If you didn’t see my last email, I am now at my site! This means I passed my Language Proficiency Interview (LPI) and got everything else taken care of – woohoo!!
Before I get into my Swearing-In experience and Counterpart Conference (this was also meant to be a first week at site article, but ya girl has been busy), I would like to inform y’all that every PCV and PC Staff member in Thailand is safe from the aftershock that caused serious damage and has taken lives in Bangkok, Thailand. The earthquake that hit Mandalay, Myanmar has only added another layer of heartbreak in a country currently riddled in turmoil. It is so disheartening to see images of these beautiful temples of cultural significance completely dismantled. If you feel inclined, consider donating here:
Donate meals to the people of Myanmar
Help those in need in both Thailand and Myanmar
My region in Thailand actually has zero fault lines, so the likelihood of experiencing serious effects of an aftershock or earthquake is as likely as Texas experiencing damages from a volcanic blast (all of the volcanoes in Texas are extinct).
Speaking of the region I now call home, I am excited to share my first days here! But first…
I'll start with my Swearing-In ceremony. As a cohort, we said our goodbyes to our host families and the community of Don Chedi. I created so many beautiful memories in DC, and I will be reflecting more on my time during PST soon. After the 2.5 bus ride to Bangkok, my friends and I bought Chut Thai (Traditional Thai Clothing) in Phahurat Market, or Little India. Afterwards, we had a relaxing night and ate ~Pizza~!
The next morning was the big day – swearing in as a Peace Corps Volunteer! The U.S. Ambassador of Thailand and other political actors congratulated everyone involved in this exciting process! My friend Sam and another volunteer, Brian, gave a heartfelt speech completely in Thai and shared their PST experiences on behalf of our cohort. I was thoroughly impressed and so proud of her! The art of finding the right words to describe a unique experience is rare and should certainly be celebrated.
Swearing in as a PCV and taking the fancy oath filled me with a great sense of pride. I have always wanted to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, and look at me go! Serving in Thailand too!!! Eeek!!
Many pictures later, we all met our *Thai Counterparts!!!! I found myself in an increasingly interesting position. The representatives at my site that would take me to my new home were all staring at me in disbelief. Why? Because I apparently looked like a giant. I am a mere 5’8”, but with heels, a 5’11” skyscraper (in their eyes)!
*A Thai Counterpart (CP) is a coworker, mentor, pillar of the community, co-teacher, or public figure of some sort from a volunteer’s site that has agreed to work alongside their volunteer and set them, and the community, up for success
We ate our first lunch together and got the awkward introductions out of the way. It was here that I realized I have a long way to go with my Thai language. I was also quickly discovering my counterparts are, to put it simply, just wonderful. Of course I didn’t know this at the time, but I have four reliable and kind-hearted counterparts that I like to call my “Core Four”. Their names are *P’Ja, P’Ai, P’ Nim, and Pa Mam. Pa Mam gets a special title because she is the Palat (Chief Administrator of the Subdistrict Administration Organization). She works closely and is seen as equal in authority with the Nayok (mayor) of my town. Pa Mam (pronounced like bah ma’am), P’ Ja, and P’Ai were the ones who attended this part of the Swearing-in and Counterpart Conference in Bangkok. I met P’Nim, along with the rest of the SAO staff, on Thursday.
*P’or Pii is a title used to address those older than you – Thai culture is big on social hierarchy.
I’d like to dive into the SAO acronym and explain my YinD project a little more before continuing with my narration. As a YinD volunteer, my project doesn’t stop with the Thai youth in my community. I also work closely with Youth Service Providers and plan events in my community with my counterparts that contribute to positive community development. To obtain that kind of reach, an optimal location for relationship-building is to place us YinD volunteers in a local organization or local government office. Depending on your community size, a volunteer may work in a SAO (Subdistrict Administrative Organization) or Tessaban (District Administrative Organization). During my time in Don Chedi, we underwent training at the Don Chedi Tessaban. Much like a city council in the States, a SAO has elected village leaders who come together and make decisions with the Nayok. (Fun fact, my host Dad is a village leader!)
Okay, back to Bangkok. The second portion of our time in Bangkok, after swearing-in, was our Counterpart Conference. We were, yet again, split up as volunteers partaking in the YinD and TESS projects. We learned cultural information pertinent to our particular sites and some introductory insights on what our community needs most. I learned that the people in my village speak four languages - Central Thai, Brue, Phutai, and Isaan. I also discovered my background in coaching soccer will definitely be used anything but sparingly during my two years in Mukdahan!
After the daily information overload, I was able to blow off steam the nights of the conference with my fellow volunteers and celebrate what we've accomplished so far. We also celebrated Ella’s birthday and St. Patty’s Day! Some of us did some last-minute shopping and watched Mickey 17 in a Thai movie theatre. It reminded me of when I watched Top Gun: Maverick in Chiang Mai. The Thai movie theatre experience is something you don’t want to miss if you are an avid cinephile.
After the closing of the Counterpart Conference, it was time to say farewell to my fellow volunteers. This was hard, as I did not want to lose face in front of my CPs and give off that I was sad to go to my site, so I would process these emotions of leaving my friends on the long car ride to Mukdahan instead. About an hour into our 10.5 hour drive, we stopped to get lunch at this big market. It turns out, other volunteers’ CPs had the same idea. I got to have lunch with Saj and talk with Ollie for a little bit. It was just the send off I needed.
Garrett, Jess, and Ollie were all going to the northeastern region as well, so we were able to text each other updates when we were passing by the same scenery outside our car/van/bus windows. I especially like this aspect of modern society: staying connected via phones! It is bizarre to think that former PCVs went to their sites and had to send letters to each other in order to maintain their communication.
The ride to my site was incredibly long, but also informative. P’Ja would state the provinces we passed and we would all point at things and find out the Thai and English translations. I enjoyed explaining how “ windmill” is pronounced differently in the south, and we stayed on the subject of a southern drawl for quite a while!
Eventually, we made it to my site where my host family and Teresa were patiently waiting! Teresa is a YinD PCV from 134. Her completion of service (COS) overlapped with my start of service; we have the same site assignment and host family. I was ambushed by sweet dogs and pleasantly surprised by the cute welcome sign all the kids at my schools made for me. After the long journey, I talked with Teresa for an hour or so and hit the hay. Let’s just say I zonked out pretty quick! I went to sleep feeling exhausted and excited for what was to come. I was warned that my first weekend at site and the days that followed would be jam-packed…
Bloopers
With a language and cultural barrier, there are bound to be hiccups! At the end of each newsletter, I’ll share some anecdotes and funny run-ins.
Recently, when I don’t have anything to talk about in a social setting, I have noticed I like to drink water as some type of distraction method — it gives me something to do in a manner that is socially acceptable (unlike going on my phone). Well, with my limited Thai language ability, I can only list so much food I like to eat and how many family members I have. This leads to the conversation often dying and subjecting myself to an endless cycle of drinking abundant amounts of bottled water and excusing myself for numerous bathroom breaks. During the counterpart conference, my CPs quickly noticed how much water I drank. It got to a point where they would start grabbing me two bottles of water before a session! Unfortunately, I don’t see myself breaking this reputation as the watergirl anytime soon.
But hey, at least I’m staying hydrated!
Have a good day/night and fight off those Sunday scaries — every moment counts.
Gdawg / จี
Man what's the air like down there gretch!
Now that story is some high quality H2O!!!