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

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!

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

A Week's End

I'm incredibly thankful to have made it to this Friday. For some reason, this week was my most "burnt out" week I've had since arriving in Thailand (mind you, I  arrived June 1st). When I was in class, I was forgetting my classes' previous content, repeating lesson plans (before midway realizing) and more. It was a bit taxing to get through the week but I did it!

During this time, I was reminded of the importance of self-care and maintenance. I realized that it is okay to take time out for yourself. I have to keep reminding my self that my feelings are validated and that this experience is a difficult one. It's not easy living in an unfamiliar country, language, people and having to be in a constant state of "immersion."

But I made through! And with a lot to celebrate! My kids are able to comprehend my lessons are becoming more confident in the English speaking abilities. They strike up conversations a lot easier now.

This week we finished the most of the murals for our school. Pictures below! It was a great time painting these!

 

 

Finished Product!

update: we have since added two more murals: a hopscotch with chinese numbers and a train with the Thai alphabet. The students learn 3 languages (Thai, English and Chinese)

We're headed off the Lopburi (the place with monkeys) tomorrow so stay tuned!

All the best,
Sade

"To educate a girl and is to educate an entire community"

My co-teacher Ann, took this picture of my fifth graders.

I feel like it captures my mission and values while I'm here. I keep finding myself tied back to education in some realm or position. Being an African immigrant to the US, I learned to value education at a young age. Very quickly, it became very real to me the sacrifices that I made and were made on my behalf in order to get to this place. For a while, I imagined myself working in international education policy world and working to decrease the opportunity gap in education. During my first year at university, I interned at an international education NGO and found myself at the fore front of these issues. Two years later, with considerable experience, I still find myself tied to this content area. I'm interested in how education can be used as a tool of poverty alleviation and an increase of access. I look forward to the remainder of this experience.

Host Family Day 1

Yesterday, was my full first day with meeting my host family. So far, it’s been insightful, overwhelming and exciting at times. We first arrived in Phichit earlier in the afternoon yesterday and met with key people in the program (country coordinators, host families, community members, etc.). We then waited for our host families to pick us up and take use back to our new homes. After getting into my room, my mee (thai for mom) and I drove on her motobike and met with the mayor of our town about my work in this community and any questions that I would have. We then took a drive around and sat by a lake & fed catfish, drove through some temples, visited my paw (thai for dad)’s chicken farm. It was so a good introduction. My paw and I just watched a football game (Thailand vs. Taipei) and I went up to sleep. Yesterday, I was able to visit my school and introduce myself to the teachers and students. (by the way: there is an overdue post about intentions, goals and impressions being a TOEFL teacher in another language as an American and an African. I’ll get to that in another post, but I digress). Today is the morning of the 3rd day, and I hope it goes well. It has been a bit difficult with my mee because she feels a bit shy because of her lack of english but I,also suffer from a lack of thai. A funny moment occured when we both pulled out our dictionary help guides. She had her thai – to english and I had my english– to thai. I hope that we both gain something from this experience and that it is a mutually beneficial transaction.