Thailand, at least in Phuket, is all dressed up for Christmas. All the stores are fully decorated, the flyers are being left in the gate, the music is the same as one finds in all the stores at home at Christmas. And this is a Buddhist country. I don't know what it might be like in Bangkok but so many farang live in Phuket, Thais make them feel right at home. Although many Thais will tell me that if it is a holiday from anywhere, they like to celebrate. Amazing. On Christmas Eve, the entire school is turned over to Christmas activities, parties, and gift giving. I will already be in Africa so will miss that, but not a problem since I sure am familiar with the festivities.
What is it like living in Thailand. Well, it is all pretty normal in many respects. My house is very suburban. I get up every morning at 5:30 so I can watch the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and catch up on some of the TV commentators I like best. I am sure it is because they almost all agree with me. I walk get to school about 7:30 every morning and like everyone else swipe my finger on the print identification device. Usually I have to do it two or three times before it says Karp Khoun Ca 0 thank you. Don't know why I have this problem; everyone else seems to swipe once and it is a go. We all have to stay until 4:30 to swipe out again. Sometimes that is a drag as one has to hang around even if all the classes are finished. I am fortunate not to have a homeroom as every homeroom teacher has to stay for extra lessons which begin at 4 and end at 5. There is extra pay, but it is a long day. Currently, I am teaching my "need help" students and have about 12 hours a week of very small classes. Just the way it turned out and I get paid the same as everyone else.
I have hot water in the bathrooms, but none in the kitchen so I have to heat a lot of water. This is usual for a Thai household. We do not flush paper down toilets anywhere so that is kind of problem, especially in many public bathrooms. Most public toilets do not have toilet paper unless they have a large farang clientele. But the Thais have something else. It is really a bidet shower. Every place has them and that, of course, is for use every time you need. Actually it is pretty good to have around (with tp as well). Pretty sensible and refreshing.
I do eat out a lot as food is really cheap as long as you are not looking for very foreign food. Cheese and hamburgers will almost always cost $6.00 or $7.00 for example and just about all decent Thai food will cost anywhere from 35 baht to 120 baht for a meal. The 35 is rice and maybe some small amount of chicken and pork, a stir fry, and the price goes up as you add vegetables, whole fish, pieces of fish. There is some very good beer in Thailand which runs from $1.00 to $1.50 for a liter. All wine is very expensive as there is a high import duty on it; strange as there is none made here. Whiskey made in Thailand is very cheap but potent. Imported whiskeys like Scotch, Bourbon, etc. are pretty reasonable as is Vodka, Gin and Rum. Johnny Walker is very popular here. If I have anything, it is usually beer. Everything else is too much on a farang salary
Speaking of salaries, in my school, almost all teachers begin at 30,000 baht or about $1,000 a month and get after school lessons pay. Phillipino and Thai teachers make under 10,000 baht.Quite a difference. There is a raise every year of about 1500 baht. If you are here long enough you have three weeks off in October and one month in April. I got one week in October and can have two in April as things stand now. We also have quite a few holidays and for Christmas we have 10 days.
I am learning more about Thai culture and mores and just wanted to let you know that in normal families, girls are very protected and a great deal of emphasis is placed on not bringing disgrace to the family. They are expected to abstain until marriage. Like many countries that are becoming westernized and have great influence from Western movies and music, there are the beginnings of the breaking of these traditions. They really are not allowed boyfriends and girlfriends till quite late, although many of the kids talk about a girlfriend or boyfriend. Lots of text messaging, etc. but no dating. If a girl does not marry, she generally stays with her parents and very often strict rules still apply. We have one teacher who is about 25 who loves to hang out with a group of teachers her age who are farang. This is not allowed so she literally has to be very secretive about her joining them.
One of the big advantages in living in Phuket are the beaches for me. Last weekend we had 4 days off and a friend spent three of them island hopping, swimming, snorkeling and eating some great lunches that were provided by the tour boats. It really is so much fun to swim among so many beautiful tropical fish and the water is always warm enough to just jump or wade in.
It is always hot. We just finished the rainy season which is hot with very high humidity. Now we are getting into the dry season which is hot but not so humid. I am delighted to report that a pool just opened a block away from my house, so now I can just go and jump in after work. Membership is 150 baht a year, a little less than $5.00, and each pool visit is 30 baht, a little under $1.00. I had been coming home and jumping in the cold shower every day. Now I have an option.
My holiday begins the night of the 23rd when I fly off to Tanzania. I am really looking forward to this new adventure. Look here for my tales from Africa.
Geraldine
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thailand Update Dec. 13
Dear Friends:
It has been quite awhile since I have written. Time flies by so quickly. But this last couple of weeks has been horrendous with terrible news from home and around the world. Detroit, Wall Street, Chicago, Kirkuk, Darfur, Mumbai, Mozambique, Iraq, and Afghanistan – it all goes on and on. To top it off I just watched “Planet in Peril” and really got sick to my stomach. It seems as though everything is going crazy around us and more than that is seriously harming us. And to top it off the changing weather patterns are adding more misery to millions.
