Nam Prik Het

Most of the time, I don’t make Thai food when we’re in our house. I know I should be practicing for when we return to the USA and I want to make it myself, but it’s just not as delicious when made by me as it is when made by people in our town! But last week the teachers at my school helped me learn to make one of my favorite dishes, and since then I’ve made it at home three times.

"Nam Prik" translates literally as "chili water," and there are dozens of varieties of it in northern Thailand. Nam Prik Num is a basic chili dip made primarily with green chilies and garlic, and sometimes fish sauce or fermented fish sauce. Nam Prik Ong, Robert’s favorite, has the addition of tomatoes and pork. But my favorite is Nam Prik Het, made with forest mushrooms that spring up from the ground when the rains are heavy.

The ingredients in Nam Prik Het include: the forest mushrooms mentioned above (I don’t know the name of the variety in English, but I’m sure that other large soft mushrooms could be substituted); fresh green chilies; a bunch of garlic cloves; some small round green things that grow on a stem (I have no idea what they’re called, either, sorry!); and a little soy sauce.

First, you roast the chilies until they are soft and a bit blackened. I do this in the wok. Next, you grill or roast the mushrooms until most, but not all, of their water is gone. Then, take the chilies, garlic, and little green things and smash them up in a mortar (if you’re traditional) or a blender attachment (if you’re me). Add in those warm mushrooms and some soy sauce, keep smashing a bit more, and you have a tasty dip. We like to eat it with sliced cucumbers, green beans, boiled eggplant (not pictured), and sticky rice.

"Seven"

When one applies to and is accepted to the Peace Corps, one often has an image of the "developing" country as being almost entirely without modern conveniences and services. Certainly, many Peace Corps countries are this way, such as Mali in West Africa where my sister spent two years living in a mud hut with no running water, electricity, or telephone service.

Most of Thailand does not fit that description, however, as I realized the first time I stepped into a 7-11 way back during our training in early 2005. Not only was it air-conditioned, it had ice cream, candy bars, yogurt, wheat bread, Corn Flakes cereal, and Lays potato chips!

In Bangkok and other large Thai cities, there might be a 7-11 – called "Seven" by the Thais – nearly every other block. It is quite an institution. We’ll often duck in on our way to or from the Peace Corps office to grab some bottled water, a cell phone card, or some deodarant. Our town does not have one, however, which is probably a good thing. We have to travel 50 kilometers on windy mountain roads before seeing the bright red and green. I’m happier to support our local shops anyway, even if they don’t have M & M’s. A Peace Corps Volunteer does not need to have everything!

Khantoke

Last night we were invited to attend a Khantoke dinner at Jae Hom Wittaya, the local high school. A khantoke is a small round table filled with many dishes, usually including a vegetable stir-fry, a Burmese-style curry, a northern minced meat spicy salad, fried pig skins, spicy sausage, and various other assorted items. Because it is a traditional northern Thai-style dinner, all food is eaten with sticky rice.

This dinner was given in honor of a group of foreign exchange students who arrived in Thailand 2 months ago and are living in various provinces all around the country. They came to our province to attend a camp at a national park. We got to chat with a few of them, including one from Minnesota!

The entertainment at the khantoke was performed by Thai students at the high school. They did a number of traditional dances including classical style, swordfighting, fire-throwing, and drumming. It was very pleasant to sit on ground and watch while snacking on peanuts roasted with ginger and kaffir lime leaves. Mmm.

The Rambutan

Thailand has many interesting fruits. During my last 10 months here, I will try to highlight some of them as they come into season.

Shown in this picture is the lovely rambutan. Robert once described it as a red fruit with green hair! I usually use the prongs of my fork to slice it open around the middle (though most people use their thumbnails), until out pops a white, football-shaped sweet fruit with a big seed in the middle. It can be a bit difficult to eat sometimes – I’ve had more than one fly out of my fingers and onto the floor – but it’s quite tasty, and rather festive, too.

(The other fruits are oranges, which are green in Thailand, and some other sweet-sour thing that grows in the forest that I didn’t like very much.)

Sick!

One of my friends wrote me a letter several months ago asking what I miss from home when I'm sick over here in Thailand. This week I can answer that question very easily!

Last week, Robert and I spent three days helping at our school district's English camp for gifted high school students, which took place at a nearby national park. As English camps go, it was a pretty good one, but as usual we didn't get enough sleep and came down with illnesses immediately following.

The first thing I miss is COOL AIR. When you are sick -- headache, fever, sore throat -- there are few things more unpleasant than lying in bed sweating even while the fan is blowing on you. It keeps you from getting that sleep you need to recover! It also keeps you from wanting to drink the hot tea that might be so helpful for your throat.

The second thing I miss is HEALTHY CONVENIENCE FOOD. At home, when sick, I could easily open a can of soup and heat it up on the stove. Here, I can choose between more intensive cooking (the healthier choice) and local take-out (the faster choice). But again, when you're hit by fever, neither of those choices is particularly appealing.

The third thing I miss is TV, or movies anyway. Yes, we can watch movies on our DVD -- and we did, a bit, on Saturday and Monday -- but setting up the computer and speakers and all the cords is more labor intensive than just walking into the living room and pushing a few buttons like I might have at home. We don't have a real TV here -- and we don't want one -- but once in a while it might be a nice break.

The last thing I miss is PERSONAL SPACE. Back in training, our Peace Corps doctor said to us, "Thai people are very into being sick." This is true. As soon as our neighbors-co-teachers-supervisors-anyone else knows that we're sick, they'll start pelting us with questions: Have you been to the doctor? Did you take medicine? Are you drinking warm water? If the answer to any of those is "no," it will produce an additional flood of questions: Why haven't you been to the doctor? Should I call the hospital for you? Do you need a shot? Why haven't you taken _XXX_ medicine yet?

The questions are all very well and good, and they show a genuine interest on the part of our Thai neighbors in their desire to attend to our health, but sometimes I want to say that what I really need is a night in a quiet, rooster- and karaoke-free, cold building with no one to ask me any questions!

60 Years of the King

This year Thailand is celebrating the 60th aniversary of the King. King Bhumibhol ascended the throne in 1946 and is the longest reigning monarch in the world. In fact, a Peace Corps Volunteer did some research last week and determined that the only monarch who ever reigned longer was Ramses II of Egypt (66 years). So it’s an impressive statistic here in Thailand.

More amazing than the length of his reign, though, is his record of development projects in the country. Not one to sit on a throne and give commands, this King has spent decades traveling to distant rural villages, promoting education and public health, and sponsoring all sorts of programs designed to help the Thai’s – and hill tribes living in Thailand – to help themselves. The people love him, and with good reason.

Friday was declared a national holiday so that everyone would have an opportunity to join in the celebration. (In typical Thai fashion, the declaration was made on Tuesday night, so those of us off at English camp didn’t get to enjoy our holiday until it was nearly over.) We made it back from camp mid-afternoon, so we had time for a quick shower before re-donning our yellow shirts and orange "Long Live the King" bracelets. (Yellow is the King’s color. Thailand has been experiencing a yellow shirt shortage in recent weeks.)

Our town’s parade started at the basketball court near our house and moved up the main road to the town government building. There, we were able to look at some displays showing the King’s life and accomplishments, purchase local products and snacks, and participate in the candle ceremony after sundown. We were both moved during the singing of the King’s anthem. It’s a beautiful song, and being able to honor him in that way with a crowd of adoring Thai’s was a singularly unique experience.

Grace

In many ways, four years of teaching in a Catholic school prepared me well for teaching in Thailand’s public schools. The schools, being Buddhist, incorporate religion throughout the day (at least nominally). Morning prayers are said after the national anthem, a picture of the Buddha hangs in the classroom, and all school ceremonies include giving offerings to the Buddha statue.

An educational movement called "Buddhist Way School" is moving through Thailand now. The idea behind it is that if the daily life in a school is centered and designed around a Buddhist philosophy – one that teaches the students moderation and mental discipline – students will have better behavior and academics will improve. In theory, and if implemented well, it seems like a good idea. The schools in our town are just beginning to follow the "Buddhist Way" plans.

One of the features of the Buddhist Way school is an extended communal prayer before the lunchtime meal. At both of my schools, the students enter the cafeteria, sit down with their trays of food, and then wait to be given a signal. At the signal, they all lift their hands into the "wai" position and say the grace. At one school, it is led line-by-line by the head of the student body, with all other students repeating. At the other, they all speak the entire grace together.

