It seems there is some confusion as to who, what, where, when, why and how my role is going to be played out in the next couple years. To tell the truth I do not fully understand the extent myself but I will try to shine some light.

Right now, there are 66 trainees which have been divided into 6 sub-districts (Tambon) inside of the district (Amphur) Uthai. I am living in Tambon Uthai, Amphur Uthai, Jangwot Ayutthaya.We live with individual host families in the first 2 months of training which consists of cross cultural learning, safety and security, health, and language. It is full on immersion. After a week of orientation/staging we were placed in our host family without any knowledge of the language. I take that back... we knew how to say "Hello. My name is-----." And that was it. I didn't know what to think at first. I wasn't nervous until about the time I was getting in the car with my new family and they were asking me all sorts of questions that I couldn't answer. Since then we have been attending class from 8 AM until 5 PM which consists of language and assignment specifications. There are two groups: Community-Based Organizational Development (CBOD) and Teacher Collaboration and Community Outreach (TCCO). I am in the training class for CBOD and we are currently learning about the stakeholders and citizen communication strategies to reach the Thai Government. It begins at the individual level, then comes Mooban (village), Tambon (sub-district or cluster of villages), Amphur (district), Jangwat (province), then finally Thailand (which includes the Constitutional Monarchy and Parliamentary Democracy). More to come on that.

My host family is amazing! My mom is such a wonderful cook and see is always asking me if I am hungry. I learned the word for full right away. I figured since I can't handle spicy food that I would have a hard time. I have since learned I love it and surprised myself by how much I can handle. At dinner one night my mom actually said "pet! pet! (hot)" and reached over to grab the pepper off my spoon. Then I tried to explain the more spice I have the more accustomed I will get and I actually like it. Another night, I was putting this spicy oil on my rice and and my dad said "noy (little)." Yep, he was right on that one. Another thing that makes my family laugh is my inability to say the Thai word for '8.' No matter how hard I try I can't seem to get it. It sounds like a sheep's baa but with a 'p' at the beginning and your mouth is supposed to be in a huge grin. Oh well. As long as my family and I can laugh at it, that is what counts :) I have two older brothers and 2 older sisters who are all wonderful teachers. They are always telling me new words, very patient, and taking me to cultural events throughout the area. My younger sister and brother are so much fun too. The first night we had a ton of their friends over to hula hoop. I even got to show them how to play memory with some children's cards I brought from home. Everyone in this area is friendly and welcoming. If there is ever an awkward situation all one has to do is smile. It truly owns up to it's chuu-len (nickname) and I consider myself extremely lucky to be where I am and surrounded by such wonderful people.

Arriving in Thailand

It's warm. A lot warmer than I expected for 11:00pm. But we are all finally here. We ran into some snags at JFK when our airline didn't reconnect us all after our initial flight was delayed. Then we landed in Japan and had to stay the night at a hotel near Tokyo. Then we ran into more snags at Japan's airport when some members of our group (including myself) were "confirmed" for the flight and others weren't; meaning we had to split up and take a few different airlines. After a few days of travel we have all made it safely and in good shape. And I think it's safe to say we are happy to be rid of our airport squatter lifestyle.

Now here it is about 5:45am Bangkok time (73 degrees F)and we have our first all-day session in about 2 hours. We are staying at a hotel until January 15th after which we will be relocating to our host families in the tambon (or sub-districts) we are assigned. Tomorrow is orientation on ...well, everything, including health and safety, language, and bike riding in rural Thailand. It is also the start of our first set of immunizations :D

It's the Final Countdown DOO DOO DOO DOOOOO!!!

Wow. My blog really needs to get decorated and not look so naked. At this point, I have 2 days until I leave for Spokane and then off to Pennsylvania. For those who came across here and are wondering 'what's going on?!'or my friends who got an email saying 'Lacey's Got Blog Fever!', let me fill you in.

About 25 years ago, the world was blessed with an individual of cosmic proportions who will make the world a more positive place by her presence. As a mere babe, it was obvious she would do everything in her power to get her way. And those around her were grateful; for her Screams of Want were likened to that of the hymns sung by angels. But enough about the Laceolithic era and into the present.

Two years ago I applied to Peace Corps and the University of Alaska Fairbanks as part of the Master's International program which combines to form an academic/volunteer based means to obtain a degree. The application process doesn't last that long for most volunteer applicants but there were (as most of you remember) many hoops for me to jump through. I'm a pretty short person so it wasn't easy to jump through them all. But I did. And after a year of coursework at UAF I am getting ready to spend 2 years using what I have learned and am ready to learn more skills from my host country. 

I will be pretty busy in the next couple of weeks but I hope to post again soon. Got questions or recommendations? Let me know.