Pi Dtong

Today, a wise man said to me in Thai, "Life is delicate. I never sigh because I am always fighting to keep my body strong. If you sigh, you are breaking your life apart."

Puan

Now that school is almost here in Thailand, our free time as TCCO volunteers is coming to a close. Before letting us loose, Peace Corps made sure we knew our first month at site may be boring. We even had a session on, "What to do with all your free time." Needless to say, you figure it out. It's necessary to let whoever's reading this in on what amounted to my first taste of freedom in Thailand.


I've spent the last month of my life in, around, on top, under, in front, and behind my house. I bought all the implements any typical farmer here in Thailand owns: a hoe, a rake, a pick, a pa-kao-ma (Thai for, colorful cloth), a watering can, some flowers, some trees, and some vegetable seeds. Can you tell where I'm going with this? For four straight weeks, I spent a couple hours each day working on my yard; all the while, cleaning the inside of my house after tracking dirt in along with me. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let me flash back.


My house is brand new. The front yard is fill and the back yard was apparently used as the dump by the builders. What I'm getting at is, the house itself is beautiful and I couldn't ask for a better place to rest my bones for the next two years but the yard, which everyone in the community sees, hadn't been worked on at all. That's where I come in and that's where I bring my Midwest attitude with me. So, for four weeks, I hoed, raked, picked, planted, and even composted. I vowed to get it ready before school started and by gosh, that's what I've been doing. Below are a few before and after photos from the progress I've made so far.





My back yard before...



...and my back yard after.




Compost pile and garden. Notice the walkway
and steps. I used pieces of broken concrete the
builders had thrown out to make a path to my garden.

My front yard before...

...and my front yard after. It's a bummer the
the pictures really don't do it justice. I'm
proud either way.


I'm excited for school to start so that I can finally do some teaching, but now I'm also excited for my flowers to bloom and my vegetable to grow. In my front yard alone, almost all of my plants will have flowers.



The last thing I want to add to this post has to do with something else I've been doing for the past month of my life: playing with bugs. I feel like a toddler saying I've been playing in the dirt first and now saying I've been playing with bugs, but it's the truth. Even though I knew it before, it took me a few encounters with strange creatures to realize, I'm in a tropical climate. There are a lot of plants, animals, and insects here that I don't normally see in the US. For example, while cleaning out my backyard, I came across a dead log that needed to be moved. I picked it up and underneath was a family of seven black scorpions who were very unhappy I had just wisked their home away like a tornado. Two of whom, mom and pop I assume, were the size of my head(that's an eggageration...only one was). Needless to say, they don't live in my backyard anymore. The thing is, insects don't know boundaries. Ants outnumber humans in Isaan 1,000,000/1 and that's the truth. I know because I've got 1,000,000 ants in and around my house. They're a constant player in my everyday life.

The last notable encounter I had happened just last night and thus motivating me write this entry. The principal of my school took me to a house warming party last night. Before leaving my house however, there's a checklist I need to take into consideration, otherwise my universe collapses: 1. is the gas off; 2. are the doors locked; 3. are the lights off; 4. is the water switch off; 5. is all the food put away. I ran through my checklist and I was good as gold. My principal picks me up and we hurry to the party. Once night falls and the party winds down, he takes me back home. I keep my front porch light on at night so my neighbors can watch my house, but there's a downside. We all know all kinds of bugs are attracted to light, but in a climate like this where bugs are so plentiful, it can be downright ludicrous. I rush to open my door and after my door is open, I rush just as quickly to close it behind me so I can keep the bugs out. "Excellent," I think. "Barely any came in with me." I yawn and stretch before going into my bedroom to change because I'm exausted from speaking Thai at the party. All I want to do is shower and go to sleep. I get ready for my shower and head towards the bathroom. Funny thing...

...I left the light on in the bathroom. What I found on the floor ended up nearly clogging my drainpipe. I had to take some pictures.


