Last night we had a guest speaker on Buddhism and Meditation – a Buddhist Nun, originally from Austria. She started out the conversation by saying, “I am probably not a good example of a Buddhist Nun,” and went on to win us all over with her tales of how she became a nun, her life as a nun and stories about the temple and meditation. She was originally from Austria and attended her first 2 months meditation retreat in Thailand 18 years ago. She said that she felt called to the life and has now been a nun in Thailand for 17 years. She is not your typical Buddhist nun in that she travels to Europe once a year to teach meditation and carries a cell phone wherever she goes. Her email address is “cybernun2002.”
When she began to talk about the practice of Buddhism, she said that she considers it, not so much a religion, as a philosophy of life. She talked about the five noble truths: 1. Suffering exists; 2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires; 3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases; 4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path consists of Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Contemplation. She also talked about the importance of being mindful and staying in the present moment, something that can be learned through meditation.
She explained the five precepts that the monks have to follow: 1. Do not harm any living thing; 2. Do not take anything which is not freely given to you; 3. Do not participate in sexual misconduct; 4. Refrain from incorrect speech (lying, harsh language, slander, idle chit-chat); and 5. Abstain from alcohol and drugs. Practicing Buddhists are supposed to follow the first four. The nuns have eight, these five and then three more: 6. Do not wear ornaments or engage in entertaining activities (singing, dancing, etc.); 7. Do not sleep on a wide or comfortable bed; and 8. Do not eat after the noon hour. I need to look up why there are more for nuns than monks.
One story she told was that her teacher likened consuming alcohol to consuming the blood of four animals: the blood of a bird, the blood of a monkey, the blood of a snake and the blood of a pig. He said that when you drink, the first blood to come out is the blood of a bird (when you want to talk and talk and talk). The second to come out is the blood of a monkey (usually on the dance floor). The third to come out is the blood of a snake (when you sway side to side and can’t walk in a straight line) and the last to come out is the blood of a pig (when you just crash wherever you are and sleep for hours). I found that pretty amusing.
She described the typical day of a Buddhist nun: 3:30 a.m. rise; 4:00 – 6:00 morning meditation, 6:00 – 7:00 walking meditation; 7:00 – 8:00 preparing the morning meal (from the offerings brought back by the priests from the village); 8:00 – 9:00 morning meal and daily chores; 9:00 – 11:00 meditation; 11:00-12:00 break and more chores; 12:00 – 2:00 afternoon meditation; 2:00 – 3:00 chanting; 3:00 – 4:00 break/chores; 4:00 – 5:00 walking meditation; 5:00 – 7:00 evening meditation; 7:00 – 8:00 break; 8:00 – 9:00 walking meditation and bed (I may be off a little, but those were the basic elements of the day). I asked her if the Buddha taught compassion, how did the nuns practice compassion in their everyday lives if they didn’t leave the temple. She explained that, in Thailand, the temple is often the social center of the town and serves as a social meeting place, a place where people can come to seek counsel, a place for drug addicts and battered women to find refuge and the place where many ceremonies are held. So in between all of the meditation and chanting, the nuns act in a social work capacity.
After she finished her stories, one volunteer asked “What do you consider to be the meaning of life?” I thought that was a little strong for a first question, but she took it in stride and responded that, for her, the meaning of life is to do the most good you can with the life you have for yourself, your family, your community and society at large. I really liked her.
Many of the wats here offer meditation retreats for westerners. At her wat, she is the teacher, but she will be out of the country until the middle of July. If I want to study under her, I would have to extend my stay in Thailand, which is something I can decide later. Or I can always study at another wat. It definitely gave me a lot to think about.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
Ko Samet
This weekend, two of the other volunteers and I went to Ko Samet (you have to scroll through to see all of the pictures - click "next page"), one of Thailands many islands. We had planned to leave on Friday evening, but did not get back from Lopburi until late, so we decided to leave early Saturday morning. Up at 5:45, we left for the bus station to catch our bus to Ban Phe where you catch the ferry to Ko Samet. We arrived at 6:30 purchased our tickets for the 7:00 a.m. bus for 97 bhat (about $2.50). The bus was airconditioned, but there wasn't much leg room, so I spent much of the journey trying in vain to get comfortable. Luckily, I was able to get a little sleep.
The bus dropped us off at the pier for ferries to Ko Samet where we bought our 50 bhat tickets headed across. The trip across took about 30 minutes, but seemed like much less. It had started raining during the last 10 minutes of our bus ride, but cleared up before we boarded the ferry. The stretch of the Gulf between the shore and the island was dotted with ferries, ancient looking fishing boats and snazzy new speed boats. There was even on Thai fisherman in an old longboat with a bamboo pole.
When we arrived at the pier, there was no room for the ferry to dock, so they simply docked next to another ferry and we jumped from one to the other to the pier. The entrance to Ko Samet was not what I expected, but it was true to it's "backpacker haven" reputation. The main road to the beaches is lined with shops and cafes, similar to what you'd see in other beach towns in developing countries. We had read to skip the first beach, which is the most touristy and expensive and headed down the road to the beaches farther down the east coast of the island. As we walked along the dirt road, we were passed by numerous pick-up trucks (or songthaews) filled with people heading to the beaches. Always the budget traveler, I had read that the beaches were close and that there was no need to pay for a ride, and luckily I was right.
We soon left the road and began walking along the coast. According to my Rough Guide, the farther down you go, the more secluded the beaches become. We found that this was somewhat the case and in a very "bear went over the mountain" fashion, we found a new beach each time we rounded a corner. We finally stopped at about the third beach, figuring that we could always stay at one and walk to the other. We got a bungalow at the AO Phi huts (pictures in the island pictures above) for 1200 bhat (about 30 dollars) with a view of the beach. We had lunch at one of the many restaurants on the beach and spent the rest of the afternoon walking down the east coast, over beaches, over rocky outcroppings; and swimming in the warm, clear blue waters of the Gulf.
