Life in Thailand

I haven't written anything here in my blog for awhile, because I have been really busy.  I am not a writer as my first choice, but started writting to bridge the gap between me and the rest of my friends and family back home.  But I love to update the blog with pictures and tell my experience, that is fun.

Last week I had to take a Thai Culture class which is required by the Thai government.  We have to take it within the first two years of teaching in an International school.  So I got that out of the way.  Well, I have to turn in a folder at the end of this week.

I learned something about the Thai people.  It interesting to note that even though, we western minded people think that bowing shows worship, it does not show that here so much.  Bowing shows respect and honor to the person of high status and age.  It is and will be hard for me to think of it in that way, note that if you do that to an idol it definitely does.  In fact, Thais will lose respect for you if you think they are worshipping you or that they are worshipping someone else.  Even the Buddhist don't think any person deserves to be worshiped like that.  (At the heart of the true Buddhist religion)

Sunday we went to a Thai Culture show here, almost Cirque Du Soleil esk... lights and a hugh auditorium of acouple thousand or more.  The stage was awesome, it boasts the Guinness World Record for the Highest Stage in the World.  I don't know if that is true anymore... after seeing Ka, in Vegas, there might be a new leader.  But the stage is very large and the show was great.

The show was very welll done, too.  The started with the history of the Thai nation, with the simple life and the Trading between China and the Thai nation.  The show then lead us through the rest of the history with the Kings, and growth of the country of war and battles.

There was a seen of Hell, which was very scary and twisted.  Pitch-forks and humans burning in a pot of stew... the works.  And many other things I don't understand from the mythical and abstract.  Most of it influenced by the religious past and present of Thailand, I assume.

Then, the tranquel and beauty of Heaven, with people flying all over the place.  The stage was turned into a big cloud of fog, which made for a wonderful shot.  That was really cool, and the colors were so nice and the contrast was beautiful.

The last scenes were about the different feastivals of Thailand.  And the stage, at the front was filled with water and a minnie river formed.  Different audience and actors were then putting their little candle baskets representing the Loy Krathong Fesitval into the water and letting them drift down the water way.   It was a very beautiful and nice scene, with the lights low and the candles flickering as they drifted down in the water.