My friend the praying mantis. Probably my
favorite bug ever.

My friend Mr. Sticky Hands, sitting on my soap

container, eyeing up his dinner on the wall.

My friends the Dumbest Bugs Ever. Despite their

insecure name, they really are quite delicious.

I never know when I'll be inspired to write a post, but as long as I keep having encounters like the kind I had last night, I can't see myself stopping any time soon.

To answer your questions

I just got an email from a family member living out on the west coast and it contained a plethora of questions across the board. While my blog is still public, I'll take my chances and answer these very questions one by one.

How big is your village, in population or physical size?
- I actually live right between two villages and so there are two parts to this answer. One village is 4 blocks and the other is about 7. As far as numbers of people, I really have no idea but I would guess no more than a couple hundred total.

Besides the market (which sounds great—can’t wait to hear more!), are there other things to do there? Places of interest—temples, historical sites.
- The best way to answer this question is by simply saying, of course there are things to do, I'm in Thailand! There hasn't been one day at site so far where I've felt bored. It's difficult to explain but there's always something going on, whether it be in my village, in a neighboring village, or in Ampur Kemmarat. Thai's must always have "sanook" (fun). I have three temples within a couple of kilometers, which I can mosey around if I want too.

And what things do you find at the market? Everything under the sun?
- The market in my village is actually fairly small. You can pick up fresh produce and meat, shirts and pants, or household supplies. Other than that, it doesn't really compare to other large markets around Thailand.

Are there other Americans or Brits there who speak English or are you pretty isolated?
- I'm here getting stared at by myself.

Are there cars in your village or is it mostly transport by animal and on foot?
- It's hard for me not to smile when I read this question, but I know it's one of curiosity. Thailand is a "developing" country and has pretty much all the ammenaties us Westerners have. Even in rural areas, you'll get grandmas with cheeky hip ringtones on their cell phones, or grandpas driving brand new Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks.

Is it an agricultural area and what is grown—rice? Other things?
- This area is known for "naa rai" which roughly translates to "ground agriculture." It's very dry and so not much rice is grown like there is in the central plain of Thailand. You get green beans, chillies, peanuts, onions, and the like that doesn't need much water and grows in silty riverbed soil.

If the Mekong is near, have you been to it? Is it a big, wide river? Clean? Does it have beachy shores or jungle-y ones? Do people use it for bathing and washing like in some parts of the world?
- I can safely say, I live on the Mekong. I swim in it when the neighborhood kids want to go down to cool off. It's not very wide where I live, but I've seen it in other areas and it can get extremely wide. Let's just say, the water is brown, but that doesn't bother me because if Thai's do something (like swim in a brown river) I do the same thing. I figure if they're not getting sick, either am I. The shore is a beach and just this last week was Songkran festival, the biggest waterfight in the world, and the beach near my village was completely turned into a sports field. I was on my village's soccer team and we kicked balls, footballs.

You’re able to get and transmit email—do you have electricity or generators? Wifi or hardwire internet connections?
- My school has interenet access on one computer through hardwire. The whole of Thailand, from what I've observed, has a very good electricity infrastructure. I haven't been to a house that hasn't had electricity.

How many other “comforts” do you have? Flush toilet? Running water?
- I have a squat toilet and a bucket shower, but I also have running water. I have a TV to use it as a study tool for learning Thai. The only channels I get in English are National Geographic Wild and Russia News Today. Finally, the kicker, I used some of my moving in allowance to buy a washing machine. It's the one thing I wanted to splurge on.

Have you had a chance to explore the countryside around your village, and what is it like—big and empty and flat, hilly or jungle-y, lush and/or lots of fields…?
- The land is very dry with rolling hills and thick forests. You don't really do much in the woods beacuse 1. It's so hot 2. There's nowhere to go 3. It's filled with dangers.

