Tisch Global Jumbos

by Lucy

If I were to view my life in accomplishments, I wouldn’t be able to grasp anything–I cannot hold onto any moment or thing indefinitely, as achieving is holding, possessing. Rather than achieving, I view my life as experiencing. Experiencing lets each moment develop itself within me and depart, leaving me satisfied, not attempting to catch and hold on to a title of “accomplishment.”

I think back to our first week in the city of Chiang Mai where my peers and I made bingo boards of what we hoped to accomplish while in Thailand. I forgot about it for a while, but when I came back to the paper I had found that I had experienced nearly all of the items just within a few weeks.

“Having a basic conversation in Thai.” “Experiencing nature and mountain landscapes.” “Craft.”

While writing these, I didn’t feel like I necessarily had to accomplish any of these, rather they were things I thought were reasonably possible to do, and that I would likely enjoy doing them. Only now do I see that my subconscious, lighthearted but well-intentioned goal making has been completely formative to my experience here in Thailand.

What started from ordering my iced latte with 50% sweetness every morning in Thai turned into conversations about my family and life with my homestay families just in a week.

Exploring temples in the mountains, watching rice fields turn from tall green grass to short, brown, and harvested.

Dyeing clothes with natural pigments in hill tribe villages, painting at my internship every day, painting the house at our excursion, pottery & watercolor workshops as group activities.

Grey boxes quickly adorn a slash in pen across each one.

But one of the things I have not crossed off yet:

“Make friends to have a reason to come back to Thailand for.”

More than things I want to experience or accomplish is my desire to connect to people whose lives revolve around this country. To return here without someone to visit feels like I’m going just for myself–which of course is not a bad thing–but there is abundant beauty in the relationships you have established and maintained over thousands of miles of distance. This box remains uncrossed because I hope there will be no cap on the number of relationships I receive while I’m here.

My host family–Por Swing, Mae Mui, my parents; Nong Newton, Nong Bao Bei, my younger siblings; they have taken me in just as their own child and sibling. Nudging me for waking up past 7 (how do they get up so early…); sitting at dinner talking about food and learning their Northern Thai terms; suddenly facetiming their friends and introducing them to me; new faces showing up at every hour of the day, greeted by a simple “sawatdee jao”; yelling into my room to tell me it’s time to eat.

My coworkers and supervisors at my internship, Nai Suan. Ending placement days with hours of playing guitar and singing with P’Yoshi, P’Ice, and P’Mayu. Eating freshly grilled corn from the family’s fields with P’Boil while he tells us about his art, his life.

It’s only been a month and a half– yet it’s been a whole month and a half. However I choose to define it, I know concretely that I have experienced, and will leave with my bingo board of experience blacked out.

by Syd

Anxiously sitting in the van, thinking of all the possibilities. What would my home look like? Would my feet be too big for the steps? Would I be able to join in when she cooks? So many questions raced through my head, and it felt like a minute longer I would explode. I was genuinely nervous (and excited, of course).

We toured the area in the van. We saw lots of cows and dogs, which I was determined to pet at some point. As Hannah and P’Bo continued to point at everyone’s houses, I patiently waited to see mine.

We arrived at the community center and played a game of “guess who your host mom is.” As we sat there and guessed, I really hoped that my guess was right because the mom that I guessed looked like an extremely caring and kind woman (and also so I could tell the group that I was right). Finally, the moment came when I would find out which mom was mine. Lo and behold, I had guessed correctly. There was Mae Wandee, ready to put my white cotton bracelet on my wrist. Now the picture of her and me on that first day is one of my favorite photos.

When I got to the house, my nerves melted away. Mae Wandee showed me around, and I saw the outdoor kitchen. I immediately knew I would spend lots of time there helping Mae cook and take note of her recipes. That first night, I also met Mae Wanna’s grandson, Liew. Axelle and I spent a solid forty-five minutes attempting to teach Mae Wanna, Liew, and Mae Wandee how to play not just ordinary Uno but Uno Flip, which probably made teaching ten times harder along with inaccurate translations back and forth. However, by the end of those forty-five minutes, we were all (kind of) playing a coherent Uno game. Now, Uno is played every night Liew is at Mae Wanna’s.

