Exhibition Day at School (2-25)

Sunday morning Khun Dakom called to invite me to go with them to Wat Hua Don. I knew they were staying at Khun Kwan’s house for the weekend, as Kru Oy was in Chiang Mai, and I was thinking about calling and inviting them to lunch. But going to the wat was just as good. Even better, as I didn’t have to prepare lunch. Of course, I was given plenty of advanced notice: He said they’d pick me up in 20 minutes.

The first stop was Khun Somlan’s house for breakfast. I learned that the housewarming for the house he’s having built for his mother has been delayed till March, since the house isn’t finished yet. At breakfast, 9:30, I was told that we would have lunch at the wat. I wondered what the occasion was, since the feeding of the monks is usually early for breakfast. Khun Toy couldn’t answer my question; so I waited. Another car with some relatives and Khun Dakom’s mother (age 85) also arrived when we did. They got out pans and food to make Korean barbecue, and the monks started cooking their meal. The women also started cooking for the rest of us. The group was only the people who came in our two cars. I guess they had arranged to feed the monks that day. After a short time, at 11:00, I was told to eat lunch. I decided to walk around the forest first, as I wasn’t ready to eat again yet. And I do enjoy the forest.

After lunch we walked to the old temple so everyone could see the new roof that is being put over the foundation. Khun Dakom’s mother went along. I marveled at how strong she is now—walking and chatting. She really looks good. I remembered the first times I saw her when she was not well and could hardly sit up for more than a few minutes. She was so frail that it didn’t seem like she’d live much longer. And here she is. She recently returned from visiting the son in Chiang Mai.

In addition to the new roof, the wat has two other changes since I was last there. The first one I noticed was the addition of a green jade Buddha on the altar. Then I noticed that there is a new building beside the main one. Later Phra Tong took us in to see the new library.

This was the first time I’d been to the wat since I moved. When they go from the village, it’s out of the way to pick me up and bring me home. I have missed going there, as it is one of my special places here. So I was really happy for the opportunity to be able to go again. It was really good to be out of the city and to walk among the trees. And to see Phra Tong. And to hang out with my good friends.

And I got to see them again on Friday and Saturday. After school Friday, Khun Dakom called to tell me to walk to Khun Somlan’s house for a housewarming. I was surprised, as he had told me it would be on 4 March. I was tired and hot at the end of the day, but there’s nothing like a call from a good friend saying to come for dinner to lift the spirits. And then a student’s mother picked me up and drove me to Khun Somlan’s house, which was an added treat on the very hot day.

When I arrived, I learned that this was the moving in ceremony and the house blessing will be on the 4^th. He has had a beautiful house built in back of their house for his mother-in-law (age 93).

 Friday they moved her things from their house into the new house. People carried items and we walked around the house three times. Then we put the items into the appropriate room: water and some food in the kitchen, pillows and altar items in the bedroom. 

There was a bowl full of flower petals and coins that were spread on her bed. Then she lay down for a few minutes. Afterwards, the two young boys were told they could search for coins, and they were happy that they found a handful each. Then we all ate dinner.

Khun Dakom told me that we would make our bi-monthly trip to the hospital on Saturday, as the scheduled date is on the 4^th and we’ll be at the housewarming. I was surprised to see that he stopped drinking around 7:00. He sat next to me and said he stopped drinking because he had to have his blood checked on Saturday. He also went home early, as he wasn’t drinking with his buddies.

Saturday morning we arrived at the hospital at 7:20 and had our blood taken half an hour later. We then ate breakfast and waited to see the doctor. It was noon before our numbers came up. It was a new doctor again, but she said next time I will see the one I saw in December. Next we waited to pick up our meds, as we finally left at 1:30. Then it was time for our reward: lunch at the Chinese duck soup restaurant, which is always a treat.

Khun Dakom told me that Khun Yindee had reported that I plan to teach in Vietnam. When I explained that I will do that for two or three months and return here in September, Khun Toy was very happy. That confirmed again that it is important for them that I be here, and I’m really glad that I will be. I wondered if they had thought I would be teaching and would not return. What I’m actually doing is keeping busy until September so I can be here for her retirement.

Friday was exhibition day at school, so no classes. There were exhibits and activities most of the day. 

The opening ceremony included a few dances, as usual. 

