Visiting the Petchaburi Regional and Provincial center

Visiting the Petchaburi Regional and Provincial center

Oy picked us up at 5:30 to catch the boat. We both rode on the back of a single motorcycle. If I was going to by a motorcycle I would see what kind of handles and footrests it had for passengers, the more the better.

We caught a taxi at the Klong Toey 7-11. The women in black was sitting in her usual location. It was about 5:45 AM.

The taxi was playing some Thai country music on the radio. Some of the music evokes a strong feeling of longing and loss. I do not know what the singer was singing, but I do know that the music was real and grounded in experience. Sort of like hearing Loretta Lynn or something like that. The music was not just entertainment, it had real meaning.
On the way to STOU I noticed a large bar called Country Saloon and a restaurant called Spaghetti Hut.
The Taxi driver was also very stubborn. He would not listen to our, or really Jit's instructions. We ended up getting out and taking another Taxi. I have no idea how I would handle that situation alone. The storm clouds from last night were beautiful as the sun came up.

I love mornings in a city, before the chaos. In Seattle I would get up early and start walking, just watching the light and the city get ready for the day. I would like to wander in Bangkok. Morning light does not last long in Thailand because the sun rises so quickly.

There were dogs sleeping in the STOU central square, 5 of them. One sort of watching the action. Dogs in Thailand are fascinating.

There is an office building in Bangkok that is designed to look like an elephant, the Elephant building is really good architecture, every time I see it I smile.

The purpose of today's trip is to visit Petchaburi Regional and Provincial center. The ride is fascinating, my eyes are wide open. I am so curious. I have been on the same road in 2001 and 2004. I see buildings, industry, canals, large boats, houses, abandoned buildings, salt manufacturing, temples, markets, energy everywhere. I was not bored.

We visited the Petchaburi Regional Center. The center is architecturally similar to Nakhon Nayok, it was calm and well organized. I am finally getting it through my head that there are regional centers and provincial centers. The student action is in the provincial center. Provincial centers are weekend centers where testing and tutorials are going on. Usually provincial centers are in public schools. After visiting the regional center we went to the provincial center. There were students in tutorials and also another group of students who were taking a pre-test practice. The tutorials were in Human Civilization and in Family Law: Inheritance.

The student pre-test practice was arranged by the student organization. The STOU student organizations are directly related to the mission and purpose of the STOU. What was fascinating was that the students were of all ages, there were many adults. The students in the tutorial would look right at home at Tanana Valley Campus.

After visiting and asking questions we had lunch with some students. The lunch and the discussion was wonderful. We talked about what motivates an adult to return to education and also how students get support for returning to education. We talked with four students. One student was majoring in Agriculture, he was a master farmer, people in his community were already calling him teacher because of his expertise. He wanted to get the education so that he could fulfill the peoples expectations. Another student has a degree in Agriculture and was getting a degree in Law. His back ground was construction management. Another student owned and managed an agriculture equipment dealership. She sold Ford agriculture equipment. She was majoring in Management. A final student was majoring in Political Science. She was a widow that was returning to school, her background was running a school of typing and office skills. I also met a student who was an insurance salesperson. Each of the students was successful, and also very supportive of the the STOU method and support. I also gave a brief presentation to the students in the pre-test tutorial. It was fun to talk with the students.

At the STOU regional center I met a student who was bringing his wife into register. He was finishing his degree. He told a story of being in the hospital after being wounded and the STOU counselor brought him his final test, he did not pass, the first time, but was very thankful for the support of the counselor. He has now succeeded and is recruiting his family as STOU students. The STOU counselor at Petchaburi has a wonderful rapport with the students.

It was great meeting with adult students. Another thing that made me very comfortable is that the students were not in uniform. The meeting with the students, and the lunch discussion was one of the highlights of my trip.

On the was back we stopped and bought way too much salt!!! We were dropped off to catch a taxi home and the driver helped us carry the salt into the taxi. It all worked out, but my typical worry was in full swing. "How are we going to carry all that stuff?"

The courtesy and thoughtfulness of the people at STOU are amazing. I only hope that when people visit TVC that we can provide half the courtesy and thoughtfulness.

Another part of my sabbatical that is wonderful is Jit's participation. Jit is a great partner in this exploration. She is included by others as a full partner. Again I am thankful.

A wonderful trip that I will not forget.

Tomorrow I will post information about Saturday. One of the important discoveries I made Saturday is that Community Colleges exist in Thailand. Community Colleges first opened three years ago and I believe, from what I know so far, that they are very similar to community colleges in the United States in mission and scope. Anyway more tomorrow and some pictures also.