A Very Warm Welcome to Hadsamran

Today we made it out of Bangkok with only a slight hitch. Note for future reference: Nok Air requires you show the same credit card you used to purchase your ticket, even though this helpful tidbit is not mentioned anywhere in the confirmation letter or in the terms and conditions. Several of us had to purchase new tickets with a promise the old ones would be refunded.

Our frustrations with Thailand’s only airline to Trang went away soon after we landed. We had a very special surprise in the baggage claim area, where we learned a former Prime Minister of Thailand was on our flight. He graciously posed for photos with our group and welcomed us to Thailand. This is the equivalent of running into a former President of the United States like Bill Clinton in an airport.

As we left the baggage claim area, we were greeted by a few teachers and students from Hadsamramwittyakom High School, our partner school. The group was presented with a bouquet of flowers and each of us were given a cute Trang pin with sea animals.

A 45 minute van ride brought us to the high school, where we did indeed receive a very warm welcome. As soon as we exited the vans, we were greeted by a long line of students in the traditional Thai greeting (the Wai, with palms joined together). Each of us was presented in the line with a decorated coconut ready to drink.

In addition to a delicious lunch, we were greeted with performances from the school’s traditional music ensembles and dance troupes, plus welcoming remarks from the principal and other dignitaries. Dr. Perrotta and Dr. Wright also made a few welcoming comments and thanked all the teachers, staff, and host families. Yuwadee and Thamonwan were treated as special guests of honor coming home after being “Americans for one month.” They shared with the colleagues and students a few of their adventures in Texas. It was touching to see them reunited with their families and colleagues.

One dance was particularly meaningful. It combined a group of students dancing in the traditional Monora style of the south, with intricate costumes depicting birds, and a group of students dancing in a more modern style of the Northern regions. After performing in separate segments, the two groups danced together at the end. This represents the celebration of the coming together of strangers from different lands – a perfect metaphor for the significance of today’s event.

In the midst of the all the ceremonies, Dr. Perrotta was happily surprised when the musicians started playing Happy Birthday and everyone sang along, and then was presented with a large birthday cake and card signed by all of our students. It was her 59th birthday (plus her 20th anniversary the day before).

At the conclusion of the ceremony, each student was introduced, and then introduced to their host family. You could see the joy and excitement of the host families as they met our students. It was clear they had been waiting for this moment for quite some time.
As our students left with their host families, you could see a combination of excitement and trepidation on their faces. No doubt tomorrow as the group comes together for a tour of Trang city, they will have many stories to share of their experiences their first night with their host families. We are no longer tourists. The real cultural and language engagement in Thailand begins.