Wednesday, January 31, 2007
The Floral Expo of Chiang Mai & the play "Animal Farm"
2007 Flower Expo and Animal Farm Play
If you would like to see the images individually, click the link above
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Update #3
This third e-mail comes from Shawn Livingston, junior Cross-Cultural Communications student from Houghton College in Houghton, NY. Shawn is from Maryland.
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Greetings from Thailand!
We just finished our third amazing week in Thailand and none of us can believe how fast time is going. This week we started our new Thai culture class and internships. Our new class focused on the "short" history of Thailand, the history of Thailand was (usually) interesting but to most of us, did not seem very short.
We were all looking forward to our internships not knowing what to expect, hoping for the best. Although not everyone is doing what they expected to be doing, we are all pleasantly surprised at how much we are enjoying our internships. A few students are working at the Buddhist University learning about Buddhism, but mainly teaching monks English, others are interning at a local elementary school helping children to learn English.
A few students are working with an organization that helps impoverished children, they thought they would be playing games and helping them get on the right foot but ended up teaching English. A couple students are working at a Silver factory where they will make beautiful art and jewelry out of silver while still other students are interning at a hospital in Chiang Mai. Ajarn Mike and Ann have given us so many opportunities; it seems there is an internship for every type of person. The internships are another great way for us to experience Thailand and its amazing culture. (www.community.webshots.com/user/ajarnmike100 -- see internships
2007)
We have also finished the first week of our home stays. Many of us are sad that we do not live in a hostel together anymore, but on the other hand living with a family gives a sense of belonging. Home stays have been a trial for every student, learning new customs and a new way of life, learning to eat what is given us no matter how weird it may seem.
The host families are so caring, treating us like their own children, making sure we have eaten every meal and that we are safe and sound at night. Some of us have been blessed with families that can speak English while others are learning to communicate with their families with very few words. In both cases we are learning the differences between Thailand and our home cultures; this experience will truly stretch us emotionally but in the end will be extremely positive. Since we are not fluent in Thai
(yet) the first week with our families has been trying and we are all excited about learning Thai better so that we can communicate more fully with our families. (www.community.webshots.com/user/ajarnmike100 -- see Home Stays 2007)
On Saturday we all met at the University to go to the Royal Flora Expo, essentially an extremely fancy arboretum the size of Disney World built in dedication to the King because of his work in Thailand. There were seemingly endless gardens with flowers and plants from every country in the world. There were different exhibits stretching from South Africa to Australia to the U.S. not to mention the orchid, bug, and fruit exhibits.
This establishment is extremely appreciated by the Thai population, people come from all over Thailand to visit and appreciate the king's work. It was very hot but the park was still enjoyed by our group, some of us walked around all day while others played backgammon with Ajarn Add. In the middle of the park there is a huge building with a temple-like design adorned with gold and beautiful intricate patterns. On the inside of this building are beautiful murals of the king helping different people around Thailand, The centerpiece of the building was a huge tree with thousands of olden leaves, each leaf representing one of the kings royal projects.
Some students left at 2 PM while others left at 4 but a few of us decided to stay into the evening time when there was a huge program watched by thousands of Thai people showing the prosperity of the Thai people because of the Kings work. The Royal Flora Expo was indeed another reminder of how much the king is really loved by the Thai people, it is extraordinary.
On Sunday we had the opportunity to sleep in, or depending on our location, go to church. One of our Thai friends invited us to come to the university and watch him in his play Animal Farm (put on by the English
club) at 1 PM. Many of the students attended, and it was extremely enjoyed. Most of us spent the rest of the day with our host families continuing to learn about Thai culture. We look forward to every day, excited about learning and about what kind of new food we will eat next.
Love,
Shawn Livingston
SST 2007 Student from Houghton College
P.S. You're letters are greatly appreciated...
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Greetings from Thailand!
We just finished our third amazing week in Thailand and none of us can believe how fast time is going. This week we started our new Thai culture class and internships. Our new class focused on the "short" history of Thailand, the history of Thailand was (usually) interesting but to most of us, did not seem very short.
We were all looking forward to our internships not knowing what to expect, hoping for the best. Although not everyone is doing what they expected to be doing, we are all pleasantly surprised at how much we are enjoying our internships. A few students are working at the Buddhist University learning about Buddhism, but mainly teaching monks English, others are interning at a local elementary school helping children to learn English.
