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Missing Thailand
Posted by Teresa Ulrich
on
8:46 PM
So, I have been back for a few weeks now. I stayed at home for a week, and then I made a trip to Plainfield High School and a stint out to Missouri to look at Northwest Missouri State U for their grad program. And now, I am hanging out at ISU for the week.
ISU gave a concert in Indianapolis on the Friday I was at Plainfield. It was the first time I'd seen anyone from ISU. I was very happy to be reunited with my ISU family, but felt very overwhelmed. I still have some processing I need to do, and it was made clear to me that evening.
I have talked with Kurt Baer several times, former Thai traveler and fellow ISU student. We have reminisced about the food. Oh, how I miss it. I'm having a harder time adjusting to eating American food, which I have eaten my whole life, that I had adjusting to Thai food, which I only started consuming when I arrived there. Bleck. American food. :)
Incidentally enough, a group of high school students and teachers from the demonstration school at SSRU are visiting the States for two weeks, and are at ISU for this week. I have been with them a couple of times now. I can only imagine how they feel right about now. They still have jet lag, and they have been whisked around for two days now, overloaded with tons of information. I'm sure they are ready to go home now, but no relief is in sight for quite some time. One of the students told me that the plane ride was so long and he watched the same movie four times.
On the upside, I'm told that it's 41 degrees Celcius right now. SO hot! I guess I left at a good time!
I hear also that the situation with the Red Shirts is growing more dire. The Yellow Shirts are threatening to come out if the government doesn't dissipate the Red Shirt movement. I hope my friends in Bangkok are okay.
I have watched the DVD of the choir concert several times since I have returned, and I am so proud of the music we made. The students worked really hard. The "Danny Boy" piece was no obstacle for them, but "Daniel, Daniel" (Urstein's arrangement) was a stretch for them, which is great. I really pushed the boys in their unaccompanied "Blow the Man Down," but they truly rose to the occasion to accept the challenge. For them, it was about applying what they've learned in theory and skills classes to reading music. And for the ladies, their final performance of "The Water is Wide" was their best. Some of them were new to choral singing, but they did a wonderful job. And, more importantly, I think they will continue the chorus. I sincerely hope they do!
For me, I had the chance to apply all of the neat choral tricks that I've learned, like voice matching. Voice matching is fun. I've probably said that before in a previous post, so I won't go into great detail about it--but all I can say is, "Rober Shaw WHO?" I'm totally just kidding about that. But I'm not too shabby at it!
I miss Thailand very much and I wish I could go back. I think I will eventually. Maybe not in the near future, but someday I will go back.
In the mean time, I have been applying for jobs. WOO! Tons of fun. :) As much as I'd like to do... well, nothing, for a while, I realize that jobs don't wait for people to decompress. Being at ISU and back in a familiar environment has helped some. I'd like to go camping for a week, just by myself, with only a journal and some way to listen to music, but, alas... I don't think that will happen anytime soon.
And, in the mean time, I will compile several photo videos, and I may post the videos from the concerts at SSRU and Thammasat.
ISU gave a concert in Indianapolis on the Friday I was at Plainfield. It was the first time I'd seen anyone from ISU. I was very happy to be reunited with my ISU family, but felt very overwhelmed. I still have some processing I need to do, and it was made clear to me that evening.
I have talked with Kurt Baer several times, former Thai traveler and fellow ISU student. We have reminisced about the food. Oh, how I miss it. I'm having a harder time adjusting to eating American food, which I have eaten my whole life, that I had adjusting to Thai food, which I only started consuming when I arrived there. Bleck. American food. :)
Incidentally enough, a group of high school students and teachers from the demonstration school at SSRU are visiting the States for two weeks, and are at ISU for this week. I have been with them a couple of times now. I can only imagine how they feel right about now. They still have jet lag, and they have been whisked around for two days now, overloaded with tons of information. I'm sure they are ready to go home now, but no relief is in sight for quite some time. One of the students told me that the plane ride was so long and he watched the same movie four times.
On the upside, I'm told that it's 41 degrees Celcius right now. SO hot! I guess I left at a good time!
I hear also that the situation with the Red Shirts is growing more dire. The Yellow Shirts are threatening to come out if the government doesn't dissipate the Red Shirt movement. I hope my friends in Bangkok are okay.
I have watched the DVD of the choir concert several times since I have returned, and I am so proud of the music we made. The students worked really hard. The "Danny Boy" piece was no obstacle for them, but "Daniel, Daniel" (Urstein's arrangement) was a stretch for them, which is great. I really pushed the boys in their unaccompanied "Blow the Man Down," but they truly rose to the occasion to accept the challenge. For them, it was about applying what they've learned in theory and skills classes to reading music. And for the ladies, their final performance of "The Water is Wide" was their best. Some of them were new to choral singing, but they did a wonderful job. And, more importantly, I think they will continue the chorus. I sincerely hope they do!
For me, I had the chance to apply all of the neat choral tricks that I've learned, like voice matching. Voice matching is fun. I've probably said that before in a previous post, so I won't go into great detail about it--but all I can say is, "Rober Shaw WHO?" I'm totally just kidding about that. But I'm not too shabby at it!
I miss Thailand very much and I wish I could go back. I think I will eventually. Maybe not in the near future, but someday I will go back.
In the mean time, I have been applying for jobs. WOO! Tons of fun. :) As much as I'd like to do... well, nothing, for a while, I realize that jobs don't wait for people to decompress. Being at ISU and back in a familiar environment has helped some. I'd like to go camping for a week, just by myself, with only a journal and some way to listen to music, but, alas... I don't think that will happen anytime soon.
And, in the mean time, I will compile several photo videos, and I may post the videos from the concerts at SSRU and Thammasat.
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