flippin' cold

I had no idea that Thailand could be so cold. It's only November and it's already down to the forties or fifties in the morning. Now for those of you who might balk at the idea of cold at fifty degrees, allow me to clarify:

• There is no insulation in Thai houses, nor are there single-paned windows to guard against cold breezes.
• Concrete floors are the norm in most buildings. If, in some moment of brain-deadedness, you forget to put on socks, you are likely going to suffer frostbite of the lower extremities. (sidenote: in Northern Thailand, shoes are usually shed before entering a home or building.
• There is no escaping the cold. The temperature outside will likely be the same inside the house. This is what makes the chill particularly unbearable. And it reduces the morning bucket shower to a strange icyhot experience--splashes of warm water followed by stints in the cold, cold bathroom air.

Right-o. I wish I had brought a couple of hoodies to Thailand. Pardon me while I go absorb some sunshine.

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o, turkey, wherefore art thou, turkey

Today is Thanksgiving. I would be a shameless liar if I said that I didn't wish I were elsewhere today. Anywhere else, really. As long as family and friends were present. [sigh]

So to save the readers of my blog a rambling, melancholic post, here are pictures from better times and places, with infinitely better company.

The fam (I finally remembered, Alan)



My sister


One of my cousins, Jessica


And friends.

simple truths

Simple truths that have made themselves apparent to me after almost three months in Thailand:

1. The class right after recess in elementary school should be dreaded--most children take the time to imbibe some sort of sugary treat rather than the expected running around and beating each other up. Selling junk food to kids during recess, while admirable in some entrepreneurial sense, should be outlawed.
2. There is Thai food that I don't like and even think gross. Previously, I thought this impossible. What changed? I tried laap dip. And then I realized it was seasoned raw meat. I should have given it more than a cursory examination. [shudder]
3. Rushing to make semi-complex worksheets in less than a half-hour will always lead to mistakes; not surprisingly, it doesn't matter how many times you check it on the way to the copier.
4. Once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator. (see number three)
5. Procrastination leads to stress, stress to bad sleep, and bad sleep to a poor, leaden (as in not buoyant) attitude. (see number four)
6. If your life depends on arriving someplace in a hurry, going by way of elephant will not only leave you sore, but also dead. But they are fun as heck to ride for ten minutes.
7. One doesn't really think much of the humble textbook unless you find yourself teaching without its help. In all your classes. [muttering]
8. The Internet is an amazing, amazing thing. Without it, I would have no contact with friends or family, no cheap phone calls, no BBC or Garrison Keillor on my iPod, and certainly much less sanity.

In other words, has anyone received a postcard in the mail from me? I'm just curious to know if my novel experimentation with the global postal system has borne any fruit. (borne--now there's a past participle one doesn't use everyday; I had to check the dictionary, good grief)

never mind dentistry for 200, unless it is a daily double...

Today was better. Teaching is a lot about confidence. That was what was missing from Monday. Much like dogs can smell fear, I am pretty sure that students can smell a teacher who is unsure of himself. I felt like I was on the brink of losing control all day Monday, especially with the younger kids. What changed between yesterday and today? After daydreaming of ways to avoid teaching the next day, such as: catching 24-hour malaria, being deported, and breaking both my legs in a freak walking accident, I simply called home. I was overwhelmed. And idealess as to what teaching English actually entails. (Should I teach grammar, conversation, reading, writing, or some other nebulous part of the English language?) So I asked my mom if she had any ideas. And she did. She also gave me a useful piece of advice: just focus on what you will do and don't be distracted by all that you could do.

So I prepared and I prayed for courage and confidence (and apologized to God for being such a Complaining Carlos when things went badly).

And today was better. Besides, I am pretty sure that a root canal falls into the category of Things-I-never-want-to-go-through.

i'll take dentistry for two hundred

If I had to choose, based on my classes today, to either teach or visit the dentist everyday for a root canal, I would go with the root canal. And unabashedly hug the dentist before and after. Today wasn't that great as far as first days go. I really don't have any idea what I am doing. And that certainly doesn't fly well with primary school kids. Or high school students. I was worried on Sunday. After today, justifiably so.

I don't think I can take 6 more weeks of days like today. I'm off to brainstorm. And lick my wounds.

i hate sudden change

After approximately two months of doing the same thing every week, it is all about to change. Suddenly. I hate sudden change. I have been team teaching with Thai English teachers in high school since I arrived. However, due to the resignation of a teacher, the whole world is about to be turned upside down into a blender and set to liquify. Well, maybe that is a little dramatic.

