Rapport building through Food & Games
Played a game with my M1 and M2 students today called last man/woman standing. It is a rambunctious fast-moving game and the rules are simple. Students stand by their desk at which point I shout out a subject like “Things you would find in the universe” and each student has to respond within five seconds with an answer. If they repeat an answer or are unable to provide a response they are out of the game and have to sit down. This game was a hit and we ended up playing most of the class as I ran around the classroom laughing and interacting with them. Due to the fact, some of the students are still struggling to understand English terms and/or phrases they would respond with hilarious answers. For example, I said the subject was world countries and one student shouted, “Elephant”. Fortunately, Thai students have a great sense of humor and we all exploded into laughter.
During lunchtime, I visited my favorite street/house restaurant located approximately two houses from the front entrance of the school. The cook and homeowner is an elderly woman who speaks broken English and in my opinion, makes the best pork fried rice (Cost=30Baht) in the world.
Other savory dishes include fried chicken on a stick with sweet and spicy chili sauce (Cost=10Baht) and today she made me a stir-fried vegetable chicken medley dish sauteed in a light fish/soy sauce (Cost=40Baht) that was to die for.
While waiting for my food, I reflected on how I had transitioned from my normal American restaurant standards and expectations. I observed ants were crawling all over the dingy plaster walls, flies were buzzing around the condiments, there were black dust cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, the lack of light fixtures left exposed bulbs, electrical wiring hung listlessly throughout the establishment, feral cats were running back and forth behind my chair, orange grease coagulated in the open vents, the fresh vegetables sat in a glass container with no refrigeration, eggs lay smoldering in the heat, and they tend to cut my chicken or other meat items with scissors.
Considering all the above listed factors would contribute to an American restaurant being immediately shut down; I have found these restaurants construct the deepest richest most tantalizing food I have ever eaten. Further, I am still standing vertical.
The more I dive deeper into another culture through the various mediums such as tasting their food, examining their religious beliefs, perusing their art, participating in their cultural normative behaviors, and accepting them for who they are instead of trying to compare my culture to theirs: I find my authentic self.