As I walk through the street food sellers - food on wheels - I find myself greeted in an unfamiliar language especially when my gaze lingers on the delicacies before me.

"Uh... uh..."

I feel I must break the news to them, I must share my apparent secret, which I though was so obvious from one's first sight of me.

English.

Once I speak this forieng tongue to them I think

Farang (foreigner).

It seems at times derogative, dirty... an insult...
sometimes I am.

As the word becomes stained in my memory I am then assailed by sizzling, sad, now dead animals.

Squid, innards of who, fishballs, sausages...

Mmmm!?

I just smile, nod and am found in a wild battle between my tolerance and logic.

Mai bpen rai.

I breath in.

I breath out.

"Sizzling veggie meat?" I think loudly, in hopes someone can, will hear my thoughts.

They smile, nod...

We understand each other...
Mai bpen rai.

Aerobics and Dancing... Of the Devil?

Jun 27,2005

Yesterday the 27th a large majority of our group went over to Dollie, Heather and Lauryn's place to celebrate Catlin's 21st Birthday. After a grand potluck, fine cuisine and always great icecream we went cosmic bowling. Now, I will be frank with you, bowling is not something that I specialize in. In fact you could honestly say, without hurting my feelings, that I just don't have that special roll-the-ball-down-the-aisle touch. As a result of such lack of granduer for bowling I ended up getting the lowest score out a total of 20 some people. Oh, you think that is bad... it gets worse. Yeap! To top it off I come to find out that the loser... instead of writhing in losingness (if that were a word) gets to dance in front of the whole group to demonstrate... that yes indeed there is something glorious about this not-so-good bowler.

The song lasted forever and I admit I swayed my hips, moved my arms in a hopefully not to arousing manner. What I didn't realize is that I didn't have to do it for the whole song... yep I sure am gullible and did it for the whole song. I guess you could say it is my blessing in disguise for I had mentioned earlier that evening to my friend Chris that I really wanted to dance. Next time however... I hope to be a little more cautious about mentioning my desires.

Jun 28, 2005

Today was a blast I did a wonderful activity with my boys. I really love to call them my boys even though the only relation I have with them is being their professor. Anyhow, this is what we did... or rather what they did. I had two boys sit on the floor with a pack of crayons in front of each of them. The objective was that one boy would arrange the crayons in a desired manner and then he had to descirbe to the other boy the arrangement. The point was to get the same layout of crayons as his partner. This was fun and frustrating to see the boys work together, explain in english questions, arrangements, understanding.

I love my boys I am not sure why. But I certainly glad that they are in my class... the truth is we all learn a lot from one another. They challenge me... and I in turn challenge them. It isn't so much that we are trying to push each other to the bitter end... sometimes yes... most of the time no. But rather they are always teaching me new things, ideas, techniques. I don't know if they know this but I love it!

After school was complete I had planned to go the Green - a vegitarian eatery on Soi 71 - but was interuppted when some lady that works at EIS called out to me, " Renee! Renee! Where are you going?" To eat... would you like to come watch or do aerobics with me. I love and need to exercise so I said yes - thank you. I ended up attempting and not doing to bad at aerobics (although now I am feeling the effects - by bum is slightly sore). Afterwards we walked to an outdoor 'grocery mart' and I bought some yummy veggies and fruits. About this time it began to pour... and pour and pour. I loved the sights of the 'market' - live fish still trying their hardest to breath, an assortment of unidentifiable organs, unique fruits, umbrellas being pounded down by the rain and small puddles beginning to form under my feet.

When I returned home I went to Jamie, Marlane and Abri's home to cook dinner because in my apartment we don't have stove or cooking utensils. The dinner was great. I sautaed some eggplant, green onions and mushrooms and them made a rice soup with cilantro, lemongrass and some leafy thing your not suppose to eat... oh yeah and of course a couple of chillies. It was so yummy! And I am sooo happy I got to cook.

Oh I must remember if my roomate doesn't wake up .. wake her up at 7. You see this would be a good thing to do because it is not very good to wake up at 7:25 when you have to be at work at 7:30. Yeah... so I help her... I am just intimidated by cranky sleepy people. You know them!

