Thai Buffalo Training Camp

On our daily schedule it had a visit to a Buffalo Training Camp listed. I was not sure what this experience might be like, but I do know that it exceeded any expectations I had for the visit.

Water buffalo were traditional used throughout Thailand to harvest rice. With the development of the Iron Buffalo, a type of rice harvesting tractor, many Thai farmers have moved away from using Buffalo. In addition, many new farms are much bigger and require faster means of harvesting the rice for consumer consumption. It should also be noted that, as a more wealthy country in the region, much of the agricultural work has been moved to neighboring countries, such as Vietnam and Laos, as land increases in value in Thailand.

The man who owns the farm we visited, however, love the buffalo. Although he has been offered significant sums of money for his land (over a million dollars), he recognizes that the buffalo would not have a place to go and that his staff counts on him for employment. In fact, he has received some buffalo from people who no number had the land to support such a large animal. Therefore, he has opened his farm to visitors as an educational opportunity.

I was immediately stunned by the easy-going nature of the buffalo. They splashed at each other in the pond and floated happily in the water. Following a soak in the water, we were shown how well they follow directions; turning left, turning right, spinning, stopping, walking, and laying down. We were also show how many different ways there are to climb onto a buffalo, and we were given the option to ride one if we wanted to give it a try. Although I was wearing a skirt and had to sit side saddle (without the saddle), I still gave it a try. Other members of our group were not as interested in the opportunity to sit on top of a very large, very horned animal.

We were also shown how rice is harvested, which was really interesting to a city girl who eats a lot of rice but never really understood how it was processed. We watched small plants planted, larger piece cut, bunched smacked against a surface to remove the rice (which I tried), and then the rice is hit with a mill thing to remove the tough outer part. This process was fascinating.

Overall, I have to admit that I adored the buffalo, I found them to be incredibly sweet, and I am glad we had the chance to visit the farm this morning.

The White Temple

Today we stopped at the beautiful Wat Rong Khun. The all white temple is the work of Thai artist Chalermachai Kositpipat.

This temple incorporates elements from typical Buddhist and Hindu temples, but in unconventional ways. There are several elements representing both purity and hell demonstrated throughout the temple. The white theme definitely has a dramatic effect, and I am glad we made a quick stop to see Wat Rong Khun.

As a final note, I would like to firmly state that I did not, in any way, touch the temple. This statement comes following being yelled at by a man with a microphone. I was also asked if I touched a monk the other day, which I did not. Apparently I look like a person would wants to touch things.

You say it’s my birthday….

Dates are written differently in different parts of the world. For example, in the United States you would write July 1^st as 7/1 but in Thailand you would write it as 1/7.

Normally this would not be noteworthy. Upon looking at my passport in Hawaii, however, there was a slight mix-up. This mix-up resulted in me receiving a surprise birthday cake today at lunch by people who thought today was actually my birthday, instead of January 7^th. There was lots of singing and smiling, and the cake even had my name on it.

Everybody was so nice, and I am excited to say that I had two birthdays this year.

A few bugs

Doy Din Dang Pottery

This morning we had the fortunate opportunity to visit the pottery studio and gallery of Mr. Somluk, a master potter. We were shown all aspects of his work space, and we were even provided a short demonstration of his glazing process.

Then we shopped at his gallery store, and we were provided a nice discount on our purchases. I made a lovely purchase for somebody back home…but everybody will have to wait to see who it is for!

A side note. The visit to a potter was a request made by one of the Fulbrighters. When the request was made, however, there was a slight miscommunication. The professor traveling with us thought she meant a person who sells pot, known as a potter, and informed her “that would not be possible.”

Chaingsaenwitthayakom School – Chaing San

Upon our arrival to Chaingsaenwitthayakom School in Chaing San yesterday, we were greeted by the entire student body. They formed two lines and waved Thai flags as we walked down the road to the school. Then, the band played several songs for us, included The Star Spangled Banner, which was incredibly touching. There were also performances given by traditional Thai dancers and musicians.

Founded in 1968, Chaingsaewitthahakom is a public school located in Chaing San, which is in the Golden Triangle portion of Thailand. The Golden Triangle is the area along the Makong River where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. The secondary school, which houses grades 7-12, has 1,140 students. These students are taught by 58 teachers. About 10% of the students come from Thailand’s northern hill tribe population. Currently, math and science are taught in English, and the school has a goal to offer all of its core courses in English.

While at the school, the Fulbrighters and district school teachers and administrators participated in an incredibly interesting session. First, we met with teachers from our own countries to create a list of facts about the educations systems in our countries, which we shared with the large group. Second, we came up with a short list of significant problems with the educational systems in our countries to share. Third, we met in international groups to talk about what type of educational exchanges or joint projects we can do together in the future. It was very interesting to learn more about the Thai education system, including the similarities and differences, as well as to plan joint projects for the future. I enjoyed hearing about this shift many of the teachers have made to more student-centered learning, and I was surprised to hear about the real emphasis the school has on teaching English.

The teachers at the school made me, as a visiting American teacher, feel very warmly welcomes. There was an invitation to return to the school, either with or without students. This would be an exceptional opportunity.