As many of the people who have read this know, I've been in Thailand for well over a year (more like a year and a half!) and I have been enjoying it, with the occasional speed bump or two.
I've learned that time is not the major concern of many of the people here, where being a little bit late to things is not the end of the world. I've learned that communication can be extremely difficult, but if you slow it down, take it calmly, and use your whole body as an instrument, it makes it easier. I've also learned that this isn't always true, because one party of the conversation is non-receptive to the signals you send.
I've learned that once you get over the hump of "this is really difficult" and keep trying to learn, it will happen; it's like a dam, you keep adding on the pressure, and the effort, building more and more, and that wall eventually has to let something through.
I've learned that, although many of the staff I have taught are scared of speaking this foreign language, they can warm up, and show their efforts through another medium.
I also learned to promote and encourage students to come speak to me, even if I'm working (and I don't want to be interrupted) because it helps them to try more frequently.
Most importantly, I've learned that progress happens; sometimes it's almost instantaneous, sometimes it's as slow as plate tectonics, but it is, and you are getting somewhere. Don't lose hope.
About the other things: I remember one person telling me that I would miss home and my country. I also remember me responding with "Yeah, but I've been away from 'home' since I was 18, because I went too school." Her response: "And that was only a few hours away from home, Thailand isn't."
I look back on that and here I am, thinking "Yeah, I haven't gotten that huge wave of nostalgia yet, just the bits and pieces."
Now, thought, as the time to return to my home country creeps closer, the homesick feelings are also magnifying. Maybe it is the fact that the access I was used to is going to come back to me, the friends I haven't seen face-to-face are going to be in slapping distance. Well, I'm not suggesting that I really might hit them, eh, maybe I am. It's all out of love and my "oddities."
 If you didn't pick up on it, I'm the old guy. |
In Thailand, I haven't traveled as much as I'd like, but I haven't not traveled as much as I haven't liked, either. Luckily, with the friends I recently made, traveling becomes more of a probability than a hopeful possibility.
Isn't that a funny thing, though? For me, I have been making excuses to travel by myself, mostly because I work. I find that I travel more frequently (locally) by myself when I don't have someone else relying on me. When I have friends involved, I more frequently travel long-distances.
Before I get too far off track in my thoughts, I shall stop here for now.
Until next time,
K.
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