My Thailand Exchange

Here's what happened...

2009-04-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

Sawatdee ka! HELLO! I know it has been so long since I wrote last, but a lot has happened in the past month. Decisions had to be made and requirements had to be fulfilled. In the past two months Thailand has been having many political issues. It all started three years ago when the Prime Minister named Thaskin, wanted to get rid of the monarchy in Thailand. After a military coup, Thaskin was exiled. Before he was exiled, he gave a lot of money to the poor people of Thailand and greatly earned their support. Since then two other Prime ministers have been elected, but the Thai people have always rebelled against them because they supported Thaskin. During Thaskin's power, two groups of protesters were formed. The PPP who supported Thaskin and his supporters and the PAD who supported the King. Starting in October, the PAD started to rebel against the Prime Minister in a more dangerous fashion. The PAD over took the Thai Parliament building and refused to let anyone gain access until the Prime Minister was
was removed from power. After about two weeks with no prevail the military stepped in and chased them out with "Tear gas" which was really the start of them throwing grenades. After the tear gas and the grenades and the first casualty, the PAD left the area. Not long later they started traveling around the city, protesting against the prime minister and in November it greatly escalated when the PAD over took Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, totally closing it down and letting no travelers in or out of Thailand. During this 10 day siege over the airport, there were shootings, thrown grenades, and surprisingly and catapult. At the end, 6 people were killed by shootings and others were killed in different ways. On December 3rd, the Prime minister was pulled from power and the PAD celebrated. They left the airport for the King's Birthday which was Friday, December 5th. On the day of his birthday, the king makes a annual speech, to tell the Thai people what they need to improve on and what he is doing for them as their king. The Thai people were waiting for his speech on Thursday night hoping that he would tell the two protesting parties to stop. When the time came for him to make his speech, his son, the crown prince came out and said his father would not be making a speech this year because he was too ill at the moment. That was the last straw for the Thai people and the protesters on both sides continued to fight. Thailand had no prime minister, and a new one was going to be elected by the end of December. If it was a supporter of Thaskin again, the PAD would once again rebel and try to gain to control, if the Prime Minister was from another party, then the PPP would rebel trying to get another Thaskin supporter in to get rid of the monarchy. It was then that I had to make my decision about my stay in Thailand. I was not in a very safe position. From the roof of my house, I could see the protesters traveling in and out of the airport. The fighting at the time was on stand by for the King's birthday, but was going to continue soon. My host parents were telling me about how bad the situation was getting and how unsafe it was. In the end after talking it over with Rotarians, my host parents and my parents back in America, I decided it was best to come home. I arrived back in America on December 15th. Recently in Thailand, Thaskin the prime minister who was exiled wrote a letter of apology to the king and wants to return to power. Also, there were shootings by the government trying to stop the protesters. I do not regret my decision to come back and I am very happy to be safe. Since I have come back, I re enrolled in Morningside Academy High School, and I am currently working at a Thai restaurant so that I will not lost any of my Thai language or the culture.

I want to thank rotary for accepting me as an exchange student. My exchange year may have been cut down from a year to a few months, but in those few months, I have learned more than I could have in years and years of study. I learned the language and I practice it everyday, I learned an AMAZING culture and tasted many crazy and amazing foods. I have changed so much from my exchange. Someone can always change their appearance from the outside. You can change your hair color, your make up and your clothes, but it takes something dramatic to change what's on the inside. Rotary has managed to change me inside and out. I have become a more accepting and outgoing person. I am not afraid to follow my dreams because I now know that anything you set your mind to can be accomplished. Thank you Rotary for choosing me, and thank you to my host parents for giving me a home. Thank you everyone who supported me, helped me get here, and those of you who read my blogs.

