Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Work Hard to Play Hard

Hello from Thailand!

     After three action packed days of waterfalls, elephant riding, and intense shopping in Bangkok our group was due back to the AFAPS campus. Before we packed up and headed back we had a few orders of business to tend to. We started our morning off with a delicious and nutritious breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Afterwards we headed down to the lobby to be personally interviewed by three PAO's (Public Affairs Officer). For our interview we had to state our name, university, what has been the best part of our trip thus far, and finally something we have noticed culturally that is similar between the United States and Thailand.
     Once back on the grounds of AFAPS we took time to recharge before some cadets headed over the dining hall for a 'Happy Hour' celebration. Don't be alarmed though, a Thailand happy hour is a lot different than an Americans. It is an evening of good food, good music, and tons of dancing. The happy hour is in celebration of the first year cadets receiving their official AFAPS uniforms and also the end of their midterm exam week. It is a nice way for all the cadets to come together and just be able to unwind while enjoying ice cream, soda, and their peers. What I find really great about this night is the fact that the cadets that are musically inclined get on stage and perform. There were over five different performers who's acts ranged from bands that played Thai rock music to DJ's mixing up electronic-dance soundtracks.
     During my interview today I told the PAOs that American cadets and Thai cadets may be on opposite sides of the world, follow different traditions, and lead different everyday life styles but we are exactly the same in the aspect that we know you have to work hard to be able to 'play hard' and it is apparent in the way that they celebrated this evening.

One of the third year band

CDT Hall in the crowd with AFAPS cadets

The first year DJ

Pre-cadets in the mosh pit

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