A month in review...

Dear Readers,

I can hardly believe that I have been here in Thailand for a month now. It feels like the days have simply flown by. During the past week, it has been quite difficult for me to update given the ever increasing preparation and grading for classes as well as my constantly fluctuating illnesses. My recent bout as of late has been with my asthma; in the US my asthma was confined to overexertion due to exercise or random problems with breathing. However, Bangkok's permeating pollution has made everyday breathing a task in itself. It got to the point where I woke up once in the middle of the night simply unable to catch my breath for what seemed like unbearable minutes. I went to the palace clinic a few days ago where I was given a cornucopia of medicine - 1. Ventolin Evohaler - contains 100 micrograms salbutamol 2. Symbicort Turbuhaler 3. NAC long Acetylcysteine4. Lolergy 5. Diphenyl Expectorant Syrup... the first day on the medications was wretched and I wondered if I had not made a worse decision in taking the meds than in simply suffering through. However, I have now been on the meds for 3 days and am happy to note that I am almost able to take a deep breath without chest pains or succumbing to a coughing fit.

After all this, the sicknesses and the craziness of Bangkok, a month into it I can say that it's one of the best decisions I think I have made. There are moments of extreme homesickness (more the loss of a general surrounding of friends and family rather than any particular home or city), but these are farther and fewer between. There is something to be learned about myself here in Bangkok and I do believe that I am beginning to see that. I think, for now, my greatest challenge to be learned here is to be still. Ever since I can remember, my life has been a series of tasks after the other. My time at Baylor was spent flitting from classes to jobs to meetings to social events on repeat 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It got to the point where the simple, few hours on a Sunday afternoon - when I did not have much to do - became unbearable to my restless spirit. This past semester I managed to juggle 19 upperclassmen hours, 2 jobs, friends, and a number of extracurricular commitments and eked out straight As. It was a great accomplishment, but...

I think I kept myself so busy because I did not know how to be me when no one else was around, when I wasn't teaching, or helping, or running around, or being the crazy Star that everyone was so familiar with. I lost track of the Star who used to be content to sit in a corner, with a good book, or a piece of paper and pen, and let her mind run free. I am finding her here again in Bangkok. Amid this bustling, crowded city, this chance to be farang (foreigner) is giving me another chance to find the familiar that is somewhere within me.

It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts. ~K.T. Jong

Back to School

Another day of school today. I'm actually glad that we are able to have school again because I was getting antsy having all of that free time to myself.

In other news, unfortunately, I am getting sick again. I think it is the combination of 4 years' worth of exhaustion, the terrible Bangkok humidity and pollution, and dejectedness.

In other other news, I have gotten to know some really great Thai people, Skip and Aey, Skip works for a hotel events company and Aey is a costume stylist who has her own clothing shop! Aey has so kindly invited me to the MTV2 party going on in BKK tonight, hosted by a client of hers, and I am really excited; perhaps I will even spy some celebs!

That's all for now and it's back to class. Have a good day everyone.

Protest Update

Given the time difference, most of you who are reading this are still asleep but I figured that I would give you on update on the situation. This was taken from the Bangkok Post online and was in the breaking news section:

Protesters pass last barricade, heading to Govt House

(BangkokPost.com) - Some 1,000 protesters were able to pass through police barricade at Misakawan intersection, the last blockade to reach the Government House at around 2pm Friday.

Hundreds of police were at the intersection while police trucks were left in the middle of the Phitsanulok Road to block protesters.

But protesters tried to overturn a police truck that block the way with bare hands. They were finally able to get through the trucks and march to the Government House, where other protesters were expected to join them

Furthermore,

Friday showdown: PAD v police

"If they try to break through using flag poles, baseball bats or other objects they will be regarded as using weapons... Police will take action according to international crowd control principles." - Pol Maj-Gen Surapol Thuanthong, deputy police spokesman

Police said on Thursday they will not allow protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy move to Government House or parliament on Friday.

The PAD said it would push forward with its plans to move its rally from the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge early on Friday afternoon, and defied the police to arrest its leaders.

Core PAD organiser Maj-Gen Chamlong said the group had every right to move to Government House, but promised no one would go inside - "even if gates may be open for us. Our aim is not to lay siege to Government House but to show our force,"

At Government House, a siege mentality set it. Non-essential workers were told to take Friday off, and other workers were warned not to park their cars in the compound.

