Pancho’s mornings had already settled into a usual order. This consisted of waking up, followed by the usual bathroom activities, getting dressed and having breakfast. Despite Pancho being well used to this daily ritual he managed to have a slight hiccup on one occasion.
In his usual automated movement patterns, his trousers and shirt made their way onto his body. Buttons done up, shirt tucked in and belt fastened, only his zip remained. This scene Pancho decided was worth mentioning due to its frequent appearance in comical film productions. He had never believed that an incident so dreadful was physically feasible. That morning his naïve beliefs were corrected by one of those lessons only life can provide. As one may imagine, doing up the zip of one’s trousers is normally quite a simple procedure. One hand grabs the zip, the other the trousers and before one has had time to think about it, the zip is closed and the world is one’s oyster. This action is not often prone to malfunction. Having completed this tricky feat approximately 20000 times in his life without any major incident*, any arising issue could well lead to a life changing accident. Luckily, that morning life decided to give Pancho nothing more than a very sharp warning. Things were not to be taken too lightly; especially activities appearing mindlessly simple. Anything more than this shock and close escape, could have ended Pancho’s adventure in Thailand with one swift movement.
None the less, Pancho did actually survive this incident and was later introduced to one of the classes he had not taught yet. Friday’s was already his most busy day with 4 classes to teach. This was not an easy feat considering how much energy one class of 40 students took. To Pancho’s dismay this class was a tad larger than he had imagined. After the first 40 students had trickled into the room he began to teach. Teaching in this case is whatever he could do without the means of a blackboard or proper classroom (they were in a meeting hall without tables or chairs). The flow of students did not quite subside either. Within 10 minutes, Pancho was finally allowed to witness the full extent of what teaching this period would entail. 130 students in the last period, on a Friday, in a room without fans, tables, or chairs. Luckily a whiteboard had been swiftly brought forth. Explaining things without speaking Thai and without the possibility of drawing to communicate was absolutely impossible. Considering the size of this class, their lack of commitment and the relatively high sound level he did however with the help of the whiteboard eventually manage to convey a few simple concepts. In his thoroughly educated opinion, Pancho wondered whether this class was not better off having the afternoon off.
After mastering these stupendous hurdles, the weekend ahead seemed positively liberating, despite not know what to do with himself.
Pancho was not to worry however. In his wisdom he knew that something would creep up, as it always did in Thailand. This was even the case when he intended to go to sleep and did not want to do anything at all.
This time, he was eagerly invited by Pinball to play football. This second match he was allowed to take part in was quite a fun affair. The villagers and Thai people in general had an excellent set of skills on the ball; however Pancho could not help but notice a coherent lack of any tactical discipline throughout the game. Being one who excelled in intelligent and effective play and not trickery, Pancho naturally found it challanging to singularly guide the ball through the entire opposite team and then to forward it into the tiny goal that was guarded by what seemed to be 3 goalkeepers.
This second match however his skills had lost some of their rustiness, to the point of assisting in the revenge of his team’s previous defeat (1:3). A strong comeback after being two goals down warranted a final victory of 3:2.
What actually caught Pancho’s highly observant self however was the animal grazing at the side of the pitch. In the first instant an uneducated fellow might have mistaken it for a very large and strangely shaped thing. Pancho’s discerning eye however identified this beast in less than an instant. Despite standing on 4 legs as wide as trees and being a decidedly young specimen it was still taller than him. Calmly it fed itself grass with its long trunk while seeming to constantly have smile upon its face. Remarkable how an animal could consistently look so good humored while being herded by a human not even a 10th its size. In case any of you readers have not been able to guess the magical creature mentioned here, it was an elephant.
Apart from being very active on the sporting field and teaching the young minds of Punee and surroundings, Pancho also was frequently, always without previous warning, whisked away. Often it was even a mystery to him where or for what intent he was being taken.
