Time flies. 6 week passed really quickly. 25th June. I had to leave right after I sit for my last paper in exam and didn’t even have chance to see my family before leaving. I couldn’t fall asleep on the first night and I wished that was just a dream and the next morning when I wake up I will still in Penang. I still remember I was crying when I talk with Andy on the second night. We had a 3 days 2 nights preparation camp with the local committee (LC) of AIESEC Kasetsart University (KU). I met the other 6 exchange participants (EP) who come from Colombia, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Philippines. My life has never been without Chinese. Well, no one can speak Chinese here. (even after this 6 weeks I had only met two persons who speak Chinese to me, one is a Thai teacher who teach Chinese in school, and another one is a tourist who ask me direction =.=) For the first time in my life I can only speak English (and my limited Thai which I was really hesitate to speak back then) For the first time in my life I’m surrounded by all the new faces. And, I realised I am truly alone.
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| the last picture with the LC & EPs before sending us to respective host family |
I prayed. I wished I can have a safe journey, a good host family and house. You wouldn’t know how worried I was before I came here even until the first few days in Thailand. We were given the worst condition that might happen when we apply the project. It might be a wooden house, geckoes, hot room with only fan, etc. I brought the big foldable mosquito net, insect repellent, small fan, colour pencils, etc. Guess what? None of it get to use here =.= LOL. And what’s more? The rest of the 42 days are definitely the luckiest day I ever have in my entire life.
“From now onwards, you are one of our family member” I will never forget what Dr Farida told me on the first day I arrived at home. Then, I meet my host parent, sisters, grandparent and Dr Farida. This is a big house with a spa clinic and a BIG pig farm behind. I share the bedroom with my phi Bung and Dr Farida. We will share our daytime stories and chatting every night before sleep. Dr Farida is really good in English and she is always my translator. My sister, Phi Bung, always take care of me, and I can notice her English has improved so much in this 6 weeks. Hehe~ my host mother, she is really lovely. She always try to talk with me even she is not good in English. She always cook so much foods and I actually feel really sorry as I don’t really eat much most of the time. I am so lucky to be able to stay in this home.
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| My host family |
Watdonsai School. A small but well-equipped primary school and kindergarten. The first day of school I received a big bunch of flowers which make me feel I have never been so welcomed. I was being told that there are actually another two foreign teachers come on the same day. I am so glad that I have a companion in school. Rubey and Zoya, two beautiful British girls who come from England, my first British friend in life, I feel so much thankful that I have both of them throughout this 6 weeks in school and we had so much fun.
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| first day in school |
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| my best mates in school |
I have 10 lesson per week and field trip/special program on every Friday. I teach from kindergarten grade 2 (5 years old) – Prathom 1-6. Students are really lovely and pay so much respect to the teachers. The village school is so much different with the school in the city. I came from a big school that consist of thousand students and this is really different. School lessons are sometime so disorganized which you will see student doing the cleaning work and gardening at any time, walking here and there and having fun, playing games, stay back in school to play football. However, I am so impressed with ability of student in doing the practical work. They are able to help teachers in doing so much work, manage their own garden, take care of the chickens, catfishes, banana trees, etc. I am glad that most of the students enjoy learning and love to learn English. We have an English room and we always focus on the students’ conversation skill. Prathom 6 is my favourite class. There are only 16 of them. We had extra class after 4pm, we went to do donation together, and farewell dinner. I feel so heavy-hearted when they said they love me and miss me. I miss them too! School teachers are so cute too. Most of them has a bit shy to speak English with us but they will always give us a big warm smile. School director is always look very serious but I know he is a cute person too.
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| dress up like a Thai princess on The Candle Festival |
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| The Prathom 6 |
Teacher meow and Mr Ton. They are the loveliest couple I’ve ever seen. I love to see the way they look into each other eyes. There are so much love. They have been taking care of 3 of us, taking us to visit around and planning programme for us. I will never forget these two lovely angels. We celebrate Mr Ton birthday, go massage, shopping, learning and discussing English and Thai language. They take me to have Japanese food when they know I miss sushi so much. I love every moment I had spent with two of them.
I had travelled around Bangkok, Ratchaburi, Suphanburi, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Amphawa during the weekend and school field trip. Bangkok is so crowded and it is the shopping heaven. Ratchaburi is not a tourist place but full with people I love. Suphanburi Zoo and Aquarium with my 150 students was really fun. Hua Hin is such a relaxing place. Pattaya the only culture shock I had in Thailand, Amphawa is the 2nd most popular floating market
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| Bangkok - Grand Palace |
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| Ratchaburi - The Bloom Orchid Park |
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| Hua Hin - Khao Takiab |
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| Suphanburi - Zoo & Aquarium |
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| Pattaya - View Point |
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| Amphawa |
This 6 weeks is truly the most meaningful summer I ever have. This experience is not something that I can't get by vacation. I love doing normal thing like a local people and sometimes pretend to be one, shop for grocery, cycling to school, and pray in temple. I am impressed that I start to like to eat Som tam (papaya salad) which I used to very much resist that. Som Tam, Tom yam, Pad Thai, etc. so many great Thai food that I’d discovered. Thai people, everyone I met is genuinely kind and sincere. I always think I must have had credited all my good luck in life to have this experience. And sometimes I think my past life must be Thai people or they might use to be one my best friend or family. I believe in fate and I think that’s fate that make me came to here and meeting each and every one of them. Thailand, Ratchaburi, Donsai, a place that I will always want to come back. This place is truly amazing. These memories are priceless.
