I realized after I signed off this morning that the reason for my title might be a little obscure. While it is true that Tim and I are working, the real point of the title was to emphasize that the students are really working in their classes and in trying to absorb and understand the Thai culture. That was all in the original post that was lost last night.
One way to emphasize that our students in Bangkok are not only tourists is to reflect on the service dimension of the program. I was very happy to learn that the Loyola tradition of service to our neighbors in need is thriving here. All of the students spend at least one hour a week (many spend even more time than the minimum) teaching English in a primary school in a neighborhood where many of the families are affected by poverty. In addition, Father Nash arranges for our students to spend time with outreach workers in one of the harshest areas of Bangkok so that they can understand the causes of this human misery and hopefully be moved to use their Jesuit education to help eliminate these conditions both at home and abroad. As in Baltimore, the amenities of a modern campus can blind us to the needs of the oppressed around us. I am glad that our program challenges our students to see more than the evident prosperity and to experience more than the tourist attractions of this great city.
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