Beaver Tales

So it has come to that dreaded Beaver Tale time. Not that writing my Beaver Tale was at all dreaded, but that it meant that a third of my trip was already over. It makes me quite sad to think that I am that much closer to going home - I don't want to leave Thailand... ever.

So here is my Beaver Tale and the URL to the website with all the Beaver Tales from the exchange students in Rotary District 7080. Enjoy :)

http://www.clubrunner.ca/dprg/dxprogramhome/_programhome.aspx?did=7080&pageid=625

To say I am following my dreams would be a lie; never have I dreamed of trees such a crisp green, of blood red sunsets that take my breath away, or of mountains so stirring and full of life. I have never dreamed of this moment. For at this instant everything I ever thought impossible, everything I ever thought was a dream, is certain. Reality in Thailand is flawless, which is why this country has been named “The Land of Smiles.” In Thailand, the smells are more potent; the aroma of sticky rice wafts through the house and there is no need to lean down to smell the flowers, for their perfume grabs you as you walk by. The taste of Thai food intoxicates you; apples are juicier, rice is softer and desserts are sweeter than you could have possibly imagined. But the landscape takes the prize for the most indescribable. Every rock and every blade of grass puts me in awe, as if every small detail of the country was planned to form the most stunning of all landscapes. Taking a picture of the rice fields or the river view of the mountains of Laos is impossible. A photograph of such beauty is unattainable.

I have not let the passing time catch up with me or take me off guard, but it is fleeting past me by the second. I try to create photographic images of everything I see and do in my head, so that at the end of the most amazing year of my life, I will remember all of it.

All stories have a beginning, and mine launched at the start of August; a time so near in proximity, but was over 3 months ago, when I left my family, my country and my language behind. My first moments in Thailand set my adoration for my new home; I could not love anything as much as I love Thailand. Everyone I met was so friendly and curious; a group of strangers sitting next to my host family at dinner asked me what country I was from. I told them I lived in Thailand – it just felt right. My first day at school was just as filled with curiosity and excitement; I was introduced to every teacher and then I was placed at a podium in front of the school to give a speech. I gave my “I’m from Canada” speech in Thai which impressed both myself and my host mother – I couldn’t help but grin that I had spoken in Thai, and they had understood me. The students seemed so eager to speak with me, take my picture and teach me languages. Today, they are just as eager, curious and as friendly as ever; I find myself making new friends and going out to eat with new people everyday.

When I signed up for Rotary Youth Exchange I really didn’t know what I was getting into. Sure, I knew that I would be going on a year long exchange, acquiring a new language, a new family and a new view of life, but I didn’t realise just how much of an impact this year would have on the rest of my life. Not only have I changed as a person, but my outlook on life has changed; I guess you could say that I am becoming Thai. I have forgotten all my wants and needs, now I focus on enjoying life and savouring every second as it passes. It was only until the end of my second month here that the culture shock started to wear off; everything here is so remarkably different that I can’t drag my eyes and mind away from how special it is. However, now that I consider myself a Thai person, I feel more comfortable than ever; the familiarity of my life here is astonishing, but settling. I consider my host family an essential part of my life and not just the people I will stay with for the next month, my friends are more than just people to go out with and passing a temple without a wai seems strange and inappropriate. Nothing throws me anymore; seeing stray dogs wandering the streets is as normal as a squirrel running up a tree, eating sticky rice for breakfast everyday is as simple as a bowl of cereal and I can no longer imagine using a bathroom without a “bum squirter”. Existence in Thailand is anything but mundane, I fear the time I waste with dreams that aren’t filled with the smell of the Mekong River, or the sound of birds and traffic in the early hours of the morning. But most importantly, I dread the day when I will leave this fantasy world.

There are no more words to depict just how refreshing this experience is. I could write for days about my adventures and my passion for this country, but the only thing I have left to say is thank you to Rotary district 7080 and district 3340. My utmost gratitude goes out to you for providing me with what is surely to be the most stimulating year of my life.

Peace and Love always,
Emma

"There's no telling where we'll be in a day or in a week, and there's no promises of peace or of happiness." - Patrick Park