Day 5

Day 5 - Kingston Literature and Thai Film

01/13/2025

Max King

We started this second week of J-Term by warming up with some Thai language practice. I found this to be an engaging way to revisit Asian culture. Today, I learned how to speak, read, and write greetings, nationalities, and cuisine. I am ending today’s practice with a good understanding of the Thai language and hope to continue building my skills. The ultimate goal of my experience with LingoDear is to become proficient enough to communicate efficiently when the class travels to Thailand in March. 

The next activity we did was a class seminar on Maxine Hong Kingston's "No Name Woman." This story explores the role of women and their shame within Chinese society. We explored how Chinese American Kingston's representation of her experience may dramatize the cultural impact. Along with the story, we reviewed various sources that critiqued and supported the text to help us have a fair approach when developing our own ideas. 

Next, We took a break for lunch which lasted an hour. This was a good way to relax and enjoy some free time around school. 

When we returned to class, we began a Thai film called Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. This movie follows a dying Thai farmer, Uncle Boonmee, as he reflects on his life and past incarnations while preparing for death. Joined by the ghost of his wife and his son, now a monkey spirit, Boonmee embarks on a spiritual journey that blends memory, reincarnation, and Buddhist philosophy. The film’s meditative pace and mystical elements explore themes of mortality, the cycle of life, and humanity’s connection to nature, culminating in his peaceful death in a cave believed to be the origin of his first life. This concluded the day as we sat in the classroom sharing laughs at this unique piece of visual Thai culture.

Today had a less active itinerary than usual, but it was a needed way to warm up our minds before heading into the busy week ahead.