Thailand is the first and only Asian country I have currently visited, so I had absolutely no expectations upon landing. The air was warm, and humid and Bangkok airport was a bustling warren of international departures and arrivals. This, however, was not daunting to me, as having grown up in South Africa I welcomed the heat and chaos with a strange familiarity. I had flown there to stay at a rural Thai school and teach English for eight weeks as part of a program headed by a local Thai teacher. Whilst I was nervous to be venturing so far alone, I soon found that settling into the Thai routine was a lot easier than I could have ever imagined.
The first homely experience I had in Thailand was my first dinner. In Thailand, mealtimes are a shared experience, and every dish is ordered or made to be eaten by every person at the table. It is a social time for sharing not only food but stories. One of my favourite meals I ate in Thailand involved boiling your choice of vegetables and protein in a communal pot of boiling water. There was never any animosity over accidentally taking someone else’s tofu and the flavour an experience of the food was better for it.
This reminded be of South African braais, otherwise known as a barbecue. Growing up, these gatherings were a common event. Each family would show up with several types of meat and side salads, but at the end of the day it would all be laid out on a table for everyone to help themselves to whatever they wanted. We would eat, laugh, and socialise late into the night. I felt at home in Thailand due to their opinion that the experience is what makes eating wholesome, not just the food.
Gift giving was another familiar practise I experienced in Thailand. We were continuously being gifted desserts, fruit, and other trinkets by the teachers at the school. In return, we always made sure to give the teachers food after they had taken us to a local temple or on an excursion. When we left, we each gifted them with gifts from our home countries. At home, flowers and food are a common way to give thanks and to show your gratitude towards someone. I deeply enjoyed the joy we experienced from receiving diverse types of Thai food and being able to reciprocate. I found Thai people to be extremely respectful and considerate and is something I wish more western cultures displayed.
I always felt a sense of calm and relaxation when surrounded by my Thai hosts. They taught us a common Thai phrase that perfectly encapsulates their demeanour: ‘Sabai Sabai’. This roughly translates to ‘take it easy’, or as I liked to think, ‘Hakuna Matata.’ Before arriving at the school, we were taught that big displays of negative emotion were uncommon in Thai culture. Anytime we found ourselves getting overwhelmed in the stress of being so far from home, myself and the other foreign teachers found ourselves repeating that phrase to ourselves. Whilst constant friendliness may feel discomforting to some, the first thing people relay back to me about South Africa is the friendliness of the people. I felt so at home in a place where friendliness and a laid back nature were not only essential for our settling in but a norm in the culture.
After spending eight weeks living with Thai teachers, I felt as if they had welcomed us into their family and routine. They made an effort to teach us about their culture and include us in their routines, that when it came time to leave, it felt as if a small part of me was being left behind.