Hello to all our family and friends-

            It’s so hard to believe that we’ve been in Thailand for a month and a half, and even harder to believe that we’re leaving so soon! We have been learning and growing everyday, seeing new things, experiencing Thai culture, and meeting inspirational people. The last two weeks included a visit to an organic farm, a meditation retreat, a visit to a Thai school, fall break, and a delicious Thanksgiving dinner!

            The farm we visited is owned by an American expatriate from Rockford, Illinois, and his company is called Fair Earth. He has lived and worked in Thailand for the past 10 years, and has an undergraduate degree in journalism and a masters in political ecology. Two years ago he began developing an organic farm with his family in order to experiment with self-sufficient, organic agriculture and sustainable living in an environmentally threatened world. We learned many facts about planting rice, how to avoid pests without using chemicals, and which types of trees grow well in the same environment. The farm was small (a little over one acre), yet it contained rice fields, fish ponds, beans, peanuts, eggplant, mango trees, tarot plants, etc., etc. We found it incredibly inspirational to see that sustainable agriculture is possible and that a more simple way of life can be achieved for a more environmentally conscious future.

            The weekend of the 15th and 16th of November, we went to a Buddhist meditation center where we learned different meditation techniques and had a chance to discuss Buddhist philosophy with a monk from Burma. We spent 24 hours in complete silence (except for the two hours when we held discussions), which many of us embraced as a time to think and reflect on our time in Asia thus far. We learned several concentration meditation techniques, including sitting and counting breathing, walking, lying down, and listening. Many of us found sitting and counting our breathing to be much more difficult than one would expect. It’s amazing how quickly our minds can drift away from such a simple task!

            Visiting a Thai school taught us many things about the education system in Thailand. The school we visited has over 4,000 students, grades six through twelve, and they have an advanced, special acceptance program in which eighty-five percent of class material is taught in English. We had the opportunity to hear the students read English aloud, and then we played a game with them to test their reading comprehension. John was the game coordinator, and the St. Olaf students asked the questions (the topic was “Dinosaurs”). The game was boys versus girls, and although it was a close call, the girls won in the end (of course!). We were invited to come back and help with English again during our time in Chiang Mai, so we hope we can make it possible to do so, as interacting with the students proved truly enjoyable.

            Fall break sent the eleven of us scattering off in different directions. While some of us traveled to beaches in southern Thailand, others took a road trip to northeastern Thailand, some stayed in the city and harvested rice at Fair Earth farm, while still others went to Laos! It was an incredible four day weekend to say the least, and the longest we’ve been separated from our TIA family since departing from home in August! We were happy to be reunited once again, and had many entertaining stories to share with one another.

            Next on the agenda—a delicious Thanksgiving meal! After we finished class (and yes, we had class on Thanksgiving!), all 11 of us head to the river for a two hour boat ride. It was a beautiful evening, and the ride gave us all a chance to relax and catch up. We then went to a restaurant here in Chiang Mai called Bake & Bite, which featured a Thanksgiving dinner buffet. We ate all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings, including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, and of course, pumpkin pie. Although it didn’t all taste exactly like we’re used to, it offered us a slice of home. We are all thankful for many things this year; these past three months have touched our lives so deeply. We have experienced, observed, and absorbed our surroundings everyday, and we have shared, bonded, and laughed with one another every moment. We are thankful for the opportunity to spend five months in Asia with such an incredible group of people, and we are thankful for our family and friends who have supported us all along the way. So thank you to all of you!

            We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we are thinking of you as the holiday season approaches. We are having the time of our lives, and we are always staying safe and taking care of each other. We miss you all and will update you again soon!

Love Always,