Loi Krathong

2008-11-17T04:58:00.001-08:00

Loi Krathong was on Wednesday, November the 12th. Every year it is on the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai calendar. “Loi” means to float and “Krathong” is the name of a boat made from banana leaves, a circular piece of a banana tree trunk, and many flowers. Once you make a Krathong, you take it to a klong (a river) and light a candle and incense and then release it into the water. Thai do this every year to thank the god of the water for allowing us to use the water every day. In order to truly get the traditional feel of the holiday, that Wednesday I did not go to school. At around 12 pm, my mom and I started experimenting with folding pieces of banana leaves different ways in order to find the best design. Once we found a few designs that we liked, we started our creations. Soon Eve, (my brother’s girlfriend) my brother, and two of our maids all joined in and after 6 or so hours of hard work, we finished our 6 Krathongs decorated with Orchids, Roses and many other flowers. I’ve know origami since I was 8 so I was able to make an origami bird from the banana leaf. My family was awestruck when I pulled its tail and its wings flapped in a flying motion. After dinner, around 9 pm, my family and I left to go to a klong. It was so crowded with many Thai, and foreigners. It was fun looking at all the different Krathongs people had made and I even saw one that was bigger than me! My family and I took a boat ride across the river, and on the other side we were greeted by a vast array of foods, and Thai music and dancers. There on the dock I lit my candle and incense and made my wish. I spent the next 5 minutes watching my Krathong float away it just missed a passing boat and took a dramatic ending where the breeze blew my out my candle and it went out of sight. For awhile after, we watched the dancers and at 10pm the fireworks began. The fireworks were launched from the river right in front of me! I felt like the huge explosions were going to fall right on top of me! One ember actually did fall on my arm and burned me. Before coming to Thailand I knew that Loi Krathong was going to be beautiful and amazing, but it was more than I ever could have expected. It was amazing to see a culture hundreds of years old in action. Young and old alike, Americans, Thai, Africans, Russians, Germans, French, Malaysian, Chinese and so many more cultures all come together, hand in hand, not an argument in the air, and only joy circulating around. Everyone put their differences aside and just embraced the moment. That night was a true cultural exchange for thousands, perhaps even millions of people.

Well, besides Loi Krathong, my life has been changed many other ways this past week. On Saturday morning, I received a phone call at around 1 pm and found out I was changing families THAT DAY at 4! I ran up stairs and started packing and surprisingly was finished by 3 pm. My new family is AMAZING. In only two days, I already feel like I’m at home. My parents are both doctors, and my father (Papa) developed a method to cure trigger finger. People travel from all around the world to meet him and learn his unique technique. I have a brother (Bom) who is 3 months younger than me, and a sister who is 12 (Bell).

Today we went to a temple at 7 am, and watched a man become a monk. After, my brother, sister and a family friend and I went to go see a movie. It was in Thai and I actually understood it!! It was supposed to be scary but I was laughing too hard at my little sister because every time she thought it might be frightening, she would hide behind her popcorn only peaking when it got quiet, of course it was always the worst parts that followed the silence. I feel like I have been here for months already because I am already so close to my family. We tease each other and talk like we have known each other for so long. In December, I am going back to Petchabun with this family for a few days and I am very excited. I was warned that it was very cold. Next Sunday, I might go out with my first host family to dinner for my 18th birthday which is on November 25th. I am so excited to be able to see them again!

I WISH EVERYONE IN AMERICA HAS A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

LOVE, JOY

How many Thai students does it take to get two Americans into the American Embassy?

