Ajarn for Ayutthaya and all of Thailandi!

Contraction It is to It's

2012-01-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

It is = It's (apostrophe shows a missing letter)

Santa

2011-12-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

On Christmas eve, December 24th, Santa flies around the world delivering Christmas presents to GOOD little girls and boys. In cold countries, he comes down the chimney with his bag full of presents.

Here is a puzzle you can do with your mouse. Click on the green holly at the upper left to get a new puzzle piece. The white stuff in the chimney is snow.

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=ER13610552

Some flash cards about Christmas

hyoutube.com/ttp://www.watch?v=_YYNqvsEyaw&feature=fvsr

This is an old picture of Santa Claus.

December 8, 2011

2011-12-07T23:45:00.000-08:00

national anthems

http://youtu.be/OBDKah2nnvw
http://youtu.be/l4DSVPvDp4A

Present continuous

present progressive verb tense
http://youtu.be/MDs2qP3HUXE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhAUg2ZPoY

basic verb:

fly
jump
hit
swing ADD ING
catch
kick
fight
sleep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=8rWxozjSN30

basic verb:

cry
swim
walk
drink
smile ADD ING
climb
throw
eat
run

basic phrases
http://youtu.be/qzpuLuWo-uM

I am + adjective (hungry thirsty, hot, cold, angry)

Basic English

2011-12-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

Some videos from you tube

December 7, 2011

Alphabet
http://youtu.be/tAnz4yRDxGE
http://youtu.be/6M16ZE9yL1k

http://youtu.be/PJPSSYimaYs

xylophone
http://youtu.be/0CPp-RACDtE

octopus
http://youtu.be/lwAqhThd_EQ

national anthems
http://youtu.be/OBDKah2nnvw
http://youtu.be/l4DSVPvDp4A

Road Runner Beep Beep
http://youtu.be/KJJW7EF5aVk

Basic Computer Parts

2011-06-22T03:40:00.000-07:00

Contact me at: Fgreenwood@Yahoo.com

Let the audio load. Press the play button. Look at the computer diagram as I talk.

Whether you are a student or working for a living, there comes a time when your English learning runs into a wall, Whack!

This happens either because the group-paced lessons in school seem to run on tracks toward mediocrity or because you can’t carry on a conversation in English even though you are an “A” student.

If you want to continue learning you must be creative – try something you want to do. Schools don’t do this because they can’t measure it or because they don’t have the time. And creativity in business is just about the kiss of death.

Right now the only place you can pick up the next Practice English On-Line sheet is
At:

Plaupplung's Clothes Shop in Chong Khae.
New Fashions every week at market prices!

Contact me at: Fgreenwood@Yahoo.com

2011-03-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

An-thro-pol-o-gy is the study of man (“ology” means study). There are many different types of anthropologists, but an archeologist is an anthropologist who studies prehistoric people and their culture.

In-fer-en-tial.

When something is inferential, we don’t know for sure, but we infer from other facts that it is probably true. Readers infer, writers imply

Mi-grat-ing

Migrate means to move from one country or area to another. Emigrating and immigrating are used only for humans who move from one country to another.

Ar-ti-facts

An object produced or shaped by human craft, especially a tool, weapon, or ornament of archaeological or historical interest.

Coccon A protective case of silk spun by the silk worm. If you want to find out more go to the link below. I am disappointed they didn’t mention Thailand or Jim Thompson, though.

http://www.silk.org.uk/history.htm

Now see if you can answer these questions.

1 When did man start wearing clothes?

Ans: Well, no one knows for sure. The first clothes were probably furs, leather or grasses that can be draped like a towel around the body.

2 What does an archeologist do? Are there archeologists in Ayutthaya?

Ans: I can infer from all the temples and ancient ruins in Ayutthaya that there must be many archeologists in Ayutthaya.

3 What does biodegradable mean?

Ans: When something disappears due to the action of worms, bugs, fungus or any living thing it is said to be biodegradable. Furs and grasses degrade within a few years – which is why we don’t have clothing artifacts for people who lived long ago.

4. Do people still migrate today?

Ans: Yes. I migrated from America to Thailand.

5. What is a cocoon?

Ans: Well, a cocoon is made by a bug, but we use this word to mean a special type of house. You might hear: “Come out of your cocoon.”

6. What is a birthday suit?

Ans: This is an idiom. It means naked because you were not wearing clothes when you were born. Your skin was your birthday suit.

Be Nice, Have Fun, Shop ‘til You Drop!

* We now spend most of our time in Ayutthaya, but I also have a house in Chong Khae.

10 Changes for US Schools

2010-10-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Our politicians might say, “Never waste a good crisis.”
Our public schools are in crisis, so maybe it's a good time to rethink our K-12 educational system. Here are ten issues we might start with. Feel free to add or subtract from this list.

1. The Artist Need Not Apply. Our belief in scientific methodology has stripped ambiguity from our classrooms. If it’s not measurable, we don’t teach it. As a result we have not only stripped a sense of awe and mystery from our classrooms, but we have run off a talented pool of people who see no future for themselves in education (and I am counting both students and teachers in this pool).

Change: Stress essay writing over multiple choice questions. Schools should be less frenetic places. The pursuit of knowledge and the pursuit of happiness are one in the same. If we act like they aren't the same, they won't be. Education is not a race.

2. Our schools are too bureaucratic. Many administrators have lost touch with the reality of teaching.

Change: Make any administrator including principals and Professional Teaching Standards Board members responsible for one (where the need is greatest) class. If they say they are too busy, put them on a six month leave of absence without pay and let their secretaries run the place.

3. Make School Districts Equal Opportunity Employers. Nationally, schools have a substantial gender bias (our K-12 schools remain are as much as 80% female- just as they were in the 1930s).