In one instance for example Pancho had played a gentlemanly match of Badminton with his Father’s friend, when he was informed that somebody was going to travel to the next biggest village. Due to his not so fluent Thai Pancho did not quite comprehend who was going there or for what reason. It turned out that after some waiting around (he did a lot of this in Thailand) he was to accompany his father’s friend (Zed) and his family to dinner.
By now Pancho had gotten used to these eventualities and did not mind not being able to plan ahead. It did cut into his time of repose frequently however, as he was often invited to multiple engagements, each obviously without his knowledge.
This occasion with Zed, his wife and his son was a tasty dinner of Thai duck and Thai fried chicken. It must be highlighted that this style of fried chicken was not anything one is used to in the west. In fact it was so hard and crispy that Pancho was not sure whether he was actually eating the meat or the bones. Despite this understandable ignorance one could call the meal quite tasty. Additionally, in good old Thai tradition (as Pancho had come to know) Zed had brought a bottle of Whiskey (actually brandy, but everything was called whiskey). Zed, having a sore throat did not partake in this ritual while Pancho decided to have the drink without the obligatory soda water and ice. He felt like actually being able to use his developed taste in brandies to judge this one (the best Thailand had to offer).
Pancho however, not being able to taste much quickly discovered that there was a good reason for drinking brandy with soda water while eating. This was especially the case in north eastern Thailand where dishes tended to be especially fiery. This keen discovery was that when in pain with the heat of at least 20 chilies, an undiluted beverage such as brandy tended to amplify sensations significantly. So much for alcohol dulling pain. Soon Pancho was struggling to eat or drink anything else than ice cold water. His mouth interestingly felt as if his gums had been chafed raw.
Smiling politely Pancho thanked his host as was appropriate and soon after, having been delivered back home quickly disappeared into his room in order to avoid any other unplanned excursions.
In the peace and quiet of his private living quarters Pancho could lean back and intellectually engage with the subject of Thai culture. As an educated man Pancho frequently enjoyed such pass times in order to keep his mind sharp and focused.
The Thai culture, as he had experienced, had some fascinating nuances that seemed quite contrasting to a foreigner such as him. On one side there was the presence of the Buddhist religion (except for the Muslim south Thailand). This religion, represented primarily by its monks was filled with an ancient wisdom very close to the ideals of scientific thought. Observing the basics, this religion managed to unite the way of thinking in science with the concept of being a human in an “imperfect” world. What was more, the Buddhist religion in many cases lacked clouding fundamentalism frequently found in the monotheistic religions. Pancho rather valued these conceptual ways of thinking. However he argued, as it was with any religion, many people believed without understanding where these beliefs stemmed from. And it was no different with many Thai people. One could have such an amazing collection of wisdom on one’s doorstep and yet at the same time literally be scared of ghosts and other sorts of conjectures. Pancho mused about peoples’ minds when they asked him whether he was scared of ghosts. But it was another question that struck him as a wondrously unfamiliar attitude.
The conversation began quite innocently one may say.
“Do you have a King in your country?”
There not being any King in the country that was considered Pancho’s, he answered honestly.
“No” At this point, due to the likely ignorance of some readers it must be explained that the King in Thailand has the supreme status above everything else. He is literally loved by every Thai. Pancho had not met any exceptions yet and doubted that he would.
The question that ensued from his reply completely threw Pancho. He had not even suspected the possibility of being able to think such a strange thought.
“But who does everybody love then?”
At that point, if one listened closely one could quite possibly hear Pancho’s brain cranking up from idle standby to 10% capacity (this bringing up operational intelligence to what would normally be considered a phenomenal genius).
Pancho quickly conjured up a reply that satisfied his need for subtle diplomacy.
“Our head of state is the president”
This answer adeptly threw his conversational partner off course and made further discussion of such a dangerous topic fall flat.
Matters of the King could be a dangerous topic of conversation when one was not of the same opinion.
* Calculation: Having lived 18 years since being able to do up zips, minus 4 years for the amount of button up trousers worn, times 365 for each day of the year, times 4 for the occasion of going to the toilet or having to zip up an undone zip in a day, roughly rounded, equals 20000 times.
