Last week I participated in an English Camp in nearby Kalasin.
It was a
fun camp, I was training the teachers about phonics, classroom
language, western culture, and technology in the classroom with
another volunteer that was hosting the camp. Four other volunteers
were putting on an English Camp for Matayom students. The volunteer's
school, and town were very nice. She lives in a town, so she has
stores and restaurants in walking distance. Most volunteers do not
have this luxury. Most of us are far away from stores in a village.
To buy fresh vegetables, I have to take a songtao to Ban Phai, about
45 minutes away, and I must return home by 3pm, when the songtao
stops running. What a luxury to have a 7-11, or a Tesco in walking
distance. I think I would eat a lot of chocolate and ice cream if
that was the case, so I will be thankful that temptation is out of
reach for me.
On
Friday afternoon, when the camp was finished, and we had our
certificates of participation, and a beautiful hand woven blanket,
off we went to our adventures. It was a three day weekend because
Monday was a holiday, but I needed to be back in my village to
celebrate the Queen's Birthday, Mother's Day. Some people went to
the beach, some went back to their village, I, went on an adventure,
and was lucky to have my friend Christine join me. She met me in
Udon Thani, a large city full of farangs (white people). Udon was a
very large American Air Force base during the Vietnam War. Many
chose to stay, and thus established a large ex-pat community which
drew in other ex-pats. Mostly men, who have tired of the dating pool
in the USA, and have moved to Thailand to have a “second life”- their
words not mine, and a Thai- E-san wife, possibly with children.
There are white men everywhere you look here. And backpackers on
their way to Laos. They are easily recognizable with their flowy
pants, and wide eyes. We stayed at a hostel which was as hostel as
hostel can get without being hostile.
Christine
had arrived hours before me, and when I arrived to town I texted her
and made straight for the nearest restroom, the Central Plaza Mall,
which was having a car stereo show. I love these collections of
trucks with hundreds of speakers and lights filling their bed. They
connect all of the systems to a common dj booth, and at this one,
they had gyrating dancers on top of the trucks. As I crossed the
street to go into the mall, Christine was crossing to go to the bus
station to meet me. Luckily we spotted one another.
We
had a delicious dinner at an Irish pub. I had a burger, chips, and a
Guiness and Christine had a raspberry crumble with cream. Yum.
Farang food can be quite the treat. We checked out the night bazar,
but I have grown weary of the markets selling the same old same old.
The
next morning we took the bus, to the town of Ban Na Kha. One of the
biggest fabric and clothing centers in Thailand. Wow!!
The town is
known for it's “khit” fabric. "kít is a diamond-grid minimal-weft brocade" according to lonely planet. The town also
had fabrics and handicrafts from all over Thailand. Materials and
ready to wear skirts, dresses, and shirts. Christine and I met a
wonderful shopkeeper. She was gorgeous, and had quite the aura about
her. Her eyes were crystal blue. She had married and moved to Texas at the age of
17, “too young to know better” in her words. She then moved to
Montana, and after a divorce, moved back to Thailand. Her shop had the
most exquisite fabrics I have seen in all of Thailand. She spoke to
us in Thai and occasional English about her life, the Naga fireballs
in the MeKong, and of her internship to learn how to weave Mut Mee
silk in Chonnabot, the village I visited last week. Here she is with Christine and some beautiful, and expensive fabric behind her. When I say expensive, 100$ for two yards of hand woven, hand dyed silk.
The town is
known for it's “khit” fabric. "kít is a diamond-grid minimal-weft brocade" according to lonely planet. The town also
had fabrics and handicrafts from all over Thailand. Materials and
ready to wear skirts, dresses, and shirts. Christine and I met a
wonderful shopkeeper. She was gorgeous, and had quite the aura about
her. Her eyes were crystal blue. She had married and moved to Texas at the age of
17, “too young to know better” in her words. She then moved to
Montana, and after a divorce, moved back to Thailand. Her shop had the
most exquisite fabrics I have seen in all of Thailand. She spoke to
us in Thai and occasional English about her life, the Naga fireballs
in the MeKong, and of her internship to learn how to weave Mut Mee
silk in Chonnabot, the village I visited last week. Here she is with Christine and some beautiful, and expensive fabric behind her. When I say expensive, 100$ for two yards of hand woven, hand dyed silk.
Christine
and I then got onto a bus headed for Nong Khai, it was a full bus,
and we had to go through a police checkpoint where everyone's ID on
the bus was checked.