Change: Hold school districts and teachers' colleges accountable to the law of the land.

4. Embrace technology – slowly. Technology makes sense in certain areas. We can computerize school libraries, utilize virtual classrooms, and use “cloud” computing, but schools should be an almost technology-free zone.

Change: Be aware of and acknowledge what technology can do, but keep the focus on man, not the machine.

5. Religion. The search for religion was the beginning of all knowledge, and yet our schools have become religion-free places. In a sense we've been cut adrift from our starting point. I realize the dangers of proselytizing, but I'm less sure about the need for a separation between church and state, especially if by state we mean a thing and not a state of mind.

Change: Schools should be as welcoming a place for religious thought as they are now for non- religious or atheistic thought.

6. Too Big To Fail? We probably should not let schools fail, but they have gotten too big. The abiding image of a public school building is that of a major corporation, not of a small business. I know this consolidation of schools is done to save money while offering students more educational opportunities. Unfortunately, schools over time have become exemplars of greed while their corporate sameness cancels most gains for the individual student.

Change: Rediscover words like apprenticeship, craftsmanship, and store front schools – maybe not for all but for some – experiment.

7. Funding. Local schools are funded primarily by local property taxes, state lotteries, and the Federal government. It's an unfair system for the property owner who has no child in school. Lotteries may also be an immoral way of funding a noble endeavor; and the Federal government has repeatedly demonstrated their unfunded, one-size fits all mandates are counterproductive.

Change: Let the “I'm buying civilization in paying taxes for public education” cadre ample time to rant and rave, and then get down to reasoning together. Maybe use lottery funds for tax relief for widows who haven't had a kid in school for 25 years. Maybe give property owners something like veteran-preference for town jobs. Let the Federal government know that we'll take their money (which came or is coming from our pockets) but not their unfunded, sound- bite mandates. Remind them that all politics is local and so is education.

8. Get Over Globalization. Measuring US math and science scores against those scores from other countries is counter-productive, and narrows our definition of what education should provide. Other countries may want all their students to be scientist and engineers, but do we? The (almost blasphemous) truth is that not everyone needs to know higher math. For instance, I use to work for a bright technical manager of a large high tech company, who once told me for all he knew Calculus was a constellation in the zodiac. He was, however, very conversant with the proprietary technology he managed – but proprietary means it isn't taught in schools, right?

Change: We should always challenge our students, but the idea that math and science are the only games in the building is hokum. It is a chance, however, for the administration to ask for more money and to scapegoat teachers.

9. Don't Touch Me There! Schools have become places where the politically correct control the curriculum. Questions that ought to be raised and discussed are not because they are just too un-PC. For instance, I think the feminist revolution was a wash . . . at best. I have some reasonable arguments, but I'd be hooted down if I ever raised them in a US high school.

Change: Saudi Arabia still executes people (mostly men) for black magic. Iran wants to stone (mostly women) for adultery. Female castration, and honor killings and a host of other abominations are done throughout the world – not because women have no power – but in the name of the politically correct Europe killed more witches than we did, but we killed some, too. The politically correct have no place in our schools.

10. If you can read this, thank a . . . writer. Friends (and I know I'm talking to teachers), teachers don' t make miracles happen, students do. To survive, teachers have to boast and periodically blow their own horn. Schools are very political places. But teachers can no more take credit for teaching a fifteen year old how to solve quadratic equations than teaching a one-year-old to walk. We get down on our knees and say “Come to Daddy,” or start our algebra explanation one more time, but when the baby takes a step or the when the student understands, it's time for humility and amazement, not boasting, “I'm bad” to the administration..

Change: Teaching ought to be the best job in the world. If it is not, we should ask why not? What's wrong with education is what's wrong with America.

Fgreenwood@Yahoo.com I also keep a blog on poetry at www.Forrestgreenwood.blogspot.com

2010-09-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of issues

One

In the 1960 a little upstart UHF station in Massachusetts began broadcasting every Boston Bruins ice hockey game. They also pioneered the slow motion technology we take for granted now. When people flocked to buy their antennas (this was before satellite and cable TV), the main stream broadcasters did everything in their power to stop them. A then little know Michael Dukakis rose to fame by championing the little station’s right to complete.

The same situation is now replaying with TV over the Internet.

Living in Thailand, I can’t get hulu or any of the other TV via Internet providers. When ESPN recently started airing on the Internet I was happy – it worked fine. A few weeks later, they stopped citing copyright concerns.

TV over the Internet is going to happen. Hardware manufacturers are already making equipment just for this. But it’s not going to happen in Thailand until the vested interest of cable and satellite are either appeased or their franchise broken.

Two

Now that the BRICs (Brazil, India, and China) are outperforming America in terms of GDP, we keep hearing how America is falling behind in education. Something doesn’t make sense here.

I don’t think education has much to do with the emergence of these new super powers.

Brazil is sitting on huge natural resources which it is now exploiting. China and India are sitting on huge populations which they are now exploiting. It’s hard for me to believe that these countries do education better than the US – whether you’re talking about math, science, or home economics.

The sorry truth is that their governments may operate more purposely and efficiently, though.

2010-06-05T03:06:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to my free classes!

2010-05-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Next free class May 30.

Go to this link to get free e-mail newsletter from US Embassy in Bangkok: irc@state.gov

Next Class today at 3 pm!

2010-05-15T18:33:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Rebeca at the US Embassy in Bangkok for a sending materials about the United States of America.

2010-05-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

Next Free class at OBT on May 15th at 3 pm.

