home away from home
I opened my eyes, squinting, snuggled in my blanket. The room was the perfect temperature, I had slept in the perfect position: it was the perfect sleep. Outside I could hear the chatter in the kitchen of preparation for the villa party, there was a buzz of excitement in the air. It reminded me of Saturday mornings back home when I would wake up to the sound of my mother preparing lunch in the kitchen. I loved hearing that. For the first time since I’ve gotten here, I woke up and felt like I was home.
It was wonderful to have the villa party a week after break because it gave us all an opportunity to bond after the first week of this half term, getting back on track as a community and just being able to put academics aside for an evening and enjoy the time we had together. From dance battles to doing the Macarena to simply being able to speak to teachers out of school context, these are moments I will forever cherish. It was also a source to fuel heated discussions, but with discussions comes change, and that’s what happened.
It also fuelled the passion to effect change, coming up with action plans and writing down steps forward all while the party was going on. Others may call this boring and party-pooping, I call it UWC spirit. I guess it’s all about finding a balance, learning how to work hard and play hard. I also think it’s about finding your passion, what fuels you, and turning that into your work. Because then you’re not so conscious about working hard, it’s like playing hard for you. But that’s just my two cents.
On a side note, Karine and I rearranged our room with Magnea's help and it feels s o m u c h b e t t e r. I'm not sure what it is about it, but I feel more comfortable studying in my room, I've put up some pictures - it just generally feels more homely.
We also celebrated Loy Krathong this week. Loy Krathong is a festival of lights, water and emotion. It is celebrated throughout Thailand. The name is translated into floating baskets, and comes from the tradition of making Krathong, decorated baskets, which are then floated on a river. During the last two periods of the day, we were graced by performances from students across secondary, as well as given the chance to make our own Krathongs to later float at the front of school. I loved this as it was one of the many opportunities I had to learn about Thai culture and understand the symbolism of their celebrations. Pack also let me borrow her sarong, so I got to look cultured. I've also gotten great, healthy amounts of sleep this week!! Overall, it's been a great week.
