Overview
My name is Luke Wilson. I am 17 and from near Cleveland, Ohio. Currently I live near Bangkok, in Nonthaburi, Thailand. In March 2018 I received an email notifying me that I was accepted to be a finalist, for a scholarship to study in Thailand, from the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES Abroad). YES Abroad provides scholarships to 65 students to study abroad in one of about a dozen countries with significant muslim populations.
So many memories were made during July. During this eventful month, I said goodbye to my family and friends and flew to New York for an orientation, where I met more students that would be traveling abroad like me. I attended AFS Thailand Arrival Orientation and met people from all over the world. Also in the month of July, I finally met my host family which I get to know more each day. Towards the end of the month, I began attending my Thai school.
It is so crazy to think that, less than a month before I stepped off the plane in Bangkok and took my first steps in Thailand. I was stressing over finals at American school; one moment I was stressing over the final exams of my sophomore year, the next I was taking my first breath of Thailand air. Overall, I am thankful, to have been able to experience what I experienced and make the memories that I made, in July.
Leaving for My New Home
On July 1st, 2018 I said goodbye to my family for 10 months in Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. I had already hung out with my Ohioan friends for what will be the last time in quite a while. It was not easy to say goodbye to my family, as well as everyone else, but being on exchange in Thailand is a once-in-a-lifetime experience; I am only here in Thailand for 10 months, while I will be American for the rest of my life.
After exchanging some US Dollars for Thai Baht at the airport, I arrived at my gate. Then I boarded my flight taking me to New York City, for the AFS Gateway Orientation. After arriving in New York, an airport shuttle took us fellow students to a small university, called Long Island University. On the shuttle, I was able to meet the non-YES Abroad students also traveling to Thailand. Once at the university, we checked in with AFS staff and then had an afternoon of informational sessions.
On July 2nd, Thailand students left for JFK International Airport to begin our long journey to Bangkok. After layovers in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, we finally arrived in Bangkok on July 4th local time. It felt surreal to be in Bangkok. After all this time writing and revising essays and getting teacher recommendations, I was finally in my new home of 10 months.
After breezing through the deserted passport control and customs, we found an AFS Thailand staff-person. While waiting for our vans, two of the AFS summer students and I explored the famed Thai 7-Eleven. We had no idea how many Baht are one Dollar (maybe should have looked up beforehand), so we made decisions by guessing what things would be cheap in America.
On the van ride to the hotel, I took several dozen photos of everything out the window. Everything looked so new and different to me; I was in awe. Bangkok also seemed more urban than anything I have ever seen… so many skyscrapers!
First Two Weeks in Thailand
AFS Thailand had an Arrival Orientation that lasted several days. Each day I
ate a really good breakfast in the hotel, and then went to the morning session, which
like other sessions, was in a large conference room. Each session was headed by an
AFS returnee or an AFS Thailand staff member. They started sessions with warm up
activities andicebreakers. For the rest of the sessions they would discuss things like
cultural adjustment, visas, AFS rules, school, host families, the Thai language, and
managing problems. We had breaks for coffee and some snacks, as well as time for
eating Thai meals with other AFSers, each day. During the orientation I struggled with
adjusting to Thai cuisine. Looking back I have come a long way as I cannot imagine not
eating rice with Thai toppings everyday. Thai dishes are also now some of my favorite
dishes.
It was nice to meet AFSers from all over the world and to prepare for our experiences.
On the last day of orientation, we got to meet our advisors. I was called onto the stage
where my advisor put a Thai flower necklace around my neck. After that, we ate at the
table together. Later that night the lights were turned off, music was played, and my
advisor, as well as two others, gave me Thai good luck bracelets made of string, which I
still wear. That same night, we also stayed in the conference room later than usual and
danced to music, to celebrate having had our last day of orientation.
ate a really good breakfast in the hotel, and then went to the morning session, which
like other sessions, was in a large conference room. Each session was headed by an
AFS returnee or an AFS Thailand staff member. They started sessions with warm up
activities andicebreakers. For the rest of the sessions they would discuss things like
cultural adjustment, visas, AFS rules, school, host families, the Thai language, and
managing problems. We had breaks for coffee and some snacks, as well as time for
eating Thai meals with other AFSers, each day. During the orientation I struggled with
adjusting to Thai cuisine. Looking back I have come a long way as I cannot imagine not
eating rice with Thai toppings everyday. Thai dishes are also now some of my favorite
dishes.
It was nice to meet AFSers from all over the world and to prepare for our experiences.
On the last day of orientation, we got to meet our advisors. I was called onto the stage
where my advisor put a Thai flower necklace around my neck. After that, we ate at the
table together. Later that night the lights were turned off, music was played, and my
advisor, as well as two others, gave me Thai good luck bracelets made of string, which I
still wear. That same night, we also stayed in the conference room later than usual and
danced to music, to celebrate having had our last day of orientation.
