More Pics from Thailand.

Father/daughter playing/singing for school expenses.

House on the river.

Eating at sidewalk cafe.

Sunset over the Mekong River.

Sunset & lone fisherman on the Mekong.

Some Old Pics

5th graders in their Scout uniforms.

The 3yr to 2nd grade wing; Wat Klang

The 3rd-6th grade wing; Wat Klang

Girls at lunch time; there is no recess.

Picking teeth vs picking noses.

In SE Asia it is considered gauche to use a toothpick to pick one's teeth without covering one's mouth with the other hand. But it is not considered bad form to pick one's nose in public. It is also impolite to have one's head higher than a superior's head. This makes for some interesting ducking and weaving when people observe this rule as the move past seated superiors. This wasn't much of a problem for my elementary students who were shorter than I even when I was seated.

Air plane travel is too fast.

The (ca.) 9000 miles from Bangkok to Minneapolis took about twenty four hours via airplane. It was 78 degrees when I left Bangkok at 6am and minus 5 when I landed in Minneapolis at 11:15am the same morning.
The temperature shift is an apt metaphor for the culture shift from Thailand to the United States. The rapidity of the travel does not allow time for much reflection on the experiences and personal changes that have happened when I was abroad. A leisurely trip home via ship would provide time for reflection before being re-immersed in everyday life at home.
So what is different about me when I'm in Thailand? The most obvious is that I am an outsider looking in. Dependent upon Thailand's gracious use of English and my minuscule grasp of Thai I understand very little of what is being said to and around me. Perhaps it gives me a little sense of the experience of immigrants in America.
Smiles communicate. It appears to me that many (most?) westerners in Asia walk rapidly with serious faces. Catching some one's eye and smiling is invariably rewarded with a smile in return. Thailand is appropriately known as "The Land of Smiles."
In Thailand there is high value placed on not getting upset. I try to practice that as I encounter interruptions or situations that I cannot control. As we approached Tokyo from Bangkok on the first leg of my return journey it was announced that the flight from Tokyo to Portland had been cancelled. I was grateful that it was not my flight and I wondered how I would have responded if the flight to Minneapolis was the one cancelled. It would have been a good test of my resolve not to get upset about that which I cannot control.
In the days ahead I will try to carve out some time for reflection about my experiences and I will share those thoughts in this space.

Good decision!

When I first arrived at my Thai family I decided I would give honest responses of my like/dislike of the food I was offered. That turned out to be a very good decision. I wanted to avoid saying I liked something when I did not and then face it at every subsequent meal. The family watched my face every time I tasted something new and I let my face honestly reflect my experience. I even tried the things that they told me I wouldn't like and they were right. An example of food I didn't like was bitters. They were branches with leaves and berries and they were bitter!
One reoccurring menu item were omelette's and they were the best I'd ever eaten. It, too, like everything else was eaten over steamed rice. Things that I particularly favored would appear on the menu more frequently.

Random pics.

Sidewalk food stands near my Bkk guesthouse.

Crow.

Feeding catfish.

At School.

Parent registering child for school.

Eating lunch.

4th grader wiping down lunch table.

Jumping rope.

More pictures from school at Wat Klang.

5th graders leading morning exercises.

5th graders serving lunch.

Morning exercises.

Sweeping before school.

Teachers at lunch.

Pictures from my school...Wat Klang

Washing dishes.

6th graders serving rice.

5th grade class.

6th grade class.

Teachers.

Pictures from district school gathering. Grades 4-6

Lunch time..."eat rice."

Each school had a different color uniform.

A science experiment.

Gathering under the trees.

Students from my school.

The house from the street.

More house pictures.

Max with her motorbike dressed to avoid the Sun.

Max ironing my shirt.

Poo watching TV.

The family shrine.

Max doing the daily laundry. Mai refused to have his picture taken...don't know why.

Pictures from my house in Thailand

My bed.

Dining room table with cats. :)

Computer desk.

Living room area. TV is off to left.

Kitchen, cooking area.

