Kanchanaburi

In the last few days of orientation we headed out into the country to the province of Kanchanaburi.  The hotel we stayed at was incredibly beautiful… balconies looking out onto groves of palm trees, a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) fishing in the pond, and a wide lawn meandering down to the River Kwai Yai.  The naturalist in me suddenly sprang to full attention, awakened from the relative slumber of being in Bangkok, one of the largest cities in the world. 

A Great Mormon butterfly floated past me, its large wings beating intermittently.  I think it’s the largest member of the Order Lepidoptera I’ve ever seen!  

Papilio memnon - a relative of the swallowtail

Besides my pocket-sized Thai phrasebook, the book I’ve used the most is my Birds of Thailand field guide, given to me as a going-away gift by my boss at the Norman Bird Sanctuary.  On the plane I was flipping through it and stopped on a page that caught my eye.  There was an illustration of a great black bird with long tendrils extending from the tail, ending in little tufts of feather.  It reminded me of that bird in Planet Earth that does the funky mating dance.  A Greater Racket-tailed Drongo.  I thought to myself “I would love to see that bird!”.  Sure enough, my lovely roommate Casey and I were strolling along a raised walkway in Kanchanaburi and I saw it.  The black bird with the long, expressive tail.  I lost my shit.  I ran back to the room, nearly face-planting, to get my camera.  Thankfully it chilled in the tree long enough for me to get a few shots.  

Dicrurus paradiseus

Our excursion also included a lesson in history when we visited the Bridge Over the River Kwai.  World War II history buffs will know the tragic significance of this place.  Long expanses of the railroad that runs through Thailand (Siam at the time) to Myanmar (Burma at the time) was built by the forced labor of Allied POW’s.  In 1942 the Imperial Japanese Army forced British, Australian, Dutch, and American POW’s along with Asian civilians to work on the railroad in extremely harsh conditions.  As a result, about 12,399 POW’s (including 356 Americans) died.  It was a somber experience to see not only part of that railroad, but to also see the cemetery in the nearby town where many POW’s were buried.  When I saw the cemetery out the bus window, it seemed a strange sight—and I realized I hadn’t seen a single one since I arrived in Thailand.  I learned later all Buddhists are cremated, hence no cemeteries.  This is in stark contrast to spending the last year of my life in Rhode Island, where there are historical cemeteries everywhere, even behind the parking lot of a strip mall (head behind the Christmas Tree Shop in Middletown and you’ll find it).   

Here’s a time-lapse taken while walking over the bridge:

A few more photos from Kanchanaburi:

A Grand Palace indeed!

Fast forward a bit.  Orientation for my program took place in Bangkok for the first week.  During that time I learned more about Thai culture, language, and what to expect once I reached my school (which was basically 'expect the unexpected'-- and later I will get to just how crucial that motto has become).  I was with many other Westerners (about 95% Americans) who were in the same boat as me.  While I did meet some genuinely great people, I must admit I was anxious to strike out on my own and get away from the 'ugly American' stereotype some of my fellow 'teachers' seemed to exhibit.  The staff from my program, however, were very helpful (both Thai and otherwise).  

One of my favorite excursions of the week was to the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  It's some of the most magnificent architecture I've ever seen.  The facade of the buildings is composed of tiny mosaic mirrors--thousands upon thousands of them.  

Fun with the fish-eye lens!

Close-up of the mirror mosaic...

... And the overall effect.

The virual effect this imparts to the building is nothing short of magical.  I can't imagine the countless hours that went into creating this masterpiece,  and now how many hours go into maintenance to keep it looking as sharp as it did when it was built in 1782.  To enter the main temple I removed my shoes and quietly filed in.  When praying to an image of the Buddha, it's proper form to 'wai' (bow your head with your palms together) with your thumbs at your forehead (the third and highest form of the wai), then bring your hands down to the floor where you are kneeling.  Repeat three times.

I learned that there's more than just Thai culture represented here.  Some buildings are made of porcelain from China, not the mirrors that cover other buildings.  I learned from Peter, our guide, that when ships from China came to trade in Bangkok, they needed to bring goods from China to properly weigh down their boats.  Some of these ceramic goods inevitably broke in transit, but yet were put to good use decorating these buildings.

One of the Chinese-style buildings

Peter, our wonderful guide

English influence can also been seen in the design of some buildings

Within the grounds of the Grand Palace there is also the Queen Sirikit Textile Museum.  Of course, I absolutely loved this.  I wish I would have been able to take pictures inside to show you, but sadly it wasn't allowed.  The inside featured display after display of the Queen's outfits worn at various state events and international visits.  The patterns and colors of the textiles can only be described as rich.  Rich in every sense of the word.  There was a really cool animation of how a simple rectangle of silk is folded and turned into a chong kraben, a sabai, or a sampot.  I think I watched it three times through!  There were also exhibits about the social projects the Queen has taken on, as well as a cool video of how silk is made from the cocoons of the silkworm.  

Interior of the entry hall

A guard stands at attention

Cheers from Bangkok!

Greeted by a Familiar Face

After nearly 24 hours of traveling and multiple layovers, it made all the difference in the world to see a familiar face at the Suvarnabhumi Airport.  That face belongs to my dear friend Nam.  I met her when I was a junior in high school, and she was an exchange student.  I remember one November day we were sitting in math class and it began snowing.  Gazing out the window, Nam's eyes got about as big as saucers.  She excitedly asked if we could go outside for a minute because she had never seen snow before.  Our teacher obliged, and she went twirling around the school courtyard.  It's one of my favorite memories of our time in the states together.  And now I'm looking forward to having more adventures with her!

My fancy-looking visa

     That first day, Nam and her mom drove me to their house in the humid Bangkok air.  Her mum is so kind!  She was especially kind to brave the Bangkok traffic to come get me; they might as well not paint on lane lines-- people don't follow them anyway!  Once we arrived safely at the family house, we went to the morning market just down the street.  New sights and sounds greeted me at every turn.  We picked up some fresh papaya (malago), pork (mu), and sticky rice with mango (khao niaw ma-muang).  It was so fun to, in some ways, complete the circle of cultural exchange between Nam and myself that we began eight years ago.  Of course there is lots more to learn and explore!

Nam perusing the market

Dinner out and a trip to the night market with Nam and her boyfriend, Ben