Meaningful Chaiyo!

 Happy Tuesday ka.

As I've mentioned earlier, my podcast program for this month of July is my modest contribution to celebrate the 75th Global Fulbright Program anniversary. This Tuesday is the final one and I've asked one alum (Pok) to chat with his mom about her Fulbright experience ka.

Pok said it was a long time ago (over a decade laew in fact ka!) and her mother said she couldn't really remember much.

It was a short yet touching chat ka.

She recalled how she was very excited to prepare her dress as she had to go up on the stage with her son to receive a congratulatory letter from the US Ambassador. She said she was so amazed how tall the Ambassador was and when she looked at Pok, she thought of how smart her son was.

Before Pok left for the US, he prepared skype for his parents to contact him....this too was something his mom mentioned ka.

Like most moms, no matter how old one's child has grown, she can't stop feeling worried about him/her. Then she said, 'ก็อยากจะบอกแม่ทุกคนนะคะว่า ถ้าลูกเราได้เดินมาถึงก้าวนี้แล้ว เราต้องให้กำลังใจเขาต่อไป เขาจะเดินไปถึงไหน เราก็ต้องเดินตามหลังเขาให้ถึงที่สุด แล้วเราก็ยืนเชียร์เขาข้างหลัง ไชโย๊'......literally meaning what I'd like to tell all moms is that even when our kids have come this far, we continue to give them encouragement...wherever they go, we keep walking with them all the way, standing behind their back to give our support and shout 'chaiyo'! (joyful cheers!)

No matter how long the time has passed, the impressions and love stay on beautifully!

This July series makes my heart real happy to learn more about relationships of our alums and their loved ones. 

Chaiyo to the Fulbright Program which has generated many more meanings than monetary value ka.

If you wish to listen (in Thai ka), go to 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5xkozENsZlZ8eEdieafkZC?si=459b4fd5b7b343b9

So far yet so close

 Hello all to a happy Thursday na ka.

During the peak of pandemic, let me simply go in the opposite direction to share some nice stories from my weekly podcast program ka. This one is called, 'ไกลตัวใกล้ใจของคนฟุลไบรท์', literally meaning 'Away physically yet so close to the heart of our Fulbrighter' ka.

This is an episode that I found so touching (some will say, again ror ka, Khun Porntip 5555!) It was from one Fulbright alum (Nong) who had to leave behind her two-year-old boy (Por+ Por) with her husband (Phet), to go to the US for 6 months, doing her research as part of her doctoral dissertation in a Thai university ka....of course, academically and cross-culturally, she achieved a lot but I'd skip this part na ka.

Nong never went abroad alone so Phet flew with her to help get started and before he left, he wanted to make sure his wife knew her way to the university. He quietly followed her before he flew back and was relieved.....like a movie scene mak, thinking of Nong's face to see Phet at her university with another goodbye ka.

When she was on her own, a very little task like making the bed became a challenge. She said then she realized other little things Phet has been doing and helping all along and got to appreciate him even more ka.

Phet was a real caring and loving husband who encouraged his wife to apply and accept the grant even deep down inside he felt worried how he could really handle their boy on his own. He shared that he didn't tell his wife before that one night, Por+ Por asked him to read three times, the same story about a child who got lost from Mom before he burst out crying missing her. Like Phet, I was in tears when I heard the story ka.

Por+ Por also contributed in his cute way ka...he could tell the names of the grant (thumbs up!), state, and country.

So far yet so close mai ka?

If anyone wishes to listen to this episode, here's the link ka.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tyYm8XPl0uSvU3VMInwV9?si=7a783f3565f448d8

Cheers to some little things that warm our hearts na ka.

Opportunities and growth mindset

 Happy Wednesday na ka!

My podcast episode this week got a lovely bond with inputs from a Fulbright daughter (Bo) and her active mom ka. I have one little story to share ka.

The two reflected on the 60th anniversary celebration of Fulbright Thailand at the main hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which Bo sang the newly composed Fulbright Thailand song, 'We Learn to Care'. Her mom said she couldn't believe that one day her girl would be singing in the audience of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Bo had to sing with an orchestra from Mahidol University and a chorus. 

Her mom said it was a grand and spectacular event. She made a nice green dress for her daughter, went with her to give strongest support, and in this chat told Bo that it was a fine success ka.

What I wish to share further is this ka.....Bo wrote on her Facebook page that in looking back on the event,  'I wondered what made Pi Tip choose me to be the lead singer as I only sing karaoke songs.'

My key point here is that Bo took up this opportunity and went to be trained by a singing coach ka. 

Then, I only knew that she invested and got very serious with this assigned task.  With the coach and great chorus who helped sing along, it turned out so beautifully ka.

I learned from her sharing on this episode to realize how bold she was to get out of her sabai box to push to the limits na ka. She's one great example of a person with a 'growth mindset' very much required in our world ka.

Let them therefore link this story to an article I read yesterday entitled,'Why A Growth Mindset Is Essential For Career Success' by Caroline Castrillon in Forbes, Jul 9, 2019. 

These are the 5 ways we can foster a growth mindset with our right attitude ka:

1. Embrace failure for more positive rather than negative
2. Become a lifelong learner 
3. Seek out challenge opportunities to grow
4. Go beyond your limits by pushing ourselves beyond what we think we can do
5. Ask for feedback

Bo's experience has fit perfectly with numbers 3-5 loei ka. Currently, she's been a highly successful professional whose growth mindset stands out mak ka.

Any comment mai ka?

Family ties through reflections

 I was thinking of sharing the gist of an article about creativity but after I was almost done reading and jotting key points, I didn't feel so special about it so I simply deleted it ka. เป็นคนเยอะ ka:))!

I now have something special to write instead, talking about Fulbright family bonds ....the inner family circle with Fulbright ka.

The thing is, earlier on, Fulbright Thailand told me this is the year to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Global Fulbright Program and the 71st anniversary of Fulbright Thailand. It came at the right time when I've been thinking of Thai grantees who're preparing to go to the US so I devote my 4 weeks in July of my podcast program, Learn Plern Plern to gear to families with its specific meaning of immediate family members like parents and grantees, and husband and wife ka.

Today we started with one episode contributed by Daddy and his Fulbright girl (Dr. Chiranit and Ms. Napakamol Havanond). Both are judges and went to Harvard so they have more common topics to discuss like life in Boston, study in Harvard, and Super Bowl. 

It was a lovely time to follow their reflections in this family chat ka. I've got three key learning points ka:

1. Little things that Dad recalled about his girl's Fulbright years show love, caring, attention paid, and hope.....warming my heart loei ka.

2. Family relationship is precious and must be enhanced especially in the social media era to allow our younger generations to survive with strengths and warmth.

3. Purpose to bringing justice to all in the world of diversity is high on these two guests, and I can't be happier to know how Fulbright could play a small role to promote understanding of diversity ka.

Happy heart me again ka.