2008-11-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to America for its new president! Election Day in Thailand was quite amazing for me. The day started in total chaos and ended in awe. On Wednesday morning just like any other school day I woke up at 5:30 and was in school by 7. Wednesday day for me is Tuesday night for you. In Thailand, we do not observe the time change so now there is exactly a 12 hour difference. Jessica the other exchange student and I were invited to go on a trip to the American Embassy along with some of my classmates. I was so excited because I knew that the embassy would be like a little piece of America right in the middle of Thailand. Unfortunately, Jessica and I did not realize that we had to bring our passports to school. (Our teacher failed to mention this to us.) Luckily I had my Florida ID with me, but Jessica had NOTHING. Our teacher was mad and said that BOTH of us had to stay at school while all our THAI classmates got to go to the AMERICAN EMBASSY. Finally when my teacher calmed down we asked her if we could just try to get through and maybe since we were American’s they would let us through, and if not, we could come back to school by taxi. Luckily, once we got there, it was no problem for us to get in. We had our names on the list of guests and they didn’t even check out passports. Once we got in, we were surrounded by red, white and blue balloons, banners, signs and on each wall were HUGE projectors each showing MSNBC. They had amazing food too! Cheese burgers, pizza, bagels, and orange soda. At around 11 we got news of the new president and the cheers erupted, from Thai and Americans alike. I got the chance to meet so many important people! First, I met the General of the American army stationed here in Bangkok. We started talking about America and he has been to West Palm Beach before on vacation. After talking about me being an exchange student, we started talking about the foods we missed in America, so he invited me to out to lunch with him to a restaurant near where he worked that had real American food. Unfortunately, at that time, he received a phone call from the general of the Thai army, and apologized and had to leave. Next, I got to meet the Prime Minister of Thailand who is Mr. Somchai. It was only briefly but how many exchange students can say that?! He made a speech about how he thought Obama would affect Asia. As he was walking off the stage he noticed me and asked me if I was an exchange student. (I kind of stood out with my blonde hair and blue eyes while in my Thai school uniform.) I introduced myself and said I was an exchange student from America through the Rotary club and was staying in Thailand for the year. He said it was nice to meet me and left. MANY people took pictures of us together while talking and I am still hoping to find one from someone! At around 2 pm everyone started leaving because the party was over. A few of my friends from school and I stayed because we were invited to join a conference they were having so they could get a student’s perspective on this election. The conference was with 4 countries including India, Bangkok and two others that I am unsure of. During the conference they chose me and asked me what I thought about being in Thailand while this election was going on, and how I felt about the get together at the embassy. Apparently I responded well because I received an applaud when I finished. Did I mention that this conference was later being aired on “Thai True TV”!? The ambassador of America also was present at that conference and at the end I introduced myself as an exchange student from America and asked if I could get my picture with him. He said of course and then started having a conversation with ME! I felt VERY important and I was so nervous! Also, after talking to him I met a lady named Anna who I found out was the Secretary of Public Affairs at the embassy. She introduced herself to me after commenting that like her, I blended in with the height of the Thai people! We both were about the same height. She invited me to go shopping with her sometime, and gave me her card. While all this was happening, my friend Jessica decided to leave early with some other exchange students she met up with. I am so very thankful that I decided to stay behind with my Thai friends! After many pictures my friends from school and I left and went to a very large park and we decided to ride on the paddle boats on the lake. We had so much fun laughing, splashing, and taking pictures.

I change my host family in the middle of this month and next Wednesday I am looking forward to Loy Krathong. I will be taking many pictures and I will post my next blog as soon as possible! Thank you Rotary for helping me get here and thank all my readers for their support!

Goodbye for now!

Jordana จอย

Recapturing time as it flashes before my eyes....

2008-10-15T01:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been forever since I last wrote! I had some computer issues but for the most part they are solved. I say for the most part because I lost ALL my pictures I had!!! I saved most of them on the internet and I am in the process of resaving them onto my computer now. So let’s see, from what I remember September wasn’t too busy. I had a rotary meeting which I didn’t know they would want me to speak at, so I had to make a speech up as I went…IN THAI. I did pretty well. Everyone understood me and clapped. (Which you wouldn’t usually do in Thailand). Next time, I am going to have a speech ready, just in case.

I went on 3 trips in Thailand since I wrote last. My first was to Ayutthaya. I was supposed to be there at 7:30, and I was ready at 6:45 waiting and waiting for my brother. I was with my host mom, and she said that he would be down in a few minutes. Finally at 7:25, he came down. That wouldn’t have been a problem except that the university I had to go to was about 20 minutes away!!! On top of that we got lost and we had no idea where we were. I ended up having to take a motorcycle taxi, and I finally got there at around 8:45. HA! I love the Thai because, no one was mad at all, and we still took our time even though we were all running late. In Thailand, if you are on time, they tend to make a stop JUST so they will be later! In Ayutthaya, we stopped at a ton of temples. Our first stop was Bang Pa-in Summer Palace. The palace was decorated in both traditional Chinese and European style. Traditional Chinese and modern are very different. Traditional Chinese style has so much more detail. Our second stop was Wat Yai Chaimongkol which is famous for its line of golden buddahs. Then we went to Wat Lokayasutharam. The temple enshrines the largest Reclining Buddha image. We then went to Wat Phra Si Sanphet is known as the ‘Ancient Palace’ in Ayutthaya. It is one of the oldest temples in Thailand. Last, we all went to Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit. This Wat has one of the biggest standing Buddha images. Finally, it was time for the main attraction….ELEPHANT RIDING!!! The elephants were so cute, but it was really sad to see so many of them chained up! I got to pet a baby elephant, and it pulled my hair! I decided not to ride an elephant because I have done it in America before, and it was pretty expensive, and I needed to save my money.
The next day, I went on a Bangkok tour. Our first stop was The Grand Palace. Before coming to Thailand, I always thought the king lived in the grand palace. Instead, I learned that when a foreign king or emperor visits, they stay there. On the grand palace grounds was Wat Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is probably the most famous temple in Thailand. Once inside you are not allowed to take pictures. I found that they are VERY strict about that. I didn’t even have my camera on, and I guess they thought I took pictures of the emerald Buddha, so they made me delete ALL of my pictures. I had to go run all around the grand palace (about a square mile) and retake all my pictures. Our last stop of the day was the Dursit Zoo. It was very hot but the most exciting part of the day. I got to hold the hand of a monkey! Now THAT’S what I call making all types of friends.
My last trip was a two day trip to Ampawa. It was called the “Firefly Trip.”We started off the day by traveling to a bunch of different temples. Most of them looked the same and aren’t very famous. We got to our resort in the evening, and when it was dark, we took a boat along the river and saw beautiful fireflies. It wasn’t until a few days later that I heard the story that one of the Rotarian’s boats stopped working and 10 of them got on a dock which was very small. The dock ended up sinking and everyone was ok! I wish I was there to see that! After the boating trip, all us exchange students (about 10 of us) went into the girls sleeping room, and we played different card games from around the world. It was so much fun! We all learned that we have a lot of the same games, but just different names, like slap, and Egyptian rat slap, are the same game. (Most adults probably don’t know that game, it was very popular for a while in middle and high schools.) After playing cards, we drank red bull (very different than in America.) and we all had a pillow fight. It was about 1am. After the pillow fight we caught a cockroach in a Pringles container, and when a random girl came in, we asked her if she wanted chips. She fell for the trick and ended up throwing it across the room the cockroach flew out almost hitting someone else!

