Finding Our Rhythm

We are still early in our stay here. I have only been teaching now for almost two weeks, but we are beginning to find some sort of rhythm to life here in Chiang Mai. In the picture to the left you can see my office. Do you see the work area in the corner with the bulletin board and three great desk top areas? Very ergonomic making the work flow more smoothly and effectively. That's not my spot. See the desk to the left with a couple of books, box of crackers and a back pack? That's mine. Actually I feel very blessed to have a space at all. Payap has been so gracious to me to give me a shared office space with my own key and, most importantly, air conditioning.

Here is a typical week, so far: I come in to school at 10:00 in the morning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I usually spend time preparing for the Jazz Improv workshop that I teach on those days from 3 to 5. I also have 5 private students, 3 on mallet keyboard and 2 graduate students wanting more intense time on jazz improvisation, that come in sometimes expected and sometimes unexpected. I am trying to have a very open policy with the students and be there for them when they ask for extra help. I have also had rehearsals the past two weeks on two to three nights a week for "the big concert" scheduled for tonight with the Chiang Mai Youth Concert Band. The Band consists of students in the high schools and colleges in the area as, sort of, a community band but also a group that requires an audition to participate in. They are quite good and are playing some very challenging music. It has been fun playing with the percussion section and coaching them and getting to know them. Two of them are students of mine at Payap. The theme of the concert is Dances From Around the World and each section is wearing a traditional dance costume from somewhere in the world. The Percussion section is wearing a dance costume from Burma and today (3 hours before the concert) I will discover what the section brought for me to wear tonight. I think I can't wait . . . or can I? On Saturday mornings at 10:00 to Noon I teach a recording techniques class in the school's recording studio. The studio is awesome and I am really enjoying my time so far working in it.

The schedule is working out great and I am still trying to get the language skills happening. I have been encouraged to just try speaking and not worry about the mistakes. Like a child learning a language, the understanding comes first and then the speaking skills start to follow. I'm noticing that. When I hear people talk, I can understand some of what they are saying even though I would have never thought up what they said on my own. It's funny, when I want to communicate, I can often think of one word that I could use but can't string a sentence together for the life of me. I will just keep plugging away and asking questions and repeating phrases. I think that a tutor is something that will happen soon.

Kalya is awesome. She has been so supportive of me and my weak language skills. I am so lucky to have her for a wife and friend. She is really making our humble studio apartment a nice home. If you look closely at the picture, you can see her making one of her many "deals of the century" buying orchids for our balcony at the Orchid Shop in the gardening center that we went to the other day.

She is starting to get in touch with some of the many organizations that deal with children and, specifically, child trafficking. She has gotten some phone numbers and is starting to make some contacts to get a feel for what the possibilities are.

We have been exploring Chiang Mai a lot more and I have only gotten lost twice, once alone and once with Kalya riding with me. Obviously I found my way back, or I wouldn't be writing this right now . . . now, if I could only remember how to get home from this great coffee shop that I am sitting in right now . . . haha.

Life is starting to settle in. The rhythm is beginning to happen. Kalya is making what we have for now an awesome home. I am already getting great feedback from the students and some of the staff about the teaching that I am doing at Payap. I am feeling both helpless and somewhat more confident with my Thai. My language skills are like Thai food, a great mixture of sweet and sour. We miss home, we miss our kids and grandkids and our friends, but we also know that we are beginning a story here and we are so excited to see how this chapter will read.

Blessings,

Bryan and Kalya