Navigating by Temples

When I learned that I would be staying with a family I wondered how I would find their house. Ayutthaya is at least 100,000 population. The plan was for me to go to Tony's Place, a popular tourist hangout near the minibus stop. Then I was to call and inform them I was there.
At Tony's I told a waitress that I needed to make a telephone call. She reached in her pocket and handed me her cell phone. When I was unclear about how her phone worked she made the call for me and the family came by tuk-tuk to pick me up and bring me home which was next to Wat (Temple) Toom.
So, when I needed a motorcycle taxi ride all I needed to say was "Wat Toom". Last year I stayed by Wat Napramien and the year before by Wat Salapoon. Thus, navigation by temples.
Yes...I am home and yes, it is very cold.

Big decisions!

Major dilemas crop up in life. Such as; should I take a major nap in preparation for the twenty four hour journey home? or, should I skip the nap so I start tired and sleep more on the plane? Ah, lifes challenges....

Last Day in Thailand

With reports of sub zero temps. at home and the predicted high of 90 here in Bangkok today I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that change. Maybe I'll just go sit in the Sun today and see if I can soak it up. No matter how cold there's no place like home and it will be good to be there and see the Curmudgeonette et al.

It has been very helpful to have this time here to maintain old relationships and to build some new ones. I asked the teachers to give some help next year in focusing my teaching. They were very affirmative about that. However, there is that Asian practice of being agreeable without anything changing.
It is clear to me what I can do in preparation for more effectively teaching 3rd and 4th grades. What I've been doing works quite well with 5th and 6th. When I have my doubts I console myself with the thought that at least it may be of some value for them to hearing me speak English. They do respond well to the drilling I do on individual sounds that are not a part of the Thai language.

Classroom arrangement.

The 4th, 5th and 6th grade teachers allow the students freedom to arrange their desks as they choose. Some are pushed together, some apart, even in the same room. In one class there were six desks pushed together with students arranged around the perimeter, five girls and one boy. The remainder of the students were in individual desks. Gender seems to have only a little bearing on arrangement.
It is not unusual for students to exchange seats during class. While I write something on the board some students will trade seats; boy with girl, girl with girl, boy with boy. I do not perceive much gender tension and there is very little drama. Only once in three years of teaching have I seen tears shed.

Progress in English.

While I was teaching the 5th grade one day it dawned on me that they recognized many words. However, when they came upon ome new words they seemed really stymied. The next day with the 4th grade class I came prepared to teach sounding out words and spent the hour that way. Thinking I was really on to a gap in their education I went from the 4th to the 6th grade class. When I tried the lesson with the 6th graders they had no trouble with words so I kept making them more difficult. I was unable to stump them. It was my last day teaching. I wish I could have checked the 5th grade class with the same material.
One caveat to the ability of the 6th grade is that they were working as a group. It was apparent that there was significant individual difference in ability. An interesting sidebar is that the English teacher, who is sometimes in the room with me, is quite candid about admitting that she would have pronounced some words differently. English pronunciation, with all its irregularity can be difficult for those who learn from a book.

Probably true!

Meals were a very significant part of the time I spent with "my" family. During one discussion of Thai food they told me that if I would stay and eat Thai food for a year I wouldn't be so fat! This amused me and it is probably true even though every meal included a size able portion of rice. I will be ready to forgo the rice for a bit.

A noise ordinance would be helpful.

The school at Wat Klang is surrounded by a six foot high concrete block fence topped with statues of animals; rabbits, lion, tigers, geese, etc. The back of the school, the window side, is about thirty feet from the fence. There is a busy street immediately outside the fence.
The street is filled with noisy tuk-tuks, motorcycles, trucks and worst of all trucks equipped with loudspeakers blaring. They are moving shops. Some are selling fruit, others meat, food, etc. The students are so accustomed to the din that they do not register any notice of the noise. But it makes it very difficult to hear students as they work to get English pronunciation.

Table Manners

It is no surprise that table manners differ between America and Thailand. Here people begin eating as soon as there is food on the table without waiting for others to sit. Typically there were at least three entrees on the table, two of which were mild spice, in deference to me. Thai eat with a table spoon in the right hand and a fork in the left to push food unto the spoon. The meal begins with rice ladled unto a plate and then diners take their spoon and help themselves to food from the bowls on the table. Nothing is passed, diners simply reach across the table and help themselves. When finished eating they just stand up and walk away.
A new culinary delight was Pad Thai Soup. If I go back again I'm going to have a notebook on the table to write down words, phrases and names of Thai dishes. Much of our conversation and subsequent language study was done over meal times. My goal for next year is to learn how to say the Thai word for eight without causing paroxysms of laughter. Hope I wasn't saying something obscene.

