I really felt there was a conscious effort being made by the entire village to intergrate me into their community. Id be asked to come along and check bird and fish traps before work, play football after work, be invited to parties... Despite the language barrier, which was less of a problem as time went on, I never felt excluded.
Working along side people in the village was definitely one of the best aspects of my time over there. By working with them on projects that were important to them, I didnt feel like i was simply building something they didnt really need, just because i wanted to volunteer and build something. It also helped me form stronger bonds with the people i was working with and the people i was working for. Even though they have so little, their generosity was enormous. It was surprising even though i was well aware of their reputation as a very kind and giving people. It was impossible to walk down the street around lunch time without being called in to share a meal with them.
Baan Nakhor is an incredible place, and is somewhere that i sincerely hope to return to one day. The month i spent there was, if you'll forgive the cliche, one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences of my life.
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