The (many) days I lived the village life: Karen style

I am SO sorry this has taken me so long to post. Things have been very hectic around here, but I will spend the next week trying to recap everything that has happened to me in the past month. Expect around 3 blog posts, including this one :).

So, at the end of my last post, I said I was staying 3 weeks at a Karen village in the Northeast Region of Thailand. This blog is dedicated to the amazing time I had there.

As I said earlier, we took a road that had over 2,000 turns and climbed mountains and more mountains. We finally arrived to the place we were going to be staying for the next few weeks, and it was a hotel compared to the homes we had been staying in at the Lahu village. We were staying a hostel where students live during the school year, but since Thai schools are out for the summer, we got it all to ourselves! It was such an upgrade- bamboo floors to mattresses on the floor (even if they were rock hard..thai people hate soft mattresses), "squatty potty's" to a toilet with a seat, even if it didn't flush. Excellent food with all you can drink hot chocolate and greeeeeat cooks. The only bad part- the weather. It was unseasonably cold- around 50 degrees, which is cold compared to the 90 degree weather we had been dealing with! All of us were bundled sweatshirts, and my personal favorite, my fuzzy socks. We sat around the table drinking our hot chocolate, hoping to warm up. It made taking a shower very difficult, because they were bucket showers that had been sitting outside, soaking up the cold. You could hear my screams all around the center. Maybe someday you'll get to see the video... if you are lucky. haha

The focus of our time at the Karen village was for us to write a paper focused on an aspect of development within the village. Because I'm an anthropology major, I got the DELIGHTFUL privilege to write a 13 page paper, while most other people wrote 5 pages. I actually really enjoyed it. My topic was "Women as Agents of Cultural Preservation in the Karen Church." The area we were in was mostly Christian, which I found interesting. The church is used as a center where culture can be preserved, as the Western and Thai culture encroaches on them. They are forced to learn the Karen language and wear Karen clothing if they attend the church. If you want, I can send it to you so you can read. Most of my time at the village was spent going around, interviewing people and gathering information.

My best interview was Gosemo- a 107 year old lady. She was absolutely amazing, and so coherent for her age. She was GORGEOUS and had so many good stories to tell. She showed us a shirt she wove when she was 10, and told us stories about her time in the church when she became a Christian- 70 years ago! I can't explain how amazing it was to be talking to such a living piece of history. At the end, she blessed each of us and prayed for us.

Gosemo

While we were not busy gathering information, we got to experience different parts of the village life. It was different from the Lahu village because we weren't living with host families, but they really made us feel like we experienced the Karen lifestyle. I'm going to list out my favorite parts from the village, that did not involve the countless hours of researching and paper writing:

- The Funeral - the first week we were there, we were invited to a funeral in a near by village. Its a symbol of status to have farang at any important occasion, so we trekked up to the funeral that was about 30 minutes away by pick up truck. When we got there, we were given a meal and boiled water. We then sat in on the service, which was very small and held in someone's house. The funeral was for a women that was 80 years old, and was obviously loved by the people of the village. It is not very Thai to show any sad emotion, so during the service many people would hide their faces so no one would see them cry. The body was held in a crate that was gift wrapped, and there were wreathes made of toilet paper. I love that they use toilet papers as decorations for different things, because it is so rare for them. After the service, we joined the funeral procession and hiked up a mountain for about 45 minutes, following the casket and the wooden cross all the way to the grave site. The Karen people are very forest oriented, so they make sure they bury their people in land that is preserved by the forest, which goes back to their animist beliefs. Each person helped throw the dirt over the casket, including myself, and then they broke up all of her personal belongs, such as plates, pots. and her purses, and threw them into the grave. After they were all done, the broke up all of the spades being used to carry the dirt and laid them on top of the grave. It was SUCH a cool experience, to see how Christian funerals can be universal, yet so different at the same time.

about to bury the casket

The Wedding- Literally a day after we were at the funeral, the same village invited us back for a wedding! This village sure had a lot of stuff going on. A 20 something year old boy was getting married to a girl that was 18, and the whole village was a party. First, we went to the service, that mainly consisted of old men standing up in the congregation and yelling out advice to the couple. It is culturally unacceptable here for a woman to look happy on her wedding day, so the bride looked like she was about to cry the whole time, which was a little awkward. Afterwards, everybody went to the brides house for lunch. There were SO many people there, and so much rice! We were guests of honor, so we got to eat inside the house. I don't think I've ever seen so much rice in the house. Some people were doing their papers on Karen courtship practices, so we got to sit around and talk to the bride and groom for a couple of hours. It was an awesome experience, hearing about how they met and what they plan on doing with their lives.

the wedding party

This was just half of my experience in Musikee, there is SO much more I need to talk about. Stay tuned for another post about the Village life in Musikee!

