A few days ago I was at a shop to take photos for my Visa. The attendant began to take me into the separate photo room, suddenly she turned... "Poot Thai dai mai?" she asked my host Aunt. (Can she speak Thai?) I expected the reply to be "Nit noi." (a little bit) because this is always the way I always reply when asked if I can speak Thai. Instead I hear "Dai." Dai. It means "She can." She can speak Thai. One word. One simple phrase, but it most definitely puts a smile on my face. In the past few days multiple strangers have asked my why I can speak Thai so clearly or complimented me on my Thai. Upon being asked if I can speak Thai and answering that I speak Thai a little bit, my host family has begun to interrupt me and say that I speak a lot of Thai already. There is always lots more to learn, but these simple happenings are so very encouraging and they certainly put a bit of spring in my step.
"Poot Thai dai mai?"
"Dai nit noi ka--"
"--Dai yuu leow."
(Stranger-Can you speak Thai?
Me- I can speak a little bit.
Host family- She can speak a lot already!)
School started back up on Wednesday! I've been going running... though the 90 degree plus, sunny, "winter" weather really isn't agreeing with me... Anyone want to send me some snow?
-Kearn
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Time
How time flies. Today I went to Immigration to renew my
visa. I have to renew my visa every three months. As I drove to Immigration I
realized the fact that I was on my way there meant something… it meant that I
had lived in Thailand almost three months already. Key word; already. Time is
really flying… in a really strange way. My last week in Alaska was such a
whirlwind and it seems as if it was forever ago. Hugging my family goodbye at
the airport, meeting exchange students on the plane and being ridiculously
excited and clueless about what was to come upon arrival, my first day in
Thailand, my first day at school...everything seems ages ago. Yet
when I step back and think about the fact that I’ve lived in Thailand for
almost three months now it seems ridiculously fast. Time is a strange, strange
thing.
Hope you are all well! Sending lots of love,
kearn
Monday, October 22, 2012
Some little things...
"People seem to get nostalgic about a lot of things they weren't so crazy about the first time around."
-unknown
This is true because I definitely miss things I didn't always appreciate so much before or didn't expect to miss... These are just a few of those things: vacuuming my room, my sister poking me in the stomach every time she sees me, starting the car on a freezing cold winter morning, wearing a coat, my mom telling me to wear/bring a coat, my dad and brother practicing jiujitsu on me and being freezing cold to the point of my fingers and toes turning white and taking a long time to warm back up.
-Kearn
Rotary Camp
It’s evening. Pitch black but still hot which seems strange
because I’ve always associated dark with cold… at home I would never be found
sitting with my shoes off wearing a tank top and capris this late at night let
alone this late in the year… but I remember this isn’t Alaska. This is
Thailand. I look around the large oval of people, I can barely make out faces,
but I know whom everyone is. There are ten, maybe fifteen of us, sitting on
dock, talking, laughing, learning about each other and about the world. We are
discussing German and Chinese phrases, Thai food, people and customs… we are
comparing our homes and our lives to one another’s and to those in Thailand. As
we talk and laugh we pass around a fresh coconut, drinking the sweet milk from
a tiny hole in the side and trying not to spill the precious drink. I learn to
say in German “Ich trinke aus einer kokosnuss.” “I am drinking out of a
coconut.” Of course, my friends only teach me essential German phrases such as
this.
I relish this moment. For most of us, the Inbound Students
of Rotary District 3350, this is the day that marks two months living in
Thailand. We are spending this day together along with nine other days. Tens
days of Rotary Camp, what fun!
The first five days we stay at Beungboraphet which is in
Nakhon Sawan Province about one hour from Lop Buri. Beungboraphet is Thailand’s
largest freshwater lake/swamp and it is absolutely gorgeous. This week we visit
an aquarium, accidentally go swimming in water which we later find is inhabited
by crocodiles, go bird watching from a boat, learn to make Thai sweets, make
banana pancakes, eat a lot of chips (especially seaweed and spicy squid flavor…
Oh Asia :) and visit many gorgeous temples. We stay up late knowing that the
next day we will have to wake up early, we talk late into the night and sleep
for maybe 5 hours at the most each night. By Friday we are all exhausted but we
have no regrets, as we say our farewells we are happy to know that in just two
days we will all meet again, this time in Lop Buri.
