It was 6:40 AM when Albert called. He said the worst five words you could possibly ever hear, and the second worst phrase after “we need to talk.” “It’s time to get up.” Of course, naturally I attempt a nod, say thanks, hang up, and press for another 5 minutes. After a long string of groans, feelings of denial, and convincing myself there’ll be amazing thai food waiting for me downstairs in the lobby, I finally get up.
Next task: morning exercises. All 30 of us snaked our way around the corners and through the streets of Udon. It had the kind of morning fresh air that makes you feel guilty for not leaping out of bed earlier (or in my case drag). Spend the time contemplating the surroundings, Trent said, as we were walking to a nearby park. It was quite an ironic request- think deeply and intuitively, but pay attention to the distracting surroundings. My moments of solitude were puntuated by the buzzing sounds of motorcycle engines, the honking and hollaring,the occasional bark or chirp. Oddly, the sounds eventually became mellifluous- like a synchronized industrial orchestra. It certainly was a signature piece; this was the sound of Udon Thani.
At the park, we encountered a group of middle-aged wellness instructors. Despite our attempts at out-doing them in morning stretches, they clearly were the more flexible, energetic, and most importantly awake. We redeemed ourselves in round two however when we were creating the group dance. Body wave moments, thunderous hand clapping, and modified issan dance… they didn’t have a single thing on us.
We returned our sweaty, sleepy, zombie like bodies back to the hotels for an energizing shower and a filling breakfast. Now, it was time to be serious. Sleepiness aside, it was time to pleat out the wrinkles in our activity designs and come up with interview/evaluation questions. Overall, that went well- really well. In a blink of an eye we were speeding down the roads to the schools. Hair flowing freely in the wind. Bright sun looming over our heads. It was the kind of summer day you could only dream about- except about a million degrees hotter and a thousand times more humid.
After our introductions and the warm up games at the schools, we busied ourselves with finding the classrooms. Throughout the school you could hear the “oohs, and ahhs” and the roaring laughter; and of course, the sound of camera flashes. Students snapped shots with some of our project mentors. It was a cute site watching the girls with the signature peace signs and wide grins.
After an exhausting 2 hours of teaching, we wrapped up and just as quickly shipped ourselves back to the hotel. Pew (project mentor) noticed a roti stand on the way back and kindly announced she was going. Like a trail of ducks following mama duck, about 15 of us bobbed our ways there. The middle-aged husband and wife super roti-maker duo welcomed us to plain roti, roti with egg, roti with banana, and my favorite, roti with banana, egg, and jam of your choice. Oh the endless possibilities!
Dinner followed in no time. We took a decent drive to one of the restaurants in town for local cuisine. I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never had such an amazing combination of spices. From the sausages to the papaya salad, from the grilled chicken to seasoned eggs, it was one taste explosion after another.
After dinner, we decided to go shopping. At the tha-lart nut (market), I had my heart broken and mended all within a period of five minutes. In a poorly light corner of the market floor, an elderly woman around 70 years old sat knitting an “ugly doll.” She had a handful of other hand-made keychains on top of her water cooler or her make-shift station. It certainly was a humbling experience to watch her, spinning the yarn, ignoring the busy ness of the stations around her, and finishing up the keychains to sell for a very little profit.
The universe must have wanted to console me. In a twist of fate, I walked over to the next street and past a cage of poodle puppies. The breeder, noticing me doing the usual “awww” and kissy faces, lifted one up and tucked it into the bowl of my hands. It was the cutest thing I laid my eyes on in all Udon! For about two seconds I entertained the idea of bringing him home, but sadly that was no such possibility.
The market had so many surprises in every corner. From the hour shopping I learned two very important things: 1. never go into the market without a thai person. 2. trying to bargain things for 10 baht does not work (ever).
Relaxing with my newly found friends, window shopping the delicious thai treats, and getting lost was a great experience. It was the perfect wrap up to such a long tiring day.
- Rosalyn
