Happy Holidays

I’m about to hit the road for the next couple weeks and will have limited internet access so I want to put my good wishes in now for a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and lovely New Year to all! I’ll be spending Christmas on the island of Ko Chang in the Gulf of Thailand. While I definitely miss snow, Christmas trees, and spending time with all you back home, I’m really looking forward to a few blissful days on the sandy white beaches. After Christmas, I’ll be all over the map so I imagine I’ll have lots to report when I return after the New Year.

I hope all my fellow Midwesterners are staying safe and warm during what sounds like an arctic freeze. The other day, some of my colleagues asked if there’s currently any snow in my hometown. Ha, is there any snow? From the reports I’ve received, it sounds like there’s a Mount Everest of snow. The teachers’ jaws dropped when I told them how cold it can get in the winter. They asked if tap water freezes and I explained that pipes are insulated, though on occasion a pipe can freeze and sometimes burst. They also wondered if people can take hot showers, and if so, how often. I explained the existence of “hot water heaters” and told them that people usually take hot showers daily. Again, they were shocked. One of my colleagues replied, “I thought maybe hot shower once a week, not every day!”

I’ve had several moments like this – my students and colleagues asking about how it’s done in the U.S. and usually being totally taken aback/shocked/amused by my response. For instance, they were surprised to learn that I know how to drive a car. Most people in Khaowong ride motorbikes. A smaller percentage knows how to operate a car, and within that, an even smaller percent consists of women. So, it was startling to them to learn that the majority of Americans are behind the wheel starting at 15 years old.

It’s moments like these that reaffirm my decision to request placement in a rural location – to have the opportunity for genuine cultural exchange. While the cultural differences can sometimes be extreme and overwhelming, I am overall so grateful to be living in a relatively untouched region where everything is so entirely different from anything I’ve ever known.

Happy Holidays!