A thai experience!

Its rare that I run home and have to blog but wow, I think this is one of those days that people keep telling me to write down so I can remember it forever. We had another evaluation at school today, a big one, so that my school can be the top school, the royal school or something. I think the whole town showed up. I did my thing and mingled and all, then I went to my classroom after lunch for some "teacher time." I was not there 10 minutes when an important looking man and 3 less important looking men showed up with students. The older, important looking one sat in front of me and said "I want to learn English." I said, okay, because that's what I do and I was trying to be the super sweet foreginer to everyone around. We did our best at chatting then he called one of the other guys over and said "My son wants to learn English too." So, I did my best at an impromptu lesson. Using the thai- english dictionary he told me he was the prime minister. I about fell out of my chair. Then his "son" pointed down the page a bit, he is in fact, the mayor of Latbualuang. One of the other guys is the "sheriff." Cool. He kept talking a bit. Offered to take me to his office and show me around. Cool. Go to his house for dinner, okay. Take me to Pattaya for holiday. What? "My wife no come, she no speak english, hahaha." oh boy. Pattaya is synonomous with everything sleazy about Thailand so I was a bit freaked at this point. I took back dinner "I don't feel good. Mai sabai (sick)". He said, okay, I take you to your appartment. I get there 30 minutes, drive 200 kilometers per hour. Okay... so we still had a few more things to do at school.  He escorted me around and everyone's eyes were bugging out of their heads. I wasn't quite sure what to make of that. My teachers were telling me to go catch my bus, I said the mayor was taking me home. "Go get bus, the bus is here," they said. No, no, I go with him. I didn't qutie get it. Then he beckoned for me and I walked though the line of teachers with mixed looks of pity, fear, and questioning. Great. However, I am escorted to potentially the sickest car I've ever ridden in. A big fat BMW with every bell and wistle you can imagine. And the 3 dudes in the back seat. As we drive through town at between 20 and 100 km per hour he didn't talk much because he was busy answering his 3 cell phones. twice he stopped in the middle of the road and made the 3 guys get out so he could answer. my mind is really working at this point. he told me he makes 30 million baht per year, which works out to about 1 million dollars. As the mayor of a nothing town in no where thailand??? right. so he cruises through town and to my neighborhood, answering all 3 of his phones as we go, then tells me I must eat food before I take medicine. okay. the 5 of us roll into a resturant, grab a table for 10 and he tells me "you order all you want, I pay." so I ordered. then he got up to take a phone call, the 3 guys look at each other and the "son" jumps up and follows. I'm left with the "sheriff" and friend. the food comes, and no one eats, but they fill my plate. my experience in thailand is you eat when the food comes, no questions so when they weren't eating i was even more freaked. after about 10 minutes mayor and son come back. everyone eats and the food keeps coming. at least 10 different dishes. eventually he says "haha, I said son, I mean bodyguard. theyare my bodyguard" and makes a gun gesture. great, but it does clear up some mystery. we proceed to eat and chat, me giving english lessons the whole time. then he's asking me if I know khao san rd. yes. you like? yes, very much. he tells me that last week they went to khao san. next time I come and dance. riiiigghtttt. anyway, it was very strange and I think that this is the whole "all the important people are actually mafia" thing I've been hearing about. it was interesting to say the least. I now have "anything I want any time, you just call" as an option so great. it ended with him taking me home, the bodyguards carrying my backpack and walking me to my door and "see you tomorrow." we'll see what tomorrow brings.
*Love*

Since we last heard...

Okay, okay (as the Thais say) this has been a long time coming, but I’ve been busy! I have been studying for the GRE and guess what? I nailed it, 620 verbal, 690 quantitative. How, I don’t know, but hey, I’m stoked. Hopefully this means grad school in the fall. Now, some quick hits for the last month

·      Went to Kantchanaburi for the King’s birthday weekend. It was a very cool place and home to the famous “Bridge over the river Kwai.” The bridge was god awful scary and pictures of it and all the people walking on it, and smushing out to the way when the train was coming, will be included in a future photo album that I plan to call “Thailand: Safety First”. If you are ever in Thailand for the King’s Birthday, you may hear some nonsense about “no alcohol will be served.” Disregard, continue life as you were.

·      My last post was not meant to slam Thai people. I like many Thai people a lot. But, this is a very different place, I suppose, with very different ways of doing things. For example, at 7-11, if you are not spooning the person in front of you in line, then a Thai person will wedge themselves between you, making themselves next. Now I don’t know if this is because farang couldn’t possibly know what they’re doing in a 7-11, or because of the wildly self-centered mentality of  a vast majority of people here or what

·      On a kinder note to the Thais, I love many of their attitudes to farang. In America it is our assertion that if you don’t speak English, then it’s your problem. Here, when they see you coming and they know you don’t speak Thai, they panic. You can see the fear in their eyes and they will run up and down wherever they are to find someone who speaks English. They may grab you by the arm and march you down the street or through the store and will not let you go until you have what you came for. It’s kind of nice.

·      If you are in Bangkok and you want to go to the beach, people will tell you to go to Pattaya. Don’t do it unless you are specifically going to partake in the world’s oldest profession. The water is dirty, the beach is dirty, it is fantastically overpriced and it’s not that nice. If given the choice, you should go to Hua Hin. Wicked cute little beach town, plenty of fun to be had, beautiful water, good value and killer designer knock offs everywhere. I’ve heard kho samet and kho chang are even nicer, but they are farther, plus I haven’t been, so I can’t vouch.

·      I still hate teaching, though I don’t find it as unbearable as I once did. I have applied to grad school for the fall (BU, UMaryland, UMinnesota, UIllinois at Chicago, Tulane and U S.Florida, because I know you were gonna ask) and I really hope I get in. if I don’t, then I’m thinking a semester of teaching in South America may be in the cards.

·      On the teaching note, I’m done February 19 baby!!!! I could not be more excited. That weekend I’m going down south to Krabi, then further south to Hat Yai or Satun. Then the following weekend, I will be headed to Surat Thani/Kho Sumui/ Kho Phanagn for the infamous full moon party, which will be March 1. After that, Kelsey and I have a flight from Phuket to Ho Chi Min city on the 5^th, where we will travel up Vietnam, maybe hit Cambodia and then into Laos, where we have a flight from Laos to Malaysia on March 18^th, from where Kelsey will go back to the states and I will go to India and Nepal. And I will hopefully stretch my money long enough to stay until I go to Carissa and Mark’s wedding in New Orleans at the end of May. Hehehehehe I’m so excited

·      Tonight, I am going to see Green Day in Bangkok. I am really psyched. I have no idea how its gonna go. More farang than Thai? A translator for “everybody scream”? Super curious.

·      My mom and dad are gonna be here in like, 3 days. I can’t wait.

That’s all for now, believe it or not, I’ve written this while at work!

*Love*

P.s. i know i forgot Christmas and New Years. Next time, I promise