A few students are working with an organization that helps impoverished children, they thought they would be playing games and helping them get on the right foot but ended up teaching English. A couple students are working at a Silver factory where they will make beautiful art and jewelry out of silver while still other students are interning at a hospital in Chiang Mai. Ajarn Mike and Ann have given us so many opportunities; it seems there is an internship for every type of person. The internships are another great way for us to experience Thailand and its amazing culture. (www.community.webshots.com/user/ajarnmike100 -- see internships
2007)
We have also finished the first week of our home stays. Many of us are sad that we do not live in a hostel together anymore, but on the other hand living with a family gives a sense of belonging. Home stays have been a trial for every student, learning new customs and a new way of life, learning to eat what is given us no matter how weird it may seem.
The host families are so caring, treating us like their own children, making sure we have eaten every meal and that we are safe and sound at night. Some of us have been blessed with families that can speak English while others are learning to communicate with their families with very few words. In both cases we are learning the differences between Thailand and our home cultures; this experience will truly stretch us emotionally but in the end will be extremely positive. Since we are not fluent in Thai
(yet) the first week with our families has been trying and we are all excited about learning Thai better so that we can communicate more fully with our families. (www.community.webshots.com/user/ajarnmike100 -- see Home Stays 2007)
On Saturday we all met at the University to go to the Royal Flora Expo, essentially an extremely fancy arboretum the size of Disney World built in dedication to the King because of his work in Thailand. There were seemingly endless gardens with flowers and plants from every country in the world. There were different exhibits stretching from South Africa to Australia to the U.S. not to mention the orchid, bug, and fruit exhibits.
This establishment is extremely appreciated by the Thai population, people come from all over Thailand to visit and appreciate the king's work. It was very hot but the park was still enjoyed by our group, some of us walked around all day while others played backgammon with Ajarn Add. In the middle of the park there is a huge building with a temple-like design adorned with gold and beautiful intricate patterns. On the inside of this building are beautiful murals of the king helping different people around Thailand, The centerpiece of the building was a huge tree with thousands of olden leaves, each leaf representing one of the kings royal projects.
Some students left at 2 PM while others left at 4 but a few of us decided to stay into the evening time when there was a huge program watched by thousands of Thai people showing the prosperity of the Thai people because of the Kings work. The Royal Flora Expo was indeed another reminder of how much the king is really loved by the Thai people, it is extraordinary.
On Sunday we had the opportunity to sleep in, or depending on our location, go to church. One of our Thai friends invited us to come to the university and watch him in his play Animal Farm (put on by the English
club) at 1 PM. Many of the students attended, and it was extremely enjoyed. Most of us spent the rest of the day with our host families continuing to learn about Thai culture. We look forward to every day, excited about learning and about what kind of new food we will eat next.
Love,
Shawn Livingston
SST 2007 Student from Houghton College
P.S. You're letters are greatly appreciated...
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Elephant Riding & Waterfall
We visited an elephant training camp, and the students enjoyed a morning of riding elephants, then floating down the river on bamboo rafts. We then went to cool off at a beautiful waterfall tucked into the mountains.
SST 2007 -- Elephant Riding and Waterfall
SST 2007 -- Elephant Riding and Waterfall
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Update #2
This second e-mail comes from Nate Tiller, sophomore social work student from Gordon College in Wenham, MA. Nate is from Sharon, MA.
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Sa wat dii khrap!
It's about 10 am on Tuesday morning. We've been in Thailand for 17 days now, but still each day is a new experience filled with bright colors, strange places, beautiful people, and of course, delicious Thai food.
You last heard from our band of adventurers right after we had come back from the Lahu village. We spent Wednesday through Friday continuing our intensive Thai language classes. We made it through page 122 in our 219 page text book. We have really learned a lot of Thai (how much we actually remember, that's another story...).
On Saturday we hiked up Doi Suthep mountain, which overlooks Chiang Mai and is the home of one of Thailand most famous temples. The hike was beautiful--exotic plants, serene brooks, and a pair of cats that followed us for awhile. At the temple, we saw a huge golden cheddi surrounded by hundreds of small bells at its base. People walk around it ringing bells to gain merit. It was an intriguing sight, one that challenged us to consider the concepts of merit and luck and how they pervade not only Thai society, but our own as well.
