Thailand’s ASEAN Day: From the Mascot’s Eyes

A Silent Tour Guide

Everyone moved to the main assembly area and began the opening ceremony. As was customary, I was sat on the stage next to the school’s director. There was a lot of talking (that I obviously didn’t understand) and eventually I was snapped out of my daydreaming by someone offering me the microphone.

I may have been working long enough to not be surprised by being asked for an impromptu speech, but unfortunately I was too new to have learned what fun you can have with these speeches. I spoke quickly about how great ASEAN will be and how lucky I was to be a part of the celebration; without any innuendos, bad puns or third conditional in the perfect tense to entertain myself while glazed over eyes stared back at me.

Ryan Farley / Own Work

Ryan Farley / Own Work

The activity itself was a hodgepodge of booths with foods, games and history lessons from various ASEAN member countries. I spent most of my time at the English booth (ASEAN has committed to certain levels of English education and capabilities for international competiveness) running a BINGO game and coloring some language worksheets with students and local residents who came to check it out. I was asked to take a short stroll with the head of some provincial government office, but he didn’t speak any English and no one translated.

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