In his usual automated movement patterns, his trousers and shirt made their way onto his body. Buttons done up, shirt tucked in and belt fastened, only his zip remained. This scene Pancho decided was worth mentioning due to its frequent appearance in comical film productions. He had never believed that an incident so dreadful was physically feasible. That morning his naïve beliefs were corrected by one of those lessons only life can provide. As one may imagine, doing up the zip of one’s trousers is normally quite a simple procedure. One hand grabs the zip, the other the trousers and before one has had time to think about it, the zip is closed and the world is one’s oyster. This action is not often prone to malfunction. Having completed this tricky feat approximately 20000 times in his life without any major incident*, any arising issue could well lead to a life changing accident. Luckily, that morning life decided to give Pancho nothing more than a very sharp warning. Things were not to be taken too lightly; especially activities appearing mindlessly simple. Anything more than this shock and close escape, could have ended Pancho’s adventure in Thailand with one swift movement.
None the less, Pancho did actually survive this incident and was later introduced to one of the classes he had not taught yet. Friday’s was already his most busy day with 4 classes to teach. This was not an easy feat considering how much energy one class of 40 students took. To Pancho’s dismay this class was a tad larger than he had imagined. After the first 40 students had trickled into the room he began to teach. Teaching in this case is whatever he could do without the means of a blackboard or proper classroom (they were in a meeting hall without tables or chairs). The flow of students did not quite subside either. Within 10 minutes, Pancho was finally allowed to witness the full extent of what teaching this period would entail. 130 students in the last period, on a Friday, in a room without fans, tables, or chairs. Luckily a whiteboard had been swiftly brought forth. Explaining things without speaking Thai and without the possibility of drawing to communicate was absolutely impossible. Considering the size of this class, their lack of commitment and the relatively high sound level he did however with the help of the whiteboard eventually manage to convey a few simple concepts. In his thoroughly educated opinion, Pancho wondered whether this class was not better off having the afternoon off.
After mastering these stupendous hurdles, the weekend ahead seemed positively liberating, despite not know what to do with himself.
Pancho was not to worry however. In his wisdom he knew that something would creep up, as it always did in Thailand. This was even the case when he intended to go to sleep and did not want to do anything at all.
This time, he was eagerly invited by Pinball to play football. This second match he was allowed to take part in was quite a fun affair. The villagers and Thai people in general had an excellent set of skills on the ball; however Pancho could not help but notice a coherent lack of any tactical discipline throughout the game. Being one who excelled in intelligent and effective play and not trickery, Pancho naturally found it challanging to singularly guide the ball through the entire opposite team and then to forward it into the tiny goal that was guarded by what seemed to be 3 goalkeepers.
This second match however his skills had lost some of their rustiness, to the point of assisting in the revenge of his team’s previous defeat (1:3). A strong comeback after being two goals down warranted a final victory of 3:2.
What actually caught Pancho’s highly observant self however was the animal grazing at the side of the pitch. In the first instant an uneducated fellow might have mistaken it for a very large and strangely shaped thing. Pancho’s discerning eye however identified this beast in less than an instant. Despite standing on 4 legs as wide as trees and being a decidedly young specimen it was still taller than him. Calmly it fed itself grass with its long trunk while seeming to constantly have smile upon its face. Remarkable how an animal could consistently look so good humored while being herded by a human not even a 10th its size. In case any of you readers have not been able to guess the magical creature mentioned here, it was an elephant.
Apart from being very active on the sporting field and teaching the young minds of Punee and surroundings, Pancho also was frequently, always without previous warning, whisked away. Often it was even a mystery to him where or for what intent he was being taken.
In one instance for example Pancho had played a gentlemanly match of Badminton with his Father’s friend, when he was informed that somebody was going to travel to the next biggest village. Due to his not so fluent Thai Pancho did not quite comprehend who was going there or for what reason. It turned out that after some waiting around (he did a lot of this in Thailand) he was to accompany his father’s friend (Zed) and his family to dinner.
