Report from Jon McDonell

Posted by Brian F. Thompson 
 

Jon McDonell is our Rotary Exchange Student in Bangkok, Thailand.  He has sent several e-mail messages to Lorne Proctor to keep us up to date on his exchange.  Here are some of the reported adventures:

  • LANGUAGE - Jon is not only learning to read, write and speak Thai, he is studying Japanese and Chinese at school plus has a 3 hour Chinese class outside of school on Saturdays.  (Many Thai's are of Chinese heritage.)  He wrote an essay on the human body in Thai for school.  He can now speak Thai well enough to communicate, and that has helped with host family relationships.  He has prepared a speech entirely in Thai and presented it to visiting teachers.
  • HOMESICKNESS - He had a brief bout of it in early September.  He missed speaking English, and his friends, and had to spend a day with kids who spoke English just to have a break.
  • HOST FAMILY - The host parents are very busy, so he really only sees them on weekends.  He attended a large family dinner, about 20 people, at a Japanese Restaurant.  His host family sister Ama is picking up English and he can understand the jist of what she says in Thai.  Jon went on a two day trip to Pattaya with his host grandmother Orachorn.  He notes that the coast is beautiful, however trying to make conversation with 70 year olds who speak no English is difficult.
  • OTHER ACTIVITIES - Jon has joined an after school music program which meets Mondays for 3 hours after school.  At the request of his Rotary Club, he has started a Thai drum/dance class.  He, along with another Canadian Exchange student (Joe Crawford) went to Burirum Province for 10 days to teach English to elementary students.  That was followed by a 7 day trip to Chiang Mai to help construct a check dam for the villagers.  Jon plus the other Canadian student, two americans and a Brazillian exchange student went on a tour of the City by themselves.  Jon did get lost, but managed to find his way home via Skytrain and a taxi.  He is extending his visa and his return ticket so he can stay there until the end of July.
  • MESSAGE FOR BOOM:  Jon wung wah, koon chorp bprateht canada mahk mahk.