ICL-YOUR FEAR IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE

By Hanna Gifani

I came from Indonesia. I’m Indonesian people and my speaking is not fluently. So, I try to joining the program to be apprenticeship at Thailand for one month. First, I know that I will be live at Koh Yor and I don’t know about the place (I just know from “Google” that is island near lake and the sea). Second, about the job because I applied to have a field practice in here. Third, I know maybe I will get many problem in there, because I don’t know about the language, about the culture, the people and many things. And the last but importance is about the food because I like to eat.

So, this is the “answer” about all of the problem that I think before I’m going to Thailand after I live in Songkhla city for one week and then in Koh Yor for 3 weeks. 

First is about “WHERE DO YOU LIVE”. I live in Songkhla city at Suanton village near Songhkla Zoo. This village is very beautiful and clean. This village have a little lake and in here I can see that some of street is a sand not soil like in my country. Next week I live at The Institutes of Southern Thai Studies in Koh Yor. The meaning of “Koh” is island and “Yor” is name of the island. Every time that I see is the sea in front of office and lake in behind of my room. It’s so beautiful when you see the sunset everyday. 

Second is “WHAT ARE YOU DOING”. I’m internship at The Institutes of Southern Thai Studies. That is museum owned by Thaksin University. First day I work, my supervisor asks me and my friend to read the information about the museum and the detail all of the room, that totally they have 26 rooms. She invited us to go around the museum and guide the special guest (local people or foreigners). She also introduce us to others.  One day, we guided college students from Phuket Rajabhat University and we were telling them about development “Wayang Kulit” and “Gamelan” because Thailand people have the same but with the different design and shape. The other job is we must translate the information from museum brochure or web to Bahasa Indonesia to help developing the museum if Indonesian tourist visit them, on Tuesday when the museum is closed we help to maintenance the antiquities of museum before it display. Sometimes we were attending the event with local people like a inauguration of cooperation with local woven fabric craftsman and volunteer event to cleaning a road of Koh Yor with local people.

Third is about “HOW ABOUT THE PEOPLE”. This is interesting because I can’t speak Thai language. When I had orientation I know some of language like “Sa-wad-dee-ka” is meaning for hello, and then to the end of the sentence they use “ka” for woman and “krap” for man and then we use “Pi” to called the older person. “Kob-khun-ka” is meaning thank you and other words. I’m so glad when my supervisor can speak English, because I think that is more easy to conmuunicate about the job daily. All of the staffs and the president, director is very kind too, although they can’t speak English sometimes they use Google translator or just use body language. To buy the meal or I want going to somewhere, I used “Songthaew”, that is one of public transportation in here. One day that was rainy, I wanted to going to Hatyai city with my friend. I used red songthaew from Koh Yor to Songkhla city and then use green songthaew to Hatyai city. In the songthaew to the Hatyai, sometimes the driver tell a story (I don’t know) with Thai language and I just smile and nodded my head as I understood what he was saying. That is funny experience for me. The other is about culture in here. They are very love the King and Queen, and also they environment too. Every time I visited some place or tourist attraction is very clean and food vendors are organized. I’m so glad (again) brcause they are very kind and know how to make a conversation with tourist (some people can speak Malay) and they are tolerance too. 

The last is “WHAT DO YOU EAT”. Because I like to eat very much, in my country Thai tea is very famous and the price is a little expensive. So, the first time I found when I was going to the mall or canteen university is Thai Tea, especially ‘Matcha’ (like green tea). That is so delicious and cheap. For one glass you must pay 10 baht, but in Indonesia you need 48 baht for it. So, the first thing I bought to souvenirs was Thai tea in sachets. The other food I found in here the rice. In here the rice is more sticky, in Indonesia they called it “ketan”. So this is other new experience to me eat blue rice color and the chicken. Everyday I bought my dinner at 7-eleven, and I found the other new food again which doesn’t exist in Indonesia. Like the noodles, fruit drink, milk and many more. My favorite food is fried rice, in Thailand they called it “Khao-pad” and I try it. In here the fried rice have much side dish like shrimp, chicken, vegetables which is unique to me was they used lime to eat with the fried rice. This is the other new food for me (again). After a month in here I know that Thai people like food with a slightly sour and spicy taste. 

So, I think there are all of the “answer” from my question and worried before I go to Thailand. We just need to enjoy and ready to all of the condition. Thank you Thailand for all of the experience. See you in the other time.