Engaging in dialogue

Lately I've been thinking about dialogue. I'm sure I wrote about this somewhere on my numerous blogs from my past. Xanga, Blogspot, Tumblr, and misc hidden blogs somewhere in the black hole that is the internet. I probably wrote about how former friendships have failed due to neglect in rational communication, or ranted about how I need to learn how to think before I speak. Something like that. It's funny that I mentioned me having numerous blogs because it represents the way I've been functioning for as long as I can remember: constantly changing and finding ways to strengthen my ability to express myself. I'm seeing that with me being here, I've been able to engage more in dialogue with people, even if there is a language barrier. It's also been a great way for me to understand a person's philosophy and view on life or just their general perspective of politics/religion/cultures/etc.

Tonight, Lara, Ming and I were invited to have dinner with one of our adult students from our advanced class. He was nice enough to drive us to dinner. I forgot what it felt like to be in an actual car. We've been piggy-backing on Ming to take us around on her motorcycle whenever we get the chance to go out. It's actually pretty cute if you asked me, 3 girlies on a bike, somewhat spooned together, holding onto each other to assure ourselves safety. I'll post a picture of us sometime when I get the chance to have someone take one of us. Anyway, we headed to a local buffet along the river and got more acquainted by asking familiar introductory questions. How long will you be in Nong Khai? How old are you? What did you do before you left to Thailand? Have you been here before? Where are you from? Those ones. Of course, being in a different atmosphere, aside from a classroom is a tad bit different; this allowed him to ask uninhibited questions comfortably with the luxury of having Ming translate if he felt he was not communicating things clear enough to us. It was genuine and really thoughtful to have him ask us to join him and hear him put to use the English that he's learned, we kind of joked that we was hitting on Lara because a lot of the questions were directed towards her, leaving Ming and I giggling at this new found intrigue.

But what really struck me was just having these conversations with people, not just him, but everyone that I've come in contact with throughout my experience here so far. It seems that although we do not speak the same tongue, we've managed to communicate our ideas and feelings about things. Some more eloquently versed than others, some passionate in physical gesture, and some with a subtle, combination of fragments of English sentences and body language all have the ability to express themselves some way or another. Or even those who do speak English expressing that they are just exhausted from their established lives in a country not of their origin. Dave, a British, public school teacher and new father, has visited us a few times here at Isara to speak with Kirk and Ming about the oppressing rate of literacy in Thailand. He's lived in Thailand for 12 years and found himself devoting his life to teach English and increase literacy. I can feel his frustration because teaching is definitely not easy (and English to second language learners for that matter). Although I am not educated in linguistics or the formal English language, I do understand that the perception of learning a combination of 26 letters on a board, or paper, or sign, is nothing until the structure and context is completely understood. Rote memorization has been positive in some ways for his students, but in hindsight, it's deepening the (mis)education of the language for students. Everything is so formulaic when learning English, structured in an ad-lib type of teaching style and rehearsed in the same verses and tones, "Good morning/afternoon/evening TEEEEEEEacher". He's expressed that he's constantly re-teaching new students transferred into his class the fundamentals of English because their previous teachers failed to teach sufficient English and have continued to pass students who are clearly behind. He spoke of unhealed bruises from a head official when this exploitation worsened, leading him to make the decision to resign at the end of the year due to the excessive work and hefty expenses accumulating to 15% of his salary on travel alone to this school.

Lara and I were also talking today about how and why everyone has this unyielding and perpetual desire to learn English in other countries and if this is a subliminal and naive act of imperialism in response on our part by teaching English. And yes, in rebuttal, we may say that the motivation might be to earn more money and reap consistent monetary rewards, but this language has such a complex structure. I can't stomach having to repeatedly defend that "it just sounds that way" or "that's just how English is" with no valid reasoning for these endless exceptions and complexities. This took me back to a conversation that I had with a friend who jokingly said that, 'great, you're spreading American imperialism and quieting their native tongues', but I didn't see this venture to Thailand in those lenses. I wanted to help. Help with education. Help with less fortunate communities. Help a cause greater than myself. If this involves these misconceptions by others, then so be it. I genuinely believe that by communicating and helping creating a dialogue with people here is significantly helping me as well as my new friends increase their conversational skills. It's the baby steps for now.

So, yes to communication and expression! =]