Thai’d Up in Khon Kaen

Three days of traveling and we had finally made it to Khon Kaen! This past week has consisted of cultural and environmental awareness classes where we’ve met our “Ajahn’s” (Thai teachers), visited numerous night markets, ate delicious dollar pad thai dishes, and visited capturing Buddhist temples and shrines. The camaraderie was quickly formed between our group, Ajahn’s, and leaders who are all excited for the ventures in the next three weeks!  New and surprising things have already struck me and this week has flown by! During one of our class sessions, we talked about the importance of Rasi Salai dam and how it has manifested the culture of local villagers in Khon Kaen with the supply of fish for food and herbal medicines from the wetlands. I found it shocking that the recognition of the villagers and preserving their culture has surpassed authorities who have decided to open the dam as an “economic” tool for development in the area. Our class then proceeded to further discuss the issue and brainstormed questions to ask community leaders for when we make our way to the village next week. Another thing we did in class were challenges! We did a Tom Yom soup and Som Tum cooking challenge, as well as a scavenger hunt around one of the markets. We all know enough Thai to get around and learned how to count to 100 within an hour! Thai classes and learning the language is surprisingly easy for the most part, and talking/bargaining with vendors at the market helps me brush up on my Thai. This upcoming week we will be meeting our host families/community leaders of the Rasi Salai dam, prepping for English camp, and camping at a Thai National Park!