Wednesdays and Dragonflies

I have learned a lot since being here. I have learned some really deep lessons about the universality of human nature. I have learned how to teach and more importantly how to learn. I have learned more about Thai culture than I could in any class. I have learned practical skills like farming, gardening, and cooking. But would you like to know a couple of the lessons that I will never forget?

1.       Never cut your hair on a Wednesday. It is bad luck according to Thais. There is a small dog here on the farm that really just doesn’t belong. She is one of those small dogs that has long curly hair (it used to be white until it was stained red from the soil)…let’s be honest and say that she is not a farm dog. Her fur has been all matted and nasty so Amy wanted to take her to the groomer and get her properly cleaned and shaved. We drove all over the city looking for a shop but for some reason they were all mysteriously closed. We found one only after searching for 45 minutes. It was Wednesday and the dog got her hair cut. No joke, the next week she got worms and now is super sick…like deathly sick. Unrelated you may say? It’s debatable. But from now on I will never get my hair cut on Wednesdays.

2.       One night Amy and I decided to combine our evening English classes so our students could learn some songs and games together. Amy was teaching a song and I noticed that some of the boys were being disruptive and not paying attention in the back. As a teacher-team I took it upon myself to go get them to be respectful and to participate. Well when I went over there the boys were laughing hysterically except for one, who was grimacing in pain. The boy in pain was lifting his shirt up and holding something against his stomach. You could imagine my confusion. I looked closer and realized he was holding a dragonfly to his bellybutton and it was biting him! When I pressed the boys as to why he was doing this I was told (with a lot of hand gestures) that according to some Burmese tribes, if a dragonfly bites you in the stomach you will become a very good swimmer. And so the boys took turns having the dragonfly bite their bellybuttons. I completely lost it. I don’t think I have laughed that hard…ever. They offered me a chance to become a better swimmer, but I declined. I think I’ll just have to practice on my own without the help of the large jaws of a dragonfly. Unfortunately I don’t think I helped out Amy at all in the moment, but like I said earlier, this was a lesson I will never forget. :)

Everything is going really well on the farm. Everyday something new happens. There were a couple of days that I spent really sick. Almost everyone in my BYU group got sick after our Laos trip. Must have been something we ate/drank. But thankfully I seem to be over it now.

Teaching is going great. I am so sad to think about how little time I have left, but I keep avoiding that subject if at all possible. It nearly broke my heart to buy my plane ticket from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. But I know I eventually have to come home.

I have been having an interesting diet lately. I ate blood soup the other day. It is exactly what it sounds like. Chicken blood. Not a fan. I also had grasshoppers and termites at a party this last weekend. They were salty and crunchy…almost like potato chips…but not as enjoyable. If you can get over the fact that they are big insects they aren’t too bad. But with that said, I will never go out of my way to have them again.

Last weekend I saw Thai boxing for the first time and it blew my mind! I am actually slightly disappointed that I didn’t go before. It was so crazy! First of all it was super intense; the way they hit and kick each other was mind blowing. And at the beginning of the fights I didn’t know how I felt about it…it was just so violent and to watch a body take a blow like that…but it is very different than the American style of boxing. Throughout the whole fight the boxers would be smiling at each other or laughing, or bowing. They were really having a good time and they respected each other. That was really cool to see. And after I realized that, it was so much fun to watch them fight with so much power and force. We did see a couple of knockouts which was scary for me (with my personal experience of concussions and the sorts). But I really had a good time. Hopefully I will be able to see another couple of fights before I leave.

The adventures just keep coming. I stepped on a big snake the other night; somehow we ended up with a baby peacock on the farm; I learned how to make a number of Thai dishes this week; etc etc. I haven’t had a good internet connection for a very long time now. It doesn’t bother me very much, but I know everyone at home gets a tad bit worried when I don’t respond or have any contact with them. But I am in very good hands here, my body is still strong, and I am still having the time of my life. Hopefully I will get internet soon so I can post this.

Til my next adventure!

Peace out!