By: Chon Pornsooksawang (Thailand)
Washington DC has been a trip of my dream. Not only that all the wonders happened so fast in a dreamlike manner, but also, at once, several of my childhood wishes came true. We went to the iconic monuments, US capitol Building and its rotunda full of statues — including the one from Rosa Parks and King Kamehameha I of Hawaii. (Let us imagine everyone in the hall comes to life! What an interesting debate they would have! It must be a robust one where everyone keeps disrupting each other.) Afterwards, we went biking through several memorials learning about American history with our dear mentor “Lance” and “the bears” or my YSEALI friends (We have got this name from sometimes relying on the food of Ms.Lori, our lovely coordinator or “Mama Bear”). It was such a sweet memory on a beautiful fair weather day. I still remember how the sun lightly touches the monuments — to me, everything was sparkling. Here, we learned about the birth of America as a country from the signing of constitution by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation of slaves (and of course, the beginning of Yosemite!) to Franklin D. Roosevelt preserving America during the Second World War (1933-1945) and “I have a dream.” speech of Martin Luther King at the Lincoln Memorial. Drawn from this experience, I have learned that the privilege of freedom we enjoy nowadays comes from their leadership and activism.
Iconic Landmarks in Washington D.C. (Organic T-Shirt from We-Are-Worthy) A trip to the Smithsonian’s and King Kamehameha I at the U.S. Capitol
On the next day, I went to the Smithsonian Museums — National Air and Space Museum and Natural History. What fascinates me the most was the exhibition about the “Smithsonian’s Alaska Expedition” where I had another eye-opening moment learning about Alaskan culture. The same as Hawaiian, I used to think that people in Alaska are rather primitive and I was proven wrong! What I learned during the fellowship is that, the indigenous people are usually more spiritually or instinctively advanced than us — they have a more precise gut feelings and deep respect for the nature, possessing an intimate knowledge of the environment around them deriving from their generations-long, self-immerse observation. The more I learned about them, the more humbled I feel and respect I have for the human diversities. It reminds me of the most memorable lecture at the East-West Center on Papapahānaumokuākea conservation area by Kalani Quiocho — where I had my first encounter with the mind-blowing knowledge of Hawaiian cosmology. However, I have learned so many things in the museum that it seems impossible to express my thoughts or feelings on! Skeletons of creatures of all sizes from Human, thumb-sized mice of different breeds to sea-lions and deers, 100-year-old preserved Coelacanth found in Alaska, Rock Chamber displaying several gemstones, The infamous Hope Diamond to the Egyptian Mummies etc. Most of all, I had my day at the museum where the movie “Night at The Museum” took place!
On Monday 6th May, we visited the National Geographic Society Headquarter to learn about the challenge prize opportunities tackling ocean plastic issue (tech innovation, circular business and data visualization) — also, if you are an artsy person (like me!), there are project grants for journalists, photographers and filmmakers, as we need arts to help us making an emotional decision to save our planet! The visit to this place has really sparked a joy of an explorer in me. As a person who dreams of writing career from the humanity background, I learned that my skill is an invaluable asset to the science and nature conservancy.
National Geographic Society Headquarter. Someone is happy here! National Geographic Museum. Feels like 9 years old again!
On the last day in Washington DC, we went to the exhibition “Queens of Egypt” at National Geographic Museum right after our graduation — all in our national costumes, suits and ties! The goose-bumping virtual reality tour in the tomb of Nefertari, evolution of coffins along with sensing ancient Egyptian perfumes make this exhibition among the best I have ever visited. As a person who loves visiting museums and been to several ones including The State Hermitage in St.Petersburg, Deutsches Technisches Museum in Munich and the middle-age Wartburg Castle in the central of Germany. I certainly would rate the excitement from this exhibition among the same level as these world-class historical sites. As I used to live in Berlin and Moscow, this fellowship in the United States has given me the well-rounded insight of the world history and its heritage (My knowledge of Second World War wouldn’t have been completed without the fantastic trip to Pearl Harbor). As a Thai person raised by the western values, my life has certainly been built around the privilege of a well-rounded education. In gratitude, I wish that the opportunity to explore the world in such a young age would lead me to a journalistic career where I can share my deep love of humans and nature, promoting peace among us and other species.
