I like my freckles.

I don't only like my freckles, I love them. I love that I get tons of freckles on my nose and even a few on my lips when I have been in the sun. While spending so much time outside I have definitely earned a few more freckles, and I'm loving it. But Thai people, like most eastern Asians, strongly dislike dark skin. Dark skin is viewed as lower class. Those who are dark skinned, historically, work outside as laborers. The higher class stayed inside and had porcelain, doll-like skin.

The shelves of grocery stores are filled with whitening face wash, whitening lotion and whitening masks and creams. White is what everyone wants. It is a little creepy. Tonight I even saw a package at 7-11 that said "Skin Whitener and Freckle Remover." It was on display at the very front of the store.

The desire to be pale and white didn't bother me as much as it fascinated me. It is very interesting to see the Thai teachers with whitening creams in the bottom of the desks, and the frequent commercials on TV and the skin whitening clinics. I am just a silly farang in Thailand, so I am stared at regardless of freckles. I found it all very interesting until I had my photo taken. I need about 172 copies of passport style photos in all different sizes for my work permit, visas, etc. I went to a photo place near my school and had my photo taken upstairs. The photographer fixed my hair and made sure my shirt was buttoned all the way to the top. I told the nice lady at the front desk that I would be back the next day for my photos. When I picked up the small plastic bag of photos I was shocked. It looked nothing like me. At all. The photo people had applied perma- lipstick to my lips, fixed my stray hairs, and erased my freckles. All of my color was gone. I looked like a doll. When I picked my chin off of the counter and looked back up, the three Thai people behind the counter just smiled with pride. The photo looks nothing like me and that is exactly why they were so happy.

When I gave my co- teacher the photos she was thrilled! She took out her camera and showed me photos of me that she had taken for the bulletin board. She looked at the pictures and said, "no good, no makeup." She then held up my fake photos and smiled and said, "very good, very good." Eww. Go use your whitening cream and give me back my freckles.

Stereotypes exist for a reason. Yes, Thai people love the doll look. I think it's weird, but I'll get over it. There is another stereotype, however, that is absolutely hilarious. The problem with "l" and "r." In Thai, and other eastern Asian languages, "l" and "r" sounds are basically interchangeable. Either sound can be used and the word is the same. This problem was first brought to my attention in the movie Team America. During the movie an Asian character sings the song "Lonely." But with interchangeable sounds, he is really singing about being ronery! There is one inappropriate line, but click here to see the clip.

My kids are constantly messing up the sounds. They love to put "r" in everything. Raugh. Kirogram. Ronger. You name a word with an "l" and they will switch it. The problem is, I have seen the movie, as well as the rest of the foreign teachers. We wander the halls singing "Ronery, I'm so ronery." Even when I am in the middle of class and I am have my students repeat me saying "ruler," I can't help but raugh hystericarry when they say, "rurer." And then of course they all ask, "Teacher Meaghan, what funny?"

It is one thing for the students to mess up, but it is everyone! Even my co-teacher, the head of the English Program, asks me every day, "you eat runch?" "Yes, Teacher Lawan, I eat runch."