it's the little things

The rainy season is upon us! It was never more apparent than the other day when I was leaving school. I could have waited until it passed, but I was anxious to get home because one of Meredith's students was coming to spend the afternoon with us. I figured the 30 baht umbrella I'd purchased from Big C in Lampang could finally have the chance to prove its worth on the trek home, but it didn't rise to the challenge. Very few motor-bikers passed me on my walk, but I know the ones that did were probably laughing to themselves about the silly "farang" (foreigner) who thought it better to face the storm than wait it out. Umbrella turned inside-out, I waded home, not caring about myself getting wet anymore, but only keeping the computer dry. What's that cliche quote about learning to dance in the rain? I didn't so much dance as I did swim, but either way, it was more fun than waiting it out. 

It was such a treat to have Nook (Meredith's student) with us for the afternoon. We went to our usual restaurant; it's the one we keep going back to because the man who runs it is so friendly, and the food he cooks can't be beat. Nook helped us with our Thai, and also with our order seeing as how most of the time we just take our chances when trying to tell the cook what we'd like to eat. Nook was able to describe what we'd be getting ahead of time. The man, seeing our trouble every night, grabbed the attention of a university student off the street and kindly had him translate his menu so that we'd know what we were ordering from now on. If that's not customer service, then I don't know what is. If he didn't have our business daily before, he assured it with that move from here on out. 

Speaking of food, I had my first encounter with some serious peppers last weekend. Our favorite little coffee shop is attached to a posh restaurant that hosts live music nightly. We decided to don our finest going out looks and give it a try. No sooner had we taken our seats than a cute little boy brought us a box of round little jelly type candy things. Great description, right? (We later came to the conclusion that the best way to describe them was by comparing them to the looks of bath beads) Anyway, the little boy went on to tell us, in Thai, that the candies were compliments of the table of gentlemen that was looking down on us from the upstairs seating. We looked up, and sure enough they were smiling and waving to us. We thanked them with a return wave, and tried one of the candies. The good news is that they weren't drugged or spiked, and delicious to boot! The men turned out to be really polite guys just doing something nice. The bath beads were the least of my worries that night, anyhow. We had the waiter order for us, asking her to pick out one of her favorites for us to try. They brought our food out, and being the genius I am, I took a huge bite of multiple red bell peppers (or at least what I thought to be so). I couldn't tell you what happened within the next few minutes, but Meredith tells me that I blacked out. I have never tasted something so spicy, and never experienced a taste that was so impossible to extinguish. Apparently I couldn't even respond to Meredith, and when she asked me if I remembered our conversation, I realized I had absolutely no recollection. So it just goes to show, kids: If you see some peppers on a plate in Thailand, go ahead and assume they aren't of the bell persuasion, but instead something more along the lines of the fiery depths of hell here to destroy you (should you absentmindedly have a mouthful). 

As you've seen from the pictures, it's no secret that I'm head over heels for the kids here at school. And they've been nothing but wonderful to me right back. However, there is a gap in our communication. A gorgeous little girl of about 8 or 9 stopped me before I left class last week and said "Teacha Cow-see, you ah so fat and beeee-you-tih-fooo (beautiful)!" Either I'm dropping the ball on teaching them what fat means, or I need to lay off the sticky rice and noodles. So to remedy this situation, I am assuming that these angels know exactly what fat means, and I'm going to take the latter option. However, without rice or noodles, I am not left with an abundance of meal choices. I am left with plenty of cardio choices, though, and with the help of the students and one of the faculty members here at the college, I am going to whip myself back into my marathon running shape. Aside from running at the track here on campus every night with Meredith, I will now be getting Muay Thai lessons from one of the boxers at the local gym. Also, since everyone has an hour break for lunch, I have decided to spend the 45 minutes that I am not eating playing badmitton (the second most popular sport I've seen) or soccer (the first) with the older kids, or chasing the younger ones around the playground and catching them when they come down the slide (which they have gotten quite a kick out of). By gosh, I am determined to teach that little girl the meaning of the word "skinny," and have her point to me when she says it. 

