Today, the TLC Temples left Thailand and headed up the Mekong by boat to Laos. With several hours to reflect on the trip thus far and look out at the beathtaking scenery around them, the group re asked to write about their most memorable moment of the trip so far. Such an amazing collection of thoughts and memories!
Jazi: Personally, the most memorable moment of the trip so far was going to the village in the hillside of Chiang Dao, where the Palong people live. In the village we got to experience a rich culture and give back to the village by building a house for one beautiful, friendly family. It was obvious that the village had very basic materials however their sense of community and bond between each other was something that I highly admired in the village. The Palong people migrated from Burma/Myanmar in the 1980’s due to persecution in their country. I got to witness the impacts of civil unrest and what measures people are willing to take to protect their family. I am extremely fortunate for this incredible experience and have so many memories that will follow me in my future.
Mia: Overall this trip has been amazing and it has been full of many memorable moments, but to single out one particular moment that has been the most memorable so far would be the village, getting to live and experience the every day life of these people as well as getting to know them, their cultures, history and traditions. It has been a truly amazing and memorable time. This whole trip has been nothing like I expected so far, especially the village. It has really made me realise and understand how lucky and privileged I am, living in Melbourne and being able to live my life to its full extent without having any limitations or any thing holding me back.
Dax: For me, the second day was by far the best. Starting early with a 5:40 Muay Thai boxing session, I learnt different forms of physical combat and a different and effective way to exercise your whole body. Afterwards we took a 2 hour bus ride to the middle of nowhere where we were going to do white water rafting. White water rafting was a lot more intense than I anticipated with exciting rapids around every corner, I was on the edge of my seat to the point where I couldn’t believe it was already over. Finally we went to the night market. Overall the big experience so far has been interesting and a lot more enjoyable than I expected.
Lou: Overall this trip has been amazing as well as an eye opener to the lives of people who are less privileged then we are. My most memorable moment would be from when we were in the village, and getting to build the house for the family of two girls and their mum. Through building this house I felt like the whole group came together with great leadership and teamwork. I loved seeing all the kids in the village with their big smiles and open arms to let us into their lives. I’m really excited for the rest of the trip and what Laos and Cambodia have to offer.
Greta: My most memorable moment so far on the Big Experience has been the entire experience in the village. I really enjoyed building the house for the Thai family. The building really brought our group together through teamwork and leadership. Even though the work was difficult and the facilities were simple, I found the house build as one of the most enlightening experiences in the trip so far. I also really liked the insight we gained into the village cultural life. We stayed in their houses, ate their food and really lived the Thai “simple life” for three days. Finally, the connections we formed with the children of the village really highlighted to me the fact that language is just a tiny barrier when it comes to intercultural relationships. I am extremely excited to continue this Big Experience and look forward to what is to come.
Tom: So far, the big experience has been awesome. There have been so many amazing and memorable moments, I don’t think I can pick any one moment so far as the best. From the white water rafting, to the night markets, everything so far has been something I will never forget. If I had to choose one moment, I would most likely pick the house building project we completed. On the second day, 6 of us students volunteered to do a mystery task somewhere. It turned out we would be trying to help the village in clearing the roads after the heavy rains to allow the trucks that would pick us up to come to the village the next day. It involved a lot of shovelling and labour, but that’s not what was memorable for me. I asked the girl from the village who was helping how often they would have to clear the road. She replied that it happened every time it rained heavily, which was quite often, and that it would take them hours, sometimes days to clear it. This opened up my eyes to just how remote some of these villages are, and has been my most memorable part of the trip so far.
Josh: The big experience has definitely been an eye opening experience for me. Many things have blown my mind such as the culture, food, shopping and the people. I have had such an amazing time to this point on the trip and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the second half of the big experience. The village build has left the biggest impact on me throughout the whole trip with meeting the people and the tight community that they live in. Also the emotional state of the family that we built the house for was incredibly touching and it made me feel happy and felt like I had achieved and given lots in just 2 days. This whole trip has been incredible to this point and reading what is coming up already excites me.
