Raina’s fourth week in Thailand was full of adventure. Here are some of the highlights from the past week!
I went with my 3 roommates to Hua Hin beach this weekend. It was a 4 hour train ride, but for a little more than a $1 you can’t beat that! It was beautiful! We woke up at 5:15 am to catch the sunrise.
From all over the US we come together to live, work, learn and grow in a new culture. We’re all finding our paths and learning so much about ourselves and each other.
This is the face I make when I see the beach or…mango sticky rice (my favorite Thai dessert!). Hua Hin was rainy our first day, but we still got out to explore. I was so happy to be out of the city! I got a fabulous $7 massage and waded into the ocean afterwards. I love being at the beach. Relaxing under a palm tree in the sun and listening to the rhythm of the waves is really relaxing.
On this day we went to a nearby senior center. The seniors were doing an aerobics class. We joined in and it was a lot of fun! Vanessa led them through a cool down (bottom right). It was also the aerobics’ teacher’s birthday. So it was really cute, everyone sang her happy birthday a few times in English and Thai (bottom left). They prepared a big potluck to celebrate. They had delicious veggie dishes and also a pumpkin coconut milk dessert. I definitely enjoyed it. Some the seniors wanted to take pictures with us (top). I love their energy! They were all smiles and having a fun time in class. They were playing modern dance music and I love dancing to that (haha). It was great to see them socializing, exercising and having fun. I think that is key to aging well! They were all at least 75+ and looked great!
We went to one of the red light districts. Here we set up an STD screening station. I was in charge of taking blood pressures and prepping the patient to go through their consultation with the nurse. We also walked around the nearby clubs/bars and handed out packages of condoms to the workers. I thought it was kind of cool that workers in this industry are wanting to be safe and proactive about their sexual health (I know some employers require it too). It’s also interesting to hear some of the reasons why women work in this industry. One woman told me she’s supporting 3 kids and her sister going to school.
I taught the staff English this week. We went over how to say symptoms and body parts. The hand symbol in this photo represents the heart. My understanding of this is that they are saying thank you from their hearts 🙂
Read Next:
- Raina’s Travel Correspondent Blog 2
- Raina’s Travel Correspondent Blog 3
- Caitlin’s Travel Correspondent Blog 1
- Intern Abroad
- Intern in Thailand
- Intern in Healthcare
Posted by World Endeavors on June 1, 2018
World Endeavors believes that international travel has the power to change lives, broaden horizons, and deepen intercultural understanding. The world is undergoing rapid changes, with societies becoming more interconnected and environmentally aware; at the same time a more challenging global economy inspires in many a need to reach out and make a positive difference while seeking personal growth opportunities. There has never been a better time than now to travel abroad.
