Journal entry by Al Negstad — a minute ago
How are Thai teachers like Norwegian American aunts? They are always pushing food. There is a half hour between the end of opening exercises and my first class. Then there is another half hour break between my classes. These are opportunities for school staff to feed me; tea, pastries, sweet sticky rice, etc. Finally, part of the motivation for this feeding became clear when a teacher was surprised that I had eaten breakfast before I came to school. But, even when they know I have breakfast, the food keeps coming. There are also special additions to the school lunches for me. At least I know enough Thai now to turn some of it down politely. Often it is sent home with me to the delight of my Thai family.
Mealtimes are not as regular in Thailand as in America. There is a general sense of breakfast, lunch and dinner, though they are as likely to eat whenever they are hungry. The menu may be identical with Thai eating the same things for breakfast as they would for dinner. When meals are shared as soon as food arrives those present begin eating even if others have yet to arrive. Thai are perhaps more comfortable sitting on the floor to eat than they are at a table. When one finishes eating he/she may simply wander off without any verbal notice. The only meals without rice are those in which noodles are a significant feature. Thai are very adept with chopsticks but use them when the meal served is of Chinese or Japanese origin. Their typical table wear is a table spoon in the right hand and a fork in the left to move food onto the spoon.
Legend, perhaps with some truth, traces the use of the table spoon and fork back to a former king. When Westerners first began coming to Thailand the king invited himself to dinner at an English Anglican priest's home. The priest went all out with a fancy table with multiple knives, forks and spoons. Can't you imagine? At the conclusion of the meal the king said "I will keep these two" as he held up a table spoon and a fork.
It is a very efficient way to eat. It's amusing to visit a Thai restaurant in America and see patrons request chopsticks to eat Thai food. While they may parade their dexterity with chopsticks they reveal a lack of knowledge about the Thai way.
The depth of my relationship with the teachers at school is revealed in the way they stay with me after lunch to converse. Previously teachers would leave as they finished eating. Now some do but there are always several who stay until they must leave for their duties. There's good conversation and two or three of the student teachers stay to be in the presence of spoken English.
Blessings,
Al
Picture: Coconut/banana wrapped in banana leaf, one of the treats offered me on break.
Mealtimes are not as regular in Thailand as in America. There is a general sense of breakfast, lunch and dinner, though they are as likely to eat whenever they are hungry. The menu may be identical with Thai eating the same things for breakfast as they would for dinner. When meals are shared as soon as food arrives those present begin eating even if others have yet to arrive. Thai are perhaps more comfortable sitting on the floor to eat than they are at a table. When one finishes eating he/she may simply wander off without any verbal notice. The only meals without rice are those in which noodles are a significant feature. Thai are very adept with chopsticks but use them when the meal served is of Chinese or Japanese origin. Their typical table wear is a table spoon in the right hand and a fork in the left to move food onto the spoon.
Legend, perhaps with some truth, traces the use of the table spoon and fork back to a former king. When Westerners first began coming to Thailand the king invited himself to dinner at an English Anglican priest's home. The priest went all out with a fancy table with multiple knives, forks and spoons. Can't you imagine? At the conclusion of the meal the king said "I will keep these two" as he held up a table spoon and a fork.
It is a very efficient way to eat. It's amusing to visit a Thai restaurant in America and see patrons request chopsticks to eat Thai food. While they may parade their dexterity with chopsticks they reveal a lack of knowledge about the Thai way.
The depth of my relationship with the teachers at school is revealed in the way they stay with me after lunch to converse. Previously teachers would leave as they finished eating. Now some do but there are always several who stay until they must leave for their duties. There's good conversation and two or three of the student teachers stay to be in the presence of spoken English.
Blessings,
Al
Picture: Coconut/banana wrapped in banana leaf, one of the treats offered me on break.
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