Sam: The big experience has exceeded my expectations to this point. There has not been a single day where I did not have a great time and learnt lots about different cultures, customs and traditions. So far, the experience which has left the strongest impact on me has been the time spent in the village. I loved getting the opportunity to immerse myself in an environment which is just so different to what I am comfortable with. The memories of this experience will last with me for a long time as I feel I have definitely grown as a person as result of it. I found it inspiring to see just how happy the villagers where despite the lack of resources. Handing the house over was another great moment as I knew in an instant that all the hard work of the build had paid off.
Hunter: For me, the whole experience has been memorable, so I’m going to talk about every moment (almost [not quite {definitely not}]). We started off with a 10 hour flight. They’re not designed for a 6’3 person. We did a Thai cooking class with really spicy food, probably too spicy for tourists. On day 2, we did Thai boxing that was fun, water rafting that was fun and night market that was fun. I really used my bargaining skills. We travelled to the village to help build a home that was rewarding for us all. We’ve been to the Opium Museum which was really good but has a horrible gift shop (Sorry Dad!). Now, we’re on the Mekong River with clothes that haven’t been washed for a while (Sorry Mum!). And now I’m doing this in a five minute period before we leave to explore Pak Beng (Sorry grandparents!). But this experience has been big and an experience. But just read Laura’s – she wrote a lot.
Tessa: For the whole of your middle school education, you continuously hear about how amazing the Big Experience is, and how it is the highlight of your St Leonard’s education. It is talked up so much to the point where it seems almost impossible for it to meet or exceed the expectations that are created surrounding it. I certainly didn’t expect it to be as incredible as it has been, and to have to pick a favourite moment is something that I don’t think I will be able to fully commit to. Everyone has already talked about the village, but it truly was a memorable experience. Although it made me feel uneasy intruding into a tightly knitted community where we weren’t particularly needed, I still benefited so incredibly much from just being able to observe and learn from the villagers. It actually made me realise that the world doesn’t revolve around me. It sounds obvious and a bit bratty, but I keep finding myself expecting everyone to be able to speak and understand English, and to be able to meet my needs and my wants. But in this foreign country, and in that isolated village, it wasn’t about me at all. They spoke their language, they continued on with their everyday lives, they did what suited them. And that was the best thing that they could’ve done for me. My perspective on life, the life that I lead and the life that others lead has changed completely, and I am so grateful I have had the opportunity for that to happen. I have learnt so much already from this trip, and everything that everyone has said leading up to the Big Experience, about how amazing and life changing it is, is completely true; and I know that I will be looking at Melbourne in a very different light.
Dan: The first week of the Big Experience has been one of the most incredible experiences, and chances that I have had. This trip has been made to seem like a definite highlight in your schooling, but now it’s actually happening it will be one of the best trips I will have in my life. To be able to go on an international trip with all of my best friends is already an absolute dream come true, let alone travelling to 3 different countries I haven’t been to, and learning and being embraced by so many diverse cultures definitely adds to the overall joy. The fact that we have another 2 countries, and many other cultures to explore is an experience that will be remembered for ever. So far we have eaten the most incredible different cuisines and food, visited incredible temples and architecture, been on a river rapid that blew year 8 camp out of the water, been in amazing hotels and seen eye opening things. We have now completed the community aspect of the big experience, and this definitely opened my eyes completely. Now I have been in a remote village that doesn’t have opportunities like in Australia, I now realise how lucky we are. In this village, the Thailand government let them into their country. However now they cannot get licences, jobs and other things that we take for granted. The start of my Big Experience has been better than I would ever believe, and cannot wait for the next 2 weeks.
