Learning Chinese

I'm learning Thai. I feel that I would be remiss about living in Thailand for three years and making no effort to learn the language. My Thai is actually improving fairly well, but my real linguistic efforts for the past year have been in learning Mandarin Chinese.

Unfortunately though, I've found it very difficult to teach myself a language! Things changed when the school year started again. One day at lunch very early on in the school year, the head of the school's Chinese department approached me and asked if I was interested in learning Chinese! Of course, I said "yes!"

practicing calligraphy with Lao shi (teacher)

The Confucius Institute, the Chinese Government's language education program, has an office at Chitralada School. The Chinese teachers at my school are from China, and they are very highly trained to teach not only the language, but promote Chinese culture as well. For two hours every week, the Chinese teacher from the Vocational campus would come to our school to give me a private lesson.

Sometimes it's hard to work on two languages at once, especially two Asian languages. There are some similarities between Thai and Chinese, especially some vocabulary, but there are lots of differences too. I've been working on Chinese on and off for nearly a year now. I've learned a lot, but I still have a long way to go. When I went to Singapore I tried to listen to as much Chinese as I could. Maybe I couldn't say much, but I was listening. I'm now able to chat with Chinese friends about very simple topics. I would really like to go to China soon and try to practice the language.

The Academic Fair

My duties for Thursday, the second day of the Academic Fair, involved co-hosting an English Quiz Show for student representatives from other nearby schools. Ryan and I were asked to be quizmasters and read the questions to the ten teams of two students who would be competing for trophies and cash prizes. We each got a M.6 student MC to help us by making announcements and reading the correct answers in English and Thai. I read the questions for Lower Mathayom (M1-M3) with my student from writing class, Joy, and Ryan read the Upper Mathayom (M4-M6) questions with his student, the Head Girl, Prim.

English Quiz Show

The quiz show went very well, no thanks to Ryan and I who had no idea what we were doing. Fortunately for us, we were paired with two of the best students in the school. In the end, Satitchula School (our perennial football rival) won the competition.

After the quiz show, I was supposed to go back to the tea garden to work, although the students had everything pretty much under control. The whole English department was stationed around there, and at any given time there were plenty of teachers to keep it running smoothly. I took some time to see what the other departments and clubs were up to.

the tea garden

Sometimes I feel a little dismayed with the student's level of education, when I talk to a M6 student who can barely put together a full sentence in English after 12 years of learning the language. But I guess languages aren't everyone's strong point, and after walking around the academic fair, I was pretty impressed with some of the projects that the different departments and clubs were working on.

The computer club, for example, had designed an app which gives you a passage to read into your phone's microphone. It puts the recordings together to create audiobooks for the blind.

One of the science classes was administering blood tests! The students did it very professionally. They would prick your finger, take three drops of blood, and add chemicals to tell you what your blood type was. (I did not do this, but still it was cool

 

Since I teach Listening and Speaking class to the students who chose to major in French language, I know a lot of the French Club. I spent a lot of time at the French booth, where they were making and selling crepes, quiche, and croque-monsieur.  The German Club sold bratwurst. There is even a Mocktail Club which sold cups of fruit punch! 

selling snacks

As for the English Department, the tea garden was really popular. Students, teachers, and alumni liked to rest in our area after visiting all the other booths and rooms.

the whole tea garden team with the director of Mathayom

It was also the biggest photo-op of the week!

Ajarnyai, our headmistress

Any guesses what the day's prescribed color was?

The Tea Garden (200th Post)

Eight sweltering farangs sheltered in the shade of a large canvas umbrella, feeble protection against the bright tropical sun. To the side of the garden, six tea girls stood nervously by, awaiting orders. Our department head, inspected the garden one last time, then took her spot with the other Thai teachers. Blue, yellow, and purple ribbons fluttered softly in the light breeze.



the ajarn farang

 It was the academic fair, an event we were hosting to celebrate our school's birthday. Many other schools from around the city were invited.

tea girls and busboys

We had been preparing for the school's sixtieth anniversary academic fair for quite some time. The English Department, due to the fact that our previous department head is now director of academic affairs, was granted the largest area of all the clubs or departments. This privilege came with a price- lots of hard work and late nights, but also with incredible prestige and reward. Our theme was "English Tea Garden", and we had worked for hours after school for days setting up our little garden. Suzie made scones and lemonade, and we ordered various other khnom (snacks) from a local bakery. Of course, we had many types of tea, and we sold everything for B20.