Then everyone walked around the exhibits. Several were selling food students had made. The math department was selling the geometric balls students had been making for two weeks. I don’t think many were sold. The science department had students doing science “tricks.” The English department sold sandwiches made to order. They also had a booth where students could shake a stick out and identify the flag of an ASEAN country and/or read the word for greeting in that language. Kate and Lovely worked there. When I went to relieve them, they said they wanted to stay. So I hung out in the office for half of the day. My interest level in these exhibitions is about three hours. I went back down and walked around and asked if I could help a few times and went down for the closing ceremony.

At the end of the day, Khun Toom gave me the schedule for exams. I’d been trying to get it all week so I would know what classes I have to teach next week. It turns out that they’ve moved exams again and everyone will take them on the same days; so I have to teach all the classes Monday to Thursday. I’m done teaching and the students are done learning. So I’ll review yet again and basically give them the exam questions to study for those who bother to study in or out of class. I do what I can to help them.

When I was walking home Thursday evening, my eye was caught by what looked like me. It is me. I’m featured on the new banner advertisement for the school. There’s one on each corner. Two weeks ago I was called out of class to have my photo taken in the Sound Lab. I had no idea what it was for, but it was urgent, as Sister Viphaporn wanted me there “now.” The banner focuses on the Sound Lab with a picture of me teaching and students listening. I suppose they are advertising their Sound Lab and native speaker teacher at the same time to appeal to potential parents to enroll their students next year.

The weather cooled down early in the week. I had to get the comforter out again for two nights and wear a jacket to school two mornings. But it’s back to being hot—near 100 degrees—again. The fan stays on all day and night these days. It is time for the hot season to begin, and it’s here.

Happy Valentine's Day (2-16)

Life has been pretty quiet recently. A few highlights.

Monday morning Kru Tang was very excited to tell me that the school is a champion in Hero Mission. I had a vague memory of hearing about this project before and Kate confirmed it: Hero Mission is a Facebook contest. Kru Tang had asked me to vote, but I was not able to do it. Nine teachers at the school won and will go to Bangkok next week for some special recognition. At the school, each of the nine teachers was given a framed certificate and an artificial bouquet during the morning assembly.

Tuesday was a big day: Valentine’s Day. It was also Lovely’s birthday. Students had been making cards for the occasion all last week. Tuesday morning three of my 7^th grade students came to the office and gave Lovely candy and an artificial bouquet for Valentine’s Day and her birthday. I jokingly asked why my students were giving her gifts and not me, their teacher. When the students left, Lovely explained that they try to talk to her when she is tutoring in the garden after school, and she had told them it would be her birthday. She is also much younger than I. A few minutes later the students returned with a rose for me. I felt a little bad for having shamed them into giving me something, but it was very sweet of them to do that.

During the day I was given small candies by several of the 7^th grade students. On Monday I had told them that in America people give chocolate on Valentine’s Day and I wanted chocolate. One girl who often gives me little candies gave me a Hershey’s nugget bar. It was really sweet of her to listened and acted on what I said. A few of the other students gave me little flowers in an envelope with a couple candies. The 8^th grade girls gave me a bunch of sunflower seeds in the shells. That may have been because they were eating them when I walked to check on them; so they gave me some.

Since it was Lovely’s birthday, she invited us to their house for dinner. When I arrived at 7:30, she was cooking and there was a lot more cooking to be done. We snacked on the fried chicken bits she was cooking while she and a few friends cooked more chicken, pork, fish, and hot dogs. While they cooked, we listened to Carpenter’s music, which all of them grew up with because their mothers and grandmothers love it. It was fun to hear it again. We sat down to eat at 9:00. Lovely had also made chicken in a Filipino sauce. It was quite tasty. One of her friends brought two big pans of brownies. She sent some home with Tony and me. It was a pleasant evening.

It’s officially hot. Temperatures have been around 35 degrees C, which is close to 100 degrees F. Hot.

One of the 7^th grade boys has been helping me after class, carrying my bag to the office for me. On the way, he chats a bit to use questions he has learned from an English book he studies when he finishes his work. And probably other times, too. It’s nice that he now feels comfortable trying out his new English questions and tries to respond when I ask him the question.