The bells that don't ring!

The school at Wat Klang does have a bell. It is rung everyday at 8:00 to signal the beginning of the morning, all school, assembly. But, that's the only time I have heard it rung. Classes sort of begin and end on the half hour more or less.
I was teaching 5th grade during the 10:30 slot this morning. About 11:00 three students asked to be excused. Having no idea why they needed to be excused my experience said to let them go so I did. The mystery resolved at lunch when I saw the three serving food. It's interesting that they ask and I don't know what would have happened if I'd said no. But, I've never had a student ask to be excused when they shouldn't be let go.
Last day of teaching tomorrow. :(

The object of show and tell.

Max picked me from school Monday and said "We go............................. OK? Not having a clue what she said other than that above I smiled, nodded and waited with curiosity to see where we'd go. After a fairly lengthy ride in the motor bike we stopped, took off our helmets and went inside. It turns out that I was the object of "show and tell" at her company. She is a masseuse and she wanted my to meet her colleagues. There was much conversation about 10% of which was translated for me but it seemed I passed muster.
Living here is good practice in letting go. Much of the time I don't fully understand what is being offered but I go with the flow. It's really kind of fun...many surprise endings.

My Thai family.

The Thai family with whom I'm staying are sending signals that they are reluctant to see me go. I, too, will miss them. They have been exceedingly hospitable. This morning Max' parents came by to say "Hello".
Their house is a rental. They have begun building a house and they add to is as money becomes available. When the ground floor is finished they will move it. As more money becomes available they will add a second story.

...and then the phome card expired.

While I was sending messages last night from the house the phone card expired shutting me down until today. Now I'm in an internet cafe and blessedly it's early so there is not a horde of
Thai boys playing computer games.
Road and street signs in Thailand are posted in both Thai and English. We English speakers have it very easy. A fact that comes to mind when I hear Americans being obnoxious about everyone in American should speak English. This sign is posted outside Ayutthaya "CITY LIMITS PRODUCE SPEED" But,... I still know what it means.

Lacksidasical education.

Today I was asked to teach 3rd grade first period. Something was said to me about the teachers having some duty at the temple. When I glanced out the door a bit later I saw the headmaster and all the teachers, grades 3-6, walking across the yard toward the temple. The 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes had no adult present in the room. The students seem perfectly capable of handling this situation without causing problems. But, it seems a lot of teaching opportunity is missed. When I completed my lesson I simply left the room and went to the next one (4th) even though there was no teacher to relieve me.
I really do wish I could have a schedule for a week. I've come to see that it is the English teacher's lack of organization that is the problem. The teachers are very welcoming of me and include me in their lunch time conversation. Switching schools next year to find one that is better organized is tempting but I also value the relationships I've established.
It was so cool today that a long sleeved shirt felt good. The breeze blowing through the open classroom doors was chilly. One wall is all windows, all open, and on the other side are doors (2) opening to the outdoor, 2nd floor, walkway and the doors are also always open.

Gossip...or is it news?

When my mother returned from quilting circle at church I used to ask her "What's the gossip?" With a twinkle in her eye she would say "Oh, there's no gossip, only news!" Her comment came to mind yesterday. On my way from Bangkok yesterday I stopped to visit the family next door to where I stayed last year. They told me my housemate from last year, 29 year old Nick from Maine, is still in Ayutthaya. He married a Thai woman and they have a child. He teaches school where the son of my previous attends.
A perk of stopping to see the family was ride to my new house on his "real" motorcycle.

Back "home" to Ayutthaya

After a quiet weekend in Bangkok I find my self keen to get back to "my" home in Ayutthaya.
Before I arrived last week I wondered how it would be to live with a family vs. the house for volunteers I'd lived in in previous years. Living with a family is much more interesting. The remoteness of the house, sightly out of town, means a little less mobility but that is more than compensated for by the interaction with family.

Hard life.

