Lost on Earth

Last night OPC threw a going away party for Ruby, the outgoing OPC teacher. Kham Chuen donned a sea-foam green apron and a white shower cap and cooked a feast of traditional Shan food for over 40 children and the office staff. This was by far the best foor I have ever tried in Thailand, and if Kham Chuen ever finds himself out of a job I am certain that he could be very successful as a professional chef. There were curries, noodle soups, a salad made of marinated ti leaves, spicy and salty meat balls, pumpkin, green beans and chicken, fried rice, and that is all I remember before I collapsed from over eating. Kham Chuen proudly stalked among the rows of children as they ate yelling “Eat eat! Eat more!” And they did. Those kids ate three times as much as I could. We also served soda, cookies, and ice cream, which is extremely rare for them, and consequently, the kids became extremely hyper, especially after we handed them two packages of balloons. The blew them up and tied them onto rubber bands, which they put around their heads so the balloons stuck out like ears or flower petals.

After that was Shan dancing, which was very beautiful, performed with wooden swords and 20 baht notes, among other things. It’s difficult to explain. The children’s dance instructor was at the party, and started to teach me. Later that night in my apartment I hopped around my room in a clumsy attempt to practice.



At OPC the electricity only runs from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., so after the sun set we lit candles and placed them on the walls around the school. With the torrential rain outside, the warm glow of candles, and the stoic Shan band of drummers and cymbalists I began to feel that the evening was so magical that it was all a dream and it would disappear in an instant, leaving me standing by myself in the jungle in the rain. As it turned out, that did happen. The rain did not let up, my flash light did not work, and the candle I took to light my way back home quickly snuffed out from the wind. It was a damp, dark walk to get to my bed.