July 2017 – Page 6 – SLA Profiles (2017)

Anna Fett Blog 3: “Trump Make Israel Great”?

American-backed lobbyist organization’s sign hung around the streets of Jerusalem for President Trump’s visit in May 2017

“Trump Make Israel Great”–This Trump-style slogan has made its way across the ocean to street signs paying homage to the new American president’s first visit to Jerusalem–albeit in slightly altered form from the U.S. version:”Make America Great Again”. Although Trump’s visit was in May, I still find the signs (paid for by a right-wing American-established evangelical organization) taped to lamp posts around the city; some signs now don ‘colorful’ graffiti altering the sign in more or less humorous or grotesque manners.

The hullabaloo surrounding whether the U.S. embassy would be moved to Jerusalem has subsided from general conversation since Trump signed a waiver in early June to delay any decision on moving it from Tel Aviv. However, there is still much speculation on whether the Trump administration is ‘pro-Israeli’ or not (and what that even means) and whether this administration has the potential to forge progress towards a two-state solution–despite Trump’s ambiguous comment back in February in a joint press briefing in Washington D.C. with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would be “looking at two-state and one-state and [he likes] the one that both parties like.”

I have made an effort here to gauge both Israeli and Palestinian attitudes towards the Trump administration in comparison with past American administrations. I had the opportunity to attend a lecture last week in which both the ‘mainstream’ Israeli and Palestinian narratives were presented, respectively, by an Israeli rabbi and settler who works for the Israel Political Advocacy lobbyist group (which, according to him, seeks to target the U.S. Congress and White House) and a top translator, from Arabic into Hebrew, for the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. (Of course, two speakers cannot encapsulate the Israeli and Palestinian ‘sides’ of the story; understanding what Israelis and Palestinians ‘think’ requires listening to as many perspectives as possible, and there are many more than two mainstream opinions varying by age, gender, socioeconomic status, religious and ethnic background, and rural or urban environment, etc.)

In the Q&A, both speakers were asked to reflect on the role of international actors, especially the United States, in potentially resolving the conflict. Both agreed that international efforts must be serious and impartial, but they disagreed over the impact of past American administrations.

The Palestinian debater argued that too much onus has been put on Palestinians to acquiesce to unfair concessions in an effort to “prove” that they are committed to the peace process. Whereas, he argued, there has been no serious pressure on Israel with the exception of the George H.W. Bush administration, pointing to Secretary of State James Baker who, according to the Palestinian speaker, did put “real pressure” on Israel during the Gulf War. The Palestinian debater was willing, and believes the Palestinian Authority, the main Palestinian governmental body of the West Bank, is willing to work with the Trump administration towards a two-state peace solution.

In comparison, a Palestinian Christian friend of mine from Jerusalem dissected the 2016 American election results in the following way: Hillary Clinton would have been “terrible” for the Palestinians because she was willing to agree to “anything” to get the support of the American Israeli lobby. On the other hand, Trump is also “greedy” and wants to accumulate personal wealth including “troubling dealings with Saudi Arabia”; however, according to my friend, Trump is less predictable than Clinton and thus could, potentially, bring refreshing change to re-jumpstart the peace process. In general, the Palestinians I have had contact with seem disillusioned with former President Obama–who “cared a lot but could not accomplish a lot”–and are now, to greater and lesser extents, hopeful that Trump can get the peace process going again.

