Aerobics: The Universal Language

Sa wat dee kaa,
Yep, yesterday I went to aerobics. Picture at least 50 Thai women under a pavillion next to a 7-11. And me. And Meredith, another Princeton Fellow, who is equally as uncoordinated as I am. I am not sure if I can blame the fact that I could not follow on the intensity of the teacher or his counting in Thai because the truth is it was fairly similar to an aerobics class in the States (except that it costs 5 baht or 1/6 of a dollar!) There was even techno you would hear in the States, mainly multiple re-mixes of the YMCA, Cher, and Dragostea din tei ("Maya heee Maya whoo Maya haaa maya haaa haaa"...Should ring bells to you if you are under the age of...30??...or a raver...or an intense work-out-er...and ESPECIALLY if you spent a large majority of weekend nights in high school loitering in 7-11 parking lots listening to Romanian techno like I did). The funny thing is that aerobics class takes place outside at 6 pm, which is around the time that the rain should start during the rainy season (now). Yesterday, the rain held off until class was over, which only meant that the humidity was palpable in the 85-degree air for the hour-long jazzercize meets ballet meets kickboxing meets yoga session. Oh, and it's inappropriate to show your shoulders or most of your legs in Northern Thailand so many people were in pants and long sleeves. Even in my semi-scandalous attire, I was literally soaked head to toe in sweat after 10 minutes...and Thai people don't sweat so it made my freckled, uncoordinated, already really out-of-place self stand out even more. Regardless, it was the most fun I have had since I have been in Thailand and I am going again today. It is a must-do in Khon Kaen and I am looking forward to having my able-bodied visitors join me.

Neuki (reference previous blog: first and only Thai friend, nicest person I have ever met) came with me to aerobics, which is not something she normally does. Her mom, on the other hand, goes every day. After class, I met Neuki's mom, "Shenai," and discovered hers were the feet that mine were attempting to copy during class. Shenai teaches Physical Chemistry at KKU and their house is on campus. She offered Meredith and me a ride home and since it was thundering we accepted. Instead of taking us directly home, we went to dinner at T-Bone Steak House, which is an all-you-can-eat buffet that costs 109 Baht (a little more than 3 dollars), a semi-expensive meal here. There were all kinds of American-y things to choose from: steak, pork, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, french fries, green beans, spaghetti, fruit, veggies and tons of Thai delicacies as well. After the meal, we had some fruit that Neuki had been carrying around all day with the intention of giving to me, since she knew I had never tried either a mangosteen or a rambutan. Rambutan is golfball-sized and spiky on the outside, sooo cool-looking. On the inside, it looks a bit like a delicately-peeled grape, but whiter and with a pit. Tastes sort of like a lychee. A mangosteen, "the queen of fruits," is one of the most delicious things I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. On the outside, its purple with a green stem. On the inside, its white and divided into small sections. It tastes a bit like passion fruit...hard to describe but de-lish. I know it does not do much good to describe the taste of these interesting fruits with other interesting fruits, but it's the best I can do. Here, you can buy a kilo of mangosteen for a dollar. I am not sure what it would cost you Statesiders, but it's worth it to try! Wikipedia says about mangosteens: "Botanically an aril, the fragrant edible flesh can be described as sweet and tangy, citrusy with peach flavor and texture."

This week flew by. Teaching is still going well. My students' ability-levels vary a lot both in the classes and between classes of the same level. Now that I am beginning to understand which classes are more advanced and which students understand English best and can help translate, things are getting a little easier. Apparently English is seen as just something to get through by most Thai students who will probably stay in Thailand to work and will not need much English in their real lives. The students who will need English, like business students, (who apparently all want to be flight attendants, haha) some of the medical students, and other various faculties, are not in my classes...Great, I get to teach English to kids who, for the most part, think of it as a formality and do not give a rat's behind about it. That being said, some of my students are working hard and showing a desire to learn the language. My beginning speaking students literally DO NOT SPEAK A WORD OF ENGLISH! It's hilarious. We started with hello and goodbye. It's a pretty easy way for me to monitor their progress and my abilities as a teacher when they started with zero words in their lexicon.

I have pictures to post but the Internet has been a little whacko at home and I keep forgetting to bring my camera to work. Hopefully, they will be up soon.

I am thinking lots about all of you, especially the Murphys who are all gathering together now for Colin and Emily's wedding. If I figure out how to bi-locate in the next 48 hours, I'll be there! Otherwise, enjoy. I know that "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" is going to be the best ever since you all have been practicing since January.

Chok dee la gorn,
Erin