We made it back to our hut around 6:00 and went back down to the beach for dinner and drinks. I ordered the same thing, pan-fried noodles with squid, three times on the island and each time it was different and each time it was delicious - although not once did I get squid, but the shrimp was plentiful. When it got dark, we were treated to a fire dance on the beach. The bar connected to the restaurant began playing American dance and hip-hop and we joined the other tourists and Thais on the dance floor and had a ball.
I woke up at about 8:15 and headed down to the beach. After a luxurious brunch of what?, pan friend noodles and shrimp, we checked out of our hut and headed back for the long journey home. It was a really nice way to spend the weekend - minus the 4-5 hour travel time!
The bus dropped us off at the pier for ferries to Ko Samet where we bought our 50 bhat tickets headed across. The trip across took about 30 minutes, but seemed like much less. It had started raining during the last 10 minutes of our bus ride, but cleared up before we boarded the ferry. The stretch of the Gulf between the shore and the island was dotted with ferries, ancient looking fishing boats and snazzy new speed boats. There was even on Thai fisherman in an old longboat with a bamboo pole.
When we arrived at the pier, there was no room for the ferry to dock, so they simply docked next to another ferry and we jumped from one to the other to the pier. The entrance to Ko Samet was not what I expected, but it was true to it's "backpacker haven" reputation. The main road to the beaches is lined with shops and cafes, similar to what you'd see in other beach towns in developing countries. We had read to skip the first beach, which is the most touristy and expensive and headed down the road to the beaches farther down the east coast of the island. As we walked along the dirt road, we were passed by numerous pick-up trucks (or songthaews) filled with people heading to the beaches. Always the budget traveler, I had read that the beaches were close and that there was no need to pay for a ride, and luckily I was right.
We soon left the road and began walking along the coast. According to my Rough Guide, the farther down you go, the more secluded the beaches become. We found that this was somewhat the case and in a very "bear went over the mountain" fashion, we found a new beach each time we rounded a corner. We finally stopped at about the third beach, figuring that we could always stay at one and walk to the other. We got a bungalow at the AO Phi huts (pictures in the island pictures above) for 1200 bhat (about 30 dollars) with a view of the beach. We had lunch at one of the many restaurants on the beach and spent the rest of the afternoon walking down the east coast, over beaches, over rocky outcroppings; and swimming in the warm, clear blue waters of the Gulf.
We made it back to our hut around 6:00 and went back down to the beach for dinner and drinks. I ordered the same thing, pan-fried noodles with squid, three times on the island and each time it was different and each time it was delicious - although not once did I get squid, but the shrimp was plentiful. When it got dark, we were treated to a fire dance on the beach. The bar connected to the restaurant began playing American dance and hip-hop and we joined the other tourists and Thais on the dance floor and had a ball.
I woke up at about 8:15 and headed down to the beach. After a luxurious brunch of what?, pan friend noodles and shrimp, we checked out of our hut and headed back for the long journey home. It was a really nice way to spend the weekend - minus the 4-5 hour travel time!
Friday, March 25, 2005
Paper Flowers and Tiny Feet
Wednesday, we went to the annual funeral ceremony at the Bang Khae Home for the Aged. I believe the bodies are preserved until this day, when they are all cremated in a communal ceremony. A monk spoke first about each of the diseased and about how the home is a place for people to live and be cared for in their old age when their families can no longer care for them (or so I was told, the whole ceremony was in Thai). Then we were treated to a traditional Thai dance. After the dancing, we were all given paper flower arrangements that we placed on the "alter" near the coffins out of respect for the dead.
At one point, Foon motioned to me that someone wanted to speak to me. It was a woman who lived at the home and spoke perfect English. She was in her eighties and asked where I was from and why I was there and shared some stories about herself. She was a boyscout leader and a royal staff member. She traveled to 10 different countries in the region working on children's issues. She asked me to come back to visit her. I hope to have some time either this week or next to stop in to say hello.
After the funeral, we went to a local Thai boxing camp. Instead of taking us to a match, something anyone can do, CCS took us to a local camp where kids from the neighborhood can come to train. Often, if a family doesn't have a lot of money, they will send their sons to box for money. The kids we saw there all seemed to really enjoy it and obviously looked up to the older fighters. The camp was in the middle of a lower-class Thai village, with closely spaced houses, no bigger than a room and interlaced with canals and bridges. Following our guide through this maze, we arrived at the camp, which was a large covered area with a boxing ring in the middle and an area to the side with mats and punching bags. There were three older fighters and about 12 young boys about 8 - 10.
First they treated us to a "fake" match, which was still pretty rough. Thai boxing is unlike US boxing in that there is much more use of the legs. If you don't watch out, you can get a brutal kick to the head. Before the match, the boxers perform some sort of dancing routine, which was very foreign to me as boxing in the States is such a "manly" sport. After their dances, they fought three short rounds, with a lot of staged falls. The young boys really enjoyed it and shouted out encouragement when things got rough. After that match, the youngest champion fighter came out and sparred with an older man (using pads for him to punch and kick). This little guy probably weighed no more than 50 pounds and his legs were about the size of my arms, but I wouldn't want to cross him! Afterwards, they showed us how to do some of the moves and we took a picture with the kids. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera, but the other volunteers got pictures and will post then within the next few weeks.
At one point, Foon motioned to me that someone wanted to speak to me. It was a woman who lived at the home and spoke perfect English. She was in her eighties and asked where I was from and why I was there and shared some stories about herself. She was a boyscout leader and a royal staff member. She traveled to 10 different countries in the region working on children's issues. She asked me to come back to visit her. I hope to have some time either this week or next to stop in to say hello.