This past week has flown by. Between the crazy Google Translations from “Tonight is not a good night for the children to cook” to “What special abilities does she have?” there is never a dull moment with Google Translate. Axelle and I have also been joining the dance group (almost) every night, where we learned a Thai dance that lasts for what seems like forever. I have also taught some of the moms and the group how to do the Cotton Eye Joe, which I have come to realize also seems to last forever. Most days, in the morning, I will go biking with Brandy, Brandy’s host family, and (depending on the day) others from the cohort, where we bike up to the reservoir and then usually walk part of it, if not all of it.

Now that we have been in Huai Lan for a week, it is hard to believe I was ever nervous about living here. There are no words to describe getting to know my new family and just observing how much they really care. My heart and my stomach are always full. I genuinely could not ask for more. I know there will be so many more moments of laughter and warmth, but being here has helped me to stop and enjoy every small moment, and that in itself is a gift.

by Yeili

As I sit in the common area, surrounded by the soft sounds of crickets and music in thai, I’ve been reflecting on my first week in Huai Lan with Mae Tim. I didn’t realize how much I needed a home-cooked meal or how comforting it would feel to be in a space filled with the warmth of family.

I remember one of our first days in Thailand, when Hannah read a YAK post about homestays. The student wrote about how their host family reminded them of their family back home. I didn’t fully understand it then, but now I do. That’s exactly how I feel here in Huai Lan.

From the very first dinner with Mae Tim, Na Noo, Na Wan, Pi Tai, and Pi Dtor, I felt something familiar, a rhythm, a sense of belonging. Like my home, Mae Tim’s house is always full of people, and I love it. There’s nothing that makes me happier than sitting around a full table, hearing everyone talk and laugh, sharing stories about their day. Back home, every Sunday my mom, her sisters, and their husbands come together to eat, sing, and dance. It’s not so different here, where after dinner we often dance for an hour with Mae Tim’s friends and sister-in-law. The joy, the teasing, the shared energy, it all feels so much like home.

Mae Tim reminds me so much of my mom a strong, steady woman who shows her care through the smallest things. I feel like one of her own children when she quietly turns on the fan so I don’t melt from the heat or when she serves me fish, carefully making sure there are no bones left. Na Noo and Na Wan bring the same warmth and humor as my aunts and uncles back home, whenever they walk in, the whole house lights up with laughter. I can feel Pi Dtor and Pi Tai’s deep love for their mother too, the same kind of care that keeps families close no matter where you are.

This weekend, Na Noo and Na Wan took me to visit a nearby temple. We teased each other about there being a buffet afterward, and I couldn’t help but think of my uncles and aunts back home, how they always joke, feed me too much, and make me feel loved in a hundred small ways.

Here in Huai Lan, I’ve realized that love, family, and connection don’t need to share a language to be felt. Each person in this house looks out for one another with the same tenderness and laughter that fill my home back in Illinois. And in that, I’ve found a kind of home away from home.

by Syd & Avery

Syd:
When the group first visited IMPECT we were told to be “flexible” and get used to being on “Thai time”. I was a little nervous because as most of the people who know me know that if I am on time I am late and I always have to have some kind of schedule for my day. However, IMPECT has helped me be okay with doing whatever the days takes me to do and the time things I am still working on but am improving at least a little bit.

One of the highlights has been going to a Karen village for the day and learning about the traditions and work that IMPECT is doing in villages. The village itself was actually in Chiang Rai and took a solid three hours to get to. The roads were bumpy to say the least as Yelli, P’Deang, and I all were thrown off our seats periodically as we got closer to the village. When we finally got to the village we were of course offered food. As Yelli and I sat there eating our Avocado and Honey I took in the scenery and the smiling faces that continued to welcome us. Then we were given more food and then lunch. One of my favorite memories is asking P’Nii’s son in Thai if he wanted to play a game. We played Rock, Paper, Scissors, but unfortunately for me I don’t know how to say any of those words in Thai so we just counted to three before we showed our Rock, Paper, or Scissors.

