Fulbright training began yesterday. I am excited to report that things are going fantastic. The Executive Director of Fulbright Thailand, our Thai mother, Porntip, is an incredible lady –very funny, with a charismatic charm, and a kind heart. We learned the first morning how to address her and the other faculty members. “Pi” in Thai refers to an older brother or sister. We call her Pi Tip. Kate and I were joking that it sounds like we are calling the woman by her rapper name, but ultimately it is a more polite and preferable name to call her. Lectures the first day introduced us to Thai culture and history, the Fulbright mission and its role in Thailand and across the globe, and expectations for our stay in Thailand. We spent an hour or so hanging out in the dorm before we met Pi Tip and other Fulbrighters staying in Thailand (professors from the U.S.) at Marina HK, a hip little restaurant twenty minutes walk from the dorm. I included a picture of P-Tip and I at Marina. Dinner was great. I walked out of the restaurant charged, excited, and feeling empowered from the discussions at dinner. I am so grateful for the people here enjoying this experience with me. Dinner ended with passionate and intellectual conversations about our government and the upcoming November 4th election –this is what charged me. JR, Karen, Caryn (we call them Karen squared because their names are pronounced the same), Brad, Zoe, and I talked about politics; we talked about religion, healthcare, energy, education, international policy. We spoke openly and informatively. We discussed, talked about change, inferred, we talked about the future and the past. It is actually rare to find a group of people so well-educated that conversations like these are not a stretch, but in fact desired ideas and emotions needed to be spoken and shared with peers. I am thankful.
Pi Tip and I at dinner. 
Outside the Education Building where Orientation is held.
The classroom at Chulalongkorn University where Orientation is held.
My name in Thai.
Lunch. Rice and veggies with wa wa juice. About 30THB in total. Less than $1 USD. I'm getting spoiled here. The little bowl is full of spices...phet maak (very spicy).-------------------------------------------------------
Day two of training included a great presentation from a former Fulbrighter (a Thai woman who spent time in Oklahoma on a grant). The presentation was on Teaching English in Thailand, and it was really rewarding, confirming my excitement to teach. Ideas are flowing, that’s for sure. We have a break right now, and are planning to go to the night market this evening. Also, great news: we should be receiving log-ins for the internet here at the dorm by the end of this week.
Miss everyone! Much love to all.
Oh, and before I forget… Today we talked about our role as teachers/Fulbrighters to share information about American culture. Someone asked how much we should focus on sharing things about our culture. I couldn’t help but ignore all of the universally generalized American culture concepts that people mentioned (i.e. thanksgiving, New York, fast food). For me, my students will learn about my home, Louisville. It’s only been a week, but the others here already know how much I love my city, how much I represent my hometown. I feel as though I represent it well, and I can’t wait to share what I love about Louisville with my Thai students.
More Pictures
Chike, myself, Kate, and Audra at Saxaphone Pub in Bangkok, listening to live music and eating spicy foods.
Photos of my room at Suskit Nives International Dorm. Notice the Louisville IronMan poster, the 1950's style green fridge, and my awesome world map (thanks again Slim!).
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