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..."