Weaving by Hand

Handmade, through the work of countless hours, Rwandan baskets are so much more than just utilitarian. Yes, they can store any of a number of food items, and have traditionally been used in exactly that way (as well as in wedding ceremonies and as decorative items). But, with the diversity of color, shape, pattern, and size, each basket is truly a work of art.

Traditionally made from sisal fibers extracted from the leaves of the agave plant, which are then dyed to the desired color, it takes several days for a single basket to be woven (typically by a woman) to completion, depending on the size. Some are large enough to hold a grown man, others small enough to hang on a Christmas tree.

Wide and flat or tall and cone-lidded, these baskets are the definition of precision. The patterns range from basic zigzag to spiral to blossoms sprouting from the base. Even in handicraft centers where their only purpose is to be peddled to tourists, you can see the expert work and immense time and dedication given to each item.

Kop Khun Kah

Thank you, Thailand, for eighteen wonderful months. Thank you for costing so little, but offering so much. Thank you for people so friendly and open. Thank you for incredible students, co-workers, and pets. Thank you for little bananas, sweet sweet mangoes, and introducing me to mangosteen. Thank you for monkeys and tigers and geckos (oh my!). Thank you for locals who draw eyebrows on cats and put T-shirts on dogs.

Thank you for helping me to become both an English teacher and a Yoga teacher. Thank you for cheap food and beer. Thank you for tuk-tuks and third class trains. Thank you for squat toilets and cold showers (because what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger).Thank you for "Thai time" and total chaos.

But mostly, thank you for helping me to triumph over Western pitfalls of stress and worry. Thank you for forcing me outside of my comfort zone, it has made all the difference.

Ha Ha Ho Ho He He

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Laughter is contagious. But unlike the flu, laughter is good for your health. It boosts your serotonin levels, increases your immune responses, and leads to a general sense of wellbeing. Given enough time, it can also be one hell of an abdominal workout. It doesn’t even have to be real laughter, your brain can’t actually tell the difference. So, theoretically, that apple a day could be replaced with some forced chuckles.

 

Enter, Laughter Yoga. Even if the laughter starts out fake, in a large group it quickly turns into full-fledged hilarity. In a half-hour class, we electro-shocked laughs into one another, sprayed each other with machine gun laughter, laughed off imagine tragedies, made a belly laugh chain, and pretended to be hysterical, laughing clams. We suppressed giggles, snickered at fake farts, and guffawed in each other’s faces. We tittered, chortled, hooted, howled, cackled, and snorted.

At the end of it all we were sweaty and our sides were aching, but there wasn’t a frown to be seen.

Balance, Trust, and Play

I have recently been introduced to a wonderful new pastime: Acroyoga. Despite its name, Acroyoga isn’t a particularly “yogic” activity in the traditional sense. Unless of course by yogic, you mean amazing. Then you would be spot on. Basically, Acroyoga is the lovechild of partner yoga and acrobatics.

I am currently participating in a month-long, intensive Yoga Teacher Training and enjoying every blissful, challenging moment. Acroyoga has taken over our Sunday afternoons (and I am sorely disappointed that there are so few Sundays in a week). Though not technically part of the course, we have had the joy of being introduced to Acroyoga through one of the instructors, the quirky, multi-talented Ms. Emily Baxter, who happens to also be a certified Acroyoga teacher.

From first glance, Acroyoga looks like it is somewhere between difficult and impossible, reserved for only the strong, stable, and fearless. In reality, it’s not as hard as it looks. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say it’s easy. But with trust and confidence, it comes together. The base finds a nice, sturdy position, the flyer moves in a light, slow, strong manner, and suddenly you find that sweet spot, where you actually feel a sense of ease in all the effort. 

And, after an Acroyoga class, every one of us walks away with newfound self-assurance, feeling upbeat, light, and strong (as well as mildly exhausted). There’s nothing quite as reassuring or confidence-building as stretching the boundaries of what you think you can accomplish to include something you thought would be impossible.

*Photos courtesy of the lovely Candace Cabrera Moore and Elmar Munar, as Win has been off traipsing around Myanmar with our camera

Katois and Toms and Dees. Oh My!

Last week I had a conversation with some of my eighth graders about ladyboys; they wanted to know if we have ladyboys in America. We reached a bit of a language impasse when I tried to explain that we have a whole LGBT community in the States, but we don’t necessarily have a direct equivalent to ladyboys.

Widely accepted in Thai culture is the “katoi” or ladyboy lifestyle. Ladyboys are extremely effeminate boys and men who want to be women, or according to my students, “boy and girl in one.” Were they in America, many ladyboys would probably just be flamingly gay (think Kurt on Glee).Thai standards are a bit different though. They like men, but they don’t consider themselves to be gay because they identify more closely with women. And they, therefore, want to become women.

