The Land of Smiles

Sawasdee ka from Thailand,

Time sure flys when you are having fun! But seriously where has the time gone? Tomorrow we will begin our third week here in Thailand; it feels like just yesterday we were all traveling across the globe to come to this beautiful country!

Yet at the same time, I feel as though we have been here for so long. My classmates and I have quickly adopted the Thai culture and lifestyle. Part of this is due to the kind, welcoming nature of the native Thai people. It is no wonder that Thailand is called the land of smiles!

Well these were my thoughts earlier today, but after a young Thai boy jumped out from behind a building with a scary head on a bamboo stick I have started to think otherwise.... just kidding! Though I will admit I was frightened as it was very late and I was exceptionally tired after walking through the Sunday market for hours. Even the young Thai boy was cute and apologized for scaring me!

Anyways, back to my story. Imagine you have arrived in a country far different from your own, where they speak a different language, use a different alphabet, and drive on the left side of the road. You would most likely be filled with excitement but also nerves and maybe anxiety. You do not know where you are going and you feel exceptionally out of place in a sea of people who maybe look very different than you. You feel as though you are on display, out of place, and unable to blend in with the crowd. But those fears begin to melt away with every sincere smile you receive and every song-like hello. Each interaction and broken conversation leaves you feeling warm and welcome, speaking to you just as if you were a friend. It is a feeling unlike any other.

To compare, Thailand feels like a bright and sunny day, where as the states feels like typical New England weather, ranging from cloudy with small cracks of sunlight seeping through to a gloomy grey sky filled with clouds threatening to rain at any moment. In Thailand, you walk down the street and receive warm smiles amid the calling of various vendors from the local shops and bars along the road. In the United States, you walk down the road and a majority of the time people are either looking down to avoid eye contact or staring straight ahead as if you do not exist. While this is certainly a generalized statement and not entirely true for less urbanized areas, it hold true in most cities within each state. But it doesnt have to be that way. It may be clique but true, you must be the change you wish to see in the world. It takes one person to start shifting a culture.

I challenge everyone who reads this post to think about this as you go about your daily routine and try to offer some sort of gesture to the person passing you, whether it be a nod of the head, a small smile, or a simple hello. The feeling you get from receiving and giving these gestures may seem minimal but subconsciously reposition your brain to a more positive track. I know I certainly will try to be more concious of these moments when I arrive back in the states.


Thank you for reading! Until next time,

Casey