Due to a quirk in the timetable which sees me in a supporting role for Ms Sharp and Tonkin Clarke tonight, I have now been at Triadhos for over 24 hours all on my own.
This has allowed me to spend some time reflecting on this trip.
I have now spent time supporting and working with students and staff from Shepherd Tyson, Alwyn Cameron and Hancock Crowther - and will be with Tonkin Clarke tonight. Each group of girls has their particular habits and inside jokes, but the one thing that I have noted that each group has in common is their overwhelmingly enthusiastic attitude to this whole program. The other staff members and I have been stopped a number of times by the girls who want to tell us how much they are enjoying a certain aspect of the trip. "Keep this in for next year!" they tell us. I even overheard some students talking about friendships issues the other morning - they were commenting that they had had none!
Perhaps surprisingly, the aspect which the girls seem to have valued the most is the Community Service section of the trip. I say surprisingly because it was tiring and dirty work in the pouring rain, which alternated with oppressive heat; the accomodation was fairly basic; a cold shower to wash off the day's sweat and concrete is certainly not one of the world's greatest pleasures, nor is a thin mattress on a hard floor at the end of a long day. Yet, all of these discomforts have been overlooked by the girls who say they want to go back to Mae Tang - that they could pour concrete forever. There was a real sense of accomplishment as they finished a slab of concrete - progress that was visible making all the difference. They probably could have played with the kids from the Huay Taang school forever too.
Perhaps you could now put the girls to work at home? If pouring concrete is nothing - maybe washing the dishes or cooking your evening meal will be a breeze too!
It has been a real joy to watch the girls as they enthusisastically threw themselves into all aspects of this trip. They have shown themselves to be resilient (continuing with activities in a torrential downpour), risk takers (fried grasshoppers anyone?) and resourceful (who taught these girls to barter?).
Tonkin Clarke, Hancock Crowther and Alwyn Cameron will all be back on site by tomorrow, in time for the Khantoke Dinner, performance and releasing of the laterns they have made. We will travel to Bangkok late Thursday evening, where we will meet Shepherd Tyson - and then - home.
I am sure that you will thoroughly enjoy hearing their stories when we return. What a life changing experience this has been!
Jacqui Cusack
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