Mom in Thailand

The best surprise ever was my mom's visit to Thailand. A few days before I returned from my holiday vacation, my mom announced that she would be traveling with me and spending a month with me in Thailand. My whole family was in on the surprise, and even one of my friends out here in Thailand. My mom had done all of her research, and even made a few calls so that we could be seated together for the whole trip (I purchased my tickets a couple months in advance). This vacation was her well deserved gift to herself after a very trying and very successful academic year, it was also her first trip outside of the US/Caribbean. I'm usually not one for surprises, but this one was amazing, I'm really glad she chose to spend this time with me, it was wonderful.

The big surprise revealed. My mom's ticket to Thailand!

Our journey from Miami to Bangkok was over thirty hours long, including a lengthy layover in Doha, Qatar. The flight itself was pretty pleasant and comfortable. The food, the entertainment, the legroom (!!!) and overall service were great. I would definitely use Qatar Airways for future travel, and would highly recommend to others.  We left Miami on Tuesday afternoon and arrived in Bangkok on Thursday evening.

Qatar Airways. World  Class Service!

In Doha, Qatar. It was freezing cold!
We were on a mission find someplace quiet and comfortable to sleep until our next flight

One of the many delicious  meals that we were served along the way

We finally made it!

My mom's first meal in Thailand.

She was surprised to see soup in a plastic bag.

But that is not unusual.

The price was unusually high though, since it's airport food.

70THB, about 2USD, twice as much as it would cost in the village.

She got lots of baht! 32 THB for 1 USD!

We spent most of Friday in rest and recovery then traveled to a nearby province for the weekend where we visited a friend and got to attend church. From there, we finally made our way to my little village in the Isaan (Northeastern) region.

Among friends, after church at the Adventist International University

At the Victory Monument in Bangkok. Ready to head to my home!

We took a short flight from Bangkok to the province neighboring mine, and my host mom and host brother met us at the airport. Prior to our arrival, I had explained to my host mom that my mom and I would stay at a little motel in the village. Once we got in though, she insisted that we stay at her home and spend our money exploring and doing fun stuff. There isn't much of a counter-argument to that. 

My mom-mom with my host mom and brother.

We got to the house, and the welcome committee (neighbors and extended family) warmly greeted us. Introductions were made, we had dinner, and all had a merry time. They taught my mom a few of the local phrases, and especially enjoyed her reaction to the spicy food.

The Welcome Party!

It was nice to have two moms.

Right down to the knowing look they gave each other
as they watched me hurriedly packed my travel bag on our last night,
at the last minute of course.

I was happy to share various aspects my new life with my mom. She got to meet the people who I now think of as family, she got to eat sticky rice and enjoy meals without utensils, she quickly got accustomed to the morning announcements blasting from the loud speaker at 6:30 am, the daily bucket baths, and hanger-drying laundry. In a way, I got to experience the newness all over again, and I got to see how far I've come. Not only in terms of language acquisition and cultural adaptation, but just in general life experience. 

My host mom doesn't usually cook, but she made her specialty for our special guest

my personal favorite: pat gra-prao gai (chicken stirfried with basil) 

and locally grown riceberry

During her final week in the village, my mom accompanied me to my schools. For the most part, the students were on their best behavior, and my mother was very impressed by how respectful, responsive, and eager to learn they were.

With my mom and coteacher and our students

My mom with a few students at another school

My mom is a nurse and helped me with my lesson about healthy habits.

My program manager came to visit, and all of my school directors came to the meeting.
I wasn't sure if some of them would show up, so "You'll get to meet my mom"
was part of my invitation/pitch.

I knew that I wanted my mom to see more of Thailand than just my village but I had spent all of my "vacation days" on my trip home, so our excursion time would have to be very limited. With the cooperation of my host family, we were able to make the most of our weekends. I asked my mom if there was anything that she really wanted to do, she quickly responded "Ride an elephant," so the first weekend, my host mom and host cousin took us to the elephant village (หมู่บ้านช้าง = muu-baan chang) in the neighboring province. In Muu-baan Chang, as you may imagine, there is an elephant in just about every yard in the village. Some elephants are used for shows and for riding, some are cared for as pets, and others just graze all day. Although the elephant ride was something that my mom really wanted to do, she was super terrified once the elephant started moving. Eventually, she got over her fear, and enjoyed her ride. The next few weekends were spent exploring Thai culture, foods, massages, and shopping. Here are a few pictures from our afternoon with the elephants.

At the elephant village หมู่บ้านช้าง 

Just washing his pet elephant,
the others playing in the background.

Momma elephant going after baby elephant

My mom was so scared in the beginning. They were about to let her off.

But it wasn't long before she was enjoying herself

My host mom.

I was the bravest of the bunch lol

I don't usually take selfies, but when I do...