On our way to dinner the other night (yes, most everything we do is centered on food, and when we'll next eat it...hence the "fat" problem), we were mounting our bike, and low and behold, Meredith directs my attention to none other than a baby elephant walking down the street! We  blinked a few times just to make sure we weren't dreaming (since Mer had literally dreamt of just that only last night) before quickly chasing after him. The little (or giant) darling was being led by a man who was running quite a business for himself: 20 baht to pet and feed it. We jumped at the opportunity before it passed us by, and the baby elephant knew exactly what was going on. No sooner had we shelled out the money than was his trunk searching and sniffing for his treat. He wasted no time grabbing the food out of our hands, and was gone as quick as he came, on to the next customer. It was so surreal continuing our bike ride passing motorbikes, cars, dogs, and then being reminded that we're in Thailand by sharing the road with an elephant. 

Above all else, this country has taught me to enjoy the small pleasures in life, one of the most important being a standard mattress. It's not like I had the epitome of all mattresses before. It's that I have a slab of styrofoam now. We've come to the conclusion that what they've given us must've been display mattresses or something of the sort. Whatever the material, it has no give, no bounce, no nothing. We have 2 twin beds; besides the bad mattress, the other is a little more forgiving. Still not anything to write home about because of the springs poking you all over, and the fact that it sags toward the middle making you having to grab the sides for support; however, it is welcomed in comparison to the other nightmare. Meredith and I switch beds every other night, and on my nights with the “good” mattress, it feels like Christmas came early. I literally look forward to it throughout the day. Sleep is so important, and for the first time in years, I’m trying to get at least 7 hours (as opposed to my usual 4-5 I’ve been getting the past few years). Aaaaallllll that to say,   if I wasn’t before, I am now even more appreciative of the little things in life. Rides home on motorbikes, poking springy mattresses, internet connection, bath bead jello candies, elephant sightings, truth-telling kids, cardio activities, bell peppers in cognito--stop and smell the jasmine, people!

Things I’ve learned after a month in Thailand:

25. Fruits here are as aesthetically pleasing as they are tasty.

26. I’m rekindling my love for all things Harry Potter by rereading the series with first time (and still oblivious) reader, Meredith.

27. You can buy RayBan sunglasses here for less than 3 bucks a pop. I’ve splurged on 3 pairs so far. 

28. After cutting back on my coffee addiction (and only having iced mochas as a treat), I am no longer able to enjoy one in the evenings. I found this out the hard way (and the night I had to sleep on the nightmare bed), and after having one for dessert, I stayed up all. night. long. staring at the ceiling.

29. My favorite source of protein now comes from tiny baby eggs (they almost look like robin eggs) that have been fried sunny side up, and sprayed and sprinkled with some really great Thai spices.

30. I carried a basket of laundry, basically African woman style (on my head), for about a quarter of a mile to the nearest laundry mat (which is more like 3 washing machines in an outhouse). Very worth it not to have to handwash everything, though.

31. We escaped the lizards, but have new creatures haunting us. Swarms of bats live in the roof above us. We actually had to duck to avoid them riding to dinner tonight because of their flying so low. 

32. We’ve put our airplane neck pillow to good use, as it now serves as a seat pad for the passenger on the bike. Not the most ideal of situations (because it tends to slide, leaving the rider in awkward positions), but certainly better than the previous!

the land of smiles

     We either walk or ride our bike everywhere, but it seems like what are getting the most exercise as of late are my cheeks from smiling all the time! I feel like I could start lifting weights with these bad boys. The kids cause the cheek workout ALL day long, and relief isn’t found after school because of either attempted (and successful, I might add) two-on-one-bike cycling adventures, story sharing from the day’s hilariousness, or attempting to talk with the locals. We never leave room for dull moments.

     On Wednesday night, a teacher named “Nancy” from Meredith’s school took us (Meredith, me, Allison, and Jeanie-two of our fellow TTC teachers who teach with Meredith) to explore Uttaradit in her “pre-oos” (otherwise known as a Toyota Prius). She bought us Thai ice-cream, showed us some good night markets, and even sampled a few maggots (see my Facebook page for video proof). Being the perfect tour guide she was, Nancy didn’t like to drive as she spoke, putting her full attention on us. Unfortunately, this didn’t mean that she pulled over on the side of the road to stop. It means she constantly tapped the breaks (never going over 35 mph), sometimes even coming to a complete halt in the middle of the road, cars and motorbikes speeding past us, just to show us a good restaurant. I’m guessing this is okay since Thailand doesn’t seem to have any traffic rules whatsoever. To my continued surprise, I’ve yet to see a wreck. Perhaps they’re on to something here.