Ecosystems, as well as humans and the nature surrounding them, should be embraced for their full complexity, which intrigues us to pursue the quest for understanding and strive towards an ideal — as Lance, our mentor, taught us “Think in terms of ecosystem. And how one thing relates to one another.” (Oh, that was a new thinking to me!). However, I personally believe that the knowledge once gained from our journey should expand the size of our heart and makes us becoming more humane, treating one another with empathy and kindness. I realized during my time in the District of Columbia that we all should strive towards a spiritual enlightenment, elevating ourselves towards the top of the hierachy of needs. And self-actualize to regain the power in our hands. We shall seek to see the soul ourselves in one another. And bare in mind that nothing is too foreign to us — that is how we end most of the global issues, including the environmental ones. We need to makeshift in our thinking and belief, gearing it towards a behavioral change in all of us. It is certainly a long voyage for the humankind, but also the road worth traveling by.
Lastly, I have got a social media detox from participating the program. Life was so interesting that I didn’t feel like being on the social media at all. Not to forget the memories, I am slowly processing my thoughts and feelings upon sorting out pictures and writing it down exactly how I felt on that particular day. YSEALI Fellowship was a very short but sweet time of my life. It was definitely a privilege a few have lived, so I determine to used it up to pursue my quest for learning — in all kinds of knowledge, from traveling, personal growth to cultural learning. I have the love of life that saves me during the hardest time and curiosity that motivates me to push forward. Coming from a family of educators, I was taught from an early age on that no education is too expensive — “Never count money on it because it could never go waste.” — and humans are capable of greatness had they make a right investment.
Touched by the experiences of all kinds I have gained during my stay in United States, I cried of farewell around two nights before I left, though I jovially told my bears not to cry at the airport because they have 14 hours more on the plane to contemplate on our farewell. I even imposed a strict taboo on speaking of goodbye the day before we parted. I have made friends and bonded with these people over the course of 5 weeks. And certainly, they touched my soul — shaping me and the memory of the first visit to The United States of America. We have been traveling together cross-country, from Hawaii to Yosemite, San Francisco to Washington DC. We hiked Koko Crater, snorkeled Hanauma Bay, outrigger-canoed to Waikiki and climbed Nevada Falls. We missed the Catamaran and spent one and a half hour in the sun solving the case together. We gave each other residency when there were naughty rats in the cabin. And sailed the windy San Francisco Bay with the view of Alcatraz behind us. Travel-bounded, we started to see ourselves in one another. We cheered each others up when things get rough and consolidated when things fell apart. Living through our ups and downs, we learned so much about our personalities — this is the face of the future southeast Asian leaders; future presidents, ministers, professors and businessmen (Nobel Laureate for Rachel and writer for me, wishfully!).
Favourite Shots, I love taking candids, portraits and selfies. 5 weeks feel like a year…
Biking among the majestic view of Yosemite 2 hours painting at the top of Nevada falls, broken shoes and Dr.Tuan’s creative solution
Special thanks to the U.S. Embassy Bangkok for trusting me that I would make a sound candidate to represent Thailand. Thanks to Lance for opening up my world with his resourcefulness and intriguing insights — so, I can see what once is invisible to me. Thanks to Doris for being kind and supportive of my workshop, including the process of coming up with future projects. Thanks to Mama Bear “Lori” and Aunty Bev for accommodating us, guaranteeing the best experience during our stay. Thanks to Gem for our great conversation and looking after us. Most of all, thanks to Christina for hosting such an amazing program at East-West Center (And your delicious Matcha Pokky!).
I didn’t want it all to end! And I had my tears at Smithsonian for realizing the dream that actually comes true.
YSEALI Fellowship on Environmental Issues 