The day I lived the Village Life. Lahu Style.

Long time no see! Internet has been very sparse (and expensive) since leaving Chiang Mai, so I have not been able to update as frequently as many of you would probably like.

Since leaving Chiang Mai I have:
- traveled by tour bus cross country through Thailand. We stayed at wonderful hotels, saw ancient temples and ruins, and even played with a couple of wild monkeys that pulled hair, bit fingers, and stole earrings. Mean.
- went on spring break to the BEAUTIFUL island of Koh Chang where I laid out in the sun, snorkeled in the BLUEST water, hiked to a waterfall, and stayed in a bungalo that cost $6 a night.

- came back to Chiang Mai for one day, where I experienced my first earthquake ( a 4. somthing in Chiang Mai, the center was 2 hours away.. feeling the earth move is a strange feeling!) and frantically figured out my classes for next semester
- Travelled to the beautiful Lahu village

The rest of this post is going to be about my time in the Lahu village, probably the best (tied with Searching for Sanook) experience I've had in Thailand so far.

It took us about 3 hours up windy roads to reach the village in the mountains. This village, consisting of 40 families, is in one of the most beautiful locations I have ever seen. Rolling hill surround the houses, blue sky, clear air, and wonderful people. As soon as we arrived, dozens of kids came out of no where and jumped on us, kind of like the wild monkeys from our cross country trip. They had beautiful smiling faces and loved to play, play, and play. I don't think I've ever played so much Frisbee in my life. I even became best buddies with a little 4 year old girl that would pick me bouquets of beautiful flowers and run into my lap whenever I sat down.



The wonderful part about this village was that they let us into their lives. I got to stay in a real village house, take FREEZING bucket showers, and sit around and play games with my host sister. Our time there was actually unusual because it was the first time in about 40 years that the temperature has been less than 70 degrees outside, so we were all pretty cold (especially the village people..they were BUNDLED like the biggest snow storm had just happened). They slaughtered us a pig to feed us for the 4 days (sad.. I had to help remove all the hair from the pig. Made me seriously consider become a vegetarian). We also went fishing with the people. Now when we think fishing we think..relaxing..sitting on the side of the river with a pole and the nature. Not for the Lahu people. They built a dam out of bamboo and mud in the river, and then we jumped in and caught fish, bugs, and other creatures for our stew for dinner! Definitely an experience, and I am now a professional bug and fish head eater.

The Lahu people are wonderful. They are some of the few Christians in Thailand, as many of the various villagers are because of Western missionaries from over 100 years ago. They love to worship God, dance, and have fun. They make moon cakes out of sticky rice and seseme seeds, and whoever makes the most beautiful mooncake (judged from the elderly mooncake women in the village) gets married next and has the most beautiful children. Guess who won? thats right..YOURS TRULY. Get ready for my gorgeous kids.

We also got to visit an orphanage that some professors on the trip sponser. Its sad, because there are literally only 4 men in the surrounding area. Because the mountains provide such poor farming, many men leave the village for Taiwan or Korea and send money back. Some kids are left behind as orphans when their mother dies, and ar sent to the orphanage. In order to make sure that men don't feel like they have to leave, they are learning how to do sustainable farming...growing such things as coffee and avacados (MY TWO FAVORITES). The Lahu are tradtionally slash-and-burn farmers, so this teaches them how to get the most nutrients out of the soil, for the longest amount of time. Both coffee and avacado trees can live up to over 100 years, and the bring in a huge profit! Its great for the people to learn these things.

