Life is chugging along, CPH is now working in a community called Baan Nong Kung Yai. It is in Nong Rua, just outside of Khon Kaen. The folks there are great. There is a kid there who is quite precocious named Bus (I call him Nong Bus, "nong" meaning that he is younger than me. He calls me P'Lindy, because I am older.) I have been giving him my camera when we go there and he is now my photographer. After being in Thailand for nine months now, it is harder and harder to find the motivation to take photos. Here are some of his masterful shots. :)
Also, we had a once every 5 year visit from study abroad advisers. They are part of the academic consortium board, which gives our program our academic accreditation. It was a big deal, and went very well. It was so interesting talking with the study abroad advisers and seeing things from there perspective. Being here, it's sometimes easy to forget that each student has a wonderful adviser working with them at their own home university.
I got to talk with Dan, who is in charge of the SE Asian programs. Wonderful person, and he confessed that my mother (yes, I know now) called him before I came to Thailand. Mom. Seriously? Haha.
Otherwise, the DG program is gearing up for the CCC (Collaborative Community Consultation), or Unit 3. This provides time to prep ideas and projects for final project time. This time they're headed to a village affected by a proposed copper mine, Baw Kaew (see earlier entries for info about this community), and to Bangkok for a super interesting investigation of the Truth and Reconciliation committee. This was set up after the violent April/May 2010 protests by the red shirts. Current conclusions of this committee are, for example, that the protesters were not shot by the military--instead, they ran into the bullets. Yeah. Seriously.
I'll be staying here in Khon Kaen and working with the CPH program, going to lectures and the village with them. The Ajaan who teaches the course is in Norway for a few weeks, so I am working with her PhD students right now. All is going along well.
On a personal note.... I committed to Vanderbilt! So if you want to visit, I'll be in Nashville Aug 2011-June 2014 or so. It's odd to be committing three years of my life to one place. Haven't done that since college! I'm super excited, can't wait to actually visit the school in person. Although reading this article today made me sad: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/us/22pastor.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Guess I need to get married to find a job? Maybe? Eh, who knows. I'm not sure I want to be a reverend anyway. But I am so excited to learn more about everything. :)
And... I can't believe it is almost APRIL!!! We are planning for Unit 4 (which I'll be on with DG, same as last semester.) Four?!?! Is it really time for that? It makes me sad to think that I'll be leaving Thailand so soon. I really do love it here, and love the people around me. It's time to go, but the parting will be filled with tears and sorrow. Such is life, I suppose.
Until next time,
Lindy