In the photo you might notice: tablecloths on the tables, portraits of the King, Queen, and a monk hanging over the doorways, the teachers’ lunch table through the doorway on the left, all boys have the same haircut and all girls have the same haircut.

Toothbrushing

Back in April I posted a blog about the cavities I’ve developed here in Thailand. At our mid-service conference in April, where all of us January 2005 arrivals had our doctor and dentist check-ups, it turned out that I was not the only one to experience this disturbing phenomenon. (One volunteer had SIX cavities, which certainly beat my four. Robert, amazingly, had none.) The general theories for why this is include the higher sugar levels in the Thai diet and the lack of flouride in our drinking water.

In any case, it seems as though dental health is something that the Thai school system takes somewhat seriously these days. All across Thailand, after lunch is finished, kids troop down to the toothbrushing stations (or canals, or water troughs, or whatever feature is available at their schools) and brush. At many schools – including the four at which Robert and I teach – this is all coordinated by a selection of songs designed just for this purpose: the "call to the toothbrush" song, the "how to brush your teeth" song, and the "now it’s time to return to class" song. The "how-to" song includes such great lines as "now, the upper-left! now, the lower-right!"

While I give high marks to the toothbrushing program, it’s clear to me that there are other steps that could be taken to ensure the students’ dental health. For one, the schools do not need to have canteens selling sweet treats during the lunch hour. Similarly, the local ice cream man does not need to be given permission to sell ice cream to the kids on the playground even before the end of the school day. It’s said that American kids eat way too much junk food – and that’s certainly true – but I will say that after plenty of experience watching kids eat junk in both countries, Thai kids are definitely come out ahead in the sugar race.

Yesterday, the dentist came to one of my schools and my co-teacher and I watched him check all the 6th graders mouths in the hallway outside the classroom. Only 4 out of 18 had cavities this time, so I guess that’s not too bad. When he returns I may get to watch him fill them in the meeting hall, like I did last year!

Wan Wai Kroo

Today was the hottest day we’ve had so far this year. It was also Wan Wai Kroo – the day of honoring teachers. So we all got to be really, really hot in our nicest clothes.

At my school, the ceremonies began shortly after 9am and included several parts. First, the teachers, principal, custodian, and two student body leaders gave offerings to the school spirit house. Next, the same group along with the student council paid respects to the school Buddha statue, King Rama V statue, and King Rama VI statue. We then joined the rest of the students in the meeting hall. They did some chanting, and then two representatives from each class brought a flower arrangement to the teachers.

Following those "honor" ceremonies, the principal gave a speech about being good students and good community members. Then all the students receiving scholarship money from the community fund to help pay for books and supplies lined up to get their envelopes. After some picture taking, the event was concluded and we returned to swelter in the classroms for the remainder of the day!

Things to notice in the photos: the current year in Thailand, the teachers’ fantastic silk suits (except for mine, which is cotton), the microphone, the lack of shoes at certain spots, the incense sticks, the pig’s head and beer.

Update

The floods did not come to our town. However, the four provinces that were hit were hit much harder than we were last year. Massive mudslides and that sort of thing. Three volunteers were flooded out of their houses, but are otherwise safe.

Our town gave a big sigh of relief when the rain stopped on Friday. Things had been pretty tense here for a few days. Now we're just back to roasting hot. Always something!

Here We Go Again...

It's happening. The endless days of rain thanks to typhoons around Southeast Asia are having their effects on northern Thailand.

Yesterday evening our next door neighbor told us that several northern provinces have already flooded in the last couple of days, including ours, though still over a hundred kilometers from our house. With that information, we gathered our passports and a few other emergency supplies into backpacks that are now sitting ready in case of a quick escape. At midnight when the rain came heavily again I couldn't sleep, and stood out on the patio watching it until Robert got me to come back in.

Today it's the first topic on everyone's mind. Our supervisor at Peace Corps called at 7:30am to check in. She reported that another volunteer has been flooded already, two provinces south of us. As soon as we arrived at the school district office we were asked, "Did you pick up your things yet?" (Meaning, did you prepare your house?) We'll be doing a lot of that tonight, I think. My goal is to preserve as much of our material goods as possible this time around! Not that material goods are all-important, of course, but it would be much better if we didn't lose them all the same.

I do like rain. But I don't think I will ever feel quite the same about it again.

An Evening at the Wat

Two Fridays ago we went to our local wat in the evening to see the Wan Wisakhabucha ceremony. We were told it would start around 7pm, so we had a quick dinner and walked over around 7:15 – assuming some Thai lateness, of course. However, when we got there the temple was completely deserted except for the sound of a few monks chanting somewhere. We paced a bit trying to decide what to do, and finally assumed we had gotten it all wrong and started walking back home.

Before we had gone too far, though, a woman came out to ask us where we were going. After our reply she informed us that the ceremony would actually start at 8pm. "And don’t you have any flowers?" she asked with a puzzled look. No, we said, we were just going to watch this time.

We went back to the wat and this time met a few other early arrivers, all of whom had flowers in their hands. "Do you have a flower?" they asked us. No, we’re just watching... We chatted with one young couple visiting from out of town until a loud bell rang and everyone started moving inside the wihan (building).

We sat in a back corner hoping to be inconspicuous. As the room filled up and the monks started chanting, however, we were soon very well surrounded by teenagers, including some from our neighborhood. (To our surprise, this seemed to be a particularly teenager-attracting event.) Several people asked whether we had flowers. No, we said, we’re just watching.

About 20 minutes into the chanting, when my legs were really getting cramped from kneeling on the floor even though I had switched orientation several times, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I glanced behind me, and there was a young woman handing me a lotus flower. A young man was obtaining another for Robert, which I dutifully passed over. It seems the local teens couldn’t imagine the thought of us experiencing Wan Wisakhabucha without our own flowers. We relented, and I spent the remainder of the chanting admiring my nice bloom.

After the monks were finished, we all headed outside – about 150 people in all – and candles were lit. As everyone started walking around the wihan, Robert and I were each handed a candle as well, which we quickly lit before joining in the walk. Three times around in total, commemorating the birth, life, and death of the Buddha, and then we placed the candles and flowers in some little cubbies and went home. It was really a beautiful sight, and a testament to the determination of Thai people to include us in their special moments. No "just watching" allowed!

Big C

On Saturday we visited Big C. It’s kind of like Target, but on a super-sensory, Thai-style level. We go there about once a month to stock up on supplies not available in our town, like raisins, cheddar cheese, Energizer digital batteries, and internet cards.

A typical day trip to Big C, including preceeding and follow-up events, looks something like this:
Sleep in, go for a jog, eat breakfast and shower. Walk to the town bus/songtaew stop. Wait for a vehicle to depart. Ride over many hills and around many curves until arrival in the city. (Usually, Robert looks out the window while Kate reads a book.)

Upon arrival at Big C, to settle the stomach, head for the cash machine and then the lunch counter. Eat a quick and cheap Thai lunch. Attack the aisles, trying to avoid the massive display piles, the young women advertising various products with loud stereos and megaphones, and the crowd of teenagers clustered around the skin-whitening deodarant selections.

After forking over a large portion of PCV monthly stipend (peanut butter is expensive here!), head down the escalator for a recovery stop at the DQ, where mini-blizzards are available in all the usual flavors for less than a dollar. Walk with ice cream out to the parking lot, where a songtaew will be waiting for a full complement of other commuters. Ride that songtaew to the songtaew stop for our town, board it with all the bags of groceries, and ride for another 80 minutes or so to the gate of our house.

Upon arrival at home, lie on the bed for at least 20 minutes to get over car-sickness or songtaew exhaust poisoning before starting to make dinner. Enjoy a relaxing evening that includes at least one food purchase from the day!

Drunk Bugs

"Floods never come to our town!" "It won’t rain at the English camp!" "The drunk bugs aren’t coming this year!"

All of the above are examples of extremely misguided predictions that I’ve heard in Thailand during the last 12 months. Each one turned out to be quite the opposite: the flood DID come to our town, it DID rain at the English camp, and...

It only took an hour this evening between the time that I observed, before leaving on my bicycle for aerobics at the town hall, that the drunk bugs seemed to have not returned to our house this rainy season, and the time that I returned, well-exercised and sweaty, to find the little fluttery wings all over the walls, floors, furniture, and bathroom floor.

