How I Present my Country and Culture in Thailand

Even though I am a German volunteer in Thailand and primarily learn about Thai culture and the Thai way of life in my everyday experiences, I also represent my home country. Therefore, I want Thai people to learn about Germany and German culture as well. There are different ways in which I present German culture and exchange ideas about the differences between our two countries and their people.

At Anuban Pong School, we have a weekly cooking club where we usually prepare Thai dishes together with the students. It is always a lot of fun and extremely interesting because we get to experience Thai cuisine firsthand. In return, we have also introduced some European dishes and cooked them together with the students. This was a great experience because it gave them insight into our cuisine as well. Especially for younger students, exchanging recipes and cooking together is a simple and enjoyable way to learn more about our different cultures and homecountries.

We also often talk with our teachers about traditions and festivals and inform them about the celebrations that are taking place in Germany. They give us an insight into traditional Thai celebrations such as Loy Krathong, while we share information about Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas, as well as German celebrations such as Carnival. Since our two countries are influenced by completely different religions—Buddhism in Thailand and Christianity in Germany—there are many differences in traditions and festivals. It is fascinating for all of us to learn more about these cultural distinctions.

In class, we teach the students about the background and traditions of Christmas and Easter and explain how these holidays are celebrated in Germany. This allows them to better understand our cultural and religious customs.

When we have dinner with our teachers, we often share stories about our favorite foods from our homecountries and talk about the differences. For example, we explain the German tradition of „Abendbrot“, which usually consists of bread, cold cuts, cheese, and other simple foods. This is quite different from the warm Thai dishes typically eaten for dinner. We also talk about our favorite childhood meals and snacks.

Moreover, we teach our fellow teachers and students some German words and expressions. We often laugh together about how difficult our languages can be for each other, which makes the cultural exchange even more enjoyable.