This past Friday I met up with my friends Ian and Ryan, two teachers from Phuket, and we hit Bangkok hard. It was their first night in town.
I ended up drinking too much and almost missed my first of three three-hour classes, but I made it on time with one minute to spare.
The rest of the day was an uphill struggle against time and my dehydrated brain.
That was until my last class when a group of my oldest students (30s) invited me to a ceremony after class, honoring the incoming freshmen into the law program here.
Of all the things I’ve done in Thailand, this was one of the most spectacular, almost solely because of the company and the interaction with their culture. Afterwards, we were all treated to an insanely fun and delicious banquet.
In this picture, we’re all holding part of a white string that’s passed around and held as a gesture of connection and solidarity.

The Buddhist culture here places much importance on group unity and group happiness, which really contributes to the overall well-being of Thais in general, I suspect. Ceremonies and gatherings always place focus on the group and making sure the group is satisfied and happy, and if a member isn’t, the rest of the group intervenes to take care of it. It’s warming and is missed in America.
Here, a monk presided next to an ornate religious bouquet, and was the focus of the proceedings. Behind him, an emcee led a long Buddhist chant. At this point I felt rather exposed and vulnerable in my otherness, but still happy and overwhelmingly honored to be a part of this experience.

Back in Bangkok, Ryan and Ian were getting their plans ready for the night, but I was happy to be there, experiencing the amazing ceremony.
After the ceremony, lockes of white string that are barely seen drapped over different branches of the bouquet were given to the teachers and administrators, including myself. At this point, students walked around and chose teachers and administrators to have bracelets tied, as a show of appreciation.

During this part of the ceremony the student kneels before the teacher and holds out his or her wrist. The teacher then takes one of the strings, which has a small knot tied in the middle, and gently rolls the knot along the arm of the student three times, one each for health, success and good luck, and then ties the bracelet. They’re worn until they fall off and I still have my one bracelet a teacher tied to my right wrist. Again, it’s an honor for me and I wear it proudly.
After the bracelet is tied, the student deeply weis the teacher, who responds with a wei.

From there we walked over to the banquet section and took our seats.

I was invited to sit with my English 3 students and before long, the food came out. I was baffled by the quality and size of the fresh fish and noodles brought out. This had to be a two or three pound fish, fried whole and swaddled in a stir-fried aromatic mixture of garlic, chilies, cilantro, lime juice, lime pulp, mint and bean sprouts.

We also had a whole steamed fish that recieved a similar treatment.

After dinner, one of my students gestured over and showed me a full bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label he’d been hiding in his back pack, and I could tell by his probing expression that he was more looking for recognition that I knew my whiskey and understood how luxurious this display was. It was rather amusing and when he asked me if I wanted some, it was all I could do to contain my excitement by casually accepting the small amount he poured over the ice in my glass.
Not to be out done, another student across the table produced a bottle of Hennessey V.S.O.P. and before long, everyone was enjoying some fine brown liquor with their Pepsi.

During the meal, I was struck with one of those now familiar and awe-inspiring moments where I grasped everything around me in the context of where I am and what I’m doing, but I just can’t believe it. It’s a moment where nothing makes sense and everything makes sense.
Am I really here? Is this really happening? Of course it is! Look around, that which you’ve been fantasizing about for almost two years is happening right in front of your eyes!
It’s always dramatic and profound, and I love it. When the feeling strikes, It lets me know I haven’t taken any of this for granted.
The karaoke machine cranked up and nearly everyone there had a crack at it. I’ve developed a confidence for public speaking and crowds don’t bother me, but the thought of singing in public produces mind-boggling anxiety and I just couldn’t accept the offer to get up on stage, and to this day I regret it and feel somehow like I let down my hosts and students, but I won’t disappoint again.
Before long, when the crowd had dissapated substantially, I said goodbye, gave a deep wei around the table and left in a taxi back home.
The next day we left for Kanchanaburi.



