Tina Has a Visitor

Hello everyone.  My name is Chris Smith.  I live in Provo and have been dating Tina for ten months.  A very enjoyable ten months.  She was kind enough to invite me to visit her in Thailand.  I spent 17 days with her and have just returned to Utah.  

 

This was my first visit to Thailand.  Little did I know that April is their hottest month of the year. Temperatures were consistently above 100 degrees, with high humidity.  We didn’t complain though, nor do the Thai people, many without air conditioning in their homes.

 

I’m not a big seafood lover, nor do I typically eat spicy food.  On both accounts, I quickly learned I needed to embrace Thai cuisine or go hungry.  Somehow squid seemed to show up at every meal.  

Tom Yum Soup With Seafood (including squid)

Tina and I thought we might rent a car during my stay, but we quickly realized that it was not needed.  Taxi service is readily available and very inexpensive.  Also, driving in Thailand takes a bit of experience.  Crosswalks, speed limits, and lane lines seemed to be ignored.  Mopeds are everywhere, zagging in and out of traffic.  It is not uncommon to see mom, dad, and two children all riding together on one scooter, with no helmets.  I was endlessly fascinated with how travel occurs in Thailand.

Mother and Young Child on Moped

The country itself is beautiful.  Buddhist shrines and temples dot the land.  We visited several of them.  There is a high level of respect and reverence for kings and monks.  In fact, everywhere we went in Thailand large portraits of the king were displayed.

King Rama IX and Chris Smith

Picturesque beaches, wondrous small islands, and greenery are all part of the charm of Thailand.  We saw several large Asian monitor lizards, some larger than Tina, along with many monkeys.  

 

Tina is working at a university about 20 miles northwest of Bangkok.  She has a very nice two-room apartment on the fourth floor of her building.  The front room has a foldout bed, which is where I slept.  The apartment-operated van service shuttles her to and from work each day.  The shuttle drivers love Tina, and always drop her off last so they can practice speaking English with her.

 

We attended her Thai church congregation (ward) on two different Sundays I was there.  A small ward, but filled with love.  After church each Sunday, they have a ward dinner together.  We enjoyed these opportunities very much - and I ate more squid.  Someone also mentioned that chicken feet were in one of the dishes.  I preferred not knowing what I was eating.  In addition to attending the ward, we attended the recently dedicated LDS Bangkok Temple twice.  Beautiful experience.

Celebrating Songkran at the LDS Bangkhae Ward

If you know Tina, even a little bit, you know she has boundless energy and likes to be busy and productive.  In addition to the research she is doing with children with special needs and their families, she is doing much more.  

 

She teaches English to preschool children each week using children’s literature, visits a local orphanage, teaches homeless children, teaches an English class to faculty and staff, works to include children with special needs in general education classrooms, and probably other things I don’t yet know about.  Tina had also arranged for friends in Utah to donate children’s books.  I filled two large suitcases with these books when I flew to Thailand.  I personally witnessed on more than one occasion the preschool children calling out from across the street or room, “Hello, Teacher Tee-NAH!”

 

Tina is doing an incredible job here in Thailand.  All her associates at the university love her, and quickly learned how valuable she can be for them.  Some have asked her to review and edit their scholarly papers.  She is representing BYU remarkably well.  In fact, they have approved her bringing in two BYU interns in May and June to help with the many responsibilities she has been given. 

 

Here is what Dr. Kay, Assistant Director of the National Institute, says about her:

 

“Since I've known Tina, we connected instantly. I'm amazed by Tina's dedication to the work for children with disabilities. Tina always says "yes" to every task I ask of her. With her experience and expertise, Tina brings new perspectives to our work. This includes not only the academic side but also hands-on interaction with the children. Within just a month, Tina was well-loved by NICFD kids. Nowadays, when she walks by the playground, the kids eagerly run to her, calling out "Tina, Tina!" It was amazing to see this.

 

Not only beloved by the kids, but by all staff at Mahidol, Tina has adjusted herself so well with everyone. Tina joined every opportunity, from the highest level with the deputy dean of Mahidol University (regarding policy funding) to participating alongside every staff member (joining the volleyball team, cheerleader group, dancing, singing, and playing games). It was amazing how Tina could adapt to every level of people and embrace Thai culture. Even more amazing was her interaction with the local people in the rural community of Chantaburi Province, Tina observed, shared, laughed, and joined all activities. Tina was loved by everyone.

 

One of the most memorable moments for me was when I was busy teaching parents, and a group of autistic families from another community came to visit us. Tina was able to engage the autistic kids with fun games and inspire the watching parents. The parents were amazed to see their ASD kids being valued and capable. Tina demonstrated to the parents the strengths of the disabled kids. I was surprised by how quickly and adaptably Tina could handle unplanned and unexpected situations. She was eager to help in every aspect with her expertise and skills, and all the work she contributed turned out amazingly.

 

Among all of Tina's qualities, what I admired most was her sincerity towards others—whether with me, with everyone else, with the kids, or with the subjects in our research. It wasn't just about completing our tasks; it was her genuine approach and down-to-earth manner that left an impact on everyone. I deeply admire and respect Tina for this.”