English Department on the special day

We spent all day on Monday and Tuesday setting up the garden. We really transformed our area, and it looked quite nice! The tea girls were a group of M2 students who I think of as the "English Girls" because they all either attended International School, lived in the US, or (as in the case of one girl) is actually a US citizen, and they all even speak in English to each other. They were really happy to help our department. We Americans were put in charge of the students working the tea garden, which was easy because these girls respect, or at least like us the most of all the students because we can speak to them in their native language.

the assembly hall dressed up for a royal occasion

The eight farangs I mentioned earlier were the focal piece of our tea garden presentation, because we "look English", according to one of the teachers. We were very strategically placed in order to be very visible to lend "authenticity" to our presentation. The group consisted of the regulars: me, Kate, Ryan, James, Suzie, and Geoffrey. Also in attendance were Mr. Mulliner and Mr. Owen, two of our original British ajarn farang who had been invited back to the school for this special occasion. In fact, they had been the young foreign teachers like me once upon a time. The two men were very interesting to talk to, and they had so many stories about teaching in the 1960's and 70's. Some things are very different now, but some things never change.

Mr. Mulliner, a clergyman in the Church of England, now serves as the Reverend Canon of Hampton Court Palace, something I only found out much later. He was a very humble, friendly, and personable guy. The older teachers kept joking with him about some story involving a snake. I think I would really like to hear that one!

Mr. Owen had a little car that he drove back in the '60's. In fact, he loved that car so much that he decided to drive all the way back to England after he left Thailand. Of course in those days it was safe to travel through Iran and Turkey.

"We old guard will stand here to support the current teachers and preventing them from running", joked Mr. Mulliner, as the two old men took their places behind us for a group photo.

HRH the Princess

After our long photo session (it wouldn't be Thailand without a long photo session), we could relax and enjoy some tea and scones in the comfortable rattan chairs. 

While the VIP's ate, we sat on folding chairs in the lawn, exchanging school gossip with Suzie, who is fun to talk to because she is always in the know about goings-on around school. There was a group of visiting students from China who performed a kung-fu routine as dinner entertainment, followed by a short khon performance. Another act followed- a traditional Thai dance performed by our M.5 students. 

That night, Suzie gave Kate, Ryan, and I rode a bus to the BTS Skytrain station. We got home well after 10:00pm feeling exhausted; working all day in the hot sun wearing a dark suit, added with the extra stress of managing a tea garden... not to mention that the new black shoes which I purchased for 400 baht are terrible and hurt my feet. I fell asleep almost immediately. There ended the first day of the Academic Fair- the longest, hardest week of work so far, but possibly the most fun. Definitely the most memorable.

School's Birthday

It's the school's birthday today! Last year, a small group of monks came from some nearby temple to lead a service to make merit for the school. This year, being the schools sixtieth anniversery, the affair was much bigger. Many of the students and their families were lined up outside of the school when we arrived this morning. 

It was really stressful trying to fight our way through a crowd of anuban (kindergarten) children without crushing them. On the way through the crowds to the safe quiet of our office, we met up with David, an American science teacher who teaches part time. His kids are students at the school, and he told us that each family has nine each of five different items, to offer to the monks as a merit-making exercise. These offerings were food, toiletries, etc. Monks aren't allowed to handle money, so they must rely on material donations.

it was a little bit cold this morning

There were way more monks than last year, and I couldn't get into the assembly hall, because the line of chanting monks had spilled out into the foyer area as well. Oh well! Any reason not to go to assembly is ok with me. James didn't get so lucky. Around 8:30, about half an hour after the ceremony started, his wife called.

"I have to go to the thing", he said, looking incredibly unhappy about it.

Kate asked him why.

"Because she's religiously oppressive", was his response. 

It's nice to work with people who want to avoid going to morning assembly as much as I do.

I watched some of the merit-making and almsgiving from the window of our second-floor office. I didn't want to go downstairs, but it was interesting to observe for a few minutes.

