Advertisement
Published: July 13th 2010
Some of my students!
I love it when they can relax and joke around with me.Wow, I didn't realize that the last time I posted a blog was so long ago. I had only been in Tak for 10 days! Well, I'm doing things differently now. Shakin' this whole blog thing up. The days have certainly turned into weeks, which have ultimately blended into a type of fruit smoothie of months. The kind that explodes with so many flavors that you are quite possibly tasting a little piece of heaven...you just don't know what pieces those might be once all are blended together. That's what my life is like here. I ask you, how would you summarize your lives? The interactions, food, work, play? It's hard. Try to remember what you had for lunch last Tuesday. And three weekends ago, what did you do? Most of the time I can't recall what I ate for dinner the night before the last. Because of this, and the fact that I do actually want to connect, share and remember my experiences here, I've decided to write an entry once a week. It will highlight my experiences every Monday to Sunday. My hope is that in doing this I'll create a virtual diary, illustrated with colorful pictures and, as
Power Line Antics
How do they survive? time goes on, poignant, expressive explanations of my journey here. My life. That's what this really comes down to.
This past week was the experimental phase. I decided to photograph the three main meals that I ate each day. In one of my countless trips to the downtown Powell's store in Portland, the largest used and new bookstore in the world, I stumbled upon a book that struck me. I didn't buy it, I don't remember who wrote it, but the intrigue and resulting self-reflection it brought about are still with me. For an entire year this dude photographed everything he ate. I stood there flipping the pages of his book as if it were an illustrated moving storybook. When I was a vegan training for traithlons I was meticulous about what I put in my body. I cooked almost every meal, experimented with making energy bars and could tell you the fat, protein and carb breakdown of the plate of food in front of me. Now, not so much. Since it's cheaper, and quite frankly tastes better, to eat from the food stalls here I rarely cook. It was interesting to look back at what I did really
Morning Market
Since the river is near, there's always a ton of fish. eat!
Just so we're all on the same page here let me tell you a bit about what I do. Well, the activity that consumes most of my days is teaching. I teach a variety of math and science classes to kids of varying ages (middle and high school) at a public school. The next question I normally get is, "Do you teach them in English?" Yes, in English. And yes, some of them understand a majority of basic English...and others, well we spent our first lesson together learning how to write their names in English. What this really means is that something, everyday, happens that is totally unexpected. I know this happens to everyone! Mine just occurs in classrooms of 50 students, with whom I can barely communicate. Add this to what I said earlier and I just never know what will happen. So, along the way I'll write bits and pieces about life as I experience it.
Monday was awesome! Up to the point where I lost my office keys, got pulled over by the highway police (for a 2nd time) and layed the motorbike down on the muddy dirt road leading to my house. I
Sweet Ladies
They sit here all morning and make tasty treats wrapped in banana leaves! walked everywhere the rest of the night. My solution to having a crappy evening, go eat incredible street food with Karen and James (the two other foreign teachers at the high school)! While we were sitting there one thing that kept popping up was if the morning market really does start at 3:30 am like we were told. I've yet to be there that early, so Tuesday am Karen and I arrived at 5:30 and it was in full swing. Maybe it does start that early! The whole 10 minute bike ride from Karen's house to the market was surreal. People lined the streets giving food and water to the local monks who were collecting alms. My senses were just getting warmed up for the treats that would greet me at the market. At least once a week I go to a market for this very reason. Morning, afternoon, evening, flower, vegetable, traveling...they're all different and tantalizing! I still don't know what some of the giant insects are that they sell here. Skewered rats and frogs are recognizable regardless of what country you're in! This particular morning I was waiting at the edge of the market, taking it all in
Biking home from the market
Early rays of light in the temple and waiting for Karen to catch up. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed an old monk hobbling toward me. The vendor I was perched up against sold steamed rice and coconut milk cakes. A gentleman of perhaps 60 was buying some of those and as soon as he turned into the street he stopped dead in his tracks. Seeing the approaching monk, he quickly waied and calmly didn't move another inch. When the monk was in front of him (and me) the man placed the cakes in the monk's collection bag, held a wai at his forehead and squatted down to receive what I can only imagine was a thankful blessing. This lasted perhaps two minutes and the whole time I was wishing that I had some secret spy recorder. Over the weekend I actually saw a monk smoking a cigarette. This was a first for me! I'm starting to relax around them now that after several months I've started to see their human side. I'm not Bhuddist. I'm not anything really. But, I do have a deeply profound respect for monks. The first time one spoke to me was at the Laos border two months ago.
What the...
I did not pose for this photo, it's my true expression of what cooked, congealed chicken blood tastes like. It's in so many dishes that I got tired of picking it out. Actually, that's the only one I've talked to, but anyway I was nervous the ENTIRE time. The kind of nervous that's generally reserved for intense presentations. Since that interaction I've seen them talking on phones, texting and watching you tube videos. Oh my god, they are people, just like me!
Speaking of presentations, Wednesday morning was my first official talk at the school morning assembly. I had great intentions of preparing my 5 minute talk. I didn't of course. After years of honing my informal teaching skills I tend to not worry about events like this. I gestured my way through a history lesson of me. It worked out perfectly. Nothing like making a fool of yourself in front of 2500 students! I just have to take a moment to talk about one of the greatest things about my 20 minute walk home from school. It's the small stand run by a woman named Yun. It's my oasis! Just as I'm about to be the first person in history to actually internally combust she saves me with a free glass of iced water. Every time I walk by she invites me to sit down with her in the shade.
Morning Talk
Do they really understand me? Whenever I do I meet the most interesting people. Thursday night it was Mr. Duang and his 6th wife. That night I learned about the rest of my life via a complicated numerical chart he drew in my diary.
All of a sudden Friday had arrived and that meant going to Bangkok. I scored a window seat on the bus AND the air conditioning was working, double bonus! My hope every time I board for that 7 hour trip is that those two things will happen. Bangkok and Tak are complete opposites. Naturally I don't need to point that out here. I love the dichotomy though. Friday morning I was dodging chickens, cursing the gravel roads for the pebbles in my shoes and standing in an oven of a classroom. Friday night I was dining on sumptuous vegetarian delights, listening to literary discourses among friends and downing mojitos at a bar. It's stunning how these two worlds are only 6 (or so) hours apart from each other. I don't want to paint the picture that Tak is a dilapidated, rural town, it's just not Bangkok. Yet for all the challenges of adjusting to living here, I love that the
closest thing to a grocery store is 7-11. I also love the whirlwind of the city too. One of my favorites is a Japanese owned, French style bakery with a Marilyn Monroe obsession. My past two Sautrday mornings have started here! This past Saturday my friends Mrigaa, Brooke, Kara and I fueled up on coffee and pastries and then headed to Chatuchak Market. It consists of over 8,000 vendors and covers an area of 35 acres. You seriuosly need to energize yourself for this place! I've seen everything from baby wallaby's to raptors to delicate handwoven clothing for sale here. After surviving another trip to the market it was off to a party that Mrigaa had organized at a local bar. I met such amazing people! That's one of the most precious things about traveling and finally setting up a home base. Having the time to meet people. I love it!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.052s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 10; qc: 24; dbt: 0.025s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Amy G
non-member comment
Miss Yun and so much Fun
Sabrina darlin' What a wonderful display of your journey we have before us. Keep it up sister. It is such a warm delight to learn about the people, food, and culture you are experiencing. It sounds like you are never coming home?