A Special Celebration of Sorts

A Special Celebration of Sorts
While the completion of my degree is not 100% official (according to the Monterey Institute), there is nonetheless, reason to celebrate. Mid-August was a special feat as I turned in some last remaining assignments and my graduate portfolio. No small task! It was a huge weight off my shoulders. Not that I didn’t enjoy completing my assignments and doing research for school here but, at times, it was very demanding and hectic. I now have more time and freedom to concentrate on reading Thai, perfecting conversation, researching other topic areas, reviewing project designs and grant proposals for other Volunteers, and focusing on specific projects at site. My graduate studies actually paved the way for me to become more proficient in the aforementioned activities so, you see, it’s all connected.

When I first got to site and people didn’t really know what I was doing here or what to do with me, my counterparts would often introduce me by saying: “This is Heidi, she’s a volunteer from America, she’s getting her Master’s Degree...” I guess that makes more sense then trying to explain the evasive and sometimes complicating details of community-based organizational development. Now that I’ve completed my studies and eagerly await a diploma, people are all about the celebration. My neighbors have been planning something for months. When I say planning, I mean we’ve basically just been talking about eating Thai BBQ and singing karaoke.

My fellow Volunteers, also well aware of my ongoing studies, have periodically checked in with me to see how things are going. I am lucky to have 4 fellow Volunteers living in the same province as me—even more lucky to be only 15km away from the nearest Volunteer. We’ll call her Mrs. S. Mrs. S and I have grown very close in the months since I’ve been at site and I find our ongoing communication to be quite refreshing—especially since we are so close, know many of the same people, and can talk about local issues together. Not to mention, she is a college professor with a PhD and has served as a great mentor through my studies and academic development. I’ve been to visit Mrs. S a couple times and during those times, I’ve had the pleasure to meet and get to know her host family. Some Volunteers choose to live with host families and some live alone—I chose the latter. Her host family is what she calls a modern aristocratic family of teachers, artists, and working professionals. They have a beautiful home with perfectly manicured landscaping and breathtaking displays of artwork speckled about their property. A bit out of place out here considering the conditions under which the majority of the population live in. Her family is the epitome of Thai hospitality and extreme “Naam Jai”. Naam jai translates as “water heart” and I would describe it as having a flowing, open, magnanimous, and self-less heart. Every time I see her family, they are extremely generous and kind. They’re also a fun and spirited bunch. In any event, as we’ve grown close, they too, have been keeping up with the status of my studies. When I told Mrs. S that I would be finished with all my work mid-August, she suggested we celebrate together with the family at her place. It also happened to fall during a time when she had cause for celebration—the induction of her new prayer alter which had followed a lengthy construction process. Mrs. S planned to use the lovely wood alter for daily chants and Buddhist study. She’s Buddhist too, only a different order than what Thais traditionally practice.

When the family caught wind of all the cause for celebration, they went all out. I could not have envisioned such a festivity. It exceeded my wildest expectation and I was completely taken aback and overwhelmed by the magnitude of preparation and thoughtfulness the put in to our joint celebration. Somewhere between the PHA Occupational Training and Wan San Dton Dta, we gathered for this grand event. We were lucky to have 4 other Volunteers attend the event at Mrs. S’s house. Together with the family and other Thai friends, we joined for an enormous degree of feasting, reminiscing, laughing, singing and dancing. But, the absolute best part and most special, was an re-enactment of what my graduation ceremony would be like. That’s right. They created a completely original and outstanding commencement ceremony. While distracting me in another room, I was instructed to put on a homemade graduation gown and wait. When I emerged, the living area of the house had been arranged set with a podium, backdrop, and flowers. Family members stood in two single-filed lines, posing as aisles for me to walk between. And there, at the podium, stood Mrs. S and another Volunteer (we’ll call him Mr. J) fully clothed in the professor’s commencement robes. Off to the side, was another of my friends posing as a reporter from CNN—even using a real microphone. My other friend stood in the audience, barely containing her excitement and laughs. There, I walked down the aisles of onlookers and approached the podium. Mrs.S and Mr. J, greeted me and proceed to give small speeches after which they presented me with a ‘diploma’. Being a one-man-show-graduation, I gave the expected Magna Cum Lauda speech, and tossed my so-called graduation cap into the audience. Then, of course, my friend posing as the reporter came to interview.

The production was a complete shock but so utterly amazing! I had no idea they were planning all that. It wasn’t long before the ceremony broke into karaoke (English songs!), dancing, and tons of photo-ops. I can only hope it was as much fun for everyone who attended as it was for me. The party proceeded with a Volunteer ‘adult-sleepover’ at Mrs. S’s and a terrific morning brunch. No doubt, the whole experience will forever be etched in my mind whenever I think of Thailand, whenever I think of my studies. I only hope that in the months to come, in the next year and ½ I will be able to convey how greatly I appreciate the family’s naam jai and reciprocate back.