It feels wonderful to be back again this year and see beautiful Thailand. I have been shocked at how lush and green it has been this time round- the wet season has come early and the rice paddies are overflowing and the bananna trees are plentiful! We can pick the banannas off of the side of the road here- and not have to pay an arm and leg like back home.
Speaking of food I have been so impressed with how the girls have embraced the Thai cuisine so far- they are piling up their plates and trying every new dish and local delicacy offered to them; spicy sausage, crickets and silk worms, curries and many new and strange fruits. Most have developed a real taste for the rambutans, dragon fruit and star fruit. Every day we have the freshest fruits and vegetables and of course rice! Our eyes are bigger than our bellies and we will all roll off the plane when we get home, I am sure.
This being my second time here on this trip it has been great to have such confidence in the activities before us and knowing how much the girls will get out of it. Yesterday one of the students was quite petrified by the Elephants and being so close to them. I remembered the absolute thrill of touching and patting an Elephant for the first time last year and I wanted her to have the same experience. I took her hand and led her over to the massive, but gentle beast and stood by her as I touched the Elephants leathery skin. At first she shied away and I assured her and held her hand tighter. She tentatively reached out, felt the bristles on the skin and gained enough confidence to pat her. I looked at her as I held her hands- her mouth was agape and her eyes were wide. "Does it feel like you imagined?" I asked. "Yes! But better! I cant believe I was afraid!" We laughed and I looked around at the other tourists cheering her on and clapping. It was the highlight of my day.
Today I really enjoyed seeing the girls just embrace the dirt and the mud and get filthy! When we had washed the Elephants they had no qualms about splashing around in the muddy water and today was the same. So often girls are told to keep clean and look pretty, but it was great to see them not care and just experience the fun of being soaked in mud. They even managed to make some mud bricks, but I think that was just an after thought.
One day in Thailand is like a weeks worth of school- they are learning so much.
Last year the best thing I bought was a pair of rubber boots to combat the climate here, but this year my crocs have been champions as well. With Thailand being just constant states of wetness (sweat, swimming, showering, raining, sweating, jumping in rivers, showering again and then sweating) happiness really is a pair of plastic shoes.
Marian Haddrick
No comments:
Post a Comment