A Tale of Two School Systems

As we head into our third month of the school year here, I've come to realize some things about our current school and the school we left behind, both the good and not-so-good. The past two months also have given me some perspective about the quality of education that my son has received thus far, both in the U.S. and here.

The administrators of the school here like to remind the teachers what an important job they are doing and that they are educating the future leaders of Thailand. Speaking with my husband about this made me realize that this statement is quite literal and true. You see, the public schools in Thailand sorely lack quality. Those with the means to do so send their children to schools such as ours, a private, international school. The Thai students who attend the school come from families similar to many in the D.C. area -- with parents who are well-off and well-educated businessmen/doctors/CEOs/scientists/high-level government officials (some families here actually "earn" their wealth by being part of the "Thai Mafia," but that's another story). Even some of the king's relatives are among those who attend the school. These students will literally become the leaders of Thailand while their much less well-off and more unfortunate counterparts go on to menial jobs making pennies an hour.

Obviously, the school has the means and resources to do great things for the students and teachers. And it does. Teachers are provided a monthly stipend for professional development and are given money to purchase their own laptops (this is in addition to the desktops they already have in their classrooms). The school pays for teachers to travel to other Asian countries for professional learning. The elementary students have several specials multiple times each week, including several that aren't usually offered in American schools. The class sizes are small with good student-teacher ratios. There are two playgrounds just for the K-2 students. There are over 30 after-school clubs for the students. Each middle-school and high-school student owns his or her own laptop. And because there are no standardized tests to teach to, the teachers are able to go at the students' pace, provide more individualized instruction, and be as creative as they want to be with their lessons. The list goes on.

But, you know, after the last couple of months here, I've also come to realize something else: The county school system where we sent our son to school in Maryland, consistently touted as one of the best public school systems in the U.S., really is pretty amazing and fantastic. I remember how the parents in our school system, myself included of course, would fret and worry about their children's academic success and progress, whether they were being challenged enough or too much, the rigor of the curriculum, etc.

Well, guess what? Aside from the larger class sizes, having to teach to the test on the teachers' part, and the lack (lack being relative here, as the county is one of the wealthier ones in the U.S.) of money and resources -- all of which, I acknowledge, combined can and do have a great impact on a school system's ability to educate its students -- the county is doing a heck of a job educating its nearly 150,000 students. The new elementary curriculum could use some improvements, but the school system is just as academically rigorous as, if not more so than, our school here. Our U.S. school system has International Baccalaureate (IB) programs in various high schools, just like the school here does, as well as magnet, AP, and other specialized programs. There are also many gifted/talented, magnet, and language immersion programs in its elementary and middle schools. Also, from what I've seen, the high school students in our Maryland county are better at analytical and critical thinking. As for the elementary level, my son's class is currently learning material that he learned last year in Kindergarten, when it already wasn't challenging enough for him.

Based on my experiences so far, the only differences between the two schools that we have experienced so far are that the students here, regardless of the class/level they're in, work extremely hard, and the teachers can be more creative and are more able to differentiate their lessons in accordance with each student's abilities because of the resources and smaller classes. Other than that, I am truly amazed by how good the quality of education is in our Maryland school system. Given that it's a public school system with a large and diverse student population, the huge range of student abilities that exist, the relatively large class sizes, and the limited amount of time, energy, and resources the teachers have, it is incredible how far the teachers can take the students just in one school year. I take my hat off to these teachers.

Add to this the amazing diversity that exists, and the rich international cultures represented, in the D.C. area; the many foreign languages that can be heard in the schools and just by stepping outside of one's home; the museums and the endless learning and internship opportunities available; the amazing public library system (we were able to borrow books from any library in the state, including the university libraries, and are able to borrow e-books even from where we are now, thousands of miles away!); and the many well-/over-educated, (perhaps overly) involved parents with an abundance of resources, and you have a rich learning environment and an education system that is about as good as it gets for the students.

[From the teacher's perspective, however, it is probably the opposite -- the lack of disciplinary problems, the amount of resources available, the hard-working students, the relative lack of bureaucracy, and the academic freedom make teaching at an international school a teacher's dream-come-true.]

Most teachers at our current school are quite impressed by it and by the quality of education their children are receiving at the school. From what they tell us about their own school systems in the U.S., I have no doubt this school is a huge improvement over what they are used to. For us, though, the bar has been set higher because of our previous experience in the U.S., so while we think this school is quite good, we also see that our public school back home rivals what we have here.

Having this perspective now, I won't really worry about the quality of education that my son will receive if/when we return to the U.S. It s a good problem to have, choosing between a great international school and a great public school system. This rare chance to catch a glimpse of another education system not only has been really cool to go through, but also has been invaluable. It's remarkable how much insight one can get from spending just a couple of months outside of one's "normal" life. A great once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that everyone should get to have, in my opinion.