Laura: To single out one particular part of the trip as being the most memorable to me, would overlook the fact that everything I have experienced has been incredible and more or less life changing. The values I have learned and cultures I have experienced has allowed me to realise that there is a lot more life inside ‘Brighton Bubble’. Seeing the faces of the children in the village filled me with a deep sadness that I have never experienced. Knowing that those children would grow up never knowing the wonders of travelling and never leave the confines of their small village, made me realise how privileged I am to have the freedom to travel and the freedom to live my dreams. It breaks my heart knowing that the children in the village can never live their lives in freedom or to live their wildest dreams. Most people have said that the village was one of their favourite moments was going to the village but personally, I disagree. For me it made me feel trapped and like an intruder. Thirty or so students and a few teachers all disrupting the villagers peace and daily activities. This was what I was feeling at times when I looked into some of the elders eyes and tried to sympathise with them. If I was a person living in the village, the thirty or so students all smiling and offering their wads of cash, it would continuously reinforce the permeating feeling of being enclosed and not being able to leave their village. In light of these slightly depressing and dark feelings, the bond I established with a few of the children made me aware of the significant positive impacts that we had on the village. To see the smiling faces of the children whenever we would play with them or smile at them, made me realise that they rarely get visitors and were happy just to have us there. We also gave the priceless gift of memories to the children in the village that haven’t known anything other than their own village. They will never forget our visit and I’m sure neither will we. I believe that simply spending time with the children and feeling the atmosphere of the village was a big wake up call for all of us, and changed our perception of how other people live around the world. So out of this paragraph it could be interpreted that my most memorable experience was the visit to the village, but I don’t want to overlook the rest of the amazing trip that is the Big Experience.
James: When reflecting on my time on the Big Experience my most memorable moment is witnessing the different types of daily lives and cultures. This trip has widened my horizons and opened my eyes to the contrast between lives. It has made me realise just how lucky I am to be born in Australia. This feeling was highlighted in the village. The way in which the families could live peacefully and happily without the many unneeded luxuries that we have back in Australia, shows that the villagers are truely grateful. This was magnified at the hand-over ceremony. Once the house had been completed, the family and the group had a ceremony where the home was given. For me the greatest thing was seeing the faces of pure joy of the family showing how grateful they truely are. This was the most memorable moment so far of this amazing trip. Miss you guys back at home.
Jackson: I have loved this trip so far, but for me the most memorable moment so far would have to be the village on the whole, especially interacting and helping out the local kids. Even though maybe some of the others found the work hard I enjoyed it and wanted to do it because it was giving me a chance to help the kids have a home, as they can never leave their village and cannot have the same life that I do. I extremely enjoyed the local dance and songs that the local kids performed for, as well as playing games and dancing with them as well, especially with the kids that were closer to my age, seeing their everyday lives, and seeing how much I take for granted in my life. The finishing of the house and the handing over ceremony was very emotional for the 2 girls, one around 10 and the other around 13, and the widow mum that we were making the house for. They were extremely happy and grateful for the small stone house, just showing even more how to them that small house was amazing however to us it wasn’t much. Saying goodbye to the kids and families was full of a lot of photos, hugs and high fives. This was by far my favourite part of the trip.
Zach: This trip has been full of amazing moments, but I think I’ve enjoyed the white water rafting on day 2 better than the rest. It was so fun and a few rapids were really steep. Seeing some of the locals huts and housing along the river bank helped me understand how some people live using the river. We even saw some people washing a few elephants in the shallow banks of the river. And to make maters even better, we had a massive buffet afterwards, and the crunchy chicken satisfied my craving for KFC so I wasn’t complaining. The warm weather just topped off a perfect day and I would definitely go back and do it again. I can’t wait for another great 2 weeks in Laos and Cambodia.
Luise: So far the trip has already been a great experience, I really enjoyed the activities we’ve been doing, especially the kick boxing and white water rafting. My most memorable moment so far was probably when I was building a wall with Angie. It wasn’t that hot, so a good day and I knew that what we were doing would help the family so much in the future and their current situation. I was also pretty proud cause our wall looked pretty good once we’d finished it. The house building was just great to bond with the group and it was just fun. The scenery here is so beautiful, the food is amazing, and I’m just generally so grateful to have the chance to experience all this. I don’t really miss anything as I’m enjoying the trip way to much! (Love u guys!)
