4 weeks

This week has been the fastest one yet!  Yesterday was the four week mark.. I have officially been in Thailand for four whole weeks!  I feel like it’s been so much longer, but four weeks is a good amount of time. I’m getting more settled into my new apartment but still need to completely finish unpacking my suitcase.  There isn’t as much drawer space here as my last place had so it is currently serving the role as another dresser drawer or two.  I did join the gym and have been going every day since, except for today.  There are some awesome classes offered and I did the abdominal one the other day.  It was intense but a ton of fun and included some hula hooping at the end.  There is a taekwondo class that I may look into, I never thought of martial arts being something for me but hey, I’m in Thailand!  And I heard you get a belt if you do the classes!  I am keeping busy, checking out new markets, and seeing new places.  I’m getting more into the school routine and teaching is getting a little better.  Although of course I miss home (so much!!), I am a lot less homesick than I was at my last place.  Being able to connect to the internet (AKA the outside world) whenever I want/need has been helpful in the homesickness, I think.  I am really liking it here. 

We are just finishing up our “Space and Sky” Theme.  We have made a solar system for our class and a sun with our classes handprints.  The kids seem really into the solar system and planets and LOVE when I have video clips from YouTube to show them about it.  They are still loving that planet song and request it on repeat everyday.. this song will probably remain stuck in my head until another annoying song comes around.  Next week’s theme is Thai Culture, which will be a learning experience for me too.. especially since I am teaching it.  I better start researching.

Highlight of the week: My mom sent me an AMAZING care package that I received today!  It was filled with some special candy requests, ritz cracker snacks, granola bars, chocolate covered pretzels, some clothes I forgot in the dryer (and a new pair of knee length shorts.. not exactly my style but more accepted here than my typical shorts I wear”), and some magazines feature Taylor Swift on the cover.  Thanks mom!

Here are some interesting facts about Thailand.. and my life here.

• Everyday, whenever the kindergarteners go somewhere (example: leave the classroom for the flag ceremony, leave the flag ceremony for the classroom, leave the classroom to go to the playground, leave the playground to go to the class, leave classroom for lunch, music class, sensory center, PE, swimming, computer class, home, everything!) the kindergarteners have a script.  Each week, there is a lady leader and a gentleman leader.  The kids get into two lines (ladies and gentlemen) and the leader is at the front.  It goes something like this.

Leader: Lady liiiiine

Ladies: UP!

Leader: Line, line, liiiiiine!

Ladies: Up, up, up!

Leader: Where are we going?

Ladies: We are goiiiiing to the (insert location.. ex flag ceremoooony)

Leader: Are you sure?

Ladies: Sure.

Leader: Are you ready?

Ladies: Yes, I am.

Leader: Lets go.

• Coming here, I knew there would be a language barrier.  I don’t speak a speck of Thai (now I can “Hello”, “Thank you”, and “I don’t want shrimp/crab/crustacean thingys” in reference to my Pad Thai).  I had no idea that I would resort to Spanish when someone has trouble understanding me.  When my student wasn’t sure where to write her name, I pointed to the line and said “aqui”.  Other words and phrases are always crossing my mind like pollo, come estas, and ahora.  It’s a little strange but very instinctual.  When I do spit out Spanish, I just get looks a notch above confused, bewildered perhaps.

• People purposely stay out of the sun or wear layers of clothes covering all their limbs and body even in the heat.  No, not to avoid skin cancer.. but to stay white.  Being dark is seen as being in the working class and having to work outside in the sun. Pale/white skin is a highly desired here.  It is a serious business.  There is whitener in almost all types of lotions and sunscreens (I had to hunt for some without it).  In my mind, it is almost like bleaching the skin to be lighter.  The kids at my school put some on their face everyday and you can find products to buy all over the mall.  Ideally, Thai people love westerners and find us beautiful because of our skin.  However, I am naturally not pale.  I haven’t sat in the sun since I left a month ago and I am about the shade of an average Thai person (a Thai compared her arm to mine one day and said “Same!”  She was a little surprised when I said I want to be darker.).  I do get a few complements sometimes about “being beautiful”, but not nearly as many as my friends with paler skin.  I plan on maintaining my tan because to be honest, I look better with a little color.  I could never pull off the vampire look and my skin can’t even get near that shade of pale.  Plus, I have to keep on representing California, and that is done with a tan.

• The current weather has been partly cloudy and in mid to high 70s.  This is Thailand Winter.  Kids and teachers come to school bundled in jackets and scarves and I show up in my knee length skirt and t-shirt.  There has been a time or two that I thought it was a little chilly, but never jacket weather.  Nevermind the fact I only brought one pair of jeans and one hoodie.  If this is winter, I am dreading summer weather.  It can’t be good.