In your village, do you have a place of your own or do you share it with others?
- I rent a house to myself. It's some pretty sweet digs I'd say. I'd be happy to have it in the states!

What ages are your students learning English?
- My kids are elementry school students.

Do they know some English or are they starting from scratch? Are they eager to learn?
- I haven't started teaching yet, but from what I've observed in my community so far, English is limited to, "Hello!"

Do you have other teachers where you teach and what do they teach?
- My school has teachers that teach the same subjects as American school teachers teach. Arts, sciences, histories, language, etc.

Are they all Thais?
- Either Thai or Lao I suppose.

How are Thai schools different from our schools?
- Thai schools are much more laid back because...relax, don't be so serious, you're in Thailand!

Are there local officials or village leaders that you see or deal with on a regular basis?
- You got it. In each villages there's an appointed village headman called the "Pu-yai-bahn." He's the man with the plan. I know the pu-yai-bahn's in each of the villages I live between very well and they are both great guys.

Well, that's all. I enjoyed that, so if you've got more or want me to build on what was said, keep 'em comin. Here's a few pictures from my last days as a trainee. Now that I'm a volunteer, I'll have plenty of photo opportunities.

This one is pretty self explanitory I think.

My younger sister is what Thai's would call "naa-rak."

Our group standing proud at swearing in.

My last supper with my host family.

This group of people made me feel more at home in Thailand than I could have ever guessed. I will never forget any of them. They are my family.

It's a strange thing, this life we live

Hello to everyone who is still tagging along with me. This blog has turned out to be kind of a hassle and I appreciate your patience. First, let me get the red tape out of the way. I've finally figured out how to password protect this beast, but I found out that if I do password protect it, only "Blogspot.com" users can access it. So, this is what you have to do if you're serious about reading my blog for the next two years:

1. Create a user name and password for blogspot.com.
2. Email me your user name.
3. Check your email for an invite I will send once I receive your username

That's is. It's basically like setting up a gmail password is all and everyone's got one anyways, so what the heck eh?

Now, for the good stuff. I'm offically a Peace Corps Volunteer. For the last two months, I had been living with a Thai host family in Singburi Province, learning Thai, practicing cultural sensitivity, and simply adapting myself to Thai society. I could not have asked for a better family to stay with and because of that, saying goodbye was difficult. Thai's have incredibly strong family values, being that the culture is more "to be" than "to do" like in America. They took me to more parties and bought me more stuff than my parents back home ever have (sorry mom and dad, but it's true). When I wasn't with my host family, I was either A, learning Thai for almost five hours a day, or B, sitting in a Peace Corps presentation on teaching participatory learninig ESL or cross cultural training. Which brings me to my next rant.

I wake up seemingly every morning and absorb the fact that I live in the East. I say the East in a political geography sense, but to say we are from the West and Thai's are from the East is not far from the truth. I could have studied the culture all I wanted before departing but until I experienced it for myself, I would never have known the truth to any of it. And then, when I say this to people, they want me to explain what I mean. How can I explain Thai culture when I just said that you have to be here and experience for yourself? Human's are human and that remains static. But thoughts, beliefs, attitudes...the mind, that is what's dynamic. The first humans to begin roaming the earth departed from north central Africa, the center of most world maps. In the most basic sense, some traveled west and others traveled east from that focal point. During their travels, each group encoutered different factors that would undoubtedly shape their life upon reaching their final destination, consequently causing cultural differences. Thailand is exactly 12 hours from Eastern Standard Time. If Africa is in the "middle" of the world, Europe and American are to the west and Asia is to the east. At the end of the day, you just have to experience the culture for yourself.

Enough philosophy. Onto my site. I live in Aumpur Kemmarat, Jangwat Ubon Ratchathani (give er a look see on a map of Thailand). I'll be teaching English for four days a week and spending one day doing community outreach in my village. For safety and security purposes, I can't tell you exactly where my house is, but let's just say I'm a short water buffalo ride to the Mekong River. The village is happy to have me not only because I'm volunteering to teach English, but because now they have something interesting and new to look at. And let me tell you, everyone and their domesticated animals know I'm in town.

