Sunday, March 25, 2012

We have arrived

For those who are not sure how this thing runs yet, brief recap: We came to Thailand with 52 volunteers in our group. We have trained with these people six days a week, 8 hours a day, laughed, cried together, struggled with Thai tones, and drank cold beer together for the past 3 months. As of last Wednesday, except for the 6 of us who arrived in Thailand with a spouse, each person was sent to a different place in Thailand to brave the soi dogs and losses in translation, alone. Needless to say, this is a big transition, probably an even a bigger transition than coming to Thailand in January. No more farang shoulders to hold you up now boys and girls; time for the real deal. We will be at our sites for the duration of this two year tour with a few occasions for trips to conferences, personal travel, and teaching events. In July, we can host farangs like you here as well!

Erin and I are together in a rural area just about half way between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. As we discussed with the other married couples and sode's (singles) during training, there are benefits to being with a spouse, and there are also drawbacks. For today, we will save that topic. Here is what life here looks like so far. There is much to see in this area. From the 800 year old capital city to a large national park 25 miles west. We are back living with our "new" host family and will probably be with them through the month of April. Our accommodations could hardly be more comfortable. Erin and I share what amounts to a downstairs condo (from the main house) with two of our host parents actual children. The boy and girl are my and Erin's same age, respectively and very friendly. The girl speaks some English and is already on a good routine with Erin. Our father, named (correction from last post) Sawaeng, has on several occasions told us already that we are "same family" and is very concerned with us eating a lot of food at every meal. He has so far been one of the most effective figures in my learning of the Thai language, as every night we have sat around chatting for at least an hour, and he knows enough English for me to specify "what does THAT mean", and get a comprehensible answer. I already love this guy. 55 years old, and not one, solitary, gray hair. Black as the night.

I will be working at a small government office called an abotaw that is comparable to what a government building in the states set in rural countryside would look like. This one is set up to serve, say 5-10 thousand people. In my first two working days I have made a map of everyone in the building along with their name and position. I have found that this abotaw has a balat's office (central gov. appointed local representative); an accounting section; an office of education, religion and culture; an office of design, engineering and maintenance, and of course an office of the nayoke who is most closely comparable to a mayor. There is a lawyer, a community development officer, an administrator, and a couple of interns. Although my office is only about 25k from a fairly good sized city, given that my only vehicle will be a mountain bike that has not arrived here yet, this is the most rural I have ever lived. For the next two years this will be my home base for learning, understanding and communicating ideas to people, though right now, they mainly enjoy laughing about the way I laugh. I am sure several of you will also be interested to know that even in Thailand, the way I hold a spoon is "wrong". This has been brought to the attention of others by at least 3 Thai's already, most recently by the office cook (mair-bahn, or house-mother) at the abotaw on my second day of work.

During the counterpart conference last week, a gathering where all volunteers and counterparts together were administered some training working together by PC, my nayoke and I came up several projects that sound very promising for our two year plan. With the help of a PC ajaan, I was able to communicate effectively my work history and education, as well as areas, given my very limited understanding of Thailand, I think I may be useful in. He seemed excited to finally know some of this information about me and quickly through out 8 projects that were very much in line with what I had talked about. The nayoke was out of town at a training conference on Thurs and Friday of last week, so tomorrow will be the first day we are in the office together. I curious to see what is in store. For today, some internet time in the AC looking out past a spirit house at some hazy rice fields and the movement of a soft breeze through tropical flora. Sabai, sabai.
RED


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