By now Pancho had gotten used to these eventualities and did not mind not being able to plan ahead. It did cut into his time of repose frequently however, as he was often invited to multiple engagements, each obviously without his knowledge.
This occasion with Zed, his wife and his son was a tasty dinner of Thai duck and Thai fried chicken. It must be highlighted that this style of fried chicken was not anything one is used to in the west. In fact it was so hard and crispy that Pancho was not sure whether he was actually eating the meat or the bones. Despite this understandable ignorance one could call the meal quite tasty. Additionally, in good old Thai tradition (as Pancho had come to know) Zed had brought a bottle of Whiskey (actually brandy, but everything was called whiskey). Zed, having a sore throat did not partake in this ritual while Pancho decided to have the drink without the obligatory soda water and ice. He felt like actually being able to use his developed taste in brandies to judge this one (the best Thailand had to offer).
Pancho however, not being able to taste much quickly discovered that there was a good reason for drinking brandy with soda water while eating. This was especially the case in north eastern Thailand where dishes tended to be especially fiery. This keen discovery was that when in pain with the heat of at least 20 chilies, an undiluted beverage such as brandy tended to amplify sensations significantly. So much for alcohol dulling pain. Soon Pancho was struggling to eat or drink anything else than ice cold water. His mouth interestingly felt as if his gums had been chafed raw.
Smiling politely Pancho thanked his host as was appropriate and soon after, having been delivered back home quickly disappeared into his room in order to avoid any other unplanned excursions.
In the peace and quiet of his private living quarters Pancho could lean back and intellectually engage with the subject of Thai culture. As an educated man Pancho frequently enjoyed such pass times in order to keep his mind sharp and focused.
The Thai culture, as he had experienced, had some fascinating nuances that seemed quite contrasting to a foreigner such as him. On one side there was the presence of the Buddhist religion (except for the Muslim south Thailand). This religion, represented primarily by its monks was filled with an ancient wisdom very close to the ideals of scientific thought. Observing the basics, this religion managed to unite the way of thinking in science with the concept of being a human in an “imperfect” world. What was more, the Buddhist religion in many cases lacked clouding fundamentalism frequently found in the monotheistic religions. Pancho rather valued these conceptual ways of thinking. However he argued, as it was with any religion, many people believed without understanding where these beliefs stemmed from. And it was no different with many Thai people. One could have such an amazing collection of wisdom on one’s doorstep and yet at the same time literally be scared of ghosts and other sorts of conjectures. Pancho mused about peoples’ minds when they asked him whether he was scared of ghosts. But it was another question that struck him as a wondrously unfamiliar attitude.
The conversation began quite innocently one may say.
“Do you have a King in your country?”
There not being any King in the country that was considered Pancho’s, he answered honestly.
“No” At this point, due to the likely ignorance of some readers it must be explained that the King in Thailand has the supreme status above everything else. He is literally loved by every Thai. Pancho had not met any exceptions yet and doubted that he would.
The question that ensued from his reply completely threw Pancho. He had not even suspected the possibility of being able to think such a strange thought.
“But who does everybody love then?”
At that point, if one listened closely one could quite possibly hear Pancho’s brain cranking up from idle standby to 10% capacity (this bringing up operational intelligence to what would normally be considered a phenomenal genius).
Pancho quickly conjured up a reply that satisfied his need for subtle diplomacy.
“Our head of state is the president”
This answer adeptly threw his conversational partner off course and made further discussion of such a dangerous topic fall flat.
Matters of the King could be a dangerous topic of conversation when one was not of the same opinion.
* Calculation: Having lived 18 years since being able to do up zips, minus 4 years for the amount of button up trousers worn, times 365 for each day of the year, times 4 for the occasion of going to the toilet or having to zip up an undone zip in a day, roughly rounded, equals 20000 times.
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