Yesterday while enduring the exquisite pain of a Thai massage I engaged the masseuse in some conversation. She spoke some English. I learned that she works 1pm to 1am six days a week with Wednesday as her day off. She get paid a % of the cost of the massage. For example a 2 hour Thai massage costs 330Baht ($11.) and she gets 140Baht ($4.25)plus whatever tip the customer chooses to give. Typically she'll do two to four massages a day.
Tips vary depending upon the country from which the customer comes. Japanese tip quite well, Chinese give small tips, Indians don't tip at all and Europeans tip like Japanese. Australians are OK. Americans? "No American customer." Present company excepted I assume.
She is from Laos and her family still lives there. She gets one week of unpaid vacation a year which she uses to visit her family. It takes a day coming and going to her home in Laos using a bus. Her younger sister also works with her.
Should I have given her a tip? :)

Mall of America move over.

To get a good dose of Thai life I went to the Prutnunam shopping area today. Situated in central Bangkok it spreads over several blocks. It is a warren of shops (think booths) selling mostly clothing. Aisles vary from 3 to 10 feet wide. Many shoppers come equipped with huge shopping bags on rollers. Aisle space is shared with deliveries on 2 wheel carts and occasional motorcycles also loaded down with merchandise. Navigating requires constant attention to the shoppers and the wheeled contrivances threatening feet and ankles
I am happy to report that I came out unscathed and filled my shopping quota for the foreseeable future. What did I buy? Well...nothing of course.

Ironic!

After a week of cold bucket showers at "my" house in Ayutthaya I was looking forward to hot shower at the guesthouse in Bangkok. Well, I got one...on the verge of scalding actually. The hot/cold lever in the shower only delivered hot water.

Ayutthaya and back.

The trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is far from scenic. It might fit your image of a trip through Cleveland...especially Cleveland of a few years ago. Thailand could use a heavy dose of zoning laws. I still find the trip fascinating because travel is about seeing things that are different and this qualifies.
Ayutthaya was the ancient capital of Thailand destroyed by the Burmese is the 1700s. Thailand then moved the capital downriver to Bangkok to make it easier to defend against Burma. The two cities are about 60 miles apart.
Thailand has done a good job of preserving the ruins in Ayutthaya and it is a popular stop for tourists. It takes a day or two to see the sights and then most tourists move on. The trip for me door to door takes about two hours and costs $7.50. The fifty cents is because I claim the shotgun seat in the van they charge that for my bag. Always the big spender!

Siamese Cats eat rice.

Four cats, all black, share the house. One is the mother, named Meouw, and her three half grown kittens. The cats are Poo's and she mixes fish powder with rice to use as cat food. None of them have had the least bit of fear of the large farang (foreigner) in the house.

Food is Sacred

In my working days when I tool youth groups on trips I would tell them, "Food is sacred. You may not like it, you don't have to eat it but you must respect it because it is a gift from God to sustain life." Today at breakfast I was reminded of that. There was a little rice left on my plate when I finished eating...less than a table spoon. Before Max scraped it into the trash I saw her do the two hands together wai to it. When I asked her about what she did she said, "I say sorry to the rice." It's a totally clean plate for me after this!

Life with a Thai family.

The daily routine of my Thai family is quite similar to that of an American family. We arise by 6am and eat the breakfast Max has cooked and all are out the door before 8am. Max bags food for lunch (eat rice) for Mia and Poo. I eat lunch with the teachers at school. Before Max leaves for the day she hand washes the laundry that's accumulated from the day before. She sits on a plastic stool in front of a washtub of soapy water. Several rinsing buckets are nearby. When the clothes are rinsed she hangs them to dry. In the evening she does the ironing...including my clothes which she's washed.
About 7pm we gather around the table for a dinner that Max has cooked. We keep the Thai/English dictionary on the table so when any of us cannot communicate our message we look up the word to keep the conversation going. They have a wonderful sense of humor so I'm trying to develop one. We laugh a lot!
There is a concrete slab that circles the house and that is where she does the wash. The house is fairly new and made mostly of concrete. There is a fence surrounding the property, which, includes a size able back yard. The fence is about five feet high and topped with three strings of barbwire. There is large rolling gate front and to the side of the house and their motorbikes are parked inside the gate on the slab and under a roof. It's the same slab that serves as floor for the outdoor kitchen which is immediately in front of the house.

I never know...

