Journey to Peace Village

Last week I returned to Ha Noi. The children at Peace Village were very glad to see me and I'm going to work there as a volunteer once a week. I am also working for pay as an English teacher at American International College. Right now, I'm working with kids, anywhere from first grade through high school. They're quite challenging and take a lot of energy. I'm exhausted when I get done! I also visited my homestay family last week and they were very surprised and happy to see me! I'm going to have Easter dinner with them.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I've been having real technical problems in Ha Noi. I can't find a computer that will post my pictures this time and I've had a lot of problems even accessing this blog.

Labels: Ha Noi, Viet Nam

One of the amazing things about Sai Gon is the incredible mix of traditional Vietnamese culture and all kinds of imports from the West. Last week I paid a visit to "Diamond Plaza" I high end shopping mall in downtown. The first three levels were all high end stores with the latest from Calvin Klein, Gucci, etc., and at Western prices to boot.
The third level consisted of a KFC, Pizza Hut and the Diamond Bowling alley. Diamond Bowl is a center with arcade games, pool tables, and all the bowling you would ever want, even in Milwaukee. The crowd there is not exactly Joe Lunchbucket, either. I saw a young Vietnamese woman sporting jeans and tattoos completing strike after strike. Young men in Mohawks and avante garde shirts despaired their spares. All to the ever present beat of techno music and a bar serving carrot juice and mango margaritas. (Sorry about the poor quality of this photo)
Then to top off the night, I went to the Star marks cafe near my guesthouse. This place is part coffee house, part nightclub and cocktail lounge from the 60s. The coors light dance team was there, Vietnamese breakdancers who do upside down spins while wearing motobike helmets and break dance moves that would be a hit on mtv. They gave me a free beer and filmed me cheering on the dancers and told me I may be on a commericial on tv soon!

Labels: culture, Viet Nam, Viet Nam and the West

It felt terrific to step off the plane in Sai Gon. I've returned to Viet Nam. And what better way to kick off an introduction to this beautiful country than to give you a little taste of the Mekong river. The Mekong River is the 12th largest river in the world and is the agricultural and commercial heartland of Vietnam. Over 60 million people depend on the Mekong for their livelihood and their food. These include not only Vietnamese, but people in the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos.

To watch the video, copy and paste the address below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaG1ozVWoXs

Labels: Mekong, tourism, Viet Nam

I couldn't leave Thailand without paying a tribute to another unique feature found throughout the country. These are the "Spirit Houses." Thais normally put up a "Spirit House" when they establish a business or move into a home. This is a little house for poltergeist like spirits to live in. They also leave offerings of food and tea to make sure the spirits are comfortable and don't cause trouble.

Labels: religion and culture, Thailand

I have too many pictures of Wat Po and Thailand to put on just one blog entry, so I have to split them up. I'm including on this one a fascinating drawing I photographed on the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok. This, as far as I can guess, is a drawing of the key body points or "chakras" used in Traditional Thai massage and other healing techniques. Thai massage, as well as other parts of Thai culture, is heavily influenced by Indian culture. In Thai massage and healing, they incorporate many techniques and concepts from Yoga. It is interesting to note that for a time in the early twentieth century traditional Thai healing was outlawed as the country tried to modernize and Westernize. However, it is on the comeback now and some Western medical practitioners are trying to study the techniques to see what can be learned from these ancient healing practices.
To learn more about Thai massage go to:
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/ancient_thai_massage.html

Labels: medicine, religion and culture, Thailand

Well, it took me a while to get the pictures together but here is a little gallery of pics from the finishing days of my course in Phuket. I already miss the students! Slibcha, especially, who is featured in these photos. He is a terrific kid and very bright! He always is eager to learn and also to help the other students.
Right now I am in Saigon doing some school evaluations and good old fashioned tourism. It's a busy city but does have its charms. More about that later....

Labels: culture and society, TEFL, Thailand

Sunday I had a fantastic experience touring Bangkok by river. River boats are used extensively for both tours and for everyday transportation. I even found myself in a "boatjam" hull to hull with a half dozen boats waiting to go through the many locks set up to control traffic on the waterway.

