College grad finds connections teaching in a little-known part of the world.
Emma Murray, who grew up in Longmeadow and who is currently teaching kindergarten students in the English Language Program at Assumption College, a private Catholic School in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, meditates at a temple near where she lives in Ubon.
By EMMA MURRAY
Thailand offers its own special experience of Asian culture.
The typical Thai experience, while generally a memorable and beautiful one, usually consists of lounging on the beaches of Krabi, celebrating the full moon at Koh Pha Ngan’s infamous “Full Moon Party,” getting lost in Bangkok, or riding elephants in Chiang Mai.
While I am not trying to diminish these experiences, they are not always the most genuine in terms of experiencing true Thai culture; it is the glossed over version. Few visitors ever get to experience Thailand at its core, which is something I have been lucky enough to do.
I live in the Isaan Region of Thailand, spelled “Isarn,” “Isan,” “Esaan,” “Esarn,” or “Isaan”, depending on whom you ask, in a city called Ubon Ratchathani. The Ubon province is heavily influenced by both Laotian and Cambodian culture as it borders both of these countries and was once a part of the Khmer Empire.
Emma Murray and Ohm, one of her kindergarten students in the English Language Program at Assumption College, a private Catholic School in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, give the universal symbol of pleasure â a thumbs up.
With the spiciest food and friendliest people that Thailand has to offer, one would think this would be a top destination, but it is not. Most foreigners stumble upon Ubon as an after-thought on their way into Laos or Cambodia as it is the last major stop on the railway from Bangkok, and few actually stay in this underrated part of the country.
How did I discover Ubon you ask? Last summer I was working at a creperie called The Skinny Pancake in Burlington, Vt., serving up food and local beers and wondering what I was going to do with myself once the summer was finished.
One of my college professors had mentioned a connection with a school in Thailand. I decided to follow through and apply, not being quite ready to settle down at a full-time job in the states.
Thailand was never on my priority list of places to travel, which is probably why the experience has been such an eye-opening and enriching one. Knowing next-to-nothing about a culture makes for a blank slate upon which to write your own journey.
When I arrived in Ubon, I found myself immersed in a country where little was familiar. The heat was overwhelming, almost no one spoke English, and I was hard-pressed to find any beauty within this city. In short, I nearly hated the place.
Graduating kindergarten class at Assumption-Ubon, with all the students headed for primary school.
However, my saving grace in the first few weeks was Diva Yoga Studio where I was able to continue my yoga practice and meditate my way through homesickness. I met wonderful people who introduced me to their friends and families at weddings, bars and during class. It was the start of meeting new friends daily.
Thailand is known as “The Land of Smiles,” and nowhere is this more true than in Ubon Ratchathani. Because foreigners, especially young American girls, are few and far between, everyone wants to you to fall in love with the country. They are very proud of it.
I’ve learned how to make spring rolls and massaman curry; I’ve seen 3,000-year-old cliff paintings and the first rise of the sun over Thailand at Pha Taem National Park. I’ve meditated at Wat Pah Nanachat-the International Forest Temple.
While I have visited some typical tourist attractions, such as The Full Moon Party (an all-night beach party at Ko Pha Ngan), I believe my experience in Ubon is closer to the heart of being Thai that what I would experienced in Bangkok. I have been essentially forced to learn Thai, and I have developed a deep reverence for the culture and its people. I even have to stop and remind myself at times that I am indeed American, a “farang,” as they say of foreigners.
I cannot write of my experience without mentioning the real reason I am in Thailand — to use my college degree as an elementary education teacher at Assumption College in Ubon Ratchathani. The private Catholic school has campuses elsewhere in Thailand. The college was founded in Bangkok by a French missionary priest in 1885, and is for students in grades 1 through 12.
I am the lead teacher for about 100 students, ages 3 to 6 years. I teach English, math, and science to three levels of kindergarten. Most of my students do not speak much English. The few who do help translate when needed.
Assumption has about 12 teachers in the English Bilingual Program, with all (except for me) teaching grades 1 through 12.
There is little structure within the Thai school system; class time is canceled frequently and there is not much consistency in terms of lessons being linked together. Most of the teaching and curriculum planning is done on a solo-basis, unlike in the states where teachers often collaborate, at least at the elementary level. However, the laid-back atmosphere and the wonderful co-teachers make these challenges bearable.
Native English speakers are in high demand in Thailand. Thailand is a founding member of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The members are working toward being an integrated economic community by 2015. English is one of the common languages among members.
Emma Murray is the daughter of Dr. Francis Murray and Marie Murray. She has a brother, Tim. She graduated from the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton in 2008, and from the University of Vermont in May 2012 with a bachelor’s of science in elementary education with a focus in sociology and human development and family studies. She loves painting and drawing, the outdoors, yoga, and is an avid skier.