I know if I were home I would be churning all the time worrying about it all, talking about it all, arguing about it all, and immersed in the problems of the world because I get like that. Thailand makes it all seem far away. This is a place that is not caught up in the worldwide turmoil; it has no immediate enemies; it does not have something the rest of the world wants to exploit; and it pretty much contains itself to within it borders. This is a country that is steeped in Buddhism, (although I am not always clear how that is manifested in everyday life), esteems its monks and making merit, absolutely reveres its monarch, and yet has all the problems one might find anywhere. On the surface everything seems to be sublime and easy but that is part of its allure. If things look good, they are. This is a country that does not even teach history in the schools. But it is a country that many come to for the pleasures it offers both in nature, sunshine and sea, exotic monuments and celebrations, and its allure for many who like to frequent its most seamy areas. Thailand is a land of many contradictions that I sense but cannot truly define. If there are those who speak of the activities of the “bar girls” with often disgust, but then they will also say “but there is no other way for them to take care of their families.” And they do take care of their families. Family is supreme and many a “farang” (foreigner) is supporting untold numbers of poor relatives of their Thai women. Love is for sale but it comes at more than the price of a one night stand when there is a decision to totally buy in.
Thailand is a land of nation, Buddha, and King. In travel brochures it is also called “Amazing Thailand.” It is a land of courtesy and saving face. There is still the polite but hierarchical custom of “weiing” each other. That is folding the hands in front as if in prayer and greeting one another with the words “sa ba dee ka.” Where one places one’s hands (chest, face or higher) and bows one’s head determines the stature of whom you are addressing. It is a custom I am getting used to as the children must wei their teachers and we wei back. As a sign of respect, they wei me with hands on the face and I wei them with hands on the chest. The head is bowed to the hands. I wei the director and the administrators as well. This courtesy happens everywhere and all over Thailand. When you purchase goods or food in stores and supermarkets, the clerks wei you in thanks. It is a sign of thanks, good wishes, and respect. Often, the children will go by me and bow low as they pass as a sign of respect for an older person. That is the custom.
I witnessed the extremes of this custom during the funeral of the King’s sister a couple of weeks ago. The Princess had been a beloved person for the Thai people and she was accorded an incredible funeral full of all the pomp, circumstance, and regalia that is at the disposal of the Thai Monarch. Parades full of elegantly uniformed marchers; royal regalia of gold and silver carried by bearers, monks presiding over dozens of services sending her on her way, traditional rituals involving cremation and final resting place, gift giving, chanting and mourning – all went on for days. I witnessed all of this on television and truly experienced the depth of the weiing and bowing traditions at their highest levels. With royalty the weiing tradition goes all the way to the forehead with a deep bow and during the religious ceremony weiing involved leaning back and head to or over forehead facing the heavens. I must admit I was absolutely fixated and fascinated as I watched such incredible spectacle unfold for the benefit of the Princess and the honor and tribute which was given to her life and death. As pageantry, the tributes were spectacular.
I am trying to describe all this and not display any commentary or judgment about all of this from a Western perspective because there are no doubt contradictions here in this display of extreme wealth and expenditure for the soul of a Princess and the extreme poverty in which many Thais live. This is a Constitutional Monarchy and the Thais love their King who is now aging and many wonder what the future will hold.
Some of the highlights of my life here include having had the opportunity to visit Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I had to go renew my visa in order to stay in the Country and teach while my work permit was being processed. I spent four days there and really loved visiting the City. It is modern, clean, colorful, and full of all of the most elegant designer shops you would ever need in many shopping malls around the City. I enjoyed watching the dress of so many women who were stunning in their traditional, colorful and elegant dress of over- -blouse and flowing pants. I took one a two day, on and off, bus tour around the City and enjoyed its incredible green belt housing orchid and butterfly parks, lakes and recreation activities, museums and monuments. I really loved the National Art Gallery which displays hundreds of works of Malaysian contemporary modern art. The Gallery itself is a great display of traditional and modern architecture which has rounded umbrella-like arches around the exterior and surrounded by grand staircases and pools and fountains. It is different but has some of the exterior look of the Opera House in Sydney.
Teaching is turning out to be a great delight. My students are fifth and sixth graders and I have 12 hours a week of very small groups that need special help with English. They are so much fun and though they are not always the best of students or the best behaved, I am developing a rapport with them and think I am making some progress. English is required for only the first six grades so many know they will not continue with it. Students at Kajonkiet Suksa School are Thai or a mix of Thai and just about every other nationality: American, Russian, Swedish, English, German, Korean, and Chinese… although most of the Koreans are Korean only. The Teachers are also from everywhere and there are about 100 farang teachers within the three-school system. Although the school requires that teachers be primarily native English speakers we do have a few from the Philippines and Eastern Europe whose English is good enough for teaching the Kindergarten and Primary.