Lesson Four

2010-04-26T20:32:00.001-07:00

Click on this link, or cut and paste it into your address line.

http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/305885-lesson-four

2010-04-24T18:38:00.001-07:00

Here is Lesson three. Click on the link. or copy and paste the link into your computers address line.

http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/303749-lesson-three

YouTube - Song Kran in Chong Khae April 13, 2010

2010-04-13T00:48:00.000-07:00

YouTube - Song Kran in Chong Khae April 13, 2010

Health Station Seven

2010-04-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the link for Monday's lesson:

http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/292696-health-station-seven

Health Station Three

2010-03-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

Copy and paste this link to view these notes.

http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/286180-health-station-three

2010-03-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Health Station English

Lesson 1 (copy the link and paste it into address line)

http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/277133-health-station-students

Resort in Chong Khae

2010-02-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

Trip to Issan on January 15, 2010

2010-01-17T20:28:00.001-08:00

A New Baby in the Family

2009-11-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

งานฌาปนกิจศพ นาย สมศักดิ์ คุ้มภัย

2009-10-29T18:23:00.001-07:00

/F2.swf" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="200" height="73">

2009-10-21T16:45:00.001-07:00

Ajarnfor is Under Construction

2009-08-26T00:39:00.000-07:00

Not everyone needs to learn English

but

Everyone needs to have fun!

Watch this site for videos of Chong Khae

For ads in English

For school news

and ways to make money!

Too Young to Beg?

2009-06-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

I was watching the US Open when this baby elephant shows up begging for bananas. Comes from the northeast of Thailand - small ears (the elephant not my wife) means she is an Asian elephant. Where's PETA when you need them?

First Day of School

2009-05-14T19:40:00.001-07:00

Thai children start school at an early age.

Here is Beem (age 2 1/2) coming home in the rain from her first day.

Songkran, again

2009-04-16T21:24:00.002-07:00

Once again the clan elders are anointed with water out of respect. Grampy is the first (100), his younger sister (85) is next. my wife's great aunt (70+) and then the youngsters. The children in the background all have water pistols to die for.

I have to admit as a westerner, this ceremony is touching. The rest of the antics - which run for a week - I could do without.

Garlic and Onions

2009-04-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

Some locally grown garlic and onions hanging in the kitchen. My wife bought two big bags of chili peppers this morning. The Thais, day in and day out, make the hotest food in the world. If you eat something and it doesn't make your eyes water, it's too bland.

Balloon cyclist

2009-04-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

Boom got a special balloon last night at a celebration at a wat in Chong Khae. Her uncle is the artist.

Songkran April 12 - 15

2009-04-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Songkran Festival is the traditional Thai New Year. This is the time for Thais to pay homage to Buddha images, clean their houses, and sprinkle water on their elders in a show of respect. Anyone who ventures out on the streets is likely to get a thorough dousing of water, all in good fun, but also quite welcome at the peak of the hot season.

The above picture is from the 2Bangkok.com website. The description is from http://www.sriwittayapaknam.ac.th/songkran.html a school in Thailand.

Hunting the wild Mango

2009-03-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

Just as Italy has a spaghetti harvest, so too do Thais have a season for hunting Mangoes. These little round creatures are nocturnal but sleep in trees during the day. If you have a Mango trap you can catch them while they sleep. Once they are in the trap, the can't get out. They have very sharp teeth, however, so you must be careful.

Fire and Ice - Can you say this poem?

2009-02-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

If you live around Chonchai and can recite this poem, I'd be happy to work with you to improve your English. Contact me at Fgreenwood@Yahoo.com

Grampy versus the Emu

2008-12-28T20:02:00.000-08:00

Went back to the Chainat Bird Park again. It is one of my favorite places around here. Inside the big bird cage Grampy (aged 100) was fascinated by the large birds. He said he wanted to catch one and take it home.

As I live in Thailand and have a Thai wife, I am a little upset that I have to pay tourist fees to get in - but it certainly is cheap enough. We also went to the aquarium this time. I like the serenity of the park. It's a nice place.

Fishing - Thai Style

2008-12-08T23:55:00.000-08:00

Many Thais around here have fish ponds. Periodically they drain the pond, gather the fish and sell them - usually door-to-door. Like all things Thai, this turns into a party.

To Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming

2008-12-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Senator:

RE: Teaching on-line in a virtual classroom

Although I call Laramie my home, I am retired and live in rural (and a very poor area) of Thailand. I am trying to use WIZIQ to teach English on-line, and I provide the following link about Christmas. You should be able to watch a recording of the class (and hear my wife’s translation) if you paste this link into your address line.

http://www.wiziq.com/tutorsession/detail.aspx?id=4C5CB2531A7B4838B491BBA9DAB18D98

In a changed America, I think on-line teaching makes a lot of sense. I have talked to three people at University of Wyoming about this technology. At first they were interested, but I think using this method does not fit into their business plan. I think it is a fit for Wyoming, though, where distance and bad weather make attendance difficult.

My bandwidth in Thailand is low and iffy, but as long as I do not try and stream video it works. I should also say that I’ve lived the last twenty years as an expat, and have often been embarrassed by the British Embassy (in Jeddah and in Thailand) offering free English classes when the American Embassy did not. I wonder if there may be room for a new peace-corps.-type of initiative to Teach English overseas and on-line.

Merry Christmas and have a great (and innovative) new year.

Forrest Greenwood
128/1 M. 9
T. Promnimit
Takhli, Nakhonsawan
Thailand 60210

Fish Baskets

2008-12-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

My wife's 100 year old great grandfather spends his days making baskets - all kinds. What amazes me is that he makes everything from scratch using just a machete and a crimping tool. All the bamboo strips he uses have to be uniform, and somehow he painstakingly cuts them so with his machete.