Staycation Getaway, Part II: Saturday and Sunday

Our main agenda Saturday was to go to Wat Arun, which is also known as Temple of Dawn (which I tend to think in my head as "Temple of Doom," which then leads me to reminisce about the Indiana Jones movies...). Its main tower is over 200 feet tall, and visitors can climb two flights of very steep steps for a great view of Bangkok. The visit was especially timely as the temple closed as of Tuesday for renovations. The renovations may take as long as three years.

East Meets West: a breakfast of congee, dim sum, pork buns, baked beans, and bacon.

To get to Wat Arun involved getting on a short ferry ride after the boat taxi ride because it is on the other side of the river.

A view of Wat Arun from the ferry.

The grounds of Wat Arun. You'd never know it by just looking, but beyond that doorway (and a few more after that) were several courtyards with cloisters and a wat.

A courtyard beyond the doorway.

There were rows and rows of these statues.

I love cloisters. Notice the pictures and names of deceased people below the statues. I have seen the same thing at Buddhist temples in NYC.

Restoration work.

Wat.

Inside the wat.

Murals inside the wat.

Wat Arun.

Climbing the steep steps at Wat Arun. There are two tiers of steps. I only went up the first tier, but my two guys went up both. The second tier of steps was practically vertical.

At the top of the first tier.

View of Bangkok from the first tier. There are eight sides to the tower, so you really get a 360-degree view of the city.

Another view.

Looking down, and the building still looks so huge because...well, because it is.

Details of Wat Arun.

Wat Arun from a distance.

More statues.

Shopping at an awesome market right outside of Wat Arun. It was fun bargaining with the vendors!

Everything from sarongs to table runners to vests to pillow cases.

So much gorgeous, richly colored fabric. 

There were so many cute outfits for little kids.

Artwork made from buffalo hide and dyed to give color.

We spent the rest of the day and Sunday morning walking around China Town. While it has a lot of Chinese restaurants and stores selling Chinese products, there are not many Chinese people there.

The gates of China Town.

Ironically, the sign for China Town was not written in Chinese.

The street where we had our hot pot lunch.

View from our hotel.

Only from the side can you see that the upper stories are only a facade.

Another street of China Town.

All the random and colorful products made me nostalgic for Chinatown in NYC.

Randomness: pork rinds in the foreground and teas on the shelves.

Chinese medicine.

Pig kidneys.

Shark fins are a delicacy here, and China Town is filled with restaurants selling them. Sadly, sharks are being exploited for their fins, where they are captured and their fins cut off before being released back into the ocean.

Dried goods galore.

There was at least one gold jewelry store on every block.

There are many, many troks (alleys) such as this one in China Town. They are very narrow, only wide enough for one scooter to go through at a time.They are where you'll find all kinds of food stalls with the most basic, yet delicious, foods. The one in this picture is where we had the freshest, best fried rice and rice noodle to date, all cooked up on the spot and for only $4 for the three of us.

Giant vases.

China Town at night.

Freshly made donuts.

We had heard and read about the Golden Buddha statue, which is the world's largest solid gold statue, right in China Town, so we decided to check it out Sunday morning before heading home.  

The wat where the statue is located.

Elaborate, carved artwork on the wall of the wat.

Chimes.

The Gold Buddha.

Ceiling.

"Money tree" for donations.

Our weekend in Bangkok culminated in a return trip to Siam Paragon mall, where we had gone a few weeks ago to visit Siam Ocean World. We met up with a law school friend of mine and her husband. Currently living "next door" in India, my friend had been in Bangkok for work and decided to stay for the weekend for a quick visit. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to meet up with someone from home. A positive way to end the weekend that gave me emotional strength to deal with everyday frustrations and obstacles, of which there are guaranteed to be many in the coming days and weeks, just because. 

Staycation Getaway, Part I: Friday

Friday was a day off from school for us. Instead of escaping to a farther and more exotic locale for a mini-vacation, we decided to stay local and explore Bangkok instead. We booked a hotel for the weekend in China Town, so we wouldn't have to worry about hailing taxis and getting home. 

It was fabulous, and exactly what we envisioned living here would be like when we signed up for this gig: the hustle and bustle; the noise, smells, and sights; the markets; the restaurants and food stalls galore. Being in the middle of it all. And the accessibility! Everything was either within walking distance or within a five-minute taxi ride. I was in heaven. The getaway also was a nice change of scenery, and just enough to rejuvenate and get us through until our next vacation in October. 

Friday was our day in. After checking in at the hotel, we had delicious hot pot for lunch, which was perfect for a dreary and rainy Friday. Then we went out to Wat Pho, also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. 

One thing I loved about being downtown was that everyone, even the street vendors, seemed to speak at least a little English. Also, European, Chinese, and American tourists were everywhere, so I heard English and Chinese everywhere we went and felt very comfortable. And the people there apparently have seen enough Asian tourists in their lifetimes, and didn't automatically assume I was Thai (though they appeared skeptical when told I was from America...you win some, you lose some). 