After the hike, we were treated to a 2-hour Thai full-body therapeudic massage (don't worry mom- we were fully clothed). The massage was truly amazing.
On Sunday, all of the students gathered in the lobby of our hostel. The air was full of excitement and nervousness as we prepared to meet our host families. We left sad that we would not be living together until next April. However, after our first night, we were all excited to spend more time with our host families and get to know them better.
On Monday, we began our internships. Internships varried in so many ways--working with Buddhist monks who are English majors at a Buddhist University, studying and translating Thai language, interning in a Thai hospital with Thai physicians, working with silver and creating works of art, and teaching English in a bilingual Thai government school. We have found that our internships will be exciting opportunities to interact with Thai culture, learn from local professionals, and offer some small service to our Chiang Mai community. We go to these internships every weekday after our morning classes of Thai language and Thai society.
We miss you, our friends and family back home, and we appreciate your prayers, communication, and support.
Nate Tiller
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Sa wat dii khrap!
It's about 10 am on Tuesday morning. We've been in Thailand for 17 days now, but still each day is a new experience filled with bright colors, strange places, beautiful people, and of course, delicious Thai food.
You last heard from our band of adventurers right after we had come back from the Lahu village. We spent Wednesday through Friday continuing our intensive Thai language classes. We made it through page 122 in our 219 page text book. We have really learned a lot of Thai (how much we actually remember, that's another story...).
On Saturday we hiked up Doi Suthep mountain, which overlooks Chiang Mai and is the home of one of Thailand most famous temples. The hike was beautiful--exotic plants, serene brooks, and a pair of cats that followed us for awhile. At the temple, we saw a huge golden cheddi surrounded by hundreds of small bells at its base. People walk around it ringing bells to gain merit. It was an intriguing sight, one that challenged us to consider the concepts of merit and luck and how they pervade not only Thai society, but our own as well.
After the hike, we were treated to a 2-hour Thai full-body therapeudic massage (don't worry mom- we were fully clothed). The massage was truly amazing.
On Sunday, all of the students gathered in the lobby of our hostel. The air was full of excitement and nervousness as we prepared to meet our host families. We left sad that we would not be living together until next April. However, after our first night, we were all excited to spend more time with our host families and get to know them better.
On Monday, we began our internships. Internships varried in so many ways--working with Buddhist monks who are English majors at a Buddhist University, studying and translating Thai language, interning in a Thai hospital with Thai physicians, working with silver and creating works of art, and teaching English in a bilingual Thai government school. We have found that our internships will be exciting opportunities to interact with Thai culture, learn from local professionals, and offer some small service to our Chiang Mai community. We go to these internships every weekday after our morning classes of Thai language and Thai society.
We miss you, our friends and family back home, and we appreciate your prayers, communication, and support.
Nate Tiller
Monday, January 22, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
SST 2007 arrives in Chiang Mai and enjoys a traditional Northern Thai dinner!
SST 2007 -- First Week and Kontoke Dinner
if you would like to see the images individually, click on the link above
Update #1
This e-mail comes from Courtney Meijers, senior student from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Courtney is from Scottsdale, AZ and is majoring in Psychology.
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Dear Friends and Family:
When one receives an invitation to an event, it usually includes the phrase, "Come for Food, Fun, and Fellowship." If an invitation were sent for this Spring Semester in Thailand program, it definitely would include this phrase, but possibly with a revision such as, "Come for delicious, inexpensive Thai food, adventures, and long, mind-bending lectures!"
Where can one go to feed 7 people full, delicious meals and drinks for a grand total of $11 US? The Answer: Thailand. All of us have discovered that we can eat three meals a day for about one dollar a day or maybe two dollars if we splurge on extra snacks or any other new foods we want to try. On average, our lunch costs 15 baht, and we've grown accustomed to this (in the one week that we've been here) to the point that when we see meals for 60 to 70 Baht (around $2), we think that it's too expensive.
Ordering food is an adventure in itself in that we don't really know the language so we point and then just try whatever we get which makes every meal interesting. This has also been a bonding experience in that people just buy food, take a piece and pass the rest around. We already act like a big happy family in that way.
