KHORAT (Nakhonratchasima)

I arrived at the Khorat bus station, where Bill was waiting to pick me up. Bill is my predecessor here, and we have a couple of weeks overlap before he moves on.

Dropped my luggage in the new digs, exchanged my sweat-drenched shirt for a dry one, and then had an audience with the Abbot. In addition to Bill, the Abbot and myself, there were two other monks in the room. One, Pra Suwat, served as the interpreter.
We had tea, and discussed a slew of topics ranging from Abraham Lincoln to education. Lampor (the abbot) believes that behind different belief systems we are all the same anyway.

Fair enough. I can get behind that.

* * *

It has been ten days since my arrival. My time has been full, and promises to be fuller still. I'll use this entry to recap some of the highlights, and give a brief orientation to my place on the space-time continuim.

First, I'm not actually in Khorat. The temple is located about fifteen miles away, in a small village. It's about a 15 minute walk from here to the small town of Home Gardens, which is where I'm presently tapping out this blog. Aside from the internet; there are a couple of places to eat here, a number of small shops, some food stalls, and a place where I can have my laundry done. Another 20 minutes on foot takes me to the bigger town of Choho, the location of my language school employment. There's also a post office here and a large outdoor market.

I talk in terms of foot travel, but heat and humidity combine to make motorized locomotion preferable. The public transport is a vehicle somewhere between a bus and a pick-up truck, and I can flag it down just outside the temple gates. The price of a ride is 12 cents, whether I'm going to Home Gardens or all the way into Khorat.
The temple itself is a decent size. It houses 27 monks, 5 novices, a few temple boys and myself. Currently there are also about nineteen temporary novices, boys aged 10 to 13, who will be here for a week. Sometimes I wake in the morning to find them staring in my window wanting to see magic tricks.

I live in a house-room that was formerly the abbot's, so it's pretty spacious, relatively speaking. It has a bed, fridge, desk, couch, and a heavy-duty fan. There is a curtained door at the back of my room, which could reasonably be assumed to be a closet. Actually, it's a crypt, with ashes sealed into compartments along the wall. Occasionally relatives of the deceased will come by in the company of a monk to pay respects. I welcome them in; they light incense, candles, and do the appropriate chants. Talk about skeletons in my closet!

Another unique feature to the living space is my new 'alarm clock.' At 5 am everyday the temple bell is rung (the bell tower is close to my room, and actually a pretty cool place to hang out). I could probably adjust to this, maybe incorporate it into my dreams, except that the pitch sets all the temple dogs to howling and barking. I estimate about 30 dogs live on the grounds, half-wild, but taking advantage of buddhist sanctuary. Goodbye Timex; hello Fido.

In a related vein, I'm sort of inheriting a dog from Bill. When he first arrived at the temple he was met by a pack of snarling dogs. Except for one, who tail-wagged it's way past the mob and dropped a leaf at his feet. He has made sure this dog gets food and attention, and I'll keep up the tradition.

But my canine count grows larger! My bathroom is behind my house; a room with a squat toilet, and a barrel and bucket for showers. I was off to the toilet the night before last, and there was a very young puppy taking refuge there. Already missing some fur due to mange, and very frightened and hungry. I helped him along, and in the morning his brother was there as well, in the same bedraggled and vulnerable shape. So now I feed them, and they cry when I leave. I'll at least give them a helping hand on the road to survival. A friend suggested I name them Lucky and Chok Dee ('good luck,' in Thai).

The language school where I am teaching had an English summer camp a few days after I arrived. We took a train from Khorat to Khao Yai National Park, and for three days I sang, played, and spoke English with about 35 Thai kids. I've also taught 6 classes so far, ranging from kindergarden to adult conversation and writing.

This is not a tourist area, and a farang (foreign) teacher is a commodity. I will also be teaching two classes at the Buddhist University when it resumes in May. In addition to teaching monks at the temple, I am in the planning stages of forming a class in English Buddhism for the local village children. We are also discussing the possibility of creating a training venue here for monks from other temples. Further; I have been asked to teach at the local college, and to give English lessons to the Thai Army.