After the funeral, we went to a local Thai boxing camp. Instead of taking us to a match, something anyone can do, CCS took us to a local camp where kids from the neighborhood can come to train. Often, if a family doesn't have a lot of money, they will send their sons to box for money. The kids we saw there all seemed to really enjoy it and obviously looked up to the older fighters. The camp was in the middle of a lower-class Thai village, with closely spaced houses, no bigger than a room and interlaced with canals and bridges. Following our guide through this maze, we arrived at the camp, which was a large covered area with a boxing ring in the middle and an area to the side with mats and punching bags. There were three older fighters and about 12 young boys about 8 - 10.
First they treated us to a "fake" match, which was still pretty rough. Thai boxing is unlike US boxing in that there is much more use of the legs. If you don't watch out, you can get a brutal kick to the head. Before the match, the boxers perform some sort of dancing routine, which was very foreign to me as boxing in the States is such a "manly" sport. After their dances, they fought three short rounds, with a lot of staged falls. The young boys really enjoyed it and shouted out encouragement when things got rough. After that match, the youngest champion fighter came out and sparred with an older man (using pads for him to punch and kick). This little guy probably weighed no more than 50 pounds and his legs were about the size of my arms, but I wouldn't want to cross him! Afterwards, they showed us how to do some of the moves and we took a picture with the kids. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera, but the other volunteers got pictures and will post then within the next few weeks.
Lopburi
Today we traveled to Lopburi, about two and a half hours north of Bangkok to visit and HIV/AIDS Hospice, Wat Phra Bhat Nam Phu. We were greeted at the entrance be a garden of stone statutes of various human forms. One was of a human form, its face contorted, its arms reach up, but cut off a few inches past the shoulder. I wasn't sure if that was intentional or simply decay, but soon found that it was intentional. The hospice houses around 400 patients and their rate of death is about 2 to 3 a day on average. I had no idea that that number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Thailand was so high, about one in every 55 people. The patients at the hospice are often living there not only for the care, but also because the stigma about AIDS and the lack of knowledge of modes of transmission is so high.
Walking into the reception area, we were offered photo albums. The pictures depicted the patients in the hospice, some enjoying daily activities, but many more, on hospital beds, barely more than skeletons. Little did I know that the our next stop was to visit some of these very patients. We were taken to the hospital room were about 12 patients in various conditions were laying on hospital gurnies. There was no air-condition, but the room was clean and neat. Most of them were sleeping or covered in blankets, but those who were awake responded to our wai's with smiles and a wai in return.
From there, we went to an area with a Buddha image surrounded by thousands of white bags, which, as were were told, were the ashes of the patients who had died there since its inception - over 10,000. The ashes were always sent to their families, but more often then not, were returned as undeliverable.
The next room was a room which housed the mummified remains of patients who wanted their bodies donated for science and study. Some of these were encased in glass coffins, but others were simply laying out in the open. Many still had their hair and three were small children. It was hard to see, but also in many ways didn't seem real.
After the tour, we were treated to a cabaret show put on by patients of the community. After each skit, the patients were identified by age and how they contracted the disease. One very striking young woman, turned out to be a 16 year old boy who had contracted the disease through sexual transmission. Two middle aged women had contracted it through their husbands and another woman had been gang raped at a factory where she worked.
One of the shows, starred a Thai ladyboy (see below, none of the sites I found to link to were appropriate for a family friendly blog), who was obviously not a lady, who picked an unsuspecting visitor out of the audience and proceeded to give him a lap dance. The poor man was obviously uncomfortable, but it made for an amusing scene for the rest of the audience.
After the shows, the audience was asked for donations (I believe that a portion of our program fee goes to the organizations that we visit.
After the AIDS temple, we went into town to visit the monkey temple, which is literally overrun with monkeys. If you sit down, you are inviting monkeys to jump on your shoulders, pick through your hair or run off with any of your loose possessions. We enjoyed watching the other tourists go through this, but the term "ebola" kept running through my mind as we watched, and I kept my distance.
Addendum
Thai Ladyboys:
They are called ladyboys, shemales, transsexuals or hermaphrodites, born as a man with the soul of a woman many transsexuals feel themselves caught in the wrong body.
The Kathoeys (ladyboys), as they are called in the national language, count among the most beautiful of the world. Due to the centuries old tradition of Thai ladyboy dancers, who in earlier times performed their art even before the king, Kathoeys are largely accepted in Thai society. All over the country beauty pageants take place, much to the enthusiasm of the population. The most beautiful Kathoeys are awarded prizes. To win one of those competitions is a great honour for the ladies. Compared to other countries Thailand boasts above-average numbers of transsexuals and transvestites. Strolling through the streets of Bangkok it is not unusual to encounter several of the pretty shemales. Due to their mostly tender physiques Thai Kathoeys appear very feminine and are for the untrained eye hard to tell from a girl.
Walking into the reception area, we were offered photo albums. The pictures depicted the patients in the hospice, some enjoying daily activities, but many more, on hospital beds, barely more than skeletons. Little did I know that the our next stop was to visit some of these very patients. We were taken to the hospital room were about 12 patients in various conditions were laying on hospital gurnies. There was no air-condition, but the room was clean and neat. Most of them were sleeping or covered in blankets, but those who were awake responded to our wai's with smiles and a wai in return.
From there, we went to an area with a Buddha image surrounded by thousands of white bags, which, as were were told, were the ashes of the patients who had died there since its inception - over 10,000. The ashes were always sent to their families, but more often then not, were returned as undeliverable.
The next room was a room which housed the mummified remains of patients who wanted their bodies donated for science and study. Some of these were encased in glass coffins, but others were simply laying out in the open. Many still had their hair and three were small children. It was hard to see, but also in many ways didn't seem real.
After the tour, we were treated to a cabaret show put on by patients of the community. After each skit, the patients were identified by age and how they contracted the disease. One very striking young woman, turned out to be a 16 year old boy who had contracted the disease through sexual transmission. Two middle aged women had contracted it through their husbands and another woman had been gang raped at a factory where she worked.
