Sunday, November 23, 2008

Rice is Life

























This past week at school flew by. On Wednesday, the director of the region came to our school. In the afternoon, this director, the faculty at our school, many of the students, and the foreign teachers, harvested rice in the fields. It was ceremonious for the big boss man. In Thailand, and especially at our school, nothing is small. There were tents set up for the occasion, flower corsages were made, students and faculty presented speeches on the microphone, and of course there were more photo-ops than an evening with the paparazzi. They even presented the foreign teachers including myself with special rice harvesting blouses –have a good laugh if you will, but take a look at the pictures. It should be said however, that not only was it ceremonious for the big boss, but it was also ceremonious in my eyes to the celebration of sustainable food. “Rice is life”, I believe the picture speaks louder than words. They harvest the rice, we eat the rice (of course, I help in the eating process), and they plant more rice. It’s simple, it’s beautiful. Hey, fast-food junkies, where did your food come from?

I managed to get a few pictures of the school as well. Princess Chulabhorn's College is a special place. It's really breathtaking, and I only hope the pictures can capture a glimpse of how great it is.


What Do I Know Anyway?

In reaction to U.S. news, some of my humble opinions:

1) Election of a new U.S. President: alright, Obama. Time for change in America, great!

2) California voters ban gay marriage just months after they allow the union of same-sex couples: California, have you lost your mind? Great work taking away human rights from nearly 18,000 families! Yeah, I’m being sarcastic. In a world of war, poverty, hunger, nuclear aggression, and troubled economies, this quote from the New York Times is a complete disgrace: "A total of $73 million was spent on the race there, a record for a ballot measure on a social issue." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/us/politics/06ballot.html On a social issue? Sure, it's perfectly understandable that gay-marriage poses a greater threat to the future of our nation than budget cuts to our education system. Again, sarcasm. Did you know that gay marriage is legal in South Africa? It has been since 2006, and they are not spending $73 million dollars to reverse that decision. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6147010.stm

3) Citigroup to lay-off 36,000 employees. I’m starting to think Finance was a pretty inconvenient degree to graduate with after all.

4) Legislation stalls as Washington tries to figure out billion dollar auto-maker bailouts: Are you serious? How about, we use the money to invest in mass transit and infrastructure in cities across the country? Why is there even a debate to help companies that have lobbied for years to keep emissions standards low? California raised emissions standards to match China’s standard a few years back, and auto-makers had so much of a fit that they sued the state. Let’s keep in mind that China’s emissions standards are still among the lowest in the developed world. Get a grip Washington, let them fail; let us buy cars from auto-makers (namely foreign) with the foresight to create more efficient vehicles. Of course there will be a lot of jobs lost, but create new jobs in wind, solar, and renewable energies. Forget patriotism to the U.S. as a reason why you cannot buy a more efficient vehicle from another country. What about patriotism to a little place we call planet Earth? Remember that the SUVs of today, will be of little use in a world of dried up oil reserves, and 130 degree days. Best of luck to us all, that politicians in power understand the importance of moving our country forward, not pouring billions into old technology. Case in point...take a look at the next headline.

5) From MSNBC: Report predicts U.S. decline, Russia rise: “Global warming could be a boon to Russia while the U.S. could further decline the importance during the next two decades, says a U.S. intelligence report with predictions for the world in 2025.” These mistakes are already and will continue to yield dire consequences not only to the United States, but to the world. Wake up, stop living in denial, and make some changes.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Overdue Updates

So many experiences are part of my most recent memories, yet I fear that if they don’t spill onto the page now, they will be swallowed up by other unique experiences soon to be had in the next few months of my stay in Thailand. Where to begin? I’m not sure.