A visual map of the complexity of achieving a two state-solution, just in and around Jerusalem. While Israel controls all of Jerusalem today, Palestinians argue that East Jerusalem should be part of the Palestinian state according to the 1967 borders. This map shows West and East Jerusalem. The different colored areas in East Jerusalem show Areas A, B, and C representing different levels of Palestinian and Israeli civilian and military control in different portions of the West Bank around the city. This map was hanging in one of my hotel rooms. [2011 UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]

This point about Obama is interesting given the ‘mainstream’ Israeli interpretation of the impact of Obama’s administration. The Israeli settler, during the debate, argued that the Obama administration has put the most pressure on Israel to date than any president before him, including, the Israeli argued, some pressure on Israel by the George W. Bush administration. The Israel noted that Obama forced Israel into a 10 month settlement building moratorium and that, for the first time in December 2016, the U.S. abstained in a vote, thereby not blocking a United Nations Resolution declaring Israeli settlements illegal. While he did not reflect at length on the new Trump administration, it was clear that he was glad for the Obama administration at least to be over.

Both the Israeli and Palestinian representatives in the debate were disappointed with the Obama administration for different reasons and interested to see what the Trump administration can bring to the mediating ‘table’ for different reasons. What is clear is that just as the American Trump slogan does not translate seamlessly onto posters here in the streets of Jerusalem, nor do American politics with our divisions between Democrats and Republicans translate easily onto Israeli and Palestinian interpretations of American presidents and their foreign policies in this region.

Cologne Part 1: My Home in Germany

Now that I have been in Cologne for a couple of weeks, I wanted to reflect on one of my favorite aspects of my experience so far: my “home” in Cologne. Though my educational experience is centered in the classroom, home life has been important to both my learning of the German language and my engagement in the local culture.

The Rhine River runs right through the middle of Cologne, North to South, and divides the city into two halves: the “Rechte Seite des Rheins” and the “Linke Seite des Rheins.” Though it’s all one city, some residents like to argue that there’s a slightly different feel to each side, and there’s a friendly sort of rivalry between the two halves of the city.

For the first two weeks in Cologne, I stayed with a host family on the right side of the Rhine. They were great in so many ways! We had breakfast and dinner together every day, and not only was my host dad’s home cooking delicious and authentically German, but our mealtime conversations were informative, entertaining, and auf Deutsch, natürlich! This extra, constant immersion in the language has improved my conversation abilities and confidence. I also learned about the history of Cologne through their eyes, and got tips on cool places and events to check out in the city.

One such event was Dünnwalder Frühling, or “Dünnwald Spring,” a street festival-like event just a few blocks from the house! The event was attended by the surrounding neighborhoods and included a live band, games for kids, food, and tents featuring local businesses. I went with my family for the afternoon and enjoyed the taste of local culture!

For the past few days, I have been living on the left side of the Rhine in a different house. This time, I’m renting a room on the second floor, with three other students living on the floor as well, from Mongolia, Armenia, and Germany. It’s a new and unique experience to be able to interact with young people of different backgrounds beyond just Germans. Though we all speak different languages, we primarily communicate in German, again providing constant opportunity to improve even outside of the classroom.

The owner of the house and his brother, both native Kölners, are both extremely hospitable and interact with me on a regular basis as well. After moving in here over the weekend, Klaus invited me to go to an open-air museum with his wife and some friends for the day. The museum was acres large and depicted life as it would have been here centuries ago, complete with real farm animals (that’s a goat with me!) and oven-baked bread from freshly horse-mill grinded wheat! Moreover, it was great to spend the entire day communicating in German and getting to know Klaus and his friends. It’s an experience I won’t forget.

July 14th – Han River Cruise

This week, we went to on a cruise on the Han River, one of the most prominent rivers in Korea that serves as a major water source for over 12 million people. It was beautiful because it was in the evening and the view of the city was nice from the water. When I was very very young, I remember flying kites around the Han River with my dad. I hadn’t been there since I was 4 or 5 years old, so it brought back great memories of my childhood. The cruise definitely exceeded my expectations because not only was the view fantastic but the food was also amazing.

What I Like (And Not So Like) About the Japanese Language

Princeton in Ishikawa (PII) is the language program I study at. We convene every morning of weekdays for three hours and cover two years’ Notre Dame Japanese class in the two months. That is to say, this is a pretty intense and challenging program.