One of the shows, starred a Thai ladyboy (see below, none of the sites I found to link to were appropriate for a family friendly blog), who was obviously not a lady, who picked an unsuspecting visitor out of the audience and proceeded to give him a lap dance. The poor man was obviously uncomfortable, but it made for an amusing scene for the rest of the audience.
After the shows, the audience was asked for donations (I believe that a portion of our program fee goes to the organizations that we visit.
After the AIDS temple, we went into town to visit the monkey temple, which is literally overrun with monkeys. If you sit down, you are inviting monkeys to jump on your shoulders, pick through your hair or run off with any of your loose possessions. We enjoyed watching the other tourists go through this, but the term "ebola" kept running through my mind as we watched, and I kept my distance.
Addendum
Thai Ladyboys:
They are called ladyboys, shemales, transsexuals or hermaphrodites, born as a man with the soul of a woman many transsexuals feel themselves caught in the wrong body.
The Kathoeys (ladyboys), as they are called in the national language, count among the most beautiful of the world. Due to the centuries old tradition of Thai ladyboy dancers, who in earlier times performed their art even before the king, Kathoeys are largely accepted in Thai society. All over the country beauty pageants take place, much to the enthusiasm of the population. The most beautiful Kathoeys are awarded prizes. To win one of those competitions is a great honour for the ladies. Compared to other countries Thailand boasts above-average numbers of transsexuals and transvestites. Strolling through the streets of Bangkok it is not unusual to encounter several of the pretty shemales. Due to their mostly tender physiques Thai Kathoeys appear very feminine and are for the untrained eye hard to tell from a girl.
Refrigerators and Wardrobes
On Thursday CCS had set up an English camp for the teachers at a local school and we all agreed to help, relieving us from our placements for the day. The camp was divided into three sections: my home (where teachers would learn the words for the rooms in their homes and things in the rooms); my school; and an internet section where they would learn to search for things on the internet. The final section would teach them the English words for all of the ingredients and steps in making Thai spicy papaya salad and would then have to explain in English before making the salad.
There were about 30 teachers and almost all of them were married women in their 40's and 50's. For the initial ice breaker exercise we gathered into a circle and there was a space left between two people. These people were then to grab hands and seek out someone else in the circle to fill the gap, thereby creating another gap. The two new people on each side of this gap were to do the same, until the music stopped, leaving those not in the circle to come up and introduce themselves. After one round, we started with two gaps and the result was mass chaos and plenty of hysterics.
I was in the 'my home' group with Ellie, another volunteer from England. We had a model of a house and drawings of the various rooms taped up on the wall. After talking about the various rooms and items in the rooms from the model, the teachers were to find the word for the items in the rooms and the picture, match them up and tape them to the corresponding room on the wall. After this, they were asked to write, in English, a description of a house.
The women were all very good natured and interested in learning, repeating the English words for household items with serious determination. Because I am from the US and Ellie is from the UK, we often gave them two words for the same object (Sofa/Couch, Wardrobe/Closet, Cooker/Stove, Cupboard/Cabinets). The words that gave everyone the most trouble were "wardrobe" and "refrigerator" and the results were quite amusing (to both the women and volunteers). "Wardrobe" most often came out "Wartheb" and "refrigerator" was just unintelligible. A few of the women got it after a while, but it made us realize not only how ridiculous we must sound trying to proonounce Thai words, but also how difficult it is to learn English as a second language. The few who did get the words down often became so excited that they would run around the room yelling out the word. They all seemed to enjoy the class and each other.
After the three sessions, we all joined together again for the salad making. After teaching them the words for all of the items and the motions necessary to make the salad (peel, chop, grind, etc.), we asked them to write the steps down and present them in English. One thing I have yet to mention here is the vast difference in the reception of western men and western women from Thai women. Thai women love western men; women are tolerated. Tony (tall, handsome, 25 and married) was offered various hands in marriage and one woman said that she was too old for marriage, but when she died she would like to be fertilizer in his garden (one of the more disturbing things I have ever heard. Bill (64, retired, slightly over-weight) had a women bowing at his feet proclaiming her love in between steps to make papaya salad.
There were about 30 teachers and almost all of them were married women in their 40's and 50's. For the initial ice breaker exercise we gathered into a circle and there was a space left between two people. These people were then to grab hands and seek out someone else in the circle to fill the gap, thereby creating another gap. The two new people on each side of this gap were to do the same, until the music stopped, leaving those not in the circle to come up and introduce themselves. After one round, we started with two gaps and the result was mass chaos and plenty of hysterics.
I was in the 'my home' group with Ellie, another volunteer from England. We had a model of a house and drawings of the various rooms taped up on the wall. After talking about the various rooms and items in the rooms from the model, the teachers were to find the word for the items in the rooms and the picture, match them up and tape them to the corresponding room on the wall. After this, they were asked to write, in English, a description of a house.
The women were all very good natured and interested in learning, repeating the English words for household items with serious determination. Because I am from the US and Ellie is from the UK, we often gave them two words for the same object (Sofa/Couch, Wardrobe/Closet, Cooker/Stove, Cupboard/Cabinets). The words that gave everyone the most trouble were "wardrobe" and "refrigerator" and the results were quite amusing (to both the women and volunteers). "Wardrobe" most often came out "Wartheb" and "refrigerator" was just unintelligible. A few of the women got it after a while, but it made us realize not only how ridiculous we must sound trying to proonounce Thai words, but also how difficult it is to learn English as a second language. The few who did get the words down often became so excited that they would run around the room yelling out the word. They all seemed to enjoy the class and each other.