A cultural phenomenon that makes teaching difficult is the Asian concept of saving face and that means that nobody really fails. That means that there are not those built in problems of failure potential that are an inducement to working harder. So my job is to help the kids do the best with English. Failure happens but that is rare and every effort is made to assist the kids in passing either through after school lessons, tutoring, or my ESL class. I am amazed at how well they do considering my own language abilities. I have never been good at learning languages and can speak about 10 words in Thai. It has been really difficult for me to get a good sense of the language and, of course, cannot read any of the signage anywhere. Thai is a kind of Sanskrit/Pali combination and there is no official agreement on the correct Roman alphabet spelling of any of the Thai words. So translations include a variety of spellings. I did much better in Vietnam which uses the same alphabet as English.
A major advantage for me of being in Phuket is to be near so many beaches and islands. I take advantage as much as possible. Last weekend we had a three day holiday so I went camping on the Similan Islands, one of the greatest dive places in the world, so they tell me. I did not dive, but I snorkeled around every day at several of the eight islands that make up the Similans. Camped in a tent and slept pretty well considering that it has been a long time since I slept in a tent – not since Romania. The Islands are a protected natural resource so the beaches were clean and pristine with absolutely clear turquoise waters, coral reefs with a variety of white, blue, green, and pink coral surrounded by lots of sea anemone. The water was fascinating with colorful, tropical fish of all shapes and sizes and I spent hours watching them. I love swimming, snorkeling and being at the sea. Food was included with the campsite and there was an amazing amount of food at every meal. Grilled fish (some of the best I have ever eaten), steamed fish, fish stew, mixed vegetable dishes, varieties of cooked rice and noodles, curries and curried soups, chicken grilled and fried or stir-fried in vegetables, omelettes and fried eggs, all but the latter cooked with some of the most incredible sauces I have had in Thailand. And to finish off the meal, plates of fresh fruit were served. I think I have already mentioned that Thais really like to eat and the tables are always covered with a variety of food. That was an enjoyable three days. But I was sad to discover that I have developed sea sickness – was absolutely uncomfortable on the speed boat to the Islands.
We have a four day weekend this week for some reason but I will stay around Phuket and take some day trips to a couple of islands off the Southern tip for swimming and snorkeling. Since I am going to Africa for Christmas, Kenya and Tanzania on Safari, I really have to budget. I am absolutely amazed that I can actually go to Africa from here at so much less than I could from the USA. I never thought that this would be one of my destinations but it was too tempting to pass up. I am hoping that with everything holding up okay at home, I can go to Australia during the break next April before I come home. It is a real possibility that I can do this.
Thanksgiving was a great holiday with hundreds of farang folks at a restaurant that caters to foreigners. We all had the turkey and all the trimmings and all we could eat. I really enjoyed that meal. It was a work day but the evening was just perfect. You would not believe that the whole meal was only $10.00.
Getting around is still hard for me so I spend most days teachings and most evenings at home. I do use motorbikes and have a favorite driver who fortunately drives slower and carefully when I use his service. Taxis are too expensive for the budget and I use them only after grocery shopping. I decided to go for it and ordered the only satellite TV that offers several English programs and CNN round the clock. Once in a while there is a good movie but mostly there are re runs of American programs. If you can believe it, there is even Commander in Chief in re run and The Guardian. Yes, Oprah is carried on the Hallmark channel, but I don’t watch her; never really have. I have watched a good amount of National Geographic, the History Channel, Discovery, and Animal Planet. Unfortunately, I watch too much CNN. But I read a lot too, not much that is truly intellectual or stimulating as there is not much around and the used books even for pulp fiction are really expensive. I did manage to borrow a copy of two Thai Books: The King Never Smiles, and A History of Thailand (both of which have helped me to learn more about Thailand) from someone who has a very few good books. He actually also had a Tony Hillerman and that was fun, of course.
I do miss close friendships, lady talk, Gregory, and chile! It is interesting that I have already been asked to stay for the next year which begins in May but there is lots of time to decide. No matter where I am I will need work. Greg has been gone for several weeks now and I am glad he was here. We shared some great times and he is now happily, I hope, at home with Lauren and writing what he writes endlessly.
Do write to me. I do hope all of my dear friends are weathering whatever is going on at home and not having any unhappy times and that my friends from around the globe are also having good lives. I want to hear from all of you no matter what.
It has been quite awhile since I have written. Time flies by so quickly. But this last couple of weeks has been horrendous with terrible news from home and around the world. Detroit, Wall Street, Chicago, Kirkuk, Darfur, Mumbai, Mozambique, Iraq, and Afghanistan – it all goes on and on. To top it off I just watched “Planet in Peril” and really got sick to my stomach. It seems as though everything is going crazy around us and more than that is seriously harming us. And to top it off the changing weather patterns are adding more misery to millions.