The only complaint about the weekend: we were unable to find any plain, simple pork dumplings anywhere! In China Town! There was dim sum on every block, but alas, no dumplings were to be found. We even asked the hotel information desk and random dim sum restaurants, but they all seemed clueless about what we were talking about. Looks like homemade dumplings will be added to my to-do list!

I was like a kid in a candy store and took pictures of everything, as you can see.

The front of our hotel. It doesn't even look three dimensional, but it goes in quite deep.

Entrance to the hotel.

We were served amazing jasmine tea and towels for our hands while we checked in.

The door to our hotel room, which was on the third floor.

Sitting area outside our room. The window behind the chairs looked into our room.

The third floor atrium, right outside our hotel room.

Each of the tables in the atrium had a game displayed. Some tables, like this one, had game boards carved into them. This is for backgammon.

I had fun teaching my son to use an abacus, which my own grandmother had taught me when I was young.

The drapes were open and I was able to peek into the room next door.

The other side of the third floor atrium.

The hotel restaurant on our floor. We had breakfast there both mornings we were there. The staff was so taken with my son that they would ask for hugs and kisses from him every time they saw him, run out of the restaurant just to talk to him, and give him extra food to go (breakfast was free for him, but still a nice gesture).

The middle of the atrium. The opening looked down to a pond on the second floor.

The pond on the second floor.

The foyer of our room.

Complimentary soft drinks, beer, and snacks.

The partition separating the foyer from the bathroom. No privacy here!

The sitting area. The settee was so comfortable.

The bedroom area.

The bathroom. Toilet and shower were in their own separate stalls to the right. I loved this bathroom. It had two things that we don't have at our house: hot water from the sink faucet (we only have hot water in the showers and clothes washer) and a bath tub! The three of us, who aren't bath takers at all, took baths each night.

Tissue origami.

Toilet paper origami.

Lunch! Yes, we had hot pot in China Town in Thailand at a restaurant named Texas Suki.

Mmmmm, hot pot.

After lunch, we took our first ever tuk tuk taxi ride to the pier to then take a river boat taxi to get to Wat Pho. It was a short ride - about five minutes - but so much fun. Our driver didn't seem to be from the area as he had to ask a street vendor for directions to get to the pier. He even asked the street vendor how much he should charge us.

The view out the back of the tuk tuk.

The pier where we caught a river boat taxi, also known as Pier 5.

The pier.

A view of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River from the pier.

Bangkok across the Chao Phraya River.

The boat taxi. This is one of several types of boats people take to get places on the river.

Inside the boat.

View of Bangkok from the boat.

Markets on the pier where Wat Pho is, also known as Pier 8.

More markets at Pier 8.

At last, Wat Pho. Its official name is Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan (Thai: วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลารามราชวรมหาวิหาร). No, I can't say it either, and no, I don't know why the English translation is so much longer than the Thai!

Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest wats (temple) in Bangkok and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images. It also houses the largest reclining Buddha statue in the world, called the Reclining Buddha (a no brainer), which is 160 feet in length.

We went to Wat Pho mainly to see the Reclining Buddha, but of course, like everything else we've seen so far, there is an entire compound of smaller wats, shrines, and statues that I was unaware of. Like all the wats we have seen so far, the compound is breathtaking, beautiful, elaborate, and so detailed with all the tiles, gold, and jewelry. With every building we saw, my son would ask how long it took to build it. Wish I knew, but I highly doubt it was easy!

Entrance to Wat Pho.

Another entrance.

Inside one of the wats on the grounds.

Pictures of President Obama's visit to Wat Pho in November 2012.

Beautiful, giant spires were all over the compound.

More spires.

Statues like this, as well as of animals and the Buddha, and small waterfalls, could be found throughout the grounds.

One of many cloisters of Buddha statues.

One of several courtyards on the grounds.

Another wat on the grounds.

Buddha statues inside the wat above.

A little scenery under a tree.

More statues.

A pretty lamppost.

Beautiful and majestic.

This line of statues went on for a while in both directions. Wish I could've captured it all.

Details on the side of a wat.

The head of the Reclining Buddha.

The feet.

The entire Buddha.

The bottom of the Reclining Buddha's feet.

The Reclniing Buddha is just to the right of the columns on the right.

Back side of the Reclining Buddha.

The back of the Buddha's head.

On the way out, visitors can pay 20 baht for a tin of coins, which they then drop into bowls along the wall on their way to the exit.

Bowls for the coins. The clanging of the coins echoing inside the wat was quite loud!

A view of Pier 8 from our boat taxi on the way back to our hotel.

We wrapped up our Friday by going to dinner at a dim sum house across the street from our hotel. Yummy!! No pictures, though -- I completely forgot in my haste to taste the food. We also were quite proud that we were able to survive crossing the street amidst all the traffic to and from the restaurant. Now that's what I call a successful day!