The district(?) schools gathered today for an all day educational event for 4th, 5th & 6th graders. The setting was a school at a temple (wat) along the river. The grounds were in a beautiful grove of trees perhaps the size of a football field. With a nice breeze blowing and the shade of the trees it was a great setting. The students didn't seem to mind sitting on the dusty ground.
I was invited to be present to observe the day. There were four teaching stations in a number of subjects, e.g., science, math, English, etc. Students were divided into groups and rotated between stations throughout the day. There were four separate teaching stations for English which I intended to observe.
Four minutes before the teaching was to begin the English teacher from "my" school said, "Allan, one of the teachers is not here, will you teach one station?" That is how I went from being an observer to teaching six back to back half hour English lessons with no props. I did request and get an interpreter to sit in with me and his English was quite good. But I do wish I could have prepared something more creative than I did on the spur of the moment.
The students are delightful. They are quite intrigued with me. During the lunch break they clustered around me as if I am their mascot. I enjoy relating to them outside of the classroom. It gives me a chance to work on learning their names, some of which I can never pronounce without causing peals of laughter.
Thai students have a knack for respect without seeming the least intimidated. At school, teachers often leave their classrooms unattended without problems. It's taken me awhile to learn that when I am done with class I can just walk away even if there is no adult in the room.
Today's event impressed me. The teachers had put a lot of effort into making it a creative learning experience. Getting the students into a new setting with many of their peers made a nice break from the usual school day.
One of the exercises I used with my groups today was "Raise your hand if...." To give them experience of hearing English. 100% of the students raised their hands to "Raise your hand if you like school."
A puzzle: When asked if they were oldest or youngest of children at home approx. 60% said youngest and 20% oldest????????

Pleasantly moderate!

Temperatures have been very moderate, so cool I haven't even broken a sweat in class nor missed a/c at the house. I'd guess highs have been running in the 80s and lows in the lower 70s. I got to teach my favorite 5th graders again today. They were amazed when they learned how much snow we had at home. They asked if I'd bring them some. Tomorrow is some kind of a district? school gathering. The teachers invited me to attend so I'll do that. It's an event at a different school attended by students from several schools. Should be fun and I don't have any responsibility.

Sleeping late is not an option.

At five every morning the Muslim call to prayer sounds through my window from the neighborhood mosque. That is about the same time the roosters begin to crown and storks caw in the rice paddies. That about does it for sleep.
I report to school about 8am and await my morning teaching assignments. Today I taught a class each of 5th and 6th grades. Now, in my third year, I'm realizing that the 5th grade is regularly my favorite. After class today the 5th graders lined up for my autograph and phone number. There may be some surprised Thai parents if any of the students place an international call to me.
Tonight I took my host family and the family that took care of the school volunteers three years ago out for dinner at the night market. There were eight of us in all and that cost me $9.00. I always was a big spender. I hadn't seen the family of three years ago since then so it was really fun to see how their children, now ages 12, 11 and 5 have grown.
In a previous blog I mentioned how well my hostess cooks. For breakfast today she sauteed carrots, asparagus and pork...delicious. They were fascinated to learn how little rice we eat and how much bread. Their reaction? "Bread makes you fat!"
Oh...did I mention they're also doing my laundry?

Living large...

I think I am the first falang (foreigner) that my family has hosted. Their motivation is unclear; money? $45. for two weeks room and board doesn't seem like much even here, English practice? possibly, curiosity? maybe...or all of the above. Whatever their motivation they certainly are hospitable.
When I reported for duty at school today I was warmly welcomed back by the teachers, all of whom I knew from last year. I never know what I will teach until I get to school. Today I taught 3rd...only eight students...and 4th grades. I have no idea what I'll teach tomorrow.
Students at the school sweep, dust and mop the school before classes. At lunch (eat rice) they wipe down the tables, pick up the chairs and mop the floors. They also police the school grounds for litter. I've always been impressed by how cheerfully they do these tasks. It's not only the upper grades, even the three year olds pitch in. I commented on this behavior when I was having my lunch with the teachers. They said the whole school is divided into teams. One team is responsible for doing these duties each week on a rotating basis. They said "we want the students to learn responsibility and how to work together so the teams are self organizing."

Living like a Thai!