I know if I were home I would be churning all the time worrying about it all, talking about it all, arguing about it all, and immersed in the problems of the world because I get like that. Thailand makes it all seem far away. This is a place that is not caught up in the worldwide turmoil; it has no immediate enemies; it does not have something the rest of the world wants to exploit; and it pretty much contains itself to within it borders. This is a country that is steeped in Buddhism, (although I am not always clear how that is manifested in everyday life), esteems its monks and making merit, absolutely reveres its monarch, and yet has all the problems one might find anywhere. On the surface everything seems to be sublime and easy but that is part of its allure. If things look good, they are. This is a country that does not even teach history in the schools. But it is a country that many come to for the pleasures it offers both in nature, sunshine and sea, exotic monuments and celebrations, and its allure for many who like to frequent its most seamy areas. Thailand is a land of many contradictions that I sense but cannot truly define. If there are those who speak of the activities of the “bar girls” with often disgust, but then they will also say “but there is no other way for them to take care of their families.” And they do take care of their families. Family is supreme and many a “farang” (foreigner) is supporting untold numbers of poor relatives of their Thai women. Love is for sale but it comes at more than the price of a one night stand when there is a decision to totally buy in.
Thailand is a land of nation, Buddha, and King. In travel brochures it is also called “Amazing Thailand.” It is a land of courtesy and saving face. There is still the polite but hierarchical custom of “weiing” each other. That is folding the hands in front as if in prayer and greeting one another with the words “sa ba dee ka.” Where one places one’s hands (chest, face or higher) and bows one’s head determines the stature of whom you are addressing. It is a custom I am getting used to as the children must wei their teachers and we wei back. As a sign of respect, they wei me with hands on the face and I wei them with hands on the chest. The head is bowed to the hands. I wei the director and the administrators as well. This courtesy happens everywhere and all over Thailand. When you purchase goods or food in stores and supermarkets, the clerks wei you in thanks. It is a sign of thanks, good wishes, and respect. Often, the children will go by me and bow low as they pass as a sign of respect for an older person. That is the custom.
I witnessed the extremes of this custom during the funeral of the King’s sister a couple of weeks ago. The Princess had been a beloved person for the Thai people and she was accorded an incredible funeral full of all the pomp, circumstance, and regalia that is at the disposal of the Thai Monarch. Parades full of elegantly uniformed marchers; royal regalia of gold and silver carried by bearers, monks presiding over dozens of services sending her on her way, traditional rituals involving cremation and final resting place, gift giving, chanting and mourning – all went on for days. I witnessed all of this on television and truly experienced the depth of the weiing and bowing traditions at their highest levels. With royalty the weiing tradition goes all the way to the forehead with a deep bow and during the religious ceremony weiing involved leaning back and head to or over forehead facing the heavens. I must admit I was absolutely fixated and fascinated as I watched such incredible spectacle unfold for the benefit of the Princess and the honor and tribute which was given to her life and death. As pageantry, the tributes were spectacular.
I am trying to describe all this and not display any commentary or judgment about all of this from a Western perspective because there are no doubt contradictions here in this display of extreme wealth and expenditure for the soul of a Princess and the extreme poverty in which many Thais live. This is a Constitutional Monarchy and the Thais love their King who is now aging and many wonder what the future will hold.
Some of the highlights of my life here include having had the opportunity to visit Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I had to go renew my visa in order to stay in the Country and teach while my work permit was being processed. I spent four days there and really loved visiting the City. It is modern, clean, colorful, and full of all of the most elegant designer shops you would ever need in many shopping malls around the City. I enjoyed watching the dress of so many women who were stunning in their traditional, colorful and elegant dress of over- -blouse and flowing pants. I took one a two day, on and off, bus tour around the City and enjoyed its incredible green belt housing orchid and butterfly parks, lakes and recreation activities, museums and monuments. I really loved the National Art Gallery which displays hundreds of works of Malaysian contemporary modern art. The Gallery itself is a great display of traditional and modern architecture which has rounded umbrella-like arches around the exterior and surrounded by grand staircases and pools and fountains. It is different but has some of the exterior look of the Opera House in Sydney.
Teaching is turning out to be a great delight. My students are fifth and sixth graders and I have 12 hours a week of very small groups that need special help with English. They are so much fun and though they are not always the best of students or the best behaved, I am developing a rapport with them and think I am making some progress. English is required for only the first six grades so many know they will not continue with it. Students at Kajonkiet Suksa School are Thai or a mix of Thai and just about every other nationality: American, Russian, Swedish, English, German, Korean, and Chinese… although most of the Koreans are Korean only. The Teachers are also from everywhere and there are about 100 farang teachers within the three-school system. Although the school requires that teachers be primarily native English speakers we do have a few from the Philippines and Eastern Europe whose English is good enough for teaching the Kindergarten and Primary.
A cultural phenomenon that makes teaching difficult is the Asian concept of saving face and that means that nobody really fails. That means that there are not those built in problems of failure potential that are an inducement to working harder. So my job is to help the kids do the best with English. Failure happens but that is rare and every effort is made to assist the kids in passing either through after school lessons, tutoring, or my ESL class. I am amazed at how well they do considering my own language abilities. I have never been good at learning languages and can speak about 10 words in Thai. It has been really difficult for me to get a good sense of the language and, of course, cannot read any of the signage anywhere. Thai is a kind of Sanskrit/Pali combination and there is no official agreement on the correct Roman alphabet spelling of any of the Thai words. So translations include a variety of spellings. I did much better in Vietnam which uses the same alphabet as English.
