Let's talk about Thailand for a second, since that is where I am right now and since most people don't know much about Thailand. Let's start with what most people have a brief understanding of: Pad Thai.
To answer some of your questions:
Yes, people actually eat pad Thai in Thailand. No, I don't know if it's similar to that in America, since I only ate pad Thai twice, and both times it was the rice version, or cow pad. But yes, it is good here. No, not everything is spicy. According to my Thai teacher, Nui, food in the north is not nearly as spicy as food in the south, just as food in the northern states of America is not as greasy as that in the south. And (I'll take a moment to let you gasp here), I've only had pad Thai once in Thailand thus far. And I've been here three weeks. So there you have it: it is not the norm to eat pad Thai three meals a day, seven days a week. Other food includes a veggie mix of eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, and sometimes meat over a plate of rice; a bowl of noodle soup with a chicken leg in it; and Mama Noodles (the Thai version of Ramen Noodles).
However, another factor of my lack of pad Thai consumption could be that I feed myself. Notice I said feed, not cook. And so, Mama Noodles, cereal, apples, hot dogs without buns, and canned tuna are the main percentages of my diet. Except on Tuesday and Thursday nights, that is, when my dorm mate Biw, who is a Thai seminary student, cooks real Thai food for me for dinner. This serves two purposes: to make sure I don't die of malnutrition, and to force me to practice my Thai and her to practice her English. Biw cooks all the time. She actually likes it. She brings out loads of ingredients every single day just to make herself a plate of food. I, on the other hand, eat my food when she's not around, as to not make any kitchen situations awkward. Except this morning. Here's the back story:
Last week we went to Chiang Mai for a missionary conference. Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand. I was on nanny duty for Noah and Sydney so their parents could convene with other missionaries and not have to worry about their children jumping out of windows. Big city visits are very exciting for missionaries out in the boonies because the following items suddenly become available at the grocery store: cheese, ham, microwave popcorn, Pop-tarts, Mountain Dew, pancake mix, maple syrup, mac and cheese in a box, Quaker pre-packaged oatmeal, canned soup, and tomato sauce. All of these things are imported from the states, and they are by no means cheap. I paid 90 baht, or about $3 for a single box of Kraft Mac and Cheese. And believe me when I say it will be savored. While I was in Chiang Mai I also bought a box of pancake mix, in the event that one Saturday morning I would wake up and actually have the willpower to turn on the stove and make pancakes. Let's make this clear: I NEVER turn on the stove. I've only had to use it 3 times since I arrived. Everything else is cooked in the microwave.
So, last night Biw and I were having our Thai dinner, and she suggested that we eat breakfast together as well. I thought, Gee, what a great time for me to pull out my pancake mix and make her an American breakfast!! So it was set: 8 am, Saturday morning. American Pancake Breakfast. I should have known something would go wrong. I made the batter. Easy. Then I went to turn on the stove. This is where I realized hat I had never actually made pancakes by myself. I mean, sure I had helped mix the batter and flip the pancakes, but I had no idea what level to turn the stove to. Those poor pancakes were charred. Mine was black all the way through, and Biw's was burnt on the bottom. But she ate it with a smile on her face, which made me happy. She's so polite. So Pancake Mission: Failed. But that's okay, since I also had my microwavable Quake Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal to fall back on.
Alright. I apologize for falling off the pad Thai subject for a few paragraphs. But since I'm sure most of you are reading this only because you're procrastinating on something else, we'll call it even. Next up: The King.
You've all seen The King and I, right? If not, it's another great reason to procrastinate.
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the longest reigning current monarch in the world. He has surpassed the Queen of England by a few years. And when I say he's the King, I mean, he's the King. Buddha might as well step aside, because the King is much godlier in the mind of the Thai people. For example, he is on all the money. Not just one bill, like all the former US Presidents, but every single piece of currency issued in Thailand. You cannot step on a coin if it is on the ground. You also cannot lick the back of a postage stamp, all of which have the face of the King on them. You can't even mutter a bad phrase in conjunction with the King's name, or you might be jailed for a decade or two. Also, if you're ever lucky enough to see the King in person, your head cannot be higher than his.
On top of all of this, this King has actually been a great King. I can't go on about all of his accomplishments, since the government has blocked the Wikipedia article and I'm a bit too lazy to conjure up other sources. But he's a good King, and the people love him. Unfortunately, he's quite old and deteriorating in health, so he probably won't be alive much longer. His death will most likely make the country stop everything for a few weeks. But we won't talk about that now, since he is still very much alive. And a random fact: he was actually born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. So for all of you who feel that Obama can't be a good president if he wasn't born on American soil, just look at the awesome King of Thailand and know that great people don't have to be born on the soil of the country they rule.
Other things about Thailand:
There are three different types of Thai. Northern Thai, Southern Thai, and Central Thai. I feel like there might be another one too, but I can't remember. Google's not telling me. Obviously, being in Northern Thailand, I hear a lot of Northern Thai. However, this does not sound any different to my ears than Central Thai, which is what I'm learning. This makes it incredibly hard to teach English, though. Schools are taught in Central Thai. So if you learn Northern Thai when you're little, then go to school and learn Central Thai, then try to learn English in Central Thai, it can get pretty difficult. But it's even worse for my students at Soi Prow because it is village with a lot of Laos people in it (we're about 30 miles from the Laos border). So these children learn Laos, Northern Thai, Central Thai, and then English. By the time I get to them you can tell they're a little burnt out. We fix this by dancing and singing and playing games and loading them up on candy :)
Music Videos. Thais have their own music, which is totally refreshing since the Europeans seem to be content with listening to American music. Thai music is fine, but Thai people love to sing along. Therefore, every music video has karaoke words at the bottom. This is by no means a huge problem, it's just a statement.
Rice is the food to eat here. Just as Americans can't survive without PB&Js, Thais can't survive without rice. In fact, Biw thinks I'm on the brink of anorexia, not because I don't eat, but because I don't eat rice. Don't eat rice and you'll die of starvation, according to the locals. Perhaps this is why Biw enjoys feeding me a few times a week. I'm like a charity case to her.
Alrighty. That's it. I'm off to bed so I can wake up at 4:15 and go running. This practice, by the way, has been mighty successful. Finishing my runs by 5:30 means I get to avoid dogs, heat, traffic, and awkward stares from locals. G'night!
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