Thai Kanoms and other things

Written March 31st

Thai Kanoms.  Yes, many people love them, Thai and otherwise, but I just don’t like them.  I think that I may have been able to find 1 that might be ok (the closest I can think about right now would be mango and sticky rice – and I’m not a huge fan of sticky rice).  The problem with me not liking them, is that they keep getting given to me.  If I don’t eat them on the spot, which they expect me to do most of the time so I can give them my opinion immediately, they expect me to take them home.  Taking them home wouldn’t be an issue if I didn’t live with a host family.  My mom keeps telling me she is on a diet and my dad isn’t around when I try to offer my treats – I think that my mom secretly hates the kanoms as much as I do, but she isn’t willing to admit it because she doesn’t want to break face (break face, not breakfast).  I know that the Thai people pride themselves in their kanom making and that they are very good at what they do, but I just can’t wrap my head around them.  Now, I love Thai food, just not the sweets.  Yuck!  I have two years of dodging Thai treats in front of me.

This morning I went to a pre-school graduation.  It was adorable.  There were 58 kids graduating wearing caps and gowns, just like you would see in the states.  When they received their “diplomas” they had to go up on stage, wai (hands in praying position, bow head) my Ron Naykok, grab the diploma, and the bow again…it was soooo freakin cute.  Parents were in the audience waving and clapping, and many brought balloons, flowers, or toys for their kids.  Super fun!  You know how much of an anomaly that you are when you have parents shoving their kids in your lap to take a picture so that they can show their kids that they once knew a farong when they get older.  I had many pictures taken of me today.  Every time a photo op came up, they were all insistent that I be part of it.  There are going to be so many pictures of me floating around here by the end of my two years.

I don’t think I have told you about my fun find from the other day.  I was biking down the road with my Balot (the person who is in charge of me day to day.  He doesn’t speak English, I don’t speak good Thai – It’s a lot of laughing and nodding right now) and what happens across our path, a lizard.  Now, this isn’t one of the small 1 foot lizards you see every once in a while. This is a 4 foot monitor lizard meandering across the road, swishing his tail around.  It was pretty cool.  If you don’t know what they look like, you should really look them up on the internet (the means you mom – my real mom – you should look it up because I know that as soon as you do, your face will scrunch up and look disgusted and a YUCK! will come out of your mouth). 

It has stopped raining.  The south of Thailand was hit really hard with rain.  At least one volunteer’s house already flooded and they are having issues getting around town because every building is like its own little island.  Luckily, it wasn’t nearly as bad here, but the warmth is returning.  Today is a perfect temperature at 87 degrees.  If only it would stay just like that (actually 82 would be better, but…), but alas, it’s going to continue to get hotter and hotter in the coming days.  Fun times.

Tomorrow, I am going to discover the amazing world of aerobic dance…oh yes, we are going back in time in Thailand.  I promised an old woman today that I would stop by and try it tomorrow.  Not only do a whole bunch of women get to watch me make a fool of myself, but the class takes place outside, next to a park and the road for all to see.  I don’t even want to think about the pictures that people are going to take.

Side Note: Checked out the weather forecast.  Monday is supposed to be 98.6 degrees with a heat index of 111.2 degrees.  I think I might spend the day in my room, basking in the gloriousness that I call A/C.

Written April 4^th

Have you heard of the Carlton Dance? Fresh Prince of BelAir?  Well, that was one of many moves that I did at my aerobic dance class on Friday.  It was a ton of fun.  I was laughing, sweating, turning beat red from the heat…I promised them I would come again today, but we will see if that happens (more on that later).  The class ended just after 630pm, right when the sun is going down.  This is good because it is cooling off by then, but bad because this is when the mosquitoes come out in swarms.  I stood outside talking to the instructor and a few participants for about 5 minutes, and when I got home, I counted 21 new mosquito bites on my legs – not fun and itchy as hell.  Needless to say, I don’t think I will be doing any chatting after class ever again.  Finish and bolt will be my new tactic. 

Yesterday I had my first official Thai-knapping in my new location.  My mom told me that we were going to go to Phitsanulok with the family to do some shopping.  Well, first we went to lunch (where I was not hungry and started to feel sick), then it was to a wat, then another wat, and then another wat, then we went to Tesco (a big grocery store) and did our shopping.  And, then we still had to hit up one more wat and a university…longest day ever.  Throughout the day I started to feel sicker and sicker.  I thought it was because of the heat, the A/C, and the driving, but by the end I almost begged them to take me home.  They were so excited to show me these things, though, so I didn’t want to let them down.  As a bonus, I did get to buy some crunchy M&Ms.  GLORIOUS!  Love them, but way expensive.  They were worth it; delicious.

I was hoping sleeping last night was going to help me feel better, but it doesn’t look like it.  I came into work today, but I am only going to be doing a half day and heading home.  Last night I took my temperature and I had a low fever but I haven’t had a chance today.  I am hoping to go home, grab some water, and tell my host mom that I will not be hungry the rest of the day and to just relax, read a book, watch some movies (currently I am watching season 1 of NCIS), and sleep.  I feel really bad that I am leaving early because I left work last week early because of a migraine.  I think it is the drastic changes in temperature that is doing it.  When the temperature is fluctuating 40 degrees, your body doesn’t have a chance to adjust.  Ugh!

After my day of rest, I hope to get some massive biking going on and really start to figure out what is going on in my Tambon.  By the end of the week I would like to have at least a general outline of my Tambon, the villages, and key places.  While doing this, I will also be joining a few more aerobics classes, the gym, and maybe figuring out when the meditation class meets to try that out.  Who knows…

Pre-school graduation at the Tessabon office

 Aren't the kids adorable?!

Of Course, they got bored quickly 

My desk at the office

View from one of the Wat's I went to yesterday

My mom ringing the bells

At a Chinese temple

There were soo many buddha's at this temple we went to.  They lined most of the under-cover pathways