What else can I say? I live in Thailand, I eat rice for breakfast, it's hot all the time, I can speak Thai, I shower at least twice a day, I lay around, I visit the temple, I talk to my neighbors, I wai (pronounced 'why') monks even though I don't have to, I never point my feet at anyone or scratch my bug bites so that people can see, I drink ice coffee, I smile often, every day for half the day I am oblivious as to what is happening (you get used to not knowing what's going on), I study Thai, I think about good memories and people I love, I walk through the markets, I get stared at while walking through the markets, I strike up conversation with the people who are staring at me in the markets, I make friends with the people who were staring at me in the markets, I like the markets.

Maybe my next blog will be the most pure Thailand market experience I can conjure up. I'm hoping to post more often now that I'm starting a routine here at site. Before, I never knew when I would have internet access, but now, for two years, I'll be in the groove. So, if you've enjoyed reading my blog thus far, sign up for blogspot and shoot me an email.

One more thing too. If you want to know about anything specific, email me and just ask me to post about it because I am having a hard time coming up with material here. If I know what you are curious about, it will be much easier for me to post. Kawp kun khrap.

Aa-tit

Note to readers

Hello to all who are still reading my blog. Internet is sparse in my host family's village so just bare with me. I've got some important news and here's the deal:

I've been notified by the Thailand Country Director Khun Dr. John that I am going to have to password protect my blog for security and cultural sensitivity purposes. Therefore, you won't be able to access the posts unless you know the password. To avoid locking people out, I have come up with a plan. I will leave my blog public for another week or two before I password protect it. If you want to know the password (as well as my phone number), just email me at mrtonybones@gmail.com and I will GLADLY give it to you. Please don't let this minor detail stop you from following my travels, as I'll be posting for two whole years. As a teaser, I've posted a few pictures so that you stick with me at www.mrtonybones@blogspot.com. I've got much to say, but will not add anything else until after I password protect. Rat dii sa wat gaap chok dii!


My bro's and I.

Sacred Ayutthaya.

My Niece, sister, and the classic Thai smile.

Oh, just a couple Buddha's.

The coolest language teacher and some pale Thai.

Sawatdii khrap!

Well, here I am, in Thailand. You know, the land of the Thai's. Things have been pretty busy for us volunteers, basically trying to assimilate into our new surroundings without looking like stupid farangs. I feel like anything I say has been said in other Peace Corps Thailand blogs and what I have to add is nothing original. So, until I've got a true Thai experience to share, I'm leaving anyone who's following this blog on pins and needles. Don't fret, I'm sure it wont be long.

As far as Peace Corps itself goes, we've been on the lamb for a week now and my group is beginning to bond considerably. I mean, we do all look different from everyone else. Not that its a bad thing, but it's only natural to gravitate towards familiarity.

One last thing, I've got a cell phone but I'd rather not post it on my blog, so if you want it, drop me an email at mrtonybones@gmail.com and I'll make sure I give it to you. It's incredible just how connected I am. Pictures will be up soon.

I'm really gonna miss the snow

I just finished packing my bag, trying not to forget anything and making certain I am taking exactly what I'll need, but at the same time thinking about my life in Marquette. My flight leaves at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon and I will say goodbye to the town that molded me into who I am today. I couldn't be happier with how my life in such a "cool city" panned out over the last couple of years. Thanks to everyone who supported and befriended me, for it was the people I met and the companionship of such genuine hearts that helped make Marquette as influential as it was. I love you all and you've done more for me than you could ever imagine.

Now that all the mushy stuff is out of the way, lets lighten the mood with some goofy stuff I packed:

- an "I LOVE CILANTRO" t-shirt
- a rugby ball
- a bottle of maple syrup
- a half pound of venison jerky