After the three sessions, we all joined together again for the salad making. After teaching them the words for all of the items and the motions necessary to make the salad (peel, chop, grind, etc.), we asked them to write the steps down and present them in English. One thing I have yet to mention here is the vast difference in the reception of western men and western women from Thai women. Thai women love western men; women are tolerated. Tony (tall, handsome, 25 and married) was offered various hands in marriage and one woman said that she was too old for marriage, but when she died she would like to be fertilizer in his garden (one of the more disturbing things I have ever heard. Bill (64, retired, slightly over-weight) had a women bowing at his feet proclaiming her love in between steps to make papaya salad.
The women then returned to their tables and began making the salad. One woman broke out a tambourine and her whole group began singing and dancing as they worked. It made for a very festive end to a great day.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Culture Shock
I have realized that traveling in another country is one thing; living and "working" in another country is another. Culture Shock is defined as a condition of confusion and anxiety affecting a person suddenly exposed to an alien culture or milieu. I can't say I am confused or anxious, but this is definitely the end of the honeymoon period and the beginning of the hard work.
Monday was my first day at my placement and I found myself in an office, surrounded by people who speak a language I haven't even begun to comprehend (aside from surface pleasantries) and I was completely at their mercy. A bit disconcerting to realize when you're in the midst of it. The office staff includes two women in administration, four program staff (three men and one woman), one driver (or that I was I assume his position to be) and the executive director. The women in administration were very nice, greeting me and buying me flowers for my birthday. The men in the program staff are Vikram, an older gentleman who speaks English well enough to communicate and is very funny and happy to chat; Champ, who is 21 and quiet so far; Moo, who is the only woman and hasn't said much, and Sua, who is about 40 and looks like an Asian gangster with an expression to match. He hadn't said a word to me.
At lunch, all of the staff eat together and they invited me to join them. Once in a while, one of the men who spoke English would clue me in as to their conversation, but for the most part, I ate and smiled. Near the end of the meal, the conversation came around to what my Thai nickname would be. The threw a few things around - putting me in an uncomfortable spot, knowing the conversation was about me and having no clue as to what they were saying - at one point one of the woman from administration pointed at a lemon and said "lemon" in Thai and the director explained to me that she had suggested a lemon because "it is sour like (your) actions"!!! I couldn't even begin to understand where I'd gone wrong. All I'd done all morning was nod and smile and try to look interested. "Slow" or "mute," I could understand, but "sour"?? Luckily for me "lemon" was discarded and they decided that I should come up with my own nickname.
We spent the afternoon discussing my schedule for the next 10 weeks, afterwhich I happily jumped in a cab back to CCS.
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in a day care that is somehow connected to the organization. There were two teachers and a director (or so I believe that is his position). Neither of the teachers speak English, so the director was my sole interpreter.
The Thai's are a very hospitable people and I was constantly plied with drinks and food and questioned as to my emotional state, "are you happy???" To which I would respond with my most un-sour radiant smile, "yes, I am very happy!" I spent the days observing the kids and playing a bit (today I brought in paper and crayons for them to draw), but mostly talking with the director, assuming "talk" does not imply comprehension. He speaks little English but seems to read and write better than he speaks and understands. We passed the days with conversations that went a little something like this:
Director: "You Thailand see here?"
Me: "I'm sorry?"
Director: "You Thailand SEE HERE?"
Me: "Oh.. Yes!...?"
Director nods happily.
Director: "Someone like something, some not."
Me: "Yes!" Nodding smiling in affirmation.
Director beaming.
Director: "You like apples?"
Me: "Yes, I like apples." Smile.
Me: "How long have you worked here?"
Director: Look of abject confusion, wrinkled brow.
Me: "You work here, how long?"
Director: "Ahh. 10 year." Smiles.
Monday was my first day at my placement and I found myself in an office, surrounded by people who speak a language I haven't even begun to comprehend (aside from surface pleasantries) and I was completely at their mercy. A bit disconcerting to realize when you're in the midst of it. The office staff includes two women in administration, four program staff (three men and one woman), one driver (or that I was I assume his position to be) and the executive director. The women in administration were very nice, greeting me and buying me flowers for my birthday. The men in the program staff are Vikram, an older gentleman who speaks English well enough to communicate and is very funny and happy to chat; Champ, who is 21 and quiet so far; Moo, who is the only woman and hasn't said much, and Sua, who is about 40 and looks like an Asian gangster with an expression to match. He hadn't said a word to me.
At lunch, all of the staff eat together and they invited me to join them. Once in a while, one of the men who spoke English would clue me in as to their conversation, but for the most part, I ate and smiled. Near the end of the meal, the conversation came around to what my Thai nickname would be. The threw a few things around - putting me in an uncomfortable spot, knowing the conversation was about me and having no clue as to what they were saying - at one point one of the woman from administration pointed at a lemon and said "lemon" in Thai and the director explained to me that she had suggested a lemon because "it is sour like (your) actions"!!! I couldn't even begin to understand where I'd gone wrong. All I'd done all morning was nod and smile and try to look interested. "Slow" or "mute," I could understand, but "sour"?? Luckily for me "lemon" was discarded and they decided that I should come up with my own nickname.
We spent the afternoon discussing my schedule for the next 10 weeks, afterwhich I happily jumped in a cab back to CCS.
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in a day care that is somehow connected to the organization. There were two teachers and a director (or so I believe that is his position). Neither of the teachers speak English, so the director was my sole interpreter.
The Thai's are a very hospitable people and I was constantly plied with drinks and food and questioned as to my emotional state, "are you happy???" To which I would respond with my most un-sour radiant smile, "yes, I am very happy!" I spent the days observing the kids and playing a bit (today I brought in paper and crayons for them to draw), but mostly talking with the director, assuming "talk" does not imply comprehension. He speaks little English but seems to read and write better than he speaks and understands. We passed the days with conversations that went a little something like this:
Director: "You Thailand see here?"
Me: "I'm sorry?"
Director: "You Thailand SEE HERE?"