This is just the first ten days, and leads me to believe that I will have a meaningful and varied sojourn here.

I now have a mailing address; two, actually:

Ajarn Greg
Wat Pramuanrat
Choho, Muang
Nakhon Ratchasima
30310 Thailand

Ajarn Greg
Chance Language School
230/1 Mittraphab Road
Choho, Nakhonratchasima
30310 Thailand

Chok dee, all!
Greg

Happy New Year (again)

Another chapter in this journey, and an appropriate time for another blog entry.
The past couple of months I've been in Phuket, I'm writing this in Bangkok, and tomorrow will find me in Khorat. So let me revert to my first entry, and get a little Dickensonian on you.

THE GHOST WRITER OF TRAVELS PRESENT:
Sometimes I think of writing a blog entry and all I can come up with is; 'Wow!,' or 'ahhh,' or simply, 'awe.' I guess if these are the top three contenders, life is going pretty good.
Today is April 15 and, as mentioned, I'm in Bangkok. It is day two of Songkran, the 3-day celebration of the Thai New Year. The Thai also celebrate international New Year on January 1, and Chinese New Year in February. This is great for me: give me as many new beginnings as possible!

Originally Songkran incorporated water rituals to ensure a good rain for the crops. It expanded to include young people sprinkling the hands of elders as a token of respect. But today... Songkran is a full-on water fight that lasts three days. In some regions the deluge goes on even longer.

This is a family-oriented holiday, and the roads of Thailand are swollen with people returning to their homes for the New Year. Traffic casualties are high, and busses and trains are sold out.

The ferocity of the celebration varies from city to city, and even within Bangkok some areas are more active than others. For example, I am writing this from (mea culpa) a Starbuck's in Siam Square. It's a fashionable shopping complex, and most of the people walking past me are dry. On the other extreme, Khao San Road (the infamous mecca of budget travelers) is undergoing a full-scale war. Police are out in force, both as crowd control and for terrorist prevention. You can't move your arms without touching someone, and usually can't go for more than 15 seconds without being liquidly assaulted. Paste is popular too, some kind of starch, I think. People sprinkle it on your clothes, or wipe it on your face. I've discovered that a big beard is an irresistable paste target.

I am staying in the Thewet District, next to the National Library. There is a small enclave of guest houses here; a tourist island in a largely non-tourist area. In the scale of things, Songkran-wise, Thewet is somewhere between Khao San Road and Siam Square. Walking down the street, literally every ten feet there is a vendor selling water, squirt guns and paste pellets. Food stalls of all sorts are crowded between, and most people are armed with water.

When I first ventured onto the street on Day One, I made it half a block unscathed. While assessing the situation, I avoided eye contact and trusted that my older, bearded, foreign presence would be somewhat intimidating. It was, until a three-year-old stopped in front of me with a cup of paste and beckoned me down so she could annoint my cheeks. No way to refuse that and keep your soul, and from then on I was marked and fair game. Somewhat like a fire hydrant in Dog Land.

Some people squirt little pistols, and some attack with high powered rifles. And it's not just the sidewalks. Armed motorcycles dart by. Pick-up trucks cruise the streets, loaded with people and large containers of water, assaulting pedestrians and each other. At any time these pick-up trucks have a tendency to become rhythm sections, transforming into beat and dance.

The overall scene is one of unbridled fun and good will. Every child is armed with a smile and water pistol, planning for the next target. They are filled to overflowing with glee, and why not? It's a 3-day non-stop water fight, where even strange adults are fair game.

Most adults are filled with glee as well. The Thais seem drawn to fun (sunuk) as bees are to flowers, and I love them for that.

An unexpected highlight of this phenomena for me: Ever so often, I pass someone who does not overpower me with aqua combat. Instead, they gently pour a few drops on my shoulder in blessing. They sometimes wai (bow), and wish me a Happy New Year with their eyes. Typically, this person is very young or very old, and their annointing genuinely feels like a blessing.

