To say goodbye, is to die a little

This post is coming incredibly late. During my last week of school, we had a flurry of events and happenings that distracted from updating this blog including our school (along with all schools in my town) celebrating Asahna Bucha Day (It's known as Monk Holiday according to my host brother's laconic statements). I couldn't really teach that day because we had to start the ceremony earlier in the day. Before the temple walking ceremony, my students, administrators, and co-teachers had a "goodbye treatment" for my leaving Phichit. As soon as they began, my tears instantly began to somersault down my cheeks. My students from each grade began to individually hand me "Thank You" cards. I'm so grateful for their presence in my life. They've continued to encourage me and push me for a deeper understanding on issues of educational equality, comprehension and closing the opportunity gap when it comes to these issues.


My parting has been such sorrow. It feels like I began to leave just when everyone began to be get comfortable. For me, my desire to leave Thailand came around a month into teaching. I wasn't missing home, I wasn't uncomfortable, I just felt like I had gotten "enough" out of this experience. But 2 weeks later, the longing to leave had dissipated and I was ready to fully immerse and engage into teaching. Now a full two months later, I have a feeling of such bittersweet sorrow. I'm leaving with so many questions about impact, goals, achievements and purpose, while here. I hope I have time to evaluate these questions as I transition back home. There are moments when I wonder if my leaving was more potent in their minds than my time actually spent in the classroom.

These were completely unexpected.
I honestly didn't know how I was going to pack all of these into my already tiny suitcase.

These past few months has been the best time of my life. And I hope that if anything, my students will remember the joy they felt during our engaging English conversations. I hope that they will feel even more inspired to learn this language and maximize on their individual potential as they grow into future leaders, workers, and inspirations.

Khob Kun ka,
Kruu Sade

Goodbye part.1

As a conclusion to my goodbye ceremony, we had a formal dinner and goodbye accompanied with all the volunteers wearing traditional Thai wear.

Below are photos.

With my Patoum 6 (6th grade) class on their last day. I handed out English certificates (thanks Elmo!) for completing such a great and successful run.

For most of my classes, I did a "review" games of concepts. For fun, I threw in an ASEAN category and poor Team Rose couldn't even spell Thailand correctly! Gotta love my kids.

A Pongthongyoi Family portrait

A family portrait of all the volunteers!

All simultaneously looking at completely different cameras.

Peacing it out!

Khob Khun Ka

Thank you.

You've become a part of me.

As I Embark on my last week as Resident teacher at Thab Khlo Municipality school, it only seems fit to post my reflections and thoughts. Last week, I finished my last full week of teaching. So blessed. and tired. yep definitely tired. I have one more day of teaching. It's a bit weird. It feelslike this is the point when everyone has just gotten comfortable. Like the teachers, parents, even my neighbors with me here. And yeah I leave in under a week. It's weird how the human mind works. We'll see certain people on a regular cycle but it takes a number of interactions before we become attached to those moments. I'll never forget my first week at Thab Khlo. It was a lot to handle. I was fatigued from teaching and becoming accustomed to a full work day, but also keeping up with demands at home. Over time, it all became quite normal. Here we are.

With two of my fellow teachers at my school! They all got together and we had a nice food party. ~___~ Afterwards, we went sight-seeing at the next town over.

Look at the beautiful rice fields (and me)! Often on family trips, we drive past so many of these but I've never gotten the chance to stop and see one up close. 

Me @ inside the temple!

Statue of monk

My fellow teachers and I went to a temple created by a monk over a span of 11 years. The name slips me at this moment. This was the overview of the museum dedicated to him.

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The next day we visited our grandparents and aunts/uncles one last time!

Me and my host mom in my grandmother's backyard. She and our grandfather have a pig farm!

After visiting grandparents, we headed to a restaurant and had a final goodbye. I love my host family so much. As I playback these past weeks/month, I've been so overjoyed at how perfect they really were for me. We at first had a rocky start but it all fell into place as expected. Their extended family has opened their arms and taken me in as their own. Before Thailand, I wasn't concerned about danger and safety but acceptance did come across my mind. I knew that I didn't look like a "typical" volunteer as it's not as common to see people of the African diaspora traveling (we're changing that). But it has been just the complete opposite. With an absolute joy and happiness to see my face every time we've interacted. This family has left a dent in my heart that will always long for them. I'm hoping to visit Thailand to become a program director for this English program (we'll see what God has in sight).