Me: "Oh.. Yes!...?"
Director nods happily.
Director: "Someone like something, some not."
Me: "Yes!" Nodding smiling in affirmation.
Director beaming.
Director: "You like apples?"
Me: "Yes, I like apples." Smile.
Me: "How long have you worked here?"
Director: Look of abject confusion, wrinkled brow.
Me: "You work here, how long?"
Director: "Ahh. 10 year." Smiles.
Needless to say, I need to spend my spare time working on my Thai!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Monday, March 21, 2005
Happy Birthday to Me
I have officially been 28 for about 5 hours, but here - it has been my birthday all day. Today was the first day of my placement at HAT - Reproductive Health for Quality of Life Association of Thailand and it is going to be a busy 11 weeks! (I can't set up links at this cafe, so I am going to have to come back and add them later). This week I will be visiting - you'll never guess - another day care! This one was set up by HAT with the local community to improve the health of the local children and is in a low income part of town (don't worry mom - I will be chaparoned!). Thursday, CCS is holding an English training day for teachers at a local school, so I will only be at the daycare for two days. What a disappointment! ;)
The following week I will be working in the office - they want me to redesign their brochure - a contribution I will be happy to make. The third week, I will be visiting various local projects (HIV/AIDS education sites, an anti-drug and tobacco program at a local school and a consumer protection project). The forth week is Songkran, Thai New Year, so I have the week off - Hello Paradise. The fifth week, I will be traveling with them to their elephant trail project where they are working with the local population to permit the wild elephants to cross their land in a predetermined path so that they can reach other herds and not have to resort to inbreeding or come to their end at the hands of locals who don't want elephants in their fields. I was asked if I would mind sleeping in a tent. Would I mind?!?! The rest of the weeks are more projects sites and a few trainings. It is going to be busy.
The organization is really fascinating. It started off as a reproductive health organization, but has morphed with the needs of the communities they serve to working on any project that promotes "quality of life," which include sanitation, anti-drug campaigns, micro-enterprise projects, the promotion of bio-fertilizer over chemical fertilizer and more. Their approach is the find out what the communities need and form steering committies of local citizens to run the projects themselves. HAT simply trains the volunteers and supervises the project providing technical training. A lot like where I worked in NYC and very much my ideal. It's amazing the path life takes.
Tonight, CCS staff took all of the volunteers out to dinner, Thai style - which is basically copious amounts of food that never stop coming and you are expected to EAT. I really enjoy the staff and they are so much more like family and friends than people I just met last week. We had two birthday cakes, one for me and one for another volunteer, whose birthday was yesterday. It was a great way to spend the day.
The following week I will be working in the office - they want me to redesign their brochure - a contribution I will be happy to make. The third week, I will be visiting various local projects (HIV/AIDS education sites, an anti-drug and tobacco program at a local school and a consumer protection project). The forth week is Songkran, Thai New Year, so I have the week off - Hello Paradise. The fifth week, I will be traveling with them to their elephant trail project where they are working with the local population to permit the wild elephants to cross their land in a predetermined path so that they can reach other herds and not have to resort to inbreeding or come to their end at the hands of locals who don't want elephants in their fields. I was asked if I would mind sleeping in a tent. Would I mind?!?! The rest of the weeks are more projects sites and a few trainings. It is going to be busy.
The organization is really fascinating. It started off as a reproductive health organization, but has morphed with the needs of the communities they serve to working on any project that promotes "quality of life," which include sanitation, anti-drug campaigns, micro-enterprise projects, the promotion of bio-fertilizer over chemical fertilizer and more. Their approach is the find out what the communities need and form steering committies of local citizens to run the projects themselves. HAT simply trains the volunteers and supervises the project providing technical training. A lot like where I worked in NYC and very much my ideal. It's amazing the path life takes.
Tonight, CCS staff took all of the volunteers out to dinner, Thai style - which is basically copious amounts of food that never stop coming and you are expected to EAT. I really enjoy the staff and they are so much more like family and friends than people I just met last week. We had two birthday cakes, one for me and one for another volunteer, whose birthday was yesterday. It was a great way to spend the day.
A Weekend in Bangkok
Most of the volunteers took the opportunity of the three day weekend (all of our weekends as three day weeks... ah.. the life..) to travel to various places, but I elected to stick around Bangkok and get my bearings. Two of the other volunteers stayed as well, one because he has been sick and the other because he has a short time in Thailand and wanted to see the sights of Bangkok.
Transportation options abound in Bangkok. You can take a taxi to the river, a boat across the river and a tuk-tuk to your destination. Or you can take a bus or a motorcycle taxi or walk. Once in the city, you can take to subway or the skytrain. We decided to walk to the river, take a ferry across and then a cab from there (the cabs here are really cheap with the initial fare starting at 37 bhat - 1 dollar - and most rides being under $2 (unless you have a long way to go)). Our first stop was the forensic museum in the local hospital, which is home to be preserved body of Thailand's first serial killer. Unfortunately, it is closed on Saturdays. From there we headed to the river and across with our ultimate destination being Siam Square, home of two of the biggest malls I have ever seen. Six story malls; where you can purchase t-shirts for 3000 bhat (about $100 dollars!). Neither of us being mall people, we didn't spend too much time there, but it was interesting to see. There are very few American stores.
After the malls, we wandered across one of the many elevated pedestrian bridges to where a crowd was gathering outside of a large department store. Apparently they do product promotions in this particular spot and the brand for the day was Ponds. We couldn't tell what was going on, aside from the advertising aspect. There were four young men with microphones and a group of about 40 young girls in Ponds t-shirts. We surmised that it might be some sort of model search.
From there we wandered to Lumpini Park, one of Bangkok's large parks and rented a paddle boat, which was quite amusing because it was abnormally difficult to peddle. With great effort, we paddled over to a small bridge for the shade and spent a few minutes enjoying the Thai graffiti (Thai's traditionally have very long names and hence have adopted the practice of picking up a "pet name," which is usually three or four letters long. These made for some very amusing graffiti). My favorite was "Big loves Poo."
