Passion to Purpose: My Journey : March 2013

Hello sorry it has been so long! The Peace Corps has been keeping us busy! So much has happened since the last post! Training ( which included me buying a ticket in Thai and getting to and from Petchabun in Thai) has ended, I was sworn-in and I am now an official Peace Corps Volunteer.... I'm sure you are thinking what have you been this whole time hahaha! We were Peace Corps Trainees until we passed our language proficiency interview, all of our competencies and made it to MARCH 22, 2013. This was followed IMMEDIATELY by supervisor conference and then counterpart conference...to use the word exhausted is an understatement but I'm trucking along because I can sleep when I'm not in Thailand lol
I am writing from my new home! Petchabun, Thailand!!!! I am currently on day 2 at work in the Sub district Administrative Office! Aka the SAO. It has been pretty good thus far! Lots of introductions, pictures, and smiling! Ohhh and definitely laughing at yourself ( a must)!!! I will say thus far everyone is very welcoming and seems excited to have me! Today I participated in a training for caretakers of babies, the sick, disabled and elderly. Lots of laughter, confusion ( on my end hahah) and randomly requesting me to speak Thai... Oh sing karaoke ... Oh and did I forget to mention the infamous question ....mi fan leeo ru yang ( do you have a boy friend) hahahaha fun times! Just a little summary now I would like to share a personal experience with all of my family and friends!!!

One of my major concerns (although I never voiced it because I did not want any of my lovely friends or family worrying about me) before coming to Thailand ,was how I may have been perceived due to my skin complexion. From books, google, and other sources, i found that here in Thailand the lighter your skin complexion the better. With a bit of reservation I chose to go anyway. I am a firm believer in walking by faith and not by sight! There were so many signs saying "sasssshhhaaa gooo goo" so I prayed about it and went! Also I absolutely love every part of me (minus my huuuggee feet ....thanks mom hahaha)and that didn't happen over night so my thought process was that I would go and make others feel the same haha.
Since arriving in Thailand I have received the complete opposite of what I was scared of! The people that I have met thus far are wonderfully kind and always call me beautiful ( one person has called me cute lmbo I'm gonna come back with a big head bahahaha) Often I get lots of gawks and stares but I've come to accept it and embrace it due to the surprising conversation that me and my nong saow (little sister) had.
As we were sitting in our room chatting as we tend to do she randomly asked, Wait so are there others like you in America? In shock, I stop what I'm doing and ask for clarification. She responds people with your skin. EXCITEDLY I answered yessss! she goes on saying that until the day I arrived she did not realize that even one African American lived in America. She stated that this was the reasons for all of the stares when we bpaitiow. At this moment I realized that I am not as aware of the world as I thought. I assumed that everyone was aware of diversity even if it was not around them. I explained the way race relations worked in America as she explained race relations here in Thailand. As often as the PC says how important exchanging culture is i never thought it would be like this. The exchange of culture ,in what I like to call Thai-Lish was amazing! Language was no longer a barrier! As I write I'm still in awe of that night. ( I'm glad I was able to use my beautiful family my mini UN as an example of diversity! )This conversation ended with her saying she was glad she could have me for 3 months ( although shed rather keep me) and she hopes more people get to learn as well. The simple act of being present in another country has opened the eyes of not only me or my sister but every other person who asks majak nai?!( sorry lol where r u from) I am happy to be the messenger on this one! Lastly the cutest thing happened to me.... At our goodbye party the cutest little kid around 4 or 5 taps my leg and points up, confused I get a little closer to his level and he points to my hair. I bend further and allow him to touch my hair and he smiles.

Just a little reminder and last thoughts
...you never know whose world you are changing by just being you (positive or negative) so be the best you you can be!

OH AND OF COURSE PICTURES!!!