We first met these bugs last May, during one of the first rainstorms of the year, when, as we sat outside enjoying the sudden cool breeze, we saw that all of our neighbors were shutting their doors and windows. "How silly," we thought, "for them not to take advantage of the change in the air." In fact, we were the deluded ones, not realizing that with our doors wide open, the house was rapidly filling with strange moth-like creatures that fly dizzily, crash into walls, and flail about on the floor losing their wings all over. Each morning we swept them out the door, and each evening we watched as gecko lizards ate their fill.

We call them the "drunk bugs" because when we were first told their name, "maleng mao," we thought that "mao" (falling tone) was the same as "mao" (flat tone). The first refers to the bugs, the second is the adjective for drunk. They certainly seemed drunk to us, anyway, what with flying into walls and then falling to the floor, so it was an honest mistake.

As I write this blog, we are just hoping that when we turn out the lights for the evening, they will crawl back outside underneath the cracks in the doors... otherwise I do fear for Robert’s sanity!

(The photo also shows a friendly frog.)

Kow Taew

The start of the school year is upon us again. We’ve had an amazing stretch of cool weather to help usher it in, and I really appreciate that I’m not sweating all day. I’m also happy about the sweatshirts and cups of hot tea. I can’t expect it to last more than the four days it already has, but I’ll keep enjoying it in the meantime!

Anyway, the photo shows Kow Taew at Bahn Mai Pa Kao School. Every school in Thailand starts with Kow Taew. Students stand in lines – arranged by grade and gender – and first the flag is raised while everyone sings the national anthem. Next, everyone turns toward the school’s primary Buddha shrine for morning prayers. Finally, they turn back towards the flag for what I call the "Student Oath." (It has lines like, "We students, must be disciplined, listen to our teachers, study hard, etc etc...") These three sections of Kow Taew are always student-led.

Kow Taew can be a relatively short assembly – 10 or 15 minutes – or it can go on for up to a half hour, depending on which teachers have announcements, and of what sort. Sometimes my schools have the "English word of the day" or some other such educational item. One of my schools has a student read neighborhood news every Monday. Occasionally teachers will do uniform or haircut checks. Emphasis is on form. I always enjoy watching the pre-schoolers start to get out of line, jump up and down, make funny faces, and generally lose attention in amusing ways.

For the record, "kow" means "enter" and "taew" means "rows." Or in short form, "Line up!"

Coral Resort Review

Coral Resort is located on Hat Kai Bae (Kai Bae Beach), Ko Chang. The resort is situated right on the water, with excellent views of islands and sea. Our bungalow door opened to a stunning view of shimmering water, and at night we sat on the comfortable patio chairs to look at the stars shining over the Gulf of Thailand.

Because Coral Resort is situated over a rocky tidal area, the resort does not have its own swimming beach, which is a drawback for those who want to walk from their doorway right into the water. The best beach is a 10-minute hike from the bungalows, past several other restaurants and lodgings. We didn’t find the walk to be unpleasant, however, and the relative quietness of the Coral Beach location more than made up for the distance. Joggers will appreciate the long stretch of sand available to the public!

Bungalows are very comfortable; even the cheapest have soft spring mattresses, screened windows, and daily cleaning. Air-con is not necessary thanks to the powerful ceiling fans. Some of our best nights of sleep in Thailand were here!

The resort is owned by a friendly French man, and the menu has both Thai and western offerings. The restaurant and bar offer spectacular views of the pool and Gulf. Most of the food and beverages were absurdly overpriced, however, especially considering the cheaper (and, in my opinion, better-quality) food available just a few steps away. The one standout section on the menu is the salads – a regular garden salad came with delicious chunks of feta cheese, a real treat for the price. For most meals, though, I recommend the close-by KB Bungalows, where we found friendly service as well as affordable and delicious fare.

We visited towards the end of April, the beginning of the low season. Hence, the place was wonderfully quiet both day and night. We did have rain for a good 50% of our visit, but we found this to be no obstacle to relaxation.

Coral Resort: Highly Recommended!!

Shoes

A common site outside many wats, shops, and school classrooms is a pile of assorted pairs of shoes. In Thailand, the foot is considered to be the lowest part of the body, and shoes are not allowed into people’s homes. When you think about it, it makes sense, since the road is generally spotted with animal droppings, gasoline drippings, and other nasty things.

This photo was taken at Wat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai. One woman is holding a white lotus flower that she will be using to make merit inside the wat. The large fruit hanging from the tree are "canoon." (The English word for them is jackfruit, but I didn’t know what a jackfruit was before I came to Thailand!)

Several of our visitors have nervously asked if they need to worry about their shoes being stolen while they are inside. The answer is no, because if feet are the lowest part of the body, who would want to wear someone’s dirty shoes? We did have a PC friend whose running shoes were stolen about 6 months ago, but I think that was very abnormal.

A quick food report: today for lunch with our respective co-teachers, Robert ate pad si iew (stir-fried noodles with soy sauce) and I ate chi-choom (noodle soup with spicy red sauce). For dinner Robert ate stir-fried soy meat with basil and I ate stir-fried soy meat with kale, both with sticky rice. Ahh, sticky rice.

Elephant Mania

Before coming to Thailand I couldn’t wait to see an elephant. While I am still very fond of the large, smelly creatures, I have to admit they have become almost commonplace to me now. Who would have thought? That has not in any way diminished my desire for elephant-related products of all kinds, however. I was very happy last night to find a wooden elephant necklace in Chiang Mai, in the same pattern as my previously purchased wooden elephant earrings.

There are elephant shows at several locations around Thailand, but I think the best one is located in Lampang province in the north. It’s the most "legit" one since its goal is to take care of the elephants and help them live fulfilling lives now that they can’t do their traditional forest work, not to turn them into circus clowns. We have taken all 12 of our visitors there and it’s a hit every time.

Shown here are Robert and Karin on their elephant ride! The elephant’s name was "Thankahmmi."

Teacher Training

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow Robert and I are leading 3 days of workshops for elementary English teachers in our school district. The full workshop series is actually 15 days long, but we were able to skip out some due to our Peace Corps conference in Bangkok and Karin’s visit. (Unfortunately, Karin is having to entertain herself for a couple of days while we work – she did attend the first day with us but I think it was a but dull! Today she rode my bike around town and ordered herself some food for lunch in Thai – very impressive!)

Anyway, our first day’s theme was "Presentation through Pictures, Songs, and Dialogue." Shown in the photo is one of Robert’s flashcard activities – see if you can zoom in enough to read the sentence! Today was "Teaching English Through Storytelling," and tomorrow will be "Different Kinds of Reading." So far it has been a general success for us, but I do think that the teachers are a bit weary after 12 days of training.

Anyway, this photo is fun because it shows some of the pieces of Thai culture that we are used to seeing but that might not make it into the guidebook. You may be able to see the large sign on the wall behind the stage – it officially announces the title of the workshop series and the dates – April 24th to May 7th. To the left side of the stage is an alter to the Buddha which also has a photograph of the King, though the photo cannot be seen because of a teacher’s head. Every big meeting, workshop, or event is opened by a ceremony taking place at this alter. Also interesting, in my opinion, is the range of acceptable women’s clothing. Starting from left, there is a trendy outfit, 2 fancy silk shirts, and then a t-shirt and jeans in the center. (Were school in session, all the female teachers would be dressed more like the two with silk shirts, and would be wearing skirts.) Finally, the advanced technology occasionally available to us is always interesting. On the stage is a very fancy overhead projector, which I used today to project the pictures from the story book that I was reading for all 49 teachers in the room to see. I never had anything like that at my schools in America!

After a dinner of two different stir-fries (kale and sweet pepper), dragonfruit, and mangosteens, Robert, Karin, and I are all just trying to cool off now before going to bed. It’s hot!

Early Rainy Season?

We are continuing to see evidence that the rainy season will be coming soon. Or, perhaps it’s already here...

We visited Ko Chang – an island off Thailand’s east coast – with Robert’s cousin Karin this past weekend, and we had the opportunity to see a tropical rainforest in the rain. Note how the two of them are standing under their umbrellas, while other wet tourists walk in the background. We had hiked out to see a tropical waterfall and swim in its pool, but instead we just got soaking wet waiting to see if the rain would eventually stop. (It did, after we hiked back.) It was quite beautiful, anyway!