Headlines: Farangs Loose in Chinatown!

Life here in Bangkok always seems to be an adventure... or so I choose to look at life here in that perspective. Today after a nice amount of sleeping in my 'housemate' and I decided to venture out and discover (for we had never seen before) the sights of Chinatown.

Our plan was perfect, though somewhat impulsive, we were going to get there by taking the skytrain all the way to Saphan Taskin and then catch the a River Taxi to Rathandonsi (it isn't spelled correctly at all). So... we did it was perfect and then we reached Chinatown. What do we do now that we are here. We actually didn't have any definite plans of what we were in search for or were going to do... so we wandered (oh! Mom, if your reading this I just want you to know that God has been protecting you girl big time here in Bangkok and I have no doubt that he will continue to do so... just in case I'm frightening you with my stories!). Rachel kept telling me, "This isn't what I imagined it would look like! I didn't envision this!" It wasn't bad but our greeting to this foriegn land within a foreign land seemed empty and quiet. There were many shops but their garage doors were shut and no business was happening. That was until we stepped into the sois with many hawkers...

Now being a tourist, being a foreigner (farang as the thai call us) there are certain expectations you setup in your mind, however, it is these very expectations that are so often broken. Our barginers, sellers, hawkers, entrepuner's whatever they are called, were selling everything from animal innards, used watches, car parts, weapons, porn dvds, foriegn fruit (cherries!), assortment of jewlery. It was crowded too! We walked through the throngs in hopes they wouldn't decided that we had money they needed (pickpocketers abound), stepping on one anothers and stranger's feet, nearly being hit in the face by umbrellas... adventure this certainly was!

It wasn't until we stepped onto a main street did we see what we envisioned as Chinatown. On this street scattered with an assortment of vehicles - tuk-tuks, taxis, buses, cars, bikes... the aroma of sizzling flesh of unknown animals, the stench of sewage and pollution... the sight we searched for was finally found, like a buried treasure we had almost given up hope on.

Above our heads, several stories high, were the familiar red with black chinese writing, signs in the sky greeting newcomers to Chinatown. Our stereotype, our vision was really true. About this time is rained, we were getting lost and decided to leave.... where were we? Good question. So we asked the lottery tickect seller, "River?" Eventually, after squabbling with other hawkers we stepped unto a tuk-tuk and returned to our original destination at the dock of the river taxis. For some reason we can't get enough of this place and so our adventure hasn't end... till later!

Kool Aid and Air Con

Today in Ma'am Lauryn's class my class was invited to come and critique presentations her students were giving about the background a book called The Contender that all the highschoolers are reading. I still struggle with understanding the English through the student's thick accents but I am trying real hard to listen. Anyhow the fun part of this activity was not only that we got to work together as classes (which the kids really enjoy) but we also had refreshment time.

Refreshments were kool aid and popcorn... yum! Lauryn has this wonderful hypothesis that I like a lot because it is a nice reminder of my Biology-bum side, the Thai kids don't appreciate kool aid as much as the American kids because they eat so much spicy foods. Eating spicy foods, she says, changes one's taste buds as a result sweet foods like kool aid seem sour to them. I might be adapting slightly because the kool aid did seem somewhat sour. The kids reaction was pretty awesome... what is this stuff! they said in disgust and confusion. Kool aid! You like it! No ma'am!

Air con... apparently the correct way or at least thai way to say air conditioning. Really has nothing to do with what I'm writing but since the person's house I was at yesterday referred to it as such I'll mention it.

Yesterday I was daring... or maybe foolish and after class walked through the main streets of Bangkok (not all just one actually... this is a big place). Anyhow it was fun venturing out and finding places to buy food and supplies for class and home. On my way back my new friend Michael invited me over to his house. Now that might sound especially sketchy BUT it isn't... Yeah right Renee! You say... You're going to find yourself a wonderful Thai husband. *Cough! Cough!* Someday perhaps but Michael is about 7 or 8 years old and wanted me to play. Yeah I said because I also love to play. Well I didn't play for long because their father invited me to eat numerous amounts of fruits. Try this one! And this one! Oh make sure you try the guava, the purple one... the mangosteen. Well I was full after that and was attempting to say thank you and go on my way we he made the comment that fruit was not dinner... so I gorged myself a little fuller with rice and noodles (because after all it isn't dinner without rice!).