Georgia: The trip so far has been absolutely amazing and I am sure this will be a very memorable experience as a whole. I am so appreciative of the fact that I’ve had the opportunity to go to three different places in Asia and experience the ways of life in all the countries. Thank you so much mum and dad for letting me experience this amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to tell you guys and Christian about it all when I get home. I don’t have a favourite or most memorable moment so far in the trip however I really enjoyed the white water rafting and visiting the numerous villages and ethnic groups. The white water rafting reminded me of year 8 camp however this time, we went through the rapids more freely and didn’t really try to paddle during them. I also really enjoyed going to the Eco village and seeing all the different ethnic groups living there. I did feel quite bad for them as I felt like I was objectifying them by taking photos of them living their everyday life. The thing I think I will take home with me the most is when we were in the village and did the house build for a family there. It was a lost of hard work and perseverance was definitely needed, however, no matter how hard it was, the final result and seeing the families face when we handed the house over will probably be an experience in which I will never forget. Miss you guys a lot but at the same time, I don’t want to leave.
Lucy: Before I went onto the big experience I didn’t want to have any expectations, but even if my expectations went through the roof there is no way I could of been disappointed. Everyday is new and breath taking, with even the mornings being interesting (sometimes we wake up to frogs! sometimes chickens and other times the sound of busy streets). The people here are incredible, with our guide Chai always making us laugh along with himself at this own jokes, even the people with nothing but the dirty and ripped clothes show us respect and kindness. I have been amazed by the people, despite the numerous ethnic groups, with different cultures and traditions, and large difference between rich and poor, all of the people we have met are wonderful, they are always smiling, kind and always wanting to help. The most memorable experience I’ve had during this trip is spending time with the poor village children, during our time building a home for a family in the village. The children are wonderful, they’re always laughing and wanting to play, we gave them piggy backs and carried them on our shoulders around the village, every time we had to go back to building they would ask for just one more piggy back over and over again, when we finally had to leave they wouldn’t let go holding onto us as we carried our bags. During the rainy day in the village I volunteered to help out clear the road after a landslide, as the rain poured down more and more. I was getting ready to quit, it wasn’t until a young girl no older than three came up to me and held an umbrella over my head, I had never met her before, we didn’t speak the same language and she wasn’t tall enough hold the umbrella above my head, despite this she stayed with me for the entire time in the rain, I will never forget this small act of kindness from this small girl.
Angie: Before going to Thailand I was feeling both incredibly nervous and excited. The whole trip though is so different than to how I pictured it and I have learned and experienced more than I could’ve imagined. My most memorable moment would have to be building the house in the village. That was the part of the trip I think I was most nervous about but I actually really enjoyed it. It felt really good having built that house for the family but I wish I could give more to them after seeing their situation in person. This whole experience has really given me perspective on life back home, about how different it is and how grateful I should be. Other than that it’s hard to pick a favourite moment because everything was just so much fun. I really enjoyed cooking class, boxing, the night markets and getting to know everyone on this trip, who are all very nice and fun to be with. This whole experience is just amazing and I would love to come back here again.
Cooper: The whole trip has been incredible. And although the kick boxing and rafting was fun, and The Opium Museum was very interesting. One thing that has stuck with me has been the beautiful mountains and scenery. Everywhere we go it is impossible not notice all the green around us. However, even though the scenery is amazing, the villages and the people in them have stuck with me the most. At the village we built a house at, everyone is so happy and the children are so innocent. It is much different reading or looking at images about it rather than experiencing it. I am very glad that we built the house for that village. We have also visited 2 other villages, and I have tried to buy most of the stuff that I have bought from the villages to help support them, and they are all great quality.
Jack: My most memorable moment of the trip so far would have to be the village. I loved interacting with the people in the village and I liked experiencing what their lives are like on a day to day basis. When I first walked into the village it was almost like I had travelled to the 1980’s. The village people had been living the same way since the 1980’s. It was amazing how the people were happy with so little but people in Melbourne are unhappy and they have so much. The village made me more grateful for what I have and made me realise that you don’t need much to be happy.
Elias: The trip so far has been incredible and much better than I expected and I expected it to be the best trip of my life. I really enjoyed the first few days in Chiang Mai when we visited various temples, went Thai boxing and white water rafting. Experiencing these things with friends is something completely different to going with family or even one or two friends. It is just a different environment. I don’t want to say that is better because I might offend my parents … but it is. Anyway, white water rafting was brilliant. I have done it before at year eight camp but this beat it tenfold. Not only was the river much better but the tour guide was really laid back and kept us laughing the whole way. The Thai scenery was also quite incredible and added to my enjoyment. It was definitely something I would do again, if I got the chance.