First of all, Obama! I watched the election intently on the television in the English department. I could only understand the words “McCain”, “Obama”, and the occasional mention of a U.S. state –with my slight nervousness and anticipation for the results, I found myself wishing I understood more Thai. I waited by the phone for updates from my family. I taught three classes that day, and in each one I mentioned the election, of which my Thai students were already a bit familiar. Not unlike some Americans however, the Thai students seemed to find the issues completely irrelevant. When I asked them to describe what they knew about the candidates I got the following, only the following: McCain = "fat" "old" "ugly"; Obama = "tall" "dark" "handsome." Around 10:30am in Thailand, the confirmation came through. Obama, a characteristically different man as compared to the U.S. presidents who came before him, even if only in physical appearance (although, I believe there are more differences), is to be the next president of the country I love. Basically, I am trying to say: Middle-aged white guy 0, Progression 1. The scale has been forever tipped.

The Fulbright committee in Thailand (TUSEF) had their annual board meeting a few weeks ago in Chiang Rai. To my excitement, I was invited for dinner. I arrived at the hotel, which was brand new and absolutely gorgeous, a bit early with my host teacher/director P’Tor. I was so happy to see P’Tip, the director of TUSEF. In fact, it was then that I realized how long it had been since I had been hugged. If I haven’t already described P’Tip as one of the most genuinely exceptional Thai women I have had the pleasure of knowing, it should be said again. I was delighted to see the rest of the board, P’Kee and P’Oy, and meet those of whom I did not know. At dinner, P’Tip sat me at a table with the President of Mah Fa Lueng University (located at the foothills of the mountains about twenty-five minutes from my school), the director of Mae Lao school (where Brad is teaching), and a Thai ambassador. Dinner was beyond delicious. Buffet style. Thai food, Asian food, European food, Italian food, SUSHI! Enough said. After dinner, I left with a block of cheese, some water crackers, and some pickles that the woman at Fulbright had brought for me from Bangkok. Wow!

[photo above: P'Tip, T'Tor, Me (do I stand out?)]

The Music and Lyrics group is going pretty well. Despite all of the technology glitches in the sound lab, I have managed to keep the interest of about a dozen students. The first song we have learned and continue to sing is Ironic by Alanis Morissette. Take a look at the lyrics, and you realize how many concepts in English that can be taught from just one song. All-in-all, it is a lot of fun working with these students on a more casual basis --not to mention the humor in my terrible artistic abilities. Teaching the lyrics to Ironic felt like a game of Pictionary almost…however, I’m glad no score was kept, for I am a joke of an artist.

Last weekend was low-key and enjoyable. P’Tuang and P’Dtone took me to Mae Sai for shopping near the Myanmar border. They went across to Myanmar and bought cheap DVD movies imported from China. I stayed in Mae Sai because I didn’t have my passport. I climbed the hill to the temple, took my shoes off, and paid respect to the Buddha. I went shopping. Well, mainly I walked around and listened to my Ipod. We came back to school around dinner time. Good times.

Biking to Nowhere

I bought a bicycle! For my life of few possessions, this was a monumental purchase. It is a brand new Jamis bike. It’s beautiful to me. It represents my sweat, my endurance, and my freedom from tuk tuks. I bought it on a Saturday afternoon at a place called Fat Free Bike Shop in the center of town. I knew it would be getting dark around 5:30 or 6:00pm, so I asked for a map, bought a helmet (don’t worry mom and dad), and decided to take my new bike home. So, what I know now is that PCC (my school) is 7.1km away from the center of town. The map I was provided with was a photocopied map of Chiang Rai with only a few labels in English –too bad street signs are in Thai script huh?

The woman at the bike shop explained to me which road I would need to take out of town, and then traced her finger through the air and told me to just keep riding until things look familiar, gesturing the final destination, PCC, was off the map by quite some distance. Why not optimism right? I took off. I rode over the Gok River, around a bit, back over the Gok River. I stopped and asked for directions. I tried to use common sense. After two weeks in Chiang Rai, I had only been to the center of town about three times, of which I arrived by tuk tuk lazily unaware of the direction it took to get there.