A Week of School Complete

I am writing about what happened yesterday. 22/06/05 as my kids write it.

I started the morning as every morning here... slightly tired and unprepared for school. But who knows what a day has in store, lots of potential. My favorite part of class time was our breaks, we took two breaks. Exciting... hear this, after worship one of the teachers who sits in on our class was telling us about a ridiculous scenario in which some students were throwing out a bag of pop and a bag of ice the next day and how it broke through the roof of a temporary home. It seemed ridiculous!

So... I took my kids outside and said we are taking a short break and laugh. But once outside I couldn't laugh. So we practiced our vocabulary word "mimicry". Guys, when I do this copy me. So we did the chicken dance - that made me and the boys laugh. Then during our next break the boys like to play some card games in exception of Rugchai. So I had about 6 boys in my class room and then found that there was about ~6 girls outside of the classroom hanging out with Rugchai. Curious I asked him, are they your friends or girlfriends? No! No! Ma'am friends, only one girlfriend he said with a smirk.

My struggle yesterday occurred after class. I am a 'loner' I like being by myself and I see no harm in enjoying my alone time. Sometimes though I feel like other friends of mine can't understand or accept this part of me. Coming to the Green? This is a place to eat.. Maybe. I don't know how to explain it but I don't always want to be spending money or stubbornly holding onto what I know when I am in the unknown. I guess what I am trying to say is that it isn't necessary for me to always be doing something. Although that is 'American' I don't want to abandon my being American - cause that isn't the only thing that makes one American.

I don't really know how to explain myself. I think I might be somewhat homesick or culture shocked... it is stressful but so blessed fun!

Ma'am Renee's Monday

It happened again, it happens every week... another Monday. Yeap!

I admit it I was dreading it on Sunday but somehow a turn of events has made today great. In the beginning there was Monday and God said it was good... and well it was. Whatever happen as time passed I can't tell you.

Okay, to the point, I just wanted to share with you what happened to me today. It wasn't anything magnificent and yet I learned a lot at the same time. I woke up late -7:30am... I was supposed to be at my staff worship at Ekamai International School's auditorium, "Rachel! Rachel! It's seven-thirty!" I said to wake her up as I had just woken up a couple of seconds earlier. We somehow manage to continue to wake up later and later... not the best time management I admit :0). Then I panicked because I had burrowed someone's guitar but hadn't returned it so I had to go grab it at one of my friend's home and bring it to the auditorium - talk about working up a sweat. So the morning was stressful and in my attempt to prepare for class I did that thing I do in college - doze off while I am reading a textbook (no worries I didn't drool this time!).

Before class began I in my stress found myself on my knees in the classroom asking God to teach both my boys and I something new today. Reflecting on what he did it seems God listened to me - he always does but sometimes his response is more evident to me that at other times.

Right now I begin the afternoon by having the boys journal - I ask them a question and they respond for ~10-20 minutes. The first time I did this they only wrote about 1-2 sentences I was shocked and somewhat disappointed but I know realize that English is their second language, they aren't fluent in it and so don't think English but Thai. I wanted to assume that maybe Thai's didn't like to write... now I don't know. After worship, we have this with Ma'am Lauryn's class, we had a vocabulary quiz. Poor kids they were certainly stressing out... but it is only a quiz. Okay... it was sort of difficult but I use the excuse that I am new at this 'teaching thing'. I then had them do group reading and response, a grammar exercise, and silent reading.

A new thing we did today was use the computer lab for grammar too. I am still a little lost here in both Ekamai and Bangkok, so it was amusing to me to find that I had no idea when I took the stairs and my class and Ma'am Lauryn's class all piled into the elevator where was I going? Who knows.

I was going to take a nap after class but decided to wander around and grade papers outside of the school grounds. I am still not use to the sun going down so soon but I have to remember I am on the equator.