After a wonderful farewell party with lots of dancing and food, we left for our second village stay at the second tribal village: The Karen Village. It was a 7 hour car ride with almost 2,000 turns through the mountains. Needless to say, I took 2 Dramamene and was barely awake to experience the waterfall that we visited along the way. We arrived safely, and this village is a little more developed with electricity and (expensive) Internet, which I mean is understandable because I have no idea how they get internet when I can't get any cell phone service, and there are no buildings for miles and miles around, besides Karen villages. I am here for the next three weeks, so towards the end I will write a blog post about my experiencce here!

Sorry I can't provide pictures, the internet is really slow, so you'll just have to wait til i gt back to chiang mai!

Love and miss you all!

Kitty

The day I left Chiang Mai

I know, I know.. two posts in one week?! What has gotten into me?

Well, its almost midnight and I'm feeling a little bit sentimental. Its my last night with my host family, and my last night in Chiang Mai until I come back in the end of April for the TEFL course.

As I sit here and think, I realize I have definitely taken this city for granted. Its an AMAZING city. So much life, so much culture, the beauty is astounding, and I got to live right in the middle of it. I've gotten to live with an amazing family too- my host mom has done nothing but take care of me, and I love having rubber band wars or pillow fights with my brother. Even though I lost a huge chunk of my freedom and privacy, I am actually going to miss it here. It became my home away from home, as cliche as that sounds.We had a farewell party with all of the study abroad students, we exchanged gifts, went out to a nice dinner, and she even took me to volunteer at a dog shelter (random.. I know. but it was a lot of fun!) A good way to finish it up.

So, in order to be a true reminiscer, I am going to make a list of my favorite things in Chiang Mai (not in any order, and I'm not going to cap it at Top 10, because I'm doing this on the fly).

1. The wall and the moat.
The city was founded in 1296, which means its REALLY old. Designed as a northern fortress for Siam, the city's face is towards the river, and its back is to the largest mountains in Thailand. If that wasn't enough security for them, the king also built a huge moat and a wall around the city. The city has way outgrown its wall and moat stages, but there are an impressive amount of remnats of the wall still around. The moat is absolutely gorgeous, always decorated with flowers and fountains. Everytime I drive by Tai Pei gate (the opening gate into the old city) I always gasp at the beauty of the fountains, the lights, the flowers, the old brick in the wall, and the mountains.

Moat and wall

2. The markets 
I love the markets. It's where the people are, as well as the food and the stuff. There are daily markets.. like the one near my house..that sell food to the locals. Then there are the weekly "Walking Streets" every Sunday night, my absolute favorite. Vendors come from everywhere to sell their wares, and the streets are closed from one end of the old city to the other. Thai people and farang alike walk up and down the streets, hustling and bustling to find what the want/need. This is the only "souvenir" market that caters to both locals and tourists. There is a Night Bazaar..but seriously you never see any Thai people there unless they are working. Puts a bad taste in my mouth.

Walking Street- Sunday Nights

3. The food
Not only is the food SO good, its super cheap. Usually, I only have to pay around 25 Baht (75 cents) per meal. I am going to have a hard time going back to the states and having to pay over $5! That could buy me a meal at the fanciest restaurant here! Not only is the food delicious, but Northern Thailand has their own food culture, setting it a part from the rest of their country. Usually Northern Thai food is spicy, with lots of sauces and vegetables. It is a serious matter of pride for them, and mostly everything in the culture revolves around their food and their....

4. Sticky rice
The people of Chiang Mai are PROUD sticky rice eaters, and rightly so. Not only does it set them apart from their wicked half brother, Bangkok, who likes to steal all the fame and glory, but it is also delicious. Eating sticky rice is an art. Its usually eaten with every meal that is Northern in its substance. You pinch a wad of the rice and roll it between your fore finger and your thumb. Then you either dip it in sauce, or grab a piece of meat to go along with it. As soon as you bite into it, the flavors from the rice mix with the flavors of the dish, releasing an extravaganza in your mouth. Not only is it great for dinner, its AWESOME for dessert! Mixed with coconut milk and topped with fresh mangoes, its probably one of the best things I've ever eaten. I'm already working with my mom to help me make it when I return.