A major advantage for me of being in Phuket is to be near so many beaches and islands. I take advantage as much as possible. Last weekend we had a three day holiday so I went camping on the Similan Islands, one of the greatest dive places in the world, so they tell me. I did not dive, but I snorkeled around every day at several of the eight islands that make up the Similans. Camped in a tent and slept pretty well considering that it has been a long time since I slept in a tent – not since Romania. The Islands are a protected natural resource so the beaches were clean and pristine with absolutely clear turquoise waters, coral reefs with a variety of white, blue, green, and pink coral surrounded by lots of sea anemone. The water was fascinating with colorful, tropical fish of all shapes and sizes and I spent hours watching them. I love swimming, snorkeling and being at the sea. Food was included with the campsite and there was an amazing amount of food at every meal. Grilled fish (some of the best I have ever eaten), steamed fish, fish stew, mixed vegetable dishes, varieties of cooked rice and noodles, curries and curried soups, chicken grilled and fried or stir-fried in vegetables, omelettes and fried eggs, all but the latter cooked with some of the most incredible sauces I have had in Thailand. And to finish off the meal, plates of fresh fruit were served. I think I have already mentioned that Thais really like to eat and the tables are always covered with a variety of food. That was an enjoyable three days. But I was sad to discover that I have developed sea sickness – was absolutely uncomfortable on the speed boat to the Islands.
We have a four day weekend this week for some reason but I will stay around Phuket and take some day trips to a couple of islands off the Southern tip for swimming and snorkeling. Since I am going to Africa for Christmas, Kenya and Tanzania on Safari, I really have to budget. I am absolutely amazed that I can actually go to Africa from here at so much less than I could from the USA. I never thought that this would be one of my destinations but it was too tempting to pass up. I am hoping that with everything holding up okay at home, I can go to Australia during the break next April before I come home. It is a real possibility that I can do this.
Thanksgiving was a great holiday with hundreds of farang folks at a restaurant that caters to foreigners. We all had the turkey and all the trimmings and all we could eat. I really enjoyed that meal. It was a work day but the evening was just perfect. You would not believe that the whole meal was only $10.00.
Getting around is still hard for me so I spend most days teachings and most evenings at home. I do use motorbikes and have a favorite driver who fortunately drives slower and carefully when I use his service. Taxis are too expensive for the budget and I use them only after grocery shopping. I decided to go for it and ordered the only satellite TV that offers several English programs and CNN round the clock. Once in a while there is a good movie but mostly there are re runs of American programs. If you can believe it, there is even Commander in Chief in re run and The Guardian. Yes, Oprah is carried on the Hallmark channel, but I don’t watch her; never really have. I have watched a good amount of National Geographic, the History Channel, Discovery, and Animal Planet. Unfortunately, I watch too much CNN. But I read a lot too, not much that is truly intellectual or stimulating as there is not much around and the used books even for pulp fiction are really expensive. I did manage to borrow a copy of two Thai Books: The King Never Smiles, and A History of Thailand (both of which have helped me to learn more about Thailand) from someone who has a very few good books. He actually also had a Tony Hillerman and that was fun, of course.
I do miss close friendships, lady talk, Gregory, and chile! It is interesting that I have already been asked to stay for the next year which begins in May but there is lots of time to decide. No matter where I am I will need work. Greg has been gone for several weeks now and I am glad he was here. We shared some great times and he is now happily, I hope, at home with Lauren and writing what he writes endlessly.
Do write to me. I do hope all of my dear friends are weathering whatever is going on at home and not having any unhappy times and that my friends from around the globe are also having good lives. I want to hear from all of you no matter what.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Kajonkietsuka Early September
Interestingly enough I wrote the following last night and the news from home seems even more disastrous - let me have your perspective. Tomorrow I go on my visa trip to Malaysia where I will get my one year visa. In a way this is fortunate as I have wanted to go to Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, while I am still in SE Asia;
Today I begin my third week at Kajonkiet Suksa School, a private school that starts at Kindergarten and goes to Grade 8 for the time being. Aside from observing and filling in until the end of the Semester (Sept. 26), my primary assignment is to write a course outline for a new 9th grade which will begin next year. School year starts in May and is comprised of two semesters, the second of which begins in November. I will have the course outline completed by the 26th and we all go on vacation. I actually get one week paid and then come back to teach what is called summer school in October. Most of the school is on a one month holiday which is traditional in Thailand. When November comes, I will have several classes of students who need additional
support through ESL. I am actually having a pretty good time observing the management of a school here, the mix of Thai and
Falang teachers which does
not always work, and the total mix of students many of whom have at least one European, English, or American parent. That makes the teaching of English imperative for them and also for Thai parents who believe that English will be necessary to the success of their kids in the future....unless they are wealthy with lots of influence (and there are a lot of those in Thailand.) I may have said this before but I have found that in general the Cambodians and Vietnamese in cities and in schools were much better at English than the Thais, interesting because Thais actually start English in first grade. Many also learn Chinese as well. In fact, we have a couple of Chinese teachers who volunteer here to teach the language. China's education policies seem to require that those who want to teach spend a couple of years abroad volunteering before they could get a job in China. Naturally, they teach Chinese (their English is pretty
good, too and as an additional aside we have several Phillipine teachers who are teaching English so they are certainly up to par and the computer techs are all Phillipine as well. The latter are a blessing to a surface computer user like me.) But to finish with the Chinese, after the policy was described to me, it sounded a bit like an altered of our Peace Corps in terms of exposing young Chinese to other cultures.
