Oops. Wrong Order.

A funny thing happened when I was trying to learn to speak Thai. I tried to order one of my favorite Thai dishes, and it came out all wrong. I wanted to order Pad Khee Mao. Instead I said Pad Khee Moo. There is a big difference. The latter means-- well how I can I put this delicately--- pig s***. Oops. Of course this caused the restaurant owners to crack up. My Thai friends who were dining with me were hysterical as well. One of them told me what I had said. I was just trying to make sure that I was ordering pork which is moo in Thai. The correct way to say what I wanted would have been Pad Khee Mao Sai Moo. Obviously, I can't just make those kinds of substitutions. I'm glad they didn't give me what I asked for.

I went to the Grand Palace on Saturday. I almost don't want to post pictures of it because I really think you just have to go see it yourself to appreciate it. There were many areas that I couldn't take pictures of because it is forbidden.

People are football (or soccer) crazy over here. Right now you may not be aware of it, but there is a huge soccer tournament going on called Euro 2004 in Portugal. Unfortunately the games are shown at very bad times over here. Thai time 11 pm. 1 am etc. I haven't watched any on school nights. But I've been reading about them in the papers. It's a big deal. There was a big game between France and England yesterday. France won 2-1. David Beckham missed a penalty kick. If I were in America, I don't know if I would even be aware of this going on. I'd probably be watching the NBA Finals. I haven't been able to watch any of those games, but I'm glad that the Lakers are trailing 3-1 to the Pistons.

Speaking of Thai sports... I really want to go to a Muay Thai match. Muay Thai is Thai kickboxing. You may have heard of the Jean Claude Van-Damme movie "The Kickboxer," which by the way was filmed in Thailand. I want to see a real match. Some argue Muay Thai is the best hand-to-hand combat martial arts in the world. I've gotta go see it myself. Later.

Buddhism in Thailand

I have taken lots of pictures of Buddhist shrines and religious rituals. It has been interesting to see another religion practiced so commonly. I have been inside Buddhist temples, and I was even sprayed by holy water from a Buddhist monk. I was just sitting with my Buddhist friends, and I got wet.

I have talked briefly with some of the Thai teachers about Buddhism and Christianity. I asked them questions and they've asked me some as well. Always simple questions. I asked, why do use lotus flowers? Buddhists believe lotus flowers help them pray. Why do monks wear orange? I still have no answer for this one. The woman I asked didn't know. What do you celebrate on the Day of Buddha? The day is doubly important. It marks the day of Buddha's birth and his death. They happened on different years on the same day. His death is also called his enlightenment, when he became the first enlightened person. Buddhists believe many others have become enlightened like he has. It is also interesting that Buddha lived and died about 500 years before Christ. The official year of the Buddhist calendar begins with him not Christ. No surprise there. I also noticed that Buddhists give a lot of money to the temples. They don't pass around the collection plate, but they give generously. This is admirable. It makes me wonder about why we pass around a collection plate in churches.

Hua Hin Jazz Festival

I went to the Hua Hin Jazz Festival this weekend. It was a lot of fun. Hua Hin is a beach near Bangkok. It takes about five hours on a bus to get there. The King actually lives there instead of Bangkok. We listened to bands and threw the Frisbee on the beach. The next day I took photos of a temple nearby. Lots of monks live there. No one spoke any English. I wish I could have asked them questions. My knowledge of the Thai language is very inadequate. The Thai language does not use Roman letters like the English alphabet does. I think it would be difficult to learn to read it.

Answers to Some of Your Questions

This post was written during my first year in Thailand:

You might be wondering how I write my blog.  It isn't always easy to update it. I use the computer lab almost everyday at school, but sometimes it is full. Other times I use the Internet cafes, but they are very slow. It takes about 30 minutes to send one email from them. The school computers are fast most of the time. At peak times they get really slow too, and one time the power went out in the lab. Fortunately, I had just sent my email.

Here are some answers to some of your questions. I don't have a roommate. My apartment is bigger than my dorm room was at Baylor. It has a bathroom, a patio, and air conditioning.

 At school, I haven't received any more teacher training in Thailand. I guess they just assume I can do the job. I was given lesson plans for the year. Basically, I teach whatever is in the textbook.  It is a British curriculum. I am also teaching my students the words for common classroom objects like desk, pencil, and "rubbish bin" instead of trash can. I'm also teaching them colors.

My students know how to greet me, but I'm convinced many of them don't fully understand what they're saying. Every day one of the students says, "Students stand up." Then they say,"Good morning teacher." And I reply, "Good morning, students. How are you?" They say, "I'm fine thank you." (That's the usual answer from almost every Thai person when I ask them, "How are you?" Even adults. No one ever taught them to say something like, "I'm having a rough day, but thanks for asking.")

I have managed to get most kids to turn in their work before class ends and the rest do it for homework. There are only a couple of kids who don't do any of it. It is surprising how much kids can learn from me when I don't know their language. I'll say a command in English just like I would if I was teaching a 2nd grade class in America. If they don't understand then I pantomime or gesture what I mean. I also draw pictures and write words on the board. I have about 20 to 25 students in each class. I teach three classes per day from morning until lunch. Each period lasts 50 minutes but no one is in a hurry to leave when class ends. My workday lasts from 8 am until about 4 pm. A van picks me up at 7 am. I will soon start tutoring kids after school. I don't know how much time that will be.

I still haven't got a cheap way to call home. I'll buy a mobile phone and a calling card soon.

I bought a guitar yesterday. It is a nice one. The brand is Fina, which I've never heard of before. I got the case and everything for it for 7,000 Baht or about $150. It might be nicer than the guitar I have at home which was $200 used from a pawn shop, and that doesn't include the case I got for it. Many things are cheap here.

I really enjoyed playing soccer. I didn't score any goals, but I assisted one. Our team lost 2-1. It was fun though. I was the most aggressive player on the field. When I pressured the ball the other team shouted Farang! Farang! Farang! Which means foreigner. I want to get a jersey that says farang on the back.

I love and miss y'all.