Orientation Day one

Orientation Day one
I can’t explain how good it felt to be back in a classroom setting absorbing knowledge again. One because I was being fed vital information about living in Thailand and 2) I just think I am one of those weird people who like knowledge – and I love taking notes.

I arrived at school with my group of twelve other Fulbrighters right at 8:30am slightly moist from the humidity and the slight constant monsoon rain – Thankfully this is one this Kentucky prepared me very well. We were greeted with our first informal lesson …. Porn.
Porn is something you will see often in Thailand- in name and in words, but what porn means in Thai is blessing. You didn’t expect that one coming did you- The complete opposite ends of the spectrum for the meaning of the same word. I am thankful that this was addressed very early on in the lesson because I was getting slightly uncomfortable with my perverted head continually noticing the word porn.

Obama
Besides porn another very interesting concept is the role of that Obama plays abroad. I noticed the reverence or at least respect for Obama now in two countries, China and Thailand. It is so interesting what this national figure is doing to change the concepts of what an American is- an American can be black. In China a few of my fellow students and I were asked the question of how do we understand what Obama is saying because he speaks a different language, and another woman asked why we would elect a black person when there was a white person running. This is no prejudice this is pure ignorance. In a country where everyone looks the same it is very hard, let me repeat very hard, to understand the concept of an eclectic culture. Many people believe that all Americans are very white with light brown or blonde air. My director explained to us that Obama has helped Thais grasp the concept that 1) not all black people are Africans and 2) that African Americans can reach high positions

Black and White
This brings to another concepts we learned here the word black and white and synonymous with dark and light. For a Thai person to say “you are black” means you are dark or tan. They have a fascination with being lighter because being tan means that you have to work out in the fields all day or have a laborious job in the sun. In America being tan can mean you have the luxury to enjoy the beach or the pool or pay to go to the tanning bed. Having a nice sun-kissed glow is advertised and sold like cheese would be sold to a mouse.