Eating food has not been the only adventure so far; it's truly amazing what we have been able to accomplish in a week. Some adventures have been as a whole group, like visiting the U.S. Consulate, the day market, classes, and the mall. However, most adventures happen in small groups where someone comes up with an idea and whoever finds that activity appealing joins in on the fun. These adventures have included hiking around a waterfall, trekking through the zoo, exploring Buddhist temples, attending a Thai/Korean Christian concert, and going to various night markets and experiencing the local culture. Every day starts out with class and ends with some adventure that makes the day spectacular as a whole and gives us an opportunity to apply what we've learned in class.
Everyday this week included some sort of lecture, either by the Dean, the President, or an Ajaan (professor). The lectures by the Ajaan were, of course, lessons in Thai, either language or writing. Tuesday was our first full day of class where we had three hours of Thai Language in the morning with a 5 minute break every hour, and after two hours a new teacher came.
At noon we had a lunch break for an hour where most of us would venture off to the cantine for lunch and then rush off to use the free, fast internet on the fourth floor of the Humanities building (where our classes are located).
same Ajaan that we had for the last hour of the first 3 hours before lunch.
By 3pm, most of us are completely exhausted and our brains are crammed with Thai words and various pronunciations. On Thursday, we had writing after lunch instead of spoken language, which presented a whole new set of challenges.
Even though we've only had a couple of lessons, of which most of them went by very fast, it's been fun listening to the other students apply their new knowledge and hear their excitement when they revel in the fact they can now order their favorite drink in Thai or finally be able to eat at a new place because they do not have to rely on their pointing skills; they can use their new vocabulary to try a whole new variety of food.
Now that we've been here for a week, I asked a couple of my new friends about their highlights of the trip thus far. I received a variety of answers, but my favorite part was how their faces lit up when recalling a specific memory and how they relished in that recollection. In just one week, many of us have accumulated memories of a lifetime. Some highlights that were mentioned are: learning Thai, being overwhelmed and confused by learning Thai, ordering Thai food, enjoying a local favorite desert: mango and sticky rice, wandering around the day market and getting a feel for the town, discovering and exploring Buddhist temples, attempting to speak to Buddhist monks and sometimes successfully conversing with Buddhist monks, running in the morning and observing the local culture as well as the monks' daily trek down the hill, and exploring the waterfalls while simultaneously soaking in the beauty of this region.
Stay tuned for future emails detailing our adventures at the village. Have a terrific day!
Sincerely,
Courtney Meijers
One of 30 students Living the Good Life in Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Dear Friends and Family:
When one receives an invitation to an event, it usually includes the phrase, "Come for Food, Fun, and Fellowship." If an invitation were sent for this Spring Semester in Thailand program, it definitely would include this phrase, but possibly with a revision such as, "Come for delicious, inexpensive Thai food, adventures, and long, mind-bending lectures!"
Where can one go to feed 7 people full, delicious meals and drinks for a grand total of $11 US? The Answer: Thailand. All of us have discovered that we can eat three meals a day for about one dollar a day or maybe two dollars if we splurge on extra snacks or any other new foods we want to try. On average, our lunch costs 15 baht, and we've grown accustomed to this (in the one week that we've been here) to the point that when we see meals for 60 to 70 Baht (around $2), we think that it's too expensive.
Ordering food is an adventure in itself in that we don't really know the language so we point and then just try whatever we get which makes every meal interesting. This has also been a bonding experience in that people just buy food, take a piece and pass the rest around. We already act like a big happy family in that way.
Eating food has not been the only adventure so far; it's truly amazing what we have been able to accomplish in a week. Some adventures have been as a whole group, like visiting the U.S. Consulate, the day market, classes, and the mall. However, most adventures happen in small groups where someone comes up with an idea and whoever finds that activity appealing joins in on the fun. These adventures have included hiking around a waterfall, trekking through the zoo, exploring Buddhist temples, attending a Thai/Korean Christian concert, and going to various night markets and experiencing the local culture. Every day starts out with class and ends with some adventure that makes the day spectacular as a whole and gives us an opportunity to apply what we've learned in class.
Everyday this week included some sort of lecture, either by the Dean, the President, or an Ajaan (professor). The lectures by the Ajaan were, of course, lessons in Thai, either language or writing. Tuesday was our first full day of class where we had three hours of Thai Language in the morning with a 5 minute break every hour, and after two hours a new teacher came.