Gypsy Elephant

2008-09-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

This huge elephant travels the back roads of Thailand with its handlers. Along the way people give the elephant food and water and a little money for the handlers.

I have been remiss in keeping this blog current. Sorry. Last Friday I went down to LopBuri as usual. We've had a lot of rain this year and parts of the city to the east were flooded.

We now have nine puppies running around. The mother of seven of the pups died a week after they were born. The other two pups from a different mother are twice the size of the others. Dogs here eat food scraps and rice. They seem to thrive, but I have bought some Purina puppy chow to try and give them something of a start.

Bird Park in Chai Nat

2008-07-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

we went to a bird park in nearby Chai Nat (pronounced China). There were some birds, but the statues of birds are really neat. There is a pond with swan boats and a huge eagle (made out of tree bark, etc.) as well as an area, probably as big as three gold course holes, under a netted roof with peacocks and other exotic birds inside. There isn't much in the way of literature or food. I was hoping to buy a bird book, but it is very peaceful and inexpensive.

My first "Live from Thailand" was a learning experience. You can see it by clicking on the link below. I will try another one soon.

Live From Thailand

2008-07-18T21:47:00.001-07:00

After a rain storm with really high wind gusts, there was blow down everywhere. A good time for grampy to collect some palm fronds which he will fashion into brooms. Any fool can turn one million dollars into two million dollars, but it takes a genius to turn one dollar into two dollars. Turning sticks into brooms and baskets makes my wife's great grandfather something of a genius.

***

There's something new on the horizon.

On July 26 at 6 pm (EST) I'm going to hold a Live From Thailand session on-line. To watch it, click on the link below, it will take you to WIZIQ.com . Enter your e-mail and add a password (one you make up, not your e-mail password), and join the session. If your computer doesn't have speakers, you'll need a headset. If you have a microphone, we should be able to talk. If you miss the live session, you should be able to view the session any time after the 26th in America by following the link.

You should probably check the time and date by following the link and signing in before hand.

Click on this link. See you then, Forrest

http://www.wiziq.com/tutorsession/session.aspx?JuX%2bgH%2b2GbbyFhkTVqzsir%2f2nWrnU9g2eVQElmcIjH%2bi23wKbzcMjWIxfy1F2jyeoqwe%2f6wTk1k%3d

Rainy season hideout

2008-07-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

I have been lax in posting - many reasons. I wanted to put a picture of my newest retreat on my blog, though. It makes me feel as if I am living in Swiss Family Robinson's house. Notice the coconuts used as pots for the hanging orchids as well as the piece of derelict sheet metal as a roof extension. It's a quiet shady place for a drink or reading.

Monkey Business

2008-06-27T04:40:00.000-07:00

I am teaching at a university in Lop Buri near a famous Wat that has a lot of monkeys. This is a picture of monkeys jumping into a pool of water. We may think that animals are dumb, but these guys seem to been having a lot of fun.

Sleepers

2008-06-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Here is my wife's grand daughter and her great grandfather. There is about 99 years between them.

Beer Festival!

2008-06-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Chonchai has a nice little town common. I like the grass and lack of litter. There's also a small outdoor exercise area with equipment and a small oval sidewalk for walking.

Every once in a while. there will be a party complete with a live show. The picture above is looking back over the midway toward the west at sunset. This party was sponsored by Leo Beer, so I had to go. You could get a free Thai foot massage, something not as prevalent in small towns as big cities, or a free haircut. The draft beer (another thing lacking in small towns), I had to pay for. And, of course there was food galore. Anyone want gramma's favorite squid on a stick?

We went two of the three nights at twilight as they got going.

I should say the shows left a little to be hoped for. The first night was predictable fare, high school girls in cheerleader dresses from the 1950 with Las Vegas feather headpieces. You listen to the tried-and-true Thai loves songs and wish these kids knew Chuck Berry.

The second night we went was put on by a high school in the city of Nakhonsawan. They probably had 50 kids involved and while it wasn't "Fame" quality, it was pretty good stuff. I am continually amazed at the Thai tolerance of ladyboys - very effeminate men. Evidently, one of the teachers at the school is a ladyboy, so there was one number with a chorus of boys in gold spandex pants and gauzy shirts. Not something I'd think you see in South Carolina.

Orchids

2008-06-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

Orchids are commonplace in Thailand.

I am having a good deal of trouble with Blogger. I will try and get it fixed, but . . .

Cows

2008-06-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

I took this picture at the end of our driveway. The road is in front, then the canal (which you can't see). This is a common sight. You can see the herder to the left. He is equipped with a sling shot if the cows get on the road.

Peacock

2008-06-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

I see a peacock often on my morning walks. A long teal green neck and dragging a long train of bony sticks in the fan, they are remarkable birds. I wonder if the dogs which run in packs of three or four bother them?

I am increasingly dismayed at the dearth of young people aged 15 to 25 in this rural area. There is nothing for these kids to do once they get out of high school, so they migrate to Bangkok which like any mega city is growing in size like a cyclone over warm water. And there, I'm afraid, they get lost.

I have been having problems with posting this blog. I think this may be a sign of things to come as the Internet gets overloaded or the big companies who run the Internet start playing hard ball to gain market share.

Two-wheel tractor

2008-05-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

The irrigation canal (kong) is on the other side of the road from the house, the rice fields are in back. To get the water from the canal a pump (the blue pipe) is hitched up to a roto-tiller on steroids. The water then flows through a pipe under the road to a small sluice way and into the fields. This is a very common sight up and down the canal. When a lot of water is needed quickly, the landowners install a big v-8 truck engine on a trailer to a a pump three times the diameter of the one above.

