The Mekong River, right up the road from where I'm staying.
This week we had a three day excellent training at the Open Mind Centre in Nong Khai. I have learned much needed Thai and Thai culture. The Thai cculture is frightening, I almost feel as though if I did not know the “rules” of the culture I would feel more relaxed to just be myself. But by knowing these particular things like don’t burden people with your troubles and always say never mind, it’s no problem and DON”T be assertive, the very thing I have worked so hard to become, is frowned upon.
I made wonderful friends with many westerners who are also doing volunteer work with Open Mind Projects. A couple from New York City said I have a stopping point/home there if I go to Bard College. The English couple invited me to have their number and email to call them if I am lonely, need to commiserate about difficulties of the eco-project placements as they will also be working at an eco-tourism project as well but in Laos. A boy from New Jersey who is also taking a gap year and doing another eco-project, but also in Laos. I feel some awesome support.
I bought a sim card and a cell phone and 100 minutes of credit all for about 21 dollars.
Seems to be going well. I’m just a little freaked out about going to my placement tomorrow. We had a dinner with a girl who had spent time in the Phu Wua wildlife sanctuary and volunteered there. She was afraid that I probably would not have enough to do while I was there. . . Well, we’ll see. It will definitely be village life there with people communalizing constantly. She said the culture is very rich there as well.
Tomorrow I go to the place that I have been wondering about for several months now, imagining, contemplating, dreading, yearning for, all the time knowing that it would be something of a challenge, something good for me and there would be love.
hey julia!!! it's great to see your doing well!!! the pictures are especially beautiful- especially the one on the top of this page, what is that? sunrise or sunset on a river? It's beautiful!!!!! Keep it up Julia!!! Haha- learning about weird things in certain cultures is always entertaining, although do be weary about you act around certain people. I think you'll do fine though, good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Julia, youre my HERO! what youre doing is really awesome, keep up the good work, learn, and have fun!
ReplyDeleteYour presence is gentle, and your agenda is simple: use this experience to become even more of who you are. You'll listen, learn, reflect, engage, risk, fail, confound, and delight. I trust you to be open to every adventure and to find meaning in the little moments as well as the grand "Oh wow!"s. Thanks for taking us on the journey with you. I'm eager to hear how the first days have gone.
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