     Thursday was a day for the books. From what I gathered, not just our school, but all of Thailand celebrates Teacher Appreciation Day at the same time. All the students and teachers walked to one of the buildings on campus where the ceremony was held, the students with their flower arrangements in tow. After getting each student in organized lines by class, synchronized bowing and prayer chanting started. My fellow teachers explained to me that the students were saying something along the lines of explaining what an important role teachers played in their lives; in Thailand, apparently the role of teacher is second only to the students’ parents. This is such an honor to me every single day. And these Thais? They know how to appreciate a teacher. I didn’t just get a few wayward “thank you’s” mumbled my way. I was bombarded by flower arrangements of all sorts, so much so that I had to have help carrying it all back to my office.

     I spent all day Friday signing autographs for my kids. When I tried to leave from my last class, they literally grabbed on to my legs and waist, like a miniature mob not letting me go. In each class, I greet the students with either a “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!”, and they have been trained with an automatic chorused response of “I am fine, thank you, and you?” so this week I tried to work with them on telling me their real emotions. I think it had a little bit of an effect at least, because now whenever I pass those precious angels, their greeting is “Hello Teacha Cow-see, I am very happy!” I’m not sure I’ve seen anything cuter in my life. 

     It’s not just the students that have shown me such kindness and compassion. The community has been just as welcoming. Aside from Nancy taking us out in her pre-oos, other people are just as anxious to extend a helping hand. The other day on my walk home from school, a lady pulled up beside me in her motorbike, telling me in very broken English to hop on the back. In America, the last thing I would do is comply, but I decide it couldn’t hurt (much to my parents’ dismay as they’re reading this, I’m sure). Luckily, I was right not to worry because she took me straight to my apartment, and was thrilled to do as much! The same happened when Meredith and I were walking to our favorite coffee shop across town last night. A lady recognized us as the teachers she had heard about, asked us where we were going, and a few moments later we were on a motorbike, then being dropped off at our destination. I’m in for a rude awakening when I get back to America. The only “special treatment” I get there is from creepers asking if I “need help pumping my gas” at gas stations. Call me crazy, but something tells me the genuineness isn’t quite the same coming from the latter.

     It’s been a great week here in the Land of Smiles. I’m getting more attached every day, and not just to the sticky rice and sweet pork wrapped in a leaf (that’s my favorite so far), or my adoring fans (even though they’re only 5-15 years old). This country is said to be 3rd world, and even though I’m living on the high end of it, I haven’t even thought twice about the fact that it is. Sure, I’ve complained about the cold showers (but not so much lately because they’re starting to be welcomed after nights of biking), or the hundreds of stairs I have to climb to get to my humble abode, but when it comes down to it, I wouldn’t change a thing. It seems like none of the locals would either. They’re on to something here, these Thais. I think it’s called “being happy with what you have.” I’m glad it’s just the beginning. 

Things I’ve learned here after almost a month in Thailand:

17. Oh no. I think I like kids. Actually, I love them. (no worries, still not enough to birth my own)

18. It’s ok to accept rides from strangers here.

19. Thais make coffee that tastes like coffee! Not cream and sugar with a little bit of coffee flavor like we’re used to in America.

20. All we need is a little background serenade from Sarah McLachlan to make the world’s best animal rescue commercial. There are stray dogs everywhere you look. They’re pretty mangy, some even hairless, but they seem to be fairly happy. 

21. A giant plate of delicious local Thai food for less than a dollar here is going to spoil me for life. 

22. There is unspoken, unquestioned, un-judged acceptance for every lifestyle choice here in Thailand. 

23. Thais don’t acknowledge sneezing. Saying “bless you” (and hearing it after a sneeze of my own) is habit for me. Luckily, the sweet ladies in my office are now used to my attention to it. 

24. I don’t know if it’s just an Asian thing (help me out with this, Rebecca Holman), but the hardest thing to find in this country is a trashcan. 

life is but a dream

     It seems that the word "settled" wasn't quite fitting for my last entry seeing as how we've been moved to a new town. However, the move was welcomed after seeing how perfectly everything has turned out! There's so much to write about for one single entry, but I'll try not to leave too much out. Allow me to play a little catch up with you.
   
     Our new town is called Uttaradit (you-tar-ah-deet). It is much smaller than Lampang, but it seems to fit me just right. It seems an even cleaner and safer place to live. There is a college here, so it almost feels a little like Jacksonville...ya know, if Jacksonville was a small town in Thailand, had way more places to eat, much more to see, and everyone spoke Thai...