Rayong

I flew back from Cambodia in the late evening of 1 January. I learned a valuable lesson about traveling: never judge an airport by its check-in area! While waiting to check in (I got to the Siem Reap airport too early), I thought "this must be the worst airport I've ever been in", but I found the departures area to be comfortable and elegant. It seems the airport is under renovation. The flight back took all of 45 minutes, and cost just a bit more than the 9-hour bus. I think from now on I'll stick to flying, as long as it's not too much more expensive.

Early the morning of the 2nd, my friend Kelsey and I were waiting at a small Chinese coffee shop outside the Grand Tower Inn Hotel waiting to be picked up for our "family vacation".

P'Chai at the wheel!

Our "Thai family", P'Ja, P'Chai, and P'Joc, soon arrived in an old vehicle with a covered back into which Kelsey and I and our belongings were loaded. Then, we were on our bumpy way east to Rayong.

sunset

This would be a laid-back and relaxing trip. About three hours later, we arrived at a small and comfortable homestay owned by Eddie, a foreign friend of P'Ja and her family, who we met at the wedding in October. We had a giant Thai seafood dinner at a beach restaurant and watched the sun setting over the Gulf of Thailand.

relaxing by the pool

The next morning was equally laid-back. After a breakfast of toast and eggs, I tried to go for a swim in the pool, although it's been kind of cold lately, and the water was too cold to stay in for very long. I also made friends with the dogs, giant Bob, tiny Poppy, and Chicken, a friendly poodle.

Bob and Poppy

After a while, P'Ja took us sightseeing. We drove a little way out of town to a seaside shrine to King Thaksin of Thonburi, the only monarch of the Thonburi Dynasty, the dynasty immediately succeeding the fall of Ayutthaya and preceding the current Bangkok monarchy.

King Thaksin of Thonburi

We hiked up to a scenic overlook by a waterfall which led into the bay. The morning had been cool, but the afternoon sun was bright and hot, and the walk was pretty tiring. Luckily there was more food waiting for us!

I really have to be thankful for Katie for introducing Kelsey and me to P'Ja. She and her family take it upon themselves to "adopt" some of the farang teachers every year. Her husband, P'Chai calls Kelsey and me "my daughter" and "my son", and acts like our Thai dad.

P'Joc, a family friend and "uncle" is always around too joking and laughing. That night, they took us to the wet market to get dinner. P'Chai prepared a huge seafood barbecue for us, and one of P'Ja's old college friends who lives in Rayong stopped by.

P'Joc 

After the busy quarter and a rushed Cambodian holiday, it was nice to have nothing much to do except relaxing and eating with friends. When I miss home, it's nice to have the "family" to make us feel welcome in Thailand.

My Thai family

Le Tigre de Papier

One of the things I've always wanted to do before leaving Thailand is taking a Thai cooking class. I've never got around to it, but when I was in Siem Reap for the New Year holiday, I finally signed up for a Khmer cooking class at the Le Tigre de Papier Restaurant and Cooking School.

I met at the restaurant at 1pm on the 1st of January, and was shortly joined by Stefan and Judith, a German/Australian couple who was vacationing in Cambodia. The class was just the three of us, and that turned out to be really great! It started with our teacher, Samann, taking us on a tour of the nearby fresh market and showing us the types of vegetables and spices we would be using in our meals.

We each got to order a starter and an entree from the restaurant's menu to prepare, and together we selected a dessert to make and share. I chose shrimp spring rolls as my starter, and Cambodia's national dish, amok, as my main dish.

For three hours we worked to prepare our food, while being taught about Khmer food and culture by our teacher. Cambodia uses a lot of flavorful herbs and spices, like Thailand, although the food is not as spicy as that of its neighbor. My dish was flavored with a paste made from lemongrass, ginger, garlic, onion, chili, and turmeric. The cooking school promised that when we were done, our fingers would be stained turmeric orange as proof of having taken their course.

At the end, we had three starters, three main dishes, and three servings of our chosen dessert. The four of us sat downstairs in the restaurant and shared the meal. The restaurant emailed us the recipes, and I would like to try some more once I get home.

I would still like to try a Thai cooking class someday. I've always thought that food is a great way to connect to a culture. To me, one of the best parts about traveling is learning about the national dishes which people are so proud of. In Thailand especially, food is a major aspect of the culture. Upon meeting someone new in Thailand, the first two questions we farang are often asked are; "Do you like Thailand?" "Do you love Thai food?"

