Pomp & Irony: Evaluation Process for a School Director's Promotion

This past Wednesday was one of the most unexpectedly hilarious (horrifying) days of my time in Thailand. First, my host teacher was half an hour late picking me up in the morning. All I had been told the night before was to “wear a pretty dress the next day.” When she finally showed up she was driving a huge hilarious old school van. The two of us drove to a nearby hotel to pick up 6 government officials who were to come to school with us to evaluate our school director, Mr. Ken, to see if he qualified for a promotion that would grant him a substantial pay raise.

For the past week, students had come to school, but there was no teaching. Instead, every teacher gathered in the only air-conditioned meeting room- each with his or her own laptop and printer, working very hard. I, on the other hand, am never informed of anything that happens at school and had no idea why my students weren’t showing up to class. I spent last week wandering around school haha. On Wednesday it all made sense: There had been no teaching for the past week because Mr. Ken was up for a promotion that, if awarded, would give him an extra 20,000 Baht/ month (This is more than my monthly salary, to give you a reference point). Every teacher was required to stop teaching in order to help Mr. Ken have all of the necessary booklets and pamphlets of information for Evaluation Day. (Unfortunately for the students and teachers whose first priority is teaching, this is a normal practice in Thailand).

Just wait…

As soon as our van showed up at school, Mr. Ken greeted them at our school gate (he never greets students there on a daily basis) along with every other teacher. All of the teachers, both men and women, were in very formal matching purple suits. The teachers hurried up to our van to wai the officials and to greet them. They had made beautiful flower arrangements called “pan” to offer the officials, and every official received a gorgeous rose boutonniere!!! No offense to my high school prom date, but these were way nice, and way unnecessary in order to conduct an evaluation.

Then, as one large group, all of the government officials and the teachers walked to our school’s library. It was absolutely silent and everyone’s footsteps were aligned. Students were taking pictures on their phones. I honestly felt like I was walking with the president.  

Once inside, the library had been completely (beautifully) transformed. Crafts that students create every morning were on display, beautiful student work from every subject was on display, every school trophy had been brought over and big ribbons were carefully tied to each one, photos of Mr. Ken shaking hands with important people were on display, as well as absolutely ridiculous stacks upon stacks of booklets and pamphlets “showing” all of the work that Mr. Ken and his school had accomplished (which I know other teachers created and printed out over the past week). However, the funniest thing to me in the whole room was that there was a table, and then a wall, of probably 150 “certificates.” For anyone who’s ever lived in Thailand, you and I both know that certificates in Thailand can often mean absolutely nothing. I have about 15 just from helping at English Camps, etc. Thais love to hand out official looking certificates for just about everything. The number of certificates on display was laughable.

A speech or two was made, the standard coffee and extra fine cake were served, and everyone watched a video of Mr. Ken.  When the video was over, about 10 student musicians, dressed in traditional Thai/ Isaan attire took to the stage and performed music. Then 4 of my beautifully dressed 9^th grade student girls came in and started dancing a traditional Thai-style dance!!! The girls looked absolutely stunning and they danced so well to the music created by the boy students behind them. I could not believe that a government evaluation called for an actual show. I kept thinking to myself, What does this have to do with making a fair, effective evaluation again?!

As if it wasn’t bad enough that students had missed a week of school and teachers had missed a week of teaching for this, when the actual “evaluation” started all of the teachers stayed for the day! The teachers helped scurry around handing the officials certain booklets, certificates, even photographs of Mr. Ken (hilarious). What can a photograph of him shaking someone’s hand really matter in terms of how deserving he is of a promotion?! To my amusement and horror, the officials actually looked at many of these items (very briefly) and then quickly jotted down some notes. The whole process seemed absurdly superficial to me. I couldn’t understand how no one seemed to feel that way but me!!! If a school director really led the “best” school, then I think that the teachers should be spending their time teaching and not giving up yet another day to help one man earn an extra 20,000 Baht/ month. I asked some of the teachers why they cared so much (I wanted to know if they received anything too). They said that they “love Mr. Ken, so they wanted to help him.” That’s sweet and all and I really like Mr. Ken too, but aren’t students supposed to come first?

I know I’m not in America and things are done differently so I shouldn’t judge, but how many Thais does it take to complete a superficial promotional evaluation for one man? The answer is 47. 

