The day I searched for 'Sanook'

Long time no see! I know it's been a while since my last blog post, but I've been waiting for the end for a certain time so I could write about the one thing that has been consuming my life lately: the show "Searching for Sanook."

In my last post, I talked about how I had just started a new internship, working with so called "disabled" actors- people with down syndrome, autism, etc, while they worked to complete their show called "Searching for Sanook." At first, I was recruited just to sing in the background so they would all be able to keep pitch, but my role became much more involved, and for that I am incredibly grateful and forever changed.

Every day after classes, Cecily, an acting major from Westmont, Diana from Messiah, Jackie from Messiah, and me would go to the rehearsals held at RICD- the leading child's mental health hospital in Thailand. RICD is hoping to open the first  real performing arts building in Chiang Mai where both disabled and so called "normal" people can work together. The plans are really cool- the building is supposed be in the shape of a piano, and the performances will be outside in the part where the opening is on top. "Searching for Sanook" is the pilot program for this organization- showing that drama therapy is effective, and that people with disabilities can be real artists.

The first day I got there I fell in love...with everyone. The Thai disabled people, the American disabled people that came to work on the show, and the Americans (Tod, Jeanne, and Natalie) who organized, produced, directed, and wrote everything (music, lyrics, and lines). I came in more than halfway after rehearsals had started, so I expected to be given  a small amount of work to do, just to fill in the loose holes. I was wrong. They had me singing a solo, acting, doing set changes, cuing everyone to their next spots (which is REALLY hard with the disabled population..they tend to move very slowly) and getting everyone into their costumes. At times, Cecily and I would literally be on stage, running backstage to the other side, going on stage to set up the next scene, running again backstage to cue everyone, throw a costume on someone, and then be on stage for the next scene. We seriously got our workout, and I loved every minute of it.

The show, "Searching for Sanook," was about Thai people teaching us "Farang" how to have "sanook" (fun). Everything in Thailand is about sanook. You have to incorporate sanook in everything you do, whether that means taking an extra long lunch break at work, or playing games in the middle of the school day. This play was also about following your dreams. At the beginning of the play, many of the actors tell the dreams they have, but have told that they were unable to do because of their disability. In the end, one of them accomplishes their dream and everyone bonds over that, all while having sanook along the way. There were scenes when the farang couldn't say Thai words correctly because of the difficult tones ..kee maa said in one tone could be ride a horse, but in another way could mean dog poop. There were scenes such as a farang ordering the wrong thing at a Thai restaurant, or getting a Thai massage ("ow" here means "I want more" but obviously in America it means "PAINFUL..". you can get how that could lead to a funny situation).

The actors, beyond anything, were my favorite part. I will never forget the bonds and relationships I made with these amazing people. There was Guitar (nicknamed because he loved music so much), a 15 year old "micro" (meaning his brain and body are really small) boy who, on the first day, could not get his dance moves down correctly so was told to watch me. He took that to mean that he had to watch me all the time, so in every scene, he is looking at me, and he followed me around everywhere, singing and playing his air guitar. He became my little shadow, and one of my favorite people on the planet. Seriously. We have our own handshake and he can play the down beats and hum the background of different songs while I sing the melody. He just warmed my heart up.



Guitar doing what he does best



Then there was Duan. When I first arrived, she was SO shy. She would not even look at me because she would be so embarrassed. And then I noticed she would get closer. And closer. Until she would poke me in my side and then run away. By the last show, she would wrap her arms around me from behind, rest her head on my shoulder, and we would move as one entity, me doing my work as she just clung onto my back, sometimes even for a whole hour. It was a little awkward, because she was like 6 inches taller than me, but the love she displayed to me is something I could never forget.

Duan and I <3

Phi Jaw is a girl with downs syndrome who could not sing for the life of her, and it would sound like she was barking from stage when she tried, making it that much more hilarious. I bought a t-shirt that she made at her job, and jumped up and down out of excitement when I showed her. She was the queen of Sanook in the play, because she is absolutely HILARIOUS and definitely knows how to have fun. Anybody around her always ends up laughing their heads off.

Phii Jaw on stage as the Queen of Sanook

Gavin is a boy from Burma who only speaks English, not Thai (which was really hard to remember..poor Gavin. I probably gave him so many stage cues in Thai just to remember that he wasn't Thai, and would just be staring at me confused.) He is SO shy, but when he smiles, watch out. You'll be blinded. He is a waiter in the restaurant scene, and at point Cecily told him to "go be funny on stage." So he put on a clown nose, and squeaked it as he walked across stage, smiling all the way. He got more laughs than anyone else with that simple action. He also burps a lot when he gets really nervous, and the apologizes over and over again, which is really cute.

Gavin and his wondeful smile

JJ is the most adorable person EVER. He's a 4 year old boy with downs syndrome, a reckless bundle of joy. He always had to do things his way, but he was SO cute you just had to let him. Everyone in the program fell in love with him.

JJ the hula hooping STAR

Mike and Matt are two guys from America that came over with Jeanne, Tod, and Natalie. They both have downs syndrome, but they became our close friends. Matt would always call us his "hot babes" and Mike wrote us poems. Very flattering to say the least. I loved hanging out with them, going out for smoothies with Mike or pretending to model in front of a fan with Matt, I was never bored.

Cecily, Mike, and I in the "Kee Maa" song

Matt modeling in front of the fan

And that was just a small tidbit of the cast. Every single performer was amazing in their own way, and each and everyone one of them changed my life.



Me and some of the cast



We had three shows: one on Friday, and two on Saturday. Friday was the VIP show- the Princess was supposed to come but she got sick and is in the hospital :(. But there were other various big shots there, and they are the people that need to support the program for it to continue. It was a huge success. I also had to pose in front of press cameras when I received a certificate from the Head of the Ministry of Health in Thailand, which I was not suspecting and a little nerve racking. Saturday was when all of our friends and family came, and it was great to see the smiling faces of those I know in the crowd. We were also featured in the Bangkok Post. You can see the article here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/arts-and-culture/music/224520/musical-play-aims-to-be-inclusive

I left part of my heart behind with this group after our last show. I was definitely an emotional wreck, and kind of still am. I've been humming the songs all day, anticipating going back for rehearsals, but I'm not. I loved teaching at Baan Ponsawan, but I think this experience has effected me more than anything else in the country of Thailand. God was really at work in this place, and continues to work through Jeanne, Tod, and Natalie as they continue similar programs at Interact in Minnesota, and around the world.

This week I also said good bye to the kids at Baan Ponsawan, whom I haven't seen in 3 weeks. They rushed up to me and gave me big hugs, and we face painted the whole day. I also had a lunch with President Kim Phipps from Messiah, which was really fun to see her all the way in Thailand!

I say farewell to my host family this week (SAD!) and we start our cross country tour across Thailand! Keep watching for updates, because I'm sure there will be many! I will also add all photos from "Searching for Sanook" in their own album on Facebook, so look out for those
<3 Kitty