The next day we spent the day traveling to more temples and then at the floating market. You wouldn’t believe all the different things they have there! I tried a fried grass hopper, and it didn’t really taste like anything.
I have been out of school since September 16th, because of a school break. I will return on the 21st of October. On the 20th, I will be going to Pattaya. It’s a beautiful beach with lots to do there. As for my speaking ability, I am almost fluent in Thai. I can understand just about any conversation as long as they aren’t speaking too fast. Already, I have forgot some simple words in English such as purple (see mooang), Orange (the fruit: Somme) and mosquito (Yoong).

I am having the time of my life here. I love Thailand. I can’t believe I have been here almost 3 months already! The time is going by WAY too fast. I switch families for the first time on November 30th which is 5 days after my 18th birthday!! Before I know it I will be on a plane again, heading off to a foreign country . . . America.

Catch up

2008-09-16T00:22:00.000-07:00

I am sorry I haven’t written in awhile! I have been so busy! Well I will start from the dance exhibition. It was so cool! We arrived at school at 530 am to get our hair, makeup and our costume done. Two hours later, we were ready! The dance went really well, but since I was in the front row, I got a little nervous. We only practiced the dance about 10 times! The performance was the first time where I didn’t mess up. I got it 100% right! I just wish I could have gotten it on video! After the dance, EVERYONE wanted to take our picture. So for about two hours afterward we got our picture taken with hundreds of people. It was very exciting, but I now have more respect for celebrities, getting your picture taken that much is so crazy. In the end, I was fortunate to have many pictures for my memories.
On September 7th, Jessica and I took an adventure to Jakutjak (JJ) Market. It is currently the biggest market in the world. I walked through Lumphini Park and met Jessica at the Sky train, and from there JJ was very easy to find. It was horribly crowded and very hot. In JJ, you can find ANYTHING. From fake IDs, clothes, endangered animals (alive) such as monkeys and tigers, to the unique masks and weird foods such as scorpions, lizards, and I have no idea what the food was. In JJ market, I bought some beautiful Thai silk that can be wrapped into a shirt, skirt, or be used as a scarf. I also got a bracelet with colored stones on it and bells, and a ring with black opal. Everything in JJ is very cheap, and if you find the right places hidden amongst the crowd, things are very good quality. I want to go back there again.
On September 9th, there was a really big flood. It only rained for about 2 hours, but when I was ready to leave school, there was about a foot of water and it was still rising! Of course, since there was so much water, the bus that I would normally take decided not to go down that street. Therefore, after wading in water that at times was past my knees, for about a mile, I saw a bus coming and I “ran” across a huge intersection and was just able to beat it to the bus stop. Normally running across an intersection like that was a plea for death, but since the water was so high, cars weren’t moving very fast. Also, along my adventure to find a bus, I passed SO MANY rats! It made you very uneasy to know there were rats swimming right next to you. After about an hour, I finally got home to more flooding. Normally my bus ride would only take between 10 and 15 mins but again, the water really slowed things down. I was VERY happy to get home, and of course, the first thing I did was take a shower. The next day the sun was bright and strong and there was no water just as if nothing ever happened. Welcome to Thailand.
On this Sunday it was a big Chinese festival called Mooncake festival. We all went out to dinner, and went to Ama's house. Displayed outside were BEAUTTIFUL ornaments made out of gold paper. They all put out offerings to the moon god to give us good luck, and wealth. The ceremony was beautiful and I thought that they must keep the same display year after year, until they BURNED IT! That’s right, they brought out a barrel and put all the beautiful gold paper in it and burned it. My brother was amazed how surprised I was. "How else will it get to the gods?" he said. At 11pm, we saw the moon. The bright beautiful full moon. You never realize how much you could miss something as simple at the moon and stars, until you live without them for so long.
Yesterday a few exchange students, two university students and I went to Khao San, and anything you ever heard about it, is probably true. It is famous for its spectacular nightlife, including many clubs and bars. However, during the day it’s as if it is undercover. During the day, only a few of the bars are open, and there are many stores selling items from all over Thailand. Most of the things being sold there were handmade or an illegal copy of a brand name. It was so much fun shopping there and imagining how lively this area would be at night with its bright lights and loud music.