Yet I am grateful because this program expands the limit of my Japanese learning pace and I for sure see my improvements on a daily basis. It also has many quick-minded Japanese learners from the best universities in the U.S. Among the 44 students this year, 14 are from Princeton, 7 from Yale, 7 from Harvard, and one or two from a number of other prominent schools.

Besides practicing Japanese with these talented friends (we have to follow a strict “Japanese only” rule), I also share thoughts on the Japanese language in general – what we like about it, and what not so much. Presented below are some of the (temporal and superficial) thoughts based on our limited understanding of Japanese.

One of the most distinct characteristics of Japanese is having three sets of writing systems. While English has alphabetical vocabularies only, Japanese has kanji (Chinese characters), Hiragana and Katakana (for words of English origins). The combination of the three, in my opinion, speeds up the reading pace and makes the language more efficient. While kanjis, mostly made up of nouns, adjs and verbs, straightforwardly provide concrete information, hiragana logically connects such information. Katakana, on the other hand, gives out information of nouns with a western origin. After reaching a certain level of proficiency, just by scanning through the texts, one can easily tell its general idea without failing to grasp its logical flows.

However, Japanese grammar, especially verb conjugations, is more complicated than English and Chinese. In English and Chinese, if we want to make a command using “must,” we simply add the word”must” in between the subject and verb in a sentence. However, in Japanese, we need to change the form of the last letter of the verb into the one with the same consonant sound but the first vowel sound and then add “なければならない.” Conjugations as such trouble me, because they are like math functions where you have to follow steps 1, 2, 3 to express whatever additional emotion you want to add to your statement.

In daily conversations, I found it hard to be consistent with the kind of expressions I use with people. Let me explain this. In Japanese, there are sets of expressions with varied formality. Among close friends and family members, people normally use casual forms, but when talking to superiors or those we know little of, people use polite forms. Sometimes when we want to show extra respect, honorific forms and humble forms are the options, and in specific settings like department stores and restaurants, store staff uses the polite form which is a little different from all above. That is being said, in Japan, I am not only made aware of the relationship I have with others, but also have to show my acknowledgment of the kind of relationship through my choice of words and expressions. It creates difficulties and probably strengthens societal hierarchy. But just like people wearing different clothes on different occasions, having different forms of expressions allows one to show respect or intimacy.

My Chinese background gives me a considerable advantage because I could understand the kanjis without any barrier, but sometimes the meanings of the words appall me. At this moment, I haven’t really looked into how the words were formed, or if their meanings have evolved over time, but some are simply interesting to talk about. For example, the word husband (主人) also means “a master” or “an employer,” while the word for wife (奥さん）involves 奥 which means “the inner part, the back.” Do these words convey gender expectations and roles? Do people internalize the connotations these words have? I don’t know. But I could also find similar examples in many other languages in the world.

In general, I enjoy learning Japanese and see all the challenges in a much more favorable light than math problems. However, I still hesitated when writing some critical comments (even though they are not critical at all), because I have always feared criticisms. I fear people criticizing me because there’s always the possibility that any not-positive remark might be regarded as “politically-incorrect.” But thinking about it, without truly learning Japanese, I would have never been able to write some of my and my friends’ thoughts on this matter. On top of that, I should probably not censor my own ideas derived from good intentions. If people disagree, then I create an opportunity for discussions. Nothing will be solved if everyone is a deliberative, not a participatory citizen. The combination of the two renders greater chance for this society to be better.