All schools in the area of Government House were ordered shut for Friday.

"All schools" includes Chitralada Palace school... waiting to see how this develops...

Wai Kru Day/Protestors

Sorry that there have been so many days between posts - Life has just gotten unimaginably busy. The acute feelings of lonliness have abated but every now and then I still get twinges and miss my friends, family, and the like. Nevertheless, what have I been up to for the past few days?? School, of course! We are in the middle of testing and if you thought that taking a test was hard, you should try making the test up yourself unaided as well as grading them! The unfortunate thing about teaching the older students is that we are responsible for creating quizzes, tests, and any activity or work sheets that we want them to do. It's nice because we don't have to adhere to a particular style of teaching but it's also unnerving when you are like me - completely clueless to the art of teaching. I didn't know who was more nervous when I administered my first test ever to my M3 students - me or the students; I didn't want the tests to be too hard but I didn't want them all getting 100s either because that just meant that they didn't actually learn anything. Tomorrow was supposed to be test day for my M2 students but I'll get to why that won't be the case in a little bit.

One of the things that I have grown to love most here in BKK in the enormous respect that the students have for their teachers. Students wai everytime they see a teacher (see an older post for the definition of wai) and really hold them in high regard. This is most evident in something they have at the palace school called "Wai Kru Day" which means Wai Teacher Day. There are two separate ceremonies, the first being for M1-3 and then for M4-6. All of the teachers who teach students in that particular grade sit up on the stage and all of the students from that grade sit in the audience. They then present flowers, one row of boys and girls at a time, and then wai the teachers after they lay down their flowers in front of us. After everyone has done so, a student comes up and speaks about how loved and important the teachers are to them (the entire ceremony is done in Thai mind you...translations are thanks a sweet teacher named Tip). After this, all of the students sing a song about teachers and respect for teachers and then they wai us again as we walk off the stage. I went to both ceremonies since I have students in M2, 3, and 5. I got goosebumps during the ceremonies because the sincerity of the students is so evident. The way America disregards its teachers has always been a saddening thought for me, but after seeing the way students have such honor for their teachers here, it truly magnified the terrible situation back home. Additionally, the crown prince's daughter, who graduated from the school last year, came back for the ceremony and we all got to meet her and speak with her - my first intimate taste of Thai royalty! :D The students have almost all of their classes cancelled for the whole day and they are free to give flowers to their favorite teachers throughout the course of the day. Even though I have only known these students for about 3 weeks, I was lucky enough to receive some purple/white orchids as well as some pink roses...

Then, the craziness hit. I was sitting in the English Dept. room preparing for my classes tomorrow when one of the secretaries came in to inform us that school would be closed and classes would be cancelled tomorrow due to the government protestors that have been slowly inching their way towards the palace. The People's Alliance for Democracy has been protesting in various places since I arrived in BKK but now they have brought their protest to the palace doors and the school wants to be cautious because many of the students here are from extremely important families in Thailand and it would be disastrous if something were to happen to them, additionally there are several members of the royal family in attendance here...

This means that my M2 kids are lucky because their test will be postponed till next week. The protestors themselves aren't dangerous so I'm not scared or anything - rather I am excited about having my first 3 day weekend...these things just don't happen in the States.

That's all for now and I'll be sure to update if I hear anything else regarding the situation.

All my love.

Lost in Translation

Thank you for all of your comments and well-wishes. Fyi Caroline, I was wearing flats! I went to the palace clinic and they took some xrays and ascertained that I did not break anything but merely sprained my wrist and inflammed a number of the muscles on my back. I've been put on some pain medication as well as muscle relaxants.

In other news, I think that it's finally beginning to hit me that I'm 9000 miles away from everything and everyone that I consider home. As I sat here in front of the computer in the teacher's room with my papers to grade strewn all about me, surrounded by the gaggle of voices chattering away in a language that I could not begin to understand, with the sounds of Sigur Ros in my ears - it hit me.

For the time being at least, it's a sad and lonely feeling.

I almost died last night...

Every time I use the BTS (aboveground subway), when I get off at the stop from which I walk home, I always encounter the stairs of death - as we have all termed it. It is a very steep staircase, complete with small, broken steps that are so slippery.