Right now, I am not in school. We have break until October 20th. It is similar to how we have a winter break in America. Also, I will graduate in February! Only 3 months left of my senior year! Normally I would be worried about the time it takes to get enough credits for this year, but I go to school at 630 am, and don’t get home until around 6. There are 9 periods in the day, so over 12 hours of school here, is the same as two full school days in America. Therefore, if the government in America has any problem with the time spent in school. I would like to see THEM go to school here. Their opinions would change VERY fast. But overall, school is great. I have so many friends and a great relationship with my teachers. One teacher will be bringing me out to lunch when we get back, and another wants Jessica and I to sleep over her house and go to the Gym with her. (This is perfectly normal in Thailand) Actually, I am not sure what I would call normal anymore. I feel that a normal meal MUST consist of something spicy and DEFINATLY MUST have rice. A normal day starts at 5:30, and a normal conversation consists of no English. A normal drive into town consists of gold buildings and statues painted all the colors of the rainbow. On the streets, there are just as many dogs as homeless people, and more types of food than you wished you ever knew of. Normal is forgetting that there are stars and a moon. Normal is going to a park and noticing that the air is cleaner. Normal is trying to talk or write in English and forgetting so many words that you give up and turn around and speak Thai to someone else. What is normal anymore? I am realizing that there is no such thing as “normal.” It is just what you get used to on a daily basis and anything out of that routine becomes abnormal and worth noticing. My life is far from normal. I am an exchange student, which explains everything. I am in Thailand. It’s as if I was guided here to test my limits emotionally and physically to find my true self. Not what people want me to be, or what people expect of me, but really me. I have found out who I really am, and I have found a world of continuous adventure, starting with Thailand. I am NOT a tourist, I am NOT a Farrang, and I am not going to let anyone stop me enjoying my life day by day. I am home.

Awestruck….

2008-08-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

Awestruck….
That’s exactly what I was as I stepped in to the meeting room filled with about 100 Thai, and 50 exchange students from ALL over the world. At that moment I finally realized how big rotary is, and how lucky I am to be a part of this program. How often can you say you sat at a table filled with Germans, Brazilians, French, Americans, Japanese, Thai, Taiwanese, Mexicans, Swedish, Finnish, Italians, Austrians, Australians, Norwegians, Hungarians, Polish, Spanish (from Spain), Slovakians, Canadians, AND FINALLY the Swiss??? Only when you are an exchange student. Not only did I just sit at the same table with them, but I personally met each and every one. We didn’t always speak English, instead us exchange students found out some weird language including frantic pointing, waving of the arms, a high pitched squeal and a head shaking in amazement when you finally figure out ONE WORD of the sentence they are trying to use. Somehow, many of us became close friends, and we didn’t let something as simple as language get between us. After learning all the rules of rotary once again (for about the 100th time!), it was time for lunch. And how do you insure that all these people from around the world will like the food? FEED THEM SPAGHETTI! This was the first time I have had real American food since I got here, and it was AMAZING!! Also available were chicken wings, rice (as always), and a few other common Thai dishes. Upon desert, we were bombarded with a vast array of fruit and cakes. The fruit was cut into delicate and intricate designs that made you not want to eat them because it was so pretty! I wish I would have taken a picture of it, but I know I will get another chance. The Thai love to show off their creative cooking and designing skills. After lunch was language orientation for two hours. I realized that the Thai language had different tones, but what I learned was unbelievable. The sentence “Bad wood will not burn” Translates to “Mâi máai mâi mâi” Each word is only different in what tone you use, and how long you say a certain letter. It was quite amusing listening to how some of the different accents from around the world sounded so different when we were all trying to say the same thing, the same exact way. Finally, the meeting was over and WE WERE FREE!!! My friends Aom (from school), Jessica (exchange student from America also from my school), Abby (exchange student from America) and I went to Siam Square. We ended up going to MBK, which is one of the most famous malls in Bangkok. First of all, I though shopping in NYC was amazing, but once you go to Siam Square, your shopping life will never be the same. You name it, they not only have what you’re looking for, they have it in every color, texture, size, scent, and origin you can think of! “Hmm…I want a really big lollipop, fermented milk flavored, no chunks, from Antarctica. Can you get that for me?” “Got it. What color?”

Speaking of fermented milk, I seemed to have fallen in love with it. It comes in a small container with a foil seal on it. You poke a straw through the seal and drink away! It’s similar to yogurt but its drinkable and the taste is a little different. Anyways, we didn’t do too much shopping, instead we just explored the many many floors of shops, and stores. (Yes, there is a difference. Shops tend to be smaller but cheaper, while the stores tend to be twice the price.) MBK even has a Cinema, a bowling alley, an arcade, and karaoke! And that’s only the stuff that we had time to see! Later that night we all took a Tuk Tuk home, and I went out to dinner with my family. We went to a delicious Korean BBQ. They give you all your meat and food raw, and you cook it yourself in a round BBQ that is located in the middle of the table. You can season it however you want, and cook it just perfect. I even had kimchi! I was very exciting. Now this week, I look forward to a very busy week. I practice Thai Dance EVERYDAY in preparation for a big exhibition on Thursday. I have to be at school at 6am for my makeup and my costume. I will make sure LOTS of pictures are taken. Well that’s all I can think of for now! If I forget anything, I will write back! I really hope all is well in America, BUT I’M LOVING THAILAND!!!

School and Dance

2008-08-16T07:19:00.001-07:00

This week went by so fast. Monday I didn’t go to school because we had Tuesday off. It was Mother’s Day in Thailand, and also the Queen’s birthday. Mother’s Day is celebrated the same as in America. My grandmother, grandfather, mom, dad, brothers, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, all went out to dinner. In all, there were 19 of us. Also on Tuesday I had my first Thai Dance class. It was really interesting. I am used to cheerleading where I have been trained to make all my movements fast and clear. Thai dancing is the opposite, everything flows very smoothly, and it is a very slow dance. I find it to be much easier than cheer. That is once you get past the pain in your hands and feet from twisting and bending them more ways than you should physically be able to. I really enjoy it though. I have thai dancing every day from 6pm-8pm. Wednesday I started school. It is a lot of fun. From the moment I walked in, i was the most popular person there. EVERYONE knows who I am, and I cant walk down the hallway with out people saying HI JOY! It’s funny, people will come up to me and say “Hi whats your name? How are you?” And when you respond and ask the same they freak out and run away because they only know the two sentences of English that they asked me. I’m not sure that I can honestly say that I have made friends, because a friend is someone who stands out more than the rest of your acquaintances, and EVERY person in school wants to walk me to my next class, and they all try to talk to me. All at once. And sometimes even in English! I get loads of candy too. Usually I don’t know what it is but it always tastes good. I try to say no, and they even end up sneaking it into my bag! They are crazy! But so funny too. One English class that I helped out in, the teacher from England, was teaching them to say “OH YEAH” in stead of yes, and “HEY BABY!” Instead of hi. So random guys and girls come up to me and say “HEY BABY!” In school I have many unique classes. English, Thai, French, Chinese(everyday sometimes 2 or 3 times a day for an hour each class!) Thai dance, thai cooking, Buddhism class, and thai history. Everyday the classes are different. I also have a lot of free periods. On Tuesdays I only have 2 classes. Thai dance and Chinese. During my free periods I either go to the language room and talk to the English teachers, (which is also the exchange student information room. We are required to meet here every morning) or, I help out in an English class. School starts at 6:45 am, and ends at 4:15pm. After school at 6pm I had dance for two hours. Although, on Friday, the dance teacher asked Jessica and I to try the whole dance together with out anyone else, and no help, and we were able to do it. So now after school there is an extra period incase you miss a class, or need help, so we will be practicing with the rest of our school now during that period. We have a festival we perform at, on August 29th. Next weekend, on august 24th, all the rotary exchange students in my district from all over the world, have a meeting. I am very excited and that will defiantly be the subject of my next blog post. Well that’s all for now! Feel free to comment or email!