Lunchtime: Our air conditioned meeting room was turned into a hi-so dining area. There were white table cloths, soft music playing, a slideshow of the school and teachers on the projector, and many different fancy food dishes. It felt like the times I’ve been to a Thai wedding. Wine and dine much? Did the cost of this lunch come out of the school budget? I know this isn’t rush week at a sorority, but if it was it would definitely be considered “dirty rushing.”

At the end of the day, each official evaluator received a gift wrapped gift served (literally) off of a golden platter (I have a picture of this below).

Wednesday's Evaluation Day felt like, and was at times, an actual performance. I could be missing something, and I probably am, but to me the day seemed so incredibly on-the-surface superficial. Thais are all about their pomp. The irony of the whole thing to me, is that the promotion was for having an excellent, productive school,  yet students weren’t taught for a full week. Check out my pics from the day below! 

School teachers greet the government official "evaluators"

with flower arrangements and boutonnieres.

The van that P'Nuan drove

(Such a big van for such a small girl)

What it looked like the morning she picked me up hahaha

The entrance to the library- where Evaluation Day took place.

Trophies with ribbons tied on them.

Stacks upon stacks upon stacks of booklets.

(There's absolutely no way the evaluators could read 

all of this...quite a display though! The more booklets

there are the more work the school principal has done, right?)

"Oh you know, just a few certificates I have in my office."

In case you didn't believe me on the first table.

Photographs where I look legit!

I don't even know how you turn worksheets into cool

3D paper sculptures like that...so cool though!

A straight-on shot of more booklets.

(So ridiculous to me)

One of the teachers, P'Annie, bows down in traditional Thai 

fashion when she serves the evaluators their coffee and snacks.

Beautifully displayed student work. I don't know why the

hats are hanging on the walls, but they do look very nice.

Student musicians perform for the evaluators. 

...Followed by student dancers

The two groups performed together.

Teachers enjoying the show.

The boy playing the guitar on the left is great.

I wish that I could Thai dance like this!

P'Nuan introduces her brother, our wonderful 

school director, Mr. Ken.

Me with Mahh Sandra! (Love this woman)

P'Noon and me!!!

Watching a clip of Mr. Ken on Thai Teacher TV

with my friend Pai!

So Thai: The comfy leather couches for important

people, and the plastic school trays that every school

owns and serves coffee, water, and small snacks to guests.

This person made the mistake of leaving their tray outside.

The Disney movie "Antz" ensued. 

This man was very nice and wanted to "practice his English"

with me. The teachers at my school forced me to give him

my email address. (It's not done like that in America.)

Teachers stand by to assist while evaluators flip through booklets.

Me with some of the best teachers :)

Taking a hard look at this certificate.

Teachers scramble to find certain booklets in their 

impressive, yet in my opinion overly showy, piles of papers.

A lot of trees died last week.

The evaluators (not in purple) take notes.

Meanwhile, students had a camp-like assembly

where they sang songs and watched performances.

Fun times

This boy singing had such a nice voice! And the 

little boys peering up at him...adorable.

Two hours later I returned back to the library with the

evaluators. Same thing was happening, but now there 

was orange juice, crackers, and grapes.

P'Noon is so cute!!!

Official business.

The photograph didn't really capture this, but the evaluators

had just put down a glass certificate (you can see it!) after

looking at it, feeling it, and tapping it for about 3 minutes.

Well that's a nice photograph

Lunch time!

I have never seen our meeting room like this...

A lovely Thai fruit bowl :)

Like a wedding!

At the end of the day, each evaluator received a 

wrapped gift, served from a golden platter.

Monks of Thailand

Throughout the year I have been completely intrigued with monks. It's inexplicable, but I think that it has to do with the fact that monks are a constant reminder that I am far far away from America. I also associate a "peacefulness," "truthfulness," and a "gentleness" with monks, whether this is always true is irrelevant (at the end of the day, people are people). I've gone through my photos from this year and compiled some of my favorite monk shots.

A little bit about Theravada Buddhist Monks before you browse (*all of this information is information I have picked up throughout the year from speaking with Thais throughout the country and even (drumroll) monks! With that being said, there may be situations where the below "rules" can be compromised. Please keep in mind that I am not an expert!)

- Monks are to remain celibate and are not supposed to even touch a woman in passing by, etc. In my experience, when a monk has ridden on a bus, train, or even an airplane I've been on (always an interesting sight seeing monks with their boarding passes at the airport), women move out of their way, and the monk usually sits in the most distant area.

