Today, I woke up and meditated before taking a shower and arriving late to breakfast (I was told that it started at 8am but it really started at 6 and the conference itself started at 8!). I ate salad, fruit, a fried egg, and fried bread with coffee. It was nice to have it brewed and black- yesterday at breakfast, it was served on ice with a lot of milk.
During the four hours before lunch, all of the Youth Exchange students made a presentation about their host country or state. This gathering was the last of 5 seperate gatherings that the students attended to prepare them for their year abroad- they knew that they would have to make these presentations since the first time they got together in April at their leadership camp. I was quite impressed at the depth with which they addressed the culture and customs, but especially at their language level.
During the conference, I noted one of the Thai cultural traits that I had read about in books in which they laugh at other's mistakes. At first, I was a bit surprised because it seemed like they were almost ridiculing each other for the way that they mispronounced different words, but then I remembered reading that they do this not to be rude, but rather to put the person at ease when they have messed up and point it out in a jovial manner in order to help them. It seems like a good practice because of the underlying meaning, which is, by nature, much different than the reactions that some Americans (especially high school students, according to some of the Inbound students) who laugh at other people's accents when they are trying to speak English.
After lunch came the best and definitely the most interesting part of the day because my lack of Thai language skills did not prevent me from understanding. It was a farewell ceremony between the students and their parents. All of the students stood behind their parents (everyone was in a U-formation facing the stage). It began with the Rotary District Governor (DG) lighting incense and a candle at the Buddhist shrine and saying a speech, followed by speeches from the Exchange Chairman and the Governor-elect. Then the DG lit a bit candle in the middle of the room from the original candle that he had lit. All of the District officers lit their own candle off of this candle and were met by the students who lit their own candle and thanked them with a "wai" (a bow with hands in a prayer formation). The students stood behind their parents with these candles and made an oath to be good examples during their year abroad for Thailand, their family, and Rotary. Then they bowed at their parents' feet (the "dirtiest" part of the body, according to the Thai culture) and thanked their parents. It was such a beautiful ceremony and so many people were crying that I felt the tears welling up in my eyes!
My host father and I left right after the ceremony because we had to drive the four hours back to Udon. We got back at 6:30 and went out to dinner. It was a Korean outdoor restaraunt (eating outdoors is normal, especially since it is still about 85 degrees and very humid at that time) in which we had our own hot plate (to cook our own meat) with a recess around it to make soup with vegetables and fish. It was tasty.
During the four hours before lunch, all of the Youth Exchange students made a presentation about their host country or state. This gathering was the last of 5 seperate gatherings that the students attended to prepare them for their year abroad- they knew that they would have to make these presentations since the first time they got together in April at their leadership camp. I was quite impressed at the depth with which they addressed the culture and customs, but especially at their language level.
During the conference, I noted one of the Thai cultural traits that I had read about in books in which they laugh at other's mistakes. At first, I was a bit surprised because it seemed like they were almost ridiculing each other for the way that they mispronounced different words, but then I remembered reading that they do this not to be rude, but rather to put the person at ease when they have messed up and point it out in a jovial manner in order to help them. It seems like a good practice because of the underlying meaning, which is, by nature, much different than the reactions that some Americans (especially high school students, according to some of the Inbound students) who laugh at other people's accents when they are trying to speak English.
After lunch came the best and definitely the most interesting part of the day because my lack of Thai language skills did not prevent me from understanding. It was a farewell ceremony between the students and their parents. All of the students stood behind their parents (everyone was in a U-formation facing the stage). It began with the Rotary District Governor (DG) lighting incense and a candle at the Buddhist shrine and saying a speech, followed by speeches from the Exchange Chairman and the Governor-elect. Then the DG lit a bit candle in the middle of the room from the original candle that he had lit. All of the District officers lit their own candle off of this candle and were met by the students who lit their own candle and thanked them with a "wai" (a bow with hands in a prayer formation). The students stood behind their parents with these candles and made an oath to be good examples during their year abroad for Thailand, their family, and Rotary. Then they bowed at their parents' feet (the "dirtiest" part of the body, according to the Thai culture) and thanked their parents. It was such a beautiful ceremony and so many people were crying that I felt the tears welling up in my eyes!
My host father and I left right after the ceremony because we had to drive the four hours back to Udon. We got back at 6:30 and went out to dinner. It was a Korean outdoor restaraunt (eating outdoors is normal, especially since it is still about 85 degrees and very humid at that time) in which we had our own hot plate (to cook our own meat) with a recess around it to make soup with vegetables and fish. It was tasty.
posted by Rebecca | 11:12 PM
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