When I was a kid (ok, I was in high school) the trumpet really confused me. You see, I always pictured a piano when I thought of all the different notes to play and I only saw 3 "keys" on a trumpet. It didn't add up. I knew it was ridiculous to 1. assume I knew anything about music, and 2. ignore the fact that not only was I proven wrong by every jazz song ever written, but the history of trumpet playing went far back before I was even born, but it, for some reason always bugged me. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it still kind of trips me up if I think about it too long and that a trumpeter can play as many sounds as a pianist is a fact that I merely tolerate and not fulling understand.
Well, the Thai language is like a trumpet. Sometimes, I feel like there are only 3 different syllables that make up the entire language; It's the order they are said in and, of course, the tones that are employed that give you different words.
This beautiful (albeit, byzantine and perhaps baffling) analogy is brought to you by Piriyalai School Sports Day 2016. For weeks now, since the beginning of the semester, we have sacrificed teaching our B-level important subjects like math, science, English, Thai, history, Buddhism, etc. so that the students could practice for this insane event whose magnitude I had not even pondered, let alone fully comprehended. Basically, there was a mini-Olympics in the making, complete with opening and closing ceremonies, in the making and I had no idea.
One of the Thai teachers explained to us that we had to come to "Sports Day" and, I'll admit, I was a little disappointed. What I was expecting, you see, was not at all what we got. For one, I anticipated unbearable boredom in the hot sun. When we got a text asking us if we wanted to participate in a 3000m race among the teachers, "mildly irked" almost turned into "full-out panic mode." I really need to learn that things that would normally be uncomfortable or downright miserable elsewhere, are actually made into completely magical wonderlands in Thailand.
The first thing to tip me off to something truly special, were the costumed students lined up in a parade.
The best analogy of the event depends on which part you look at. The beginning parade was Hunger Games. All of the costumed kids were the tributes from each district. After the parade, the ceremonial torch was lit (I kid you not)- the olympics. And all of the teachers sitting righteously in the stands, lording over the peasants performing amazing physical feats for our enjoyment? Straight out of "A Knights Tale." I half expected them to announce the joust!
We have parades in the states. Heck, he had parades in Mexico. This was, somehow, not even a parade. It was unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced. I had a moment when I realized that even if I'd had the day off while the other teachers and students observed "Sport's Day," I could not have paid to have so much fun!
We arrived at 8am, but the event didn't start until 9:09.09. I'm not being silly and I'm not exaggerating. My Thai teacher friend, Rabbit and I were walking around the food booths (because what's a sporting event without fried food and more cotton candy than anyone can imagine?) and something said in Thai over the loud speaker made her giggle.
"What's that?" I asked (I know you are all waiting for the blog post when I say otherwise but I still can't speak Thai).
"They just announced that they've decided to wait to start until 9:09.09. Nine is a lucky number here..."
I'll say.
The best thing about watching a line of incredibly extravagantly dressed people representing their school, community and nation, was that I recognized a lot of them as my own students! I felt like I knew celebrities. The event was so big that thats how they all looked to me- olympic athletes or Hunger Games tributes. The best moment was when one of my favorite students walked by making up a leg of one of the gestorial thrones. I waved at him, not thinking about his huge responsibility to safely carry another student, and he casually readjusted the handle and waved back. His teammates threw mini fits and yelled at him for throwing off their balance but the regal student atop his throne wasn't even perturbed.
Well, the Thai language is like a trumpet. Sometimes, I feel like there are only 3 different syllables that make up the entire language; It's the order they are said in and, of course, the tones that are employed that give you different words.
This beautiful (albeit, byzantine and perhaps baffling) analogy is brought to you by Piriyalai School Sports Day 2016. For weeks now, since the beginning of the semester, we have sacrificed teaching our B-level important subjects like math, science, English, Thai, history, Buddhism, etc. so that the students could practice for this insane event whose magnitude I had not even pondered, let alone fully comprehended. Basically, there was a mini-Olympics in the making, complete with opening and closing ceremonies, in the making and I had no idea.
One of the Thai teachers explained to us that we had to come to "Sports Day" and, I'll admit, I was a little disappointed. What I was expecting, you see, was not at all what we got. For one, I anticipated unbearable boredom in the hot sun. When we got a text asking us if we wanted to participate in a 3000m race among the teachers, "mildly irked" almost turned into "full-out panic mode." I really need to learn that things that would normally be uncomfortable or downright miserable elsewhere, are actually made into completely magical wonderlands in Thailand.
The first thing to tip me off to something truly special, were the costumed students lined up in a parade.
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| These are STUDENTS. |
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| Again, STUDENTS!!!! |
We have parades in the states. Heck, he had parades in Mexico. This was, somehow, not even a parade. It was unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced. I had a moment when I realized that even if I'd had the day off while the other teachers and students observed "Sport's Day," I could not have paid to have so much fun!
We arrived at 8am, but the event didn't start until 9:09.09. I'm not being silly and I'm not exaggerating. My Thai teacher friend, Rabbit and I were walking around the food booths (because what's a sporting event without fried food and more cotton candy than anyone can imagine?) and something said in Thai over the loud speaker made her giggle.
"What's that?" I asked (I know you are all waiting for the blog post when I say otherwise but I still can't speak Thai).
"They just announced that they've decided to wait to start until 9:09.09. Nine is a lucky number here..."
I'll say.
The best thing about watching a line of incredibly extravagantly dressed people representing their school, community and nation, was that I recognized a lot of them as my own students! I felt like I knew celebrities. The event was so big that thats how they all looked to me- olympic athletes or Hunger Games tributes. The best moment was when one of my favorite students walked by making up a leg of one of the gestorial thrones. I waved at him, not thinking about his huge responsibility to safely carry another student, and he casually readjusted the handle and waved back. His teammates threw mini fits and yelled at him for throwing off their balance but the regal student atop his throne wasn't even perturbed.
You know how else I know Thailand is different from the states? Temperatures reach 100+ degrees Fahrenheit and 12 kids (and those are only the ones I saw) pass out as a result? You better believe things are reconsidered and perhaps even postponed. Not in Thailand. There was a quartet of uniformed high school boys who ran out on the field with a stretcher every time one of their classmates lost consciousness and they were whisked away so the remaining events could continue as normal. A joke was even made (translated for me later) that the young EMTs in training could have won all of the running races themselves.
Rabbit told me that it isn't uncommon for schools to spend 100,000,000฿ on one of these events. See how the Olympic comparisons never stop? It's like a school version of a wedding but it's private. It's not even an inter-high school competition! To be honest, although I was at first, I'm no longer curious about where that money went, (why is went, yes, but not what it was spent on). Apart from fireworks, there wasn't a stop that wasn't pulled out. The cheerleading competitions used dry ice for god's sakes and released birds. Their human pyramids were 40 people high and their dances couldn't have been more in sync if the kids were literally robots. The band and color guard performances could have easily been on battle of the bands.
All in all, Sports Day may be one of my favorite things yet! I can't wait for the next time Thailand comes out of nowhere to put that ^^ crazy smile on my face!
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| Me and Rabbit! |
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