While we were experiencing rain along the rainforest coast, our northern town was visited by a "cyclone." (The correct term might be "tropical depression," but both the English-language newspaper The Bangkok Post and the Thai speakers in our town referred to it – in English – as a "cyclone.") For those of you who may not remember, it was Tropical Storm Domrey that brought us last year’s flood, so the news that a "cyclone" had arrived well before the heart of the usual rainy season did not ease my fears that we may be in for more this year!

Karaoke

Our first night in Thailand, way back in January 2005, the Peace Corps staff organized a "welcome dinner" for all us new trainees. Up on the stage, a karaoke machine was set up, and we were advised to start practicing ASAP!

Karaoke is wildly popular in Thailand. No party is complete without it in some form or another. It might be happening at the restaurant or the bar. Houses that look somewhat dilapidated from the outside may have fancy TV’s and hundreds of karaoke CD’s. It is the rare air-conditioned van or bus that isn’t equipped with a traveling karaoke machine and mike.

Perhaps it makes for great community bonding. Talent is not an issue – you don’t have to be a great singer to assume that everyone wants to hear your voice crooning away. Our co-teachers, principals, and neighbors all do it – some more often than others. I’ve never heard anyone criticized for their lack of singing prowess, but occasionally someone might be good enough to earn a round of applause. If not, no matter, they might sing a few more anyway. Yes, Robert and I have been forced to succomb to peer pressure and belt one out a time or two. Fortunately, most standard machines have a few Beatles tunes in their catalog, so we could at least humiliate ourselves in our own language!

There’s nothing like trying to fall asleep at night to the sound of the neighbor next door singing loudly into a microphone just slightly off tempo. Nor is there anything like waking up to the neighbor on the other side doing the same. Will we miss karaoke when we leave Thailand? Hmmm...

(Shown in the photo is our neighbor across the street, Pi La – who is one of the better singers, in my opinion – sharing a tune with us at a recent wedding.)

Birthday in Bangkok

Here's my prescription for a good birthday in Bangkok:

Start with a refreshingly hot morning run. If possible, find a park or green space. If not, go with the busy road near your hotel. You may have to have landmarks like "the first canal past the small garbage dump," but it's great to start the day with your blood moving all the same.

Next, answer numerous calls from friends and family in the United States. Really, it reminds you of how many great people are in your life.

Follow that up by a lengthy breakfast with assorted Peace Corps volunteers. Share experiences of living and working in Thai culture -- no one understands it the way they do. If breakfast goes until noon and the wait staff has already set up for lunch, that's ok.

Ride the river taxi and sky train for all afternoon transportation. They are cleaner, cooler, and have better views than the busses.

Hang out in air-conditioned shopping malls and if you can find some fake designer clothing that fits you, buy it!

Spend the late afternoon and early evening sitting by a pool with a book. Or, go in the pool if you feel up to it.

For dinner, head to the all-vegetarian Italian restaurant you've been hearing about for a year. Enjoy garlicky, cheesy food with red sauce and red wine. Reminisce about past birthdays with someone you love.

When you go to sleep, ignore the fact that you are now 29 (or will be in an hour, if you choose to account for time zones). Or, pretend that 29 isn't really that old.

Govinda Review

Govinda Italian Restaurant is located off Sukkhumvit Road Soi 22 in Bangkok. It is an all-vegetarian Italian restaurant that prides itself on "healthfulness". We visited this restaurant on a surprisingly quiet Saturday night.

After the sun has gone down, the outdoor tables are a pleasant place to sit surrounded by potted plants, and the wait staff will set up a fan or two for you. Inside, the first floor is nicely air-conditioned but the second floor is still a little too warm.

We tried just one item from the starter menu: the Bruschetta Pomodoro. Though both the tomatoes and the bread were pleasantly fresh, the dish was overall lacking in the bold flavors that I usually expect from a bruschetta.

Many of the salads are startlingly overpriced, as is the house wine. We splurged on a carafe of red anyway, and were very pleased to have done so. Robert enjoyed his "chicken" caesar (all of bruschetta's "meat" dishes are made with soy) even though the dressing was, in our opinion, not remotely resembling a true caesar dressing. My Rucola salad was much better, made with fresh arugula, pine nuts, and boldly flavoured shaved Parmesan.

The rest of the menu is more affordable. The list of pastas and main dishes was almost too long -- we took 20 minutes to make a selection! Sadly, the vegetarian lasagna is made with a white sauce instead of a red, so we skipped it. I opted instead for the whole wheat rigatoni, which satisfied all of my Minnesota-homestyle-Italian food desires -- thick with three cheeses, plenty of fresh tomato sauce, all baked in a substantial platter. Robert's ravioli was exquisitely garlicky; its one drawback was its small size -- not nearly enough to fill a grown man. Fortunately, my meal was more than ample enough to fill us both. We had to pass on the desserts, which was probably best for our budget anyway.

On the whole, Govinda is strongly recommended for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike! Take sky train Phrom Pong and walk a short ways past Emporium and the park.

Unwanted Luxury

One of the things we haven't been able to understand about Peace Corps Thailand is why, when we have official conferences and trainings, they insist on putting us up at the most expensive hotels in town. We arrived in Bangkok yesterday (yet again, we're so sick of this city!) for our Mid-Service Conference. All the Volunteers who came to Thailand with us will be gathering this weekend and next week to evaluate where we are at and what we would like to do during the next eleven months. When we got to our hotel -- primely located along the banks of the Chao Praya river -- I was a bit taken aback by the level of luxury and service in the lobby area. In fact, I felt rather out of place in my sweaty travel clothes. Our room is less ostentatious, but unnecessarily fancy all the same. (Do we really need hand towels AND finger towels in the bathroom?)

While we enjoy luxury, and don't usually have much access to it in Thailand (though we're comfortable enough in our town, despite the heat), we don't think that this is a good use of Peace Corps resources. It also often has unpleasant effects on us. For example, the laundry prices at the hotel are sky-high. We had originally hoped to wash clothes frequently, so we packed light for this 12-day expedition (we're also hitting the beach one more time after the conference ends). But, because washing one pair of Robert's pants at the hotel costs 110 baht (about 5 meals), we'll have to change that plan. I think I'll do a lot of laundry in the sink -- something I had hoped to avoid.

We Volunteers would be comfortable enough at a less expensive hotel. We have stayed at several of them in Bangkok, so we know they exist. It's as though the Peace Corps wants to impress us -- and the guest speakers at the conference -- so they pick the fanciest place possible. I would be embarassed if the people in our town, the students in my schools, saw me at this hotel. We try hard to keep a low profile up north -- to not act rich, to not have a lot of expensive possessions, to live simply. Spending a week in ostentatious luxury makes me question the goals and activities of Peace Corps as an organization even more than I already do.

Emergency Wedding!!

There’s always something, here in Thailand. This morning, as we were enjoying a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal at 8:30am after sleeping in a bit (it is a national holiday, after all, the final observed day of Songkran) – not yet showered or dressed of course – there came a call at the gate. Nearly bopping up and down in excitement were a Thai woman and teenage boy we had never seen, and a middle-aged white man with a video camera (he wasn’t bopping so much). I ran into the bedroom to conceal my exposed shoulders while another neighbor who had apparently shown the newcomers to our house explained to Robert that a wedding was taking place, at that moment, and that we should hurry up and go! Now! There will be lots of dancing! (That last bit was added in by the bopping woman.)

I came out with shoulders properly covered and Robert and I looked at each other in dismay, trying to understand how to preserve our slow morning pace and the afternoon of work we had planned. (We’re preparing for a teacher training in May.) Finally we told the women we would shower, dress, and stop by as soon as possible. Closing the door again to finish breakfast, we spent a few minutes grumbling about the last-minute nature of Thai invitations.

I showered first, and while Robert was taking his turn I took the time to iron my coolest blouse. During the next 15 minutes an older, well-dressed woman came by twice to look in the windows, ask me if we were ready yet, and when we would be, offer to come back for us again, and generally prod us along until I made very clear that we’d be there when we were ready.