At noon we had a lunch break for an hour where most of us would venture off to the cantine for lunch and then rush off to use the free, fast internet on the fourth floor of the Humanities building (where our classes are located).
same Ajaan that we had for the last hour of the first 3 hours before lunch.
By 3pm, most of us are completely exhausted and our brains are crammed with Thai words and various pronunciations. On Thursday, we had writing after lunch instead of spoken language, which presented a whole new set of challenges.
Even though we've only had a couple of lessons, of which most of them went by very fast, it's been fun listening to the other students apply their new knowledge and hear their excitement when they revel in the fact they can now order their favorite drink in Thai or finally be able to eat at a new place because they do not have to rely on their pointing skills; they can use their new vocabulary to try a whole new variety of food.
Now that we've been here for a week, I asked a couple of my new friends about their highlights of the trip thus far. I received a variety of answers, but my favorite part was how their faces lit up when recalling a specific memory and how they relished in that recollection. In just one week, many of us have accumulated memories of a lifetime. Some highlights that were mentioned are: learning Thai, being overwhelmed and confused by learning Thai, ordering Thai food, enjoying a local favorite desert: mango and sticky rice, wandering around the day market and getting a feel for the town, discovering and exploring Buddhist temples, attempting to speak to Buddhist monks and sometimes successfully conversing with Buddhist monks, running in the morning and observing the local culture as well as the monks' daily trek down the hill, and exploring the waterfalls while simultaneously soaking in the beauty of this region.
Stay tuned for future emails detailing our adventures at the village. Have a terrific day!
Sincerely,
Courtney Meijers
One of 30 students Living the Good Life in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sunday, January 7, 2007
We're Here!
Hi all:
Just a note to let you know we landed safely and without problems here in Thailand. We met students in Los Angeles and spent the next 30 some hours in flight or airports, but we all(including our student coming from
France) and our luggage arrived safe and sound in Chiang Mai. A small but happy victory! We landed about noon, and the students checked into the hotel, took a shower, and walked around the University. After dinner downtown together, we all returned for an early bedtime (not surprising).
Our classes began yesterday at 9:00 AM (Sunday)--of course, we were up at 4, so being there at 9 was no problem. After a great guest lecture about the differences between American and Thai culture, we did some logistical things, had lunch and sent students shopping at the day market(with the help of Thai students) for clothes for the Northern Thai dinner tomorrow evening. Our Thai classes (5 hours per day) begin today and go for two weeks, and during that time we will also visit and finalize internships.
Things are very green here, and there are beds of blooming flowers all around. It is Chiang Mai University's graduation in a week and a half, and so they are preparing the campus and it is beautiful. We leave campus during graduation as the area is so crowded (the university has 20,000 students). This year we will visit a Lahu village north of CM. We will stay in simple housing with the villagers and it will probably be cold (not by Mn standards, but there is no insulation and only one blanket per person). We will do a service project there for the church in the village.
Well, I'm losing my email, so I'll sat goodbye. Miss you all!
Ann Leming
Director, Spring Semester in Thailand
Just a note to let you know we landed safely and without problems here in Thailand. We met students in Los Angeles and spent the next 30 some hours in flight or airports, but we all(including our student coming from
France) and our luggage arrived safe and sound in Chiang Mai. A small but happy victory! We landed about noon, and the students checked into the hotel, took a shower, and walked around the University. After dinner downtown together, we all returned for an early bedtime (not surprising).
Our classes began yesterday at 9:00 AM (Sunday)--of course, we were up at 4, so being there at 9 was no problem. After a great guest lecture about the differences between American and Thai culture, we did some logistical things, had lunch and sent students shopping at the day market(with the help of Thai students) for clothes for the Northern Thai dinner tomorrow evening. Our Thai classes (5 hours per day) begin today and go for two weeks, and during that time we will also visit and finalize internships.
Things are very green here, and there are beds of blooming flowers all around. It is Chiang Mai University's graduation in a week and a half, and so they are preparing the campus and it is beautiful. We leave campus during graduation as the area is so crowded (the university has 20,000 students). This year we will visit a Lahu village north of CM. We will stay in simple housing with the villagers and it will probably be cold (not by Mn standards, but there is no insulation and only one blanket per person). We will do a service project there for the church in the village.
Well, I'm losing my email, so I'll sat goodbye. Miss you all!
Ann Leming
Director, Spring Semester in Thailand
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