Day to Day, 12/30/2008

Normal life -- not what you expect on a travel blog, because it doesn't consist of daring adventures,etc, but as you may have gathered of late, Tony and I have settled into a mellow village-life existence. And I am quite pleased to report that it suits me just fine. One reason for that is because it's always beneficial to slow down, yes? Another, I'm finding, is that it helps you notice even more. I've been noticing what is subtly lovely: orchids slyly growing on tree trunks; the relaxed, knowing smiles of the elders; the daily laughter of ALL ages, the sunsets over endless rice fields & reflection in the waterbeds; the way the dirt floors are swept clean around houses and temples...I've also been noticing some differences that are not necessarily obvious to the speedy traveler, like how people truly adore their children, how the elderly are not neglected but included in the family always, how FUN is seen as a necessity for children in school, how nice it is to eat fresh things every single meal and how pleasant the air is here. I've noticed that Thais don't have that urgent sense of privacy that Americans do (a walk down the street at night allows you full viewings of life at home, wide open), and that aerobics is offered right there on the street for 5 baht (15 cents), with an instructor on a bamboo platform, demonstrating the moves (OK, I still haven't joined in, but I plan on it next week, I swear!). Few Thais actually walk, but they sure do economize by packing in as many extended family members as possible in pick-ups, buses, tuk-tuks, and even motorcycles carry whole families, or four school girls-- impressive!... So, yah, life is about daily routines for us now, but there are also new things every day--more to contemplate, more to learn (as there should be everywhere we exist, right?). Yesterday, I went for a long run on a dirt "track" (narrow, winding road that goes for miles and miles through rice fields & waterways) while Tony slogged around in his rubber boots in the marsh, using his borrowed net to catch things to study. We are about to move into a true Thai house, so stay tuned for pics & details! Hope your daily routines are serving you well and also allowing for fresh insights along the way. love, Becca

This one goes out to my homies....

Within the pubescent population of Thailand are the frilly showings of khatoys, boys that unabashedly languish in their feminine disposition. Khatoys, also known as lady-boys, have all the demonstrative traits one would expect, the flamboyant hand & body gesticulations, the primped appearance which can include eyeliner, foundation make-up & painted fingernails all the while found in the company of one or more girls. They are also unequivocally the most participatory students. It is important to understand that khatoys are not just simply tolerated, they are popular & genuinely well liked. The topic of khatoys begs the which-came-first question, did an open society provide safe space for the prospering of lady-boys or did lady-boys influence a more open society?
Recently, during a weekend school retreat billed as English Camp, that Becca & I were required to attend, Saturday evening set the stage for the Miss Christmas Pageant, where contestants were judged by their presentation of themselves, talent, interview & costume. Of the 3 winning candidates, two were khatoys. Lala, the first place winner, was lavishly decorated in his own handmade marde gras-style outfit including facial make-up, moving in cheerleader form to Thai-techno music playing from his mic-amplified cell phone. In the interview part, when asked why he desired to visit Paris, Lala answered, "to find my husband." It is not unusual that it exists, what is unusual, at least by American sensibilities, is how it exists. During the pageantry, the boys all watched with complete nonchalance. This is a culture where boys can be seen leading their same gendered friend by the wrist, regardless of age. I have experienced grown married men interlocking their fingers with mine while having conversation. What a fantastic phenomenon it would be if young American adolescent males could exist without such squeamishness towards their own gender & grow up to be adult males with one less hang up in the American landscape. TLC

Thai students are supposedly shy, but their drama skills are pretty good when put to the task. We're trying all kinds of tricks to get them speaking English.

Tony & friend, Howard, off fishing in the blue bathtub! Same day, Becca walks to the Orchid Wat & meets this female monk there

just down our street
& just outside of town

Trip to Vientiane, Laos

We rented bicycles for $1.25 a day! Vientiane was a very easy city to get around & relax in. The people are lovely, as well.

Dec. 10 update

We have another holiday today, and I'm not even sure why, but we're enjoying it nonetheless. Tony is off fishing with our one (& wonderful!) English-speaking friend, Howard, from near Manchester. Howard also joined us for my birthday, when we rode our motorcycles up to Khon Kaen to check out the silk festival, stay at a hotel & have some meals out. It was a good time. Since then, we have been cooking great meals together, with the grub we picked up at the big grocery store in the city, combined with our local market produce. Tony's spring rolls are still TASTY!.. Today I walked to the orchid wat (temple) outside of town, just to explore a bit. It was very soothing to be there, almost alone. There's a big outside Buddha that I think I'll visit once a week, because of the good feeling there. All the wats we've been to outside of Chiang Mai have been LOCKED, which is so sad to me. I like to meditate in them, but I suppose the beauty of meditation is that you can do it pretty much anywhere. I walked back along the road & decided to detour through the rice fields, on a windy path in & out of tree areas & swamps, and then took my time through the village streets. It was a delightful day for photography and making connections with the locals. I like to call them NEIGHBORS, actually! I am a bit enchanted by this village, and it helps to just walk around to take it all in. I like that life is not all about teaching, although that aspect is going well, too. Yesterday I poured out the love & silliness while encouraging my students to try to speak English and we ended up having a good day of it. I wish I saw each group more than once a week, as it is near impossible to get names down, much less really GET somewhere with the language. They sure do appreciate the little Thai I use in class; course, much of that is just comic relief for them. I even attempt to write in Thai on the board, saying "so-ai, mai?" (beautiful,no?), which gets a mix of giggles & claps. This weekend we have a big event called English Camp, which happens once a semester-- 80 juniors & the foreign language staff attempting English-speaking games at a National Park. I'm sure we'll blog about this!... Can't believe it's Christmas season, as it is still 75-80 degrees & no sign of Santa in the forecast here! But I sure hope y'all are in the spirit of giving & enjoying the company of those you love. I send mine, to add to that. Cheers! Becca

The King & Bing of Thailand

Yes, my birthday was a national holiday thanks to Thailand's King, born on the same day!