phayakkhaphum phisai, thailand

 

 

 

We love every visit to Samuel's House at Phayakkhaphum Phisai even though the 6-7 hours bus trip can be torturous. We were able to visit SH 4 times this year and spent a substantial amount of time with them. Our longest stay was 3.5 weeks when the weather was unbearably HOT! The heat just sapped your energy away and it was almost impossible to do anything. Our time at SH has given us insights into how the place run and the social/cultural factors we need to take into consideration when we make decisions. We were also very happy to have visitors from Korea (Elly and Heeseon) and from Australia (Lung and Rachel), and to have the opportunity to share our passion with them. Phayak is a little country town and there is not a lot you can do around there. There are just rice fields after rice fields.

What we love

LL: My kids! They are such lovely and well mannered kids. Can't ask for any more.

AT: Believe or not - Koh's cooking!!! He is a great cook and even though the food is simple, it was delicious!!!

What we dislike

LL: The extremely hot weather in some months.

AT: The heat!!! The heat!!! The heat!!! The heat was unbearable during May/June!!! It was much much better in Nov (Thailand's "winter")!!!

What we miss

LL: My kids! I miss them so much...

AT: All our kids!!! They are a great bunch and I missed them as soon as we said our goodbyes!!!

What we don't miss

LL: The insects especially mosquitoes. They are vicious!

AT: The 6 hour bus ride...Thai shows/music all the way from Bangkok...

What we have accomplished

LL: I really appreciate the time we had to spend with the kids as well as with Nehamee, Hannah and Koh. Also, I can give myself a pat on the back for picking up thai! Thai is not a difficult language to learn but it's tonal and has 5 tones. I am glad that I was able to communicate with the children with the little thai I know. The relationships and understanding we have built with the adults have also help all of us to move ahead with a common goal.

AT: I believe that our relationship with the children and carers have progressed to another level. This will enable us to work together more efficiently to assist the community at large.

What we learnt

So many things...where to start? The core of it is the importance of building relationships with people.