It has been a couple of weeks since I blogged last. In that time I’ve spent a weekend with about 30 other PCVs at a meet up in Kohn Kaen, Thailand, and then spent time with six others at an English camp for school principals. I will share some highlights and observations but will spare you the details.

Highlights of Kohn Kaen: So the meet up in Kohn Kaen was planned by a group of Peace Corps 124s, the group that arrived last year. They wanted to provide an opportunity for us to get to know them in a fun and stress releasing way. Kohn Kaen is about four hours north east of my village in Chaiyaphum. A long-hot-crowded four hours bus ride away. But totally worth it. On my way to Kohn Kaen, however, I noticed several Amway stores outside the bus window, at least three. I found this hilarious. My mom sold Amway for a short while when I was a kid, but I had no idea they had stores, and it just seemed bizarre to find those stores in Thailand. Anyway…

I had a lovely time at the meet up. I got to see many of my friends from training. We went to a movie theatre and saw Iron Man 3 and I had popcorn with salt! We went to a place called Mickey’s Pizza and basically took over the place. The pizza was amazing and I had my first DARK BEER since arriving in Thailand! Best. Thing. Ever. Many PCVs blew off steam in a variety of ways, but my friends Jessie and Jeanette and I had a quietly fun eveing in the room, drinking wine and playing cribbage. At one point when they were deeply entrenched in a game, I went downstairs to get some food. There was a band playing music outside so that is where I spent my dinner hour. I am a sucker for live music. My dad was a musician, my brother, my son, my best friend’s husband, my children’s father—I was even in a band in high school. Live music is in my blood. So it was natural for me to find myself in a familiar setting.

My favorite venue back home is called George’s Majestic Lounge. My favorite cover band, Big Un’s plays there about once a month and when they play, I dance like there is no tomorrow. Now at George’s, there is a regular named Ralph who dances in a corner, usually by himself, barefooted with duct tape wrapped around his arches for support. Ralph is there every Friday night. Well at this little place in Kohn Kaen, there was a Thai version of Ralph. A little old Thai guy who danced by himself, every song. I was tempted to go dance with him as I have many times with Ralph, but it would be frowned upon in Thailand. So I contented myself with sitting and eating my fried rice and watching. The band was a four piece–drums, guitar, base, and female lead singer. The singer was good and the band was better. Their song list was an interesting mix, designed for the comfort of the visiting foreigner, with American songs that the Thais seem to adore. Country Roads (John Denver), My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion), How Deep is Your Love (Bee Gees), I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor), Do That To Me One More Time (Captain and Tenille). The lead singer did not have an accent when sh sang–she sounded very American, except for her ‘r’. Thais don’t have the “r” sound in their language and it generally comes out as an “l” or a ‘d’ sound. Hence my name: Ba-ba-la or Ba-ba-da. But this girl had practiced her ‘r’ sounds–to the point that she became almost a growling pirate. “aarrr”. “My Hearrrrrt will go on”. Her only tell that she was not a native speaker. At one point, her lead guitarist decided to step up to the microphone and let me just say now, you have not lived until you have heard Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine” sung with a Thai accent. Even better was when the bass player sang James Taylor’s “Handyman” but sang it as “Candyman”. “Hey baby, I’m your candy man.” The absolute best part of the set, however, was when the lead singer took a break and turned the microphone over to RALPH! That old guy was so excited to get up on stage and I have to admit, I was too. I couldn’t wait to see what HE would sing. It was “Your Cheating Heart” by Hank Williams. But wait— then he got the tambourine and sang Johnny Cash’s “Old Cotton Fields Back Home” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vCK8mSyhb0

PRICELESS. Oh, and I got to feed a baby elephant. On the sidewalk. Pretty cool.

Highlights of the English Camp in Surin: I won’t bore you with most of the details here. We had about 150 school principals for 2 days, and it went really well. I worked with some amazing PCVs who did an excellent job. What I will mention is that on the trip there, I saw my first Thai “hipster”. This young man was dressed with tight, super tight skinny jeans, that were barely hanging on his hips. My first pair of Thai baggy pants. Why, why whhhhhhyyyyyy is this an American trend that has made its way here? It is so not necessary in the States, and because of the modest nature of Thailand, it was quite shocking to see it here. Oh well. I also saw a giant DUTCH windmill, and several adult men wearing fanny packs draped over their shoulder like a regular purse. I just found it interesting.

After being in Thailand now for four months, I find myself getting very comfortable with some things, and noticing many others that I know I will never get used to. Here is a short list:

Used To:

1. Eating with a spoon. In Thailand, people use a fork in their left hand to push food onto a spoon in their right. It is actually a very efficient way of eating. I find I am shocked when I eat somewhere that doesn’t have a spoon on the table.

2. Carrying my own toilet paper. Bathrooms in Thailand rarely have toilet paper. I carry purse packets of tissues to use. Yes it is necessary. What I won’t get used to is that there are generally no trash cans in which to dispose of the tissue and you cant flush them.

3. The heat. yes, I am a constantly sweaty mess with drips falling off my nose. But hey, it’s hot. Everyone tells you it’s hot. And I’m getting used to it being hot. No sense in complaining because it’s not going to change.

Not Ever Going to Get Used To:

1. Seeing babies and entire families on motorcycles. I saw a woman holding a squirming 13-14 month old in one hand while navigating traffic with the other. I’ve seen infants in the laps of parents. I’ve seen tiny 2-3 year olds holding on for dear life to the waists of the parents driving. In our village we lost an entire family in an accident. Nope, never going to get used to this.

2. The noise level. For a typically quiet people, Thailand is one very noisy place. I’ve posted before about the loud speakers in the fields and at the temples. But there are loud speakers on top of cars, driving around neighborhoods, blaring out advertisements for something——- and they are everywhere. Anywhere there is a microphone, there is a Thai person loving the sound of their own voice. In the mall, salespeople with screech into a microphone to encourage you to come into their store. Really? Does this work? It just makes me want to run as fast as I can in the other direction! And even though I loved loved loved going to the movies last weekend, it was SO FREAKING loud, that when I left, I felt like I had been at a Bon Jovi concert in the 80’s standing right in front of the wall of speakers. I swear it took several hours for me to be able to hear clearly without a ringing in my ears.

3. The apparent lack of or disregard for traffic laws. Now I debated which category to put this in because to a certain extent, I have gotten used to this. But then again, there are moments where I am seriously terrified for my life and can picture my portrait hanging in the Peace Corps Office “in memory of”. (Yes,they do have such a gallery). In Thailand, the roads looks like home. They usually have two lanes, dotted lines, and traffic signs and signals. But once in Kohn Kaen I was in a tuk tuk (motorized rick shaw type thing) and I realized we were zipping down the middle of both lanes, ON the dotted lines. The giant buses (Bawkawsaw) that are my main transportation, go as fast as they can, whipping around cars in front of them, using either the shoulder or the other lane to do so. If they can’t pass, they will get right up on the back of the car in front at speeds that make you believe you are going to smash them flat, and then will brake quickly. But they will stay there until they can pass. I’ve seen two buses, traveling in opposite directions, both pass cars in front at the same time. For a moment it looks like we are playing chicken. But always, at the last minute, somehow they both make it safely. And traffic lights are just pretty and for decoration only. I have come to this conclusion. Traveling is not for the weak of heart in Thailand.

Today is Mother’s Day back home—so Happy Mother’s Day to all those amazing women in my life. I love you all. And tomorrow I start school so wish me luck. Life will be busy once this chapter begins. Till next time……