Welcome to Siena! Week 1, 6/18-6/25

Ciao from Siena! Siena is smaller than some of the more well-known cities in Italy, and is not heavy with tourism, which makes it the perfect place to practice Italian in a genuine setting. After a long flight with a layover, and my first try at practicing Italian in Italy when I asked a lady at the Florence train station where to buy a ticket, I arrived Sunday morning to the apartment I’m staying in for the duration of my trip, which is located very centrally in the city: a 30 second walk from the Piazza del Campo, the city’s main square, and the Duomo, the city’s cathedral. I was greeted with this beautiful view out of my apartment window:

I then explored around the city and was immediately treated to a very unique piece of Siena-specific culture, a parade from a contrada. Contrade, as I later learned in my culture class at the Dante Alighieri Institute where I take language and culture classes each day, are 17 city wards that comprise Siena’s historical center. Each contrada, represented by a singular animal or symbol and colors that also constitute their coat of arms and historical dress, participates in historic displays of pride, rivalries and competition, dinners and gatherings, and other cultural events in the time leading up to the Palio, their signature horse race broadcast throughout all of Italy and held in the Piazza. But more on the Palio later. 😉

Later that night, I had my first dinner in Italy and met the rest of the students in my culture class during my stay here. I tried Tuscan meats and cheeses, and pici con caccio e pepe, a Siena specialty of thick pasta with cheese and pepper. It was delicious.

The next day, I attended my first language course, taught entirely in Italian from 9:10-1:00 each day. The staff at the school were very welcoming, and I immediately felt supported in my quest to improve my Italian, a language I’ve taken throughout high school and for one year of college now. I worked on getting more comfortable with using the subjunctive tense in conversation, and I learned several useful vocabulary words. Ordering pizza for lunch from a small shop near the school was the perfect opportunity for me to practice ordering food in Italian, and it went quite well.

In the afternoon, I attended my culture class, and during the duration of the week I toured the Torre contrada, climbed to the top of Palazzo Pubblico, located in the Piazza del Campo and Siena’s major civil building, viewed several impressive works of art, and went to the archaeological museum at Santa Maria della Scala, featuring Etruscan artifacts. That Saturday, to take a break from all my sight-seeing and language-learning, I went to the Castiglione della Pescaia, a beautiful seaside town with a lovely beach. It was a very busy but very rewarding week, and I felt myself starting to fall in love with Siena.

Greetings from Tokyo

こんにちは　みんなさん、

I just had my first week of classes at ICU! Though it seems like forever ago, it was only a week ago that I stepped off of my flight into Haneda airport (the better airport in my limited opinion). Even though the airport is relatively easy to navigate and access, I ran into my first problem when I had to locate the airport post office to pick up a package. I didn’t know where it was, and had troubled asking for where it was with my jet-lagged mind. For the life of me, I could not remember the word in Japanese for post office (郵便局 yuubinkyoku for those curious). It was a simple word that I had heard in class a million times, but when it came to the time when I actually needed it, it escaped my mind. I came to realized the obvious that conversations in a language classroom setting is tremendously different from the everyday interactions. In class, I could speak in set phrases and had time to think about what I was saying. However, in real life Japanese conversation as in other languages conversation, everyone has a different speech pattern and the flow of the conversation is also important to keep in mind. I didn’t know how much I rely on English in my everyday life until it was absent. I also quickly realized the extent of my limited Japanese skill, and am resolve to study harder this summer to, at the very least, be able to hold a short conversation with the locals around me.

On the hand, Tokyo is truly a city well accustomed to tourists. Before I came to Japan, I was super nervous about navigating the terrifying and convoluted-seeming train system in Tokyo. However, now that I’m here, I can say that I really like the public transportation they have here. I love how the train could take you almost anywhere in the city, with clear signs and labels in both Japanese and English that is easy to navigate.

I also really love how pretty ICU is. This campus is probably not the typical Japanese college campus as it was modeled more like an American campus, but I’m glad for the similarities.

Exploring Salzburg and Bayern

I’ve had a very full couple of days in the past week. It’s awesome to have my afternoons and weekends free to explore Munich and the surrounding countryside. Last Thursday, acting on a recommendation from another student at the CDC, I rented a bike and rode several miles in both directions along the Isar River. It was a very hot day out, so hundreds of families were out relaxing and swimming in the river. I took a little swim myself to cool off and join in the fun. It’s very interesting to see the various social differences between Germany and the United States. For example, many people (both young and old) sunbathing along the river were naked and probably half the swimmers were skinny dipping – there just doesn’t seem to a comparable social stigma about the body here in Germany. Having a bike allowed me to see a lot of new areas of the city and it was great fun.