I did find a house just about 5 minutes from school so I am grateful that I do not have to depend on motorbike taxis which really are the cheapest form of transportation. Between the walking to school and walking to a market which is about a kilometer away and climbing three flights of stairs every day, I am keeping in pretty decent shape. Or almost. The first several days of climbing three flights of stairs 5 or 6 times seems to have caused a strain on my right knee and I got to where if I sat down, I
could not get up without a
major stab of pain there. I panicked a bit but our teacher liaision took me to the hospital where I saw an orthopedic surgeon. After the usual x rays, we found nothing structurally wrong and Doctor said inflammation was probably caused by my new "life style activity." So some strong anti inflammation drugs along with a pain killer has eased the problem and I find myself not having any problems with my daily workouts but I have another week worth of pills before I go back.
I will tell you the hospital was certainly impressive; immaculate, efficient, very little waiting time and I was escorted by nurses from start to finish which eased the flow of paperwork and prescription filling. The doctor spoke very good English, the x rays were completed and read with 15 minutes and I was given a pointer lesson on the results and a couple of neat photos of my knee. The whole thing took about an hour and cost less than $60, meds
included. I don't have insurance here yet but should be covered by the time the new semester begins.
My house is a two bedroom, two bath house in what might be considered a rather suburban environment - nothing fancy but the landlady really cleaned it up for me and got me set up also with broadband internet which was just installed over the weekend, so I feel complete. Amazing how we cannot do without computers anymore. Unfortunately I am not so lucky with TV service. I currently have all Thai channels except for a couple of sports channels and the worst - for news only FOX NEWS! Is it ever godawfu, so I asked them to cancel it and I am not getting the super vision service that includes more English and CNN because it is too expensive. I turn on to catch the news in between the absolute love affair all their commentators are having with Sarah Palin - McCain hardly matters. That whole situation really makes me
nervous as the polls seem to be going pretty badly from Obama from here. In fact the country seems to be doing so badly from here. All those financial disasters mixed with really tragic natural ones are heartbreaking from here. How is it affecting you all? When one listens to Asian news, we don't fare so well; not because we are disliked but because we seem to be weakening and China seems to be rising along with the fears of a new Russia and its influence in some parts of Europe. Bush's good friend Putin sure must be having a time of having the last laugh. Energy stockpiles are realigning and influencing the world power structures.
I hope I like it all well enough to stay awhile and I hope if any of you are so inclined you will come visit. I have room, that is for sure. But I will tell you Thailand has many great places, but it is difficult to get around. There are lots of cheap air flights to various places, but if you come, I
would suggest that wherever you go you arrange for tours. I would strongly recommend seeing Bangkok (which I have not seen), Chiang Mai, Ayuttha (an ancient City which I have not seen) Phuket or some of the islands for beach goers. In fact if you stay with me you would have to taxi to the beaches which is anywhere up to 800 baht roundtrip (33 baht to the dollar). But that is stuff that can be worked out; Phuket is really just for beachgoers. Despite all the hype, I would not say that Thailand has the most beautiful beaches in the world, but like many others the good resorts have created little paradises within their bounds. There is supposed to be quite a night life in Patong, but I haven't wandered out and about to check it out, at least at night. Over the weekend I did go to Kata beach which has great surf but not overwhelming and spent the morning swimming and reading; then I wandered over to Patong just to check it out. Lots of great places to
stay, but the beachfront activities are like any resort town with lots of places selling cheap stuff and expensive ordinary restaurants. The beaches along this strip from Chalong Bay are lovely but not exquisite and need some
The longer I stay and the more I can be helpful about places to visit. Now that I have been living in the "burbs" some of the glamor has worn off, so if you want to see the exotic Thailand, tours are the way to go.
Chiang Mai is a delightful city with its moat still surrounding the old
city. I did visit Chiang Rai as well but it is a great and beautiful drive through lovely tropical mountain jungle and worth that alone and okay to stay if you are running off to do outdoor trekking, etc. A truly marvelous site very near Chiang Rai is the wonderful creation in progress and designed to represent contemporary religious (Buddhist) art. The artist, whose name I cannot remember but whose photo with me I have, has devoted his life to creating this enormous site with Wat and monk's quarters and all that goes with it his "White Palace." It is one of the most awesome structures I have seen, with a completely white exerior showcasing fantastic mythological characters from the Buddhist cosmology and the standard turrets, finials, and umbrellas along with carved surfaces that make up Buddhist temples. All this is covered with millions of pieces of mirrored glass which makes the whole thing look like a winter
fairy tale, but which will encompass some most sacred relics and wonderful art work in the inerior that depicts the Buddha and his life as one finds in most Wats. The White Palace will take many years to complete and will be a draw from everywhere for the devout who will seek solace and for tourists. I am sure you can find it on the web as the artist has raised money from around the world, is dedicating all of his own proceeds from his works of art, and is donating all of his time to the design, oversight, and artistic renderings of the buildings. In the process he is training a whole generation of artists in both the old and new artistic traditions of Buddhist art.