Sticky Rice

5. The People
Thailand is called the "Land of Smiles," and for good reason. People here are unbelievably friendly. They live in the moment, love to have fun, and, obviously, love to smile. They have a saying that it's all about the "suay,sanook, sabay," meaning that life should be full of the beautiful, full of fun, and full of things that make life run smoothly. (sabay literally means fine- not too good, not too bad, but just in the middle). They also have the attitude that you can learn from everyone, which is definitely apparent. One of my greatest Thai teachers is the vendor who sells me moo bing (grilled pork on a stick) and sticky rice every morning for breakfast. Before he gives me my set, he quizzes me on 5 Thai words.

6. Rod Dangs
I don't think I will ever be able to go back to being in a car without the wind in my hair. Rod dangs, the "public" taxis of Chiang Mai, are basically glorified pick up trucks. Its very freeing, sitting sideways in the back, and I feel very close to my surroundings. Traffic is crazy in Chiang Mai, so you really have to hold on to the handles sometimes, but it is just more thrilling that way!

Rod Dangs

7. Coffee Shops 
Chiang Mai is ALL about the coffee shops, something I absolutely love. It has become my Saturday tradition to find the most delicious latte at the cheapest price, at the cafe with the best atmosphere. After much deliberation, I found it. 30 baht for a latte..which is more than a meal but so totally worth it for me, and its only $1. Where in the US would you find a $1 latte. The cafe is tucked in with a bunch of tropical vegetation surrounding it, and there are tables on the ground floor and on the roof. They also put a lot of foam on the latte..which I absolutely love.. and I can sit and read my book there for hours. Perfection.

8. Chiang Mai University
Well.. even though they made me have a literal aversion to white shirts and black skirts (our uniform), and  they forced me to realize that I'm never going to be an artist and that Thai is the hardest language to speak in the world, I love this place. The professors are awesome, and care about us. The classes were SO interesting...learning about different aspects of Thai language, culture, Buddhism, art... my intellect was stretched in ways it had never been stretched before, because not only was I learning about it, I was living it! And it was the place where I could catch up with all of my friends and share host family stories. 7th floor..faculty of the humanities..that was home base for me. I'm going to miss it.

 9. The fruit
I know I already raved about the food in Thailand, but this one needs to be mentioned. The fruit here is UNBELIEVABLE. Pineapple, watermelon, and bananas have never tasted so good in my entire life. And there are so many fruits I never knew existed- rose apples, som oh, amazing tasting papaya- and for only 10 baht. Perfect treat on a hot day.

10. Transitioning from a tourist to a local
I'll always be a farang. I can't help it; I'm not Thai, and my skin is pasty white. But, I have worked my hardest to become a farang that could be respected as a local. I always keep my shoulders covered (its culturally unacceptable for women to show their shoulders, but farang tourists do it ALL the time). I try to always speak Thai, even if I have no idea how to say what I want to say.  That way I still gain respect, and there are always a few laughs too. I know to stand still when they play the national anthem on every street corner in the morning, and know to stand when they play the King's song before a movie at the movie theater. I know that there are 5 different tones in Thai (maa, maa, maa, maa, and maa all mean different things when said in different tones). I know which type of wai I need to give my different superiors, and to take off my shoes before I get in a house or some stores, to never touch someones head, and to never point the sole of my foot at someone.  I can get where I need to go in Chiang Mai, and I know how to bargain with a rod dang driver so he will give me a discount. I feel comfortable in the city, and I love it.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my list! None of the pictures are my own, so thanks google images! haha Tomorrow, I leave for my cross country trip through Thailand!

I also need to get to bed, and I have received 14 mosquito bites since I began this post (I just counted...NO FUN.)

Miss and love you all!

Kitty

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

The day I learned to meditate

This week has been crazy, and has drained me both emotionally and physically. I'm going to try and fill everyone in as much as possible as to what has been going on, but it's going to be the brief version. This post would just be WAYY  too long if I indulged in every single detail.

