on the street, prostitutes stalk the hordes of tourists for their next customer and men try to convince you to go see “best ping pong show”. One bar advertised “lady drink specials”, being innocent and naïve I assumed they were having a ladies night sort of thing, or having a special on a fruity cocktail with umbrellas. However, when I enquired it turned out the “special” was a discounted rate for “working girls” who wanted to come in and take a break with a cold one. Needless to say we spent our days on the nearby islands that were just a ferry ride away, and as far away from the sex tourism as possible. One day we also went to nearby Jamtien Beach, a more family friendly area, with little shops and the best bakery I have seen in Thailand thus far. It was heaven to float in the water and lie in the sand. The ocean is gorgeous here and I cannot wait to explore the more secluded beaches and islands in the south.

On the Streets of Pattaya

ahh..the beach..

Bangkok was a giant after living so long in our sleepy Nahkon Phanom. It was almost shocking to see so many giant buildings and so many people, plus the city stayed awake! In NKP the city is dead by about 9pm, but Bangkok was never quiet. Plus there were many, many foreigners there so no one pointed, stared or shouted at us as we walked by. Our first day there all us girls searched for fun dresses to wear for New Years, we wanted to embrace the freedom of a city that didn’t shudder at the sight of shoulder, after which we went dancing on Khao San Rd. Khao San Rd. is an area that caters to the back-packing crowd and penny pinchers. The street is lined with small merchants, restaurants, cafes and bars. We found ourselves lost in a sea of other white travelers out on the dance floor and almost forgot we were in Thailand for a few minutes.

On New Year’s Eve we splurged on an Italian restaurant and it was delicious! We then went to a big Club to dance the night away and ring in 2010 (or 2553 if you are Thai!) and were among only a handful of other foreigners and had a really good time. However, there was no real dance floor! Shin height tables littered the floor and people danced in place around them. The bar (in typical Thai fashion) only sold with full bottles of whiskey or vodka, or bottles of beer, that was it! The bar also had about ten people standing behind it, but only one person working; I guess the others were there for moral support. It was a fabulous evening and it was thrilling to get dressed up and be out on the town. Getting home was a little crazy though, no cab was willing to turn on their meter (a common scam to get more money) so we ended up all having to cram into one cab. Eight people in one cab was ridiculous but luckily we all though it was hilarious, especially the cab driver who bumped american pop music, giggled the whole ride, and posed for pictures with us.

New Year's

Our crazy cab ride

The next day I settled into the New Year by going to a movie! It was my first time at a Thai movie theatre and it was spectacular. The seats were amazing; I almost feel asleep they were so comfortable. For a few extra baht you can also sit on giant, plush sofas in the back row…hilarious! Before the movie started there was a slide show of the King, pictures of him at all ages, and everyone in the theatre stood to sing the national anthem. The movie was in English so for two hours I soaked in the sounds of my native tongue and left the theatre rejuvenated and ready…to eat a giant burrito! Yes that’s right...we found Mexican food...and it was amazing.

Saturday the 2^nd we took a boat ride down the river to see the sights, such as the Grand Palace. It was beautiful! We also took some time to stock up on little souvenirs to bring back for our fellow teachers, as it is Thai custom to bring small gifts to friends when returning from a journey. I only wish I had more time to explore Bangkok, but I will be back. We headed back to NKP that evening and arrived on the morning of the 3^rd.

Since returning home I have been settling back into my teaching routine and have be scolded many times by my roommates and fellow teachers for letting my skin get black and “ugly” while at the beach. Ah, good to be home!

Merry Christmas!!

I had a very Merry Christmas in Thailand! I taught my students Jingle Bells, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. We decorated a wall of the class room with paper snow flakes, I had a white Christmas!

The spirit of Christmas can be anywhere if you have the right attitude, and I am grateful for the fun I had with my students and their excitment to celebrate the holiday with me.

I am on my way to the bus station right now to spend a few days at the beach and then ring in the New Year in Bangkok. I am looking forward to swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand. I also cannot wait to find a pizza in Bangkok and see a movie! I wish you all a happy New Year and will post again when I get back next year!!! Happy Holidays...

"No Worry"

My roommate is getting married. This should be happy news, it should be cause for celebration, but I find myself yet again trying to accept a cultural difference that makes me upset. Pe Pom is not marrying for love, because “love no eat.” She is marrying a man who was able to give her family enough money for her hand in marriage that they can now buy a farm. Pe Pom says,

“No love him. He old man, ugly. I love mother, I love money."

I find myself biting my tongue and nodding, saying I understand. Everything inside me wants to tell her she does not have to do this, everything I learned in “Women’s Studies” in college runs through my mind and I fight the urge to spout American feminism to her, the urge to tell her to assert her independence and self worth. It’s hard to remember that she accepts this as normal; this is what is expected of her and what she expects of herself. While her marriage may seem shocking to me, it is normal to her. When I try to explain to her that in America this does not happen she simply says,

“America no poor. All rich.”

I have given up arguing with this statement, for though every American may not be rich in monetary ways we are all rich in other ways I am only just now beginning to understand, and used to take for granted. To Pe Pom the idea that people in America would not get married if they did not love one another is just as shocking as her marriage is to me. I ask if she is nervous or frightened about her pending nuptials and she simply says,

“I know worry”.

This is the Thai motto. I am constantly told to “no worry”, to accept what is happening and trust that things will be as they should, and that the act of smiling through fear, angry, sadness and confusion helps to diffuse any situation. So I take a deep breath, wish her happiness, give her a big smile and “no worry” anymore.

The little things..

It’s the little things that make you realize you feel at home that are the most important while living abroad. Its not the big trips or wild adventures that matter most but the small moments that make you smile and bridge the culture you are from to the culture you now live in.

Last week I allowed students to play with and braid my hair. It sounds like nothing, but this simple act, this girly activity, finally connected me to the students I spend everyday with. Letting them brush and braid my hair made me somehow more real to them, less scary and intimidating. Plus it was comforting to me as anyone who knows me knows that having my head “petted” is my number one comfort. After finishing my French braid the students stayed gathered around me to talk and giggle. They tried harder to communicate with me than they ever had and followed me around for the rest of the afternoon. Everyday after classes students now come to talk to me, they sit near me during extracurricular activities and run to help me when I am carrying my things to school, greeting me in English with smiles and waves. Students now approach me without the shyness and fear they previously had. They now take the time to communicate with me, to learn new words and phrases while we are not even in class. If I had known that letting them play with my hair would have had such a dramatic effect I would have done it weeks ago!

I also introduced my roommates to American music the other night as well. I plugged my I-pod into its speaker and danced and sang to music while helping to prepare dinner. Before I knew it my two female roommates were dancing along with me and we were having a full blown dance party. We laughed and sang together, and made up silly dance moves. The atmosphere of my house completely changed and we had the most carefree and fun evening I have had thus far in my new home with my roommates. Plus they gave me the greatest compliment of all, they said I danced like Michael Jackson!

It was important for me to realize that I can implement parts of my culture into my home. I do not have to completely ignore the parts of American culture that make me feel comforted and happy, I can bring them into my new life here as well. It’s this act of sharing and learning from one another that makes each day exciting and new and connects me to my new Thai friends and students. It just took me a little time to see that I had to look at all the differences as possibilities to connect rather than reasons to be separate.