Our Trip to Ayutthaya

This past weekend, the Fulbrighters took a trip to Ayutthaya, one of the previous capital cities before the current capital of Bangkok. Thailand (Siam) enjoyed great prosperity during the Ayutthaya period. After 400 years of peace, war with the Burmese eventually destroyed the city, forcing rulers to relocate the capital of Thailand. For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_(city)

Kate, Karen and I.

Thai flags

A city ruined by war.

The face of Buddha, entangled in the tree.

At a local wat (temple).

Let me tell you about an experience beyond the photographs, beyond the temples, beyond the tourism. At 3:00pm we arrived at Baan Suan Guest House. It was a beautifully warm Thai-style guest house. I decided not to take a shower, as the others were doing (I’m a dirtbag, I know). Instead, I went downstairs to introduce myself to the owner of the house, Sumate, as I soon found out. Within the first ten minutes of meeting him, Sumate eagerly agreed to help me study my Thai language notes from class. After a few hours of learning Thai pronunciation, simple Thai language structural ideas, and getting to know my new Thai friend, the others gathered downstairs.

We went to a restaurant around the block called Malakor, meaning papaya in Thai –very suiting, considering that Sumate helped me review fruit vocabulary.

I left the restaurant before the others (eight Fulbrighters) and went back to the guest house. Sumate was there when I returned. We talked more about his job running a guest house, his Thai background (a native of Ayutthaya), and even about his seven year stay in Dallas, Texas. We talked about Fuilbright, American and Thai cultures, the current Thai protests, the meat-packing/shipping industry (connected to his experiences in TX), and of course Thai language. As the other Fulbrighters watched the movie ‘21’ in the living room, Sumate and I sat outside talking, learning, and laughing. As I went upstairs to sleep, I got a great feeling. I applied for this grant knowing why I wanted to come to Thailand –I am here to get to know the people and share a bit about myself. It makes me proud that I am here now, and truly living out my dreams –not as an individual journey but rather an inclusive one. It is through people, in my current case, through Thai people, that I hope to gain different perspectives, ideas, and motivations to challenge my own personal growth.

The next morning, five or six of the women in my group including myself decided to go biking. Each bike was only 50 THB for the day, very cheap by international standards. The bike ride was incredible. We circled around at least three-fourths of the city’s interior as sectioned off by the surrounding river(s).

Sumate and I

When we returned, Sumate was at the guest house with a gift for me. I couldn’t believe his generosity. The night before, we talked about my slight knowledge of the Thai alphabet (an alphabet which has 44 consonants and 21 vowels). When we returned from the bike ride, Sumate presented me with a gift of two posters, one of which showed the entire alphabet, the other showed the numbers in Thai script. When we were checking out of the guest house, the group was asking “how much do we owe you for the bikes.”—Sumate’s response was “Paige paid for the bikes.” I couldn’t believe my ears…I had not paid for the bikes, but Sumate was such an incredible person that he told the group I had covered the expense. Kate, in her own words, explained it best – he was saying that my friendship paid for it, that my willingness to share friendship with him paid for part of our experience in Ayutthaya. I will never forget meeting Sumate, and I will never forget my first long weekend in Thailand. It was a weekend of fun, adventure, and strengthening experiences. The strengthening came from the re-understanding of why I am here in Thailand. I am here for Fulbright, for myself, for my future, my family, for the Thai people, and for the kind of cultural exchange that creates happiness and peace for our world.