- Monks are not supposed to smoke or drink alcohol (On several occasions I have seen monks smoking cigarettes before).

- Monks are not supposed to handle money of any form. However, I have seen monks handle money on several occasions. (Don't ask me how they purchase those boarding passes...maybe someone else does the money transaction? Or maybe they fly free on some airlines?)

- Monks only eat 1 to 2 times per day (breakfast and lunch). Many monks only eat breakfast. Due to the fact that they are not to handle money, they roam the streets in the wee hours of the morning accepting food handouts from regular people. If you are Buddhist, it is considered "making merit" or tombun to feed the monks in the morning. As a woman, when I have woken up early (on only a few occasions!) to feed the monks, the monks have extended a blanket on the ground, which I then place the food on, and they then pick up. (Monks are not supposed to touch women- even exchanging items from hand to hand is risky).

- Monks are not to use cell phones or other electronic devices. (Again, I have seen more than several monks chatting on cell phones...it's definitely an interesting juxtaposition that makes you look twice!)

- Traditionally, monks are not supposed to wear shoes because they are supposed to be as "one" and close to the Earth as possible. However, most monks that I've observed where light flip flops. (If you've ever been to Bangkok, you understand that this is reasonable!)

- I have not yet heard any answers on why monks' robes are colored orange, or if the different shades of orange are significant. (Yes, I would like to know if there is meaning behind this!)

Fascinatingly (to me), while monks are not supposed to have anything to do with money, they are a common fixture on marketing billboards and advertisements. Monks symbolize goodness, truthfulness and honesty, and I think therefore appeal to many Buddhist Thais.  If a monk is on a billboard "endorsing" a certain product, it must be good, right? There are some smart marketers out there, eh? :)

Monks get hot from the sun, too.

Surin, Thailand

Who doesn't enjoy snapping pics with elephants?

Taking a walk

Resting under a shady tree.

Monks' home

A monk buying a lottery ticket.

(Traditionally, monks are not supposed to handle money of any sort)

Monks looking at flowers in a Chiang Mai market.

Monks getting in line to ride the ferris wheel at

the "Royal Flora" exhibit in Chiang Mai.

Monks exploring Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

(I know that this is not Thailand, but this shot is too beautiful to not include)

Monks exploring Angkor Wat yelling "Hello!" to my sister and me.

Monks taking photos with their families near the famous 

overgrown doorway at Wat Prohm, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

(Emily being creepy and taking a photo of the monks taking a photo)

Monks checking out herbs, pine cones, dried tukays, and 

other mystical artifacts for sale at the Indochine Market.

Mukdahan, Thailand

Young novice monks swimming in the pools of 

Sam Pan Bok National Park, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. 

Many of the novices couldn't swim and wore lifejackets. The neon color

of the orange life jackets blended in with their robes, creating a beautiful image.

A monk riding on the back of a motorcycle.

I've lived in Thailand over 11 months now, and this sight still makes me smile.

Monks riding in a tuk tuk

Monks strolling the streets for their hand-out breakfasts

 around 6am in Mahasarakam, Thailand.

So bummed that this came out blurry-

a monk was exiting a wat with beautiful white lotus flowers.

Walking up the stairs of a wat.

Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

A young monk sweeping a wat- a form of 

making merit, at a wat in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Young novice monks strolling Bangkok's famed Chatuchak market.

(Notice they are not wearing shoes)

A "Please Give Your Seat To Monks" sign on Bangkok's BTS.

English Camp in Uttaradit

On Friday evening I took a TWELVE hour overnight bus to the Northern province of Uttaradit, Thailand. I had never been to Uttaradit (so was anxious to check it out!) and I knew that eight other Fulbrights were going for the weekend, too. One of the Fulbrights who lives in Uttaradit, Eugene, had an English Camp that weekend for his school that he was coordinating. I was very happy to find out that Gracie was on my bus, too! I was also happily seated in the upper deck, first row overlooking (everything), and the Thai woman who was sitting next to me reminded me of my Mom. She was so sweet and immediately smiled at me and asked me "bai nai?" (where are you traveling to?) I told her, and then asked her back. She told me a bit about her family, and asked me if I wanted more or less air being blown at me. It was lovely. When she got off at her final destination of Khon Kaen, a really dirty man who reeked of smoke sat down next to me. While I was resting he kept trying to nudge his leg against mine. Creepy pervy man! Bring back the sweet lady!