Visa Run: Siem Reap

Everyone deserves a second chance, even a country. My first trip to Cambodia, while memorable, didn't give me the best first impression of the country. Don't get me wrong, that spontaneous trip was one of the most fun things I did last year. We got to see some amazing ruins, including the famous and unforgettable Angkor Wat at sunrise. We stayed in a hotel just outside of Siem Reap, and spent out three days in the Angkor Historical Park visiting the temple ruins. This turned out to be unexpectedly expensive; everything there caters towards western tourists, and this is reflected in the western prices. Small crowds of beggar children hounded the tourists at the historical sites begging for money and refusing to take "no" for an answer. Additionally, the monsoons had been very strong, and everything was partially flooded. It was stressful, exhausting, and admittedly we didn't plan as well as we should have. 

evening in Siem Reap

This year, I had made plans for the midterm holiday, but hadn't planned anything for New Year's Eve. I decided to do a "border run" to keep my visa valid rather than check in at the Chaengwatthana Building, because I had time and I would rather take a short trip anyway. I did things differently. I took a direct bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap, and avoided the majority of the land-border hassle. This time, I passed on the temples, and decided to stay in Siem Reap and have a relaxing holiday. This was a great decision.

Pub Stret, Siem Reap's old French Quarter, is home base for backpackers and foreign travelers coming through western Cambodia. Unlike Bangkok's Khao San Road, Pub Street is a lot nicer, a bit cleaner, and more family friendly in my opinion. My hotel, Molly Malone's Guesthouse, was located in a prime location within walking distance everywhere in the Pub Street area. I spent about half an hour in this area last time, searching for an ATM. I was pleasantly surprised by its charm.

Of course, Cambodia's temples aren't all ruins. Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, is majorly Theravada Buddhist, and one of the big sites in Siem Reap is a quiet temple called Preah Promreath Pagoda, constructed in 1371. After I wandered through the pagoda on New Year's Eve morning, I headed to the impressive Angkor National Museum.

That evening, for my last meal of 2014, I booked a reservation at the Crystal Angkor restaurant, which has a nightly dinner show. Apsara Dance is the national dance of Cambodia. It is similar to, but different from Ram Khon in Thailand. The show follows a very specific dance, traditionally reserved for kings or other official royal guests. The cool night, delicious Khmer food, and wonderful entertainment made for a fun evening. Focusing on Siem Reap and Cambodian culture, and going slowly and relaxing for the majority of the holiday was a good choice. My second impression of Cambodia was a good one.

New Year in Cambodia

Siem Reap, Cambodia - 31 December, 2014 - 11:59 PM

The bad karaoke that has been going on four floors below outside my window for the last few hours stops, replaced suddenly by "Auld Lang Syne", which blares on speakers all over town. Everyone in the streets stop to sing together. Colorful fireworks explode overhead, illuminating the French-style colonial-era buildings in gold, orange, and red bursts.

2015 came roaring into Cambodia.

Pub Street on New Year's Morning

I didn't go out in the streets at midnight; I'm not really that into the party scene, and the thousands of people packing tiny Pub Street didn't appeal to me at all. Besides, I was tired and fighting a lingering cold. Instead, I watched the fireworks from my window, and followed the New Year broadcast on CNN, starting with celebrations in Christchurch, then Sydney, Pyongyang (!!!), Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, and then it was midnight in Cambodia as well.

this poster was up all around town

The next morning was especially quiet on the streets. Just fine for me!

New Year 2015

Happy New Year to All!

What a year it's been! It was my first full year abroad- I started and ended 2014 in Bangkok. This year I added Vietnam, Burma, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Korea to my map!

All the countries I've visited

In 2014, I survived the coup, learned more about Thai culture and language, and celebrated some Chinese and Thai holidays and festivals. Loi Kratong was an especially good memory for me this year. My family visited me in Bangkok, and even got to play with a baby elephant! I returned to Mae Sot, partied with the British Ambassador, attended my first Thai wedding, and watched my rock star M5 class win at everything.

It's been quite a year, and I am completely exhausted. It's been a good year though, and I'm happy with my decision to stay for a third and final year as a teacher in Bangkok. I wish you everyone the best luck, joy, and happiness in 2015!