#5 Roommates

ROOMMATES

Okay if you have been reading my blog you'll know that I've just skipped a few numbers in my tributes but I was a little ambitious trying to do 30 of these things. So, I will try to at least do the last 5 of these while wrapping up my last 2 weeks in PlaPak village.

This past friday marked my roommate's last day in Thailand before heading home 2 weeks early to start a graduate program in Washington D.C. The week has been full of good-bye dinners and a late night singing our hearts out to Karokee...what is a better way of leaving Thailand than stuffing your face with Thai food and singing? Nother the less it was sad to see the person who I've come home to after long days of teaching go. I was very lucky to have another American to live with the year and be able to talk fluently in english over our dinners after struggling through communicating in Thai all day. Over the course of the year we have been there for each other through the good and bad days, always listening pactiently to whatever crazy thing went down in the classroom. We became co-parents to our neighbors dog- Cha Dam (see post) and to a new litter of kittens, both sharing the love for animals. We both have a care-free attitude and trudged through living in a gecko-filled, ant swarmed, moldy, cob-webbed filled house just saying Mai Bpen Rai. I couldn't have asked for a better person to live with and help me through the year.

Along with Amanda I still have my Thai Roommate Pi Yok with me for these next 2 weeks. She also, couldn't have been a better roommate. She gives us our space when we need it but is always there for us cooking delicious dinners or buying us a cold drink on a hot day after school. Even though she speaks very little english she now says she can understand a lot of our conversations at dinner. We have become a nice family that I will greatly miss.

The principle of PlaPak Wit, me, and Amanda at a good-bye dinner in the city.

Saying goodbye at the bus station with the english teachers

Here comes the bride

On Friday night I had the opportunity to attend my PaaAah's (principles) daughter's wedding. Excited about the chance to see a Thai wedding I accepted and attended the wedding with my co-teachers at Pla Pak Noi school. Having no idea what to expect, I was surprised at the western, christian traditions that have made their way over to rural Thailand. As you can see in the picture the bride was in a western white wedding gown and the groom in a white tux. I was hoping to see the actually ceremony but I guess they split them up and it was conducted in the morning on a Friday (weird) and the party was that night. It ended up being a pretty typical Thai party with a twist of wedding in it. The standard location for most bigger parties is at a High school gym that they line with round tables and plastic outdoor chairs. This was a little bit more formal because they put a lace slip over the plastic chairs and the table cloth was nicer also. During the dinner there was an exchange of flowers that you can see hanging around the neck of the bride and groom and the parents. As far as the wedding kiss only a peck on the cheek for a picture was seen which I think was a big deal. Immediately after that my co-teacher turned to me and said she would never kiss her husband outside their house. In Thailand PDAs are not appropriate and I have yet to see someone kiss or be affectionate with another. After this we all stood and raise our glasses for a cheer (I forget what it was) and sat down to continue our conversations. Overall the wedding was very very informal compared to US standards, seeing it took place on a high school campus and mostly was a dinner social. The bride and groom did come around to every table and say thank-you to the guests and take a picture. This was a little bit awkward for me since I had never met either of them but yet I was at their wedding. In most cases it doesn't seem to matter what party I show up at because I'm a foreigner and that is considered a big deal. Whenever I walk into a party pretty much everyone turns to look at you for awhile and throughout the party there are whispers and stares from every corner of the room. This is something that I have had to get use to and now I just smile the whole time and have a drink. I wish I had the chance to see the morning ceremony to see exactly how the Wedding progresses. Having a western white gown looks to be a trend in Thailand right now because there is a wedding gown store in Pla Pak that sells white gowns along along with more traditional thai dresses

Since Thais will make up any excuse to have a party and be able to sing Karaoke here in a list of key parts to how to party Thai style. As a few other volunteers and I got to experience this weekend, at a String tying ceremony at Heather Johns house that was held for us, if they have a chance to crack open a bottle of whisky and moonshine at 10am there will be no hesitation!

Components of a Thai party:

1. Karaoke! lots of Karaoke. Almost any night of the week you will hear someone blaring their karaoke machine singing the night away. One Thai favorite is "Can you feel the love tonight". A party is not official unless there is karaoke till the early morning hours.

2. A table equipped with Leo Beers, a bottle of whisky, mixers of coke and soda water, and pink sky wine coolers for the women. This is the standard set up on a dinner table. I have yet to see something different.

3. Someone talking on a microphone at all times and nobody listening.Thai people LOVE to have a microphone even in the most unnecessary situations. Also at the string tying ceremony this weekend we had a small group of around 10 people yet there was someone annoucing using a microphone on high. This doesn't mean you have to listen to them. Nobody will pay attention to what is being said but anyone will jump at the chance to be able to say a speech.

5. at least 5 different dishes and not enough room on the table. Having lots and lots of food at a party is also key. Usually there will be a whole fish, fried rice, a seafood soup, a meat (pork or chicken) dish with veggies, and dessert of fresh fruit (guava, bananas, watermelon are favorites). By the end there is a stack of plates somewhere on the table because there is never enough room for all the food!

6. Thai dancing. Once the karaoke starts going it is not an option for a farang to be sitting. They insist that you show off your thai dancing skills and think its hilarious to watch us struggle. Any effort is appreciated though. Usually a circle forms, like in dance of situation, and you take turns pushing someone in the circle to do a solo. This use to be one of my biggest fears but now I'm use to it and will quickly enter the circle do a little twirls and shove someone else in.

At the wedding with the other 2 female teachers from Pla Pak Noi, Pi Med and Pi Tok

*Pi means older sister in Thai and you use it for being polite and respectful to people older than you.