Still, it's a relaxing way to see the city. Many temples were built along the riverbank, and the Grand Palace, which was the former home of Thailand's king, is also accessible via boat. Many businesses such as restaurants and coffeeshops are set up with docks to lure the hungry tourist. And there are many homes built along the riverbank, everything from modern looking ranch style to dilapidated shacks made of corrugated metal.

The river itself is nothing to brag about. It is heavily polluted. But the sights along the banks make it a treat!

Labels: Bangkok, culture and society, Thailand, tourism

Yesterday I paid a visit to Wat Pho, also known as "The Reclining Buddha." Located in the heart of Bangkok, Wat Pho is one of those "must sees." The image of the reclining Buddha is a city block long and symbolizes the passing of the Buddha into Nirhvana. The feet are inlaid with mother of pearl and inscribed with 108 characteristics of the true Buddha.

Wat Pho is site of the first university in Thailand and is still a center of learning. As I tooled around the large grounds I saw people in a classroom studying and also noted many galleries and libraries with old manuscripts.

It is also a center of Thai Massage. Thai Massage utilizes a variety of techniques familiar in other styles of massage, along with some chiropractic type manuevers. It is not just a gentle massage, so be forewarned! In fact, I went to the spa at the hotel. I didn't get the Thai massage but a more generic type and the masseuse still did some of the limb and digit type stretches. But I did feel better afterward!

Labels: Bangkok, Buddhism, religion and culture, Thailand

I flew into Bangkok last night and am already regretting I only have two days in this beautiful, but congested city. This morning I attended a cooking class at the Silom Cooking school. Our teacher, Nusi, is an experienced Thai chef and helped us pick out the ingredients at a "wet market"--basically just a big open air market where you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood and meat. Then we returned to his school to prepare the foods and various sauces by hand using small machetes and a large mortar and pestle. My classmates were two Austrailians, and a chef from Israel who has been travelling in India and Thailand to create new recipes for his business in Tel Aviv.
The experience was full of vibrant colors, fragrant smells and delicious food. There are many varieties of rice, corriander, basil and ginger that unfamiliar to the Westerners but easily and cheaply available in Thai markets. Nusi ran us through our paces with everything from creating curries to the proper way to shell prawns for an exquisite soup. It was an experience that my taste buds will be demanding for years to come.
Then in the afternoon I hopped on a Thai bus and headed for Lord knows where. I had a terrific tour of parts of Bangkok on a crowded bus with all the windows popped open because there is no air conditioning. I just enjoyed the sights and jumped off at a stop near the elephant pictured above. It's right near a large technical university. As I type this, I'm in an internet cafe surrounded by kids and young people playing shoot em up and monster fighting games. I don't know where I am exactly, but fortunately, Thai taxis are easy to get from anywhere and relatively cheap, so I should be able to venture back to the hotel.

Labels: Bangkok, culture and society, Thai food, Thailand

It's hard for me as an American to understand the Thai people's devotion to their king. His image is ever present in Thailand. Most homes and businesses have at least one picture of the king prominently displayed. Criticism of the Monarch, King Bhumibol, is punishable by jail time. Anything which impinges the dignity of the king is also strongly rejected. In fact, the musical "The King and I" is banned in Thailand because it treats the king too lightly and comically. He and his wife Queen Sirikit have four children and are considered the pinnacle of Thai society.
Instead of being a distant and detached figure in the manner of many Western monarchs, the King is looked on as a father figure by the Thai people. To criticize the king is seen as an insult not only to him, but also to an integral part of any Thai person. It is much the same as it would be to insult Jesus to a Christian. The figure of the king has become a part of what every Thai person idealizes as the best part of themselves.
King Bhuminbol for his part, has ties to the U.S., being born in Massachusetts when his father was studying medicine at Harvard University. His father worked tirelessly to improve and modernize health care in Thailand. King Bhuminbol and his family have themselves been involved in many projects to improve life for the poor and disenfranchised in Thai society. This is another reason why he is so beloved by the Thai people.
It is also interesting to note that King Bhuminbol has reigned since 1946. He is longest monarch in the world and is the longest reigning king in the history of Thailand.
I bought a pin with a heart on it and Thai script. I didn't know what it said until the hotel manager, Khun Tipp translated it for me. It says "We love the King!" I wear it proudly now.
Long Live the King! Long Live the Thai people!