My beautiful aunt and uncle (paa and loong). Their kindness and beauty towards me has been so welcoming and overwhelming.

Featuring my beautiful host mom! (Meé Op)

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Thai cuisine is a God send and no one can tell me other wise.

My host brother took this candid!

On the drive back home, I thought this was a cool shot!

Sabai

Sabai -- A Thai word to exemplify peace, tranquility or relaxing.
It can also mean different when used in conversation (e.g.)

A: Sabai dee ru?   (How are you? [informal])
B: Sabai dee.  (I'm fine)

This past weekend, some of the volunteers got together for a lunch with the program director, former country coordinators, and the founder of LE Thailand. It was a good chance to see each other again since the last time we had met was at our July 4^th party. We all lamented on the fact that our teaching ends within the next week, among other things (traveling, lack of exercise in Thailand, abundance of weight gain but pure happiness and so on). It’s been a great run while we’ve been here. I’m leaving this post a bit short and more image heavy because I should be getting sleep and journaling.

Me and some the other volunteers. It's really great when a candid is actually a candid.

Me and Supa (former country coordinator) modeling the wonderful flower display

Most of the Squad. We came over when Supa (former Country coordinator) was hosting some Monks. After they had their meal, they blessed each of the volunteers. Amazing experience.

but there was so much more food. I was a took a HQ pic but this will do.

Yixin, one of my co-volunteers catching up on her daily mangosteen intake

Pakpol!! He's Supa's son and former LE volunteer and program coordinator. He now runs his own English Language center here in Thailand. It's called the English Exchange.

Sidenote: It just rained and there are all these flies over the house and rooms? They’re completely harmless but it’s incredibly interesting. My host mom tried to let me touch them but I screamed at the fact that these bugs had 3 sets of wings. They’re the bugs that we fry and eat. Can’t find the English word.

until  then,

Sade

Time runs past when you're focused on the present

As I tried to wrap my brain over where these last two months have gone, my program director notified my cohort of important dates and logistical information regarding our departure. It seems that just last weekend we had our mid-point break and before that we had our community Welcome party accompanied with Thai dancing, a host parent blessing ceremony and more. Somewhere in between that, I taught classes, tutored students, and enjoyed trips with my host family. I still remember my first week when I bonded with my host mother through our temple visits and making merits to the monks. Honestly, I wake up and I don't dread going to work. And very often, it doesn't feel like work. On my worst days, it feels like an intense labor of love. I come home tired, sweating and wanting to take a deep sleep of recovery but still a labor of love. There aren't many other work experiences that I can compare to these feeling. Of course, there were definitely those nights were I wanted nothing more than to return back to DC, be a University student, and see my family. With that being said, I'm glad that I've spent the majority of my nights reflecting in my journal and examining my intentions and purpose while here, because otherwise, this impending date may have too sharp of a sting. As I try my best to hold on to these last two weeks, I will admire the amount of change that has occurred over these months and cherish them deeply.

Sade

Rural Diaries pt.2

Alas! The pictures of the famed "town of monkeys" are here! It was nice having no wifi, and visiting the countryside in the northern province of Lopburi. I was in love with the absolute peace there was. We stayed at my buo's (father's father) house.

With my lovely grandmothers!

I learned how to basketweave (barely)

The community fishing net in our backyard. It's monsoon season currently in Thailand. But to climate change, there hasn't been much rain in the country. I can count on my hand the amount of times it's rained since I've been here. Anywho, typically, the water levels would be higher than this picture and the net would be filled with fish!

We later drove into the city to visit Lopburi's famed Khmer Temples.

So all around the town of Lopburi there are Macaques freely walking around. They've completely lost any fear of humans so they have no problem stealing food from you (if you're not vigilant!) 

The tale is that if anyone kills the macaques they will have eternal bad luck, hence their history of roaming freely. There's an annual festival, or as my host brother calls it "monkey meeting"  to feed and celebrate the macaques.