Durian season is here!

The head of the English department, P'Sonya, dropped off two Uttaradit durians at my house tonight. It is now officially durian season in Thailand! Uttaradit durians are the most fragrant and sweetest durians I have ever tasted in my life. It is locally grown (in a neighboring province) and ridiculously cheap at 50 cents for each one. I only wish there was a button on blogger that could release the fresh fragrance that is durian to you now.

Ramwong in Phitsanulok

A few weekends ago, I was walking around the Saturday walking street in Phitsanulok and came upon a large square where many people were watching some sort of spectacle with great interest. As I approached the square, I saw older ladies in their upper 50's and in bright identical dresses dancing to very upbeat upcountry Thai music with other random locals.

My friend, Oom, explained to me that this is called "ramwong boran" or "old dancing" although this name probably hints at the age of the event rather than the dancers (though the latter is quite appropriate too). This type of communal dancing is becoming very rare, so I was very lucky to witness it. People can pay 20 baht or so for each dance and pick an old Thai aunty to dance with for any song, though couples can also dance with each other. Dances last for 4-5 minutes. Thai people, both young and old, were enjoying the time here.  Dances range from going in a large circle while hopping from one foot to the next or sliding forwards and backwards.

Very interesting and na-sanuk. Plus everyone gets a good workout.

Hot Hot Hot

It is windy outside right now and the skies are turning gray again. It hasn't rained for a few days, so today might be a special day. Classes are going well. We are into the third week now at school, but this is the first NORMAL week since we don't have any days off. Lots of exciting things are underway in my classes. I started having my M4 students (the 10th graders) journaling everyday in their notebooks. Some of them love the idea and tell really interesting stories about the days while others spit out robotic reports. I explained today the purpose of journaling and asked them to tell me stories instead of reports. They seemed to get the idea. Once they get the hang of this, I am planning to move them into a field that might be more appealing to them: blogs. I want to do more task-based lessons this semester instead of the typical present and remember type of class. Kids know a lot, but just don't have the opportunity to use their knowledge. I heard yesterday that English professors at a nearby university don't even have students ask questions or write any essays in class. The majority of the grade is in the final exam and also attendance. That is a ludicrous idea. Sometimes I wonder if my kids will retain anything I teach them after this year.



Playing with a Malaysian three-horned rhinoceros beetle