Labels: culture and society, Thai royalty, Thailand

I'm getting ready to graduate from my TEFL program here in Phuket. The program was pretty intensive and I feel proud of getting through it! I've worked with a lot of great students and found myself really enjoying teaching! The culture in Thailand is unique, but there are a few things to remind one of home, such as the holstein cow in front of a local restaurant!

So here are a few selected scenes of life here.

Labels: Phuket, Thailand, tourism

Not really. Or only up to a point. Over the past three weeks, I've learned more than I ever dreamt I would know or could know about tenses, conditionals and a host of cute infinitives, countable knowns... How passive is your voice? Pretty limp by the end of a three hour session in a room without aircon.

It all paid off today when I took the test and got a 97%! I even did pretty well with phoenetics, those funny little symbols that are meant to help one pronounce words but seem "all Greek" to me.

I feel like I've learned a lot in this class. And most of it is due to Greg, a self professed "Grammar Geek" who teaches the lessons with a lot of zest and a wealth of knowledge. Greg is a Jimmy Buffet style pirate of the English language who can split hairs with language and keep everyone on track with colorful examples and most of all, enthusiasm for words!

Labels: grammar, TEFL, Thailand

The vast majority of people in Thailand are Buddhists and the religion is an important part of the cultural fabric of life here. Today is a public holiday in Thailand-- Makabucha Day; it is the day that 1250 disciples of the Buddha gathered to listen to his first speech after enlightment. It is the day he outlined Dharma Buddhist religious teachings. There are big ceremonies at the temple tonight where people gather with candles and flowers to receive and give blessings.
I had an extraordinary experience as well today. I went to visit Wat Khun Chi, a small Buddhist temple near my residence. It started off as any visit as I cast admiring glances at the artwork and peacefulness of this island within the bustling town of Phuket. Then I heard a bell.
A bell ringing, sounding off clear and strong among the cackling roosters. I followed the sound to a path behind a small, ordinary looking building.
There were women in white there, looking very much like the sisters who educated me when I was growing up. I looked around and listened to the chanting coming from an upstairs room. A younger nun explained that they were praying and it would last for two hours. I was hesitant to go up the stairs. Would I be allowed in?
An older nun indicated a place to put my shoes and gestured me to go up. I ascended my stairs and gathered there were women of all ages, from teenagers to those in their nineties. Most sat on the floor with their legs tucked behind them, chanting. In the front was a shrine with a large statue of the Buddha, flanked by two statues of men on either side, draped in saffron gowns. The altar also had smaller statues of Buddhist saints leading horizontally to the big statue. It was actually a small chapel and there were about twenty nuns, novices and laypeople gathered there, along with two tabby cats who were sleeping at the entrance. I stayed for almost the entire service and it was quite calming and uplifting. At the end one of the nuns unwrapped several long planks of bamboo, which had some of the scriptures on them. Even though I couldn't understand a word, I felt myself in the presence of people of great faith and I was struck by the similarity to many of the Catholic rituals I have attended throughout my life.

Labels: Buddhism, Phuket, religion and culture, Thailand

I have a regular place to eat in the mornings where I have a good Thai breakfast of rice. tea, small pieces of bread and coffee. This place is also a regular breakfast spot for a contingent of about eight officers from the Phuket Police Department. They buy me breakfast on a regular basis and we exchange words in both Thai and English. Today I told them about Wisconsin and pulled out a scarf that was my mother's. It has all the major cities in Wisconsin along with recreational activities such as fishing and skiing. Despite a wind that rippled through the scarf, I was able to point out Milwaukee in southeastern Wisconsin.

If things fall through with a job in Viet Nam I perhaps can work as a translator for the Phuket Police department. They did very well understand when I said they were Phuket's Finest. I then said the best, and they nodded heartily saying "Yes, yes we are the best!"

Labels: culture, Phuket, Thailand, Wisconsin