seeKgo

Reflect

It has been nearly a month since I’ve came back from Thailand, and I can’t seem to go a day without reminiscing about my time there. Throughout my days I am constantly reminded that there is a beautiful place, far away, that will always be a part of me.

It has been easy for me to write and to talk about each individual Thailand experience, but I’ve found it difficult to sum up my experience as a whole. There is just something about Thailand and the way it has affected in me in such a positive way… and its effectiveness is so powerful that I really struggle to find the right words to explain it.

Perhaps it was the opportunity to venture out on my own, in a new place, to find myself..

Perhaps it was meeting new people, with genuine and friendly souls…

It might be the clarity, the open-mindness I achieved while there..

Maybe this memory acts as a reminder that the answers I want often come from life’s wonderful experiences.

Whatever it is, Thailand had great influence on my insights of life .

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to visit such an amazing place. I am so lucky that I was able to learn about a new culture, and practice a different way of living. Most importantly, I am certain that my experience in Thailand will have great influence on my future. I will continue to be, compassionate, empathetic, strong, and influential. I will try my hardest to be respectful, calm, and, mindful.

and one thing I will always be reminded to do..

is smile.

Thank you and until next time.

Thailand, Land of Smiles

Rewards

I went on an adventure. An extraordinary adventure; and when I describe this particular trip as magical, I actually mean it with no exaggeration. It was a fun and exciting adventure, but serious in nature. When I say serious in nature I mean it every way possible. I went trekking, hardcore hiking. The group and I conquered a challenging but oh so rewarding journey through the Northern Thailand mountains. With sweat dripping from our chins, and continuous bite attacks from mosquitoes we walked, jumped, and climbed through dirt, rocks, and bushes. Along the way we were introduced to several plants with unique and interesting characteristics. In this land that felt both refreshing and in some ways uncomfortable, there were leaves that you can blow bubbles from, leaves that produced red dye if your rub it between palms, leaves that if delicately touched by a single finger slumped over as if they were depressed, leaves that made a bubble-wrap popping noise if you slam your hands against it, and trees of some of my favorite Asian fruits. With this being said, I hope you now can not only imagine the beauty of what I’ve experienced but also understand that when I say that it was magical, I really mean it.

Before I get carried away, I must remind you; This journey was nothing close to easy. It took determination, and hard work. It took motivation, physical and mental. We had to get down and dirty, there was indeed blood, sweat, and tears. Nonetheless, it was completely worth it.

balancing on who knows how stable bridges, jumping from rocks to rocks, we hiked our way up to small village hut home. On our way up we met tiny black piglets, a couple of water buffaloes,and some stray dogs. The residence of that village cooked us a huge vegetarian meal while we rested. To start, we had fresh cut pineapple and mango, an abundance of it, so fresh, so ripe, and so delicious. I am convinced that I will never have a better mango. It melted in my mouth like butter. For our main course we had rice, and two veggie dishes. After a long rest, we hiked some more.
We hiked to a waterfall. Most of us got right in, some of us were hesitant. Although the water wasn’t the clearest it was a pleasant temperature. Fish were nibbling on our toes, a weird experience for others, but I’ve had a fish pedicure before so it wasn’t too surprising, just wasn’t my favorite feeling. We enjoyed some time in the water, dried off, then continued the adventure. We hiked back to the vehicles that dropped us off, inevitably smelling and sweating like cavemen. It was tough but it was rewarding.

Chaing Mai Street Art

Thailand’s offerings Pt.2

There is something beautiful about Chaing Mai, Thailand.

I can’t quite figure out exactly what it may be.
Perhaps it is the natural feelings it so effortlessly provides.

The streets may not be the cleanest

And every breath of air may not be fresh

But each smile I have received here feels honest

And the city just seems to move flowingly

Although crossing the streets may not be the safest and traffic has no forced pattern

Something about this place seems to be exactly how it supposed to be

Even if you don’t fall in love with this place, it has a way of making you feel as if you belong

It is an interesting place if you’re looking for something to catch your eyes

But also a calming place if you prefer to rest them

It gives you an opportunity to be part of the scene or to simply observe it

It gives no attitude and only expects your happiness in return

Even with feelings for homesickness

You can’t help but appreciate what beauty this place has to offer

Enormous Amounts of Love

I’ve always thought that elephants were awesome animals. So very large in size, but if you’ve ever had the chance to interact directly with one then you’d know that they have so much character. We visited an elephant conservation center which was a fun experience. There, we had the opportunity to feed them and watch them bathe. Many of the elephants interacted with us by poking us with their trunks, I assume they were insinuating that they were hungry and that we should give more food for them to eat. The elephants were calm, just keeping to themselves, allowing us to observe their slow but powerful motions. I was intrigued by their wrinkled skin, and floppy thin ears. However, I was concerned with how the men who rode on the elephants pulled themselves by using their ears. There were other things that bothered me as well. Just being unsure of what the quality of treatment was for these amazing animals made me uncomfortable.