     Our new apartment is perfect. It's on the top floor of an apartment complex that's specifically used to house the teachers at my school. It's clean, well-lit, air conditioned (in one bedroom), and the best part is it's in walking distance to my school--only takes me about 10 minutes to get there every morning. If I so choose, I can stop by one of the local vendors for some sticky rice and muu (pork on a stick) for Thai breakfast.

     The school is giant. There are about 4,000 kids from ages 5 to 15. I've never seen anything like it. They treat me like an absolute superstar. They gawk and point in awe any time I pass them. Today I had many of them asking to take pictures of and with me, and was bombarded by my morning class of 60 five year olds wanting to shake my hand. It's standard procedure for them to bow their heads at each teacher any time they see them, so even that makes me feel like a princess. My first day, I was made to stand up in front of the entire student body to introduce myself during the morning gathering. I've never spoken to that many people at once before. Usually, I hate public speaking, but it wasn't terrible this time, especially seeing as how 90% of them had no idea what I was saying. They presented me with the most beautiful bouquet of red roses to welcome me. I was in love with the place long before the roses came, though.

     The school schedule here is interesting. The students gather from 7:30-8:00am or so, getting dropped off my their guardians. A song is played over the school intercom, signaling that it's time for students to gather. As the morning assembly starts, they sit in perfect lines all together. The teachers make announcements, students say the traditional prayers, and the marching band plays songs. Then at 8:30am, they go to their classrooms to start the day.

     My schedule is pretty exciting because it's always different. I teach about 4 to 5 classes per day, traveling to different classrooms and different ages for each lesson. There are 50 to 60 kids in each class (and here I was, thinking 30 was a lot in my classes at OMS). Even though I see over a thousand different kids a week, it feels like I don't even scrape the surface of the number of kids at the school. My main job, as told to me by the head of the English department, is to make learning English fun for the students. That's all I've ever wanted to do! There's never a dull moment because of the giant age range. I get to see the sweet little Thai babies and teach them the names of common classroom objects, and then I get to switch it up and teach the 12 year olds what the present simple tense is. And I'll be darned if the first thing my 13-14 year olds asked me wasn't about my love life! Except for their wording was "Have you boyfrraaaannn?" Makes me miss my OMS kiddos somethin' fierce! All this just goes to show...whether it's America or Thailand, I promise you I have the best job in the world.

     The other teachers here are so wonderful. All of the ladies in my office are hilarious and always so much fun to be around. They are always so sweet, and they constantly make sure that I'm happy, having a good day, and most importantly, that I've eaten. They keep feeding me all this wonderful food, and I keep wondering how they stay so skinny. It's a good thing I walk everywhere (and sweat like a man all day).

     The language barrier can be a tough thing with which to cope. I feel like my English is getting worse because I have to break it down so much, but this gives me a reason to strengthen my Thai. The ladies with whom I work have the greatest sense of humor, and I know we'd get along even better if my Thai was up to par. One of the teachers was listening to Justin Beiber in the office (where we go to work between classes) today, and when I commented on her selection of music, she told me he was her boyfriend. She is my favorite. They all want to take me out for karaoke and dancing, and I can't wait.
   
Monday, the 4th of June, climbed the charts as one of the best days of my life. I remember the first time Meredith and I even talked about teaching in Thailand. I laughingly said, "We could ride elephants there!" thinking about how that would be one of the perks. Ride elephants, we did. I can't express to you what it felt like finally getting to do that. Not only was it an elephant ride (which is an amazing experience in itself--one that makes me miss my sweet mother even more because elephants are her favorite animal. I can't wait to take her here when she visits!), but also the realization that the goal I'd set and worked so hard to reach has now been met. I am in the process of living one of my dreams. Life is so sweet.

Things I've learned after over a week of living in Thailand:
9. Being from America will get you everywhere as far as popularity goes.
10. Thai children are smart.
11. Thai people eat. All. The. Time. (my kind of folks!)
12. Girls love Hello Kitty, boys love Angry Birds.
13. The students respect their teachers and will trip over themselves to say hello first.
14. My tolerance for spicy food is rapidly growing (thanks to my fellow Thai teachers who are ensuring that it does!)
15. I no longer have to live in fear of lizards sleeping with me at night thanks to our new apartment. This is the greatest gift. One more good scare, and I was sure heart failure was upon me.
16. I really, really like this place. Everything is just as amazingly adventurous as I imagined it would be.