I've finally recovered from that long post about Mae Chaem! What a week Ive had! I started classes last Monday and I have 20 hours of class every week! That's almost twice as many hours as I have at St. Lawrence, so needless to say it's been a little hectic trying to adjust. I have to cram a semester's worth of knowledge into 7 weeks of classes before I go to Cambodia!
My Schedule is as follows:
Monday: Buddhism and Thai Society from 10am-Noon; Gender and Sexuality in Transition in Thailand from 1pm-3pm
Tuesday: Buddhism again, followed by Thai Language from 1-2:30pm and Southeast Asian Dance and Performance from 3-5pm
Wednesday: Required class for Cambodia from 10am-Noon (Economic Development in Southeast Asia: The Case of Thailand and Cambodia), then a huge chunk of free time until Dance at 3pm.
Thursday: Same as Monday
Friday: Thai Language from 1-2:30 pm
I haven't had classes on Friday since my Freshman year...say goodbye to three day weekends!
Each of my classes is very different and very interesting. In Buddhism, we are learning about the Buddha and his journey to becoming the Buddha, as well as foundation principles and theories. We will be practicing some Buddhist rituals as well as learning how to mediate and visiting different sacred Wats throughout the local area.
In Gender, we're learning about how sex, sexuality, and gender identity are shaped in Thailand as conseqeuences of globalization and neo-colonialism in the country. It's really interesting to see how politics, economics, and sex all collide here. Thailand is sometimes known as "the sex capital of the world" despite the government's official outlawing of prostitution in the 1960's. Our professor is a pretty well-known scholar and he's published a ton of work. He's an interesting guy and I'm really excited for the class!
In dance class, we're learning the different steps and hand motions to different Lanna dances (the traditional Northern Thailand dance), as well as how dance and performance are significant in different parts of Southeast Asia. I am finding that it is VERY difficult, but it is a fantastic way to try and connect with parts of Thai culture that feel so foreign to me. I'm not much of a dancer, but I figured Id try it because I'd never have such an opportunity! I just found this quick clip of the Fingernail Dance (which I'll be learning!)
My required class for Cambodia will be pretty dry, but definitely important in my preparations for the next segment of my trip. My professor is 80 years old and has been everywhere and done everything. Ever. He's a pretty cool guy, but he talks very slowly and puts me to sleep...
On Thursday night I started feeling pretty sick (bummer...) and was running a temperature by Friday morning. I stayed in bed all day, didn't go to class, and slept. I felt pretty crummy but was better by Saturday morning. A few other kids in the program experienced the same thing, so I suppose it's safe to assume we all ate something whose microbes did not agree with our American bodies. It was bound to happen!
I was relieved to be feeling better by Saturday morning as I had signed up for a 'retreat' of sorts with the International Student Union here at Payap. The ISU runs events and programs for the international students at the university, and they planned a camp at a 'resort.' I say 'resort' because it wasn't exactly a 4 star experience like I was expecting, but it was WONDERFUl regardless. We stayed in these bungalow rooms with AC (a luxury here) and hot water (an even greater luxury!). We stayed all day in the pool and had a huge barbeque for dinner. On Sunday morning, we checked out and traveled to a near by reservoir for a relaxing boat tour. It was BEAUTIFUL! Check it out:
 |
| My friends Nathan and Gina on the boat |
Now it's getting late and I have to be up for a rigorous day of intellectual activity! Plus I have about 50 more pages of reading to do before I get to sleep. Studying habits don't seem to change no matter where in the world you go!
No comments:
Post a Comment