Normal Life

Recently I was required to write a "handing over letter" for the new volunteer teacher destined to take my place here at Wangkasae. The goal of the letter was to help prepare the new volunteer for life here and give them some sort of idea of what to expect and how to deal with their new surroundings. Ever since completing the letter all I can think about are all the things I have adapted to and accepted as normal since I arriving here almost one year ago. Its strange to think that these things I once thought of as so alien and foreign now just seem like an everyday normalcy to me. I thought I would share a few of these with you

Toliet Paper?

Toliet paper is not a common commodity here in Thailand, or SE Asia in general. One either uses a spigot (like the dish washing hose on most American kitchen sinks) to clean up or simply use a bucket to rinse. It has become second nature to me to carry toilet paper with me where ever I go so as to always be prepared. I keep toilet paper in my desk drawer at school, a roll in my purse, and in the pockets of my pants.

Bathrooms

Instead of flushing with a little push of a button here we only have bucket flushes. This means that one pours buckets full of water down the toilet to flush. This means that most bathrooms have buckets full of standing water that also serve as a breeding ground for all sorts of bugs.

I have also grown accustomed to all bathrooms being wet, no floor is ever dry. Bathrooms here do not have a divider for where you bathe and where you relieve yourself. Typically you stand right next to the toilet to shower or bucket bathe.

Toilets are also usually "squatters". While at first I longed to be able to sit I now prefer my squat stance. While it may not promote a lesiurly read on the john my thighs are looking great!

Bugs

I now share my life with millions of insects. Big ones, small ones, biting ones, ugly ones, smelly ones, crawling ones...It doesnt seem strange to me anymore to see bugs everywhere I go. Oh spiders in my fridge? Whatever. Ants crawling all over my tooth brush? Rinse it and use it. Ants in my ceral? Open the bag, put it in the sun, wait for them to crawl away and then enjoy! Hot? Attach a giant beetle to a stick and make him fly, now you have a personal fan.

Bugs are also a food group here. Its not uncommon for me to catch a student eating in class and upon inquiry discover they are munching a bag full of giant deep-fried crickets. (They are actually delicious!) Red ant eggs are a delicacy and the cicada is a delight for the taste buds as well.

Plastic Bags

Everything comes in a plastic bag. Want some take out? You get it in a plastic bag. Want a soda to go? Pour over some ice in a plastic bag and you are good to go.

Powder

I never used any powder other than make-up before arriving in Thailand. Now I use three different types of talcum powder. One called "Sweetie pink" that helps combat the oil that accumulates on my face during the day as I sweat. I never had a problem with oily skin until living here but the humidity is killing me! Another powder is called "Cooling powder" that I pour down my shirt and back when I am so hot I cannot stand it. Cooling powder has menthol in it and when it comes in contact with your sweaty self it activates and its like having an air-conditioner in your shirt. Amazing. I also use regular baby powder after bathing to help combat the inevitable sweat that is soon to start.

Its hot!

I remember when I first arrived here I just couldnt belive how hot and humid it was and I was sure I would never get used to it and just be miserable the whole year. WRONG. I have totally adapted. I dont even notice when I an dripping sweat anymore, it just seems normal. I have adapted so well that the other day it was 77 degrees out and I was convinced it was in 50's I was so cold. I had goosebumps, freezing hands and had to sleep in a long sleeve shirt to stay warm. Needless to say the thought of returning home to New England in November has me a little terrified.

Spicy= Delicious!

I liked spicy food before I lived here, but I didnt LOVE it. I could handle a little bit of spice, but didnt enjoy the burn of a lot of it. Now I just can't get enough of that sweet, spicy heat! The chilis used here are very strong and powerful. When I first arrived they wrecked havoc on my mouth and digestive system but now I am used to them. I can eat with relish a plate of mouth burning "som tom" (papaya salad) with out fear. I find myself able to handle the same level of spice as the Thais around me, no longer do they have to make sure something is "mai pet" (not spicy) for me. If something is bland with no kick I find it boring and inevitably add chilies to it. I wear the pain from the chilis like a badge of honor now, my nose runs from the heat and I breathe in sucking gasps to try and get cool air into my burning mouth, just like my Thai friends do.

Ring, Ring!

The cellphone culture here is out of control. Everyone has one and there doesn't seem to be much etiquette involved. When I first arrived I was horrified that people would answer their phones in the middle of a staff meeting, dinner, movie, etc. Now I am just used to it. Sitting in a meeting and get a call? Simply cover your mouth while talking and its fine...Need to make a shouting phone call on an over night bus at 4am? No biggie...

Water

Don't drink the water! The water out my house often comes out of the tap alongside some algae. While it used to freak me out I have gotten pretty used to it and know that if algae is coming out the pump must have just been turned on so its best to just let it run for a few minutes. I drink and brush my teeth with only bottled water and impress all my colleagues when I tell them that in America you can drink right from the tap.

I have also not lived with hot water the entire time I have been here. I thought when I first arrived that this would be the hardest thing to overcome but it was actually the easiest. You really wake yourself up in the morning with a cold bath and its really refreshing after a long, humid day.

Sink? Whats That?

A sink is another rarity here where I live. While the bathrooms at school have sinks my home has none. I wash my face out of a bucket and wash dishes squatting in the backyard with a hose and bowl. I actually view a sink as a luxury now, its not something that anyone truly needs to have.

Zzzzzt

Electricity is not very safe here. I don't know what it is. Maybe its because the voltage is different, maybe its that outlets are never grounded, or maybe its just that Thailand doesn't have the same building codes as back home. I just am always getting a little shocked. Every time I plug something in it sparks, every time I do laundry (and I mean EVERY single time) the washer takes pleasure in shocking me. When my computer is plugged in if you touch the edges of the screen it shocks you, if you connect headphones while its plugged in your ears will experience an electric zing. Once I was even electrocuted during class while trying to turn the fan oscillator on, I got an entry and exit burn on my hand and scared my students enough for them to scream. But don't worry...its normal!

Beautiful, Fat, Farang!

Everywhere I go people point and say "farang!" (Which mean white forgiener) People's jaws drop when they see a white person with in their midst. My white skin cause them to tell me I am beautiful, often while stroking the whiteness of my arm or my cheeks. Yet because I am tall and also have hips they love to tell me I am fat. When I first arrived all this attention bothered me to no end! Now I am used to the attention and find it strange if a day goes by where I am not told I am beautiful...lucky me, I have the best self confidence! (If only I could get them to stop calling me fat now...)

Love & Happiness

I love my life here in Thailand. I have never felt so content and happy in my job and everyday life. It is truly a gift that I am able to experience all of this craziness. Living here has opened up things within myself I never new existed and put me on a path I am overjoyed to follow.