And it is finally time to start the term. No more holidays, no more lazy afternoons basking under my mango tree. No more going to get my hair washed (a two hour process, including massage...) every other days. My birthday came and passed with a small wimper of a bang. I can sure wait a whole more year to go through that again.

We have a new kindergarten staff which I have to train and show the ropes to this week, including a halloween party and scheduling difficulties.

Somehow, before school has even started, I am looking forward to the New Year's break. I have visions of long days dancing in my head, and I know that in a week I am going to feel as run down as before.

We shall see what the future holds.

i'm boring.

I suppose I have neglected my blog for a while. But the thing is, nothing is new.

I am working summer school, searching for a new teacher, which seems to be an impossible task, seeing as the website we use and have been using to find teachers for years is now charging an arm and a leg to post ads and view resumes (www.ajarn.com) ... and there is no room in the budget for that. I spend my days trying to find other free websites to find new teachers.

I spend most afternoons in the beauty salon at the end of my street as the air conditioning is free and I like the people in there. Rin and I can sometimes sit in there for hours on end, playing with the kids and watching old movies...and no one minds! I feel like I am in a barbershop in Harlem.

I am having a party this weekend....

And that's it! School starts next week, I am excited beyond belief to see all the kids back here in uniform and ready to learn!

I am happy to be back in Thailand, and I am back just in time to see all of Bangkok flood. Fun fun fun! I stil hate rice, can't seem to drink milk and spent the weekend being sicker than a dog... getting used to the food again.

But all in all, I am happy to be back in this hotter than hell city...back into the swing of things.

back on Thai soil...

After one of the longest freaking journeys I have ever had in freezing cold weather with rude Americans and paying for this and that and this and that, I have arrived back in Bangkok with some severe jet-lag and confusion. (Still trying to figure out what time it is, where I am, etc...)

It was lovely to be home. So nice to see everyone. I miss my family so much. More to be written once I am in a better state of mind (ie, conscious).

Trying to hire two new teachers before next week, which should be interesting, given my present state of affairs.

comparisons

I have been thinking about the differences between the East and the West. In particular, the differences between where I lived in the West, and where I now live in the East. I think this calls for a bit of photographic dialogue.

This is where I had lunch, yesterday, in Burlington, Vermont. It was lovely.

This is the typical Bangkok eating arrangement. Not quite as lovely, usually accompanied by some sort of critter running over your toes and a lot of sweating, but enjoyable, nonetheless.

A typical evening in Bangkok usually involves some sort of traffic, road rage and long and drawn out taxi ride breathing in fumes that could kill small children. Something like this.

A usual day in Vermont involves driving and waving at every car that passes, as you usually know someone in the car. Here is downtown Woodstock. I think I can count about four cars.

The sights in Vermont...

And the sights in Bangkok...

And I think you get the idea. The thing is, somehow, things seem to make more sense in Thailand than they do here sometimes.

A few reflections while I am on this side of the pond. I head back in four more days.

Thai 411

Being home and now the official local expert on Thailand, I realized I have been feeling people a bunch of crap. People ask me all these questions about the date of this, and the significance of that, and HELL people, there is a lot to know! I didn't take a history and culture class on Thailand, I only know what I have learned over the past few years. People want to know which temple is this, and what year was it built, and how many accidents a year there are in Bangkok, and what the law about helmets is, and the discounts during the rainy season in resorts in the South, and the architecture style of the buildings in Phuket, and was Thailand ever colonized and how many dialects of Thai are there, and is Loas safe, and are Burmese girls easy...The list goes on for freaking ever. And so, I will answer some of these questions to the best of my ability, as I have been giving wrong answers for a week now. (This morning I told my best friend's boyfriend that the population of Bangkok is 66 million, which upon checking, is actually only 9 million. Sixty-six million is the whole population of Thailand. Slight mistake.

So, to clear a few things.

Question: "What's the population again?"

My original answer: "66 million. In Bangkok alone."

Real Answer: The population of Bangkok is about 10 million people. This is a lot. More than Vermont. The population of New York City is about 8 million (based on a 2005 estimate). The square mileage of New York city is 309 miles. The square mileage of Bangkok is 604 square miles. So I guess New York is a lot more crowded, but I find that hard to believe. Very hard to believe. In fact, I don't. The internet is crap. The population of Thailand, on the other hand, is about 61 million. (Not 66 like I said above...SEE...I am full of lies.) The population of Canada is about 32 million. Thailand is the size of Texas. Canada is the size of, well...Canada. The population of Toronto is about 2 million people. The population of the United States is over 300 million. Holy shit. That's a lot of Americans. And by the way, the population of the world is about 6.6 billion. Man, imagine if we all had blogs?


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Question: "What's the year in Thailand again?"

My original answer: 2549

Follow-up question: "Why?"

