CIEE Khon Kaen Newsletter--2013--SP--No. 5

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Isaan Insider A Quarterly Newsletter Issue No. 2 May 2013

Community Public Health Course...2Day in the Life of a PH Student...2

15 Things about Studying PH...3Relationship Building...4

Comparative Study Trip: Vietnam...4

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PH Khon Kaen: The Real Deal

Community Public Health CourseBy Stephanie Pan, American University

Yay! We’re done with our first course and now onto our second course. How is it that so much time has already passed? In our second course, Community Public Health, we continue lectures at the Faculty of Public Health. This time, however, our main focus is to use and practice research tools in three different communities: Theparak 4 (a slum community), Thahin Village (a rural community), and a construction site. For our first community visit and homestay, we practiced qualitative tools. Ajaan Kessarawan, who organized one of the best presentations, taught the various qualitative tools, such as geo-social mapping, community calendar, focus group interviews, and local history. She is from the Faculty of Nursing and she had us perform these mini-examples during class.

During our two nights homestay at Theparak 4, which is located 20 meters from the Khon Kaen railroad tracks, we were split into two groups. Each group had two qualitative tools to use. Our mission was to learn through the Head Villager, Board members, Village Health Volunteers, and villagers. Additionally, one of our objectives is to find out what type of possible research we could do our third course, the Public health Field Practicum. Homestays are always a treat for us—new food to try because we would not know how to order it in Thai, getting away from technology, and spending time with our host families. When you have limited time, rely on a translator, and throw in community conflicts (kept on the down low and hushed hushed)—you’ll realize just how difficult qualitative research can be.

Our next community is where we practice our quantitative analysis. Ajaan Bandit from the D e p a r t m e n t o f B i o s t a t i s t i c s a n d Demographic was also a lecturer and we all wish he could have given us more presentations. Our goal this time was to pass

out a questionnaire to a sample of community members at Thahin Village. Similar to our first homestay, we stayed two nights and tried to determine what the largest health issues are so we can develop a possible research topics for later. It can be exhausting especially since the weather was ron maak maak (really hot in Thai) - it helps that our host family let us have a little siesta. Like with our last research, we relied a lot on the head village health volunteer to take us around the community. Even without analyzing our data, we already noticed some trends within the village—such as diabetes and hypertension as major health issues. This visit back to our host family, with the chance to meet a variety of community members, and a visit to the temple (to feed the fish) was such a reward. Since we were also at Thahin earlier in the semester, they already had pictures of us framed in their house and in their photo albums.

We’ll be working on in-depth interviews and focus group interviews at our next site visit at a labor camp. More adventures to come before we close out the course then it is onto our last and final course in [email protected]

Day in the Life of a Public Health StudentBy Dayna Hiyakumoto, American University

We wake up at about 7:30am. Lila wakes up around 6 so she can go on a morning run before it gets too hot. Personally, I don't end up getting out of bed until 8, always showing up just a little late when the six of us meet up at 8:15. Together we walk from our apartment to an outdoor cafeteria for breakfast. Sometimes we'll peruse the vendors pre-cooked dishes for the day, maybe get a cafe yen, mai wan (Thai for unsweetened iced coffee), but most times we'll all go to the 7-11 at the corner. My typical morning meal consists of a water bottle, a fruit and vegetable juice box, a duo chicken pizza mini toast, and a yogurt.

From there we take a shuttle bus, which by trial and error we have discovered leaves at 8:45. Just in time, we enter room 1306 and spread the contents of our bags on the desks. While Tanya and Jill take out their 12 color pens, I turn on the air conditioner as Brett plugs in her computer. Our ajaan gets off the phone as he enters the classroom and lecture begins. Almost everyday from 9am to 12 pm, we've learned about a variety of public health topics such as epidemiology, traditional medicine, research tools, and community ethics. We've studied with ajaans not only from the Faculty of Public Health, but also from Faculties of Nursing and Pharmacy, all who have been impressed to see six American students wai them as they end the day's lesson.

After lecture, the six of us eat lunch together. Sometimes we'll go to the complex, three of us picking from the vegetarian food stands as the other order soup with pork and glass noodles. Other times we'll eat at U-Center, getting pad thai from the smiley man at OK or a kiwi italian soda from Master Coffee. If there's still time, we'll hide in the coolness of our air conditioned apartments before it’s time for Thai class. I'll walk downstairs to make sure Steph has woken up from her

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lunchtime cat nap.