After packing our work materials and grabbing the umbrella, we walked up the road to the wedding. It was, of course, easy to find because of the loud music and speaking into a microphone that was taking place. As it turned out, a Dutch man was marrying a Thai woman from our town who works in the Netherlands. After we gave them our blessings and money envelope and ate lunch, we were able to chat with him a bit in English about how they met and what they’d be doing next. (It was his brother who had been the gent with a video camera at our gate.)

Of course, we eventually found out that the real reason we were probably so forcefully invited at the last minute – besides just being the closest other white people in the area – was so that Robert could translate the Dutchman’s words of thanks to all the wedding guests after lunch. He did a fine job, of course. And eventually we made it to the office and got some work done. Phew.

(Photo 1 = Robert translating, Photo 2 = Eating lunch)

Buat

Thai Buddhism has a tradition called the "buat." A "buat" is a monk ordination, and we were able to visit one last week. To be a real monk (as opposed to a child monk), you must be a male at least 20 years old. You have to memorize a lot of teachings in Pali – a language that comes from India. Some monks are "career monks" – they live full-time in a temple and do different activities such as teaching or providing community services. But many monks are just monks for a short time period (7-30 days) to bring honor to their families.

Last year, our landlords Por Or Sawat and Ajaan Warangkana explained to us that parents expect their sons to become monks for a time period, because the son will then be able to pull his parents into heaven (or whatever it’s called in Buddhism) after the reincarnation cycles are completed. Because our landlords have only daughters, we asked what they must do. They said that they have to go to at least 5 ordinations per year of other people’s sons.

This family lives on the main road around the block from our house. The mother is a teacher at one of Robert’s schools. Their son was ordained last week at our local temple. He was a monk for 7 days. We attended part of the ceremony, during which we ate some tasty northern food and watched him collect food and money for his monk bowl and then recite some things in Pali. I enjoyed it because (1) it was cool and calm inside the wat, and (2) it was fun to see all the old ladies in their fancy skirts.

(For a more detailed description of an ordination, you can go to the link "Wesley in Thailand" on the side of my blog page. Wesley is another volunteer. He attended the ordination of another volunteer named Michael, who is Buddhist and wanted to be a monk in Thailand for a while during his time here.)

The Difference a Year Can Make?

April 13th is Songkran, northern Thailand’s biggest holiday of the year. It is the old new year – before January 1st was adopted – and includes 3 official days off (this year: Thursday, Friday, and Monday).

Songkran is sometimes called a "national water fight" because one of its most noticeable traditions is the throwing of water. In the olden days, scented water was used to gently give a blessing to elders or others in your community. Over the years, the custom morphed so that now, rural the days preceeding Songkran in rural northern Thailand, you must pack your cell phone and wallet carefully in plastic bags whenever you leave the house.

Last year, Robert and I were not big Songkran fans. It occurred shortly after we had arrived at our site. We thought we were supposed to be trying to "work," and here was this blazing hot town filling up with loud music and squirtguns shooting off the backs of pickup trucks. We were prepared for the worst again this year, and instead have been somewhat confused – but relieved – that we have been able to sleep for the last several nights after all, and that the public drunkenness which bothered us so much last year is much less visible this time around.

We are a little unsure as to the reasons for the change. Could it be that our town really is having a quieter Songkran this year? Or that, as our neighbor speculated this afternoon, fewer people came home from Bangkok this time, so there is less traffic all around? Or that the house next door is not having the giant 3-day party they had last year? Or could it be that because we now have a year of experience under our belts, with Songkran 2005 being such a defining point of that experience, the things that once bothered us greatly now seem really quite small. Perhaps just knowing what to expect made all the difference.

Although Annie left this morning (sniff), she was able to observe some of the festivities of the past several days. Yesterday we went for a bike ride around town, and not only were we spashed by many kids with buckets, but when we stopped to buy noodles at one of my favorite shops, several of my students as well as the proprietor enjoyed smearing wet white powder on our faces. I’ll say one thing for water-throwing: when it’s 100 degrees in the shade, it sure does keep you cool!

Cavities

During the first 28 years of my life, I was lucky enough to develop only one cavity in my mouth, at the age of 19. Since arriving in Thailand 15 months ago, my teeth have apparently become very unhappy with me. A trip to the dentist in January to check on a sore tooth revealed that I had a number of cavities developing. In a state of some shock, and not enjoying the subsequent trips to Bangkok to fix the problems, I have been trying to analyze the reasons behind this sudden change!

Reason #1: Our drinking water in Thailand does not have flouride. I never realized how lucky I was in the USA to have flouride in my water.

Reason #2: The Thai diet is much higher in sugar than my diet in America was. Beverages, snacks, "coffee breaks," and even stir-fries have added lots of unnoticed sugar to my life. This evening Annie commented that one frustration during her time in Thailand has been that she is unable to buy a package of crackers or a bag of dried fruit without then discovering the items to be coated in sugar.

In any case, here we are drinking some very strongly sweeted "café yen" (Thai iced coffee) while visiting one of Chiang Mai’s most famous wats. Yes, even on top of a mountain at a Buddhist holy site, you can get your sugar kick.

Chiang Mai Market

Our visit to Chiang Mai with Annie reminded me of one of the things I love about Thailand – the shopping! The Chiang Mai night bazaar and the city’s many other markets are full of fascinating goods there for the choosing. As a Peace Corps volunteer, my budget isn’t really large enough to purchase many of the items that catch my eye, but I find that just walking around and observing the various displaying, buying, and selling that takes place is entertainment enough. (Besides, our house is full of stuff already, which we want to start clearing out before the rainy season arrives again!)

Speaking of the rainy season, I read an article over the weekend discussing this year’s La Niña phenomenon. According to the article, this year the rainy season in Thailand will be longer and heavier than usual, resulting in increased flooding in the north. I must say that this information made me even more paranoid about rain than I already am, after last year’s events. If anyone knows more about expected rain patterns in Southeast Asia over the coming months, feel free to fill me in.

Barbeque on the Beach

Hooray! We're eating seafood barbeque. That's me with a forkful of barracuda.

In the Water

The Beach!

And now, the non-review edition:

Our trip to Ko Chang was excellent! We had 2 ½ days to lie on the beach, float in the warm water, and eat fantastic barbeque. (I never knew barracuda was a food fish. Now I’ve had it twice.)

The water was undoubtably the warmest I’ve ever felt in nature, even more than a Kentucky lake in July 1995. In fact, our first afternoon, when we were dripping in sweat after lugging our backpacks up the hill to our bungalow, we ran in and all looked at each other, saying, "That’s not even refreshing!" But the disappointment didn’t last long – I think we spent at least 3 hours a day in the water. I read almost a whole paperback and spent a lot of time just staring at all the colors – bright blue water, bright green trees, bright brownish-white sand.

[Lest you think our Peace Corps life will from now on be filled with beach vacations, though, I must note that it’s still quite a difficult and time-consuming trek to get there. Our trip back lasted 27 hours, counting the time spent eating a couple of meals and taking a shower between transportation. (Songtaew, ferry, songtaew, bus, taxi, taxi, train, songtaew, songtaew.) ]

Now back in our house, we’re all looking forward to a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s expedition to Chiang Mai.

Siam Beach Review

Here, for all those budget travelers in Thailand, is my review of our stay at Siam Beach on Ko Chang. Siam Beach Resort is located on Lonely Beach, the furthest south of the main beach areas on the island and the one most appealing to the backpacker crowd. There is a row of bungalow operations and hotels of varying caliber. Siam Beach Resort is fortunate to have the nicest stretch of sandy beach on this section of the island – the others have rocky beaches that are not as appealing to a swimming crowd.

The bungalows are beginning to fall apart, possibly due to the turn of attention toward the development of a more upscale hotel on the premises, but they are still a good deal for the price and location. (Those not as interested in a prime beach spot might want to check out Maggie’s Bungalows several hundred meters south of Siam Beach.) Bungalows on the hill have air conditioning, which is necessary after trekking up the steps to reach them. Three of us stayed in one of these, which I thought was a bit crowded. The resort was nice enough to give us an additional mosquito net, however. (Very necessary!)

The beach can’t be beat! Shallow, turquoise, calm waters with views of small islands. The water is incredibly warm and clear. You may be able to see the few fish swimming below you even without goggles. The beach has little shade, but if you grab one of the wooden recliner seats and pull it under the coconut trees you’ll find a little relief from the heat of the sun.

