Typical PST Day

6:00am 

The neighbor's rooster crows along to the traditional Thai music blasting from their speakers. I open my eyes to grey light filtering into the slits of my window, and my hunter's orange mosquito net billowing in the fan breeze. After changing into my pasin and collecting my shower caddy, I walk barefoot outside to the bathroom. My host family has a western throne, but an eastern pluming system. I flush by scooping water out of a concrete basin, careful not to disturb the frog that lives there, and slosh the water down the toilet. I then scoop water out of a separate, larger basin and pour it over my head. I have a cool, refreshing shower that is a welcome relief from the heat. 

7:00am 

My host mom has breakfast prepared and waiting in the kitchen. At first she offered me a variety of dishes, but ever since I attempted to explain that I wanted to help make fried rice, I've only had fried rice for breakfast soooo......I probably said I only want fried rice. She is a great cook though so I don't mind. Sometimes she surprises me by handing me a fresh coconut to drink! After eating I quickly wash the dishes and hop on my bicycle. It's 10 minutes of sweating before I reach the Sub-District Administrative Office where my language class is held. I attempt to soak up as much sweat as possible before changing into my professional clothing for class.

8:00am 

With Ajaan (teacher) Wero guiding the way, five of us spend the next four hours speaking in Thai; we are learning how to count, order food, take directions, give directions, and anything else we'll need to survive here in Thailand by ourselves. We only have a month left at the training site with the comfort of our host families, our Ajaans, and each other before being assigned to a permanent solo site.

My language group with Ajaan Wero at our favorite coffee shop. 

Noon 

Under the sweltering mid-day sun, I once again hop on my bicycle and ride 10 minutes to my practicum school. The school, Ban Nong Chik Rak Kha, is much like the rest of Thailand: incredibly generous. Every day they kindly feed us volunteers along with the 200 students who attend. Lunch is a variety of fish, fried vegetables, Thai Tea, and the best tofu I've ever had. The next precious hour is spent completing lesson plans and gathering materials.

Entrance to Ban Nong Chik Rak Kha School

2:00pm 

Practicum hour begins! Our time begins with a "Roll-Call" song and dance in which each student calls out their name and favorite activity. We then play a sneakily educational game like human knot and discuss how its lessons can apply to real life. In just two short week's I've seen my incredible freshman students open up to me, show leadership skills, and develop confidence. Our first week consisted of a lot of group bonding activities. The second week, Valentines week, we focused on self-love and self-confidence. This week, I'll be teaching my students to design smart goals and step-by-step action plans. Thank goodness the can understand my broken Thai!

Practicum is a 5 week student-teaching-like experience where each volunteer runs a classroom for an hour teaching "life skills." Check out my Peace Corps Approach to Youth Development post to figure out what that really means. 

Attempting to untangle a human knot

Afternoon Activities

Aerobics

Those of you that know me well, know that Morgan doesn't exercise unless she's under peer pressure. Thank goodness for group exercise classes! Two times a week what seems to be exclusively moms 40+ and American volunteers show up to the local health center to dance together. 

Mini Mart Moments

A midnight snack is a minute away. I unlatch the gate that divides our yards, and proceed to enter the front door of my neighbors house - the Mini Mart entrance. The small space is filled with essentials; Lay's Chips, Coconut Drinks, chocolate, laundry soap, stickers, pens, ice cream, air conditioning, and a family who loves me. Exhibiting the endless that generosity, the Mom (whose name means Rainbow!!) feeds me endlessly, making sure that I try every pescatarian dish in Thailand. I am invited to sit on the floor of their already cramped shop to do homework comfortably in the air conditioning. When I don't have homework, I come over anyway to hang out with the daughter Kalay, 28. We have grown to become close friends. She teaches me Thai, and I teach her English - although I think she's doing more teaching than I am. 

In Thailand, people freely and frequently express kindness and generosity or "Nam Jai." Attempting to return the Nam Jai this family has shown me, I purchased several fruits that aren't bananas (which seem to be over abundant here...) and handed them to Rainbow. She straight up refused, saying that when its late at night and the shop is closed she can walk over and get a snack. I don't have that luxury and should keep the fruit so that when I'm hungry in the night I have something to munch on.

I am a poor volunteer who is not yet allowed to leave site, and they own a Mini Mart with midnight snacks. How am I supposed to return their "Nam Jai?" Once the construction dust settles, I am looking forward to helping Kalay paint the walls of her new bedroom. Pictures to follow....

"King's Korners" in the corner of the store with Kalay and Host Brother Check

Adventures with Check

People are always shocked to hear that even after four kids, my parents still had all girls. It was a great time, I wouldn't trade that for the world - but I've always wondered what it was like to have a brother. Peace Corps has given me the best brother ever. Check is 12 years old. He loves American WWE and John Cena, cooking Thai food, watching cooking shows, singing, Star Wars, and his 2-year-old nephew. From the second I moved in he has been so welcoming as I integrate into the family and patient with my Thai communication and life skills. He invites me to do everything with him, and has been teaching me how to cook in their kitchen. He has graciously pulled the meat off of the fish and placed it on my pile of rice until I finally gained the courage and skills to do it myself. He translates my Thai to Thai-Thai so that his mom can understand what I'm saying. All of this, with the biggest and best personality.

Check out these video's and picks to see how incredible this kid is.

Check keeping me company at the Don Chedi Festival

Check prepares a sea-food picnic...

...with some attitude!

Shrimp cooking!

Bon Appetit! Grilled shrimp, two kinds of clams, and a spicy dipping sauce.

The grey clams were incredibly difficult to open! We had a speed-eating contest which resulted in us throwing them at the house trying to bust them open. Check came in first at 11 clams opened and eaten when I tapped out at 9.

Halfway thru our meal, Check pulled out his two phones; one to film us live on YouTube, and the other to play karaoke tracks.

Our completed fried rice entry and Check preparing crab wantons.

Check Performs an Omelette Flip

Just some more attitude.

Check took me to the stream by our house on a hot day.

And John Cena fights the Green Giant
Forgive me, I am not a great WWE emcee...

Too Cool.