Sunday afternoon I arrived at my Thai host family and have been warmly welcomed. They live in a modest home, without air conditioning :), a little bit outside of Ayutthaya. The family consists of a middle age couple, Mai pronounced Mii, Max pronounced Met and a 24 year old daughter, Poo pronounced Poe. I'm sure they are all nicknames because Thai names are very long.
I sleep on a mat in the big room (15' X 24') which is a combination living room, dinning room and office. For the third year in a row I went to the store and bought another mat so I have 6" rather than 3" between me and the tile floor. I've not been in the rest of the house but I assume it contains the bed rooms. The kitchen is in a lean to/patio area outside.
The bathroom has running water but showers are via a bucket. A bucket is probably better anyway because the water is cold and best to get it all at once.
The family has bent over backward to welcome me. Perhaps I could get used being waited on hand and foot. Curmudgeonette take notice. :) They are pleased to practice their English. Poo is a university graduate and works in IT for a bank. Her English is fairly good. We sit around the table after meals which my Thai/English dictionaries and talk; teaching each other.
A great surprise is to find that Met is a great cook. Last night she prepared a sauteed dish that was out of this world. There is always rice and then several dishes to go with the rice. She puts a ton of hot spice in one dish for the family and makes the others mild with me in mind. This morning she did an omelet and a sauteed pork and cauliflower dish.
Internet access has been somewhat limited. I'm using the house computer for this message. I'll report more when I can get online again.

Heading for Ayutthaya

The Skytrain and minibus will take me to Ayutthaya today. There I'll meet my host family for my home stay. I begin teaching tomorrow. The Skytrain station near the guesthouse is the one that got shot up last March during the Red Shirt demonstrations. I'll look carefully to see if I can see any damage to the station.
Two days of leisurely soaking up the warmth has been great. I don't have to turn on the weather channel to see what the weather will be like here. It's basically the same everyday...lows in the 70s and high about 90. Perfect!

Bangkok and Minneapolis

Early this fall we left our suburban home and moved to a 15th floor condo in Minneapolis. Most of you probably knew this. What you probably don't know is the connection between our decision to move downtown and my time spent in Asia and particularly in Bangkok.
Since Lisa moved to Cambodia in the early nineties I've travelled regularly to SE Asia. Upon returning to our lovely suburban home in a great neighborhood I would say to the curmudgeonette "This is a nice neighborhood but it's sure boring."

Being back in Bangkok reminds me of the allure of living downtown. Downtown Mpls pales in comparison with the energy and vibrance of Bkk but there is some similarity. I love the sidewalks of Bkk filled with people, food stalls, and every sort of commerce one can imagine. They would be very frustrating if I had to get some place in a hurry. One thing is for sure...it's not boring!

Greetings from Bangkok!

The flights from Mn to Bkk were uneventful which is probably a good thing. Switched planes in Tokyo with just enough time to get through security (again) and board the Bkk flight. The Bkk flight wasn't full so I upgraded myself from a middle inside seat to an aisle seat in row 13.
The flight to Tokyo took a northern route so someplace between Alaska and Russia (Did you know that you can see Russia from Sarah's window?) I finished my first book. It was GOODNIGHT NEBRASKA by Tom McNeal which I really enjoyed. However, writers who tell hunting stories perhaps should at least go hunting once or twice. Either that, or study up on hunting dogs.
From Mpls I was seated next to a mother and daughter flying from MN to Palau to visit mother/grandmother for 4 days. Wow! 2 days of flying for a 4 day visit? The daughter, age 12?, and I exchanged food...I traded my shrimp for her fruit.
Another kindness of strangers story. The computers for Internet access here at the Bangkok Christian Guesthouse are coin operated. The Guesthouse desk didn't have change so I walked two blocks to the Skytrain stop to get change. I gave the clerk a 100Baht note ($3.)and got 10 ten Baht coins in change. I swept up coins from under the glass separating me from the clerk and walked away. Hearing a female voice saying "Hello, hello" I turned around and a woman gave me a coin that I had inadvertently left behind.
I do regularly check my email accounts while I'm here so feel free to email me.

Leaving on a jet plane!

Tomorrow I begin the two day flight to Bangkok. More on this post from Thailand!

More Chistmas with Mai-Evy

Chistmas with Mai-Evy