The center offered a show which reminded me of a circus. Although it was interesting to see how intelligent the elephants were, it was annoying to understand that they were doing things that may have been unnatural to them. Crossing my arms with my own opinion, I continued to watched the show. The elephants painted on canvas, and were conducted to move around huge logs, and other tricks. It was probably the part of the day I enjoyed least. Otherwise the rest of the time was fun. We met a baby elephant, he was only a year old and located in the nursery where he stayed with his mother. He was so playful and has won my personal “cutest thing I’ve seen in Thailand award”. He pulled my arm many times using his trunk, trying to get me to come over and play. Almost begging. I really wish I could have. We gave him so much attention and love, it was exchanged back enormously, and it was very hard to say goodbye. I could have stayed there for hours and played with him, or even just watching him be would’ve been just fine. I never thought I’d make friends with an elephant, but in Thailand I did. I just haven’t ever really had such a connection with an animal I’ve only met once. He was a joyous creature, and thinking about him brings joy out of me.

Unforgettable

I keep saying unforgettable, but I really do mean it every time. This particular evening was most definitely one to remember. Our group of 16 plus our professor Dan enjoyed a delicious buffet style vegetarian dinner in a setting that felt something like a tree house in paradise. Of course, the food was delicious, no meat necessary. Before I go any further, I must explain that this wasn’t even the highlight of the night. Amazing, but nope not even close. After our meal, full bellies and all we walked to the Tha Pei Gate. Our professor explained that this was one of his favorite places to go dancing. As instructed by Dan it was mandatory for us to join him and dance. When we arrived my first thoughts were, Dance? Dance to what music? And there it was… A drum set of buckets, a man with a guitar, and a random bike with a buffalo head on the handles. So I played, I made a beat, and surprisingly I played well. I felt like I transformed into a rockstar, flipping my curls from side to side, eyes closed, with a huge smile on my face. With the help of the group member’s singing, clapping, and dancing a crowd came to join. Some just watched, others danced along. We were the life of the party. One of our group members also played, she’s naturally a rockstar so of course she had fun on the bucket drums. It was an absolutely unforgettable moment, it rained towards the end but that didn’t stop us. We sung Have You Ever Seen The Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival and danced through the rain. In that moment nothing else mattered. At least for me, I lived in the moment a moment that replays in my mind over and over again.

Sorry for the blurry photos.

Thailand’s offerings

I came to Thailand to teach, but have learned so much more than I expected.
I’ve learned and lived a foreign culture, a culture that I have a newfound respect for.
I came to Thailand for a new experience, but I’ve been given the opportunity to self reflect.
I’ve learned about others, but also about who I am and what outlook on life I desire to have.
I have been inspired by Thailand, and I am forever grateful for the inspiration this beautiful place has provided.

Be mindful of the life you are living, understand that you have the power to inspire

Purpose

We were invited to a teacher appreciation ceremony that is held at each school every June in Chiang Mai. The whole school came together and presented the teachers with beautiful flower arrangements. Each flower had a specific meaning and were arranged along with decorated fruits such as durian and watermelon. There was also a performance of traditional Thai dancers. During this performance a small group of female students wore beautiful traditional Thai dresses, bright red lipstick and long luxurious hair extensions. The girls looked so nice in their costumes, and so different from how we have seen them before as this is the only time they’re allowed to wear makeup and dress out of uniform. They wore long flowers on each finger while they moved and danced gracefully in front of the whole school. The students also sung a song dedicated to the teachers. It was easily one of the most soulful songs I’ve ever heard. I could not understand a single word, but I could tell that the song represented appreciation, it was peaceful in spirit. It was perfect for its purpose as the teachers at this school deserve the upmost respect and appreciation.

We learned that anyone who works for the government is well taken care of through benefits. Jeab, the English director explained that anyone working for the government recieved free health insurance for their whole family, and teachers’ children receive free education,and they also have the benefit of stipend housing, or in some cases free housing. We also learned so much about what the school offers and provides to the students who were once before underprivileged. Coming from homes of poverty, low-income, and in many cases abuse, this school provides students a better chance of improving their lives. Similar to a vocational school, The school teaches their students skills that they may use in their future occupations, as well as teaching them the basics of language and other subjects. It was interesting to learn that many of the students come to the school at a young age and come from various hill tribe villages so their first language is sometimes not Thai or varies in dialect. Accordingly, the school must teach them how to speak Thai before English.

As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, the staff has always treated us volunteers with much respect and appreciation. We were constantly thanked for our service and always treated as equals. Along with the ceremony we were invited to a buffet style lunch at a very elegant hotel. The food and desert was superb, gourmet, chefs hats and all. We were encouraged to eat until our stomachs were absolutely full. To end the lunch Jeab gave a short speech to thank us and show appreciation on behalf of the Sukasongkhro school. They made us certificates of appreciation, and encouraged us to come back again next year. Instead of saying goodbye they said “See you next time.” It felt hard to leave, in some way I felt belongingness. I had such a purposeful experience which is truly unforgettable. I feel that this experience will help me understand more of what I would like to do in the future. Without any doubt in my mind, I know that my purpose is to be of service to people who many need it. Whether my purpose is to work in an educational setting or not, this experience has encouraged me to seek a life of purpose