We were then shown around the village and a massive river which we learned was protected. That is when I met another young boy from the village who really liked his squid toy. My minimal Thai had somehow entertained him as he followed Yelli and I back to the place where we had lunch. As Yelli and I were standing there the boy yells “ฝรั่ง” which means Westerner and Yelli and I start dying laughing as a women tells him to call us “P”.

We ended our day by listening in on the presentation to the head villagers about an app that can help track biodiversity within the villages. It was really fascinating to see in real time how IMPECT was collaborating with the village to track biodiversity so that it could later be presented to emphasize that Indigenous People of Thailand are caring for the forests not harming them. After being begged to stay we departed and started our three hour trip back while of course sharing snacks between each other.

I sat in P’Deang’s truck absolutely exhausted but also incredibly grateful for the opportunity I just had. It was amazing to see the work IMPECT was doing in person and seeing the village come together to help make change. I loved getting to know the village (and the food) and there was never a moment where I did not feel like I was not welcomed. Rather I was welcomed with open arms even by the children. When I got back to Doodle my brain was fried but in a good way. I had spent much of the day speaking Thai and I was so thrilled. Even though it was a short trip I felt like I improved my Thai, learned about the work IMPECT does, and could not wait until I had another opportunity to visit another village.

Avery:

I have had the privilege of working at Maetha Organic, a collection of farmers who have dedicated themselves to sustainable agriculture practices and bringing organic products from the ground to the market. Our duties at Maetha encompass a wide range of activities. On any given day we will assist in a variety of activities from planting seeds and weeding, to setting tables, catering to guests, and preparing materials for a presentation at the local school. Every day is an adventure and no matter how sleepy I am from the hour long car ride, I find that my duties are both fun and fulfilling, making them an irreplaceable part of my day. And the fun isn’t limited to when we’re on the clock. The staff at Maetha are lovely company and habitually treat us to various snacks such as homemade banoffee and chocolate pudding, matcha, and popsicles to name a few. Our lunch breaks are always graced with delicious food with the local khao soi spot being a fan favorite. After lunch, I typically spend the rest of our generous break playing ping-pong with my partner before heading back outside to finish up for the day. I’ve found the time I’ve spent at Maetha to be a priceless part of my routine. In assisting at Maetha I feel I’ve gained a great deal of insight and appreciation for the work that it takes to create sustainable organic produce. Beyond that, every day at Maetha has been a blast and I will have many fond memories of my time there that I will continue to cherish well into the future.

by Axelle

I can’t believe I’m already halfway through the Civic Semester. My interview still feels like yesterday, me nervously smiling through the screen, trying to imagine what this journey would be like. Yet here I am, reflecting on all that I’ve accomplished so far.

Two weeks ago, before we moved from the city to the village, I was honestly nervous. I didn’t know how to ride a bicycle, and I had already heard from our instructors that in the village, biking would be our main way to go anywhere. In my head, I had already decided that I’d just stay home whenever my peers went anywhere.

Then came the second day in the village. Our instructors lined up all the bikes, one for each of us. When they handed me mine, I couldn’t help but laugh and wonder what they were thinking since I had made it very clear in the pre-program survey that I couldn’t ride. But they stayed behind with me, patient and encouraging, and taught me little by little.

By the end of the day, I could actually ride. I mean, sure I hit two trees in my friend’s yard (sorry, trees), but I was riding! And now, guess who bikes uphill to the reservoir every morning? That’s right—me.

Learning to ride a bike might sound simple, but for me, it meant stepping out of my comfort zone and proving to myself that it’s never too late to learn something new. I learned that when I say “I can’t,” what I really mean is “I can’t YET.” My instructors’ belief in me helped me see that difference.

That’s the same mindset I bring to my Thai class every Monday and Wednesday.

As I look ahead to the second half of the semester, I want to keep saying yes to new challenges. I want to connect even more deeply with my host family, get better at speaking Thai, and keep showing up for every opportunity that scares me just a little bit because that’s where all the magic happens.