Tag: thailand

The Frustrations of English Competitions in Thailand

September 13, 2013

After my conversation with my co-teacher about critical thinking and watching how schools work here in Thailand, I feel comfortable saying that learning, in the Western sense of being curious about a topic and wanting to learn the why and how of it, is not valued here. Learning in the sense of memorizing and reciting is valued. Which brings me to tell you about how I have spent my time after school for the last couple weeks.

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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.

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Authentic Vegetarian Thai Yom Recipe

September 6, 2013

I was over at my co-teacher’s house last week after buying furniture for my garage and we made some dinner together. Yom is a kind of Thai salad, as yom literally means mix. The featured ingredient for most Thai salads is not usually raw vegetables, but frequently meat or noodles. The yom that we made featured some wonderful glass noodles and really complex flavors. I thought I would share the recipe with you to make at home.

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Moving to a Modest Thai Home

September 3, 2013

OK, I know I just posted about moving, and I am the first person to admit that the house I moved into was almost the definition of Posh Corps. If it had air conditioning and hot water, it would have been text book Posh Corps. However, as the title of the post suggests, I have since moved. Not because the house was too nice and Peace Corps told me I needed to rough it more. No. This harkens back to my most recent observation of living in a collectivist culture: the concept of greng jai.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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