Unfortunately, this entry will need to be brief. A lot has happened in the past week, and in an effort to not bore you to tears, I’ll try to be as brief as possible while still including the most information.
Last weekend we went to That Phanom for a dance festival in the morning. That Phanom is the largest temple in Nakhon Phanom province, and it is really impressive. The 7 districts of Nakhon Phanom brought their dancers for a huge show in front of the temple, so there were probably 1000 thai dancers in unison there.
Thais like to combine their holidays, so on that same day there was also the Fireboat Festival back in NKP, the harvest festival, the end of the rainy season festival, the full moon festival, and the anniversary of the most famous king’s death. Last Saturday was certainly a party day. And party we did.
We left That Phanom and headed straight to NKP to Pi Dtao’s house (right on the river, with a beautiful view from the roof deck). Pi Dtao is Sarah’s host mother and a great friend to WorldTeach. She invited all 15 of us to stay in her home that night, and she is also planning our trip to Surin for the elephant round-up coming up in a few weeks.
Speaking of elephants, I finally saw one in NKP that day! They are usually brought around for festivals, which would explain why I also caught a glimpse of one parallel parked in between 2 cars in That Phanom as well.
NKP was bustling with activity, from riverfront makeshift markets, to parades, to a million street vendors selling dried squid and other questionable items (more on my recent culinary adventures in a bit). We sprinted through an overwhelming carnival to get to one of the main streets in time to catch the end of the wax temple parade. All the villages make elaborate temples out of wax and parade them through the streets. To keep them from melting, they have people spraying the temples with water alongside the trucks.
After the parade, Rita and I decided to forgo nap/shopping time to go with Jes to her home to get more sleeping supplies. On the way we ran into Nell (that girl was the easiest person to find ever, she seemed to pop up everywhere….miss you Nell!) and went to her house instead to get more pillows and blankets to bring to Pi Dtao’s. Nell was living with Pi Nok, one of the women who also work in the educational office in NKP. Pi Nok is the sweetest woman, very easy to get along with and be comfortable with, especially as compared to the number of overbearing thai women we’ve been in contact with. Now that Nell has moved back to the states, I’m so excited that Jes has decided to move into her room at Pi Nok’s, so we’ll be able to stay in touch with her. Immediately upon entering her home, she hugged Rita and I as though we were family, which is rare in thai culture.
After a while of calm at her house in the outskirts of the city, we headed back to the river to get ready for our night of fireboats and fun! After dinner at a restaurant named “Good Morning Vietnam” we searched for the perfect viewing spot on the riverfront to see the elaborately decorated boats aflame floating down the river. It truly was a spectacular sight. (For more info about the festival visit this website: http://www.north-by-north-east.com/articles/10_04_2.asp)
After a night of partying away and dancing (gasp!) at the Duck Pub (who’s owner is very conveniently Rambo’s brother), we woke up early to get a start with errands for the day. After wandering around the city and picking up necessary items, we headed to Mr. Narong’s house for lunch. His home was beautiful and the food was amazing. And of course there was thai dancing as well. Someone took photos and video, which you can see here hahaha: http://www.krunarong.net/obec/index.php?mod=gallery_update&id_update=3&block=&path=web/gallery
Back at Pla Pak, we finished up the last few days of our practicum, which was a lot of fun and a great experience. We were also there for Pla Pak Wit’s first day of school, so of course during their opening assembly we had to introduce ourselves in Thai. Yikes.
The PaawAaw of Pla Pak threw us a going away party on Wednesday night, which was a lot of fun. We were worried it would be like our welcoming party in which the whole community was invited. Being our last night together, we wanted a smaller gathering…which was exactly what we got! We all were able to fit at 4 tables and the only other attendees were teachers and staff that we were directly involved with. Karaoke and Thai dancing were a must! The party ended early, so of course Rambo brought reinforcements and we had an after-party back at the school.
The next day I went to Gen’s home because my host family was traveling from China. It was so nice to have my own room and be able to sleep in a real bed (rock hard, but real). Gen’s host mom is adorable and was so much fun. She knew very little English but somehow we managed to make it work just fine.
When we visited Gen’s school on Friday, she got a huge surprise. Her school had already started back up again and she was expected to teach her regular schedule starting that day. I found this awesome and hilarious because I got to sit back and watch, but I could tell Gen was a little nervous – but she handled the whole thing like a pro!