For my mom's final week in Thailand, I managed a quick trip to Chiang Mai. We said goodbye and thank you to my host family and community for their tremendous kindness and hospitality, and we made our way to north of Thailand. Chiang Mai is a popular tourist destination, I was happy to finally have a reason + opportunity to visit, and just thrilled to have my mom as my companion. While in Chiang Mai, my mom dared herself to give it another go with the elephants. And since we were being daring, we ended the day with tigers! Our first day was pretty action packed, here are just a few pictures.

Giving it another go.

Such Friendly Giants. This one really liked me :-)

We had some free time with the elephants before the show

Monkey School

Monkey School

Baby monkey, went in to grab a sticker on her shirt.

Tiger Kingdom

Love the big cats

Tiger grooming itself as I pet it.

The tigers were really mellow. The trainers say they are not drugged.
They are just big lazy cats being big lazy cats!
These tigers have been in captivity for generations,
so they don't have much hunt in them.
But just in case natural instincts get the best of them,
trainers are nearby to intervene.

We did some more sight seeing and enjoyed being tourists for the last couple of days before her departure.  

At Wat Doi Suthep

We had to climb over 300 stairs to get to the top. We took breaks.

Kinda like a 'Congrats You Made It!' sign. But not really.

It was gorgeous

Everything was beautiful.
The weather was overcast so we didn't get any good pics of the view.

Night Safari

Night Safari

Amazing Light/Water Show. Better than fireworks!

On the safari!

Zebras! We saw so many animals but weren't allowed to use flash, so not many good shots.

Overall great night!

We spent our last few hours in Chiang Mai at the Art in Paradise 3D Interactive Museum. There's a lot of buzz in the media right now about optical illusions. This museum was full of them! Here are just a few...

As if petting tigers wasn't enough adventure for one trip

Panda Time

I'm not gonna hurt your baby. I promise.

Sweet Water

To get to the other side.

Hanging on for dear life

... and then there was a Michelle!

Under the Sea!

Just floating around

Just floating around

Just floating around

What a view!

Best seats in the house

Really!

On a song-taew, our last adventure in Chiang Mai.

It was the shortest month ever. I had spent a total of six weeks with my mother, no doubt the most time we've spent together in years, and I was really sad to see her leave. I thoroughly enjoyed showing her around my community and the adventures that we had exploring areas that were less familiar to me. There's a lot more of Thailand that she would love to see, so she's already planning to return in a few years. With or without me. Meanwhile, I'll be looking forward to possibly entertaining more visitors in the near future.

Figuring out where we wanna go next time lol

A few hours before my mom said goodbye to Thailand.

Home for the Holidays - Questions

During my recent visit to the US, my family and friends had many questions about my past year living and serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions...

1. Have you gained weight?

Barely. In the past year, I've gained exactly 2kg (roughly 4.5 lbs), which is barely noticeable on my small frame. Those familiar with my Peace Corps journey may know that my application/medical clearance process was complicated and prolonged due to my perceived "underweight condition" and that I'd been actively trying everything to gain weight since then and even after I arrived in Thailand. This became an unhealthy obsession for me, yet and still, my efforts did not yield much. I've since decided to just eat as normally and as healthily as possible, appreciate my genes and metabolism, and not worry about my weight.

2. Can you cook Thai food?

Unfortunately, No. I have picked up a couple things along the way, but the majority of my meals are prepared behind the scenes. I take opportunities to observe and even help in the cooking process when possible, but more often than not, I'm shooed away to sit and wait until the food is finished. I suppose I could be more insistent on learning how to cook/prepare Thai meals, but really and truly, I've never had the gift/inclination or whatever it takes to actually cook, so... I think I'll make more of an effort this year though, because I don't think that I can return to a life of microwaveables and takeout... We'll see...

3. Can you speak Thai?

Yes, I can. I wouldn't consider myself fluent, but I know enough to get around comfortably living and working among non-English speakers, I also know enough to travel out and about the country by myself, and of course, shop and get bargains. About 90% of my everyday interactions (including classroom management) are in Thai. My reading and writing skills aren't too great though, but I can read most street signs and complete forms with my basic information. (Thai has actually been categorized as being one of the most complicated writing systems in the world, this video explains why.)

4. Are inter cultural relationships common in Thailand? (Sometimes phrased as "Are you dating anyone over there?")

From my observation, most Thais seem to "couple up" among themselves at a fairly young age, but it is not uncommon to find old white retired foreign men with very young Thai wives or girlfriends. I have yet to see a Thai man of any age with a foreign (non-Asian) wife or girlfriend. (And nope, I haven't explored the dating scene either. I'm very focused on my roles as a Volunteer.)

5. So really, what do you do?

As a Youth Development Volunteer, I do activities and programs with youth in my community to help them to develop life skills; this includes making healthy choices, promoting positive self image, addressing gender norms and biases, improving communication skills as well as English language skills. This satisfies the first goal of Peace Corps to help interested countries in meeting specific needs. The second goal of Peace Corps is to promote a better understanding of the United States to the people in the country of service, so I find ways to share aspects of American culture with my community and students whenever possible. The third goal of Peace Corps is to promote a better understanding of other peoples and cultures among Americans, which I do through blogs and emails.