The food at the resort is generally delicious but overpriced. The same menu is found at Siam Huts, a 15 minute walk south along the beach, with lower prices. An even more extensive and affordable menu is at Nature Beach, between the two Siams. Nature Beach is also the place to go for cocktails, and it has the best of the stretch’s nightly barbeques (don’t miss the potatoes or the mackerel!).

The biggest drawback to Lonely Beach was the loud thumpin’ music that began each night around 11pm and continued until 4 or 5 am. Even in our perch high on the hill, AC running, we couldn’t get away from the sound and it made a good night’s sleep nearly impossible. The music seemed to be coming from one of the resorts further south, but it echoed over the water with acoustics I would have preferred in another situation.

Overall, I give Siam Beach a YES. Go there if you want a great beach and relaxed pace.

Hot and Cold

I have never been a person who takes well to heat. I remember not liking hot weather even when I was young. Thailand has, therefore, been a bit of a challenge to my physical abilities.

Today probably wasn't hotter than 95 degrees, but I was completely sweaty and wilted by about 11am -- even before Annie and I had arrived at our first tourist destination. I look around at Thai people, and even other tourists, and none of them seem to have this same problem! Annie herself was fine, despite having just arrived from the cooler climes of northern Europe less than 24 hours before.

I was happy to spend some extra money on air-conditioning for our lunch spot. And after returning to our guest house around 6pm, I was even happier to take a nice cold shower. Mmm.

The only good thing about April weather, in my opinion, is that it brings mango season. I have had delicious mango shakes for the past two days. Yum.

Protests and their Effects

Although as a Peace Corps Volunteer I am expected to not get involved with or discuss politics, I think it's ok if I give a brief objective overview of what's occurring in Thailand right now. It's been a bit exciting lately.

The current Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has been a rather controversial figure. About two months ago, to demonstrate to the opposition that he should not resign, he called a "snap election." In Thailand, this means that an election must be held within 60 days. Election day is this Sunday, April 2nd.

To show their disapproval of Thaksin, the opposition parties announced that they would boycott the election. This leaves Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai party running virtually unopposed, except for a few tiny political parties who will be on the ballot in some areas.

There have been anti-Thaksin protests in Bangkok for a couple of weeks now. They were initially being held around the Banglamphu area -- a cheap backpacker area where PCV's often stay when in the city. This week these protesters moved over first to the Siam area -- a major shopping mall district -- and then to the Sam Sen area, near the election headquarters. Counter-protests in support of Thaksin have been holding their events in Chatuchak Park, near the biggest weekend market.

This has made our days in Bangkok this week a little more interesting, as we've had to switch guest house plans and stays as the protesters move around the city. (Peace Corps wishes us to stay far away from them.) Yesterday was made even more exciting by the arrival of a mid-day storm, just as we were checking out of one accommodation and moving to another. I thought I had seen enough of floods for a while, but we got to wade through a bit with our big backpacks as we made our way to our new guest house! Hey, at least it made our 100-degree air feel a bit cooler for a while. And it was only ankle-deep, which feels like nothing to me now!

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens after Sunday. By then, we'll be sitting on the beach with my sister Annie, who arrives here in 3 hours!

Sidewalks

In November, I was chatting with a Peace Corps staff member about his trip to Washington, DC several years ago for a conference. He described being impressed by the width of the sidewalks and how easy it was to walk around the city on them. I hadn't consciously thought about Bangkok's sidewalk widths before that conversation, but now I notice it often!

In Bangkok -- and in most of Thailand, as far as I have seen -- a sidewalk wide enough to safely walk on is a rarity. In the event that a sidewalk is more than 24 inches wide, it is probably then largely taken over by vendors of various types: iced coffee mixers, noodle makers, fruit choppers, and sellers of sequined clothing, jewelry, flower garlands, and other assorted items spread out on tables and blankets. As you walk down the street you must dodge not only the vendors and their carts, but also their customers, neighbors and friends out for a chat, and any random motorcyclists who happen to be taking a shortcut.

There are times when the endless vendors provide great distraction for walking through the heat and smog. Today, as we traversed the space between our guest house and the Peace Corps office, we passed by a school that had just closed for the day (summer session). It was a sight to behold all the snacks and treats lined up outside the gates, waiting to be eaten by hungry kids after a long day's study. Meat on skewers, popsicles, green jelly sandwiches on white bread, gelatinous sugary blobs... So interesting, in fact, that I didn't even notice the sweat dripping down my back until many blocks later.

We're spending this evening in the air-conditioned PC lounge, ordering pizza and watching a video. Kind of like a night at home, almost, in a way...

Exercise!

Exercising in Thailand can be a very affirming experience. In addition to attending our town aerobics class when possible, I ride my bicycle and go jogging a couple of times a week. As I plod down the road, passing picturesque wooden houses and rice fields, people call out to me "Exercise!" "Very good!" "Great!" Sometimes no words are needed, and I just hear a, "Ha, ha!" with a big smile.

I have never quite figured out why there is so much enthusiasm at the sight of a farang (foreigner) trotting down the sweat in a great sweat. The people in our village are not known for being exercise-lovers; most people express shock and dismay if Robert and I walk, say, around the corner to buy some dish detergent. Of course, an area where most people earn a living by doing backbreaking labor in hot fields every day is maybe not a place where people have traditionally been in need of additional exercise. But the arrival of the motorcycle to Thailand, and motorized machinery in general, has meant – as it has in many other areas of the world – that once naturally high levels of physical activity are decreasing. Add that to a growing consuption of potato chips and the popularity of television... you get the idea.

Anyway, I have come to enjoy running in Thailand, despite the heat, because in addition to the physical benefits I get, there’s just something about having 20-some people cheer you on that makes you want to keep going.

If You're In the Neighborhood...

When we arrived in our town, and for a good several months following, we had a semi-host family here in our neighborhood. Por Or Sawat, principal of the biggest elementary school in town, and his wife, Ajaan Warangkana, my other co-teacher, were our landlords and close neighbors. We spent a lot of time with them on weekends and during our first summer break. After the flood, they moved an hour away to the city, but still work here in town and Aj. Warangkana is still one of my closest friends in Thailand, despite the age difference!

Por Or Sawat and Ajaan Warangkana have two daughters, Nong Boi and Nong Bao. Nong Boi is 26 and has been working various jobs in some of Thailand's larger cities for several years. Nong Bao is 21 and will be a senior in college next term. The two of them come home for holidays and breaks regularly.

The big excitement of the last couple of months has been Nong Boi's decision to be an au pair in the U.S.A for a year. She leaves on Monday! She will be living with a family in Westchester County, New York, for one year. We've seen their photos and I've spent many hours giving Aj. Warangkana all kinds of reassurance that America is plenty safe. I've also tried to pass on as much cultural advice as possible. Nong Boi speaks excellent English and has been accepted at an MBA program at Thailand's most prestigious university. She is deferring enrollment for one year to have this experience in a foreign country first.

So, it's been a bit odd to be working here in Thailand and helping someone prepare to go live in our homeland at the same time! I admit to feeling a bit jealous -- I'd like to be heading back to the land of diverse foods, winter, and inescapable Western toilets as well! But I'm also looking forward to spending a year with Aj. Warangkana, hearing about Nong Boi's experiences and perhaps helping with any issues that come up.

So if you're in the neighborhood...Let us know if you'd like to meet the daughter of our landlords and form yet another Thai-American connection!

(Photo shows Nong Boi, Nong Bao, Por Or Sawat, Robert, and Ajaan Warangkana at our nearby national park last year. )

Ceremony

There are days when, if you were to observe me attending a Thai ceremony, you might see me twiddling my thumbs or nodding off in the heat. Then there are days when you’d see me attentive, interested, and thoughtful. Sometimes, when sitting with my hands folded in a "wai" position while the monk chants on and on, I think about the days I spent teaching in American schools. I often get frustrated about life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand – that’s probably an understatement – but I do recognize that this experience of being submerged in an unknown world is a unique and special one.

I arrived at school for today’s "ngan" (celebration) just as the first group of my 6th graders were having their corsages pinned by family members. Some had parents, others grandparents, a few had aunts, and one had a teacher stand-in. They all looked very happy and I was proud thinking about how I’ve gotten to see them grow and change this year.