My roommates
Alex (Oregon) Kelsey (Illinois) Me (Alaska) and on top Turi (Washington)
All of us are from the USA because 13 of the 28 exchange students in District 3350 are from the USA.
Beungboraphet
The boats we went on, they use water pumps and spray water to the left or right or back to make the boat move. I've never seen a boat like it but it's pretty cool.
birdwatching from the boat
Beungboraphet
At a Chinese Temple
Where they fire the pottery in Nakhon Sawan
Temple on a mountain in Nakhon Sawan
The view from the temple on the mountain in Nakhon Sawan
The second session of camp is held in Lop Buri. We stay at a
hotel about twenty minutes from my home in Lop Buri. The first three days we
learn Thai massage. Being able to spend half the day laying down and being
massaged is very nice and the beds are convenient because once again we all of
course stay up late talking and get very little sleep. In the evening one day we go swimming, I race
against a fellow exchange student who was also on swim team in America, how I
miss swim team. We play chicken, sharks and minnows, try to breath underwater
by connecting straws and of course we have to try running on water (we succeed
only in looking entirely ridiculous). The fourth day we learn to cook Pad Thai
and Kao Pad (fried rice) and to make Krathongs. The last evening we have a
formal dinner complete with karaoke and dancing. The fifth and final day we go
to see Prang Sam Yod, the famous ruined temple in the middle of Lop Buri where
tons and tons of monkeys live. We also go and see King Narai Palace, I have
been to both of these places before but I enjoy visiting them again very much.
Finally we eat lunch and then after talking for an hour or so it is time for
everyone to separate. This time we don’t
know when the next time all of us will be together again will be. We hug each
other goodbye and wish each other luck. It’s strange to think that I’ve truly
only known these people for ten days yet all twenty-eight of us from nine
different countries (America, Canada, Brazil, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany,
France, Taiwan, Japan) have already bonded so strongly.
fat, fat, fat monkey
...and then a monkey ran off with Sidney's (exchange student from Colorado) glasses... plucked them right off her face. I swear these monkeys will take anything. They can be seen drinking from bottles, eating people food and even trying to wear glasses.
Prang Sam Yod from the side
As much as I will miss staying up late and looking at the
stars with my friends from Germany, America and Japan and I will miss talking
late into the night and it will certainly be strange not to share my bed with
two or three other girls, I’m glad to be going back home. These two weeks were so much fun, but in a
way they seemed more like vacation than exchange. I enjoyed them a ton and I
look forward to spending more time with the other inbounds, but I am also glad
to be back with my host family, speaking Thai once again and getting a good
nights sleep.
-Kearn
Sunday, October 7, 2012
A few [funny] facts...
·
My host dad can’t fall asleep unless the TV is
on.
·
My host mom takes her pet bunny to work everyday
because she thinks it would be lonely staying at home all day.
·
Someone asked me the other day what my name was…
my American name… and I said “Kao— Oh uh… Kearney.”
·
When skyping my mom the other day I accidentally
asked her something in Thai.
·
I forgot the English word for bus… the Thai word
is “lot-bus”… and somehow I couldn’t remember the English word?!
·
English grammar surprises me. Why would you say
“I’m going to take a shower.”? Where are you taking the shower? Nowhere… it’s
staying just where it is! Makes no sense.
·
Eating salad with chopsticks is hard… I don’t
advise it.
·
Always take an umbrella with you during the
rainy season… otherwise you may find yourself getting a shower while riding
home with your host Aunt on her motorcycle.
·
Thai people like to feed animals… I can now say
I have bottle fed a fish! Fed an elephant vegetables, bottle fed a sheep, fed
fish bread and fish food and fed a bunny chocolate biscuits.
·
Tonal languages are a funny thing… Though you’re
trying to say “I love snow.” you might just find yourself saying “I love poop.”
(Except you actually said a word that was a little worse than “poop” by
mistake… Woops.)
·
Here are a few funny questions I’ve been asked…
o
In AK is it cold? (Everyone asks this… everyone.