The next morning everyone departed for meeting their host families, while us YES
Abroad students went to our one-week language camp at Dhurakij Pundit University.
Everyday we walked from our hotel on campus to our class. After lunch in the university
canteen we would come back to another teacher. One did writing, while the other did
speaking. They gave us many handouts to look over, and on the last day we had to
introduce ourselves in Thai, in front of our teachers, a university official, and the AFS
interns that had been chaperoning us.
Language camp was the first time we got to see Thailand outside of a hotel, since
we all walked around the streets near the university to go to dinner together. As well as
helping with the Thai language, it served as a buffer between our orientation and meeting
our families.
Abroad students went to our one-week language camp at Dhurakij Pundit University.
Everyday we walked from our hotel on campus to our class. After lunch in the university
canteen we would come back to another teacher. One did writing, while the other did
speaking. They gave us many handouts to look over, and on the last day we had to
introduce ourselves in Thai, in front of our teachers, a university official, and the AFS
interns that had been chaperoning us.
Language camp was the first time we got to see Thailand outside of a hotel, since
we all walked around the streets near the university to go to dinner together. As well as
helping with the Thai language, it served as a buffer between our orientation and meeting
our families.
On July 13th I met my host parents for the first time at the AFS Thailand office. I was happy to finally meet them after waiting so long. My host mother gave me apple slices once we were in the car, and we all talked a bit. We traveled all over town: the local Immigration Office, a barbershop for my host father’s haircut, my school to get my P.E. uniform, the mall to eat very good Japanese food, and later a shop to get my school uniform. My host parents taught me how to pronounce and spell my Thai name,ศิรา (See-raw), which they first had told me about when we sent back and forth emails in June. That evening I met my host sister and brother, when we picked them up from school. That night we had a nice meal together at a restaurant near our house, which served as a great opportunity to get to know each other more.
My first week in Thailand was spent at home, since my school was having midterms. I felt lucky to have a bit of time before beginning school. My host mother is a stay-at-home mom so I got to stay with her and my family’s maid, Pa Nong. This week was really great for helping me to feel more adjusted to my host family. My host mother took me along with her to the market almost everyday, while she bought things to use for the day’s meals, which were (and still are) amazing. I also enjoyed talking with my host mother and playing with our dog, Hoshi.
Starting School
Eventually my first day of school came. It was also the first day of school for two other exchange students. After I got out of host mother’s car the school guard found a teacher to guide me to the administrative office. We were eventually guided from the office to where morning assembly takes place. Of course, right as I was supposed to get up on stage, my glasses fell apart. An American teacher ended up having to guide me around until my amazing host mother dropped off my extra pair after morning assembly.
During morning assembly, we were all called up on stage, where we were greeted by a ton of cheers from the students below. Thai schools always have exchange students prepare a speech to give in front of the whole school, on the first day, so I was nervous. To my surprise we were never asked to do so.
After giving food to monks (they came because a Buddhist holiday was soon) and taking group photos, I was taken to see my classmates, which were in Art class. Thankfully before I actually arrived to the classroom, my extra glasses arrived. Once in class can recall my class screaming upon seeing me. They all circled around me and asked for my social media usernames. I was not used to this sort of stardom, but nonetheless I was happy to meet my classmates (all 44 of them).
Thai students stay with their peers in the same classroom all day while the teachers change rooms. As of right now, I have my own schedule with some unique classes, but at the time, my schedule was not yet prepared so I stayed with my class all day long. Teachers either made me introduce myself in front of the class and talked to me throughout class, or they did not acknowledge my presence. Those teachers most likely would have liked to communicate with me, but there was most likely a language barrier preventing them from doing so. I went to lunch in the school canteen with classmates, and then returned to class for the rest of the day.
More July Highlights
Besides leaving all that is familiar, going to orientation/camps, meeting and spending time with my host family, and beginning school I have done things such as:
- Dressing in traditional Thai clothes and getting in a long tail boat, as part of a Buddhist
Lent Day parade (well a water parade)
- Going to Ratchaburi/Samut Songkhram with my host Family
- My host brother had a robotics competition. People cannot enter the tournament facilities while the robotics teams are practicing, so my host family and I went sightseeing. We went on a cave tour, saw monkeys, took a boat to Amphoe Floating Market, which stopped at a temple along the way.
- Visiting my host grandparents (aka Ama and Agom) in Bangkok
Daily Routine
Besides doing all these special things, I’ve also spent many days as regular days just going to school. That does not mean these days are not great, in fact going to school is one of the greatest parts of my exchange. I have enjoyed meeting new people and trying new things at school. It will be very hard to eventually have to say goodbye to this place. Anyways to give you an idea what my average days are like here is a schedule of my day for my Wednesdays (it’s different each day). Note: my schedule has been somewhat edited since July. This is the schedule from the time this was posted not July:
6:15 am: I wake up for school
6:15-6:45 am: I shower, put on my uniform, put gel in my hair, and brush my teeth
6:45-7:25 am I eat breakfast and spend time downstairs
7:25 am: Get driven to school by my host mother
7:35 am: Arrive at school
7:40-8:25 am: Get in line with my class and sit under “the dome”, which is a giant roof covering a concrete floor, a stage, and basketball hoops on the side. It is all open-air. A teacher talks for a bit. Then we stand for the Thai national anthem. After the anthem, students on stage recite a speech, and then lead us through Buddhist prayers and meditation. Teachers talk for a bit, make announcements and then classes are released one by one. If there is a special event like an award ceremony, which happens quite frequently, we stay longer than usual.