The police now say the vandalism at Buri Ram was carried out by people practicing "black arts." Just what black art worshipers do or believe in here in Buddhist Thailand is a mystery to me.

Chunky is building a house out back, I'm trying to get my one-year visa, I've been writing letters to the editor in Bangkok (I'm trying to get medical help for this compulsive problem) and my Internet and Blogger have not been cooperating. I'll try to be a little more predictable with my posts in the future.

Blogger problems

2008-05-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

I'm having problems with my Blogger account.

Tanpo Tree

2008-05-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Tanpo tree is a symbol of Buddhist Thailand. The ribbons wrapped around the tree alert people that this is a lucky tree where good spirits reside. It seems to me a symbol of the Thai extended family which is intertwined and locked together for strength.

On a sad note the temple in Buri Ram which we visited (pictures below) has been vandalized. The newspaper says police suspect it may be different factions within the administration of the site that may be responsible.

A wedding and a funeral to go to today.

Corn Flakes?

2008-05-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

After a hard rain last night, the walkways around the house were covered with - bugs. My wife swept up piles of them. These are the wings, I guess, but there were plenty of bugs with wings, too. On an empty stomach, she then told me that her grandfather like to fry them in oil and eat them. If there are Thais out there that know about this, I'd like to know more. Still, I may never eat cornflakes again. Amazing Thailand.

Teaching in Thailand

2008-05-17T00:24:00.000-07:00

While many Asian nations are actively recruiting native English speakers to teach, Thailand does not seem to want expat teachers. It may be an overreaction to the pedophile scandals and it may be a Thailand for Thais only sentiment.

The following is my letter to the Nation Newspaper which they recently published. Sigh

Unintended and unforeseen consequences

Henry Ford who pioneered the mass production of automobiles had his house moved back from the road when the automobile became popular. Cars were just too noisy and too dirty. Pollution was the unforeseen consequence.

No country, organization, or individual is free from making decisions that have unforeseen consequences. Some consequences, however, have far reaching effects.

Currently, the Thai Ministry of Education seems to be at the epicenter of the storm of the unforeseen consequences.

The political correctness course required of all expat teachers cost 7,000 Baht as well as an uncompensated investment in time. Ultimately, this investment will have to be borne by the schools and not by any teacher worthy of being called a professional. This, I think, is an unintended consequence.

I’ve been told by school administrators that they cannot hire teachers over fifty years old. This age threshold is now in many job ads and so prevalent that I think it must be an edict or a nod and a wink from the Ministry of Education.

I also think it is ironic that two of the administrators who told me I was too old to be hired were themselves in their “golden” years. In a society which venerates age, I wonder how the Ministry of Education can justify this arbitrary rule.

I am retired and could teach for no pay, but I’m not a one-man NGO and to do so would undermine the teaching profession and fellow Thai teachers who are underpaid. And this is an unintended consequence I’m not prepared to make.

Earthquake

2008-05-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

CNN is reporting that the Chinese earthquake was felt in Bangkok. Not here around Takli though.

I said the ashes were placed in a pagoda in my last, but the Thai name is "a-new-sa-wali."

100-Days-After-Death Party

2008-05-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

The day of the 100 day-after-death party was hot, and humid, but the rain held off to early evening. This is a picture of an aunt cooking over a charcoal fire. Unlike TV chefs, she never hurried and never made any extra movements. Here she is frying fish, but she also made huge batches of soups and sauces.

This is my wife's oldest daughter Bow who acted as a hostess for the party.

Two young friends who helped as servers who had worked from about 10 to 3 to serve around 200 people who showed up for the party take a break.

After the party, the immediate family goes to the Wat to place the ashes in the spire of the pagoda along with small tokens and a bottle of water. My wife is carrying a picture of her father. This week the pagoda will get a base like the one to the left.

The tents were struck and everything packed up with circus-like precision an hour after the end of the party. Finished, I hope. The rain has come, but that's OK.

100 Days

2008-05-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

My wife's father died 100 days ago and now it is time for yet another party. When I walked out back this morning around 6 am people were busy chopping up a whole pig.

Another was coring coconuts of which we have plenty.

Others were chopping big pig parts into little pig parts.

I went back inside and watched the Lakers.

All I know about cows

2008-05-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

This picture of branding cows was sent to me by my sister in Laramie, Wyoming (She is the one standing in the middle of the picture). For my Thai friends, cows are branded with a hot iron so that people know who the cow belongs to. Cows roam around the pastures all summer long with no one watching them.

By contrast, cows here always have someone watching them as they graze by the side of the road.

Our House

2008-04-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

This is a very common Thai house design. Most Thai houses are built on stilts and the upstairs of our house was built first. When my wife sent me a picture, I asked where the rest of the house was? The picture also shows the new roof covering the back forty (40 x 40 square feet +) at the far right. The roof, incidentally, is made out of a fiberglass material, not tin.

For those thinking of retiring, I would say everything here is about $30 K or one-million Baht or so. There are now two small bedrooms upstairs (to the right) and another space walled off with sheets for a bed for great grandfather.

It certainly isn't luxurious living, but I am comfortable. Life here is similar to living on a ranch in Wyoming where you don't expect the house to be neat and tidy because most of the time you're outside. Most of the junk that used to be outside the front door has been taken out under the new roof. New junk, I fear is on the way, sigh.

Three beers for Thailand, hip, hip ....

2008-04-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Although Thailand has several beer brands, I find these three pretty acceptable. Heineken, of course, is an international standard, but at 60 Baht ($2) a bottle it also the priciest. The other two animals are Singha (the Lion) and Chang (the elephant). Both are drinkable and cheaper than Heineken. All three of these beers are pretty heavy compared to American beers. Singha now has a Lite beer which tastes good to me and I think will catch on. I provide this information as a public service.

