Katie Linder, '05
English Major

Today was a full day, like most of the other days that we have had, but it seemed to move a little slower than all the bus traveling, temple visiting and market shopping that we have become accustomed to.

We spent the morning at Payap University hearing a lecture on Thai Buddhism, Thai Christianity and Thai Islam. We ate lunch with some Thai students and I sampled the wonderful vegetarian cuisine in the food court. The afternoon slowed down the day even more as we met with some monks and novices to have an open question-and-answer session.

One of the things that I have been looking forward to on this trip is learning about Buddhist meditation and how it can be incorporated into my own faith practice. The older monk that spoke to us was an extremely wise man who patiently explained the importance of meditation for the Buddhist lifestyle as well as for inner peace and tranquility. His words got me thinking about the outer and inner peace and comfort that I have found on this trip, as well as what I have found to be challenging and enlightening.

Outwardly, I have found our group working well together. As fellow travelers, we support each other in sickness, culture shock and intellectual growth. Getting an economic, social and feminist perspective on all situations is better than looking at it from one side only, but this can be challenging as well. Many of the students on this trip, including myself, have been faced with new issues and ideas to think about in relation to religion (Buddhism and Christianity), the sex industry (and women's place in society both in Thailand and the United States) and capitalism (which no one can seem to escape no matter what country you reside in).

For me, all of this new information creates an inner imbalance as I try to figure out how to fit the uncomfortable things that I am learning into a life that I was pretty comfortable with. This imbalance is also reflected outwardly as I, along with the other students, process these new ideas and dialogue about what we are experiencing individually and as a group. I have no doubt that I will want to continue these conversations when I come back home to the United States and back to spring semester at Whitworth, gaining the perspective of both my family and those close to me.

We ended the day by splitting up as some of us stayed at Payap University while others spent the afternoon planning our weekend excursions that will take place from Jan. 16-18. I think we are all looking forward to starting our service learning projects tomorrow with local schools, local businesses, the disabled and women who are trying to get out of prostitution. Having passed through our time in Bangkok and getting settled into Chiang Mai, it seems that we are all ready for the next adventure.

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