This past week was Report Card Week. Our first semester grades and report cards were due, and I spent the majority of my in-between class time entering grades on my computer (PS: four years of college and I still have no clue how to use Excel) and giving students behavioral "comments" in the form of 4 (Always) 3 (Usually) 2 (Sometimes) and 1 (Never). But this week also involved a lot of self-inflicted self-evaluation, as I reflected on how I shaped up my first semester as an ajaan. Examples:
CP's Report Card
- Slightly partial to cuter kids and the girls who swoon, "Ajaan Caitlin BEEOOOTIFUL!": 4 Always
- Remembers to copy the correct number of worksheets for class: 3 Usually
- Can distinguish between students (in the same class) named Bank 1, Bank 2 and Bank 3: 2 Sometimes
- Sticks to original lesson plan: 1 Never
So, there's some room for improvement next term. I can definitely say, though, that while I'm looking forward to the upcoming three week vacation, I am by no means sick of teaching English. I still look forward to singing off-key "Good Morning" songs in Kindergarten, and I continue to get a kick out of 6th graders' English essays ("Americans in Thailand" by Ka-noon: Uncle Bob hates the hot weather. Sally not like spicy food ..."Save the Environment" by Cake: Don't throw away things that can digest in nature!).
I put away grading and report card-ing Saturday to enjoy the first weekend of the Nan Boat Races. For a week now, the whole length of the riverside near our apartment has been converted into a carnival-festival-street fair bonanza, with hoards of vendors selling random crafts, food, clothing, toys and fried insects. The four of us have visited the fair every day since it went up, and I've probably purchased at least one thing from every vendor there (save the fried cockroaches).
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| I'll pass on the insects, but gimme some meat on a stick! |
Things I've Purchased Lately That I Don't Need:
- A hula hoop
- Flats made out of rain boot material (just in time for the end of Rainy Season...)
- Exorbitant amounts of 10 baht noodles
- A 6th and 7th pair of cheap sunglasses
- Nine different versions of colorful cotton "Thai grandmother shirts" (they're soooo comfortableeee)
- A back scratcher
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| A glimpse at the races |
Needless to say, I spent a lot more time under the tents this past weekend than out watching the actual races. The bits I did see, though, were very exciting. Each neighborhood in Nan has their own racing team, and this weekends' races determined which heat they will compete in for the rest of the months' races (we think). The boats are huge - some 50-70 feet long - and they are painted in bright colors with elaborate dragon heads attached to the bow. And woooowee, they can go fast.
The fair has brought a fair number of out-of-towners to Nan city, including people who can only be described as Thai carnies. Traffic is crazy (since normally "traffic" doesn't exist here), and there is now a "shanty-town" set up along one of the roads near the riverside, where whole families appear to be living under a tarp in their trucks while they stay in the city. It might be nice to be getting out of Nan in the coming weeks...
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| The Carnies have landed |
I've been spending a lot more time with Lak, our Thai friend and resident Guide to Delicious Food in Nan. Lak was born and grew up in Nan, and befriends the PiA fellows - as well as a host of other Nan farang - each year. She is one of the friendliest and most charismatic people I've ever met... she is constantly smiling, seems to know everyone everywhere we go, loves to show us interesting sites and new restaurants in Nan (our inability to read Thai menus normally limits our choices), and can pack down a truly incredible amount of food given her tiny size. Lak's husband, Matt - also a very friendly and fun-to-be-around person - is American, and has lived in Thailand "too long to remember how long."
Friday night, Emily, Nicole and I got into an interesting discussion with Lak and Matt over a delicious northern-Isaan meal. Following a conversation about our upcoming trip to southern Thailand, and reminders to be safe and be wary of going out alone, Lak told us that she thought "80 percent of Thai men were bad." She explained that most of her friends and relatives have been in terrible relationships or marriages with Thai men - men who beat them, cheated on them, impregnated other women, and then refused to sign divorce papers for years. She said over and over that Thai men "want only to control their wives, to make them cook and iron clothes and stay at home," and that Thai men sober are very different than drunk.
Matt was quick to defend the Thai male population, pointing out the Lak's sister is dating "one of the nicest guys I know." Lak's comments, however, fascinated me. It is impossible to ignore the fact that nearly every non-tourist westerner here is a 40- or 50-something white man with a Thai girlfriend or wife half his age For months now, I have been admittedly judgmental of white men we've met in Thailand... Their relationships with Thai women always felt a little creepy, their reasons for staying abroad in Asia for so many years (or decades) seemed sketchy at best, and we'd heard countless stories about white men who were never-really-cool-back-home trying to re-invent themselves in land far far away. But Lak offered an entirely different perspective on this "foreign husband" phenomenon. It's a fact that once a woman has been married and divorced with kids, she is "damaged goods" to most Thai men. A western husband or boyfriend is an escape - a welcome relief - for someone who has been abused and abandoned in other relationships. Still, Lak's independent lifestyle and Matt's sincere adoration of her may be an exception to the rule... most Thai-Western couples we've met here feel just plain uncomfortable. (A recent NY Times article on the topic here).
Things that are coming soon:
- October vacation travel details
- Recent photos on Facebook
Thanks for the shout-out! I wanna hula hoop across Asia with you!
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