Being my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving was especially hard this year. Normally, I spend the days leading up to the festivities mentally and physically preparing for the big feast. There are recipe brainstorming sessions and long walks with Golda and Sadie. The day of is a constant battle, to eat or not to eat. You have to save room for the meal, but you don’t wanna not eat for fear your stomach might shrink and not be able to contain all the many courses of Turkey Day dinner.
This year lacked the anticipation, the tradition, the food, and the family that normally constitutes my favorite holiday. This year I spent Thanksgiving alone in my apartment eating yogurt and feeling very homesick, especially after a dramatic skype-date with miss pammy berkson.
After Thanksgiving, things were looking up. I spent most of the nights of Hanukkah on a beautiful island called Koh Samet (for details be a loyal reader or see previous post J ). The traditional candle lighting ceremony was swapped out for sensual fire dancing; and forget brisket when there’s savory, sweet, green curry; and fried latkas exchanged with fried roti (delicious fried crepes with an assortment of fillings including banana and nutella, my personal favorite). Altogether a fine replacement.
Fire dancers on the first night of hanukkah
Christmas was the first holiday of the season that felt truly festive. In the days leading up to Friday the 25th, the students began decorating the classrooms with tinsel, streamers, fake trees, small present ornaments, and large depictions of thai santa clauses. It was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, especially when the morning announcements featured songs like Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.
The Christmas tree my students made for me
On Christmas Day, the spirit of the holiday filled the school. At morning announcements, all the teachers appeared on stage in red and green attire, and were eve joined by a somewhat skinnier than normal Santa Claus, who danced and threw candy til the first period bell rang. After attempting to teach three classes, I realized how futile my efforts would be against this global celebration. So I put on my santa hat and joined in.
The foreigners and the Director at morning assembly
By lunchtime, the school declare classes unnecessary in favor of a giant feast, game booths, karaoke contests, and break dancing performances. The “Farang” teachers were invited to join in the festivities by judging the karaoke contest. I will tell you, being in Thailand, I’ve seen some good karaoke, but these kids were amazing! One girl put Akon to shame singing his summer hit “Beautiful” and Mariah Carey was revived not once, but twice by my singing students.
Me with the students of class 3/14 on Christmas
That night, the teachers invited us to a very special dinner by the river. We had an outdoor patio reserved for us alone. With our own private karaoke machine, awesome. After filling up on Tom Yum Goon (Spicy Seafood Tomato Soup), Pad Thai Gai (Chicken Pad Thai), Gai Met Ma Muang (Chicken with Cashews) and about ten other unrecognizable dishes, the singing began.
The Foreign Language Department with Santa!
The teachers began with a serenade for the foreigners, Thai Christmas music. Afterwards Reuven and I explained that we were actually Jewish and didn’t celebrate Christmas, gawk! They believed Reu, but after staring at me and my blond flowing hair and light green eyes for several open-mouthed moments, they decided that I must be confused, I couldn’t be Jewish (A picture of our end of summer family portrait with Jared’s chest hair and dad’s rabbinical beard proved them wrong). They presented us with roses and embraced us warmly and assured us that this was to be the best Christmas ever. Gotta love them for trying!
My Thai mom, Genie, and I
After several rounds of karaoke, traditional rice wine, and of course, leo beers, the foreigners called it a night, but the Thai teachers raged on. Like I said, Thais just wanna have fun!
Happy (Belated) Holidays!
Love from Thailand,
Dena
“....after staring at me and my blond flowing hair and light green eyes for several open-mouthed moments, they decided that I must be confused, I couldn’t be Jewish (A picture of our end of summer family portrait with Jared’s chest hair and dad’s rabbinical beard proved them wrong).
ReplyDeleteWait a minute, Dena....chest hair and beard are NOT proof...but that letter to the head of consumer affairs at Maneschewitz...did you show them that????