Fulbright Enrichment Conference, Thailand

In March, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a Mid-Year Enrichment Conference sponsored by the Fulbright Thailand association, bringing together U.S. scholars and students in the Fulbright programs from their respective countries all around Southeast Asia.  About 60 or more of us gathered at the luxury Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok, and from the first "cocktail reception" I knew it would be a party.  Wine (!) flowed freely, and I found myself having to refuse a fourth refill on that first night, having gone wineless for the six or seven months here in Muslim Malang.  Thailand is Buddhist, but that doesn't stop ordinary lay people from the finer things, and we were treated to one after another gourmet meals and buffets.  Among the treats were trays of lobster tails, I remember at one point.  The feast carried over into the various paper presentations being given, under the overall banner of "America's Engagement in Southeast Asia:  the Role of People-to-People Ties in Strengthening Connections."  Panels were organized around topics of business, public health, religion and anthropology, biology, law, politics, and human rights, art and culture, art and education, and more!  The whole conference was topped off with a beautiful, moon-lit evening at the National Museum, us mostly garbed in the dress of our host countries, and adding to the splendor of the lovely Thai dancers who performed for us. 

     After that evening, we had the choice of "study visits" and I chose to attend the Thai Traditional Medicine one, offered at the traditional medicine clinic at a hospital in Bangkok.  There I experienced a diagnosis of my body-character (I am water and fire), making a healing compress, taking a steam detox, and of course massage.  Perhaps the best part of this truly "enriching" conference was the time spent getting to know other Fulbrights.  I talked to those from Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, northern Thailand, Vietnam, and several other places that I can't even remember now.  It was a whirlwind, but really accomplished its purpose of giving us "people-to-people ties."  I am grateful for the experience.