In
Nong Khai, we walked to our wonderful guesthouse MutMee and had
lunch. After resting for a bit, we took the rental bikes and made
our way to the Sala Kaew Koo Sculpture Garden. This sculpture garden
is an amazing place created by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat.
We
walked around for a few hours as the sun was finishing its trip
across the sky. Huge I-san clouds hung in the sky. At one point
there was a rainbow in the sky unlike any I have ever seen. It was
like the clouds had created a huge bubble. When you look at a bubble
in the sun you see pink and green sheen. The sky was like that. A
beautiful pink and green spot in the sky. Trying to take a photo of
it didn't work for me. It was unlike anything I have ever seen.
Very beautiful. 
The sculpture park has a very quiet feel to it. It
is a visionary environment similar to Pasaquan in Western Georgia.
The faces look eerily similar to me. I wonder if there is any
connection between St. Eom and Luang Pu.
The sculpture park has a very quiet feel to it. It
is a visionary environment similar to Pasaquan in Western Georgia.
The faces look eerily similar to me. I wonder if there is any
connection between St. Eom and Luang Pu.
When Luang Pu was a child he fell down a hole onto the lap of an ascetic monk.
He lived with the monk for several years as an apprentice. He then began creating
a sculpture garden in Laos, where he lived until the communist take
over in 1975 when he relocated to the other side of the MeKong river
and began another sculpture garden. He used donated concrete and had many volunteer\laborers. As is the case with many artists, locals thought he was insane.
His
body is on display in a bubble in a building, surrounded by flashing
lights. 
The whole building is a little creepy. Full of nice gongs.
One had the best re verb I have ever heard. I would love to have that
in my house.
The whole building is a little creepy. Full of nice gongs.
One had the best re verb I have ever heard. I would love to have that
in my house.
When
we got back to the guesthouse and were eating dinner a big storm
rolled in with loudly crashing lightning. The next morning it again
rained really hard, great to sleep and be thankful that you went to
the sculpture garden while the sun shined. It took a long time to
get back to Ban Phai, but when I did, we were having dinner to
celebrate mother's day. The next morning we went to the Amphur to
pay our respects to the queen. I had my new Thai silk suit. I
bought the silk in Chonnabot, and took it to Khon Kaen to be made
into a suit. I designed the style of it, and I am happy with it,
though it is a bit stiff. I think after I wash it, it will be a
little less stiff.
Here I am with my friend Kru A and one of my Thai mothers Kru Pimwara. They are wearing their teacher uniform. I was one of only a few people to not be wearing a uniform. The other person, in a very similar suit, is the mayor's wife. Don't we look like twins?
Here I am with my friend Kru A and one of my Thai mothers Kru Pimwara. They are wearing their teacher uniform. I was one of only a few people to not be wearing a uniform. The other person, in a very similar suit, is the mayor's wife. Don't we look like twins?
We
sat in front of my Thai police students. They were naughty boys
giggling throughout the performance. When I went up on stage, a loud
murmur went through the audience. 1,000 people, were all talking
about me at the same time. I hope they were saying nice things,
like, look how nicely she curtsied. It get's hard sometimes to be
the topic of conversation without being included in the
conversations. Oh well. Then to lunch and to a funeral. It was a
full day. I tried washing cloths when I got home, but the water was
out. Here in WangPue, you must wash cloths when the water runs, and
dry them while the sun shines. In the past, I would throw in a load
of laundry whenever I pleased, and then into the dryer. In Thailand,
much more thought goes into timing of laundry.
At the funeral, people have given clocks and spoons. I am not sure why they are all set to 10:10. I thought that might have been her time of death, but I was told "no". Some beautiful roosters at her house.
At the funeral, people have given clocks and spoons. I am not sure why they are all set to 10:10. I thought that might have been her time of death, but I was told "no". Some beautiful roosters at her house.
In
the evening I had a knock on my window. My friend needed me to act
as a lawyer to create a document for someones daughter. She had
married an American, moved to the USA, gotten divorced, and
remarried. She needed proof of the first marriage to extend her
visa. It was confusing, and stressful, but I think I created an
official document that would stand up in court. The job of a PCV
never ends. Today, the entire school is going to a funeral instead
of having afternoon classes. Tomorrow, me and the Matayom (middle
school) students are going to next door Chaiyapum to look at a
flower. I am excited, except I found out we leave at 4am.
Tune
in next time to hear about the flower field trip, and the wonderful
adventures of my uncle Scott and I in Bangkok.
The following pictures are from the sculpture garden, and then some Thai fabrics I have purchased, and two from Malaysia.
The mighty Me Kong.
