On second thought...

After reflecting on the fact that life here is different (surprise of the century), I’ve started to realize that there are many elements of human life that transcend culture. As a veritable Martian in this Thai society, it’s been a delight to uncover them little by little.

Considering that my Thai is so elementary (actually, it’s borderline non-existent if I’m being honest), I thought that reaching the level of joking around with people here was a distant dream. I’m not sure how a goofball like me could forget that humor is universal. I was shopping at the supermarket (which was totally “picked over,” as you would say Mom) with two Chinese teachers and two Thai English teachers. #Cultureshock. After a solid seven-minute group effort to figure out that one of the Chinese teachers, Luk Tan, was looking for a “washbasin,” I set off to find the plastic bins I had seen earlier. I returned with a bin, about 2 ft. in diameter, and Luk Tan thought it was the funniest thing she’d ever seen. “Too big!” she squeaked between giggles. So I reached for the next smallest size, which was considerably smaller in the aftermath of panic-driven pre-flood shopping, and she laughed even harder at how outrageously tiny it was. As she walked around the corner, still chuckling at my cluelessness, one of the Thai teachers grabbed about six of the most enormous bins on the shelf and casually set them into our cart. No need for language. Sarcasm is universal. We laughed and continued on, and I had no clearer idea of the proper size of a washbasin, but it was clear that this language barrier would crumble with time. There are greater things than common language and luckily laughter is one of them.

Play seems to be another. I went swimming the other night in the school’s Olympic-sized pool, filled with water that somehow magically matches the temperature of the air. A small crowd of M1 (US grade 7) students were scattered throughout the pool, totally unsupervised and totally loving it. A few were busy stacking way too many kickboards on top of each other and, playing way too close to the side of the pool, trying to maintain their balance but inevitably crashing into the water and erupting with laughter. Other students were lined up on the diving blocks, jumping in succession, doing spirals and spastic flips as they plunged into the way too shallow water. The reckless childish energy was abundant and contagious. Only their tan skin, Euro-esque bathing suits, and lack of supervision would have given them away among their Main Line counterparts.

During orientation we went to an authentic Thai bar with authentic Thai food and authentic Thai clientele, where an authentic Thai acoustic duo was performing. Their opening number? I’m Yours by Jason Mraz. I guess we all speak the language of dreamy acoustic musicians - "Mraz-ese," if you will. During the same week, wandering aimlessly and contently through an open market in Bangkok, a familiar tune drifted its way over to my ears from a nearby stand. “Country roads...take me home...to the place...I belong...West Virginia...Mountain Mama...take me home...country roads...” Anyone who was or is a member of the Tribe Field Hockey team can imagine the big cheese smile that immediately lit up my face. We’ve requested that song relentlessly on bus trips over the years, and our obliging head coach, Peel Hawthorne, has been kind enough to indulge us with a few acoustic performances. The music wrapped me in a reassuring hug from home. Hearing it so unexpectedly at this market in Bangkok made the ‘burg and my Tribe family feel much closer than 9000 miles away.

So maybe I’m not a Martian after all. These experiences of solidarity have kept me grounded in the fact that I’m an Earthling. Granted, I’m an illiterate, mute, blonde-headed foreigner in this Thai society, but I'm an Earthling all the same.