I can hardly believe it. My two months in Plaboo is coming to a close and while my arrival seems so long ago, the time here went by like lightening. It’s weird how time works that way. I feel as though we just got into a comfortable routine and now it’s time to leave. Don’t get me wrong, it will be nice to be back home among friends, family, hot showers, and flushing toilets. But there are so many things about Plaboo that I will miss dearly.
The past couple of weeks have been filled with teaching and traveling. It seems like Lam wanted to squeeze everything she could out of these last weeks and I was happy to oblige. We went along with Lam and Li to Kanchanaburi, located on the western side of Thailand. The 10-hour ride took place in a pimped out van, complete with DVD player and air conditioning. Lam had brought some English DVDs so we were able to get our t.v. fix with Mr. and Mrs. Smith (terrible) and Serendipity (a Christmas fave). The group was headed there in order to participate in a camp for leaders of alternative schools, which is what Plaboo’s Farmer Community School (FCS) is considered. Upon arrival, I felt like we had stepped inside the book 1984. We slept in little bamboo huts and had to follow various rules. There was a loudspeaker in each hut that played continuously, although I have no idea what it said. We all had to eat together with 10 people to a table and couldn’t begin to chow down until all ten people had their food. The owner of the camp, who only appeared on the first day, is a very famous and respected previous politician in Thailand who positively changed the schooling system in Thailand. During his welcome speech, he specifically pointed at me and spoke, which caused everyone in attendance to glance my way. At first I thought he was just talking about the white girl (a normal occurrence), but Lam informed me that he was really saying that my skirt was too short and everyone had to wear long pants. I was so embarrassed, but how was I supposed to know? Anyway, I changed, but really it wasn’t short at all. To my knees, past my fingertips, I swear.
The camp was located in the middle of the mountain and jungle region of Thailand; the environment was magnificent. The city is on the River Kwai and Lam snuck out of the endless meetings for a day to show is around with our fabulous van driver, Mr. Sutep. We visited a memorial cemetery for those who died as prisoners of war in WWII, specifically those who died building the railroad between Thailand and Myanmar. We walked across the railroad bridge over the River Kwai. Ha. After our historical tour, we ventured to a movie studio. Weird spot to visit, but we usually don’t pick our destinations. From what I gathered, the movie filmed here was like Thailand’s Star Wars. Very popular and a large following. It was kind of cool and lame at the same time, until the end. They had one of those photo shoots, sort of like at Cedar Point where you can dress like the old western days only in this scene; you dressed like a Thai princess. They did our hair, our makeup, put on elaborate outfits, and decorated us with gobs of costume jewelry. I think Lam had the most fun, as the times are rare when she gets to indulge herself. It was an exciting day and a welcome break from the 3-day conference where we couldn’t understand a word.
Since the trip, we have been really busy teaching. The FCS hosted two English day camps with over 70 students in attendance. It was a lot of work and preparation, but it went well. Lam hopes that by doing camps like these, she can begin to form meaningful relationships with the teachers and directors of the local schools. This can allow for expansion of her school and its methods into other local villages besides Plaboo. She has expressed her gratitude to us for creating a reason for some schools to come visit. She has said that most are uninterested, but with Americans here, they want to come check it out as often as possible. It’s a weird thing to be such a draw, but I’m glad that it can help Lam and the FCS.
In addition to our normal teaching routine, we also picked up a new school located about 20 minutes away. Again, I was placed with the 4 to 9 year olds, which is a big range of ages. They are really well behaved and extremely eager to learn English, so I have a good time with them. And they love to do the Hokey Pokey, so that’s always a plus.
One highlight of these last couple weeks was going to a tarot card reader. This type of thing is less of a silly thing to do here than in America and is actually tied to their Buddhist religion. The readers meditate with monks and use some of the same methods to ensure enlightenment. The reader was eerily accurate with certain things about my job and life in Philly. She also said my parents are worried about me being in Thailand, but not extremely worried because they think I am strong, like a boy. Ha. Oh and that money would come to me easily and I would most definitely be rich. We’ll see about that one. If I hit it big, I’ll probably send it all to Plaboo!
Our last day with the preschoolers was this past Tuesday and it was bittersweet. They were my favorite group to teach, that age is just adorable. I gave the teachers I worked with gifts (English books) and passed out candy to all the kids. We spent the day taking pictures and saying goodbye. I will miss those little rugrats. I will miss them poking my skin and watching it turn from pink to white. I will miss them touching my hair and calling me Barbie. I will miss them waving bye for 5 minutes straight when I leave. I will miss the way they speak English with their Thai accent. And I will miss the teachers who helped us, laughed with us, laughed at us, took so many pictures with us, and filled our stay with more smiles than I anticipated.
I imagine our goodbye to Plaboo will be much more difficult. I never thought I would become so close with these people in such a short amount of time. Lam is throwing us a goodbye party this Tuesday and we will hop in our rental van and drive to Bangkok that night. From Bangkok, we will head to Trang with Lam, located in southern Thailand on the beach. After a few days of relaxation and final moments with the woman who made this trip possible, we will head back to Bangkok, say goodbye, and begin the next leg of our trip.
By a small twist a fate, two of our great old friends from Purdue will be joining us for the last two weeks of our adventure, Matt and Nate. We will travel through the southern islands of Thailand, the temples of Cambodia, and the entire country of Vietnam before heading back to the homeland. I am extremely excited to be a tourist and to do it with such good friends that I rarely have the opportunity to see.
Everyone said this experience would change me as a person, and I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if I agreed or not before I came. I guess I thought, how could I change that much in just two months? But I’m pretty sure I was wrong. And that is due mostly to the people I have met and lived with in this amazing country. They bent over backwards to make us comfortable, displayed such patience with our language barrier, and truly made us a part of their family. The core staff here at FCS (Lam, Toy, Om, Li, Pui, Satngad, Narong and Mos) has become especially important to me. They taught me how to be happy with whatever life throws at you, how to laugh at just about every situation, and how to truly live in a completely unselfish manner. Life in Plaboo is based on community, on sharing, and on taking care of one another. Nobody is concerned with who has more or who got the better end of the stick. People are genuinely concerned with the well being of all of those living around them and the organization that Lam envisioned and brought to life just intensifies these characteristics. I learned how to make just about anything with rice, how to shower with a bucket, sleep with a net, and dance through the streets. I can’t deny that I will miss how gorgeous my pale white skin and crazy blond hair is here. I will also miss always knowing when people are talking about me, just from hearing the word falong (thai for white person).
I will most definitely appreciate the simple things in life thanks to Plaboo. It still amazes me how happy Thai people are to dance around the village, throwing rice and catching candy. The delight on the kids’ faces when we play Bingo never gets old. There is no need for television, video games, or ipads. Most people are happy with each other’s company (and a little whiskey every now and then). I think this is because they have learned to appreciate and understand what’s really important; friends, family, and goodwill. Lam has taught me how far a positive attitude can take you and how truly selfless people have the fullest, richest lives.
Words can’t really express how grateful I feel to have had this opportunity. I know that most are unable to do a long-term trip like this for one reason or another and I feel lucky that I had the chance. I sincerely hope Plaboo has gotten as much out of me as I have out of them, but I doubt that is possible. I look forward to continuing the relationships I have made with these people after returning to the City of Brotherly Love. And while I have various emotions about leaving these people, the lifestyle, and this country, I look forward to the final leg of this journey. I suppose MOST good things do come to an end (although I’ve always hated that saying).