At the bus terminal, one of Eugene's teachers picked us up and brought us to his house for the next hour before we had to go to school. He had a bed in his house that was made for us, but when Gracie and I laid down on it we realized that we were lying on pillow upon pillow wrapped in plastic bags. Everything was covered in plastic, and you couldn't move without making a "crunching" noise. Hilarious. Oh, Thailand adventures!

Once at school, all of the Fulbrights helped out as sort of "counselors" at English Camp. English Camp was a weekend long activity for all of the school's 7th graders (can you imagine going to school on the weekend?!) The weekend consisted of English songs, scavenger hunts, games, and activities. It also included all of the durian (King of fruit), mangosteen (Queen of fruit), and long-gone fruit that you could possibly want, as well as sugary Thai drinks. I really enjoyed seeing the line of teddy bears that were the prizes at the end of the camp, as well as watching students run from Fulbright "counselor" to Fulbright "counselor" during the scavenger hunt, where we each had them spell out a different English word or spell words with their bodies. At night, I spent the evening with Kelly, Gracie, and Jane SLEEPING IN THE SCHOOL! The school had laid out 8 beds, all in a row Madeline-bed style (we won't talk about the fact that they used to be part of an infirmary), and there were tons of water bottles and snacks for us. It was so exciting to be sleeping in a school, Madeline-bed style (check out the pics!) with my friends. We had some heated politics debates before dosing off into a wonderful sleep!

In the evening, the school teachers took us to one of the most spectacular (new) sights that I've seen throughout my entire year here: a Buddha within a Buddha! I took about a thousand pictures because that's sometimes my response to when I encounter something so breathtaking. The story behind it makes it even more marvelous:

Two months ago, a wat worker was cleaning this Buddha when a piece of stone chipped away, revealing a Buddha concealed within a Buddha. It turns out that when Burma invaded Thailand over 200 years ago, Thais built this larger, less expensive Buddha in fear that the Burmese would steal or destroy it. 200 years later, the original Buddha is discovered.

How incredible is that! Just wait until you check out these pictures...

Buddha within a Buddha

Absolutely Magnificent!!!

Taking pictures with fellow Fulbright friends

Side angle...Wow

In this shot, the original Buddha looks dark

Here, the original Buddha is glimmering!

Closeup

The stones in the front here were the pieces of rock

that chipped away when a wat worker was cleaning,

revealing a Buddha within a Buddha.

Can you imagine discovering that?!

Fulbrights in Uttaradit!

From left: Katie, Eugene, Gracie, Jane, Me, Kelly, Rachel, Craig, James

I love this shot too...a glimpse inside the wat

from outside the temple entrance. Wow!!!

Our Madeline-bed style school sleeping arrangements!

Happiness and Coziness, a good combo.

Eeee!

James and Craig doing their hilarious team cheer

Me leading my team, "The Bombs" team cheer

(For those cheesy lovers out there, we slowly crouched 

down while whispering "tick tick tick" and then exploded 

by jumping up and yelling "KABOOM!")

Best time ever...explaining (drumroll..) 

THE BANANA SONG!

Pick bananas, pick pick bananas!

Peel bananas, peel peel bananas!

Eat bananas, eat eat bananas!

GO BANANAS! GO GO BANANAS!

Bananas Unite, Bananas Split!!!

Rachel and Eugene were hysterical as a team.

In case you can't read the sign:

"English is really hot! And super cool!" 

Also, my photo is on the poster behind my hand...I 

blend into a strange man's pants. WHY ME?!

Typical Thai school: Locked out of our classroom, 

so we played "telephone" in the hall. Moral of the story

"the turtle walks slowly" was way to hard for "telephone."

The Thai version of a corndog

So Thai- these napkins were daintily folded into triangles.

I have no idea what this activity was, but students were loving it!

Eugene, James, and Craig doing a dance!

At the bus station on the way back to Isaan.

I can't even take James seriously: stuffed animal keychains, Ukulele, 

and the basket his Thai host Mom always has him travel with...

All of the Fulbright attendees received 

unusually awesome thank you gifts: 

Formaldehyde jars of baby durians!

(Now that'll be a conversation starter at my apt. in NYC!)

As of today, officially less than one month left of teaching in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Time to  (continue!) to soak up every minute of magic!!!