Thailand, as a whole, is incredibly comfortable and nonjudgmental about sexual orientation. Back in America, we have parades and prides and protests about who you are allowed to love. On both sides of the debate, insults are hurled, assumptions are made, and rights are fought over. In Thailand’s attitude toward sexual identity, as in all things, the “sabai sabai” outlook is dominant. It’s not something to fight over because people are who they are.

Roughly ten percent of the fifth and sixth grade boys at our school already openly identify themselves as ladyboys. Not that they could hide it very easily. They shake, shimmy, and dance better (and more provocatively) than any of the girls, and they have mastered the art of french braids and makeup better than I ever will. During school events where the students are allowed to wear their street clothes, many of the ladyboys show up in full drag -- sexy dress, wig, makeup and heels.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Thai lesbians. Also already out of the closet by fifth and sixth grade, are the more masculine lesbians, or “toms”. Around seventh grade, many of the toms start wearing their hair shorter. Much like ladyboys identify with females, toms act in a more manly fashion. Toms do not date other toms, they have girlfriends, called “dees”. A dee, typically bisexual, might be dating a tom, and might date men at other times.

I truly appreciate how accepting the Thais are when it comes to sexuality. Anyone is allowed to love whoever they choose. However, my one criticism is that, unless it falls into specific categories, they don’t really talk about it. Gay men, for example, not as blatantly obvious or fabulously loud as ladyboys, are a largely overlooked segment of Thai society. And what if two lesbians happen to both be feminine rather than butch? The Thais, for all their open-mindedness, seem to only be open to certain configurations.

No matter the flaws in the national outlook on sexuality, there is something spectacular about a society in which a sixth grader has enough love and support to already be confident in who he or she is and to proudly announce having a crush on someone of the same sex.

Be Mine

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Land of Smiles. The Thais, especially the students, adore Valentine’s Day. They exchange much bigger, lavish gifts than students in America ever would. Giant teddy bears, huge bouquets, and massive amounts of candy change hands.

As an elementary and middle school teacher, I left every one of my classes laden in roses, pockets full of candy. Instead of giving valentines the way American children do, our students just covered each other’s shirts in heart stickers, so I was also repeatedly stickered mid-lesson. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so loved or received so many gifts for Valentine’s Day. 

Canine Delights

Southeast Asia is chockfull of stray dogs. Apparently, especially in Buddhist countries, homeless animals aren’t given the poor treatment or apathy that they receive in the Western world. They are more like public pets; well-fed, oftentimes given collars and a place to sleep, stray animals do quite well in this part of the world. Among all the stray dogs and the care they are given, two phenomena strike me as absolutely delightful.

A bizarre canine trend has been popping up with increased frequency in Northern Thailand; as the weather has been getting colder, we have seen a distinct rise in the number of dogs wearing clothing. I don’t mean Chihuahuas and Pomeranians, on which accessories are common, but rather on your average, run of the mill stray mutts. Dog-specific clothes, sometimes, but also human hand-me-downs, sweater vests, old t-shirts and the like. People are going around and dressing these dogs in random articles of clothing. Just trotting down the street, happy and warm, stray dogs in human clothing.

My number one, favorite phenomenon among dogs in Southeast Asia: I love little dogs with massive heads. To be more accurate, their heads are the size of an average dog head, but atop a squat little body with extra short legs. The result is pure hilarity. Just looking at them, I feel joy so pronounced it typically spills out as a giggle fit. These dogs, a minority in Thailand, made up the majority of stray dogs in Central Vietnam. I am not a dog person by any means, but if ever I happen to own a dog, it will have to have this unique body shape.

For Love of the King

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Today, December 5^th, is Thailand’s Fathers’ Day. In America, Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day are randomly assigned Sundays on the Calendar. Here in Thailand, on the other hand, much more significance is assigned to these holidays; Mothers’ Day is the Queen’s birthday, and Fathers’ Day is the birthday of His Majesty, King Rama IX. Not only is today a celebration of one’s own father, but also a celebration in honor of the King. 

The Thais, without exception, love their King. Pictures of the King are proudly on display everywhere you look, pictures adorn walls in nearly every home and restaurant, clocks and calendars feature the likeness of His Majesty, and in every Thai city billboard-size pictures stand at street corners. While we Americans have money featuring a variety of past U.S. presidents, King Rama IX is on every Thai coin and bill. Once a week, many people nationwide wear yellow, pink or purple to honor the King (although, following the red shirt-yellow shirt debacle, yellow tends not to be the color of choice). The Thai monarchy is incredibly revered and beloved, and it shows. 

