The dark gold cross-legged Buddha rose as high as a two story building inside a Chinese-influenced temple in Ayutthaya, less than an hour north of Bangkok. Peeling flakes of gold foil fluttered on the stone faces of the surrounding statues. People of all walks walked around bare foot, a giant rectangle of tubes temporarily housing the traveler’s shoes. They sold amulets and books like any other museum. In the market just outside, aging Thai vendor voices drifted ceaselessly across the thick wet air. Various scents floated up and commingled in different combinations, an earthy base, like bark, seafood frying somewhere in hot oil, trash grown pungent in the sun, sweet coconut pastries, jasmine incense. With clouds overcast, it was a perfect day to explore the inland island by bicycle. As we were unchaining the bikes from the metal, a full-grown elephant and two of its passengers walked directly past us.
Elephants are thick in this area, and each of them dons a red and gold throne or small gazebo on its back with room enough for a few people. There’s nothing quite like witnessing an elephant walk up close. Their feet, in rolls of heavy elephant flesh, press down and become perfectly flat with the land, as rooted as a tree trunk. Wrinkles riddle the entire body, giving large elephant eyes an old and wise look. The tusks, too, are noticeably magnificent, strong ivory a relic of their prehistoric quality. Never before found myself thinking of elephants as magical animals, but then again, I never saw them like this before, living somewhat freely among humans, going about their day jobs.
Everyday I fall more and more in love with my kids (my students). They are so friendly here, they make it really easy to get attached, and that will make it very hard to leave at the end of the semester. I thought about sticking around for the full year, but there is too much country to see and not enough time to see it. I feel I must challenge myself to teach in different places to expand the whole experience and really get a few different senses of Thailand, the culture and people. And this town is so small I may go crazy without my amazing roommates, both of whom are going back to the States in October.
On a motorbike ride the other day we discovered our local floating market completely by chance. We took lots of pictures and ate ice cream out of coconuts, watched the women make soups or little sweets. Everyone loves the opportunity to practice their English with us. We ran into some wonderful students shopping with their families. I am getting used to life here, the crazy traffic, the dingy, semi-unsanitary conditions, I no longer recognize the spiders and ants in the house as intruders, but friendly companions looking for food and shelter. Life is swell, and moves at a leisurely pace. Almost every afternoon is filled with trips to the market, hot yoga sessions, good food, and fun movies or sitcoms, as well as the refreshment of ice cold bubbling beer. Yes, I’m getting used to this.
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