We worked again at another Muslim school. It was about 45 minutes from our apartment, so they got us a hotel for four nights to stay at. The camp was very cool again. We were treated like rock stars again. I really don't know if these kids have seen Americans before. They are really shy at first, but then they get comfortable and ask alot of questions. One of the boys even started asking me about the economy and politics, which I tried to explain the best I could. We were both using a translator. One of the things we did was make pinatas. The kids went crazy. They had never seen pinatas before. So we made them and then busted them open on the last day. They were all running for the candy and falling over each other. Some interesting things happened though. It was a very religious school. All the kids wore the religious scarfs or hats. They prayed at 12:45 everyday Remember, these kids have very limited English. So one of the girls was talking on the phone and I asked her who she was talking too. She said her girlfriend. I said, "oh your best friend?", trying to help her English I though. She said, "No, my girlfriend. I'm a lesbian." So I met a lesbian Muslim, which until now I didn't know existed. At the camp I was in charge of sports everday. We had frisbees, but they got tired of that very quickly. They said they wanted to play monkey in the middle. They loved that game. We probably played for 30-40 minutes and they never got tired of it. I've never played that game that long. We also had a talent show and somehow I got up on stage to do a traditional thai dance with some of the teachers. I made a fool of myself trying to copy what the other teachers were doing, but it was fun. In Thailand, everyone has a nickname, either given by yourself or a friend. The students decided to give me one. I told them I thought some actress here was pretty and they named me Nonkhuntong after her actor boyfriend. We ended the camp again by going to cheesy Dreamworld. Here a group of about 10 Muslims asked me if I was American, and then asked me to take pictures with them, which of course I did cause it was fun and an ego boost. This has happened three or four times already. I wish we were still working at camp. The kids are awesome. They really want to learn and are very respectful. I wish we could run the camps more often...
I have learned some of the Thai langauge. I have learned numbers 1-6, how to say yes, no and hello. I can tell the taxi how to get back to the apartment. I can say good, bad, and serious with variations of these words. I learned high-5 and a joke that goes with that. And then I have learned a few phrases. I'll sound them out in English even though they have different characters. The first is Pom Shu Mike (my name is Mike). Kutouy thai rump pow (are you a ladyboy). Ben fan gan mi (will you be my girlfriend?). Shwauy Ma (your beautiful). And most importantly Mi si pak (no vegetables). Haha, I guess a good start learning the important things....
I have also learned a few more things about Thai culture. I thought most people here were gay at first, including the students. Alot are, but overall Thai culture is very immature and very feminine. The boys like little toys and are very dainty. It's very weird and I've yet to figure out why. They are also immature. The 14-15 year olds are very into cartoons. Not superhero comics and cartoons but little kids stuff. For example they like teletubbies. Also the high school students are very into High School Musical. I think everyone just matures slower and the boys are not taught to be tough.....
It is also amazing how much people love Barack Obama and hate George Bush here. I have a feeling that is how it is all over the world from meeting alot of foreigners. I just finished Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope". I like him alot better now. That doesn't mean he's going to change the economy, but it was good to read his thoughts on the country unfiltered by media. One thing is clear though, he is restoring respect of the USA to the world. The US was not respected under George Bush anymore, but that is coming back now. The people view the US in a strange way here and probably in much of the world. They do not like them and alot of the things they do. However, everyone wants to go live there and be apart of it. But I really haven't every known how great it is to be an American til I came out here. It's amazing the oppurtunity and freedom we have at home. For example, one thing I have learned is that if you say anything against the Royal Family of Thailand, you will be put in jail for 15 years. This is also the only law in Thailand that you can make a citizen's arrest on. Just one of the freedoms we enjoy at home. But we just got back from Phket, a beach town and I will write about our trip in a couple of days.
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