Thai Girls

2008-04-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Some pictures need words to explain what's going on. This is not one of them. From the top in counterclockwise direction: Boom, Mok, Cartune, and Cartune (same first name) all cousins, of course.

Immigration Blues

2008-04-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Bangkok's sky train taken from the Siam Paragon building - it is not my picture. We took the car into the city, but met my wife's brother, who drives in the city for a living, to act as a harbor pilot to get us to our hotel.

We spent three days in the city trying to secure my visa (unsuccessfully). In doing so I had to visit both the Thai Immigration Ministry and the American Embassy. One is chaotic, the other pretty well organized. The officers at one place wear military uniforms and tend to yell at you in broken English because of the noise. The other has young women in red polo shirts (for identification) who happily speak English without an accent in normal voices. One does not open until 10 am, the other opens at 7:30 am. One has no security, getting into the other is like boarding a plane. One is first come first serve (pushing is encouraged) the other operates by appointment set-up on the Internet.

I know it's not fair to compare the two, but the difference is striking. I will get my visa (sooner or later), but it is frustrating. The problem was I cannot renew my non-immigrant visa (I was told on three occasions that I could) and that if I want to get a retirement visa I have to have pictures of where we live - nowhere is this requirement even mentioned, Sigh.

I wonder if I could bribe someone to let me drive the sky train. Hmm.

Bingo, Bango, Mango

2008-04-18T18:39:00.001-07:00

Mangoes (mamong), for those who don't know, grow on trees. When they are green (young mangoes), they can be a nice addition to salads. Young mangoes have a sharp taste, and a few slivers are all that is required. I'm a meat and potato American, but I recommend mango in salads.

When mangoes turn yellow they are ripe and sweet. Thais peel them, mush them up and boil them. Then, they put the pulp out in flat baskets like big pizzas and let the sun dry them out.

The mango mixture become the color and texture of liquorish (look at the basket on the floor, for the true color). The mango is then torn into small pieces and rolled into something that looks like a small, Italian cigar. The mango has a sweet raisin taste, and the Thais consider this much like candy.

It is customary for Thais to bring food from home back to the city with them, especially after Songkran. My wife made a two batch of mangoes (six or seven baskets, five rolls per sandwich bag and probably twenty bags) and sold out in a morning.

_____

I will be in Bangkok for three days, so no posts until Thursday. FG

The Spirit of Songkran

2008-04-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Songkran is a week-long holiday of high spirits that reminds me a lot of Halloween. Kids of all ages look for people douse in good fun.

Songkran, however, is just about the only time many Thais get to go home, and the holiday has a serious side, too. In the picture above, the elders of the family sit on a bench while young people (many with families of their own) wash hands and feet, pour water on heads and down the back of shirts while murmuring thanks. It is one of those uniquely Thai moments that amidst the food and drink (woof) catches you off guard.

The inflated pool dousing operates on a different level.

Songkran

2008-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a Songkran crew just waiting for someone to douse with water.

This is an additive to the water used for splashing people that makes the water smell sweet.

These are little bags of water coloring which is also added to the water. The white packages are flour which is used for smearing on people and cars as well.

Rice Paddy?

2008-04-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

I think that there are more shades of green in Thailand than there are pages in the OED.

I walk by these fields every morning and it's hard for me to call them rice paddies because they are so big. They do have berms to square off the plot, but I think this is not to have the rice all come in at one time than hold water. When the top of the rice turns a golden color, it will be harvested by a combine. The trees in the background are banana trees.

These are hard times for rice farmers because the export market is in high-speed wobble. Still, this area is the bread basket for a lot of Asia.

Songkran

2008-04-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Thai New Year is called Songkran. This will be my first time in Thailand during this period, so I'm not sure what to expect. All I know is that Boom (aged seven) and Bew (aged twelve) whisper to each other when I walk by. They seem to be cleaning over-sized water pistols, checking the balance, testing the reach. Hmm

If you'd like more information go to: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran. If you don't hear from me, please notify the US Embassy.

Toy Trains

2008-04-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

While Thailand's rail system leaves a lot to be desired, it is not without it's charm.

This is a picture of a train station just outside of Takhli. If you stay on the train, you come to the larger, chaotic train station in the heart of town. This station looks to me very much like a station I had on my train set in the basement as a kid.

Haunted House?

2008-04-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Rural Thais are a very superstitious lot. In many ways they remind me of the Victorians and Charles Dickens. I think Thais would understand, for instance, why Victorians buried criminals at crossroads, etc. My wife's grandfather (aged 100) sleeps under a mosquito net, not to keep the bugs out, but to keep the ghouls and spirits from getting at him during the night.

I walk by the house above everyday. It was once owned by an expat, but has been empty for several years. Evidently, the expat's wife took issue with her husband bringing his girl friend home and capped the man in the middle of the night. At least this is the story my wife tells as a pointed object lesson for me. I don't know if this is true, but I believe the bank now owns the house and . . . has no takers.

Half-Fast Food

2008-04-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

While rural Thais do cook, they are much more likely to buy food for a meal off one of these scooter vendors. These vendors sell just about everything from soup to nuts . . . literally. Most use an old fashioned bike horn with a rubber ball on the end. It sounds like a goose and Thais are trained to go to the roadside and buy something when the hear it.

Filling a lovely form

2008-03-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Back to Phitsanulok for another wedding - then back to Chonchai for another funeral. This part of Thailand could be titled 30 weddings and at least as many funerals.

All Thai brides look pretty (yes) much the same to me. The bride above is fifteen, but her hair and makeup are the same as brides of any age.

