It was a strange feeling to be back in Singburi. It was almost as if none of our travels even happened! That feeling happened to me alot in college as well. When I was in Kansas it's like home didn't exist...but the minute I left Kansas for home, it's as if Kansas didn't exist and was just a dream. I felt refreshed being back in Singburi...in this small, quiet, friendly place. I was excited to have time to just sit...and listen....and think and reflect again. We were just going, going, going on our travels because we had to squeeze in so much in such a short time, it was quite exhausting. The one big draw back, which I missed the most, was the lack of farangs in Singburi! On my travels I was constantly meeting great people from all over the world. Now, we were back in a place where there were 3 of us foreigners....besides very random middle-aged white males that were living here that found a Thai wife. But again, I was very happy to be back. I felt refreshed, recharged, ready and excited about the new school year, our new 1st grade class, and to see our old 1st graders. I was also very excited and ready to get back into learning more Thai so that I might be able to communicate with the locals! I knew it wasn't going to be easy but I knew it would be pertinent for me to experience this culture to the fullest. I feel learning a countries language is the best way to delve into and learn about a culture. James had also told us that they had 2 new Thai teachers that would be our translators, so we were in great anticipation of meeting them and connecting with them.
Numerous times on my travels I would get this strange feeling that would come over me. It was like I felt that I was at the tower of Babel...because I was constantly surrounded by so many different languages and sometimes I felt like I couldn't understand anything around me! I was quite surprised by the lack of Americans that I met on our travels. I was told by sooo many travelers that only 20-40% of Americans have their passport; a number that shocked me. I know some people aren't able to get out and traveling isn't meant for or necessary for everyone but I got the feeling that maybe Americans think that there is everything that they need right in front of them and that there is no need to go and explore the rest of the world around them and that there is nothing that they need to learn from anyone else. As I mentioned before I felt that alot of people I met had a sour taste in their mouth when it came to Americans...or felt that Americans think they are so much better than everyone else and think that Americans don't know alot about the rest of the world because they are too self-centered and consumed in our own little world. I was told that America's educational system ranks 76th in the world...which isn't very high. This person thought that we aren't taught enough and don't know enough about the rest of the world and people's cultures. I said that I do care about the rest of the world and want to know more and as a teacher I not only want to teach some book knowledge but also instill a sense of community and a desire to be a global citizen and help those around you and learn from those around you. We must be able to appreciate and value the differences and diversity of varying cultures.
Throughout all of our travels it was so great and interesting to see how different people live over here. They live so amazingly different and so simple compared to back in America. Laos was by far the least advanced country and I saw the biggest differences there. Vietnam seemed to be quite ahead of Laos and I assumed it was because of a possible American influence from the war. Even how people interact and treat each other seems different from America, from what I observed. I really don't know what to say as my favorite place or favorite country, but I will say that Vietnam has a bit of everything; it has beautiful countryside, mountainous landscape, coasts and beaches, big cities, small and rural cities, etc. In my ripe old age of 27, I think that these 7 weeks that I spent traveling around Southeast Asia have been the best of my life and the most rewarding and enlightening experience thus far in my life!
Numerous times on my travels I would get this strange feeling that would come over me. It was like I felt that I was at the tower of Babel...because I was constantly surrounded by so many different languages and sometimes I felt like I couldn't understand anything around me! I was quite surprised by the lack of Americans that I met on our travels. I was told by sooo many travelers that only 20-40% of Americans have their passport; a number that shocked me. I know some people aren't able to get out and traveling isn't meant for or necessary for everyone but I got the feeling that maybe Americans think that there is everything that they need right in front of them and that there is no need to go and explore the rest of the world around them and that there is nothing that they need to learn from anyone else. As I mentioned before I felt that alot of people I met had a sour taste in their mouth when it came to Americans...or felt that Americans think they are so much better than everyone else and think that Americans don't know alot about the rest of the world because they are too self-centered and consumed in our own little world. I was told that America's educational system ranks 76th in the world...which isn't very high. This person thought that we aren't taught enough and don't know enough about the rest of the world and people's cultures. I said that I do care about the rest of the world and want to know more and as a teacher I not only want to teach some book knowledge but also instill a sense of community and a desire to be a global citizen and help those around you and learn from those around you. We must be able to appreciate and value the differences and diversity of varying cultures.
Throughout all of our travels it was so great and interesting to see how different people live over here. They live so amazingly different and so simple compared to back in America. Laos was by far the least advanced country and I saw the biggest differences there. Vietnam seemed to be quite ahead of Laos and I assumed it was because of a possible American influence from the war. Even how people interact and treat each other seems different from America, from what I observed. I really don't know what to say as my favorite place or favorite country, but I will say that Vietnam has a bit of everything; it has beautiful countryside, mountainous landscape, coasts and beaches, big cities, small and rural cities, etc. In my ripe old age of 27, I think that these 7 weeks that I spent traveling around Southeast Asia have been the best of my life and the most rewarding and enlightening experience thus far in my life!
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment