So here's the back story... Mel, is a Thai woman who grew up in my village, but then moved to Bangkok and married a wealthy Australian businessman. Mel is also the woman who supports and funds my pizza and Dunkin Donut deliveries when she comes back to the village. Speaking of which, I have a full carton of Dunkin Donuts and again, I feel like it's some twisted Biggest Loser temptation challenge - giving a bored Peace Corps volunteer a container full of amazingly delicious donuts... how fast can she eat them? Anyway, Mel and her Australian husband have a 16 year old daughter, Jessica, who speaks Thai and English fluently. This is the first time I have met her. The family splits their time between their multiple homes around Thailand and Australia.
A couple of nights ago there was a knock at my door and it was Mel and Jessica - they are back in the village for the weekend. We had a nice chat on my porch while Grandma Next Door peered through my fence baffled by the sounds of English. Mel suggested that I take Jessica to the SAO tomorrow to "help." Now I'm not even sure what I'm doing there, so "help" isn't really necessary, but I realized Mel is trying to open Jessica's eyes to a different sort of life that the village offers so I said sure.
I biked to her house and Jessica is wearing really short jean shorts and in my head I'm thinking "She can't wear that! That's so inappropriate!" Mel must have realized my thoughts and said "Jessica, you need to change pants." Attire in the village is very conservative, if not constrictive. So Jessica rolls her eyes and begrudgingly changes. I fully realize that I'm "babysitting" a rich, Australian girl, who happens to speak Thai, for the afternoon and I wonder how this happened. I also realize that despite her Thai language ability, I'm culturally more "Thai" than she is. On top of all that, the village isn't a hot spot destination for any 16 year old urban teenager so this is quite the combo.
Jessica ends up getting a ride to the office as I biked there. It's always humbling having kids half your age cruise pass you on a motorcycle or truck as I pedal along on my bike with my cool red helmut and my bike basket filled with my important things for the day.
Once at the office, there is obviously nothing for Jessica to do, or me for that matter. Regardless I do my "busy" things at the office including make copies, print some stuff, and chat with my coworkers. And then Jessica and I sat down at my desk for a few minutes and it turns into Q&A time. Jessica begins...
What do you do here?... Why do you come to this office?... Do you really speak Thai?.... How do you get food?... You seriously bike everywhere?.... Do you like it here?... Don't you miss New York?.... Why are you here for so long?... Don't you want to go home?.... Aren't you lonely?...
There I sat, in my hot SAO, being asked all the questions that frequently plague my mind from a rich, Bangkok-elite 16 year old girl with a fancy gold cell phone. My responses were rambling and long winded, never with a definite answer....
I am trying to do community development and help people in this village, but really I think they are helping me more. I guess I go to the office for help and support, and because Peace Corps tells me to go. I like to think I speak Thai, since no one speaks English, but who really knows. And yes, I really bike everywhere. In fact, I just biked 20km (12 miles) to buy apples, carrots, and yogurt. I used to not like it here, but now I've really started to enjoy my life in this rice field. I used to cry on my bus rides back to site, but now I'm actually relieved to return to the village and my life here. I miss New York all the time, but I realize that New York will always be there for me, but this experience won't. I used to think about going back to America all the time, and I still do of course, but it's more of a "When I'm done here and return back to America" thought process, no longer the urgency to escape. And, yeah, I am here for a long time. Some days the 2 years makes me anxious and panic, but then I just keep on going and here I am, one full year in country and ready to take it all on and keep on going...
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