Hanging Out with Friends (2-5)

It’s been a pretty quiet two weeks. Last Saturday I had a personal care day. It started with a hair cut at 9:00, which I had arranged on Friday. Because it was Saturday and I had time and needed to get the little pieces off my head, I also had it shampooed after the cut. A shampoo includes a vigorous scalp massage that was quite nice. Then I headed for a massage. I stopped at the place on the main road I’ve seen, but the door opened into a long hallway. I think the doors in the hall may have been for massage rooms, but no one was visible and it felt strange; so I went to the mall to patronize the massage place I’ve seen there. There was a one-hour wait, which was not a problem. After having a pad Thai lunch, which was also on my agenda for the day, I had a foot (up to the knee) massage. It was wonderful. It also took care of the small shoulder ache I’d had for a few days. Cost of haircut and massage: 280 bahts (about $9)

Sunday morning Khun Toy called to invite me to go with them to visit her brother in the hospital. I quickly agreed. The week before she had invited me, but I had misunderstood where they were going and thought they were going to Udon, which is about five hours away, not Det Udam, which is only an hour away. (I was tired and ready to go home and have some alone time when she asked me, and my understanding of Thai is worse than usual in such circumstances.) We laughed about that. I’m sure I’ll hear about it again. After she called, I quickly ate breakfast, as they were about twenty minutes from Ubon. Our first stop turned out to be Khun Kwan’s house, where we ate breakfast—again for me—and changed vehicles so Khun Oy could drive us to Det Udam. Khun Kwan was wearing a dress, which I’d not seen her do before and was not going with us. When I asked what she was going, I learned that she is going to weekend classes to get a Master’s degree. We dropped her off at the university on the way.

After visiting Khun Toy’s brother, which included taking him home from the hospital and hanging out a bit, we returned to Ubon and had lunch at Khun Somlan’s house. On the way there, we stopped at the market and bought fish and shrimp. When we arrived at the house, we had a cooking party. Khun Toy, Bitoy, and I cleaned the shrimp. Then it was decided that I would do the frying while Bitoy arranged the fried shrimp on the plates. The men made a delicious fish soup. In half an hour, lunch was ready. It was fun to help with the preparations, which I don’t often get to do.

This Saturday was Khun Dakom’s 65^th birthday. He had planned to have dinner together but changed it to lunch, partly so I would not have to cancel my students. It was a small group consisting of Khu Kwan’s family and the usual group of good friends—me, Khun Suwit and Khun Teamjan, Khun Somlan and Khun Toy, and another good friend I’ve seen a few times. Khun Oy picked up Khun Kwan at the university so she could join us. She was wearing a dress again. I guess students in her class really dress up, unlike those in the U.S. We ate at a fancy Chinese restaurant in their small room. The room has a big TV on which the men watched Thai boxing. 

We had eight different foods: a crab dish, spicy soup, spicy chicken claw skin salad, fried fish sausage, mushrooms, a special duck dish, fried rice, and a special mixture in a “bird’s nest.” The latter was delicious and had cashews, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and Chinese fruits. 

The duck dish was also a special one I’d not seen before. It came as a deep fried mass with a layer of duck on the bottom and a mixture of rice and other white foods on the top. The mushrooms and duck were chosen for me. Khun Dakom had me look at the pictures and pick out what I wanted. I chose the mushrooms and said duck would be good.

School is winding down. Only one month of classes left before final exams in early March. Most of the students are done trying to learn. Attendance in 8^th grade is down, and many of those who are there aren’t even trying any more. Now instead of copying their friends’ work they hand in blank papers. Even a few of the better students have stopped doing their best. Khun Toom told me that her 6^th grade students, whom I have for math, have stopped studying and just want to talk about their futures and write in their friendship books. They’re still doing the work for me so far. 7^th grade is still doing OK. I’ve actually noticed that a couple of the students who used to copy everything are starting to try to do the work themselves. One boy has even asked for help a few times to make sure he knows what to do. This was a nice surprise.

I remain content with my decision not to stay here another year. There have been days or moments (usually after a few good lessons, which does happen) when I think that I could teach here again and it would be easier because the students are used to me now. But I know the overall situation will not change much. The good 7^th grade class will probably be divided into two classes. They are really two classes but are together because there aren’t enough students for the school to have two classes this year. But the school will take in new students for 8^th grade, and the new students will be mostly those who have had problems or failed at other schools. (That happened this year, and many of the new students are the ones who are big problems in the 8^th grade classes.) This will, of course, change the dynamics of the “good” class. I’m just not interested in dealing with that. Last week they changed the students’ seats so they are now separated into the two classes, one on each side of the room. I wondered if this is in preparation for dividing them into two separate classes next year.

I will miss some of the 7^th grade students, though, as they’ve been a good class and they have become “mine.” It helps that Bank  tells them to be quiet sometimes and translates when I tell them how “bad” they are being. It has also been good because I teach them English four hours a week instead of two because the school didn’t have enough English teachers to assign a Thai teacher to teach the class. This gives them a consistent English program instead of having one program with me for two days and a different one with the Thai teacher for two days. So they have really made progress and learned what I’ve taught.