8:30-9:20 am: I join with my class for P.E. under “the dome”. Other exchange students join with my class for this period. We play soccer.
9:20-10:10 am: I have Thai class with my classmates. Since I’m not fluent in Thai, I obviously am not expected to do what the rest of my class does. I practice Thai or do work from one of my classes that are in English (Math, Chemistry, and English with the English immersion program students)
10:10-11:00 am: This is one of the classes that has changed since starting at my school, but I do not remember what it used to be. I technically have a break, but sometimes I stay with my class. If I take a break I go to the school computer lab/resource center.
11:00-11:50 am: I have English with my class. If I left my class for a break earlier, I would return now. We have done worksheets and group projects. During group projects, many classmates see working with me as an asset due to being a native speaker. I try to do my best to be helpful to classmates during English.
11:50 AM-12:40 pm: I eat lunch in the canteen. Thai students don’t have the same lessons each day, and for many lessons I am not with my class (students usually stay with their class all day, but I’m an exception). Usually on Wednesdays I eat with my class since I was with them before lunch, but who I eat with changes based on the class I have before lunch. Sometimes I may eat with other exchange students and people from my cooking class. Other days I may join with people from my Chemistry class. I might get an orange juice slushy before walking around to see what to eat. Some of the options available are: rice and meat, noodles, a Thai omelette with rice, crispy noodles in a brownish broth, a Thai take on spaghetti. The school does not sell food directly, instead there are many little family-run places to buy food. The vendors’ food are quite good, as well as cheap, so not a single person packs a lunch. After we finish eating I may go with my friends to the library or to tables, outside of one of the five buildings (not counting the building for the canteen and auditorium) on my school’s large campus.
12:40-1:30 pm: After leaving my friends behind, I head to Math with the Thai equivalent of seniors (aka mathayom 6). This Math class, as well as my other Math class that I will have after this, are with the English program. Currently they are studying statistics, which to a person that despises Math actually isn’t too bad--I could be wrong I only recently added it to my schedule. Initially, my schedule had no math class in it, and being someone who is terrible at Math, I felt like I should at least try to keep it fresh in my brain after 10 months away in Thailand. Plus, I have to take the ACT when I return and I don’t feel like failing it because of my math skills (or lack thereof).
1:30-2:20 pm: After this math class I have yet another math class with the Mini English Program (MEP). This second class is with people in my grade (mathayom 5). The teacher from my last class also teaches this class. So far in this class, we have learned basic Geometry which I have already studied. In both of these math classes students might be given worksheets or do practice problems from the board and then go over them with the teacher.
2:20-3:10 pm: I go to the Resource Center (computer lab), since I do not have a class this period. I may work on classwork, learning Thai, or even this blog.
3:25 pm: I get picked up from school by my host mother. (Note: In July I was usually picked up later than this, since oftentimes my host siblings would be picked up before me, from their schools in Bangkok. In August they switched schools so the afternoon situation is now not the same).
3:35 pm: I arrive home
Before Dinner: I hang around downstairs with my host mother and host siblings. I may have an afternoon snack (dragon fruit) and then study Thai
6pm: I have dinner once my host father arrives home from work
After Dinner: I stay downstairs with my host family. Host siblings may study or joke with me. On most days I walk my host family’s dog, Hoshi. I may also simply sit and talk with my family.
Bedtime: Anywhere from 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm my host family will head upstairs to go to bed. Before going to bed I shower again. Since Thailand is so hot, everyone showers twice daily, because you may get sweaty.
Conclusion
The month of July 2018 is definitely a month of my life that I will never forget. I have attended countless orientations and camps and meet many new people. I have learned about the Thai language and customs, by interacting with and getting to know actual Thais. I now live with my amazing Thai host family, and have begun school, which is where I have gotten to know many people. My life has changed so much since the day I said goodbye to my family and went through the TSA line at the Cleveland airport. What’s normal to me is now waking up and putting on my school uniform, wai-ing (gesture to show respect that looks like praying), using a fork to shovel food onto a spoon, eating at the market on weekends, eating tropical fruits, using chopsticks to eat noodles, seeing street vendors everywhere, not pointing my feet at others, not always being able to understand what’s being said, cars driving on the left, joking around with my host siblings, the weather being very hot and rainy, spending free time with my host family, and many other things. I have enjoyed my time in Thailand so far, and July was one of the highlights of my stay.