The love of the Thais for their King is not only genuine, but also well deserved. Reigning since 1946, King Rama IX is the world’s longest reigning monarch. Born in Massachusetts, educated in America and Switzerland, and an accomplished jazz musician to boot, the King has done much good for the people of Thailand. No matter what the political situation in Thailand, the general Thai populace is united by their love of the King.

Despite the fact that the Thai monarchy is supposed to be divorced from politics, the opinion of the King holds heavy sway; he has authorized numerous coups, overseen umpteen constitutions, and dozens of changes of Prime Minister. In the early 90s, he oversaw the change to democracy. He changed the country to what he dubbed a “sufficiency economy” enabling the Thais to develop a self-sufficient system, better agricultural practices, and more environmentally friendly methods. Because of King Rama IX, Thailand is much better situated to become a legitimate first world country.

It is no big surprise that Fathers’ Day is a pretty big deal in Thailand. The Friday before Fathers’ Day was filled with ceremonies, songs, and assemblies for the students; today, parades, participants all in pink, marched along the streets; fireworks filled the night sky; and somewhere in town a ceremony took place, a candlelight vigil of sorts, with songs written by the King himself, as well as prayers and more fireworks. 

In the Presence of Pachyderms

Up close, an elephant is a creature like no other. Gentle eyes the speak of unplumbed emotional depth, stubbly hair across smoky-grey flesh. Riding on the back of an elephant, you tower and lurch, high above the world.

Blessed with remarkably quick wits, we have seen elephants perform incredible feats. Dancing and hoolahooping, painting and playing soccer, even drinking soda through a straw; elephants have a knack for learning. Among Thailand’s hill tribes, a number are native mahouts and elephant herders, holding annual Elephant Roundups, hundreds of elephants displaying their talents.

Small town men will purchase elephants, parading them around town selling sugar cane to pedestrians or people in restaurants in order to feed the elephants (which will then be locked in too-small yards until the next night’s circuit). Standing on the sidewalk, bobbing his or her head along with the music, swaying with a remembered dance, the elephant will wait patiently for another handful of food.

Such treatment isn’t befitting of such elegant giants, but the treatment of elephants seems to be getting ever-better. No longer will you see elephants being exploited thus on Bangkok’s Khao San Road, or anywhere in Bangkok. And many of the formerly mistreated elephants from Bangkok have been sent north, living out their lives in elephant camps and orphanages, given fresh air and open spaces, tromping through jungle rather than city streets, and fed on a regular basis. While many of these places operate as tourist attractions as well, the conditions are kept under closer scrutiny, hopefully providing better quality of life for the liberated pachyderms.

Leathery skin, wrinkles like canyons spreading across their broad backs, bristle-like hair springing up among the cracks and gullies. Ears flap like massive water-soaked flags, slapping their sides as they sway, huge gait, like a minivan on legs. Big, bright, long-lased eyes sparkle with depthless sentience. A curious trunk twists above stray chin whiskers, searching for anything edible. Lumbering, weathered and majestic, elephants have been a magical presence in our travels.

Floating Light

As a lunar holiday, Loy Krathong typically falls sometime in November. Last year, oblivious to the fact that it was a holiday weekend, we went to Surin in northeast Thailand for their annual Elephant Roundup, effectively missing Loy Krathong entirely. This year, we were more prepared.

Loy Krathong is Thailand’s equivalent to a festival of lights. “Loy” means “to float.” And “Krathong” refers to homemade floats that carry a candle. A traditional Krathong is made from a cross-section of banana tree trunk elaborately decorated with strips of banana leaf and the decapitated heads of flowers, painstakingly twisted, twirled, stapled and pinned.

During November’s full moon, the krathongs are taken to the local river and loy-ed. Symbolically, the light from the candle is meant to honor Buddha, and the krathong carries away all grudges, mistakes, and negativity. Loy Krathong is a holiday of letting go, of new beginnings.

Over the years, the holiday has been augmented, and the beloved Thai lanterns (kohms) included. Kohms, made from tissue or rice paper, are like miniaturized hot air balloons, using the heat from a burning ring of oiled paper to lift up and away from earth.

From the banks of Chiang Rai’s Kok River, krathongs drifted downstream, kohms floated off by the hundreds, boyant and glowing. The sky was full of false constellations that shift and change with the wind. Fireworks burst overhead, close enough to rain paper on our shoulders.

As the kohm began to glow brighter, hotter, we shifted our grip from top to bottom. Suddenly, as if of its own accord, the lantern tugged itself free of our fingertips, slipping away to join the school of glowing lantern jellyfish, easing their way heavenward. With it, all mistakes and negative energy, leaving us cleansed.