On Friday afternoon, I caught a bus to Salzburg after class. I explored the town throughout the evening and visited most of the main tourist sites. I enjoyed having a whole conversation with another man in German as I hiked up to the Fortress. I’m getting a lot better at using the language conversationally. I stayed the night at a youth hostel – where they were conveniently playing “The Sound of Music.” The next morning, I got up really early and went for a run around the Kapuzinerberg and stopped in one of the churches I passed and was fortunate enough to hear the cloistered Franciscan monks singing their morning Lauds. It was a cool reminder that there is still a part of Salzburg removed from the tourist shops and sightseeing tours. I caught a bus to Berchtesgaden to visit the Kehlsteinhaus (in English known as the Eagle’s Next), Hitler’s former mountaintop retreat. It was quite crowded but the skies were fairly clear, making for incredible views. I had a nice conversation with an Alabama fan who saw my ND shirt and jokingly gave me grief about our historically bad season this year. I caught an evening bus back to Salzburg and got in pretty late.

Early on Sunday morning I trekked back to the bus station and headed out to Garmisch. It’s a fairly small vacation town about an hour south of Munich famous as the site of the 1936 Winter Olympics and as a major site for Ski Jumpers. I attended Mass at the big local parish and was able to understand a fair amount of the homily, but I was more interested to see how everyone there was dressed. Most all of the men were wearing Lederhosen and the women were wearing beautiful traditional Dirndl dresses. It was cool to see that Bavarians really wear these cultural outfits as dress clothes, as most of the men in Munich I had seen in Lederhosen were either waiters or employed in the tourism industry. I trekked up to the old Olympic Stadium and hiked through a geographical wonder called the Partnachklamm Gorge and explored the surrounding trails. There were many German couples and families out hiking as well on that beautiful Sunday.

I’m now in my third week of classes – time is flying by way to fast. I’m so incredibly thankful for this opportunity and I’m trying to make the most of everyday.

Reykjavík

Góðan Daginn!

During my time in Iceland, I am living in the country’s capital, Reykjavík, and attending class during the week at the Háskóli Íslands (University of Iceland). As mentioned in last week’s blog, Reykjavík is often translated as “Bay of Smoke,” though some Icelanders prefer the translation “Bay of Steam” because the city was named long ago for the steamy vapor which spread from nearby hot springs (fun fact: the verb reykja means “to smoke” in modern Icelandic). About two thirds of Iceland’s population of around 340,000 live in the city’s greater metropolitan area. However, a steady influx of tourists (over 2 million a year!) makes the city and its environs a hustling and bustling place. New construction projects seem to be cropping up everywhere! The Icelanders tell me these are mostly going to be new hotels. However, other kinds of new businesses are also coming into the area; Iceland’s first Costco just opened in May and has been immensely popular.

The city has an artistic flair, with intricate paintings decorating several of the buildings downtown. Many of these buildings house tourist shops which sell traditional Icelandic wool sweaters, puffin stuffed animals, and viking- themed paraphernalia.

The architecture in the city alternates between the quaint, traditional Scandinavian brightly-painted houses and the structures of modern minimalism. In the picture below, you can see how a ultra-modern building has incorporated the more organic-looking Viking interlace pattern into its wood door. The top scene depicts Ingólfr Arnarson (the first settler of the city) retrieving his high-seat pillars on the shore; around 874 he had cast his high-seat pillars (objects of great symbolic significance) from his boat and determined that he would settle wherever they landed on the shore.