Usually followed by “Is Thailand hot?”)
o
In AK do people have braces?
o
IN AK do white bears eat people?
o
In AK do you have grapes?
o
In AK do people live in igloos?
o
In AK do you have department stores?
o
In AK do you have Thai restaurants?
o
In AK do you have camels?
o
In AK do you have sticky rice?
o
In AK do you have shrimp?
o
Have you ever seen a waterfall?
o
Is AK an island?
o
Have you ever eaten bear?
 |
| A true Alaskan wears tie dye… even on the way to Muay Thai (Thai Boxing). |
Even though I’ve been in Asia two months now I can still eat French Fries if I really want to… I just eat them with chopsticks now.
If an old Muay Thai boxer blows you a kiss, blow one back because chances are the rest of the Muay Thai fighters reactions are going to be over the top and absolutely hilarious!
Why Thailand has earmuffs, scarves, hats and mittens/gloves for sale I didn’t know. Upon asking my host Aunt I learned it was for when people go travelling… but not to other countries… for when people travel to the North of Thailand… because apparently it’s quite cold up there. Maybe gets down to 70 degrees in “winter”. Oh man, today was only 82… where are my long underwear?!
Playing Bingo is a good way to practice your numbers in another language.
My Thai name is “Kaohom” which means “sweet smelling rice”. If people forget my name the first thing that comes to mind is usually “Gluayhom” which means “banana”. So… banana or rice… or farang (foreigner) or whatever you want to call me really... it all works.
Off to Nakhon Sawan (a neighboring province) tomorrow for five days of Rotary Camp! I'm excited!
-kearn
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Batibad tam. Meditate.
The past three days and nights I spent at a Bhuddist Monastery near the mountains (phu kao). These are the lesson that one of the Monks there taught me.
Follow the wind. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. Don't think. If you have a thought, just know, know that it is there but don't follow it. Life is a long path and if you follow each side path (follow each thought) you will never reach the end. Everything is nothing. To meditate you must be empty. If you are empty you are pure. If you are empty then you can be filled with light and happiness. Do not think. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. There is no future and no past, think only in the present moment. Breath in, breath out. Think only of the air, the wind, follow the wind, in, out, in, out.
When you finish meditating, think. Think of all good things that surround you; your parents, happiness, good luck, opportunity. A little smile, think about happiness.
"Like we open the window to receive the good thing." -Pra Sirijan
To walking meditate; think only-- one, two, three, four, right, one, two, three, four, left, one, two, three, four, right. One, two, three, four, five, six. Nung, song, sam, sii, ha, hok. Right, left. Sai, kwa. If you have a thought or lose count, start over at one. Clear you're mind, don't think.
Don't let your mind stray to your family or your friends...remember that you came into this world by yourself and you will leave by yourself. We shouldn't attach ourselves to others, don't worry about others. Instead, clear your mind. Batibad tam. Meditate. When you are done think of the positives, send good thoughts to your parents, your family, your friends, all living things on Earth.
Karma; good and bad. A good action will reap good karma and a bad one bad karma. Souls never die, the move from person to person due to levels of positive and negative karma.
-
At the temple there were many people there for one week, five or three days. Most were women and almost all of them came in pairs.
I speak to almost everyone in the group of people who have come for a short stay. There is the woman and her friend who are going to New Zealand for one month (I tell them I've been there and they are amazed, asking whether Alaska or New Zealand is more beautiful? And which do I love more? What sort of question is that. They are both beautiful in different ways and I loved New Zealand when I went there, but of course I love Alaska in a different way... Alaska is home.) The woman who can speak a little English and who is always smiling, always laughing. When I leave she says "You can miss me now." I smile, I will miss her, I'll miss her constant laugh and smile. Meshi Keg, a female monk, she has lived at the monastery for four years now. Though I understand nothing she says (at one point I even questioned if she was speaking Thai or not thinking maybe she was speaking Lao...) takes me with her to see other parts of the monastery, she gives me hot chocolate on one rainy morning and shows me photos of her family. She speaks unbelievably fast and constantly makes funny noises mixed with her speech. The only thing I can understand is when she speaks one of the three or four English words she knows..."mommy" and points to herself and then "lugke sao" (daughter) and points to me. Everyone here is so kind, one woman and her daughter (Fern) especially. Though she cannot speak any English she acts so motherly towards me, telling me what time I should wake up in the morning and what time I can go to sleep, sharing her food and having me eat dinner with she and her daughter in their room.