That evening, exhausted from our walking tour of Bangkok, we decided to treat ourselves to a movie, Gold Class. Now I have been to some posh movie theaters in my day, but none have come close to Bangkok's Gold Class. You average Joe movie goer will pay about 240 bhat for a movie with regular theater seats (more on this later as I haven't seen such a theater), while your finicky movie goer, for a whopping 300 bhat goes first class - Gold Class. Gold class theaters replace theater seats with Lazy Boy recliners. I am not kidding. They are huge and immensely comfortable. The back row is line with love seats (and while I cannot attest to their comfort level - they sure looked inviting!) and the first two rows have recliners. Between each recliner is a small table where the cocktail waitress will bring your meal or your poison of choice (the "snack bar" is a fully stocked liquor bar). Because there are only a few Gold Class theaters, you have a small selection of moves (in English with Thai subtitles or in Thai) so we settled for The Ring Two, which, I am sorry to say, fell far short of its predecessor. But the experience was worth it!
One Sunday we went to the Chatuchak weekend market - by foot, ferry and sky train. The Sky Train is a great way to see the city: air conditioned, no traffic and cheaper than a taxi for long distances. Chatuchak is HUGE and it is impossible to see everything in a few hours or possibly even a few days. Tony wanted to add to his collection of "engrish" t-shirts (t-shirts with horribly mis-spelled sayings or those that make absolutely no sense at all) and I wanted to get sun-glasses, a calculator (to keep track of my bhat expenditure) and a tank top (did I mention Bangkok is HOT?).
Foon likes to say that you can buy anything at Chatuchak except a house or an airplane and he isn't far off. The little that we saw in three hours included various crafts, clothes, shoes, food, household items, tools, furniture, pets and much more that I can't recall. What stood out the most was the pets. The place was crawling with puppies and you couldn't get away from them. It was really sad because it was obvious that they had been taken away from their mothers too soon and they had to be so hot. I wanted to buy them all! They also had baby squirrels that looked like they had literally been stolen from their nests that morning, tied by their necks with string and not at all happy about it (I later learned from Foon that this is illegal).
We found a t-shirt stand and spent about 20 minutes in hysterics digging through the piles of shirts. I wish I could remember what they said. I'll have to make more notes next time. I got myself a 59 bhat shirt, a 37 bhat t-shirt, a 45 bhat calculator and a great pair of sunglasses for 150 bhat (about 38 bhat to the dollar).
After about three hours, we were beat and headed back to the house for dinner and a nap. We topped the weekend off at our neighborhood bar and felt very satisfied with ourselves!
Transportation options abound in Bangkok. You can take a taxi to the river, a boat across the river and a tuk-tuk to your destination. Or you can take a bus or a motorcycle taxi or walk. Once in the city, you can take to subway or the skytrain. We decided to walk to the river, take a ferry across and then a cab from there (the cabs here are really cheap with the initial fare starting at 37 bhat - 1 dollar - and most rides being under $2 (unless you have a long way to go)). Our first stop was the forensic museum in the local hospital, which is home to be preserved body of Thailand's first serial killer. Unfortunately, it is closed on Saturdays. From there we headed to the river and across with our ultimate destination being Siam Square, home of two of the biggest malls I have ever seen. Six story malls; where you can purchase t-shirts for 3000 bhat (about $100 dollars!). Neither of us being mall people, we didn't spend too much time there, but it was interesting to see. There are very few American stores.
After the malls, we wandered across one of the many elevated pedestrian bridges to where a crowd was gathering outside of a large department store. Apparently they do product promotions in this particular spot and the brand for the day was Ponds. We couldn't tell what was going on, aside from the advertising aspect. There were four young men with microphones and a group of about 40 young girls in Ponds t-shirts. We surmised that it might be some sort of model search.
From there we wandered to Lumpini Park, one of Bangkok's large parks and rented a paddle boat, which was quite amusing because it was abnormally difficult to peddle. With great effort, we paddled over to a small bridge for the shade and spent a few minutes enjoying the Thai graffiti (Thai's traditionally have very long names and hence have adopted the practice of picking up a "pet name," which is usually three or four letters long. These made for some very amusing graffiti). My favorite was "Big loves Poo."
That evening, exhausted from our walking tour of Bangkok, we decided to treat ourselves to a movie, Gold Class. Now I have been to some posh movie theaters in my day, but none have come close to Bangkok's Gold Class. You average Joe movie goer will pay about 240 bhat for a movie with regular theater seats (more on this later as I haven't seen such a theater), while your finicky movie goer, for a whopping 300 bhat goes first class - Gold Class. Gold class theaters replace theater seats with Lazy Boy recliners. I am not kidding. They are huge and immensely comfortable. The back row is line with love seats (and while I cannot attest to their comfort level - they sure looked inviting!) and the first two rows have recliners. Between each recliner is a small table where the cocktail waitress will bring your meal or your poison of choice (the "snack bar" is a fully stocked liquor bar). Because there are only a few Gold Class theaters, you have a small selection of moves (in English with Thai subtitles or in Thai) so we settled for The Ring Two, which, I am sorry to say, fell far short of its predecessor. But the experience was worth it!
One Sunday we went to the Chatuchak weekend market - by foot, ferry and sky train. The Sky Train is a great way to see the city: air conditioned, no traffic and cheaper than a taxi for long distances. Chatuchak is HUGE and it is impossible to see everything in a few hours or possibly even a few days. Tony wanted to add to his collection of "engrish" t-shirts (t-shirts with horribly mis-spelled sayings or those that make absolutely no sense at all) and I wanted to get sun-glasses, a calculator (to keep track of my bhat expenditure) and a tank top (did I mention Bangkok is HOT?).