At 1pm, we take our shoes off and leave them in at the door of the Public Health classroom. Ajaan Jeab is already waiting at the front of the room, with a slight smirk, as she announces the fun activity to start off class. In groups of three, we play against each other in a game of “Telephone,” quickly whispering “there are three people in my family” in Thai. When we aren't in the middle of a lesson, Thai class is filled with laughter. We giggle at ourselves when we can't get our tongues to pronounce that “ng” sound. We learn grammar by writing joke sentences about having a nuuad (moustache).

As 4pm brings the end of school, we take the afternoon to relax or explore. Sometimes we'll go to the gym when it’s non-member hours and watch Thai television from the treadmill. The best part about that is heading to the pool afterwards. It's usually crowded, filled with elementary students splashing around at their swim lesson or boys diving into the somewhat off-colored chlorine. But luckily the pool is large enough to accommodate us all as we take a dip in our sports bras and cool our sweaty skin.

At night, we go to the night market to have dinner. The market is filled with university students and I take in the sounds of their conversations around me. There's an aroma in the air, a mixture som tam (papaya salad) being crushed, a fresh mango being sliced, and soup simmering over a gas stove. Before arriving, I already know what I want to eat. Melissa has gotten me addicted to having having rainbow noodles with crab seasoned with chili, peanuts, and lime, with fresh squeezed orange juice on the side. To walk off our full bellies, we'll peruse the shops filled with iPhone cases with cute characters and chiffon tank tops that are a bit too small.

Finally, we head to the CIEE office and do homework. Whether it be a research paper or a group presentation, the six of us will work together. However, working together actually

means playing music, scrolling through Facebook pictures, or simply talking about our lives. Most evenings, I'll look out the glass doors and see Jen petting a kitten just before she leaves the office. Later times at night, the security guard will bring his puppy, who sleeps next to our feet on the white tile floor. The day finally ends; the PH room is locked, we walk down the street to our apartments, and crawl into our bed.

This is a typical day, although the in-betweens consist of much more than kanom (snacks), coffee, and fanning ourselves from the heat. It’s filled with conversations with my roommate, Kwan, about how lazy we are or dinners with my peer tutor Bim at Peacetime Cafe. It’s filled with acts of local Thai bands over beers at Bang Bar and tuk tuk rides into downtown Khon Kaen. Whether it be visiting cleft lipped babies at Srinagarind Hospital or dancing in the rare rain of dry season, my days in Thailand are far from ordinary. For me, it's these daily details that make my experience so special. It's these bits and pieces that I'll love to remember. Call it cliché, but I believe it: its the little things that make life worth living. [email protected]

15 Funky Things You Should Know About Studying Public Health in Khon KaenBy Lila Singer-Berk, Occidental College

Today I was running by the small lake located near our apartment. I run routinely to keep off all the sticky rice I have been eating and to give myself space to reflect on my time here. Today while running, I thought about some of

the real funky and surprising elements of Thailand that I come across in my daily life. You won’t find these on the internet! Here are the 15 funky things you should know about studying public health in Khon Kaen Thailand!

In your daily life you will see...1. Cayoot stuffed animals! Also, the largest teddy bears.2. A 7/11 on every corner.3. People wearing jackets when it is 100 degrees outside. 4. Clothes that are 1 size fits most...in almost every store.5. Whitening deodorant. In fact, ya ain’t gonna have no other option

As a public health student, you will be sure to notice...1. Hospitals where patients pose for you to take their picture2. Cigarette packs with some gruesome pictures of lungs3. Traditional medicine - even at the counter of 7/114. A lack of toilet paper and sometimes soap5. A bug on your pad thai. Or in it.

Homestays are the best! But you may be surprised to learn that...1. Bucket showers will be your best friend2. Host mothers will force food down your throat (in the best way possible)3. Baby powder is quite common. It really cools you down!4. Your legs will get quite soar from either sleeping on the floor or squatting in the bathroom5. When you are told food is a little spicy, it really means WAY TOO [email protected]

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Relationship BuildingBy Jill Alvarez, University of South Carolina

On April 07, 2013, we spent a free day with thirty other Public Health Thai students who are studying at Khon Kaen University. The opportunity was presented in an effort to create a space for a relationship to grow between the American and Thai students studying the same major.

