thailand Archives - Page 20 of 30

Gender Roles and Gender Identity in Thailand

November 15, 2013

In Thailand, there are some pretty strict traditional gender roles. Men and boys do manual work while women and girls clean. In the social hierarchy, women are considered lower than men. However, gender is a construct. There are lots of people around the world who challenge the ideas of what gender means and how it’s expressed. Thailand is particularly well known for people who challenge traditional notions of gender identity and expression.

more “Gender Roles and Gender Identity in Thailand” …

Hosting Visitors in Rural Thailand

November 12, 2013

A friend of mine who is serving in Cameroon has a friend who decided to go to Thailand for a month and she put us in touch. I figured I would offer up some travel tips for the country, places to go, must sees. After getting in touch, I offered to let her and her travel companion stay with me if they wanted, thinking that I’m a bit far off the beaten path and they probably wanted to hit the major sites, as there is a lot to do here in Thailand. I was happily surprised when I got a call on Friday asking to be taken up on the offer.

more “Hosting Visitors in Rural Thailand” …

The Importance of Appearance in Thailand

November 8, 2013

Appearance is everything in Thailand. There is a special emphasis on how you look and what you wear. Thai people have no problem with pointing out to you if you are looking fat lately or if there is a pimple on your face. Comments letting you know they don’t really like your curly, wavy hair and that they think you should wear it up more often are normal. Perhaps this is the reason why Thai people take so many pictures of themselves. Even beyond that, how you dress is also particularly important.

more “The Importance of Appearance in Thailand” …

School Semester Starts, but Teaching Does Not

November 5, 2013

Yesterday, school “started.”

I put “started” in quotation marks because, while all of the key players were at school, nothing of consequence actually happened. The teachers were there. The students were there. Even the principal, who is rarely at school, was there.

But I did not teach.

more “School Semester Starts, but Teaching Does Not” …

Peace Corps Video Blog: Mistaken for a Ghost

November 3, 2013

Most of the time, my experiences with Thai superstitions are watching my friends and community members practice them. However, recently, I was directly involved with one. I tell the story in the video.

Small Successes of Community Integration

November 1, 2013

One of the most important things that contributes to the success of a Peace Corps volunteer is community integration. It’s actually enshrined in the 10 Core Expectations of being a volunteer.

This is something that I feel like I have kind of struggled with. I hit a wall with language learning because the people in my village speak a different dialect. The area that my house is in isn’t really in the village, it’s just kind of on the road. Also, because I’m a vegetarian, I often end up turning down a number of meal offers.

more “Small Successes of Community Integration” …

5 Essential Items for a Thai Kitchen

October 22, 2013

When I found out I was coming to Thailand, most people I told were excited for me to learn how to cook real authentic Thai food. I don’t feel like I have learned that much, but I think that is because the host family that I spent time with when my language was at the level of rudimentary communication wasn’t very good in the kitchen. My first host family was awesome and I plan to visit with them and spend all of my time with them in the kitchen. But one thing I have picked up on are the things that are in Thai kitchens. Here are five things you need in your kitchen if you want to cook like the Thais do.

more “5 Essential Items for a Thai Kitchen” …

Why Asian Cat Tails are Crooked

October 18, 2013

Last month, I was given a kitten. I had mentioned how I missed my cat in the States and that maybe I would want a cat here. Lo and behold, one of the teachers shows up at my house with a tiny orange kitten. I’m glad that I have her; she entertains me in a way that only kittens can entertain. Her name is Julius. One thing about Julius is that, like most cats in Thailand, she has a kinked tail.

more “Why Asian Cat Tails are Crooked” …

Bpai Tiao: School Field Trip to Korat

October 15, 2013

I’ve posted about the field trip that I went on to Chonburi with the 4-6th graders, and last week Wednesday was the 1st-3rd graders turn for some end of the semester fun.

I got a message from my co-teacher the day before telling me about it, since school has been out and I wouldn’t have known about it. She told me that they were going to go to the museum and the Korat Zoo. I figured, I haven’t been to the Korat Zoo before and it would be a good opportunity for me to spend some time with some of the other teachers at the school, so I went along.

more “Bpai Tiao: School Field Trip to Korat” …

Bpai Tiao Video: Korat Field Trip

October 13, 2013

It’s the end of the first semester, and so the students are going on field trips as a bit of a celebration. Recently, the upper grades went to Chonburi for the day. However, the lower grades were not to be left out. The younger kiddos went to the Korat Fossil Museum and the Korat Zoo.