Making Merit

Yesterday I landed in Chiang Mai, the city in northern Thailand that is going to be my home for the next four months. It is a beautiful city, situated at the foot of the mountains in a decidedly tropical region, although we are far from the ocean. Rainy season makes it humid, humid, humid although so far it has just rained at night and in the morning and gets hot but still overcast in the afternoon.

I somehow managed to overcome my jet lag and general exhaustion (I had to stay up all night in the Bangkok Airport) and join in with the orientation groups. There are around 15 students studying at Chiang Mai University this semester - some are on IPSL like me but others are on a program called TEAN. After orientation, we went out and bought our uniforms (undergrads have to wear them) - white shirts and black skirts for the girls, black slacks for the guys. I'll be sure to get a picture of me in it, looking fly and Thai!

I also bought a cell phone, a small Nokia brick (for those who know me well enough, this sounds familiar) that may have international calling (?). We shall see. Then it was time for the orientation with our director Adam, who along with Ajan (Professor) Gai gave us some dos and don'ts of Thai culture (DO: take off your shoes before entering a room or home. DON'T: point the soles of your feet at a statue of Buddha while sitting in a temple). Adam also asked each of the IPSL students what their interests were for study abroad, and when he found out that I was a science major he got excited about possibly placing me as a teacher. I told him chemistry (with some help from my father!) and biology would be OK, but I wouldn't touch physics with a ten foot pole! The placement all depends on what is needed where, so there's a chance that the teacher thing won't work out, but boy would it be cool.

Anyway, the story for today is the awesome opportunity three other girls and I got to go and make merit in the Buddhist tradition. In Thailand, being a constitutional monarchy, Mother's Day falls on the queen's birthday. So Happy Thai Mother's Day, everyone! One activity Buddhist people can partake in today, besides paying respect to Mom, is doing good works for the monks. They prepare a meal and serve it to the monks in the local temple.

The four of us took a red truck (inexpensive taxi) to this hilltop wat (temple) and met up with art teacher Ajan (Professor) Chacha. Her given name in Thai is long, so she and other Thais all go by nicknames. She was there preparing food with her family and friends as she has done on this day for the past six years. We jumped right in with the cooking, first making fish fritters from Ajan Chacha's mother's recipe.

We got plenty of samples, and the fish fritters were actually really delicious and a little spicy, as much Thai food is. Then we moved on to a station placing sticky rice noodles in bowls and topping it with vegetables and chicken curry, and finally fixing the common Thai dessert of shaved ice with flavored syrups and some interesting mix-ins like red beans, bread cubes, and flavored gelatin squares (don't knock it 'til you try it!). We participated in the pre-meal prayers (without sticking our feet out at Buddha, of course), and then had some lunch along with 500 monks. 

It was such an incredible way to start my stay here in Thailand, a great way to connect with other people and get a taste (literally!) of culture and religion. So, so glad I did it. I may not have another post for a while, as tomorrow I leave for a four-night homestay in a rural village. Until then, sawat dii ka (a polite goodbye)!