- We visited a temple that is literally only being held up by a tree. As in, the entire building is ENGULFED by the roots and branches of this tree.
- Next, we had a foot massage. On a boat. We're really slumming it here.
- There was also an evening boat ride to see fireflies. You'd think it'd be obvious that we're halfway across the world, so of course the fireflies were different, but it was shocking to see them differently! They literally looked like blinking Christmas lights; all of the fireflies hung out by the trees and blinked really quickly and abrupt. They were absolutely beautiful.
- Saturday morning, we woke up right after sunrise and made offerings to the monk! That means that we gave them food, toiletries, and water, and in return the monk gave us a blessing. The entire interaction was incredibly peaceful; sleepy classmates, a quiet river, monks paddling small longboats from house to house. Very serene.
- We learned a minuscule amount of Thai classical dance. Very, very minuscule...
- Then, we ate lunch literally in the middle of the ocean. We took a longboat out to the middle of the gulf where there was a bamboo hut about two stories out of the water. The whole thing was basically opensided, and you had to scale some pretty steep bamboo ladders to make it to the hut and back down to the boat again, but the views were astounding.
- Also, tried a little Thai wakeboarding! Much easier than Western wakeboarding I think...
- Best part of the day by far: we planted some mangroves! That entailed some of us crawling through mud that was about knee deep. Or, if you're Becca, full-force crawling across the surface of the mud. Climbing through the mud pit was by far the most I've laughed this trip; something about it just brings out the small child in you! It's crazy how much fun you can have when you're willing to get a little muddy ;)
Some things I learned this weekend:
- Thai culture has a strong, strong emphasis on balance and symmetry. It's beautiful! This can be seen in their education system (balance between sciences & arts), in their foods, in their belief systems (if you do good, good will be done to you in return). It's a really nice change of pace
- Also, a large aspect of traveling is about embracing the vulnerability of not knowing things. There isn't a single culture here that holds all of the truths in the world, and when you are able to accept that fact then your eyes are open to a whole new realm of knowledge and experiences.
- Going along those same lines, when you accept your fear and try the new things anyway, it's generally an incredibly rewarding experience. (Let's just say I was a little scared to try the funny-looking wakeboard...but I definitely would have regretted not trying it.) Also, if this statement is being made by me, a generally fearful person, it can definitely apply to everyone else too.
- When you travel, the first things you notice are the differences. Such as, there are no knives to eat with here. Or, you aren't guaranteed toilet paper or soap to wash your hands with when you go to the bathroom. And other small things, like massive Buddhas decorating the countryside. You know. But with time, you begin to stop noticing the differences and start picking up on cultural similarities. Young boys still horse around and make fun of each other when the teacher isn't looking. Parents still taunt their young children when they run around naked. Families still road trip to go on vacation. These are all very surface-level, but the deeper you dig into a culture the more similarities you find.
We weren't really able to take pictures this weekend. However, we DID see a MASSIVE water monitor crawling around outside of the music therapy clinic during class today. Isn't he neat?
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