Introduction
This week was largely a continuation of the last (and I imagine that will be consistent until I leave). I mostly worked on the website, lesson planning, teaching, and my online TEFL course. Things here are going quite well and I am steadily learning and improving. All this isn’t to say that I had an uneventful week. On the contrary, this week was filled with many adventures such as navigating flooded roads and getting to spend another weekend in Bangkok.
Farming and Flooding
This week became a little scary when the local river started to flood. The daily heavy rains just poured into the flowing stream which caused it to overflow. This is the second time that this river has ever flooded this bad. The excess water from the river caused some rice paddies to flood and caused some occasional power and water issues in the village. Pa Lam was concerned about the river flooding into the complex, but thankfully that didn’t end up happening. Everyone and everything here at TBA stayed safe.
I continued my exploration of the Thai natural scene by assisting in the garden. The TBA is planting andrographis paniculata (green chiretta) as Thailand’s health ministry has approved it to help combat Covid-19. The herb is bought (or grown) as a seedling and then is planted into heavily muddy and wet ground. I didn’t help till or plant, but my job was to remove the seedlings from their containers and then dump the excess dirt back onto the ground. The gardening itself wasn’t that different from back home, but I will say having to stand barefoot in a giant pile of mud while countless bugs and critters crawled around my feet was a bit jarring.
Bangkok Part 2
I woke up at the very, very early time of two o’clock on Friday morning. Several of us from TBA
embarked on the seven nine hour drive (with stops) to Bangkok. There was a very important
meeting being held about the Sustainable Development Goals of Thailand, and my host organization is
one of the associations involved in developing the educational report and action plan.
We stayed at a nice Best Western by the Don Mueang airport. I cannot express how good it felt to take a hot shower after bathing out of a bucket for the past month. Additionally, I felt like a king being able to fall asleep in a real bed to the sweet sweet sound of central cooling. Don’t get me wrong, I’m perfectly adjusted and content with the living conditions back in the village. However, I enjoyed having a few extra luxuries, even if it was just for the weekend.
As for the activities of my weekend, I spent the first day attending a meeting from 1:00 - 5:00pm. Pa Lam tried to translate what was being said, but honestly, I just sat there and day dreamed. If you think long bureaucratic meetings are boring, try sitting in one of a language you don’t understand. I feel slightly bad about my disinterest; after all, they’re helping to expand and improve Thailand’s rural education system. However, there’s only so much attention that be given in four hour foreign meeting.
For dinner, We went to the food court in the shopping center across the street. I felt as if I was on the brink of starvation, so naturally I ordered two entrées and a side (pad thai, omelette with rice, and a soup). Thai food truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
On day two Pa Lam told me that I could have the day for myself; there was no need for me to have to sit through another day of meetings. I was thrilled at the news and spent the first part of my morning completing coursework for my online TEFL course. Afterwards, I decided to go on a walk and visited the shopping center from last night. After much deliberation, I opted to buy a pair of running shoes and shorts. The only closed-toe pair of shoes I have are my boots (which in hindsight I didn’t need to bring with me), so I have been unable to do any exercise. I figured purchasing some running gear would give me another medium of relaxation back in Plaboo.
After lunch at the hotel, Pa Lam left to go back to the Ariya Center. This meant that I’d be staying with Pi Li and Pi Nang for the remainder of the weekend. While everyone resumed their meeting, I went for a short walk around the block and got some mint chocolate ice cream (yes, it is the best flavor; I will die on that hill). I spent the rest of my time reading in my room until dinner, where we went back to the food court.
Sunday, we checked out of hotel and took a cab to the Act!onAid office for another meeting. This meeting lasted for three hours, but once it was finished, we ate lunch and embarked on the journey back home. Honestly, it wasn’t a great drive back, but I guess that’s the price I have to pay for a nice weekend retreat in the city.
My Weekly Reflection
I would consider this week to be a healthy balance of adventure within my new normal routine. I had the opportunity to discover and learn many new things, particularly about the natural environment around Plaboo. I also got revisit and experience Bangkok with my recently learned experiences over the past month. I felt more confident in navigating the city alone and interacting with other people. I’m also getting into a solid daily routine and steadily “honing my craft” as they say. Ultimately, it was a great week of new experiences and personal development.
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