I’ve tried starting this post in a few different ways (complaining about the smoke and heat, mostly), but I finally landed on talking about the concept of respect with relation to culture. I’ve touched on this before, but I’m going to come back and hopefully delve a little deeper. This beginning section is heavy on work talk and my (probably simplistic or ignorant) rambling thoughts on cultural differences. I also have had lots of fun over the past few months, some of which is featured in the second half (and more of which is in a follow up post).
I was able to travel to my friend Nam’s hometown in Central Thailand, where her mother is the headmaster of a high school. While we (Kanav came as well) were there for the weekend, there was a ceremony to bless the area where a new building was about to be constructed. We had been told the ceremony started in the morning, but didn’t realize it started at 7am until after we woke up at 7:45. By the time we all showered, Kanav, Nam and I showed up almost two hours after the ceremony had started. We walked towards the elaborate tents and plastic chairs hidden under fancy covers, amidst a religious figure
giving some sort of speech up at the front. Kanav and I had embarrassed posture, trying to sneak in unnoticed. But Nam strode in confidently along with some other folks that showed up the same time as us. Despite showing up extraordinarily late to a seemingly very formal ceremony, our Thai friends were not only not embarrassed, but openly waving to their friends who were already seated. Looking around the crowd, I also saw most people unabashedly scrolling through their phones or just openly holding conversations.
I’m embarrassed to say that it took this long to really click, but it was an important moment for me. It was the same atmosphere that exists in my classroom — showing up on time is not the priority, it’s about showing up at all (and being dressed properly for the occasion). Paying attention is not expected, just participation in the important aspects of the ceremony (and let’s be real — the ceremony went 7–10am, and my classes are also supposed to be three hours in length — who could possibly actually focus that long?). In this case, that meant going up to get splashed in the face with water and/or hit on the head (with what seemed to be half a broom) by a monk, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Openly taking phone calls or talking with neighbors is also not a huge deal (which explains my students got confused when I would kick them out after taking phone calls during class).
More importantly, though, is that all of that does not mean the ceremony was not very meaningful to them. Nam explained to me how the ceremony exists to make sure the new building is built safely with good spirits, and it was clear that despite what my (Western) perception may have been, they take the whole process very seriously.
In the same way, my students can be extremely respectful in certain ways — showing lots of deference and writing down every single thing I put up on the board (it’s almost a little frightening how reliable that is — even if they don’t understand a single word, they copy every letter and instruction). I have come to realize more and more that the way we view respect is very culturally defined. Many people will laugh at the obvious nature of this realization, but having the realization fully sink in is critical when there are practical applications of it while leading a classroom or navigating daily life.
For example, another fundamental cultural difference that I was not expecting to be difficult to tackle is regarding plagiarism. For as long as I can remember, plagiarism has been ingrained in my mind as this horrible, wrong, illegal, and even immoral act. I had been warned that it would be a little different in Asia, but I was definitely not fully prepared. I taught my students what plagiarism was, thinking I gave thorough examples and reasons. But as I was grading essays this week, I caught countless students plagiarizing. And it’s not just the students who are too lazy to write their own — it’s all sorts, including the ones who come on time every week. I realized how deep this misunderstanding runs when one of these students came to talk to me about her (plagiarized) essay. I assumed she was trying to argue against the zero I gave her, but after awhile I realized she wanted to know what she could do to change her essay for the final draft she will turn in later. My answer was just “don’t copy” (and I tried every form of that I could think of… “use your own words” etc). But seeing her blank face, it started to dawn on me — she literally didn’t understand how to not copy. She didn’t understand why what she had done was wrong. I had this same conversation a few times over the week and it blew my mind. This article came out in perfect timing, for anyone interested in this matter. The gist is that this guy got caught copying a significant chunk of his PhD thesis. The kicker is that not only did he not think it was a problem, the (Thai) author he copied from didn’t care either.
To end this section, let me add the important caveat that it was my Thai coworker that shared the article…with expression of extreme frustration with his country. In other words, take my anecdotes with a grain of salt, but hopefully they provided some interesting insights into my experiences.
Visitors in the Rai: February
Besides work, my February was filled with visitors from all over, which was absolutely lovely for many reasons. I got to see Julia again (roommate from Princeton, living in Beijing) and show her around my territory. I got to see fellow PiAer (teaching in NW China) Liz Gelb (also fellow Princeton alum and MI resident!) and fellow Cannon/Princeton alum Rob Mohr. And last but not least, my parents took a SE Asia trip during which I joined the Thailand leg.
This was exciting first and foremost because I got to see these lovely people. But it was also exciting because each time someone came I got reminded what it was like when I first moved here. Things I have grown used to seemed exotic or exciting or interesting to my friends/parents. I got to re-experience eating coconut ice cream for the first time, appreciating the intricacies of Chiang Rai’s famous White Temple, being scared by weaving through traffic on a motorbike. I also did some touristy Chiang Rai things that I still had not yet done-Golden Triangle and Opium Museum.
Slash and Burn: March
After February ended and all my friends left, things got HOT and SMOKY. Not in a fun way, but rather in the most literal and obnoxious way possible. A part of the crop rotation in Thailand is to burn the fields. One fire is no big deal, but when everybody does it, the air is filled with smoke all the time. The mountains disappear and riding a motorbike (even with a shield or
glasses) feels like daggers in the eyes. My throat hurt for a while, and most people come down with bronchitis or something similar. Even if it cools down (by “cools down” I mean to ~80) in the evening, I didn’t really want to ventilate my room. There were days when our AQI (a measure of particles in the air) hit higher levels than Beijing. Most of my friends and I were drawn to Chiang Rai because of the nature. It’s hard to enjoy the mountains and waterfalls when you have to wear a mask to step outside.
So how to deal with this? Step one, get a mask. Step two, find new fun activities indoors (it helps when your friend’s dog has puppies) or leave the country. And then the most important step….
SONGKRAN!
Thailand as a country also has the best way to cheer up the smoky blues: a massive three day water fight. Thai New Year is April 13–15 (called Songkran), and it entails people either walking along the street or driving along in the back of pick-up trucks with water guns and massive tubs of water, just nailing each other in the face. It is the most epic and fun celebration I have ever been a part of. It’s so hot out that you want to get totally soaked. I split my time in Phitsanulok, (Central Thailand) and then Chiang Mai.
In Phitsanulok, they were very into rubbing your face with wet chalk, part of the tradition, while wishing you a happy new year. Or in my case, as one of three foreigners in the city, while saying “Welcome to Thailand!” I also briefly line danced in the Songkran parade. Chiang Mai is much more Western — it was great to be able to reunion with a ton of the PiA crew who came to participate. It also involved a lot more beer.
Being the New Year, I took some time to reflect on the past year and thinking about what I want to get moving forward. If I have not conveyed this in my posts so far, I want to emphasize how lucky and grateful I am to be here (and hey, my university is looking to hire more native English speakers if anyone wants to come to Chiang Rai!). Also, my time here isn’t over yet, so I’m looking to continue learning and making a fool out of myself and having a great time.
