The Layers

After the Olympics, there was an essay written to sum up the Canadian experience. A line from that essay stuck with me, it said, “Don’t underestimate the power of a collective experience.” I feel that our experience here in Thailand could be summed up with that same line. Our project of building an adobe hut served as a vehicle for this collective experience. It was in the chopping of straw, sifting sand, and digging and throwing clay that we were able to learn more about our groups character and personalities, both Thai culture and our own, simplicity, appreciation, generosity, and the power of relationships. One of the other important things that I took away from this experience is showing people that you care about what they do by accepting their culture and ways of living. The Teachers brought passion and expertise to their job every day in Ban Na Toe; some of them coming from very difficult and diverse backgrounds. Allowing them to show us what they do and why is very powerful, and was proven in their willingness to share their life stories through our interviews.
Our group was clearly a special group. They were able to take every opportunity to fully experience Thailand; from the food to methods of travel, this particular group of students didn’t hold back from learning this culture. When removing ourselves from the remote area of Ban Na Toe, it was interesting to see how attitudes changed when in more touristy areas. It was more difficult to develop relationships as well as maintain that strong sense of “Thailand”. It is definitely something to think about the next time you travel.
I feel like I am a well-traveled individual, yet this opportunity has impacted my life in a different way. I am unsure how to characterize or identify this feeling, only that I feel more satisfied, more fulfilled by the relationships with our own group, and the generous Thai people. I feel privileged to have shared my experience in Thailand with such a special group.