Later, it's dark outside and I am sitting at a square stone table with Fern, her mom and two other woman. We are not supposed to speak, we sit silently and drink hot chocolate. One woman mouths something across the table and everyone smiles, silently laughing, I smile too. This is such a wonderful opportunity.
It's my last morning and I have changed clothes out of my white suit (everyone who is at the temple for a short time must wear a plain white outfit, it looks sort of like dentist clothes to me) and I am standing outside. One meshi walks past "Gap wan ni leaw?" (Your going home today?) she says. "Chai ka, wan ni ka" (Yes, today.) I say. I'm not sure if I've ever spoken to her but she gives me a one armed squeeze... "Chok di na Kaohom." (Good luck Kaohom." she says.
This was roughly my daily schedule while at the temple;
4am- Wake up, wash face, brush teeth.
4:30-5:00am- pray, chant
5:00am-5:30am- meditate
6am- walk a little ways from the temple and buy something to eat (I ate grilled pork and sticky rice) and something to offer to the monks.
6am-8am- sweep all the fallen leaves around the monastery, then free time; rest, read, draw etc.
8:30am- breakfast (the only meal served at the monastery because Meshis and Monks can only eat meal a day and only before a certain time of day.)
10am-12pm- meditate
12pm-2pm- free time
2pm-4pm- meditate
4pm-5pm- sweep all the fallen leaves around the monastery and then eat dinner (there is a small shop at the monastery and though Meshi and Monks cannot eat dinner they open it in the evening so that the visiting people can eat)
5pm-6pm-pray
6pm-8pm- free time, shower
8pm-10pm- meditate
Being at the temple was interesting. I enjoyed it, but also found it very difficult. So much time spent sitting, attempting to clear my mind, so much time and so little action. I found it extremely difficult. Still, I am so glad I went. I met so many wonderfully kind people and learned so incredibly much.
Follow the wind. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. Don't think. If you have a thought, just know, know that it is there but don't follow it. Life is a long path and if you follow each side path (follow each thought) you will never reach the end. Everything is nothing. To meditate you must be empty. If you are empty you are pure. If you are empty then you can be filled with light and happiness. Do not think. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. There is no future and no past, think only in the present moment. Breath in, breath out. Think only of the air, the wind, follow the wind, in, out, in, out.
When you finish meditating, think. Think of all good things that surround you; your parents, happiness, good luck, opportunity. A little smile, think about happiness.
"Like we open the window to receive the good thing." -Pra Sirijan
To walking meditate; think only-- one, two, three, four, right, one, two, three, four, left, one, two, three, four, right. One, two, three, four, five, six. Nung, song, sam, sii, ha, hok. Right, left. Sai, kwa. If you have a thought or lose count, start over at one. Clear you're mind, don't think.
Don't let your mind stray to your family or your friends...remember that you came into this world by yourself and you will leave by yourself. We shouldn't attach ourselves to others, don't worry about others. Instead, clear your mind. Batibad tam. Meditate. When you are done think of the positives, send good thoughts to your parents, your family, your friends, all living things on Earth.
Karma; good and bad. A good action will reap good karma and a bad one bad karma. Souls never die, the move from person to person due to levels of positive and negative karma.
-
At the temple there were many people there for one week, five or three days. Most were women and almost all of them came in pairs.
I speak to almost everyone in the group of people who have come for a short stay. There is the woman and her friend who are going to New Zealand for one month (I tell them I've been there and they are amazed, asking whether Alaska or New Zealand is more beautiful? And which do I love more? What sort of question is that. They are both beautiful in different ways and I loved New Zealand when I went there, but of course I love Alaska in a different way... Alaska is home.) The woman who can speak a little English and who is always smiling, always laughing. When I leave she says "You can miss me now." I smile, I will miss her, I'll miss her constant laugh and smile. Meshi Keg, a female monk, she has lived at the monastery for four years now. Though I understand nothing she says (at one point I even questioned if she was speaking Thai or not thinking maybe she was speaking Lao...) takes me with her to see other parts of the monastery, she gives me hot chocolate on one rainy morning and shows me photos of her family. She speaks unbelievably fast and constantly makes funny noises mixed with her speech. The only thing I can understand is when she speaks one of the three or four English words she knows..."mommy" and points to herself and then "lugke sao" (daughter) and points to me. Everyone here is so kind, one woman and her daughter (Fern) especially. Though she cannot speak any English she acts so motherly towards me, telling me what time I should wake up in the morning and what time I can go to sleep, sharing her food and having me eat dinner with she and her daughter in their room.
