Spooked

There are those afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, those afraid of Virginia Woolfe, but I ain't afraid of no ghost....I wish I could say the same for my students.

It smelled like noodles in our classroom. In a land fed nearly exlusively on noodles and rice I was unphased. Perhaps someone had been eating noodles earlier in the same room. Perhaps someone outside the window was eating noodles. Perhaps right upstairs in the kitchen someone was cooking noodles. There were many options.

A murmer arose through the classroom as students nodded knowingly at one another. "What's going on?" I asked. "There is a ghost in the classroom eating noodles," they said. Totally deadpan. "Ghosts eat noodles?" I asked. "Pred," they said, sharing the ghosts name.

My lesson plan for the day was scrapped as the ghost stories took over. Here is what I learned from the students. The next time you here a bump in the night, it might be one these fellows. At least if you are in Thailand.

Pred: Known for his small mouth, long neck, and large hands. He was a child who disobeyed his parents and was punished in death. His mouth is so small so that he cannot speak bad words against his parents. His mouth is so small that all he does is shriek, not speak or cry. His mouth is so small that he can only eat one grain of rice at a time, or suck up one noodle. Obviously it was Pred who was in our classroom that day.

Beautiful Girl in the Banana Tree: Unclear why she is in a banana tree. The only thing really clear is that she is beautiful and wears a sexy dress.

Pop: A girl ghost who will chase you with hands outstretched like crab claws. Her goal is to eat your liver.

Girl with Intestines: Her real name is Krasuea but they kept referring to her as "girl with intestines." She only has a head and intestines and a flashing heart. She floats. A visual was drawn on the board and when they next class came in they all shrieked and pointed in unison, "Krasuea!" She is dating boy with basket arms.

Boy with Basket Arms: A lengthy debate occured over whether or not they were baskets or woven trays. These help him to fly. Destination uncertain. Possibly somewhere with Girl with Intestines.

These are the cast of ghouls and goblins that haunt Thai dreams. That keep my co-workers from allowing me to stay in the office alone and make the smell of noodles in a classroom very suspicious. Keep a look out for Boy with Basket Arms, (or are they woven trays?), hold on to your liver and make sure to never talk back to your parents or you too will spend eternity eating rice one grain at a time.