Mother's day and Udon Thani Walking Street

08/09/2017

Observation Day: 3

            I did my third Observation in Kindergarten 2. Kru Ta and Kru Ying are the teacher. There were 33 students inside the Class. I got the differences between Nursery, Kindergarten 1 and 2. Teachers were teaching their students step by step. Buddhist was being part of their Daily Activities. Example, when Students were being noisy then teacher asked students to do self reflection or meditation. I was amazed how they did this because the class was very quiet suddenly. In eating times, older kids (Kindergarten 2) tried to take more responsibility. They bring vegetable soup in their trail when on the line and sat based on their glasses and tooth brushes in the table. At least, they must eat all the rice. On the break time, Adjarn Meow visited me and asked if I needed some helps. She said “you can call me if need more data..”. This was one of all reasons why i felt so comfortable around them. Teachers in Demonstration School always gave me a lot of foods, especially Fruits. I got Coconut and Kids snacks.

(Kindergarten 2)

 (Thai kwetiauw)

fresh coconut

(chicken katsu with cheese powder)

            UD Town is one of all famous places in Udon Thani. Everyone could fine many foods, clothes, snacks, and happiness there. I went to UD Town with my buddies and all my friends in the dorm. We rode Skylab and costed 10 BTH per-person. I brought my Umbrella, just in case. I thought that the real purpose to go there was to find photos spot because we were stopping in a good spots. Then we took a lot of pictures. I bought three Ghibli’s Pen (There were two Totoro and Kaonashi) and felt so happy to find them there. We continued to explore this crowded streets. It felt so hot somehow. Then stopped in Chicken Noodles Shop. It was a big portion to me. Thai people ate chicken first then noodles but I ate with opposite way and my buddy laughed at me because of that hehehe. I’ve been tried Thai’s kwetiauw and the soup tasted same. Put chili powder being my habit here when I ate foods with liquid.

took a picture together with our buddies

 (my buddies, left: Noon and right: View)

8/10/2017

Obervation Day: 4 

            Maybe, Kindergarten 3 was the most mature class level in this school. Their good habits were up to the high level than latest class. This week was all about Mother’s Day so every student always makes things that it refers to meaning of loving their mother. Kru Noina did announcement about new teacher in the class. All the teachers and students called me Lina because it was really difficult to call me Herny. I had so much fun with the Kids. They tried to communicate using Thai Languge but I couldn’t understand at all. Sorry kids :’(

 

Teacher gave students morning topic

            All of students in Demonstration School (Pre-School and Primary School) went to the Hall. We practiced and prepared for Mother’s Day Celebration on Friday. Kru Noina and Kru M (Teacher in Primary School) were being Master of Ceremony (MC). We sat on the floor and listened to the MC’s orders. Student’s choir from Primary School sang songs about mother. All the students have to sing before they showed respect to their mother. The song sounded sad and I almost crying, even I don’t understand the meaning of this song. Then Pokpong (a student in Kindergarten 3) sang a song about Cat with his little sister from another class. They were confident and sang happily. He looks like my favorite kid in my neighborhood so I focused on him many times. After this session, kids came back to the class and prepared their bed. Then they were wearing their apron to have lunch together. Kids in Kindergarten 3 brought glasses and tooth brushes by themselves. I had lunch when the kids were sleeping. I ate colorful Food in this time but I forgot the food names. The ingredients were carrot, bits, cucumber, coriander leaf, fried coconut (we called it Serundeng in Indonesia), Abon Ikan, lime leaf, lemograss and i had to mix all of them so gonna got a perfect taste. Teachers gave me fruits and I shared it with my friends in the dorm.

getting ready for the lunch (Kindergarten 3)

the dry coconut has same taste as serundeng

            Me and Ita stayed longer than before at the school. We helped everyone to prepare Mother’s Day. We were seeing band of the school while we helped to make a beautiful decoration inside the hall. I could see the Queen of Thailand’s picture in the stage. She was wearing traditional clothes and looks pretty. Teacher told me that Mother’s Day is Queen Birthday so all of us had to wear blue clothes. Yellow is a symbol of the King and blue is symbol of the Queen.

            Seven Eleven was the last choices to buy dinner but I always want to go there. I went there with Dea, Dyan, and Nurul. We wanted to try KFC but it was closed early so we decided to look around the street. There were a lot of foods but we didn’t know is one of them Halal or not. We were attracted by mini Martabak which is only 10 Bath/ piece. I bought rice with stir fried Spicy Chicken with basil leaf. It tasted like Ayam Woku-Woku from Manado, Indonesia.

mini martabak

08/11/2017

Mother’s Day Celebration

            I was oversleeping and got panic easily. The Celebration will be start at 8 o’clock and I only had half an hour to prepare anything. On the way to the school, look around is a must because there were a lot of dogs in this campus. They have ever been following me so I’m really scared of that. The teachers welcomed me in front of the class. They were wearing traditional skirt, that it’s called Panmai and their blouses were blue. I put my bag in Kindergarten 3. Teachers always asked me, if I had breakfast or not.