Wats in Thailand are a contrasting activity. By day many are both cultural attractions and oddities for a melange of tourists who have come to be awed by the glittering jewel -like mosaic patterns of colored glass which cover various parts of each Wat, along with
the exquisitely delicate looking, colorful wood and often lace-like carvings (turrets) which extend from the roof tops all glittering in red and gold, (real, gold leaf or paint) with an architecture strongly influenced by India. Thai Buddhism is influenced by earlier Hmong animistic religious along with Hindu influences, so one often find the spirits or gods of all three among the statuary and paintings. The insides of the most famous and not so famous of Wats are more than impressive with immense statues of the Buddha often set high above to smile benevelontly down on the viewer. The statues can be of gold or gold leaf, silver, emerald, marble, and one has a standing statue encrusted with diamonds. The artifacts of bowls and offering pieces are both simple and extravagantly elegant made of simple pottery, enamelled coated with inlay embellishments, or materials finely crafted from gold and sillver and even wood. The Wats combined hold and store
treasure lodes of national culture, history, and religion that cannot be removed by collectors and traders. So there is a lot of patrimony being saved.
Until next time - then I will try to think more about this very different place. It is hard to get a handle on it. The sublime and yet ostentatious Buddhist elegance not all that far from the street life of a bar girl who seeks the farongs for support seems eons apart and a study in the complexity and contradictions of Thailand.
Tell me stories from back home or from wherever you are. Greg is half way through his University course in Chiang Mai. He has had it much tougher than I did in my Language Corps class. I am hoping when he finishes we can do an island of Krabi before he goes back and spend a few days in a quiet bungalow resort on the beach.
Love,
Geraldine
Today I begin my third week at Kajonkiet Suksa School, a private school that starts at Kindergarten and goes to Grade 8 for the time being. Aside from observing and filling in until the end of the Semester (Sept. 26), my primary assignment is to write a course outline for a new 9th grade which will begin next year. School year starts in May and is comprised of two semesters, the second of which begins in November. I will have the course outline completed by the 26th and we all go on vacation. I actually get one week paid and then come back to teach what is called summer school in October. Most of the school is on a one month holiday which is traditional in Thailand. When November comes, I will have several classes of students who need additional
support through ESL. I am actually having a pretty good time observing the management of a school here, the mix of Thai and
Falang teachers which does
not always work, and the total mix of students many of whom have at least one European, English, or American parent. That makes the teaching of English imperative for them and also for Thai parents who believe that English will be necessary to the success of their kids in the future....unless they are wealthy with lots of influence (and there are a lot of those in Thailand.) I may have said this before but I have found that in general the Cambodians and Vietnamese in cities and in schools were much better at English than the Thais, interesting because Thais actually start English in first grade. Many also learn Chinese as well. In fact, we have a couple of Chinese teachers who volunteer here to teach the language. China's education policies seem to require that those who want to teach spend a couple of years abroad volunteering before they could get a job in China. Naturally, they teach Chinese (their English is pretty
good, too and as an additional aside we have several Phillipine teachers who are teaching English so they are certainly up to par and the computer techs are all Phillipine as well. The latter are a blessing to a surface computer user like me.) But to finish with the Chinese, after the policy was described to me, it sounded a bit like an altered of our Peace Corps in terms of exposing young Chinese to other cultures.
I did find a house just about 5 minutes from school so I am grateful that I do not have to depend on motorbike taxis which really are the cheapest form of transportation. Between the walking to school and walking to a market which is about a kilometer away and climbing three flights of stairs every day, I am keeping in pretty decent shape. Or almost. The first several days of climbing three flights of stairs 5 or 6 times seems to have caused a strain on my right knee and I got to where if I sat down, I
could not get up without a
major stab of pain there. I panicked a bit but our teacher liaision took me to the hospital where I saw an orthopedic surgeon. After the usual x rays, we found nothing structurally wrong and Doctor said inflammation was probably caused by my new "life style activity." So some strong anti inflammation drugs along with a pain killer has eased the problem and I find myself not having any problems with my daily workouts but I have another week worth of pills before I go back.
I will tell you the hospital was certainly impressive; immaculate, efficient, very little waiting time and I was escorted by nurses from start to finish which eased the flow of paperwork and prescription filling. The doctor spoke very good English, the x rays were completed and read with 15 minutes and I was given a pointer lesson on the results and a couple of neat photos of my knee. The whole thing took about an hour and cost less than $60, meds
included. I don't have insurance here yet but should be covered by the time the new semester begins.
