NOTE: I LOVE LOVE LOVE omelet on rice. seriously. I eat it every morning. and then for dinner...i usually have scrambled eggs with onion/garlic etc. on top of rice. AWESOME.
So when I arrived her one week ago, Pee Puey (the photo was posted last night of her in yellow top) met me and has been my host teacher...and will be through out my stay. She picked me up...took me to the house where I will be staying and then to the school. She handed me a schedule and said these are the classes you will be teaching (which I later found out was EVERY english class the school offered...i.e....all the english teachers had the month off...). She also told me she was going to find me a bike to ride to school as I told her I did not want to ride a scooter (after the atrocious Bangkok traffic instilled morbid fear into me...).
Stats: she's 36, single, pretty...OBSESSED with beauty (so is EVERY girl here...I don't really understand...it's like Hollywood...don't even want to start on the fake name brand obsession...WTF?) Very 'playful'. I've been watching her interact. It's kind of like the head cheerleader graduated and became a teacher...but yet still behaves the same way... Kids love her...I think...she's on their 'fun' level... Respectful of authority...proper...very nice... But never does anything she 'doesn't want' to do... It took me a week to figure out what was missing...because intuitively there was something off about her... and last night I figured it out...
The festival was last night... And the day started out crappy as you know do to lack of information...(but that's per usual...) I came home and was kind of 'eh' on the whole going back out to watch people float candles down the river and watch the beauty contest...
Then...Janejay's grandmother unveiled the BIKE that she had bough me with her OWN money so I could get around! BEAUTIFUL BIKE (from the photos I posted last night!) A 3 seater (with leg pegs!) with a basket and a bell! I was amazed! This was a VERY simple woman...worked her entire life...LABORED. You can see it on her face. We never spoke anything beyond word-repetition exercises to express things like 'delicious' and 'full' and 'thank you'... And yet...here she sees that I could probably use some sort of transportation...and asks someone to take her to the store to buy a bike! ALL ACTION - NO TALK. Pee Puey - ALL TALK...NO ACTION... This is the trend that I noticed...
Janejey comes home shortly thereafter (for dinner) and presents me with a HAND MADE candle holder for me to float down the river...(in photos below). She had spent her time making this for me! I was TOUCHED. Pee Puey only told me that if I wanted to buy one, I could pick it up at the little store and put it on her account... AGAIN: JANEJAY - ALL ACTION/NO TALK. Pee Puey - ALL TALK...
I now because increasingly aware of this trend in my observations of her... I was extremely happy from how the evening began... Thing is...she does NICE things when she wants to...so she tries...i guess...it's just always the things that are 'optional'... It's hard to describe...the things that are important - slip her mind...but the things that may come to her such as 'maybe katherine wants a slurpee'...she'll go get...
I'm not trying to be too hard on her...she's a sweet woman...but there is 'sweet' out of 'what you should do'...and then there is 'sweet' that comes naturally... She's of the former variety...and that's okay! I'm just glad I can put my finger on what it was that was bothering me a bit...
It was amazing how many people are:
1: drunk here - as in...during the morning, afternoon, and evening (especially at festivals!)
2: how the women (i know i'm repeating myself) are so obsessed with beauty
ON BEAUTY: not only did this beauty contest go on for 4 hours! (and the swimming suit section was hilarious! It was more like see through shirt and bra and pants...) But the girls are always saying things like 'do you think i'm pretty'...and Pee puey was in class today when i came in to take over...and the kids were laughing because she's so short next to me...and then she says 'i may be short...but at least i'm pretty!". I'm sure it wasn't to say I was not...but again...i hear the word 'sauy' (beautiful) like 20 times a day... and name brand name brand name brand! Not my thing... But I will say...it is hard at times (such a day was yesterday) when all of the teachers SUPER dressed up...and all looked amazing in their dresses for the parade.... I would have LOVED to know that this was happening so at least I would have worn the nicer of all the crappy clothing that I brought... I have one pair of wearable flat shoes...no makeup...and about 4 outfits that don't necessarily coordinate (because they have to be SO conservative...) So every now and then (yesterday) I get these thoughts...'If you only knew my closet...what I was capable of! you wouldn't recognize me!" But I keep to myself and smile under my loose linen bag-like clothes...
It was also very enjoyable seeing the girls (from 15 to 17) interact with each other...they're so touchy...makes me smile. I always say America (and Western Europe) are under touched. It's like a taboo. But here...the environment is very playful...the hold hands...play with each other's hair...hug... it's very nice...warm...and best of all: ITS OKAY! They don't care what people think or will say about them etc... How lovely! I really enjoy seeing this. It's also the lifestyle that I believe in...whether with my friends...or any parenting I may do in the future. it's all about the love, folks...
in other news: have taught all classes today thus far (3)...two more to go! I get this feeling of inadequacy every now and then...like I'm not teaching the right stuff...or they're bored...and I need more games... But I really have to realize that this will NOT be perfect...because for it to be as I WANT it...I would have to have instructional language and ANY kind of budget (to make bingo boards....or to tell them to 'interview' one another....etc). I have to keep this in perspective...
BIG Congratulations goes out to Mr. Brian Beattie today...a lovely man I met at Asha (along with an AMAZING group of people...)...he got an AMAZING job yesterday and i am VERY proud of him! What an amazing opportunity! I think he may come to Siem Reap with me to see Angkor Wat (AKA be my photographer for the race...)...also hoping to recruit our buddy Willie....amazing woman I also met at Asha (a teacher from Holland). I miss everyone. It's very hard not having anyone to have a conversation with beyond 'Hello how are you?"
All the news for now...thank you for being good friends...hugs and kisses to all at home...
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