Some of you might know, this is my second study-abroad blog. As a Sociology-Anthropology major at Messiah College, I am fortunate enough to be able to study abroad twice! Last year at this very time i was headed off to the beautiful country of Rwanda -- a country in central Africa you can barely see on the map. This country taught me a lot about forgiveness, poverty, development, hatred, love...the list could go on. It was an awesome experience i have such fond memories of. But we're not here to talk about Rwanda are we! you can read about that trip here: http//:www.rwanderingkimmie.blogspot.com
In eight days, i will be traveling back to Thailand... a place i also once called home. My mom, sister, Katie, and I lived in Bangkok, Thailand when i was in middle school as my mom worked at an international school called ICS - both Katie and I attended. Again, i have such fond memories of Thailand; and since we left that June in 2004, i vowed i would go back one day. That day is here! I just wish i could take them back with me because i know they would die to go back. However, this time i won't be in Bangkok. I will be in the northern region of Thailand called the Mekong Region (Mekong is a river that flows into China, Laos, Burma, Vietnam, and Cambodia as well). I will be in a city called Chang Mai. A little more rural and less crowded, loud and polluted than Bangkok (praise the Lord!)
My sister, Katie and I in Bangkok at a local temple c.2003
A little about my four months in Thailand:
I am going to Thailand with the same program i went to Rwanda with; a program called GoED (short for go education). This program specifically delves into certain issues in each country (Rwanda - poverty/reconciliation, Thailand - human trafficking). We learn specifically about international development, culture, religion, art, literature, etc. GoED focuses on applied learning and is a little bit more field-work based than other study abroad programs. The students going with me will all live in a house together, eat together, take trips together, meet the local community, etc.
The first month we will be taking two classes: Exclusion and Exploitation: The Marginalized People of the Mekong, and Social Context for Community Development. The second month we will be placed at an internship site. I won't know my practicum until that second month; so, more on that later! Lastly, our third month in Chang Mai, we will be taking two more classes: History, Religion, and Society in the Mekong, and Thai Cultural Arts -- i'm so excited for this one. I remember making baskets and flowers out of Thai fruits YUM.
So that's just a snippet of what i will be doing this semester abroad.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog while i'm away -- or even just check in once in a while. I hope you will find it interesting/entertaining as i unpack what i will be learning and doing while i'm there. If you want to learn more about the GoED program, you can go to this website: http://go-ed.org/Mekong.html#
My next post will most likely be when i'm in Thailand so -- see you on the other side!
Kimmie
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