Exploring

On Thursday we got to meet the previous ETAs (the ’09-’10 batch). We had a whole afternoon together and got to spend even more time with them at the Welcome Party TUSEF threw for us. It was at The Royal Turf Club, which overlooks a golf course and racetrack, so we had a nice view. Delicious food, good wine, and wonderful company. I sat across from my ETA Allison and got the inside scoop on what life is like at Princess Chulabhorn College (PCC) in Chiang Rai. It seems like I’m pretty lucky. Since PCC is a boarding school the students have to take a test to get in, so they are relatively intelligent and usually pretty motivated. I have two scholarship classes, so those students are extremely motivated. We were told that in Thai culture, students often are not motivated and don’t like to learn. This means we are going to have to figure out fun and exciting ways to engage our students in class. Ali also said that my students are pretty well-behaved, so classroom management won’t be a big issue. I’ll also be the third American at the school (my housemate is from New Orleans, and another American teacher lives off campus with her boyfriend) so I won’t feel too isolated or lonely. I also won’t have to pay for any of my meal, as eating in the school canteen is free for teachers. Although I’m sure I’ll get sick of the food and will want to eat off-campus from time to time, it will help me save my money for traveling. My only issue will be my unwanted and unwelcomed house guests: bugs. I hate bugs and insects. Aside from the cute little lizards or geckos, I apparently have large geckos that seek shelter in the corners of my living room ceiling, as well as spiders, some even as large as my hand! Eek! I’m trying not to think about it since there’s obviously nothing I can do about it. Mai bpen rai as the Thais would say.

Today was a blistering hot day, and I mean HOT. This is scary because it’s the cool season, yet it felt like we were walking through the middle of the freaking desert. Since it’s so hard to explore Bangkok during the week (we get out of orientation at 4pm and most things aside from stores close at 5pm), we went to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) today, “The number one destination in Bangkok”. Once inside we made our way to the Wat Phra Kaew first. Words honestly cannot describe how spectacular the whole complex is. The Emerald Buddha complex was breathtaking. So ornate; everything was made out of gold, with green, red, and blue jewels. And in such perfect condition! Wat Phra Kaew is the most revered temple in Thailand and it’s easy to see why. In addition to the Emerald Buddha, the complex includes a repository for Buddhist sacred scriptures that are inscribed on palm leaves, a miniature replica of Angkor Wat, statues of elephants (homage to the white elephants acquired during the reigns of the various kings of Thailand), a scripture library, other Buddha images, lots and lots of murals, galleries, etc. The actual Wat was of course beautiful and has an interesting history. The Emerald Buddha was first discovered in 1434 in Chiang Rai (my province!). At that time it was covered in plaster and just thought to be an ordinary Buddha. However, an abbot later discovered that the plaster on the nose had flaked off, revealing green stone beneath (jade). The abbot mistook the jade for emerald, and hence the name of the Buddha as The Emerald Buddha. (Thank you guide-book and Grand Palace pamphlet). Funny fact, the Buddha’s outfit changes according to the season, so he has three “season-appropriate” costumes. The costumes are changed three times a year by the King. This is also where corrupt politicians come to seek repentance and forgiveness. They go to the Emerald Buddha to swear their innocence. I honestly cannot begin to describe how beautiful the Wat and the whole complex is, so I won’t try. I will try to post pictures, which also won’t do justice to the beautiful architecture.
After the Emerald Buddha we made our way to the Grand Palace, but didn’t spend much time there as it was SO hot and we were slowly dying from the heat. We headed off to Chote Chitr, which we were told by one of our speakers has the best Thai food in Thailand. It’s a little hole-in-the wall restaurant, a mom-and-pop type shop, and the food was out of this world. We ordered a bunch of dishes and just shared everything: pan-friend salmon with mango salad, paenang curry with chicken (I think it’s called massaman curry in the states), coconut curry with shrimp, crispy noodles with chicken and shrimp, and glass noodles with mixed vegetables. Delicious! This place along with the vegetarian restaurant we went to last night have been my favorite places so far. So freaking good. I’ve learned that aside from street food or night markets, hole-in-the-wall restaurants are the place to go for phenomenal food. So far I’ve lived up to my promise to eat my way through this country! Did I mention that our entire meal ended up costing 5 U.S. dollars a person? I love this country.