6. What are your plans for Post-Peace Corps?

First and foremost, I would definitely get my social work license. Beyond that, there are a few options that I may explore. I vowed to dedicate my 20's to service, but I may take a shift from volunteerism to take advantage of my NCE (Non-Competitive Eligibility) Status. This gives preferential consideration for employment with the US Government for up to one year after completion of Peace Corps service. Veteran's Affairs has been on my mind, or Family and Children Services at the state level, I've also considered returning to AmeriCorps or doing international service work with my church. I plan to explore each of these options more carefully towards the end of my service.

7. What do you miss the most about America?

My family, having a car, and the wide variety of foods.

8. What will you miss the most about Thailand?

My host family and community, the people in general, and their tremendous hospitality. I will also miss how inexpensive everything is! 

9. How much longer will you be in Thailand?

Until the close of my service in March 2016. 

10. Can I come to visit you?

Yes!!! Just let me know when!

My family. I miss them the most!

I'm always happy to answer questions about my life/service in Thailand.  Feel free to comment below if you have any!

Home for the Holidays - Highlights

It has been about a year since I left home to begin my service in Thailand, at that point, I was uncertain as to whether or not I would return home (or to the USA) at any point during my twenty-seven months of service. I knew that I would miss my family and numerous celebrations/life events of loved ones, but I also knew that I could just immerse myself completely into this new life for two years and that my family and friends would still be there when I return. All the same, during the year leading up to my departure, I made it a point to save enough for at least one trip back home, just in case.

"Just in case" came in the form of an invitation to a dear friend's wedding, which would take place during the holiday season and would be perfect for   spending time with friends and family, and just enjoying the holidays with loved ones. Although I didn't technically go "home" for the holidays, it was close enough. I spent my vacation surrounded by folks near and dear to my heart; after all, home is where the heart is.

My parents and siblings traveled from their different locations to meet me, so in a sense, "home" came to me. The timing of this trip translated into the perfect opportunity for a family vacation, which we haven't had in over a decade. This was actually our first family vacation since my brother was born, so really, our first full family vacation. We toured four cities in ten days, visiting family, friends, theme parks, and just enjoying our togetherness. It was a great time.

All of us. First Family Vacation.  Last Sabbath of 2014.

My two week retreat and family vacation was nothing short of wonderful, here are just a few highlights from my trip.

The Union Of Mr & Mrs Louis. I had the opportunity to witness the beautiful union of my dear friend Tasha and her love, with the company of great friends. Tasha and I became friends during our AmeriCorps service and we have maintained a great bond and friendship even as life has taken us on various separate journeys. I am so happy that she has found a life partner, and I'm glad that I was able to be a part of their special day.

Celebrating Love and Friendships

"Keep Calm and กินข้าว" These souvenir t-shirts were great conversation pieces. กินข้าว (gin-kaao) translates literally to eat rice, and really refers to just eating a meal in general since rice is a given for just about every Thai meal. Lately though, I had been longing for breakfast foods and pasta. My first stop was supposed to be IHOP, but we settled for Denny's and it was just as good to me. Pancakes at midnight, so yum, followed by more of my favorites at Olive Garden, Boston Market, Chipotle, Cheesecake Factory, and homemade Caribbean food at relatives' homes. I kept calm and enjoyed many rice-less meals for the remainder of my trip, and it was amazing!

Enjoying a variety of meals with my family. Pancakes, Pasta, and Caribbean Cuisine. Loved it!

Santa's Enchanted Forest, World's Largest Christmas Theme Park, so magical! My siblings and I have enjoyed the magic and enchantment of this park for the past few years, but this is the first time we all went together.  The weather was a bit chilly, but we rode every ride, watched every show, and had countless hours of fun.

Enjoying the enchanted forest with the siblings. We had a fantabulous time.

Bro's first trip to Universal. My sisters and I had our Disney and Universal adventures when we were pretty little, my brother missed out on a lot since he is so much younger than we are, but we felt that he was due his chance to experience the magic. We spent two full days exploring Universal Resort and Studios, and even with the rain and chilly weather, we had a blast! Next time, Disney!

We spent two full days exploring the parks, in the wind and the rain, and we still had an awesome time.

Gifts from Thailand, with Love. When my community members learned that I was going home for the holidays, they brought gifts and souvenirs for me to share with my family. They came bearing gifts right up until the morning that I was leaving. The gifts were all produced in my community, my family loved and appreciated every one.

Gifts from my community, all locally made/grown in our villages. My family loved them!

Congratulating Mom. My mother had a year of great academic achievements, she completed her nursing degree earlier in the year and recently top-scored the national certification/licensure examination on the first try. This is a tremendous accomplishment! My aunt and uncle organized a lovely celebration in her honor, and I was happy to share this moment with her.

In the middle of her celebration, my mother decided to give me a wonderful surprise. See my sister's video for her documentation of our vacation, including my big and wonderful surprise at 5:30. Stay tuned for more!

To be continued :-)