Description

When 34-year old Amy McGarry joins quits teaching high school and joins the Peace Corps, she is sent to Thailand for the adventure of a lifetime. While helping her Thai community by teaching English, teaching life skills, and other community outreach projects, she struggles to adapt to the new culture. While most of the Thai food is delicious, some of the delicacies she's offered are less appealing. She struggles to politely enjoy frog, crickets and ants, but puts her foot down when it comes to trying rat. Learning to use squat toilets is especially challenging, as is adjusting to cold water "splash" baths instead of hot showers. To make matters worse, even after two years in Thailand she never does master the Thai language, making for countless misunderstandings and a series of frustrations. Along the way, Amy McGarry learns to appreciate the beauty of Thai culture. She learns about Buddhism from Thai monks, even meditating in a bat-infested cave. She grows to appreciate the respect she's shown as a teacher and an American. Mostly, she learns from the kindness of the Thai people, the value of relationships and the importance of learning to see beyond one's own cultural values. Amy McGarry's Peace Corps memoir is told with a humor and self-depracation that will leave you laughing and crying. It might even convince you to join the Peace Corps yourself