Disclaimer: this post and subsequent parts are about my project-hopping trip as a co-president of the Stanford chapter of SEALNet, the Southeast Asian Service Leadership Network, which brings together college students from around the world to carry out service leadership projects that strive to serve communities in Southeast Asia and empower high school students with the tools for positive change. If you’d like to learn more about SEALNet, please email me or visit sealnetonline.org

I’ll admit it: a large part of me wanted to cancel all my connecting flights and stay for the rest of Project Philippines. Just when I was beginning to settle into the groove of a very promising project and the collective warmth of an amazing college team, my predetermined plans got the best of me. Most of all though, I really underestimated how much I missed the high school mentees; I’ve known some of them for three years now! I felt like a grandpa watching my grandkids grow up to do great things :)

But I’m stubborn — I wanted to see SEALNet from new perspectives, temptations be darned. I boarded my AirAsia flight to Bangkok and stayed the night at my friend’s place near the airport. I owe him, his mom and his super-funny aunt a big thanks for their generous Thai hospitality and humor. Apparently the way to keep the upper hand in a relationship is to never admit you love the other person.. Oh, power dynamics :p And they made a nifty thai cheat sheet, so cute! Khob Khun Krab :)

After a flight to Chiang Mai and a 90 minute taxi ride, I found myself in Lampang, a beautiful Thai town in the countryside. The partner school of Project Thailand, Tessaban 5, was a sea of pink and blue and horseplay. I managed to find the project leaders (PLs) Hanh and Tiam, as well as my fellow co-president Chanya. T’was a warm reunion among good friends :)

As my first non-Philippines SEALNet project, Project Thailand was a big sea change. It focused on education, specifically stimulating a “hunger for knowledge” in the middle school students at Tessaban 5. Although the education focus was new for me, the real challenge was working with a language barrier — workshops with the students at Tessaban 5 were conducted in English but had to be translated into Thai. Non-thai speakers on the team, myself included, had to adjust quickly to keep engaged. Being used to the bilingual culture in the Philippines, I wondered how I or the other non-Thai speakers would be able to forge a deep bond with the middle school students. Personal doubts aside, I was humbled by the power of simple gestures. Regardless of language, everyone understands a smile; everyone can learn how to play a game. And pictures can say all that needs to be said: 

That’s not to say there wasn’t any language learning going on; many bonding opportunities were to be had just learning random phrases. Even the principal herself was nice enough to teach me what I would need to get to the airport :) One area of concern for me was the group of the Thai college students the project is engaging. It’s been a challenge trying to figure out the extent of their involvement and their expectations for SEALNet; while I was on the ground, things were looking up, so I hope it was resolved at the end. Speaking of the team, they were (are!) an awesome bunch — everyone radiated compassion and enthusiasm for the project. And they were pretty funny too :). Normally it takes me a while to feel comfortable with a group of new people, but I was blessed to have come into such a friendly group! (aside: Chanya is sooo good with children, both nurturing and commanding. She definitely inspires me.) 

On a more personal note, each project I’ve encountered has necessitated a certain style of mentoring and involvement, given my unique position of not being an official professional mentor but having some SEALNet leadership experience. With PT I carried over my in-the-background style, checking up with the PLs at the end of each day and getting involved with daily activities however I could. This trip has been an invaluable exercise in learning when to use restraint and when to step in, without infringing on the authority of the project leaders.

That being said, I am super-proud of Tiam and Hanh’s development as leaders. Both are amazing and mature individuals, and I’m excited for what the future holds for them. I especially enjoyed their incorporation of classic SEALNet touches, little but meaningful details like morning exercises and taking deep breaths to acknowledge when others share their feelings and reflections. It’s been really interesting seeing how the PLs of different projects incorporate these SEALNet-esque touches; while they may be small and often lost in the shuffle of the day-to-day, I think the culture of reflection and sharing it fosters is integral in making a SEALNet project more than a standard service project.

The last night of my stay, the team presented me and Chanya with farewell cards to show their appreciation. It was an incredibly moving gesture, and it made it all the harder to say goodbye to the project and Thailand the following day. (more aside: The trek back to Chiang Mai airport was pretty cool. I got to ride a took took (a form of public transportation, think motor tricycle) from the bus station to the airport. Fun, but I’m pretty sure I got ripped off — 120 baht is a bit much for an airport ride. anyways….)

next up, Project Vietnam-Saigon and Ho Chi Minh!