Today is the first day of Vassa, also known as the “Rains Retreat” or “Buddhist Lent.”
For the past several weeks I have seen a number of invitations to monk ordinations being handed out, heard the music bumping from the big blow-out party that happens the night before the ordination and heard of teachers at other schools planning on going on meditation retreats for the rest of the week. But what does all of this have to do with Vassa?
A friend of mine made a passing observation on Thai culture that really resonated with me and I felt worth expanding on.
Thai people live in the present. It’s always today you will not teach. Today you will go visit your student’s homes. Never tomorrow, or next week.
Just before I left the US, my grandma told me about a movie she saw on TV about Peace Corps volunteers in Thailand. It’s called “Volunteers,” and it stars Tom Hanks, John Candy and Rita Wilson. Obviously, it’s a movie and heavily fictionalized. However, some parts of it ring very true to life and some enterprising volunteer cut together the most relevant clips. Check it out!
*Update: It appears the video has been taken down. I still enjoy the whole film though.
One time I came back from a bpai tiao just as dusk was setting in, and the sun sets really fast here. So on my two kilometer bike ride home I turned on my lights to the flashing setting and made it home just fine. When I told my co-teacher about it the next day, she told me that people probably thought that I was a ghost. Because Thai people believe in ghosts, and there are lots of Thai ghosts and lots of superstitions around them.
Recently, I came home from a day out at the park and saw my host yaai with a bucket of snails. I asked her what she planned to do with them, and she said she was going to cook them. Nothing like a little escargot! I was intrigued by this, and thought you might be too, so I made a video. She thought it was hilarious that I want to record her. Anyway, check it out!
I knew that when I came to Thailand that some of the toiletries that I use would not be available to me. There are no LUSH stores in Thailand, unfortunately, and I haven’t even bothered looking for some Dr. Bronner’s soap because I don’t want to disappoint myself. But my family is wonderful and every so often asks what I would like in a care package and I know that I can get the things that I know work for me from them.
However, I have added a few things to my dresser top and bag that are pretty exclusively Thai that I, and Thais, use on a regular basis.
Thailand is an overwhelmingly Buddhist nation, with 98% of the country claiming it as their religion. But what does that mean? During Pre-Service Training we hear from a well respected monk on the topic of Buddhism in Thailand and after being in the country for five months I have certainly noticed what it means to some of the Thai people I know.
Teachers are among the most respected professionals in Thailand. Every school year, there is a day called Wan Wai Kruu, which loosely translates and “Day to Pay Respect to Teachers.” The students spend days practicing, preparing the school grounds and creating the small offerings they give. On Wan Wai Kruu, the students gather in an assembly, and each student, class by class, comes up to the teachers on stage, kneels and wais to the teachers. They give them the flower offerings they prepared and the teachers give them blessings and encouragement for the coming school year. Check out the video to see what Wan Wai Kruu looked like at my school this year.
I was told that school started for teachers on May 13 and for students on May 16. I showed up for work ready to do whatever it was for the teachers to do on Monday and found out that I would have my own classroom, but which of two rooms would be mine was undecided (one room was the meeting room, the other was just built and has no fans). Other teachers cleaned their rooms. After a couple hours, I was told I could go home and not come on Tuesday. OK, Thailand. On Wednesday morning I woke up and it was one of those things where you know that something is happening.
In between the training that I did for the PESAO staff and the training for 200 principals on conversational English, I spent a weekend at my homestead. I found out the day that I got home that one of the yaais (grandmothers) in the village had died.
Just before I left the US, my great aunt had died and so I had recently experienced a funeral in the US and I wanted to share about the differences between the rituals around death between Thailand and the US.