Last Thursday, my khun mee picked me up from school, like usual, and then proceeded to tell me that her best friend was dying from cancer. She wanted me to go visit her before she died- which she was anticipating any moment. I agreed.. I mean you can't really turn down something like that. So we drove to the house of the women, and I was faced with probably the most horrific, yet wonderful, scene. A women lay on the couch, definitely VERY sick, unresponsive, with oxygen tanks all around her. Literally everyone she knew was probably there. Friends kept walking in, family was on skype, and her three young kids were sitting in the middle of the floor working on their homework. The thing about Buddhism is that death is a huge deal, but its not a moment to show your grief of your passing love one. They are moving on to their next life, in their eyes, and its almost like a party. Sure, people were sad, but there we no tears, people were telling jokes, the little kids were playing with their toys. They were SO excited to see a farang in their house, that they gave me the best chair and warmed me up a cup of soy milk (which is my favorite.. I am loving the warm soymilk here). They asked me questions about how I liked Thailand, and about my family at home, for the entire 3 hours we were there they were the most hospitable people I have ever met. I wanted to shoo them away and tell them I was ok, they needed to go take care of their dying family member! I was almost in tears for them, and then their kindness just tore my heart  out. And the little kids were about to lose their mom, but the little girl was just happy showing me her fake monopoly money and telling me about how her aunt did her hair. We left at 11, and the woman died at 1 that morning, 2 hours after I left.

Needless to say, I was ready for our retreat to a forest temple over the weekend. I needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and think. It was also nice to be back with everyone in the program again, we hardly get to spend time with each other away from school. On the drive to the temple, we visited a wat that was over 900 years old. We also went to a CAVE (!!) and walked around, looking at the stalagmites and stalagtites (spelling..? haha). That was awesome.

When we arrived to the forest wat, we were instructed to put on our elephant pants. No complaints there. You could tell me I had to wear those every single day for the rest of my life, and I would cry tears of happiness. Yiannoula and I decided to go explore the temple, and we were suddenly greeted by a monk who made us sweep all the leaves from all the walk ways. That was a bit of a surprise. During our sweeping excursions, I also met a peacock. He wouldn't spread his feathers for me though. Apparenlty he has to be in the mood to mate..and I guess I just wasn't what he wanted. haha..ew. Anyways.. after we were done cleaning we all were taught how to meditate by monks. Now I know Christians tend to get up in a hizzy about meditation, but let me explain. The purpose of meditation is not worshipping the Buddha (in fact, they knew we were Christians so they told us we didn't have to bow three times to the relic..so they were very respectful of our beliefs). The purpose of meditation is to focus on the present, to forget about what is worrying you about the past and the future, but to relax, take in the peace around you, and realize the blessings you have recieved in life. So, I think its actually a thing Christians should practice! Removing yourself from the world (living in the world but not of it), realizing our purpose on Earth as God has decreed us, relishing in peace.. its something that I think everyone should try at least once.

Now, that I've said that, I must admit I wasn't very good at meditation. I'm not a very quiet person.. (some people are probably saying thats the understatement of the year right there..) so mainting quiet for that long was very hard for me. And my feet fell asleep to the point where I couldn't even move my toes anymore. But it was SO relaxing, and once I got the hang of it and focused on my breathing, it was definitely worth while.

We slept on the floor on a small mat, and then got up at 5 in the morning to go into the village to give alms to the monks. People in the village go out everymorning and buy their favorite foods, and put it in the bowls teh monks use. This food is used to feed the monks, and is available for any impoverished person. People know that if they are in a position where they are not able to make a meal, they can always go to their temple and they will be fed. Wouldn't be great if every hungry person knew that if they could go to a church, they would be fed? Just a thought. Anyways.. I bought warm soy milk (told you I loved it!) and a bunch of bananas..(wow. delicious), and gave my alms. That was a very interesting experience.

We went back to the temple, just in time to see the sunrise over the mountain. This was so beautiful, and I just sat there with my warm soy milk..(I bought myself some too.. can't let the monks have all the goodness) and watched God's creation light up. I was overwhelmed with everything that had happened, and I had been reading Genesis after I meditated. That sunrise just seemed like a promise that there is so much more out there, that the world is a place to be explored and cherished. It made everything that has been happening come together in an amazing way. I'm kind of failing for words right now of how I felt, and I hope I'm not boring you with all this emotional jargon, but I was really moved and really felt changed.

