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.