During the reception, people give money (no soup tureens please) and tie strings around the wrists of the couple. The strings are a wish for good luck and a happy marriage. The couple will wear the string bracelets for three days. After three days, they can cut them off.

The Palm At The End of The Mind

2008-03-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

The novice monk dressed in white circles the Wat in a clockwise direction three times (funerals circle the crematorium three times in a counterclockwise direction). Once he enters the Wat the crowd leaves. When he comes out he will have on the simple saffron robe - he will be a monk.

The man in yellow is part of the band. He's playing an electronic keyboard. The keyboard and amplifier is powered by a heavy duty truck battery. In front of the band people are dancing, and I mean all sorts of people: old women, lady boys, and drunks carrying whiskey bottles with them, and one camera-totting farang (that would be me). It is a joyous celebration.

US politicians talk about their party's "big tent." Buddhism is the biggest tent, though.

I think of Wallace Stevens' poem "Of Mere Being." It's not reason that makes us happy or unhappy. The imagination, that bird with the fire-fangled feathers dangling down, sits in the palm at the end of the mind. We must submit.

A Rite Turn

2008-03-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

My Internet has been down for several days.

We went to a celebration in Phitsanulok to initiate a monk into the monk hood. The new monk was a cousin of my wife.

It is difficult for me to tell Americans about this ceremony and party. As there is a parade with a band, the closest thing it resembles are those funerals in New Orleans which are led to the graveyard by jazz musicians. Amazing.

A friend in New Hampshire wondered why I was keeping this blog. I think as a writer I am trying to get my hands around something I don't understand. Hopefully, the result may be a poem or short story. Dunno.

Topiary

2008-03-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Up and down the street I live on, topiary seems to be a small business practiced by many. Here is a picture of two camels and an elephant keeping vigil by the side of the road. Rabbits birds and mythical snakes and virtually any animal you can think of are favorite models.

Same, same, but different

2008-03-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

I recently turned 39 and for my birthday received a birthday cake. It had two elephants which unfortunately you can't see. It was no small feat to bake a cake considering that we don't have an oven. The cake had candles you couldn't blow out. The Thais thought this was going to get me going, but, heh, I may have been born at night, but I wasn't born last night.

2008-03-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

On our way back from Laos, we stopped in Buriram a province in the Isan area of Thailand. We visited Phanom historical park (you can see more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phanom_Rung_historical_park) which is very much like Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is bigger and there are probably more ruins in the general area, but I think this is a place well worth the trip. The temple is on top of a small mountain with a switch-back road to the top.

Like Angkor Wat, this temple was originally a Hindu temple. Also like many ancient ruins (the pyramids in Egypt and ruins in South and Central America) there is a strong connection to astronomy. If you’d like to see more pictures with a discussion of the astronomy issue go to: http://www.sundial.thai-isan-lao.com/phanom_rung_sun-rises.html

There is also a child-friendly (good for me) museum and as usual a Thai market that goes on forever. We were at the park around 9 am and I think we were the first people there.

The site is not particularly easy to get to and unlike Angkor Wat there are no western hotels nearby. This, I think, will change soon.

We were in the area to visit my wife's (brown hat) friend Sutchai (white hat).

Now Batting

2008-03-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

We've just gotten back from Laos. Before we went, we attended yet another wedding party. This one only had about 500 people, but there was a reason(s) for this. First, there were four other parties in progress in town. Second, because the bride was Thai and the groom was Chinese (several generations back) there would be a second party with more Chinese festivities. Third, there are three months during the summer when there are no wedding parties because of religious prohibitions, so this is the marrying season.

The picture above was taken at the party. About two miles away, there are some rocky hills which have many caves. Inside the caves are colonies of bats which come out at night to feed on insects in the large rice fields. I have never seen anything so remarkable - there must have been 500,000 or maybe a million bats streaming like driven smoke for miles. And not one stream, but many. The Thais, who see this show every night could care less, but I'm knocking over tables trying to get a picture of them as the streams crisscross and weave in the sky, turning on a dime like schools of fish. Amazing Thailand.

Digital Art

2008-03-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

My wife is something of an artist when it comes to painting her nails. Her toenails have the same picture, but I found it hard to get her feet and hands in the same photograph. Soowai (beautiful).

I want to wish my cousin's husband Glenn Davis of Weare, NH and the Boisverts (team 21) good luck in the longest snowmobile race from the 9th to the 14th of March in Labrador. You can check their progress on cainsquest.com.

Life and Death

2008-03-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

It seems to me this whole area is a bubbling paste of life and death. Not only is there another funeral in progress nearby, but my wife has received four wedding party invitations this weekend. Last night we attended a small affair of about a thousand people. I'm not joking. When Thais say "party" it means 500 - 2,000 people. The party, of course, was catered with food and drink and there was also a stage with a dozen dancing girls, singers, and vaudeville routines. The picture above is of the happy couple who had to spend about an hour-and-a-half stopping at each of the 120 tables to thank people for coming. Amazing Thailand.

No Vampires Here

2008-03-06T20:24:00.000-08:00

I've read in the papers that there is a shortage of locally grown garlic (got-i-am). Much of the garlic used in food manufacturing now comes from China because it is cheaper. This is a dizzying picture but we have a lot of garlic hanging in the shed outside. Notice grandfather's (aged 100) fish drying baskets on the left. There's also some small onions (hom-deng) hanging on the right.

Winter in Thailand

2008-03-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

For those of you suffering through winter in New Hampshire and Wyoming, the above picture shows my wife Chunky shoveling the drive.

2008-03-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

It is customary to have your new car blessed by a monk. Not only will the monk sprinkle water on the car, he will also write on the car inside and out with a white paste.