I was peddling…nothing around, no one around. Out of the corner of my left eye, I could see the sun was setting. I saw a pick-up truck, and then another, and another. Up ahead…nothing. I had no idea where home was, so I peddled up to the row of cars and trucks, to the small strip of restaurants that seemed to be perfectly tucked into the landscape. I got off my bike and tried to stretch what little Thai language I knew to explain my situation. Communication was obviously a problem, but I did actually receive one gestured offer to drive me to “jew-LAH-pborn” (Princess Chulabhorn, my school). However, the man was pointing and exclaiming that my bike would not fit in his car. I couldn’t do it; I couldn’t abandon my new bike in a place that was off my map and a complete mystery to me. I pressed on, smiling frequently, explaining “kor tort ka, poot pasa thai nit noi ka” (sorry, I speak only a little Thai) to the waitress. I sat at a table staring blankly at my phrasebook, realizing that phrases like “I just bought this bike and tried to ride home not knowing where home is, and now I’m lost” or “Would it be possible to sleep in your restaurant tonight? I’m an idiot” just aren’t part of everyday Thai conversation.

The waitress came up again, this time gesturing that I follow her. She had found someone who spoke English to listen to my pleas. After only twenty seconds of meeting him, and telling him my ridiculous predicament, he offered me and my bike a ride to PCC in his truck. Awesome! I quickly asked him if he was in the middle of dinner. As it turned out, it was his brother’s birthday. I joined the group of six or seven Thai men, and was immediately welcomed to the birthday celebration. After a nice meal, lots of “cheers”, and what I remember being two beers, the group asked if I would go dancing with them. I kindly declined the offer, and was reminded by my new friend, that he could take me home at any time. I said goodbye to the group, and took my new friend up on his offer. My new friend, Bomb (his nickname) is a kind Thai soul who spent eleven years living in New Zealand, and had coincidentally opened a language school in Chiang Rai three years ago. It took ten or twelve minutes of driving to get to the school. I said thank you and goodbye to Bomb and unloaded my bike from the bed of his truck. I was home, safe, sound, and optimistic!

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The next day I downloaded Google Earth. It only took me four hours to locate the school on the map, but I am happy to report that I now know my way into town.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Language, Sports, Music...Golden!

I am sitting in the English Department right now. Right now I am sitting in a chair in Thailand. I’m having one of those “someone please pinch me” moments. The lines seem to be blurred between time, place, work, and play. One thing is certain, I feel so appreciative to be here.


During my days here at PCC (short for Princess Chulabhorn’s College, the place I am working), I help students practice their English. At lunchtime each day, I practice my Thai with the faculty in the teacher’s room. In the afternoons, I play sports with the students. Yesterday, I went running around the soccer field. After dinner I was invited by some students to play volleyball –it was tons of fun! Tonight I have been asked to play basketball with some of the students.



Basically, news travels here about the “farangs” (foreigners). In case I haven’t mentioned, I also teach with two other American girls who went to college together in Pittsburgh. So, at this point they know that Paige is the athlete who will join in with the students for any sport. The students play many sports here at PCC, but to my disappointment, only the male students play football (soccer). I have also been asked several times to play tennis and join some of the running groups here.



On Friday, I am hosting an interest meeting for a group I am creating at school. I have posted the flyers I created throughout the school. I am so eager to see who will be interested.
Also, because of this idea and my willingness to share MP3 files of American music with the other teachers (CCR is the most requested thus far), I have been asked to travel in January as a representative of PCC Chiang Rai and a judge at the annual singing competition (all songs will be in English).



This Friday, the committee working with Fulbright Thailand will be traveling to Chiang Rai for their annual board meeting. This should include 15 or so board members, some of whom I have not met, as well as a handful of other important people to the program and to Thailand. I have been invited to join them for dinner, and am waiting to hear more details. I am absolutely pumped to see Brad and hear stories about his time teaching thus far.



Well, I have one more class to teach this afternoon.

Sawatdee jaow (northern Thai dialect = hello/goodbye)