When the monk was reciting and when the local government official was speaking, I took time to look around at the various teachers, students, and family members gathered in the meeting area. I thought about my days in the classroom, our class field trips, the students visiting my house and even, once, bringing fresh vegetables, and I thought about what I might like to try to do next year. I still don’t understand much of the language, and I don’t know the various and assorted family members by name, but I do feel connected in some small way to this little village across the rice fields.

The 6th graders completed the first half of their formal education today, and I complete the first half of my Peace Corps service on Saturday. It’s a good time for looking both backward and forward. It’s also a good time to be aware of the present, and to acknowledge the small pleasures of life in northern Thailand.

Robert just commented that the watermelon he bought from our neighbors next door for 10 baht (about 25 cents) is "just beautiful" on the inside.

"Vacation"

The concept of a "vacation" has changed for me somewhat since I arrived in Thailand 14 months ago. Now, for something to be a vacation, it can or should include the following: 1) air conditioning, 2) English language being spoken, 3) the ability to sit on a chair/couch/floor etc. in a position other than the standard acceptable Thai female position, and 4) easy access to cheese, Diet Coke, or beer (the first two not being available in our town, and the third off-limits to me as a respectable female school employee).

So despite our exessive amount of travel over the past seven weeks, it was with some delight that I accepted yet another official request from the Peace Corps to visit the new group of trainees’ and share my (very limited) wisdom. Perhaps even more delightful was the accompanying ‘request’ that those of us visiting training this week also spend two days at the Peace Corps Thailand Volunteer Lounge in Bangkok, setting up the new library. While setting up a library may seem like a bit of a chore, doing it in a highly air-conditioned building with a group of English-speaking volunteers while eating cheese pizza and drinking Diet Coke pretty much sounds like a vacation to me!

And if that wasn’t already vacation enough, due to the political excitement currently occurring in Bangkok (elections are next week), we volunteers are not allowed to stay in our usual cheap guesthouse neighborhood. Robert and I were forced to upgrade to a hotel with a swimming pool.

I now offer up my first ever restaurant review for all those Bangkok travelers in search of good Mexican food. We visted Charley’s on Sukkumwit Soi 11 (watch for the sign on the left after passing the first 7-11). The food was expensive, and the Spanish rice wasn’t worth mentioning, but the bean burrito was excellent and the chips & salsa can’t be beat. The decor and chilly air temp also make for a pleasant dining experience.

All in all, a fine weekend. We returned this morning (after the overnight train) to a hot day. Most schools are now closed for the summer, but I did grade a few tests at my second school. Our world map isn’t quite finished... but it will be eventually!

Speaker Savvy

We are here in Bangkok this weekend. Last night we climbed on a bus at Victory Monument to return to our hotel after dinner. Victory Monument is a central bus stop and lots of buses and bus riders mill about.

In Thailand, buses are usually operated by two characters: the driver and the money collector. Last night's money collector was a woman about 45 years old. When we climbed aboard she was standing at the open door in the middle of the bus, speaking into a megaphone. We took our seats and she continued to speak into the microphone for several minutes, advertising the bus and trying to entice customers to climb aboard.

After several minutes, she pushed a couple of different buttons on the megaphone (it was high tech, I guess), spoke into it some more, and then tied it to the railing of the bus stairs. She pushed one more button and the megaphone began to speak on its own -- continuing to call out to potential customers in her voice while she walked around collecting money from us awed passengers.

We were thus able to listen to the megaphone for several more minutes, but alas, as it was Thai and a megaphone, we could only make out a few specific words. "542...passing by ... and ... and ... ... 10 baht per ticket..."

Ode to the 6th Grade

In the pattern of Thai schools, today was a sudden last day of the term. I was originally told that today would be the last day, so at one point it would not have been a surprise. Then, however, the last day was changed to next Thursday, so I prepared myself for that. Just last week, the last day was changed to tomorrow, so I did know it was coming up suddenly. But I still wasn’t quite prepared to show up at school this morning and find out that in fact, today was the last day, after all.
So I am sorry to see my 6th graders go. They were an awesome class, and they head off to matiom (high school – grades 7-12) next term. 19 students – 12 girls and 7 boys – most of whom were interested in learning English, at least a little bit, and most of whom gave it their all. They were a class that loved looking up their own vocabulary to answer my questions, and loved drawing cartoon pictures on all their question-and-answer assignments. I’ll miss them.
In the photo, we are doing "Scrambled Sentences." I write a bunch of questions and answers on strips of paper, such as, "What is your favorite food?" "My favorite food is ice cream." Then I cut the strips into words, mix them up, give them to a group of students in an envelope, and their job is to put them back together again. I usually do color code the sentences as a little hint. Fun fun.
The school year isn’t over everywhere yet, though. I’ll be going to my other school tomorrow. Its last day is supposed to be next Thursday (originally next Friday, but they moved it up one day), but maybe that’s changed since I was there last three days ago. Tomorrow morning I’ll know more! Is this confusing? I think so!

Tasty Little Frog

Now, I did not say it was tasty. I am merely quoting the potato pickers. These little frogs jump out of the dirt when the machine turns it over, and the pickers gather them in bags and take them home to make curry.

I have never eaten a frog in Thailand, though they are quite popular in our town. The ones that come out during the rainy season are much bigger than this little guy!

Potato Pickers

One of my goals in Thailand has been to join in some farming activities. How could I say I had really been here otherwise? Yesterday I finally got my chance.

Rice, of course, is Thailand's staple crop and staple food. A majority of the fields around our village are rice fields for a good portion of the year. But after the rice is harvested in November and December, potatoes are planted. Potatoes, being a "New World" food, are clearly not indigeneous to Thailand. However, with increasing globalization comes Western snack food, and Thailand is now full of potato chips. We can buy Lays not 20 feet from our front door.

This month the potatoes are being harvested. They aren't sold in the markets in our town, but are sold to Lays and other chip factories a couple of hours west. One of my co-teachers, Waewnapa, lives in a house bordering the fields a few kilometers north of our house. We rode our bikes up there in the morning and spent a little over an hour helping to pick.

It was a fun process -- as observed by someone who only had to do it for one hour, of course, as a full day's labor I'm sure it's backbreaking. A machine called a kuboda (not a Thai word) was operated by the owner of the field. It turned the rows of potatoes inside out, so that the potatoes were lying on top of the dirt instead of underneath. The pickers (paid 100 baht per day, or about $2.50) followed behind with buckets, gathering all the sellable ones and discarding the rest. (Rotton ones were tossed to the edge of the field, while ugly but edible ones were put into pockets.)

You might notice the difference between the Thai people's clothing and the foreigners'! Thai people don't like the sunlight because it makes your skin darker, so they wear multiple layers to make sure that no skin is exposed. I would wilt in one of those outfits after 15 minutes, so I compromise with a t-shirt (must cover shoulders) and mid-length pants. The hats were lent by my co-teacher's mother, and although I first hadn't wanted to wear it, I realized quickly that it was very useful. The Thai women were very concerned about my white skin turning dark in the sun, but I assured them I had put on plenty of "cream." They seemed a bit skeptical.

In the photo on the left, the mountains are nearly invisible because of the heavy smoke in the air that I mentioned in an earlier post. In the photo on the right, Waewnapa is dressed in blue next to me in the field.

At the end of the morning, everyone broke for lunch. We rode off with a large back of potatoes in my bicycle basket. Last night's dinner was baked potatoes, canned baked beans, and salad!

Purple and Orange

Yesterday, because 4 teachers and half the students were absent and my co-teacher wasn’t sure how to keep her 6th graders busy all day, I was able to say, "Well, why don’t we work on the world map some more." (It had been about three weeks.) So small groups of kids worked with me throughout the day, adding two more colors. I am pleased to say that we restored Kenya to existence (it had been mysteriously connected to Uganda on a previous painting day), as well as the Palestinian Territories, Macedonia, Eritrea, and Timor. (I don’t know why we seemed to have a pattern of erasing political hot spots!) Next week I have to be sure that we get back Armenia, Lichtenstein, San Marino, Senegal, and parts of Russia, Mexico, and Bangladesh...
Along with the hot season seems to come the arrival of the noise season. Rural Thailand is very funny in that people really seem to follow the schedule of the sunlight. They get up when the sun rises and go down when it sets. This means that people are awake and moving about for longer periods of time in the hotter seasons than in the cold season, when there was significantly less sunlight. It also means that instead of the loud music coming on behind our house at 7:00 or 7:30am, it now starts as early as 6:30. (And when I say "loud," that means loud enough to be heard through our special thick windows and over our fan.) So much for sleeping in on Saturdays!
Last night for a treat – our first full weekend at home since January – we made eggplant parmesan. Yes, eggplant parmesan. I had bought the mozzarella in Chiang Mai two weeks ago, and the parmesan came from care packages (!), and our town is full of eggplants. It was really very good! I think I had forgotten what it tasted like.

