Gratitude and Dedication

This rich experience of mine won’t be possible without the help of the following people:

To Teacher Phet, thank you for your kindness. You accepted and welcomed us here with open arms. You treated us as your own children. You helped us in the best way you can. We really appreciate your efforts and everything about you, especially your cute laugh, which we love to hear. Salamat, sir!

To Teacher BK, one of my mothers in Udonpittayanukoon School. Thank you for treating me and calling me your son. Every time you introduce me to someone, you always say, “This is my son,” and it melts my heart every time I hear it. You made me feel at home. And I appreciate you for that.

To Teacher Wan, my cooperating teacher who took care of me since my first day at Udonpittayanukoon School, thank you for being kind to me. Please know that I admire you so much, especially how you build your authority inside your classroom. Thank you for the tips and suggestions you gave me. I really appreciate it big time.

To the teachers in the General Program: Teacher Mel, Teacher Janet, Teacher Jaypee, Teacher Kim, Teacher Lucky, Teacher Fern, Teacher Uy, Teahcer Bill, and Teacher Wira. Thank you for always checking up on me. The office was really a home away from home. I hope that someday, I can come back to Udonpitt and work with all of you. 

To our buddies, Pang, Plub, Jigsaw, and Eve, I hope you will never forget the time I taught you how to traditionally open a tinubong, a delicacy from the Philippines, where you need to smash or break the young bamboo before tasting the sweet treat inside it. I hope you will remember that breaking it symbolizes our journey as SEA-Teacher participants. What I mean is that we first needed to break barriers to enjoy its sweetness. And I think we truly did break barriers because we are now enjoying the sweetness and richness of being part of the SEA Teacher Project. And I am beyond grateful to break that tinubong with all of you.

Lastly, I would also like to express my sincerest gratitude to Udon Thani Rajabhat University for accommodating us. Our participation was not just about academic aspirations but more of a mission to break cultural barriers and build bridges of cultural immersion. Thank you for giving us the platform to develop our teaching skills and pedagogy, to gain a broader regional and world view, and to expose ourselves to the diverse teaching and learning situations and opportunities. I hope that you continue your international collaboration with the University of Northern Philippines. 

I would like to share a quote of Confucius, which I have learned during our visit to the Thai-Chinese Cultural Center at Chao Pu-Ya Shrine. It says that, “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” I would like to interpret that this quote symbolizes that these simple and collaborative steps of ours are a big step to revitalizing teacher education in Southeast Asia. 

I will surely miss everything about Udon Thani, Thailand.

Will be forever grateful,

Pat