            This Celebration begun at nine o’clock. I could see many pictures that are showed love between mothers and kids. I helped another teacher to welcome parents and kids. Most of them were wearing match clothes. The show has begun and we gathered inside the hall. Kids and teacher sat on the floor and parents sat in the chair. Just like daily activities, everyone has to sing National Anthem of Thai and showed their respect by stand up. Director of the School gave announcement and started the event. Student’s choir sang song which is all about mother. Kids were in pray position and stared their mothers. Somehow I felt so sad and really miss my mother when hear this song. Now that I make my family so proud of me, so I tried to endure my sadness. Kids brought little Jasmine bucket and gonna give it to their mother. After this sadness event for me, we moved to the yard and started exercise our body. There were three teachers who led everyone to do exercise. Then we got snacks, cola ice cream and sticky rice with fried chicken. While we were eating our foods, School’s band showed a good music. I didn’t know the song so just enjoyed the music.

            I had lunch together with all teachers (Pres-School and Primary School) in the hall. The Director said that this not only because of Mother’s Day but all teachers welcomed SEA-Teacher’s participants in the School. I and Ita couldn’t eat the same food as always so Kru Puk brought Halal food for us. This tasted like Semur Daging Sapi and I liked it. She gave me some fried snacks too such as sausage, fish cakes, fish ball. There were three foods (SomTam, Baked Fish, and Vegetables Salad) in this lunch break that we could eat. I preferred not to eat SomTam because of stomachache last night. Thai people always served their menu completely. They never forget to eat some fruits in the end. Ngo (Rambutan), manggut (manggis), and kelengkeng were the fruits.

gave respect to the queen of Thailand

Student's showed their creation in Mother's day

Students gave a little bucket of flower to their mother

had lunch with Demonstration's Squad

          I just realized that last Friday was Director’s Birthday too. Kru Leight already prepared coconut cake for her. Then we sang birthday song together. After that, director showed her best voice. Kru Phong has talented voices, I guess because she was being like guest star in this afternoon. She amazed everyone in the hall. When Kru Ta and Kru Phong were singing together, Kru Dao asked me to dance together with her. I refused it first, then showed what I can do in front of everyone and just enjoyed the music. 

grilled squids

a temple in front of Walking Streets

orange fresh juice (25 BTH)

            In the night, I decided to join my friends in Walking Street. It’s a famous flea market in Udon Thani. There were many food and beverages, clothes, shoes, stationary, and another things that we want to buy. It’s very near from shrine. I bought grilled squid but it had plain taste and didn’t suit me at all. I saw extreme food and duck pattern attacked my eyes. Aww it was so cute. Then I preferred to buy the duck things next time. I tried fresh orange juice which was costed 25 BTH. Suddenly, rain was coming. Everyone got panic and all sellers closed their shops fastly. I and my friends were running to the meeting points. We decided to dinner in the nearest café but there were no seats for us so we just wait SongTaew to go to UD Town. Rain became heavier and we came back to the dorm. We stopped at Seven Eleven before entering the University. I bought Spicy Chick Finger and Ice Cappucino without sugar.

 

  

08/12/2017

YEAY IT’S A FREE TIME

            I didn’t have any schedule so just stayed in my room. Sometimes I wrote my stories on the blog. I realized that my internet data was running out. I got help from Dea’s buddy, her name is Tak. Then I could surfed on the internet again. I wanted to go to the Strawberry Club Shop which are things costed 10 BTH only but it was closed in the morning. Then I just came back to the main street.  I went to Seven Eleven and bought food for lunch. 

simple thai tea from Walking Streets

            Adjarn Maew invited us to go to Udon Thani Walking Street (again). I decided to join it, and went there with Dyan, Nurul, Dea, Ita, and Febri. Our meeting points was in front of the biggest building there. People did charity action there so they sing and dance. Adjarn Maew said that some district in Udon Thani got float and needed our helps. I was looking for duck clothes  that I saw last night but couldn’t find it. Dea and i were strolling around all the streets and we bought many things. I drank original Thai tea and Dea bought coconut milk. We walked again and searching for food. The weather was clear so i didn’t have to open my umbrella.

           Campus was not crowded. there was very quiet and even the Amazon Cafe closed too. it was a long holiday for Udon Thani's people. I wanted to buy something cold in Minimarket but it closed. I tried to make my blog but my hands didn't want to move fingers to open laptop. "i just wanna lay in my bed..." (Bruno Mars). In afternoon, Khicmah got an idea to go to the Thai-Chinese Cultural Center near UD Town. so i decided to join her and the other. We went there by Tuk-tuk. There were a lot of Chinese ornament and building. people could borrow a traditional clothes or tried to feed fishes. Some pictures explained the history between Thai and Chinese people.

there was an ethnic cafe behind me

  gate of Thai-Chinese Cultural Center