Last night, I was coming home with Bobbi and Stacie and I was taking my time gingerly on these steps but I must have stepped on a broken piece because I then found myself falling with my back on the steps and bumping down from the top of the stairs to the bottom. Thankfully I did not hit my head - I landed on my back. I've come away with some severe back and ankle pains as well as numerous cuts and bruises. Most thankfully of all, I don't believe anything is broken but I will be going to the clinic today to make sure.

Your warm thoughts and well-wishes would be greatly appreciated.

Ayutthaya

This weekend, I went along with some of the teachers from California and two Thai teachers they knew from back home to visit the ancient city of Ayutthaya. It was the former capital from 1350 - 1767 (when it was destroyed by the Burmese army), after which the capital was moved to Bangkok. Ayutthaya is about an hour and a half from where I live in Bangkok.

I was really excited, firstly, about the prospect of riding elephants there but by the time we got there and I watched all of the tricks they made them do and saw how malnourished they looked - I didn't have the heart for it. I've never considered myself an overly sensitive person, but I almost stated crying when the Thai teachers asked me if I wanted to go ride one.


One of the malnourished-looking elephants...


The elephant that made me cry...

After the elephants, we went and visited a number of ancient Wats...they were all absolutely breathtaking, so I'll leave you with some of my favorites from the day...


Me & some of the girls as we first set out to Ayutthaya


Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit - one of the largest Buddhas in Thailand; it stands 55.6 feet high!


I barely even look like myself in this picture...the flower is from the trees at the Wat and is supposed to be good luck


The Reclining Buddha, located at the Wat Yai Chaimongkhon


Longer view of the Reclining Buddha


Taken at the same Wat Yai Chaimongkhon


Taken at the same Wat Yai Chaimongkhon


Wat Chai Watthanaram


This was also taken at the Wat Chai Watthanaram


Also at the Wat Chai Watthanaram


The Wat Chai Watthanaram at sunset

And that's all she wrote...see you next time!

Address and other things...

Mostly written as an addendum to the previous post and for Tiffany who is the only one who has been so sweet to have asked for it so far, my address is:

Star Tiko-Okoye
Mattayom English Department
Chitralada School
Chitralada Palace
Dusit, Bangkok 10303
Thailand

Write letters, send packages (not FedEx or UPS since there is a charge for me to pick it up) through regular mail...I'd love to hear from the other side of the world through non-virtual means...

In other news, one of the Thai teachers wants me to tutor her child (who isn't even one of my students)...maybe they are starting to like me after all!!

Later.

A Day Off

Although it has only begun for a few days, this has been a week of many ups and downs. I began to lose my voice at the end of last week, but by Monday my throat was in a lot of pain and I was taken to see the clinic on the palace grounds – I was then informed by the doctor (sorry to gross you out) that my tonsils are covered in pus…The way I figure it, I have some sort of strep throat but I do not have many of the common symptoms that accompany it. Monday and Tuesday were then horrid with having to deal with teaching while wanting to do nothing but rest. On Tuesday afternoon, Chiraporn informed me that she wanted me to stay home – since I do not teach any classes on Wednesday – and rest so that my antibiotics would be given the time to kick in – for my sake and everyone else’s.

Normally, a day home to do nothing but rest would seem like a blast to anyone else. However, those of you who know me are aware that I detest having nothing to do. Furthermore, my bathroom is currently being blown to bits because there is no water pressure coming from the shower head (I’ve been using dear Angelica’s shower for the past week) and my internet is currently not working so I am not even able to spend time talking to friends and family.

I feel well enough to go exploring around BKK, but the skies look ominous (it rains at least once a day everyday) and I’m sure that my complete lack of knowledge regarding my whereabouts would land me in a significant amount of trouble. It is unfortunate because there is so much I want to see and do, but so far I have been restricted to the same familiar sites…but I try to pace myself with the knowledge that I am not simply here for a short period of time – I am not a tourist – but rather, I have committed myself for the somewhat long term to BKK and I will be able to see all I want to see in due time.

Nevertheless, I look forward to the weekend because I hope to visit the area around the river and visit the floating market and some of the Wats in that area of BKK. Furthermore, I am going to watch a Muay Thai fight with a friend that I met towards the end of last week – so I am very excited about that. Till then, I will take my medicines and hope that the coughs will eventually subside enough for me to stay asleep at night.

Lots of love.