JONMAS!

Hey all,
whutap? So last week was mid-terms. It was pretty dry. I did see the movie avatar in 3-D on the biggest screen in Thailand (in the mall that is right next door to my school... with the ice-skate disco and the bowl-club... in the movie-dance-hall). The movie is really cool, def a big screen one. So monday through thursday=boring haha. Friday, was not christmas, it was Jonmas!! WHOOOO!! Except at my school... there it was definitely christmas. I got to help set up and run a 4 hour Christmas Extravaganza!! It had everything a birth-of-our-lord-and-saviour-spectacularrrrr should have: a "Mr. Santa and Mrs. Scantily-clad-girl-dressed-in-red pagent," a presentation of 4 of the more religious christmas songs mumbled by students who don't know the words, a traditional Thai Martial Arts demonstration with real swords, a christmas raffle, and obviously Thai pop songs. The martial arts show was rad. real rad. There were two performances, in the first both students had swords (nar nar, mangled, metal swords), and in the second one student had a bow-staff and the other had a pair of Tonfa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonfa). The first demonstration started with a solid 7 minutes of the students just sitting and walking around with their swords. They had this really high stepped walk and they each held their two swords in very theatrical "ready-to-strike" poses. I, being a jackass, had just started thinking "yup, Thai martial arts is all about performing ceremony until your enemy is bored into submission" when the two students ran at each other and began hacking towards each other with full force! It was choreographed and really impressive. They like kicked each other and jumped-over and ducked-under sword swings. really cool. The second act had the drama built into it.. which was weird but definitely fun. The kid with the Tonfas kept pretending he was a baby or something... i dunno. I do know that when they were attacking each other, it again was full force and really fast. very impressive.
Friday night I went partying for my birthday!!! WHOOO!! I met up with friends in the the center of bangkok and we ate some bomb Indian food, then proceeded to drink with ambition! ON MY BIRTHDAY!!! JONMAS!! My friend Johnny bought be this wooden frog that is really popular here. Its got ridges on its back and comes with a wooden rod. When you run the rod along the ridges slowly, the thing sounds just like a frog, its pretty amazing actually. If you run it a little faster the frog acts more like those percussion instruments that you hear in world music (i think you know what i'm talking about) and if you hit the frog on the ridges, it sounds like a cow-bell (think Don't fear the reaper.... will ferrill...you know). I also bought myself a gift, FIRE POI!! A "poi" is essentially (well mine is) a metal cylinder wrapped in some kind of fabric. The cylinder is at the end of a metal chain about as long as my arm with a small cloth handle at the other end. You use them in a pair. The idea, is that you dip them in Kerosene (unless you are in Thailand, where you use gasoline) and light them on fire, and swing them about in a festive manner. Ideally. I don't think i'll be lighting them any time soon. I have practised only a small amount since friday and have already hit myself in the arms and chest like its my job and have made the back of my head very tender to the touch. Also, last night I hit myself in the crotch, with both of them at the same time..... really really hard. I was rolling around on the ground for about ten minutes, ill spare you the rest of the details. Johnny watched me do it and laughed victoriously.... because I had laughed with enthusiasm when he did the same thing the day before. In summation, no fire for a while.
Friday night was great. Bars, clubs, late night falafel, getting home at 5:30 and skyping my parents to wish them a merry Jonmas while putting on my best "sober person" impersonation. Without a doubt, great birthday!
Saturday and Sunday I spent recovering and getting my apartment into shape for my new roommate!!! HOOOOORRAAAAHHh!! Marisa gets here in 4.5 hours. I am at work right now going crazy. Time could not move more slowly. It could try, but it would not be successful. Today was a good opportunity to try some of the things I wanted to try with my teaching. Mainly, releasing some control (or attempts at control) of the classroom. I say today was a good opportunity to try this because I could not care less today! haha The students finished their midterms last week and starting tomorrow we have 4 days off (during which I will be on a tropical island called Ko Chang). Why the school is even open today is beyond me (and that sentiment is shared with everyone except for the director of the school). The lesson plans go by weeks and, as this week only has one day, there is no lesson plan for today! I just got the students ready for what is coming next week. not complaining, just trying to pass the time! haha. ok Merry Christmas to all of you and I hope you will have a happy new year. I figure I should also include how thankful I am to have such awesome friends and family. I am really really loving this trip and I know it would not have been possible without all of you. So much love and thanks a bunches.

and you are now all caught up on the happenings of ashley watson's brother.

--jon