Where's the Coffee

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Jan 9th

TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES. Something that I haven’t mentioned yet in one of my posts is the importance of removing your shoes before entering a house, certain restaurants, and most indoor rooms. In Thailand, the head is considered sacred and the feet are looked at as unclean. Removing your shoes is a sign of respect. So if you plan on booking a trip to Thailand anytime soon, I suggest packing shoes without laces, or ones that slip on easily.

Another tip: pack granola bars. I love rice, but rice and chicken for breakfast for the fifth day in a row can get old. I wasn’t feeling it this morning, so I opted for a granola bar and some applesauce that I packed in my suitcase.

After breakfast, we went to the classroom to learn about the 7 tools in assessing communities. The tools were foot-mapping, community history, community organization, community calendar, local health system, mini biography, and family genogram. We are going to use these tools to look at the question, “What is the top method of care community members seek, and what resources are available in meeting their needs?” As we venture to Chiang Rai tomorrow, we will use this focus to understand how resources, demographics, and other factors influence health in the community setting. I am also excited to talk to younger members about their experiences while caring for their parents. In Thailand, younger family members are expected to care for their mother and father when they grow old, unlike the common tendency in the US to ship them off to a nursing home. I am anxious to find out if they look at this responsibility as a burden (like those in America would), or if it is just the “norm” here in Thailand.

After our lesson, we had free time the rest of the day. We managed to find a coffee shop right down the road from campus that was completely covered with greenery. From succulents, hanging baskets, grasses, and even cacti, this adorable coffee shop was definitely like no other I’ve seen before. Several of the girls on the trip have been craving coffee, but I opted for an iced Thai tea with milk. It was so tasty and refreshing! When we got back to campus, I washed my dirty clothes by hand in the sink and packed for our 3-day excursion to Chiang Rai before heading outside to enjoy the nice weather and read a little bit. While I was out there, I reflected on my time so far here in Thailand. I still can’t believe I’ve been given the opportunity to take a once in a lifetime trip like this with some of the best girls around. I will never forget some of the things we have seen and experiences so far on this trip, and I am so excited for the next 15 days. It has also been so cool to integrate my passion for nursing into this trip, and to have the opportunity to see what healthcare looks like in a different country. I’m excited to learn more about nursing care in Thailand as we head into the community and the hospitals in the upcoming days.

Next stop, Chiang Rai!

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