Miles: My favourite moments on this trip include the village stay in Chang Dao, the white water rafting and the cooking class. It was really interesting to learn about the refugees in Chang Dao and the conditions they live within. I also really enjoyed building the house for one of the families, this was due to the fact that we were able to see what our fundraising was going towards and seeing the final result. The white water rafting was one of the main highlights as it was a cold relief from the harsh Thai sun, although my group capsized a few times I really enjoyed it. The cooking class was even better than I thought it would be, as we learnt how to cook cashew chicken, green Thai curry and spring rolls. Although the best thing about the cooking class was getting to eat all the stuff we had cooked.
Shelby: I have enjoyed learning about all the different temples and cities that we have visited so far. I love seeing new places and having a chance to take in the scenery around me. I have made so many friendships and grown the ones I already had. Learning about the different religions, even though the most dominate is Buddhism. It’s interesting to hear about the different stories and beliefs people have. Thai kick boxing was also a highlight for me because it gave me a chance to get out of my comfort zone, plus it was really fun. The night markets are also really cool because they give you a chance to experience the vibrant culture at night and how different the markets are here than they are back at home. I would love to come back some day.
Jade: So far this trip has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I’m guessing back at home, you’re missing my cooking, and my cats are driving you crazy, but I’m having a ball over here and don’t really want to leave. My favourite part of the trip so far has been rafting and the Thai kick boxing class (I’ll be sure to test them out in you when I get home). The rafting was also fun after because I was in a raft with people I didn’t know very well and got to know them a bit better. I also learnt about myself this trip, such as that I get scared very easily. Love you both lots.
Moira: I really enjoyed Doi Su Thep temple, learning about how people’s body’s are treated after death was very different to what I expected. Perhaps I thought that most cultures handled the dead the same, however the knowledge I gained from being at the temple completely rewrote that theory. Learning that a deceased body is cremated then either placed in the temple, scattered near the river, or shot into the sky as a firework was strangely eye opening to just how different the culture here is. The only exception to these three options is when a pregnant mother dies, then she must be buried. I felt so much more connected at the temple when learning about this than at any other time during the trip. I find the idea of having a person’s ashes in a firework so beautiful, as if while alive you can metaphorically be a firework, and then after your life you can truely become a firework, exploding in the sky.
Hannah: For me, the most memorable part of this trip so far was the first evening we spent in the village. Clad in a rain jacket and flip flops, and sitting under the slightly leaky shelter, we spent an hour or so with one of the local girls. During that time, we exchanged handclaps, ditties and games with each other. Obviously there were major language barriers, but it’s amazing what confusing gestures, tone-deaf songs and smiles can convey. I think the best part of it was that it established a relationship that continued throughout the rest of our stay in the village. We’ll probably never see her again, but I know that I won’t forget her or the time we spent with each other.
Taylah: The Thai boxing on the first day in Thailand was really interactive because I had the gym owner help me. The last day in the village was extremely memorable because of the feeling I had during the hand over ceremony and seeing how happy and grateful the family was for something we had achieved in only three days. Seeing different tribes and visiting lots of temples have been one of my favourite parts because I get to see how other religions and cultures are applied to people and their daily lives. One of the best parts have been just experiencing all this with my friends, especially having heaps of laughs and memorable times. However, my favourite part so far was travelling along the Mekong river and stopping at a Hmong village along its banks.
Chelsea: Building a house for a family in the village was an experience that I will never forget. It was a life changing experience and opened up many things for me personally and made me realise many things not only about myself but the world that we live in. Visiting the Doi Su Tep temple on top of the summit was also a phenomenal experience and had a view that I will never forget. Walking down the dragon staircase made me feel like I was in the movie Kung-Fu-Panda. It also showed me how much the country takes religion seriously and the amount of money and time spent in building temples and practising the religion.