Jordi, RYE-Florida Outbound Student

2008-08-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

Jordi, RYE-Florida Outbound Student

My Trip to Petchabun, The Switzerland of Thailand

2008-08-11T00:27:00.000-07:00

On Thursday August 7, I went with my third host mom Poolsuk, and her niece, Boom, and Boom’s grandmother, to plant a tree in a marsh to prevent global warming. In addition, there was a big group of students from Japan. I got to eat real pad thai. It’s only a little different from the pad thai in America. After that, I met my second host mom and dad. Not Pensinee, my family changed because Pensinee is too far from Yannawate (My School). They have 2 sons, 16 and 17 and a daughter, 12. I think Jessica (an exchange student in my school) might live very near my second host family. I took a 5 hour trip with my club president, counselor, my second host family, and a few others. We went to northern Thailand in a city called Petchabun. On August 8, I assisted my 2nd host father, who is a doctor/surgeon, in a surgery on people’s hands who have trigger finger. He created his own method of curing it without having to make an incision. Doctors come from all around the world to meet him and learn his method. After we finished about 40 people, 10 minutes each, we went to our hotel. It was beautiful. On Saturday, we went to 5 poor schools in Petchabun, and presented them with the “Clean water project.” We presented a big machine that makes water drinkable for the schools. Most of the schools in this area have dirt floors and even some had to sit on the floors! That night we had a really big rotary meeting. Rotary members from all over Thailand were invited. I am not sure what the meeting was about because I couldn’t really understand much of it. At the meeting, I was able to see young Thai children do a traditional Thai dance. It was really pretty and Nallah! (Cute) After the dance, I met up with 4 exchange students. Two inbounds, one from America, the other from Germany. A Thai outbound to Mexico and a Rotex from Germany. We had a lot of fun and were able to personally meet the dancers! They were between the ages of 5 and 10. We even got to wear their hats! On Sunday, the last day, we traveled even higher into the mountains to a Wat. It was in the process of being made, but it was still very beautiful. All the walls and floors were mosaics. After the wat, we stopped to eat and had a 5 hour ride home. I will start school on Wednesday. Originally, I was going to start today, Monday, but tomorrow is Mothers day and also the queen’s birthday, so no stores or schools will be open. Mother’s day in Thailand is the same as America, just on a different day. Well that’s all for now! Make sure you read my first week journal entry on the rotary website! Feel free to e-mail me with any questions! I am very happy to get mail! Hope all is well in America!
GO AMERICA IN THE OLYMPICS!!!!

