Loving Thailand !!!

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory" Dr.Seuss

Two weeks in Thailand and I'm really loving it. I will not get tired of saying that the Thai people are so generous and kind ! Granted I am aware that we are in a privileged position here and I am sure that if we did not have any of the connections here nor the amenities, my experience would be quite different.  two weekends ago (I lag it it posting things lol), we spent the weekend in Prachuap, which is where we went to the beach. We rode in an air conditioned van, we stayed at a super legit guest house, home of an artist so every room had a cool theme. We ate deliciously. I thought, why would anyone want to leave Thailand? But then I thought, well who would ever want to leave their country if it weren't for the realities of inequality and injustice? My parents sure didn't want to leave El Salvador but the reality of civil war as well as instability changed their reality and they had to move.  Therefore, what I'm saying is, I'm loving Thailand but, I have to remain critical of everything existant and that means I got to always keep in mind that there will always contradictions.

Prachuap was 4 hours North. I had not felt so relaxed in a really loooooong time. It took me back to Brazil actually. It took me back to those moments in Brazil at the beach, at Isla Grande, kayacking feeling like "whoa, I am so small in this vast universe and the beauty of nature is overwhelming." My time in Brazil was such a fun and carefree experience, I really loved that time of my life...those memories will forever make me smile :). But yes, the beach was much needed and I laid along the beach reading poems by Paulo Coelho :). We also went hiking to the Sai Cave at the Kao Sam Roi National Park there. The religious presence is everywhere in Thailand, while we were hiking we would come across different altars of Budah as well as an altar exalting the king and monarchy.

And the food was also sooooo delicious! Arjan David and his wife treated us to dinner one night and oh man!!! I will also not get tired of saying how incredibly deliciously amazing the food is here. My taste buds are constantly dancing with joy haha. This meal started with a super spicy soup that I couldn't eat because it was super spicy but I did eat the shrimp. Then they brought out fried rice, fried fish, octopus, clams,  vegetables, crab curry whoa! I need to learn how to cook this stuff for real! And then some pineapple for dessert... oh yea!! And I love the papaya salad, it is one of my favorite dishes as well! And the second night I had pizza! It was super good. It was a cute French/Thai pizza place. I wonder how that love story happened lol. I really wanted to ask them! So this trip was definitely relaxing and just beautiful. I always enjoy the long rides to places because I get to see the country side...all the green, trees and the houses and way of life there even if it's just a short glimpse of it.

I'm living in the city (Bangkok is a big city), in Victory Monument (Ausawaree Chaisamarapun) with sky scrapers, buses, taxis, motorcycles, buses, tok toks and the sky train. This past Friday actually we wondered off into the city. We noticed a huge skyscraper and decided to walk towards it because we thought that would be a great view ! It sure was. The building ended up being "The tallest hotel in Thailand." The hotel was located in what looked like Little India so I totally blended in haha. The Thai people think I'm from India not the U.S. I remind myself that I'm a "hyphenated American," always need to explain myself in order to be better understood. But I am Salvadoran, although many do not know where that is, I like to tell them about its geographical location and sort of paint it out for them. Anywho, we went up to the 19th floor and that was such a beautiful view. We sat and just looked out into Bangkok at night. The lights, the tall buildings, the colors. It's pretty amazing to be experiencing these beautiful moments with these girls because there we were taking in this beautiful sight but also discussing our dreams for the future and how little we are in this world but how far our good work for the betterment of humanity can go. Here we are in Thailand learning about international social work. And I continue to be impressed. Being at my internship has given me a plethora of knowledge about work being done in mental health and in the field of people with mental disabilities. On the second day of my internship, we went to to a Psychiatric Social Work Conference. It was a pretty cool experience because we were among the main powerhouses of social work in Thailand. That day we were going over a handbook, which my supervisor actually helped create, detailing how professionals in this field should work with patients and appropriately refer to them. For example, they were talking about the dichotomy of normal vs. abnormal. How can we change this language to discontinue the stigma attached to those suffering from a mental illness and/or mental and intellectual delay that is not considered normal. This is what I think they were saying, granted there was someone sort of translating for us and there were many times that I just observed the interactions and had no idea what was being said . But, it was definitely a great feeling to know that I was in such an inspiring setting, among people that want to help this population feel less stigmatized and accepted by the community.

Personally, working with children and adults with autism and/or mental disabilities has been super rewarding.  They truly are beautiful children, angels really. They are so genuine and sincere as well as so vulnerable to the ills of society, which is why they are so innocent. And will remain innocent so long as they are protected. God does say that his kingdom belongs to the children,therefore we should inherit a childlike heart (Matthew 18:3). We might not be innocent but, if we are sincere and follow His law, we remain His children :). Rajanukul is doing such great work in determining the various needs of the population and in serving those needs.  They have inpatient and outpatient services as well as different types of therapy for the children and parents.  The social worker holds a lot of power in this process and I feel that the social worker here is viewed in such a positive light and given so much more credibility and authority. Children are offered an array of therapies such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral modification therapy, music and play therapy. It was fascinating to observe today how speech therapy and behavior modification therapy is done. There is so much sensory stimulation that needs to be activated in order for the child to begin talking and or expanding his/her attention span.  And the therapist performs therapy with such care and desire to help the child and they teach the parent how to perform this at home.  These therapies are not only meant to stimulate the brain but also, to boost their self-esteem.  It took me a few minutes to conceive how a child and/or adult who does not understand the workings of a setting, his/her condition, and/or certain emotions he/she is feeling can still experience feelings of stress, depression and low self-esteem. But how can they not feel these things when they can so palpably feel love and care, security or insecurity. No matter how developmentally delayed and challenged this population may be, they like any "normal" person can sense and feel love and a caring presence and touch. They may be naive about the world and its ills, but their innocence and purity does not make them immune to sadness or anger. And what relieves them is love.  It was also really beautiful to see how it wasn't only mothers present at the appointments, but there were many fathers there as well and by themselves too. :)

Here in Thailand services for disabled people are free and there is a lot of work being done in the community pertaining towards advocacy for their rights and well being in accordance with Persons with Disabilities Employment Act BE 2550 established in 2007. Also, what I really love about the work being done at Rajanukul is that their focus on family is on point. So many parents struggle to provide their children with appropriate care as well as struggle in coping with the stigma of having children with these conditions.  Therefore, therapy and education for the parents is offered here in order to help the parent develop a healthy relationship with the child and help in their child's overall development. This involves a series of things, including how to help the child develop cognitive and sensory skills through reading to them for example. I'm learning a lot and I'm looking forward to next week when we'll observe and participate in music and play therapy.

There are certain moments that people will carry with them forever; those moments that might sometimes involve only a smile, which remains imprinted in your memory forever. Every morning when we come into the center we are greeted by 15 participants in the Job Core program facilitated by the social workers. They are preparing to join the work field. Some are younger than me but the majority I think are older than me, and they look so young, their condition has sheltered them, which is why they are so genuinely pure at heart, they deserve only love and kind gestures for that is what they give. Every time they smile back, I just want to keep smiling back haha.  Paulo Coelho says, "Love is something mysterious; the more you share it, the more it multiplies." And this mystery, also nurtures humility.

http://rajanukul.com/eng/

Below are a few pictures from my trip in Prachuap... :) And the very last picture are three of the best people I see every day, who greet us with a super gracious smile and farewell us with a kind Sawadeeka: Mickey, Lu-ac and Non.

:)