The change: now I will be responsible for teaching grades 1-6 along with a smattering of high school classes. And the kicker: I will be teaching all by myself. Normally, this wouldn't cause such consternation on my part (after all, I came here to teach), but this is a school that teaches all subjects in Thai, including teaching English. Furthermore, I am sorry to report that after eight weeks (eight weeks!!!) my Thai is still pretty limited; although, if you need someone to order food for you, I am your man. Essentially, I have no idea how to teach English in English to Thai-speaking people. Especially Thai-speaking people in elementary school. Aargh! To say that I am a little worried is an slight understatement. I am very worried.

what's your constant?

I have rediscovered that books are my constant. While the other variables in my life may change--location, responsibility, and community--I will always enjoy reading. I think I could even go so far as to say that I couldn't survive (read: wouldn't live well) without being able to read.

I was planning to pack five of my favorite books to bring with me to Thailand, but in the rush to be packed and ready and actually arrive at the airport before my flight left the gate, I forgot to pack them. The only books that crossed the Pacific were LP guidebooks and a book on teaching foreign language (which has proved to be nothing more than dead weight). Oh, the inhumanity! (I also forgot the charger for my camera battery; hence, the lack of pictures on my blog) The gravity of the situation didn't hit me until I finally recieved and unpacked my bag on my first Sunday. Taking stock of all my belongings, the dearth of books was pretty obvious. That first week was long and tough. There wasn't a whole lot to fill the down time.

The next weekend, however, my boss (Mr. Bell) introduced me to the Raintree Resource Center. The Center's purpose is to provide support for expats living in the Chiang Mai area. My favorite part of the center (and the only part I have ever used) is the extensive library. Seven weeks and fifteen books later, I can honestly say that books improve the quality of my life here; they are my constant.

What's yours?

cambodia

It has taken me forever to be able to sit down and write about my trip to Cambodia. There doesn't seem to be any good reason why. Things just come up and steal my attention. So I have decided to write when I can, rather than wait for the ever-elusive large block of time.

If, in the family of Asia, Thailand is the well-mannered, well-to-do older brother, then Cambodia would be a broke cousin, who, despite being a little rough around the edges and having a crummy childhood, still manages to smile and work toward improvement. Happily, this cousin happens to have some of the most impressive ruins in the world sitting in his yard.

One would think that seeing Angkor Wat was the highlight of my trip; while seeing the beautiful, ancient structures was a great experience, I enjoyed the time I spent with people in Cambodia the most. I went to visit Trina Yeo, who is an SM at Cambodia Adventist School in Phnom Penh. She teaches the first grade and I had the chance to hang out with her and the kids for the day. Somehow I went from a person collecting tests and turning the occasional jumprope to a person sitting with with four wiggly boys in his lap, trying desperately to read stories for all of them. Her kids are the most loving, energetic first-grade class I have ever been to visit.

I also got a chance to see Liz (we had speech class together at Walla Walla) and to meet Heather from Union (College in Lincoln, Nebraska...pushin' the pen and slingin' the ink along--I always hear the song in my head). It was so good to hang out with other people my age and talk in English. Seems sort of silly-sounding now that it is on paper, but it is easy to take something as normal as talking in English for granted.

We four tried to do a bit of sightseeing, but quickly discovered that much of Phnom Penh is closed or deserted during the holiday of P'chum Ben. We ended up at a café and just had some chill time. Random fact: Heather is a big Oprah fan. In fact, we ended up playing an impromptu game of Stump-Heather-with-Oprah-trivia. She knew the answer to almost every question without hesitation. In short, I was amazed.

During the next few days, the four of us split up. Trina and I went to Siem Reap, home to Angkor Wat, while Heather and Liz hung out in the capital. Angkor was pretty dang cool. Traveling by bus was as monotonous as I remember from Argentina. Hanging out with Trina was as fun in Cambodia as in the double Walla. All in all, a very good time.

It wasn't a very long visit to Cambodia--only five days--but it went as vacations usually do: quickly. It was well worth every penny that I spent to get there. Leaving was hard. Heather asked (in jest, I think) if I wanted to stay. I would have said yes if it were only as easy as speaking the words. For a few days I got to experience community. It was beautiful. It even caused symptoms of withdrawal when I returned. (see below post entitled community)

So thanks to three ladies of Cambodia for letting me hang out and enjoy your good company.