I wandered into Wat Pho just before dusk. This is a large temple complex, adjoining the Grand Palace. For some reason, maybe because it was close to closing, I found myself wandering alone through the normally crowded labyrinth. Ornate architecture, soaring spirals, gold-plated buddhas behind glass... quite a surreal experience. Maybe having hundreds of people throw water at you alters consciousness. The unreal tinge was probably heightened by the book I am reading, 'Refiner's Fire,' by Mark Helprin. He also wrote 'A Winter's Tale,' and he taps an altered state in his narratives.

I left Wat Pho and made my way to Sam Luang, a large field used for rituals and celebrations. Thousands of people, kites, music, water and light shows, and a sunset that illuminated the exquisite roofs of the grand palace.

Wow! Ahhh... Awe.

THE GHOST WRITER OF TRAVELS PAST:
I was able to duck out a week early from my TEFL course in Phuket. Test grades were high, class participation good, and teaching skills noted. Besides, I DID basically do the whole course twice!

I decided to spend that week in the Province of Krabi, and I'll give a brief overview of the trip. I find this kind of narrative difficult, because things are constantly happening when I travel; a kaleidoscope of snapshots, both internal and external. How to expain.... So much of what there is to relate is not manifested in extraordinary events. It is the rhythm of everyday; the sights quickly gleaned from a bus, the short talks, and sometimes just the greeting exchanged with a passing person.

So I will relate the travel, but read between the lines and imagine all that I could not encompass in my description. Look for the shy smile of a young child and the warm glance of a Thai woman. Imagine the turquoise sea spread in all its splendor just beyond your icy glass of beer as sunset performs. Comprehend the lives of a people still recovering from a natural disaster that changed their lives forever. See the orange-robed monks, and hear the mosque speakers calling out to the faithful.

Try this. Imagine the things that you love, that touch your heart; and see them mirrored in the eyes of people half a world away.

You know what? After all that in-between-the-lines stuff, a travel commentary feels overly mundane. Suffice it to say that I went to Rae Lei Beach for two nights, and enjoyed beautiful beaches, sunsets and a playful monkey. I spent a day in Krabi town with a friend and her family; hot springs, good food and good company.... Her cousin, a gentle 10-year-old boy, was playting on the beach when the tsunmai struck. As the waters receeded, he rushed onto the sand to gather the flapping (and suddenly waterless) fish. Then the wave roared in and struck him full force. He was missing for 4 hours, but was found with only minor sratches and bruises. I spent two nights on Phi Phi island, where some of the worst devastation took place. Still alot of destruction and rubble, but people are moving forward.
Then back to Phuket for 'graduation ceremonies,' and a celebratory dinner with my fellow students-now-teachers.
Because it was approaching Songkran, there were no available busses from Phuket to Bangkok. I caught a ride with my TEFL instructor, his wife and two daughters aged 4 and 6. They were heading back to Samui, and I had a fun time with the kids until we reached Sura Thani where I was able to catch a sleeper train into Bangkok.

GHOST WRITER OF TRAVELS FUTURE:
In this lifestyle, the future is a tricky animal to pin down. In fact, I think it's meant to be left free. But unforseen events not withstanding, I at least know what comes next. Tomorrow night I move into my new home, a buddhist temple in Khorat. I will teach monks English one night a week. I will teach classes in the nearby buddhist university, and I will teach children in a language school. This is the outline, and time will color in the details.

I expect it to be overwhelming at first, but manageable. And after getting a handle on what exactly it is that I'm doing, I should establish a rhythm of sorts. I have given a 6-month commitment to all three jobs, and I look forward to a time of reflection and renewal.

Afterwards? Maybe a 6-month stint in a resort down south, teaching staff English and customer service. Then maybe a summer gig in the States, followed by a year in China. Hard to say....

Once again, Happy New Year!!!!