After school, my host mom, Nit, and her daughter, Bo, came to (I thought) pick me up, but we ended up only going out to dinner instead. Nit had a test for her master’s degree the next day and arrived home late from China, so she didn’t want to take me to her home that night. Mai Pen Rai…we had fun at dinner and shopping. Bo is 23 as well, and it was a lot of fun to be shown around by someone my age. Unfortunately Bo has already moved back to Bangkok where she works, but I hope she visits home often so I can spend more time with her.
Upon finding out I would be picked up Saturday evening, we started to make plans to meet up with friends in NKP for the day. So early Saturday morning, we headed to a saawng tao, and made our way into town. We met a few other volunteers at Merengue, a great café where you can get “American” breakfasts aka ham and CHEESE sandwiches. We did a little shopping, went to Jes’s home to pick up our work permits, and enjoyed each other’s company as we are unsure of when we’ll see each other next.
Back at Gen’s home, I awaited Nit’s arrival and finally moving into my house. It was late evening before I got there, but the whole family was around to have dinner on my porch and awkwardly hang out as I unpacked. The house is beautiful and the amenities are even better. My very own bathroom is not done yet, but should be within the next few days. I have 2 full closets, one of which has a vanity-ish thing too. A brand new fridge, fan, washing machine, and rice cooker round out the basics. But the best part is that my bed and pillows aren’t rock hard. By no means can you sink into it, but you can press it down a millimeter or 2.
Last night Nit had a student stay in the house with me, which was also awkward, but it isn’t customary for anyone in Thailand to live alone. I think I was able to communicate that it was fine to be by myself, and honestly, this house just isn’t big enough for 2 people. Its just one room that the bed takes up half of. Regardless, this poor girl followed me everywhere, even to the bathroom when I got up in the middle of the night.
This morning, Nit had me come with her to her master’s degree class. She thought I’d be able to work in the library while she was in class, but the librarian’s dad was drunk or something and left the room locked. So, what did I do for 3 hours instead? Sat in class and listened to people speak Thai. It wasn’t that bad, because no one actually paid any attention. Everyone was having side conversations, passing around pictures from China, talking on their phones, or taking umpteen coffee breaks in the middle of people’s presentations. It was definitely weird, but I was just passed from table to table, meeting Nit’s classmates and trying my best to politely refuse people wanting private English lessons or wanting to send their cousins/sisters/nieces to come live in my room with me.
After class I was ready to get back home and work on organizing my space and preparing to teach tomorrow, but no. Instead, we went to a party at a restaurant along the Mekong River for all the grad students. Karaoke and Thai dancing were a given. It was fun and everything, but I was not prepared for the whole thing, and I had so much going through my head that a party was the last place I wanted to be. Thankfully, I think Nit could sense that I didn’t really want to be there, so she said, “Let’s go back to my home, and you take sleep” Somehow she knew exactly what I wanted/needed. So here I am, freshly napped, unpacked, ready for tomorrow, and reminiscing about the last week with a beautiful view of my pond out the window. My work in Thailand officially starts now, and I can’t wait for all that’s to come.
Things I’ve learned in Thailand so far:
1. Be careful what you compliment. Peter said he liked Mr. Narong’s traditional shirt. The next day 14 were delivered for us all to have.
2. Be careful what you say. One mention of ice cream or a snack or anything you might theoretically want, you’ll get, within only a matter of moments, whether you actually wanted it or not.
3. Don’t ask what it is you’re eating. It’s better to be left in the dark. I know I’ve eaten fried crickets and squid. But the other stuff is a mystery. It was probably liver and fish eyes, but I’m happy with just pretending that its not.
4. Be rip-roi. Always. Rip-roi translates literally as finished, but in Thailand its used as a term for a put-together appearance. You never know who you’re going to meet, whether or not you have to introduce yourself to hundreds of people, or what. Better safe than sorry, so I leave the house wearing the nice stuff everyday.
5. Have toilet paper in your purse/pocket at all times.
Pictures:
All of Orientation (now including Farewell Party): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066924&id=1326450028&l=aed4d0e521
My New Home: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2068466&id=1326450028&l=068b9d4011
So glad your enjoying your house and family!Sounds like lots of parties! I can't wait to visit and goodluck with classes tomorrow
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