A Pattern, Sort Of, At Last

This week we are finally feeling like there is a pattern to our days again. We have gone to school more or less regularly, put in a day at the school district office, and slept in our own bed. There is something to be said for routine.

Today, Thursday, was my first full day of teaching since probably early January. No classes were cancelled and no meetings were held. Although we taught about pollution and saving the earth (my co-teacher's topic of choice), which had nothing to do with our previous lesson on Halloween, the kids got into it and it was pretty fun. I think one of next year's lesson planning goals will be a focus on CONSISTENCY.

This evening after dinner but before sunset we went for a walk through a neighborhood I had never entered before. We went past all types of houses -- new concrete structures with beautiful gardens as well as shacks with large cracks in the wooden walls. There was a surprising number of trees. When we arrived at the river and looked across to the mountains, it seemed to be a different place from the one we were living in two months ago. Because of the dryness and mysterious other reasons, there have been fires all around the mountains lately. They send huge amounts of smoke into the air, which, combined with the smoke from farmers burning off their fields, makes a thick cloud of grey in the air. The setting sun was a bright red color.

The two photos were taken by Robert on Monday during his Scout expedition with the 2nd and 3rd graders. I think they are irresistably cute with those little beanies. There were 160 of them walking all across town.

Never a Typical Day

Today Robert and I both returned to school after two weeks' absence -- last week at the HIV/AIDS conference and the previous week touring with his family. I thought it would be a relatively normal day, but of course I was wrong, this is Thailand!

My morning consisted of reading a book because the teachers were busy showing their 3-ring binders and display boards to a group of evaluators who were visiting the school. The kids were quietly working on their math. My co-teacher sent me upstairs to "rest." (They always think I need rest.) In the afternoon we managed to teach the 6th graders for a little over an hour, the topic naturally being.. Halloween. My co-teacher had decided that with only 2 weeks left of the school year, she wanted to be sure they learned a little bit about the culture of the people who speak English. Hmm.

Robert's day consisted of walking all over town with 2nd and 3rd graders for a Scout activity. The goals, in his observation, seemed to be, 1) exercise, 2) "Scout" skills such as tying knots, 3) conduct and teamwork, and 4) sharing responsibilities. He reports that it was pretty well run, and enjoyable besides.

This evening's dinner was stir-fried vegetarian meat with peppers (Robert) and stir-fried vegetarian meat with ginger (me), both with sticky rice of course. I found both mangoes and strawberries in the "market" today, so I'll be making smoothies in a little while.

It's getting very hot again. Yesterday I took four showers!

Do They Wear Those Shoes in the US?

Last night, Robert and I went to the wedding of a school district employee, Nong Bee (the bride). While I can't say for certain how closely this wedding resembles most other Thai weddings, I can say that it was very similar to the others we've attended. So with that small sample size, I will now describe what the experience of a Thai wedding might be like.

In our case last night, because the wedding was in the city an hour away and many other school district personnel were attending, we were able to catch a ride. Our friends Pi Noy -- who also works at the school district -- and her husband Por Or Wirat, together with their Norwegian exchange student Chanon (age 17) picked us up in the late afternoon. The ride over the mountains made me a bit carsick so I arrived at the party feeling somewhat under the weather.

In general, Thai weddings are not religious ceremonies. But because the home of this bride was too small to accomodate the large number of guests (500), the party was held at the local temple anyway. The ceremony actually took place in the morning -- date and time having been determined by fortune tellers some weeks earlier -- with just family and close friends attending, so this dinner event was the reception.

Upon arrival, we signed the guest book and staked a table. Once all seats at the table were full, the servers started to bring food, one plate at a time for all diners to share. The first two plates were appetizers -- strange crackers, nuts, and preserved eggs. After that came salad with fish, a whole fish, stir-fried vegetables with shrimp, meat soup, and fruit. Pi Noy ordered me a plate of vegetarian fried rice so I wouldn't go hungry!

Once the bride and groom had arrived, guests went to take their pictures. Later in the evening, they visited all the tables, so guests could take more photos, give their envelopes with money, and receive their party favor (a glass key chain).

Lots of these features are similar to what you might find at a wedding reception in the U.S.: Dinner, party favors, guest book, etc. One that is strikingly different, though, is the presence of the "dancing girls." We haven't quite determined how or why this particular aspect of Thai culture arrived on the scene, but it was sometime in the last 25 years. At many major events -- housewarming parties, weddings, even funerals -- families will rent a large stage, music equipment, and an entourage of dancers, mostly female and mostly wearing scanty clothing. With the music blaring for hours, the girls dance with moves that make most Peace Corps Volunteers turn their heads away. We have even seen these girls at temple festivals.

Last night, as Chanon and I compared wedding customs in the USA and Norway with those in Thailand, I couldn't remember whether or not the high-platform shoes worn by the dancing girls are currently popular in America. I shouted over the music that I thought maybe high school girls wear them sometimes. Anyone over there can feel free to update me on this!

Anyway, the first photo shows Robert and me with the wedding party. The second shows Robert dancing in front of the stage with our aerobics instructor, Kun At. One other note -- the white wedding dress is a relative newcomer to the Thai wedding scene. Most northern Thai brides still wear traditional, brightly colored, northern Thai wedding dresses. Nong Bee had several photos displayed of her in a red dress, as well.

And it's getting hot again -- the cool season is over! I miss it already.

Transportation -- Fun Fun

Many people have asked how we get around here in Thailand. Not being allowed to drive motorized vehicles, we rely primarily on our bicycles when we're at our site.

When we need to go to town, however, or when we need some big-city transportation, things get a little more exciting. Of course, in the BIG city (Bangkok) there are taxis and buses and all those "normal" modes of public transport. But up here in the north, it's not that fancy. Instead we have the SONGTAEW.

"Song-taew" translates literally as "two-rows." A songtaew is a pickup truck with a covered back, usually furnished with two benches facing each other, and occasionally a middle bench as well. If there's a lot of luggage, it gets tossed up top.

If we want to go to our provincial capital city, perhaps to eat pizza, buy oatmeal, or get on the train, we walk about a kilometer to our local songtaew departure station (the road in front of a convenience store. We tell the driver where we're going and wait for 8 passengers. It can be a very short wait or a very long wait. Once there are 8 people -- or if the driver is in a hurry -- we take off. It's a 52 kilometer ride over the mountains. Sometimes we stop to pick up more passengers, and sometimes we drop people off.

How crowded can a songtaew be? We once counted 21 people!! It was rather squishy. We've also ridden with a motorcycle and with large sacks of rice.

When we arrive in the city, there is an official stop where all the remaining passengers pay the driver their 30-baht fare (about 75 cents) and from there he proceeds to drop us at our destinations. It's quite convenient on this end.

The songtaew. A classic Thai institution!

Blink of an Eye

Sometimes I am amazed at how events happen so quickly for us in our Peace Corps Thailand life. During the first three months of 2005, we changed households twice. In September, our home was fully flooded in the space of 45 minutes. In the past three months, I have been to Bangkok 6 times (8-10 hours each way), Chiang Mai twice (3-4 hours), Uthai Thani twice (7 hours), and hosted 10 American guests. There's never a slow moment. Sometimes I really want a nap!

It's the little things, though, that can make life seem so unpredictable and dramatic. Coming home after another journey to find that the market has disappeared, for example. A place that was, a week ago, full of fruit and vegetable stalls and tables of butchered meat, suddenly no longer exists but has been replaced with an unwelcoming sea of grey rubble. No warning that I knew of, although perhaps it was in Thai so I just didn't pay attention. It rather makes me feel as though life is rushing along with no sign of slowing, and I had better hold on fast!

Reports are fuzzy as we've only been back in town for a few hours and have yet to get a full story from a reliable source, but it seems that the town is building a supermarket. Life in rural northern Thailand goes upscale, or something like that. In the meantime, the fruit sellers have relocated to the street. I hope I can find my favorite apple woman again tomorrow.