My name is Chee. Like some of you, I was born in a refugee camp in Thailand in 1991. This refugee camp was called Ban Vinai and I lived in section 2. I found a picture capturing the whole of the camp in it’s entirety and immediately I was feeling nostalgic. My mother was able to pinpoint where we lived up until 1994.
The gallery was not found!Question 1: My experience at the Wat Temple was great. I think just to be immersed into the exposure of the monk and the Thai religion was an eye opening experience. From observations alone, I was able to learn some Thai mannerism, behaviors, interactions and much more. I saw the way posture and sitting on the floor posed to be quite dificult for many of the students (myself included), I noticed that we were all constantly adjusting and readjusting. I was also aware of how buys the kitchen was and how grand of a hospitality they all provided for our stay. Afterwards, I was thinking of how and in what ways can I learn to project similar things once in Thailand.
Question 2: My learning goal is to be mindful, open minded, and receptive to learning opportunities during our stay in Thailand. This includes learning and practicing the language. Hopefully this will help me foster my sense of identity (being a Hmong woman, daughter & student.
Hi Chee, I agree I had a difficult time sitting on my heels. It was such a humble experience to be in the presence of a monk and in the hospitality of such great hosts. I love how they were constantly trying to give us snacks and noodles when we were leaving. It often reminds me of the Hmong culture and how similar our values are.