One of the most important recent construction projects in Reykjavík was the completion of Harpa in 2011. Harpa is a concert hall designed to evoke Iceland’s landscape visually and to be energy efficient. Construction began in 2007, but the project became delayed with the financial crisis of 2008. The government decided to finance the completion of the building. Icelanders are extremely proud of this unique and beautiful structure. Its largest hall, Eldborg, seats 1,800 people and is named for one of Iceland’s volcanic craters.

Near Harpa one can find “Grandi” and the traditional fishing district, a waterfront area with lots of food options (as well as whale-watching tour boats nearby, of course).

Though it is Iceland’s largest urban center, Reykjavík enjoys its own spectacular views-not only of its bay and the North Atlantic- but also of the mountains close by.

If you are not such an enthusiastic fish eater, there are pylsa (hot dog) stands all over the city. I think they are best with onions (fried or raw) and an Icelandic mayonnaise-based sauce. Yum!

One of Reykjavík’s most striking structures is Hallgrímskirkja (Hallgrim’s Church), and many tourists ascend the tower to look down on the city and see the surrounding nature. For reasons unclear to me, there is a statue of Leif Erikson (considered the first European to discover North America) right in front of the Church. This statue was a gift from the United States to Iceland in 1930, commemorating the 1000 year anniversary of Iceland’s governing body, the Alþingi.

Me at Hallgrímskirkja with the statue of Leif

After a hard day’s work, who wouldn’t want to grab a bite at Drekinn (“The Dragon”)?

Que penses-toi de la police française?

This was one of the first questions my Uber driver asked me as we drove through Paris.

Je ne la connais pas du tout, la police française

I responded, a little surprised. I had few encounters with the police in the States, let alone with those in France. So of course it would be four weeks later, that I would get to know the French police.

Around 18h20 on a warm Saturday evening, I left my flat for an evening of swing dancing with Parisian Lindy Hoppers. I was turning the intersection of Rue Bichat and Rue Faubourg du Temple when I was approached by a Franco-African teenager, who couldn’t have been older than sixteen-years-old. He wore a black cut-off tank, khaki shorts, and eyebrows gently furrowed with anxiety. He told me that he was lost, and that he would like to borrow my phone to call his mom. After a split second internal struggle between common sense and disgustingly instinctive stereotyping, I gave this boy both benefit of the doubt, and my iPhone. He made a quick call, and departed with my device.

I ran off after him, shouting in English (a sad sign I am still inherently an anglophone), begging him to stop. Unfortunately, my morning jogs proved ineffective, and I was unable to keep up. Now it was I who had to borrow a telephone. A group of six French girls, a hotel manager, and a restaurant owner helped me contact my local friend Nicolas, my mother, and the police.

When the police arrived at the scene, they told me to get in their sedan. We drove around Belleville for twenty minutes looking for the boy. However, he turned off location services making my device untraceable. The officers told me to search the streets for the culprit. It was horrible, sizing up every adolescent boy of African descent, trying to decifer the innocent from the guilty. We even stopped one innocent boy. The officers eventually dropped me off at the commissariat, where I waited hours with Nicolas before giving my civil complaint statement.

After my petty theft extravaganza, I can conclude that the French Police Department is much more relaxed than the American Police force. They even have time to drive around college students in search of an telephone. During ride-alongs, officers stop the car to chat and laugh with passerbys. Similarly, the commissariat environment is no more serious. Officers are out of uniform, dressed down in t-shirts and jeans. Staff joke with the detained, and paperwork/civil complaints are handled without haste. Another aspect of leisurely French life-style–I guess you can’t pick and choose.

I probably will never see my iPhone again, but this isn’t important. Though that Franco-African boy, of nothing more than sixteen-years-old, made off with my mobile, I’m determined to maintain my ability to trust and judge each person independently. For the hearty price of a smartphone, I was chauffeured by the Fro-po, graced by Nicolas’ friendship, and schooled in the art of responsible benevolence. It’s for those reasons I can still be grateful, and a little bit amused.

