Meeting my Host Family

Written 1/17/18

What can I say about today? Each moment has held fear and joy; but mostly joy I think. Stepping off a bus and seeing 72 plus smiling Thai hearts, willing to open their homes to strangers who speak very little Thai will do that.

I have been nervous to meet my host family, with whom I will live for three months during PST (Pre Service Training). I worry about everything.

• Will I have my own room? If not where will I put all my stuff? God, I brought WAY to much stuff. 
• What will the bathroom look like? Will I poop while squatting for the first time ever?
• Are there kids? I hope there are kids! Kids make it easier to connect with the rest of the family.
• Will anyone speak English? I hope that I can communicate my needs. Especially my diet. Will they know what to feed a pescatarian? Am I too much of a hassle?
• What will my family like to do? Will we have anything in common? What if they think I'm boring?
• I hope they like me. Gosh I hope they like me.

Jai yen yen, Morgan; cool your heart.

My host mom has a beautiful smile, and kind eyes. She ties the first string around my wrist at the welcoming ceremony. Other members of the community follow, each giving best wishes for PST. My ajahn, my Thai language teacher, ties a string around my wrist saying that the next few weeks are going to be challenging, but we are going to work through it together.

Today, I am grateful for brothers. I've never had one before. Now I do. My host brother is twelve and I can't say enough good things about him. He spent the whole afternoon, all his free time after school with me. He helped me set up my room, showed me the bathroom (including miming how to take a shower), took me to the convience store, showed off his Muay Thai skills (for protecting the house), and for dinner, presented me with scrambled eggs (kie toat) he made himself! He is excited to cook breakfast for me in the morning! We are able to verbally communicate a little with the Thai I've been learning the last few days, the English he's learned in school, and of course the all-knowing Google translate. It's kind of a fun game to figure out what the other person is trying to say. He asked me to teach him English. I said, as long as you teach me Thai. Soon perhaps neither of us will need Google Translate.

And now, I retreat to my private room (YAY!), and rest under the blaze orange mosquito net billowing in the warm breeze. My heart is peaceful, and cool.