View of the sunrise from the temple

This past week has been different too! I spent Monday and Tuesday at Baan Ponsawan, and then I was asked to start another internship for Wednesdays and Thursdays. I go to a developmental hospital in Chiang Mai, and help out with a Musical Production for their drama therapy department. I work with people with autism, downs syndrome, and other developmental disabilities. I'm there to help them sing and keep pitch, and I even get a feature in the show! This show is a big deal...they are having 3 performances and the Princess is supposed to even come, not to mention Kim Phipps. I'm so blessed that I was asked to perform, and am SUPER excited. It's also such a great break from the hustle and exhaustion of Baan Ponsawan, and I always feel encouraged after working with the AMAZING people in the production.

Love and miss you all SO much! Thank you for all your kind letters and messages, they really mean the world!

Also, I realized there have been A LOT of typos in my past posts, and I thought I should give an excuse. The computers here are really slow, so they don't register all that I am typing when I type it. So basically I am typing without seeing what I'm typing.. so don't worry, my English hasn't gone completely downhill!

Hope you enjoyed all the pictures! :)
<3 Kitty

The day I made my International Beauty Pagent debut

I know a lot of you have been waiting for this story, ever since I put on my facebook that I was entering in an International Beauty Contest here in Chiang Mai. Here is the down low:

On Thursday, my professor came to us girls in the program, and said that they really needed girls for the International Beauty Contest for the Flower Festival here in Chiang Mai. It sounded like a lot of fun, and how often can you say that you were in an International Beauty Contest? So about 7 of us girls agreed to join.

After a day full of art on campus ( I learned how to watercolor..which I am horrible at but I actually find really relaxing! I have been painting a lot in my free time) us girls were transported to a fancy hotel in the middle of teh city, where we met the other contestants. These girls were from all over! Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, America, Italy, etc. They were all asked on the streets to join the contest, and they all decided to take a crack at it. We arrived at 3 p.m, and spent the next 3 hours getting our hair done (in the traditional Thai style, a HUGE unflattering bun on top of the head), getting our makeup done (where they proceeed to darken (!!) my eyebrows, put on blue eyeshadow, and bright pink lip gloss. I looked like a child in the 80s that stole their mom's makeup and tried to do it themselves), and dressed us in Traditional Thai outfits. Needless today, I looked silly. All of us looked silly. We definitely were not Asian enough to pull any of that off, but that didn't matter. Its all about the Sanok (fun) in Thailand!

They loaded us all into a fancy shmancy bus, complete with a police escort, and took us into the middle of the city where the competition was giong to take place. When they told me that it was not giong to be a big deal, the definitely lied. Probably a thousand different people were there for the festival and the beauty contest, and there was a real stage with lights and microphones and everything. People were crowding around us to take pictures with us, and they were yelling "suay maak!" (very beautiful!) every where we turned. It was very overwhelming, but at least we got to use the bathroom for free!

First was the Thai beauty pagent, and these girls were LEGIT. Huge fancy dresses, white powder on their skin, perfect makeup, these girls weren't messing around. This took about 3 hours....3 hours of us sitting around. We were exhausted by the time they ushered us to the back of the stage, where they proceeded to tell us that we had to stand in front of everyone, introduce ourselves, and do a little performance to show our personality. Fortunately, I knew about the "act" and had prepared to sing head shoulders knees and toes in thai (these weren't supposed to be serious acts..haha) but a lot of the girls were freaking out trying to prepare something. They then rushed us on stage, and we walked around in circles, bowing to the audience. We then got up one by one to introduce ourselves, and give our little performance. Some girls acted, some did magic tricks, one girl sang "I'm a little teapot." When I got up there, I decided to let it all loose and be confidant. I buthchered my introduction (because I attempted it in Thai) but they were all laughing at me so that was good. And then I sang my song, and everyone started singing along! It was great! They were all clapping and laughing. I had never heard a thousand people all sing head shoulders knees and toes (in Thai) all at the same time. It was alot of fun, and I felt good about it.

Needless to say, none of the girls from the semester program won. The girl from Japan won, but we all had a lot of fun, and got to be on National Thai TV!

The next day was a lot of fun too. It was the Flower Festival in Chiang Mai with parade floats decorated in flowers, and a TON of food to eat. We rented a bamboo mat and sat around in the shade by a pond, where we fed fish and watch little kids chase the pigeons. Nice and relaxing end to a hectic weekend.