Gilded Surroundings

My first month in Chiang Mai, I had an apartment on Nimmanhaemin Road, which is a great location to access cafes, shops, malls, transport, etc. The area is known for the droves of digital nomads, hipsters, and yes, sigh, shopping tourists. I was craving a place with a little more authentic Thai flavor so I moved to the old city. Now, I live next door to a wat (temple) that is surrounded by golden horses. The monks’ morning bells are my free alarm clock.

I’ve rented a bicycle for the month and life is so much more joyous! Sometimes I can’t believe the busy roads and chaotic streets I ride through. It is terrifying and exhilarating all at once! The thing is, the traffic is actually very relaxed. People don’t move hastily or aggressively. Red lights and street lanes are suggestions. The driving is creative and fluid. It feels as though I am floating down a river filled with motorcycles, songtaews, cars and other bikes. The invisible space bubble I am accustomed to is no longer. One must bobble, weave and expect the unexpected at every moment, and be completely present (and calm) while doing this. My bright pink helmet and neon yellow bag also help me to be more visible.

My uncle recently had his 90th birthday! I rented a car with Laos, my partner, and we took a day trip north to visit my uncle and cousin. It was my first international driving experience! I could read only some signs and did not have wifi or GPS – but I had a good feeling (and an excellent co-pilot!) and we just went with it. After only one U-turn (missed a turn due to construction) and we made it! We were so happy to spend a few hours together and enjoy fishball noodle soup and then eat some local sweet snacks.
This past weekend was Asahna Bucha Day วันอาสาฬหบูชา and Kao Phan Sa วันเข้าพรรษา, Thai holidays. They fall on the full moon of the eighth lunar month. I made my first offering to a monk at Wat Phan On. It is a small quiet temple with a peaceful atmosphere and a lovely golden chedi. I chose my sangkataan – a basket containing everyday items like soap, toothpaste, and balms to donate to the monks. I went inside and kneeled down before a monk and said a few sentences in Thai. He asked me a few questions and we had a short conversation (mostly in Thai!). He said he had lived at that wat for 21 years. He sprinkled aromatic water over my head while chanting blessings. It was a very moving experience. When I walked out onto the street, it felt as though all strangers had smiling faces and everything moved in slow motion.
The following morning I awoke at 5:30am to do a dak bat offering at a wat near my new apartment. Many people were dressed in beautiful bright colored silks and carrying bags of food and rice to feed the monks for the special holiday. I sat down beside 2 women in front of a monk and and they showed me what to do. I poured water from a decorative container into a silver bowl while meditating as the monk chanted blessings. Then the water in the bowl is poured outside onto the earth.

Other highlights and new discoveries of the week:

Trying new fresh fruits!!! —> Mangostein (not at all like a mango!), guava, passionfruit, white dragon fruit —> all delicious!
I bought some peanuts from a little girl with big eyes. The following day, I brought them to school for a snack after class and was disheartened when I cracked one open and the nuts inside were black. I opened another. Same. With a sour face, I asked my teacher about it. She laughed and said “gin daai!” Meaning “Eat can!” I love these fresh peanuts. They are black or white or grey inside the shell, and a little bit wet. So very good!
Watched a Thai movie with English subtitles. Before the previews, everybody must stand up to respect the King while the national song plays. Images of the new King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Aka Rama X) are displayed in gilded frames amidst a luminous dawn.
In honor of the late King Bhumibol, I made paper flowers for the upcoming Royal Cremation Ceremony taking place this year October 25-29. Flower-making hubs can be found throughout Thailand. I made the daffodil, which was His Majesty King Bhumibol’s favorite flower. He often presented this flower to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, when they stayed in Switzerland.

Another song to help learn Thai! This one is so funny and combines English and Thai, particularly common phrases many “farang” (foreigners) have difficulty saying in Thai.

https://youtu.be/2YdEscEhO98