11/4/2008 - A Knew Experience
Patcharaporn Laobundhitporn is seventeen years old. Known to her friends as “Knew,” she has one brother who is three years younger, her father owns his own wooden furniture factory and her mother stays at home taking care of the family.
Knew recently carved her very first pumpkins which send a flickering glow of light into the woods behind the house where she is staying.
No, it is not that she has a farm nearby her home, the complete opposite is true, she is from Bangkok, Thailand, a city of 7 million people.
Knew left Thailand on the day of her 17th birthday. It was a great birthday gift. She was excited to be on American soil when she arrived on August 16th.
Knew is an AFS (American Field Service) exchange student being hosted by Pete and Jan Kelly of Boothbay. She is a senior at Boothbay Region High School where she is studying Spanish, art, math, English, U.S. History and biology.
“I like it here because it is a small town. Everyone seems to know everyone and it is easy to make friends,” Knew said.
“When I started school here, I was excited and nervous, but it is going well. The periods are longer, but I don’t mind,” Knew said.
“I’ve made some friends. Everyone is so nice.” She is also involved in the Math Team and Interact Club and Teen jazz Dance at the YMCA.
Her ride to school here is only minutes compared to an hour and a half ride to school in Bangkok.
Knew says when she returns to Thailand she plans on attending the Assumption University in Bangkok to study to become a lawyer like her uncle.
She will be in Maine for a whole year as part of the AFS program. She said that she came here to help improve her English and to have a great experience.
When asked how she came to choose Maine as her American destination, she replied, “Maine chose me.”
Since arriving in Maine, she has enjoyed many new activities with her host family including canoeing and hiking. “Bangkok is very flat,” Knew said.
The family also participated in the walk for breast cancer in Damariscotta.
Knew has been involved in helping with some of the plays at Boothbay Playhouse and also dance at the “Y.”
Some of her hobbies include Thai dance and she plays Thai instruments.
While she enjoys eating lobster very much, she said that the food here is “very cheesy.”
“She likes to cook Thai food for us and we love it,” said Jan Kelly.
“Knew has never seen snow so she is excited about that. We plan to take her skiing and ice-skating.
“A few girls from Thailand came to visit the high school and Knew gave them a tour,” Kelly said.
“I had seen Kitty Boyd’s article in the paper about the need for host families for AFS students and since two of our three children are in college, I thought, ‘We have a pretty big house, we might as well keep it busy!’
“We had found out in early July that she would be coming and we started emailing and sending pictures back and forth right away,” Kelly said.
The family is planning a trip to Washington, D.C. for spring break and Knew is excited about that. Knew will graduate this year from Boothbay Region High School.
“The AFS program is pretty strong in this state. There were 43 kids at the Fall orientation weekend held a Camp Winnebago. The program also has get-togethers for the students and their families including a free ski at Sugarloaf.
“We also have Rob and Sandy Wheeler as a liaison family for Knew. Knew has had the opportunity to go horseback riding with Sandy and daughter Jamie Wheeler. They have had an AFS student in the past.
“Having Knew in our home is like having another daughter and it has been a true joy. Knew shares with us, on a daily basis, the differences in our cultures but also points out the similarities. The entire family is constantly learning and it is a good feeling at the end of the day. The Boothbay community has a lot to offer and sharing it through the eyes of a foreign teen is a great way to open your eyes and mind to a wonderful world,” Kelly said.
The Kellys, along with their daughter, Nellie, who is a sophomore at Boothbay Region High School, reside on Back Narrows Road in Boothbay.
AFS is always looking for families interested in hosting a student. For more information contact Kitty Boyd or Mark Keegan
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