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Page 4 Local Town Pages www.hopedaletownnews.com <strong>October</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />
Local Celebrity In Thailand<br />
By Cassidy Rodrigues<br />
It’s been almost one month<br />
since my last post! I can’t even<br />
remember all that has happened<br />
since then, because it’s been adventure<br />
after adventure each day!<br />
As I’m settling in, I’ve realised<br />
firsthand just how generous and<br />
kind Thai people are. Everyone<br />
here genuinely has my best interests<br />
in mind, and wants to show<br />
me exhilarating and entertaining<br />
parts of living in Thailand.<br />
One thing I’ve done that I<br />
never thought I would have is<br />
whitewater rafting. The people<br />
that know me well are very aware<br />
that in the past, I used to be terrified<br />
of anything that’s slightly<br />
dangerous. However, since I’ve<br />
moved to the other side of the<br />
world by myself at seventeen, I<br />
feel like there isn’t too much else<br />
I can be afraid of. I feel ready<br />
to take on the world. So I took<br />
a chance and went whitewater<br />
rafting. And it was one of the<br />
most fun experiences I’ve had in<br />
Thailand so far! I can’t wait to do<br />
it again!<br />
Of course, every exchange<br />
student will experience a low<br />
at some point. Mine personally<br />
came in the form of food poisoning.<br />
This past week I was hospitalised<br />
after becoming very sick,<br />
and was told I had some pretty<br />
bad dehydration. Staying in a<br />
hospital was not the most fun<br />
thing in the world, but I stayed<br />
positive. I also had the support<br />
of my friends and host family<br />
(my mom even snuck me in a<br />
bunch of regular food, since hospital<br />
food is terrible. Just another<br />
reason why I love her!) Luckily I<br />
am out of the hospital now and<br />
feeling much better.<br />
One thing I was not expecting<br />
was the way Thai people would<br />
act around me! I get a lot of<br />
stares, mostly because I have pale<br />
skin, a non-Asian face, and am<br />
taller than almost everyone (even<br />
though I’m only 5 foot 4 inches).<br />
But I also get a lot of lovely comments<br />
from people! Sometimes<br />
I’ll be walking down the street,<br />
and I’ll hear “Beautiful!” and “I<br />
love you!” Thai people really do<br />
love Americans, which is funny<br />
to me because, no matter how<br />
different you look, Americans<br />
will never shout compliments<br />
at you on the street. I truly feel<br />
like a local celebrity here because<br />
everyone is so interested in me<br />
and wants to know my name,<br />
where I’m from, and take a picture<br />
with me – you have no idea<br />
how many selfies I’ve taken with<br />
people I don’t even know. And<br />
even though sometimes I do wish<br />
I could just blend in like a regular<br />
Thai teenager, I will admit that<br />
I enjoy the attention. Honestly,<br />
it’s a real confidence boost and it<br />
makes me feel appreciated, even<br />
if it’s for something as trivial<br />
as the shape of my face or my<br />
American accent. I’ve learned<br />
that, when you’re a foreigner,<br />
you have to be okay with being<br />
different. You’re never going to<br />
‘fit in’ and you likely will have a<br />
much different experience than<br />
someone who is a native. Part of<br />
the journey is embracing what’s<br />
different about you, and being<br />
open to the questions, stares, and<br />
comments that come with it. I’m<br />
not a Thai girl; I’m an American<br />
girl. Even though I’m diving<br />
deep into the culture of this new<br />
country, I have to keep in mind<br />
I’m still learning. There’s much<br />
more to come and I can’t wait for<br />
the rest of this year’s adventures.<br />
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