Later, it's dark outside and I am sitting at a square stone table with Fern, her mom and two other woman. We are not supposed to speak, we sit silently and drink hot chocolate. One woman mouths something across the table and everyone smiles, silently laughing, I smile too. This is such a wonderful opportunity.
It's my last morning and I have changed clothes out of my white suit (everyone who is at the temple for a short time must wear a plain white outfit, it looks sort of like dentist clothes to me) and I am standing outside. One meshi walks past "Gap wan ni leaw?" (Your going home today?) she says. "Chai ka, wan ni ka" (Yes, today.) I say. I'm not sure if I've ever spoken to her but she gives me a one armed squeeze... "Chok di na Kaohom." (Good luck Kaohom." she says.
This was roughly my daily schedule while at the temple;
4am- Wake up, wash face, brush teeth.
4:30-5:00am- pray, chant
5:00am-5:30am- meditate
6am- walk a little ways from the temple and buy something to eat (I ate grilled pork and sticky rice) and something to offer to the monks.
6am-8am- sweep all the fallen leaves around the monastery, then free time; rest, read, draw etc.
8:30am- breakfast (the only meal served at the monastery because Meshis and Monks can only eat meal a day and only before a certain time of day.)
10am-12pm- meditate
12pm-2pm- free time
2pm-4pm- meditate
4pm-5pm- sweep all the fallen leaves around the monastery and then eat dinner (there is a small shop at the monastery and though Meshi and Monks cannot eat dinner they open it in the evening so that the visiting people can eat)
5pm-6pm-pray
6pm-8pm- free time, shower
8pm-10pm- meditate
Being at the temple was interesting. I enjoyed it, but also found it very difficult. So much time spent sitting, attempting to clear my mind, so much time and so little action. I found it extremely difficult. Still, I am so glad I went. I met so many wonderfully kind people and learned so incredibly much.
 |
| Meshi Keg |
 |
| It was so gorgeous there... |
 |
| This is inside the mountain! We walked up steps and then through a metal gate that went into a big cave... down some white and grey marble steps and inside is this. It was so amazing. |
 |
| These birds are everywhere... at the temple but also all over Lop Buri. |
 |
| The monks and the meshi meditating |
 |
 |
| Everyone can come to the temple, these three little girls are walking meditating. They were absolutely adorable and smiled super big every time they saw me. In the glass cases are different Bhudda statues. People who go to meditate for a few days must wear entirely white clothes like the ones two of the girls here are wearing. |
 |
| This is my room. It's important that you sleep with your feet facing away from the Bhudda statues. |
 |
| There are a lot of chickens at the temple and they don't know what time morning is... they just "cock a doodle do" all day long... just like my chickens at home. |
 |
| The woman in white is Fern's mother. She is so very kind. |
 |
| Dok buang. (A type of flower) Before and after I folded the petals... Fern's mom took Fern and I to offer these flowers and pray inside the cave. |
 |
| Meshi Keg showed me around the temple. |
 |
| Dok Buang. |
| -Kearn P.S. I started a separate blog. It's doesn't have to do with Thailand, it's going to be just random things I've written, quotes, photos, ideas I have, questions that come to mind and random inspirations. It's difficult for me to express a lot of my opinions while in Thailand because I don't speak enough Thai and I don't want to risk being rude, so this is going to be place for me to just record some ideas and thoughts. No need to read it, but if you're interested here is the link; catchingkearnado.blogspot.com Also, if you have specific questions feel free to let me know on Facebook or by emailing me. Hope you are well... and staying warm in Alaska! I hear talk of snow! Love, Kearn |
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