My house is a two bedroom, two bath house in what might be considered a rather suburban environment - nothing fancy but the landlady really cleaned it up for me and got me set up also with broadband internet which was just installed over the weekend, so I feel complete. Amazing how we cannot do without computers anymore. Unfortunately I am not so lucky with TV service. I currently have all Thai channels except for a couple of sports channels and the worst - for news only FOX NEWS! Is it ever godawfu, so I asked them to cancel it and I am not getting the super vision service that includes more English and CNN because it is too expensive. I turn on to catch the news in between the absolute love affair all their commentators are having with Sarah Palin - McCain hardly matters. That whole situation really makes me
nervous as the polls seem to be going pretty badly from Obama from here. In fact the country seems to be doing so badly from here. All those financial disasters mixed with really tragic natural ones are heartbreaking from here. How is it affecting you all? When one listens to Asian news, we don't fare so well; not because we are disliked but because we seem to be weakening and China seems to be rising along with the fears of a new Russia and its influence in some parts of Europe. Bush's good friend Putin sure must be having a time of having the last laugh. Energy stockpiles are realigning and influencing the world power structures.
I hope I like it all well enough to stay awhile and I hope if any of you are so inclined you will come visit. I have room, that is for sure. But I will tell you Thailand has many great places, but it is difficult to get around. There are lots of cheap air flights to various places, but if you come, I
would suggest that wherever you go you arrange for tours. I would strongly recommend seeing Bangkok (which I have not seen), Chiang Mai, Ayuttha (an ancient City which I have not seen) Phuket or some of the islands for beach goers. In fact if you stay with me you would have to taxi to the beaches which is anywhere up to 800 baht roundtrip (33 baht to the dollar). But that is stuff that can be worked out; Phuket is really just for beachgoers. Despite all the hype, I would not say that Thailand has the most beautiful beaches in the world, but like many others the good resorts have created little paradises within their bounds. There is supposed to be quite a night life in Patong, but I haven't wandered out and about to check it out, at least at night. Over the weekend I did go to Kata beach which has great surf but not overwhelming and spent the morning swimming and reading; then I wandered over to Patong just to check it out. Lots of great places to
stay, but the beachfront activities are like any resort town with lots of places selling cheap stuff and expensive ordinary restaurants. The beaches along this strip from Chalong Bay are lovely but not exquisite and need some
The longer I stay and the more I can be helpful about places to visit. Now that I have been living in the "burbs" some of the glamor has worn off, so if you want to see the exotic Thailand, tours are the way to go.
Chiang Mai is a delightful city with its moat still surrounding the old
city. I did visit Chiang Rai as well but it is a great and beautiful drive through lovely tropical mountain jungle and worth that alone and okay to stay if you are running off to do outdoor trekking, etc. A truly marvelous site very near Chiang Rai is the wonderful creation in progress and designed to represent contemporary religious (Buddhist) art. The artist, whose name I cannot remember but whose photo with me I have, has devoted his life to creating this enormous site with Wat and monk's quarters and all that goes with it his "White Palace." It is one of the most awesome structures I have seen, with a completely white exerior showcasing fantastic mythological characters from the Buddhist cosmology and the standard turrets, finials, and umbrellas along with carved surfaces that make up Buddhist temples. All this is covered with millions of pieces of mirrored glass which makes the whole thing look like a winter
fairy tale, but which will encompass some most sacred relics and wonderful art work in the inerior that depicts the Buddha and his life as one finds in most Wats. The White Palace will take many years to complete and will be a draw from everywhere for the devout who will seek solace and for tourists. I am sure you can find it on the web as the artist has raised money from around the world, is dedicating all of his own proceeds from his works of art, and is donating all of his time to the design, oversight, and artistic renderings of the buildings. In the process he is training a whole generation of artists in both the old and new artistic traditions of Buddhist art.
Wats in Thailand are a contrasting activity. By day many are both cultural attractions and oddities for a melange of tourists who have come to be awed by the glittering jewel -like mosaic patterns of colored glass which cover various parts of each Wat, along with
the exquisitely delicate looking, colorful wood and often lace-like carvings (turrets) which extend from the roof tops all glittering in red and gold, (real, gold leaf or paint) with an architecture strongly influenced by India. Thai Buddhism is influenced by earlier Hmong animistic religious along with Hindu influences, so one often find the spirits or gods of all three among the statuary and paintings. The insides of the most famous and not so famous of Wats are more than impressive with immense statues of the Buddha often set high above to smile benevelontly down on the viewer. The statues can be of gold or gold leaf, silver, emerald, marble, and one has a standing statue encrusted with diamonds. The artifacts of bowls and offering pieces are both simple and extravagantly elegant made of simple pottery, enamelled coated with inlay embellishments, or materials finely crafted from gold and sillver and even wood. The Wats combined hold and store
treasure lodes of national culture, history, and religion that cannot be removed by collectors and traders. So there is a lot of patrimony being saved.
Until next time - then I will try to think more about this very different place. It is hard to get a handle on it. The sublime and yet ostentatious Buddhist elegance not all that far from the street life of a bar girl who seeks the farongs for support seems eons apart and a study in the complexity and contradictions of Thailand.
Tell me stories from back home or from wherever you are. Greg is half way through his University course in Chiang Mai. He has had it much tougher than I did in my Language Corps class. I am hoping when he finishes we can do an island of Krabi before he goes back and spend a few days in a quiet bungalow resort on the beach.
Love,
Geraldine
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