‘My 311 days in South Africa’
Peak Tansakul a 17-year-old exchange student from Phuket, Thailand, arrived in South Africa on 26 September last year. She shares some of her expriences since then.
POLOKWANE – Living in South Africa is something that many foreigners find intimidating due to the negative image portrayed in international media.
This was the case at first for Peak Tansakul from Phuket, Thailand who visited our beautiful country as an exchange student.
“When I heard I had to come to South Africa I was a bit shocked. I had to choose between five countries to go to and South Africa was the last one on the list. My dad repeatedly asked me if I want to cancel, but my mom encouraged me to keep an open mind and to embrace the opportunity to experience the country,” she told Review during her recent farewell party.
She is 17 years old and arrived in South Africa on 26 September last year. She visited the city to spend some time with and interact with the Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Pietersburg 100.
“Before I came to South Africa I did some research and I was shocked when I learned that there are 11 official languages. When I arrived in the country everyone spoke English and I did not understand a word. During my 311 days in South Africa, not only did I learn English but also a bit of Afrikaans which I can understand but not speak.”
She says her time in the country helped her to become independent and learn responsibilities. On top of that she also had some wonderful experiences with nature and the various cultures.
“I experienced a lot of things like touching lions and having cats sleep with me. I never thought I would be able to play with animals as we do not own any animals at home. The first family I stayed with in South Africa have seven cats and three dogs. They also later got a pet pig. I would one day like to have my own pet.”
She experienced some traditional games as the Rotarians taught her how to spit “bokdrolletjies”.
“I had a bit of a difficult time to spit them due to my braces but it was still loads of fun,” she recalls.
She told Review about her visit to a traditional doctor who told her that she will one day become a doctor herself. “I was amazed as I never told anyone in South Africa that I planned on studying to become a doctor. This motivates me to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor even more diligently.”
She says one of the most difficult things for her was leaving her family behind in Phuket. “My mom and sister cried when I left for South Africa and my mom told me that my dad was also very emotional, although he did not publicly display it. I was very homesick during the first week in South Africa and I used to look at myself in the mirror and ask myself if I was doing the right thing. It became a lot easier when I realised my friends expect me to do my best here and I wanted to make them proud.”
One of the most shocking things for her about South Africa was the number of people who beg on the side of the road.
“I am used to seeing people who sell things on the side of the road to make a living but not people who simply stand around asking for money. However, overall South Africa is not as bad as the news say it is. I believe every country has its problems, just like South Africa. I think people should always take pride in their country and not just focus on the things that make it bad but focus more on what makes it great.”
