Tag: culture

Thai Education System: Critical Thinking

September 10, 2013

When comparing eight of the countries that are a part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Thailand ranks eighth. The two countries that were not included were Laos and Burma, which are widely regarded as low performing. That means that children in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam were more proficient on the test. And Education Ministry officials are “stunned.” However, an honest look at the Thai education system reveals lots of room for improvement.

more “Thai Education System: Critical Thinking” …

Traditional Dancing in Northeastern Thailand

September 1, 2013

Back in Pre-Service Training, on Thai Day we learned some very simple traditional Thai dance moves. Since moving to my village, I’ve had the chance to see some pretty beautiful Thai dances. Because I live in Isaan, or Northeastern Thailand, most of the dances I’ve seen use Isaan music. Check out some of these clips of the dancing I’ve seen!

Thai Collectivism and the Concept of Greng Jai

August 30, 2013

The facets of a collectivist society manifest in many different ways, such as through behavior in the classroom, the culture around eating and living arrangements. But, at least here in Thailand, that collectivism extends beyond observable actions into personal attitudes and it influences interpersonal relationships. This is something that from my chats with other Peace Corps Volunteers is the number one most confiding, confusing and difficult to understand differences between the collectivist culture here and the individualist American culture.

more “Thai Collectivism and the Concept of Greng Jai” …

Thai Collectivism and Living Together

August 27, 2013

When I meet Thai people, and go through all of the normal Thai questions that come up, there is usually a question tucked in there inquiring as to where do I live. It’s not meant in a what’s your address and when are you not at home sort of way. It’s that living arrangements are another manifestation of the collectivist society, just as how it influences children in the classroom and sharing meals.

more “Thai Collectivism and Living Together” …

Thai Collectivism at Meal Times

August 23, 2013

As much as I enjoy independent living, there is one thing that I find really difficult and sometimes depressing: cooking for one. I really enjoy cooking; finding fresh produce at the farmers’ marker, trying out new recipes and making a meal to be shared is something that I find really delightful. But when you are kon diao (by yourself) then it’s difficult to get the motivation to make a really involved meal. Googling meals for one is something to do when you are feeling too happy. However, because Thailand is a collectivist society, meal times are usually much less lonely.

more “Thai Collectivism at Meal Times” …

Thai Collectivism as Seen in the Classroom

August 20, 2013

I’m definitely an embodiment of the individualistic attitude of the US. My mother tells me stories of how at 2, I refused help with putting on my shoes by adamantly shouting, “I DO IT MYSELF, MAMA! I DO IT MYSELF!” Probably not hard for most people who know me to imagine me at two saying such things. But now I’m living in a place that my 2-year-old self would have been at great odds with (and my adult self is still at odds with, but slightly less so.) Thai culture is one that is decidedly collectivist, not individualist.

more “Thai Collectivism as Seen in the Classroom” …

Buddhist Wheel of Life at Sala Keao Ku

August 18, 2013

Recently, I went on a bpai tiao to Nong Khai with my friend Jill.  The main thing we did was bike to and visit the Sala Keao Ku sculpture park. One of the pieces that I found particularly intriguing was once that represented the cycle of life. There are sculptures representing various stages of life arranged in a circle, and near the death part there is a Buddha climbing out of the circle. I made this as my own interpretation of the piece.

What It Means to Release a Turtle in Thailand

August 6, 2013

We had just finished a marathon of facilitating two camps for the past five days. I was exhausted from spending each night preparing materials for the next day and making sure that the lesson plans I had written could be easily understood by the Thai facilitators who were not used to using games as teaching tools (turns out, they weren’t understood very well.) Ning, my co-teacher who does get it, turned to me and asked “Do you want to maybe go to Bua Yai and relax and get dinner?” Bua Yai is the next district over from mine, where she lives with her parents and is larger than where I live. I agreed; I really did not want to cook.

more “What It Means to Release a Turtle in Thailand” …

Current Top Thai Pop Song (and Dance)

August 4, 2013

Thailand can be a pretty noisy place, and not just from normal sounds of life. Frequently there are walls of speakers set up somewhere in the village with Thai pop music blasting. I thought you might want a taste of what that sounds like, so here’s the top song right now.

Pay attention, and you’ll notice some specific dance moves in the video – those dance moves are equally as popular.