Editor’s Note: This will be the last Sticky Rice Staff Group article before the new Group 135 cohort will (finally!) step into roles as Sticky Rice writers and admin.
We wanted to take this month to reflect on our (Group 134’s) goals for the time we have remaining at our sites in Thailand with over a year behind us and (for most of us) less than one more ahead.
Bianca Palese, 134 TESS
My goal for the rest of my service is to keep doing what I’m doing and not let myself quit when the going gets tough.
There are many highs and lows to service, and entering year two I was quite nervous. The first year was physically and emotionally difficult for me, and I just dreaded the idea of putting myself through it again. I wondered if I had made a mistake in my approach, taking myself too seriously when it wouldn’t matter at the end anyway. Frankly, with all the obstacles that come with working within the schools here, it’s easy to give up and save your sanity instead. But as I’ve gone back to school this term, I’ve decided the sacrifices were worth it.
This year the number of students signing up for English club went from 6 to 22 (my lucky number, so it must be a sign from the universe right?). My counterparts are also advocating for change and becoming leaders in ways that make me so proud. In my school district, the teachers that once told me they were too scared of foreigners have applied for their very own volunteer next year. None of this was accomplished by some calculated effort of mine, but I don’t think that these small wins would have occurred if I hadn’t committed so hard to proving myself and being present in the community. Along the way I’ve slowly gotten better at learning how to practice self care too, and I think I’m balancing it all well now. The journey was hard but I like the view from where I’m at.
My goal is to maintain this peace and progress.
Cloé Fortier-King, 134 YinD
G – Gin (eat) good. From the first moment I tasted 30 baht pad grapow, sampled the array of sweet, salty, spicy, crispy, chewy treats on offer at any Thai night market, or realized that not a single moment passes in Thailand without an incomparably flavorful fruit being in season—I knew that Thai food back home would never quite measure up again. While I could spend the rest of my time here mourning that fact, I’d much rather use it to continue eating my way through the country, from my trusty neighborhood khao soi shop to all the street stalls, vendors, and restaurants still awaiting exploration.
O – Open new doors of learning for my students. My little besties…my rays of sunshine…my ferociously naughty students—however they choose to behave on any given day, these students each contain a whole universe of interests and curiosities. I would be doing them a great disservice if I only taught them the subjects they are familiar with by methods they can execute easily. It’s for this reason that I aim to constantly try new games, new topics, new methods of capturing and holding their attention. Much of this is difficult to explain in my limited Thai and results in my looking quite goofy, but it’s all worth it for the laughter and inquisitiveness my students and I will keep pursuing together for the remainder of this school year.
A – Allow every moment to wash over me without the need for total understanding or control. This particular goal has haunted me for years, always a priority but never fully actualized in my whirling mind. And while I still can’t rightfully place a checkmark next to it (and perhaps never will), I can say with certainty that my time here has spurred a seismic shift in my mindset. The countless moments of confusion, miscommunication, changed plans, and unexpected events have pushed me into the uncomfortable space of growth, and I hope to continue to have these opportunities to practice being fully present.
L – Leave tiny pieces of myself behind for my community to have and hold. Peace Corps is all about planting trees whose shade you will never get to enjoy—and about realizing that these so-called “trees” may be tiny sprouts for a loooooooong time, delicate and desperate for water and sunlight. I suppose what I’m saying with this metaphor is that much of what a Peace Corps Volunteer can do is show up and sprinkle a bit of their own water and sunlight on the growing ideas in their community. In the same breath as I recognize my own limitations, I also hope that small echoes of my presence here will remain after I’m gone.
Cadi Duncan, 134 TESS
As my time as a PCV winds down, I’m taking a step back and prioritizing the simple life.
My priorities:
- Growing in my marriage to Bradford – relishing every opportunity to learn with him as we design our life together.
- Taking each day as it comes – accepting that while I have a schedule, it’s more of a suggestion than a rule.
- Scheduling time to reflect and journal – writing down the memories that will make me smile for years to come.
- Taking weekly walks around the village with the kiddos – enjoying the unscripted time with them just as they are.
- Asking the questions – learning more about my friends, my students, my school, and myself.
Bradford Reszel, 134 TESS
My goals for the rest of service are:
– slow down and take it all in
– enjoy more than worry
– prepare for what’s next
– continue to find meaning in the little victories
Teresa Derr, 134 YinD
At my site, I frequently see these stick and string crafts that remind me of something I might have once made when I was a kid, except they’re so much more intricate and beautiful, and stringing multiple together makes for a wonderful hanging decoration. The people at my site say they’re Laotian, or at least Isaan, so I haven’t seen them as much in other parts of Thailand. They call them Tungs, and use them to decorate just about everything! I see them at Wats, retirement parties, tourist attractions, cultural festivals, and more.
My goal for the next year is to figure out how to make them. I’ve seen them used to decorate schools, too, and I want to find out when students learn to make these and join that art class. If culturally appropriate, I’d like to take it home as a small personal souvenir. I think it’d be fun and a unique way to remember my site!
Kyra O’Donnell, 134 TESS
My current incomplete list of things I want to accomplish before I finish service:
- Find and acquire a shelf to store all the lesson materials I’ve made that will be easily accessible to both my co-teachers. Currently it’s all in an ever-growing pile on my desk.
- Finally figure out what boat noodles are and how they are different from regular guitiao.
- Consume as much Thai tea and moo grata as possible.
- Learn the names of all my students, not just the ones who are the loudest in class.
- Take about 4,000 more photos of the kittens at my house.
I won’t be so bold as to expect to leave a huge impact on the lives of my students, but if they can look back on their time in school, and remember that farang teacher they said hello to every morning, then I’ll be content. I’m already sad at the thought of leaving at the end of the school year, and I’m sure I’ll be a wreck by the time March comes around, but in the meantime I’ll try to make every day count, whether it’s inspiring a life-long love of learning English in a student, or just making them feel a little more comfortable saying hello to a new person.
Kayla Kawalec, 134 YinD
My goal for the rest of service is to finish strong.
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