My Arrival

2008-08-02T23:05:00.000-07:00

The flight to Thailand went by quickly. After that 15-hour flight, anything seems to fly through time. After going through customs and getting my bags, my group of exchange students and I went through two tall walls that brought us to the outside world. Waiting not too far away were many, many groups of Thai people all holding up signs. You feel like a celebrity walking down a red carpet, everyone was within inches of you, but no one dared to cross over the carpet into your space. Everyone seemed so happy to see us. Finally a young girl, (I think she was young, all Thai look young here) asked me my name, and suddenly I was being dragged into a huge group of people all happy and talking really fast in Thai. At that moment, all the Thai I have ever learned went out the door. There was no way I could understand a thing they were saying! I wish I could have had a picture of my face. A mixture of exhaustion and confusion mixed with about 20 Thai. Shaken not stirred. There I met my first host mom, Kanokluck, and my dad, Somchai. They are very nice. They have five sons, all older than me. I think the oldest is 22. One of the sons lives in San Francisco. Did I mention that the Thai drive on the other side of the road? That was very disorienting at almost 1 am. I thought my mom was going to drive but then I realized that the wheel was on the other side!!! It’s about 30 minutes from the airport to my new home. My host father is an eye doctor and he owns his own store. The store is located on a soi, or a side street. I have yet to venture outside. It makes me feel a little better that I also live across the street from a small police station. My house is four stories tall, and it’s connected to the store. When I say connected, I don’t mean by a door, it’s so connected in fact that the customers can see and walk right into our living room! Past the living room is our kitchen. I was greeted at home by two brothers. Later I met a third but I forget his name. One is in the university (college), the other just graduated, and he gets his diploma in November. The younger of the two’s name is Tent, and the older is Paul. Paul seems the friendliest. Tent was an exchange student to Germany last year, and a few years ago, Paul went to Japan. Paul now works in a Japanese restaurant and aspires to come to America to work in another restaurant there. Paul said that he would show me his manga (Japanese comic books) and teach me Japanese, but the manga is in Thai and I told him that I would love to learn Japanese but I think I should learn Thai first. My room is on the third floor. Mine is the only room on that floor. You walk up the stairs and at your left is my room, and if you keep walking straight, there is a large sitting area with a HUGE window looking down at the soi. My room is also big. It was the room of one of their sons that isn’t at home anymore. In my room, there is a big drum set with five cymbals, my bed, a big bookshelf filled with manga, a wardrobe, a big desk, a small desk, a stereo, and there it looks sooo empty! You could play 8 games of twister in here and still have some room! My bathroom is on the third floor. It has a normal toilet. (I had to put that in there) I went to bed around 3am. The next morning my mom said to wake up at 7 because she thought I would be really hungry from my long trip. I woke up and to my surprise, there were a ton of people here that I had no clue as to who they were! They all stared at me and laughed. Soon my mom woke up and made me breakfast. An egg and toast with apricot jam. It was really good. My mom introduced me to soybean sauce. It is similar to soy sauce. Maybe it is the same thing? Well she had me put it on my egg and it was extraordinarily good. Then she told me that the store opens at 10 and usually she doesn’t get up until 930, and she east breakfast later than that. She eats a mixture of yogurt, honey, and lemon juice. “good for your health” she says. After breakfast we both went back to bed and here I am in my room typing this journal waiting until 10 o’clock, so I can see what the day has in store for me. Tomorrow I think I start school. Also the family has a few maids. Im not sure how many yet. I will try to keep everyone updated as much as possible. Feel free to comment or e-mail me! Miss everyone back home! Bye for now!

JORDANA'S MOST RECENT EMAIL ~ I'M SO PROUD!!

2008-08-02T02:20:00.000-07:00

Well I just arrived in Tokyo. The flight was SOOOOO LONG!! 14 hours and 51 mins. We flew over the USA into Canada and over Alaska. I took some AMAZING pics of the snowy mountain tops. In Tokyo the 6 of us exchange students met up with another student from Hawaii whom until now has been traveling alone. Hmmm...words to describe Tokyo...busy, Kawaii!! (cute) and VERY unique. In the bathroom they have 3 different types of toilets. A french toilet that I forget the name of, an american toilet, and a traditional Thai Squatty Potty (aka a hole in the ground). Here in Tokyo its about 4:15 pm. In America its 3:15 am and in Thailand its 2:15 pm. It was light outside the whole flight to Tokyo. If it wasn't for my clock on my computer then I would have no idea what time of day it is or even WHAT day it is. Well I'm going to go for now. Ill write as soon as I can!! Miss you guys!! Jordi

The Beginning....

2008-06-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sàwàtdee-ka!! I am Jordana Sell and I just finished my 11th grade year at Morningside Christian Academy in Port St. Lucie, FL. I am a member of the National Honors Society, Morningside Academy Youth Group, and have been involved in Acquire the Fire Christian conventions, 30 hour Famine, and head of the “See You at The Poll” committee. In the past I have coached my younger sister Cassandra and a team of Cheerleaders through Pop Warner. We cheer for my younger brother John’s football team (John and Cassandra are 10 year old twins).

I have studied Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and I am currently learning Thai. Learning new languages has always been a passion of mine. In the summer of 2007, I traveled to Spain, France, and Italy and plan to travel more in the near future. The Rotary Club has selected me as a Rotary Youth Exchange student and I will be traveling to Thailand for my Senior year of High School.
My main hobby is traveling because I love learning different languages and delve myself in diverse cultures. I also have a passion for drawing anime characters which is an art form of the Japanese culture. My other hobbies include roller skating, playing guitar, and reading.
I am excited and honored to be involved with the Rotary Youth Exchange program. I have already met so many exuberant people that have helped me get to where I am today. I am very excited about my trip to come. Thank you for this opportunity!!