Half-Way Mark

Halftime

My 2012 stay in Bangkok was planned for 6 2/3 months, beginning February 1, and ending on August 20. Apparently, I now have less of time here in front of me than is already behind me. This realization has served as a very direct way to illustrate to me the relative speed at which time passes. So, no pictures for this post, just my ramblings.

Tourist to Expat

Now that I am firmly not a tourist, I can now say that I live here. The days and weeks feel different. While I still enjoy seeing different parts of the city, I have stopped looking for major Bangkok landmarks to check out just because it's shown in a travel book. While I still love the food of the locals, I no longer take pictures of what I am served at restaurants. I only go shopping now when there are things I need to buy, not to check out the market because that's where it's happening. 

I have also stopped asking 'why?' so much, as it seems that I have now begun to accept some important things about this place. As a long-term American NGO volunteer put it to me, I'll "be here just long enough to figure things out, before having to go back home."

Acceptance

I accept that we all move slower here, possibly as a tacit submission to the relentlessly hot climate. I accept that moving slower is one small manifestation of a larger idea that ambition and goal-pursuit are not as important here as other things, like being reasonably content right now, for one, and not breaking a sweat, for another. I also accept the Asian notion that saving face, especially an elder's face, trumps Western notions of efficiency, correcting mistakes or getting things 'done right'.

"Don't Have Expectations" - What A Great Cliche'

Bangkok has been a great place for me to reinforce the importance of not having expectations, lest I risk disappointment. This has been most loudly pointed out to me in its music scene. There is plenty of music to hear in this city, especially blues, karaoke, and dramatic gender benders lip-synching to CDs. There is also some skillfully polished jazz performed here, but most of that is in equally polished, sterile hotel lounges. Some of Bangkok's best vocalists and guitarists are performing old (er, I mean 'classic') American cover tunes. Sure, Amercan blues and pop music is what I grew up hearing and playing, but I somehow feel disappointed (due to the aforementioned expectations) that it's so prevalent here. 

While I have sidled up next to a few fine performers here and played tunes like "Johnny B. Goode", "Cat's in the Cradle" and "Tears in Heaven", I have heard rather little in the way of music I would call organic, original, or even traditional. The whole music scene here has me feeling vaguely sad, but I know it's my own doing. The Thais are all having fun with it, why shouldn't I? Maybe I need to learn a few Thai pop tunes by Bodyslam, Potato, or Clash...

So Now What?

I may never again have the chance to live abroad for an extended period, making this very possibly a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me. I find myself asking rhetorically, and a bit hurriedly: So now what? I should do...? I should document...? I should see...? For the purpose of...? In order to...?

One thing I have finally been able to do is begin real work as a volunteer with the Human Development Foundation's Mercy Centre. You can read about who and what they are here:  http://www.mercycentre.org/index.php?lang=en

My job is to teach Suwanna, a 17 year-old girl from a poor family who has received a full scholarship to attend United World College in Flekke, Norway. Not actually a college, it is an advanced placement high school that awards International Baccalaureate Diplomas after a two-year course of study.  After graduation, students typically receive subsequent scholarships to study at colleges in the US. 

So, this is a obviously a huge opportunity for Suwanna. She has been learning English here in Bangkok for many years, but only from Thai natives with limited English skills themselves. That means that things like Suwanna's knowledge of grammar and writing are at middle school level, while her conversational skills are at lower elementary level. My task is simply to help her improve her English conversational skills before the end of July, when she gets on the plane for Norway. Luckily for me, Suwanna is very hard-working and very nice. I am lucky to get to work with such good people at Mercy Centre.

What else??

Thailand is a big country within a bigger sub-continent. Within Thailand, Beth and I have, so far, seen much of Bangkok, Thonburi, Ko Phi-Phi, Krabi, Ao Nang, Railay Beach, Ayuttaya, Ko Chang, and Mae Khlong. We have also been in and around Luang Prabang, Laos. These places were exceedingly beautiful and memorable, and I hope to see more, both within and away from Thailand. Our kids, 24 and 19, are planning to visit in July-August, and that is exciting for us. We will finally have people to show around a bit! Maybe we'll get to see parts of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia - we'll see...

"Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught, or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over
Thought I'd something more to say..."

-- "Time" Lyrics by Roger Waters, 1972