My follow-up answer: blank stare

Real Answer: The Suriyakati or Thai solar calendar (Thai: สุริยคติ) is the official and prevalent calendar in Thailand, although the Western calendar is sometimes used in business. The only difference between the western and the Thai calendar is the year counting.
The months and days of the week are the same as those used in the western Gregorian calendar, only their names differ. The year, however, is counted from the Buddhist Era (B.E.), which is 543 years earlier than the Christian Era (A.D.). For example, 2005 A.D. is equivalent to 2548 B.E. The era is based on the passing away (Parinibbana) of Gautama Buddha, which is dated to 543 BC by the Thai. (It is important to remember that only from January 1, 1941 onwards does this 543 addition/subtraction rule work perfectly. See below)
Until 1888 Thailand used a lunar calendar, in which the date of the New Year (Songkran) was between April 13 and 15. The new calendar, decreed by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), was called Ratana Kosindra Sok, and was nearly identical with the western Gregorian calendar. Year counting, however, was in reference of the date of the founding of Bangkok (Ratana Kosindra), April 6, 1782 (the first day of Year 1 Ratana Kosindra Era). King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) changed the year counting to Buddhist Era in 1912 and fixed the start of a year to April 1.
In 1941 (2484 B.E.), per decree by Prime Minister Phibunsongkhram, January 1 became the official start of a new year (so year 2483 B.E. had only nine months). When converting a date prior to that year, one should check whether it falls between January 1 and March 31: if so the number to add or subtract is 542, not 543.
Today, both New Year's Day (January 1) and Songkran (April 13-15) are public holidays. The buddhist feasts are still calculated according to the lunar calendar, so their dates change in the solar calendar every year. Months with 30 days end with -yon (-ยน), and the months with 31 days end with -khom (-คม).

Thanks Wikipedia. You rock.

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Question: "How long ago was Ayutthaya the capital of Thailand, and why isn't it anymore?"

My original answer: "A long time ago. Because Bangkok has a River." (I made this up.)

Real answer: One of the golden eras of Thai history was during the period from 1350 to 1767 when Ayutthaya was the capital. The former capital was founded in 1350 by King Uthong, later crowned King Ramathibodi I, who led his men from U Thong where there was an outburst of cholera. The city was named for Ayutthaya, the home of Rama in the Indian epic Ramayana which means "Undefeatable". In fact, Ayutthaya was a thriving town before it was founded as the Thai capital by King Uthong. Before the arrival of the invading Thais, the area was occupied by the Khmers or Cambodians who ruled Lavo or Lopburi. The city was situated on an island which was the confluence of three rivers, the Chao Phraya, the Pa sak and the Lopburi. Thus, it was the centre of trade and communications.

Ayutthaya remained the Thai capital for 417 years and was reigned by 33 kings of five Siamese dynasties until it was conquered by the Burmese. The defeated capital was left in the jungle for over a hundred years when it was wrested out of the jungle again. Ayutthaya is 85 kms north of Bangkok and is accessible by road, river and railway. Magnificent ruins of principal temple and palaces of the old capital still remain to give a clue to the city's former glory.

Why did it move? I don't know. Closer to the gulf? Not as many lizards? Your guess is as good as mine.

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Original Question: "Are Burmese girls easy?"

My original and final answer: "I don't know. Why don't you go find out?"



And that's all the info I'm giving for today. Hey, people, want to know the ins and outs?! Come and see me and find out for yourself!

And I have finally arrived! I am back on this side of the pond, and I have a few quick observations.

My blood temperature has obviously dropped, as I spend most of the day shivering and chattering my teeth. My father refuses to turn on the heat, meanwhile I am going into hypothermic shock.

I am allergic to milk, and all milk products, making the food aspect of coming home quite unimpressive. I drink milk, feel sick. Eat cheese, feel sick. Chocolate, feel sick. Sour cream on baked potatoes, yup...Sick. My mother bought me soy milk, but I can't seem to find any soy brownies hanging around. That will be my mission for today. Curse the Thai diet for not having any milk in it. I am so disappointed by this.



The United States of America is the most expensive country I have ever encountered in my life. Even though there are huge sales making some things like English books and underwear cheaper here, I cannot get over the fact that I was asked to pay $5.12 for a grande latte at JFK airport on Saturday. I almost got on the next plane to Thailand. On my way to work in Thailand, I can buy a 'bag' of coffee (they pour it into a bag instead of a cup) for 10 baht. Yup, less than a quarter. The prices of things aren't sitting well with me.

Aside from the culture shock, life is good. I am so happy to see my family and sleep with duvets and be able to drive (well, I am thinking about driving today...) and understanding the language, and generally get things a lot more. And there are driers! My clothes smell so good! But I am still missing Thailand, with all its flaws. And am certainly missing Rin. I have been home a little over 48 hours and I think we have talked about 8 times already. Going to be an expensive phone bill!

My little brother is skipping school and taking me to go shopping today for things like underwear and bras, like every little brother wants to do.

Will check in soon....