This is my Toyota Vios. While Thais, I've read, almost always go for the model with the most options, this is a stripped-down model. It has everything I want, but it doesn't have ABS, cruise control, or airbags. It has a rear-window defroster (electric), however, and a setting for a windshield defroster. When I couldn't get the windshield defroster to work, I asked the mechanic to fix it. He couldn't because this model doesn't have a heater. Truth is you don't need a heater in Thailand.

Unsafe at any speed

2008-03-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

I see several of these trucks thrown together from junks. People tell me that they were made in Bangkok and are cheap (surprise). I can't find out much more than this, however. They don't have plates and usually I see them carrying people to work - in the rice fields I would guess. Luckily, there are few hills or mountains around.

More Food and Funeral

2008-02-29T19:57:00.001-08:00

For three (or more) days the monks will come to the house of the deceased for prayers. Monks only eat twice a day, once in the morning and at 11 am, so when they come for prayers in the morning, they must be fed. The picture above is some of the food put out (not all) on the floor of our house. The monks sit on the mats at the back of the picture. Everyone sits on the floor (any furniture is removed from the room) with the bottom of the feet away from the monks.

Their chants last about a half-hour. There is a man similar to a funeral director (my guess) who begins by naming the deceased and his family and then hands the microphone over to the eldest monk who begins the chant.

The chants are hypnotic. The words are in an old Thai dialect that the Thais themselves don’t readily understand. It sounds to me much like driving down a straight highway at 60 mph with the window down. The low male voices sound like tire hum. They go as long as they can, stop for air, a single monk says one word which sounds like a car passing in the other direction (whoosh!) and they start again. I don’t mean to irreverent, but I think you could dance to this plainsong.

Another Thai low-tech solution

2008-02-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

This is a boon-gi. It looks like a tractor or an old horse drawn harrow metal seat, but it is used as a shovel to move sand and rock used for cement. You can't do spade work with it, but it moves material well.

We've had another funeral in the neighborhood. This makes one a week for the last four weeks. People are made aware of the death when they hear somber music played over PA system at the dead man's house. News also passes by word of mouth quickly from house to house without the telephone. I often see women outside talking in a loud voice even though there is no one nearby. I now realize they may be having a conversation with someone several houses away.

A Cement Footing

2008-02-26T20:43:00.001-08:00

We recently had a 50 x 50 square foot cement pad put down behind the house. It was made entirely by hand by two husband and wife teams. The women did a good deal of the heavy lifting while the men mixed and poured the cement (which incidentally comes from the cement plant in nearby Takhli).

What amazed me was that all involved worked barefooted, walking over the aggregate and rocks without flinching. I have worn shoes all my life, and working barefooted is something I couldn't do.

Baht in Bows

2008-02-24T19:34:00.000-08:00

One thing that women do during the three or more nights of a funeral celebration is to wrap up small Baht coins in ribbons to form bows. These bows will then be tossed out at the cremation ceremony, and children will scurry to retrieve them.

The irony is that just like the US penny, which costs more than a penny to make, the bows are worth more than the small coin inside.

Amazing Thailand

2008-02-23T19:27:00.000-08:00

This street light overlooks a small common space in nearby Takhli. It’s really not a big enough space for people, so it exists solely for some (I’d say delightful) statues of children playing. Art does not figure prominently in rural Thai houses as it does in the Jim Thompson house in Bangkok (For those not familiar with Jim Thompson you can see the house at http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/), but they do take pride in their public areas.

Hit the Thai-ways

2008-02-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

The motor scooter (moto si ) is the most common means of transportation in rural Thailand. The big Japanese manufacturers all make these scooters in Thailand, and they cost less than in the US – around $1,100 new. They are much like the Honda 90 scooters that I first saw in the 1960s.

The scooter, however, drives more like a bicycle than a motorcycle, so I rarely drive ours. Still, if I want to take baby (my wife’s granddaughter) to market, there’s an aftermarket baby seat just for her. I’m not sure if the seat belt is a government requirement or a fashion accessory, though.

Low Tech Thai

2008-02-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

While ear buds are available, some Thais will use a bit of feather. You insert the feather into the ear and twirl it to clean like a Q-tip. Like the oiled palm leaf below, it works to a degree.

2008-02-19T18:48:00.001-08:00

First the weather: Today in Chonchai it is 23 degrees which is very cold and over cast. Um, that’s Celsius, of course, which is mid 70s Fahrenheit.

Much like the Arabs during Ramadan when they turn night into day, the Thais light up their parties at night with fluorescent tubes. The road in front of the house and the house, too, is lit up like a truck stop.

Of course in a country that’s mostly river, bog and marsh, the lights attract clouds of bugs. One low tech solution is to coat one side of a palm leaf with oil and hang it near the light. In just a few minutes, the oiled side of the palm leaf will turn black with bugs. It works. Unfortunately, the clouds of bugs never clear entirely

2008-02-18T20:53:00.000-08:00

There are several different types of Thai parties. There is the wedding party (tang nan), the funeral (ngan soat) the celebration of a man becoming a monk (boo wat pa), housewarming (tam boon ban my). All of these parties look very much alike to me, although the funeral is a more somber affair. (my rendering of the sound of the Thai names for these parties)

The wat (temple) provides tents, chairs, dishes trays, etc. The family will give the wat what it can for the use of the equipment, and those who attend the party will give the family a little money to help with expenses. The women, however, do all the cooking for a hundred or more people. The picture above is food ready to serve for a funeral (and the funeral goes for at least three nights, sometimes more).

2008-02-17T00:04:00.000-08:00

Chonchai is a Thai rice farming village two hours drive north of Bangkok. Its sense of place is changing as the information age takes root. Although this is personal blog, I hope to find some Thai English students to help me see and understand the future that's coming.