Thailand internship: My final week!

Having reached the end of her English teaching internship in Thailand, intern Jasmine looks back on the experience.

So here we are, the last week. Hard to believe? I certainly can’t! To think a matter of weeks ago I was rushing around working every hour under the sun in order to meet the cost of getting here and now the experience at Watnak School is rapidly coming to an end. Although the time may have flown by, the experience has been one of a kind and the memories will last forever.

I have been traveling before, I eat spicy food every day and I have experienced ‘lesser developed areas’ in my life before but this experience has opened my eyes to how rich and comfortable we really are on a daily basis. Some of the biggest challenges have been our living circumstances, the huge shift in cultural lifestyle and the physical journey my body has endured. As some of you know my ‘weak as a piece of cotton’ British stomach surrendered to Thai food pretty quickly, almost instantly actually, this was to be challenge number 1 and they just kept on coming.

Upon arrival we are greeted with a soft landing in a nice hotel to recover from the jet lag, to try and cope with abundance of new faces and learn all about the months ahead. After a pleasant 48 hours we were divided up and sent off to our schools. Once you head off the tourist track and into everyday Thai life the real culture shock sinks in. (apart from me, I was still in bed poorly sick at this point, typical!). I am not one for snobbery in the slightest, as long as I have somewhere to lay my head I’m a happy gal – but – I have to say; laying my head down on the pillow to see a lizard running above my head was a shock at first. Lizards are harmless and are actually quite cute but they are not something I am used during my nighttime routine. Our accommodation is modest and is provided graciously by the school, they have done the best they can and that is all we can ask for. As time went on I actually began to relax around the lizards and even named our resident pal Sebastian. As time passed I started to appreciate living with the lizards because they are of use; they eat the mosquitos, cockroaches and goodness knows what else is roaming around, this was a massive help. One can start to see the connection between living things and how each creature has a place and a job to do every day.

Our school accommodates roughly 600 children each day and there is so much to do with a very tight budget; including the school lunches. The lunch ladies do amazingly well to provide every child with a free school meal of a decent portion and now they have an extra four stomachs to provide for which adds to their daily challenge. Most of the food was palatable but sometimes I just couldn’t face the chicken feet, it was a step to far!. There are shops in the town, they are a 25 minute walk away at least, and that journey includes the obligatory encounter with the edgy dogs that live along the route who try to have my ankles for their own lunch. These shops and stalls are packed with all sorts of Thai delicacies I wouldn’t even be able to begin to pronounce. I have tried everything with an open mind and an equally open mouth but some my body, or stomach, just couldn’t endure. It’s the beginning of the summer season here so a sweaty face is my constant state, any food we eat we sweat off almost instantaneously. This leads to extremely quick weight loss and a constant hungry tummy. When the weekend arrives and we travel further afield and I’m not sure what we spend more time doing: exploring or eating

These are just a couple of examples amongst a myriad of experiences. Watching the school children every day knowing they have so little but seeing them be so happy has been a lesson in itself. Having most luxuries stripped away, and by luxuries I do not mean argon oil facemasks and a bowl of quinoa, I count my luxuries as being able to get into a bed without climbing into a mosquito net, I count my luxuries as having an actual cold shower, not just a bucket of water to pour over yourself like most of the village, I count my luxuries as being able to drink water out of the tap for free knowing its safe. Having what I took for granted, but soon realized were luxuries taken away has taught me how to value the smallest of things. I have learned how to be happy without much of what I thought were luxuries, just like the school children here at Watnak. I think I can now truly reappraise what I believe to be a luxury. There is so much more to life than stressing over what to wear this Saturday, what Julie said to Margret at work about Janet or how many likes you have on Instagram, I have reassessed what is important during my time here.

Each experience has pushed me ever so slightly. Whether it be mentally or physically it has added up bit by bit to be one of the best experiences I have ever had. I will be sad to say goodbye to the children, my new lizard pal Sebastian and the Thai teachers who have looked after us with such kindness. I wish everyone could spend a period of their lives in a school such as this to truly put what it is important into perspective. The world would be for certain a better place.

Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying “experience is the name everybody gives to their mistakes” . Yes we must and will gain much of our life experience in that way but I would urge anybody thinking of doing this as being a really positive way of gaining valuable and life changing experience in a positive way.