My day started with an abrupt 6 a.m alarm. We got picked up by 6:30 a.m. We were given bright red shirts so we could all match as we participate in volunteer work. After receiving our shirts we made our way to Wat Pho to make merit. This is a tradition in the Thai culture, where gifts are given to monks as a sign of respect. Following merit we all gathered cleaning supplies and did various chores around the wat, which consisted of sweeping, washing the floor, and cleaning the outside grounds around the temple. Before lunch, Ajaan Chaweeluka Phakdeejaroenwat, a professional Thai masseuse, gave us an “Introduction of Thai Massage.” Let me just tell you that Thai massages are far more painful than any American massage I’ve encountered. You’ll have to experience it to understand. Be prepared to get your legs twisted in ways you did not know were possible and joints cracked you did not know existed. After the ‘relaxing’ massage session, lunch was served, and then we traveled to Amphoe (district) Chonnaboth, a Silk Village. Silk villages are a source of income for many families/communites in Isaan. We were lucky to witness the strenuous steps taken in preparation of making detailed silk fabrics. Little did most of us know, women spend hours in efforts to create scarves, ties, purses,

and clothing. It takes about a full day for the women in the village to complete only one silk scarf. The beauty and detail behind the process of silk making was extremely impressive and eye opening.

The entire day consisted of various Thai cultural activities, which was a refreshing break from school projects, lectures, and presentations. No school was involved and, although the day started much earlier than normal, it was worth the experiences a typical American would never encounter. They were eager to take us to places we had not visited, share their stories, ask us many questions, and truly get to know us on a personal level. Everyone was beyond generous, which made the day so special and we all look forward to our remaining month we have left here in Thailand. This day spent with the Thai students reminded me of why I am here. I want to take full advantage of every experience available and absorb the true local culture of Thailand. Due to our successful day, we are lucky to have a few more planned activities in place with our Thai friends before we head home. [email protected]

Comparative Study Trip: VietnamBy Melissa Nop, Colby-Sawyer College

As a comparative study, CIEE’S Public Health program travelled to Vietnam to learn about their healthcare system. This trip marked about the halfway point of our time studying in Thailand. That is a thought that stayed with me as I was preparing for the trip

and spending a lot of time reflecting on my time in Thailand. One of the requirements for our Vietnam trip was to present about the Thai healthcare system to the Faculty of Public Health at Thai Nguyen University (the university in which we studied through during our time in Vietnam). This presentation really was a benchmark in everything that we had learned throughout the past weeks while attending lectures, staying in communities, and visiting countless hospitals and health centers. This accumulation of knowledge that my peers and I shared and entered into our presentation demonstrated that during our time here, we have learned a great deal.

Traveling to Vietnam gave me a sense of all that I had learned in Thailand up until that point and also was a culture shock in itself. I had just become adjusted and familiar with a Thai lifestyle and then I was suddenly experiencing another culture for such a brief amount of time. From the time of arrival, we noticed the differences in the two cultures. First, after stepping off the plane, although a cooler temperature, I was hit with immediate humidity. In the van ride over to Thai Nguyen, I noticed differences in scenery. I admired the greenery of rice field after rice field and in the distance; I could see rice farmers wearing rice-hats while diligently at work. The houses were much different than Thai-style homes. They were much taller, and tended to be painted brightly, with roofs and embellishments that resembled Chinese architecture. Not only were the appearances different, but the tonal language we have all been working hard to articulate and understand was of no use to us in this new place. Soon after making these observations, we arrived at our hotel.

The few next days were occupied with a lecture by the Public Health Department at Thai Nguyen University, visits to several hospitals, making friends with Vietnamese medical students, and maneuvering ourselves a round a new env i ronment . My interpretation of the hospital facilities in Vietnam was varied. The facilities either seemed empty, causing me to wonder where the patients were, or were extremely overcrowded. We learned that the Vietnamese health care system differed from Thailand’s especially in terms of health care coverage.

Throughout the week, there were a few instances where our group was bombarded with the opportunity to engage in what we soon learned is a Vietnamese tradition of drinking rice whiskey during meal periods. I never believed that I would be drinking with Vietnamese doctors and professors. While it was really crazy to us that we were taking

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shots with doctors and teachers, it was a tradition where one person would invite another to drink with them, and then afterwards shake each other’s hands and wish each other good health.

Other highlights included tasting Vietnamese coffee for the first time, eating delicious Vietnamese sandwiches, trying one of my favorite Vietnamese meals, Pho, and taking a cruise along Ha Long Bay. The trip was full of new experiences. I particularly value the experience because I gained a deeper understanding of public health and cultural differences. It was also a ton of fun! Pho in the U.S. will never taste the [email protected]

Glossary:

Ajaan: Thai word for teacher

Ron maak maak: Thai phrase for “really hot”

Cafe yen mai wan: Thai phrase for “unsweetened iced coffee”

Wai: Thai hello

Nuuad: Thai word for moustache

Som tam: Thai for papaya salad

Kanom: Thai word for snacks

Tuk tuk: one type of Thai method of transportation

Wat: Thai word for temple

Amphoe: Thai word for district