Back to School

It's back to school in Chiang Mai. While in America this would mean new notebooks, new pencils, perhaps a new first-day-of-school-shirt, apparently in Thailand it means new hair. While many of my students are the same as last semester it is nearly impossible to tell. Is that you, Moo, under that new shag? And didn't Fluke used to have short black hair? How did Pui grow out her bangs in under 3 weeks?

Also in typical Chiang Mai style I was told what I was teaching yesterday. Day two of classes and only 3 days before the syllabi were due. Mass Media, Conversation, some cryptic class for Chinese students and American Literature 1850-present. I recognize that the Thai sense of time is a little broader than ours but they do not seem to understand that a lot was actually written between 1850 and the present. "Choose the most famous story from 1850," was the advice I was given. Easier said than done.

Not to mention that American Literature 1850-present, only has 5 students enrolled in it. Among them is a Turkish guy, a midget and a lady-boy named Maxi. (I can only assume a la Maxi Pad).

Oh things should be interesting as we leave behind Mark Twain and round our way into the 20th century. Which contrary to popular to popular Thai belief, is not the same as the 2000's.

Lovin' it Thailand. Just lovin' it.