Ratchaphruek trees

Ratchaphruek trees (pronounced rart-cha-pru-ek), scientific name Cassia fistula, are deciduous trees found all throughout Southeast Asia. It's common name is the Golden Shower Tree due to its characteristic bright yellow flowers. It is also supposed to have medical properties including uses as a laxative and a remedy for aching bones and heart problems. My mother recalled fondly that when she was a child, the sight of blooming ratchaphruek trees would lift her spirits greatly, because it heralded the end of the school year and the beginning of the hot summer season. The tree is called Ngu wa in Burma.

The reason I chose this tree as part of my title is because the ratchaphruek is the national flower and a symbol of Thailand, a place where I will call home for the next year. Since the color of the flower is yellow, it is also associated with the king of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, also known as Rama IX.

Cassia fistula (Photo from Wikipedia)

Games galore

I just ordered a few portable games from Amazon to bring with me to Thailand (UNO, Bananagrams, and Settlers of Catan). I thought they'd be fun to play to pass the time with my fellow Fulbrighters and especially with my students. I don't know if Thai kids like board games and such, but I think it'll be worth introducing them.

Another set of good news is that I have established contact with all my fellow Fulbright ETAs, and we have a nice thread going on in Gmail. Some of us who have the same flight have even opted to sit together. I really hope and pray that we'll all get along well and be of one mind and heart.

I also recently read an article concerning Thai youth in the NY Times. It gave me something to think about concerning my future students. The article essentially talked about connections between the bouts of instability in Thailand and how those events may have created situations in which Thai students are tempted to get into trouble. Supposedly, a problematic connection is that frequent changes in government cause frequent changes in education policies and also declining educational standards. The article cited examples in the Northeast where violence among youth have become increasingly common. Though this could be indirectly connected to the political changes, another culprit could be the financial struggles that the Northeast has been facing for many years.

I am not sure if my future students in Sawankhalok are also going through similar struggles. Two of my fellow Fubrighters have commented that they have seen similar problems among the students they have taught in the US. It could very well be a worldwide occurrence, so I don't agree completely with the article that the political upheavals alone are causing trouble among the youth. Perhaps the economic downtown all around the world is causing direct and indirect effects on children. I hope that as a teacher, I don't only equip my students with greater fluency in English, but that I'm able to plant seeds in their lives that will help them grow up to be successful and happy. I'm not sure what kind of seed that is, and it'll be a challenge with the language barrier. As important that English is in giving the students more flexibility in shaping their futures and communicating globally, I hope that I can give them other gifts to help them.