In my 27 years of teaching English overseas, the word “exotic” never entered the descriptions of my environment. I did have a few that came rather close.

The Monkeys

There were the rather mischievous creatures which came with visits to a Japanese mountainous area, Arashiyama, where I fed wild monkeys. That was 1988-89, during a year I spent as an English language teacher at the Kyoto Japan YWCA. That was my first overseas stint as a professional teacher. To this day, I still hold a strong image of my mom’s visit, with us enclosed in a protective caged area while eager monkey hands reached through wire fencing to snatch at our peanut offerings.

Colorful Birds

Taiwan came a close second with colorful indigenous birds perched on bushes outside of my apartment. Every morning, I marveled over the green Taiwan Barbet or the vibrant Blue Magpie. These I saw on a regular basis while walking across the small bridge that led to Wesley Girls High School, where I taught English for 3 years.

The Panda

China had me in panda country for many years but I never saw any in the wild. I only saw them from a distance at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center, although for a donation fee of $50 US, anyone could hug/hold a panda for a nifty tourist picture.

I remember several of us Amity Foundation teachers, all with very limited salaries, had discussed on our visit if we should pay what we felt was an outrageous $50 for a panda photo. We nixed the idea At least, in 2005 that was the price but then it exploded (inching upward every year) to $350 US. And now, from what I’ve read, in 2018 this opportunity was suspended in all research centers throughout China despite tour websites saying otherwise.

I guess we missed our chance, never to come again.

The Elephant

For this Midwestern American, an elephant I consider exotic, although I never saw myself being anywhere near one except in the zoo. My comfort and desire in working in northern Asia, not in the African continent, kept me far from those mammoth beasts . . . until now.

Yes, folks, my new teaching position will have me in a very special region of the world where elephants are still used to work the land, although in a limited capacity.

The country Laos used to be known as the Kingdom of Lan Xang (1354 to 1707), which translates to “Land of a Million Elephants.” As Laos had extensive forests and sparse human population, wild herds of elephants roamed all over. However, due to environmental factors and encroaching on habitat, the Laos government and conservation groups estimate there are only about 800 elephants left in the country — 400 wild elephants, 400 in captivity.

Elephants and Buddhism

From my research, the fact that the elephant is a Laotian national animal originates from Buddhism, the major religion of the country. From the Buddhist perspective, the elephant represents luck, peace, and wealth, especially the sacred and rare white elephant which represents power and royalty.

The colors of the elephant refer to the conscious mind.

When people are born, they are as a grey elephant. They don’t know what is right or what is wrong and can’t control their actions. This is similar to a wild elephant which runs freely and destroys everything it encounters. After a person leads a religious life, however, the person becomes like a a white elephant, one that controls his/her actions and is powerful enough to eliminate all obstacles.

Interesting, yes?

Opportunities to Volunteer

I fully understand I’ll be busy as Coordinator of the Sunbeam Language and Vocational Center in Vientiane, the capital city. I expect the first month will have me racing about, getting housing, arranging my things to arrive from China, meeting the Center’s staff, continuing with existing programs while contemplating new ones and just figuring out how to live in a different environment and culture. But I’m certain I’ll eventually have opportunities to volunteer in the communities I come in contact with.

While it’s nice to volunteer my time as a language teacher, what I’d really enjoy doing is something different. Visiting an elephant sanctuary for a week and helping take care of these beautiful, unique creatures would be such an incredible experience. Reading the article below truly inspires me.

Anyone here want to join me? Give me a year to get my feet on the ground, and a bit of the language under my belt, and I’ll be good to go!