Things have been going well at school and with teaching. Midterm papers are due next week, so we are all trying to frantically write ours before we go on our meditation retreat this weekend. The kids at Baan Ponsawan still have  A LOT of energy, but Jenny and I are finding new ways to manage each day. All of us are pretty exhausted by this point, and we can't wait for spring break next month, but we have to keep pushing through! I've also gotten to eat some interesting foods including a fish head, pork intestine soup, and stirfried ant eggs (which actually wasn't that bad!) I've also learned about different language mistakes that I have been making which have been pretty embarrassing (I keep trying to order bananas..kluay said in a really high tone, but when said in a different, low tone,  I am accidently ordering a part of the male anatomy. I get a lot strange looks haha).

Love and miss you all!
Kitty

The day I became "Teacher"

Life has started to become more of a routine. I wake up each morning, take a shower, eat sticky rice and moo bing, and head off to school. After a half a day of language and Thai culture classes, we all head to the canteen on campus to eat some delicious food. I always end my meal with a fresh fruit shake, or roti (which I just discovered... fried dough with banana, chocolate, and sweetened condensed milk drizzled of their top. TO DIE FOR. literally.) After that, I file into the rod dang and head off to my internship: Baan Ponsawan.

Baan Ponsawan is a Catholic organization centered out of Chiang Mai. Kathleen, the American founder and director, saw a need for poor tribal kids to gain a quality education, which they were not recieving in the various remote places they lived. She also gathered kids from the slums, and built a place for all of them to live. All of these kids attend school together at a near by wat, or Buddhist temple, that has a vision for education poor children so they can move their way up in the world.

Jenny and I teach English to 4th grade- a handful. This is the age when they realize that they can back talk the teacher and do what they want. We make our lesson plans the day before, usually full of games and crafts to keep the kids entertained (or else we lose them SUPER fast). We walked into the class room on our first day (which is really basic...wood desks and chairs, and a chalk board. We have to come up with all of our own materials), and realized how much of a challenge this internship was actually going to be. Kids were throwing books at each other's heads. Two boys were having a fist fight in the middle of the room. A girl was crying in the corner. We quickly sat everyone down, and frantically tried to get their attention. I honestly cannot remember teaching a single thing the first day, it was all about gaining the respect that we deserve. 5 kids left the class room as soon as we started teaching and didn't come back.

Kathleen gave all the students a talking to, and it has gone A LOT better since the first day. We gave them all farang names, which they loved. We have taught them colors and clothing, and we are in the process of teaching them how to read all that they have learned. A few of the boys still are very disrespectful (one in particular...he cussed me out yesterday and brought a knife to school today..), but it has become a lot easier to handle. They respect us and will listen to what we say, and love the games we play. I am beginning to fall in love with these kids.

After we teach, we play duck duck goose, or Miss Mary Mack (which girls AND boys are obsessed with), or redlight green light for about a half an hour. This is when I get closer with the kids. Letting out all the stress of the class room and just running around with them like maniacs is SO much fun. They like to play volleyball, and I taught them how to set (WHAT?! i can barely set myself. but they loved it. haha). A few kids in particular are always hanging around me, teaching me Thai and laughing at my horrible pronunciation. If I could be somewhere all day, that is what I would be doing.

We then take all the kids and walk them back the 2 miles home to Baan Ponsawan. I have two walking buddies that have not left my side since the first day. A couple of days ago, we literally jumped all the way home. Yesterday, I learned head shoulders knees and toes in Thai (hua lay kaw taw kaw taw...I hope you're impressed) and today I taught them the words to Miss Mary Mack, so they can play by themselves.

After I'm done my 4 hours of internship, I hop back in the rod dang, and take a nap on the 30 minute ride back to campus. Sometimes me and the other girls have a dance party using Yiannoula's Ipod speakers (that gets some interesting glances form alot of people..haha) but most of the time we are too exhausted to eat our complimentary banana cakes they give us each time we teach.

Needless to say, I LOVE IT. I love it so much that I am staying an extra month in Thailand to gain my Teaching English as a Foreign Language certifcation. But, at the same time, I am extremely tired and my patience is running thin. I would really appreciate prayers as I try to deal with the few unruly students, and as Jenny and I try and think of more lesson plans!

Me and some of the kids from my class