2008.09.28: September 28, 2008: Headlines: COS - Thailand: Culture Shock: Burlington Times New: Scott Hajek returned to Burlington on a three-week break after serving a year and a half in Thailand with the Peace Corps, and is seeing Burlington through a whole new set of eyes
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2008.09.28: September 28, 2008: Headlines: COS - Thailand: Culture Shock: Burlington Times New: Scott Hajek returned to Burlington on a three-week break after serving a year and a half in Thailand with the Peace Corps, and is seeing Burlington through a whole new set of eyes
Scott Hajek returned to Burlington on a three-week break after serving a year and a half in Thailand with the Peace Corps, and is seeing Burlington through a whole new set of eyes
"I now have a keen eye for what would be strange or different for them in Thailand,'' he says. Hajek is taking photos of all sorts of stuff, such as the inside of a Christian church or a new house under construction, that he might not have thought much about before getting immersed in Thai culture. Now, he can't wait to show them to the many people he works with in the province of Ubon Ratchathani in northeast Thailand, where he is serving his two-year commitment to the Peace Corps. "Everything is so different for them, and I want to bring back as much as I can,'' Hajek, 25, says. "... I'm excited about bringing the cultural exchange to another level.''
Scott Hajek returned to Burlington on a three-week break after serving a year and a half in Thailand with the Peace Corps, and is seeing Burlington through a whole new set of eyes
Real People: Burlington man brings cultural exchange to another level
September 28, 2008 - 8:36PM
This photo shows 25-year-old Scott Hajek, of Burlington, in Thailand. Hajek is scheduled to return to that country in early October to complete his service with the Peace Corps. Photo: Roselee Papandrea / Times-News
When Scott Hajek returned to Burlington on a three-week break after serving a year and a half in Thailand with the Peace Corps, he thought he'd have reverse culture shock.
That hasn't been the case. Even so, Hajek is seeing Burlington through a whole new set of eyes.
"I now have a keen eye for what would be strange or different for them in Thailand,'' he says.
Hajek is taking photos of all sorts of stuff, such as the inside of a Christian church or a new house under construction, that he might not have thought much about before getting immersed in Thai culture. Now, he can't wait to show them to the many people he works with in the province of Ubon Ratchathani in northeast Thailand, where he is serving his two-year commitment to the Peace Corps.
"Everything is so different for them, and I want to bring back as much as I can,'' Hajek, 25, says. "... I'm excited about bringing the cultural exchange to another level.''
Sharing his American culture and bringing Thai culture back to America to share with others are two of the Peace Corps' three main goals for its volunteers. The rest of the mission focuses on helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
Hajek helps by designing English language programs, working with a high school student on a weekly radio show called "English Hour'' and by training teachers and teaching students. This year, he also started a theater club for youth.
Giving two years of his life to the Peace Corps was a decision that Hajek, a 2001 Williams High and 2005 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate, knew would benefit him and his country. The value of service to others was ingrained in him during his time at Carolina and serving in the Peace Corps had two benefits: He could help others and gain valuable experience that he could apply to future goals.
His undergraduate work at Carolina focused on linguistics and psychology. He has a great love for language and culture, and he isn't afraid of the unknown. He spent his sophomore year studying abroad in Seville, Spain, where he became fluent in Spanish. During that time, he also took German in Spanish. cq
When Hajek applied to the Peace Corps, his first choice was a placement in Asia.
"I wanted to go some place that I knew nothing about,'' he says.
He left for Thailand in January 2007 and received training, including an immersion in the Thai language, before he received his permanent assignment in Ubon Ratchathani.
"That's when you have a three-month headache, is what I call it,'' he says. "Every word you hear is something you never heard before. You use so much of your brain to figure out anything.''
Speaking the language was foreign to him, but reading it was even more difficult. It helped him really understand the challenges associated with illiteracy.
"`I felt like this really big freight train with a really old engine,'' he says. "If you put in enough energy, you can get it going. ... Eventually, you get this momentum and that's when it's exciting.''
Hajek is now fluent in Thai, and he can read it.
"It's a great boost in my confidence,'' he says.
After scoring the highest in his language test following training, Hajek was asked to give a speech at his swearing-in ceremony, which marked the 45th anniversary of the Peace Corps in Thailand. Princess Sirindhorn of the Thai royal family asked to attend the event.
Hajek spent hours on his speech, which he delivered in Thai, and the moment remains a fun fact he gets to share about himself.
"It was an honor to address a princess,'' he says. "How often do you get to say that?''
Learning the culture has had its challenges. Hajek stands more than 6 feet tall, and he's still not completely comfortable folding his long legs up and sitting in a crossed-leg position for long periods of time, which is a natural pose for people in Thailand.
When he first arrived in Thailand, he looked so uncomfortable sitting that way his host family bought a table and chairs to make it easier on him. Their act of kindness is a way of life in Thailand.
"The Thai culture is so focused on consideration for others,'' he says. "They would much rather that you are comfortable and feeling at home than worrying about themselves.''
While Hajek still has more than six moths of service left - he returns to Thailand in early October - and he knows it will be months, if not years, before he fully digests all that his time in Thailand has taught him, he knows he is learning valuable lessons about leadership.
He thinks a lot about the words one of the training staff shared: "A good leader inspires others with confidence in him. A great leader inspires with confidence in themselves.''
He's learned as a teacher and a Peace Corps volunteer that he wants to be a great leader.
"Really, the way to make an impact is to help others improve their own skills and improve their confidence in those skills,'' he says.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: September, 2008; Peace Corps Thailand; Directory of Thailand RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Thailand RPCVs; Culture Shock
When this story was posted in September 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Burlington Times New
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