Foon likes to say that you can buy anything at Chatuchak except a house or an airplane and he isn't far off. The little that we saw in three hours included various crafts, clothes, shoes, food, household items, tools, furniture, pets and much more that I can't recall. What stood out the most was the pets. The place was crawling with puppies and you couldn't get away from them. It was really sad because it was obvious that they had been taken away from their mothers too soon and they had to be so hot. I wanted to buy them all! They also had baby squirrels that looked like they had literally been stolen from their nests that morning, tied by their necks with string and not at all happy about it (I later learned from Foon that this is illegal).
We found a t-shirt stand and spent about 20 minutes in hysterics digging through the piles of shirts. I wish I could remember what they said. I'll have to make more notes next time. I got myself a 59 bhat shirt, a 37 bhat t-shirt, a 45 bhat calculator and a great pair of sunglasses for 150 bhat (about 38 bhat to the dollar).
After about three hours, we were beat and headed back to the house for dinner and a nap. We topped the weekend off at our neighborhood bar and felt very satisfied with ourselves!
Friday, March 18, 2005
Agro-Tourism
Friday (March 18th) we went on an Agro-tour. The tour, and the industries along the tour, were set up by the Thai government (or the King, I forget which) to help low-income Thai's who used to be rice farmers, but can no longer make a living growing rice. We visited a lotus farm, an orchid farm, a crispy rice "factory," and a fruit orchard. All of these were along a small river and we were transported from one to the next in long boats.
The lotus farm was really neat. The lotus flower is a symbol of the Buddhist religion. The grow in water, standing about 3 to 4 feet high, with only the top 6-12 inches out of the water. They are harvested by wadeing through the water and collecting them one at a time and adding them to a bundle, which is then hoisted into a wating canoe. We were taken out in a boat and allowed to pick some.
After the lotus farm we visited a small snack plant where women come to make extra income after work and on the weekends by making various Thai snacks, including dried fruit and rice cakes with various toppings (dried sweet pork or sesame seeds). We also went to the back where this really strange water vegetable grows. From the bank, it looks like white sausage links, but when you pick it, you remove the white part to get to the stalk, which is then eaten. The white part feels like wet cotton and keeps the vegetable afloat.
The next stop was an orchid farm, which was a large green house with purple orchids as far as you could see. After which, we visited a fruit farm. The most interesting fruit, of many, I have yet to see in Thailand is called Jack Fruit. It can grow larger than two bowling balls and has no real distinctive shape except that it is covered with triangular bumps. At the fruit farm we were able to try a lot of the fruits and Jack fruit has a really interesting texture, similar to dried apples, but not dry and the taste is really like nothing I've ever tasted. Not exactly pleasing. The Thai's enjoy dipping their fruit in a mixture of sugar and (very hot) chili seeds, or fish sauce, sugar and chili seeds. That is one Thai custom I will probably never understand. To the western palate it is horrendous.
At the fruit farm we were treated to a ride around the orchard and rice fields on a contraption that was part tractor, part trailer with a ladder-like contraption attaching the two. The tractor engine was at the front and the driver sat on a seat in front of the trailer (picture the type of trailer that pulls lawn equipment behind a truck) and steers using the "ladder." We started out smoothly enough, but as we picked up speed heading straight for the nearest Jack Fruit tree, I began to get a little nervous. Suddenly the driver reached his arms out as far as he could to the right, literally turning the front wheels with the ladder contraption, almost falling out as he did so and we turn abruptly the to left, barreling down the bank of the rice field. Once everyone had gotten over their hysterics at my display of sheer terror, we settled into a festive mood and learned to hold on tight and practice blind faith at future impending turns.
The lotus farm was really neat. The lotus flower is a symbol of the Buddhist religion. The grow in water, standing about 3 to 4 feet high, with only the top 6-12 inches out of the water. They are harvested by wadeing through the water and collecting them one at a time and adding them to a bundle, which is then hoisted into a wating canoe. We were taken out in a boat and allowed to pick some.
After the lotus farm we visited a small snack plant where women come to make extra income after work and on the weekends by making various Thai snacks, including dried fruit and rice cakes with various toppings (dried sweet pork or sesame seeds). We also went to the back where this really strange water vegetable grows. From the bank, it looks like white sausage links, but when you pick it, you remove the white part to get to the stalk, which is then eaten. The white part feels like wet cotton and keeps the vegetable afloat.
The next stop was an orchid farm, which was a large green house with purple orchids as far as you could see. After which, we visited a fruit farm. The most interesting fruit, of many, I have yet to see in Thailand is called Jack Fruit. It can grow larger than two bowling balls and has no real distinctive shape except that it is covered with triangular bumps. At the fruit farm we were able to try a lot of the fruits and Jack fruit has a really interesting texture, similar to dried apples, but not dry and the taste is really like nothing I've ever tasted. Not exactly pleasing. The Thai's enjoy dipping their fruit in a mixture of sugar and (very hot) chili seeds, or fish sauce, sugar and chili seeds. That is one Thai custom I will probably never understand. To the western palate it is horrendous.
At the fruit farm we were treated to a ride around the orchard and rice fields on a contraption that was part tractor, part trailer with a ladder-like contraption attaching the two. The tractor engine was at the front and the driver sat on a seat in front of the trailer (picture the type of trailer that pulls lawn equipment behind a truck) and steers using the "ladder." We started out smoothly enough, but as we picked up speed heading straight for the nearest Jack Fruit tree, I began to get a little nervous. Suddenly the driver reached his arms out as far as he could to the right, literally turning the front wheels with the ladder contraption, almost falling out as he did so and we turn abruptly the to left, barreling down the bank of the rice field. Once everyone had gotten over their hysterics at my display of sheer terror, we settled into a festive mood and learned to hold on tight and practice blind faith at future impending turns.
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