One of the Beaches in Rayong
I have been reading through this blog for a while. Thank you so much Richard for setting up this web community for the individuals that love Thailand, and for the native individuals to share their perspective of her own culture and identity. I have enlightened by the information that being share here in this web community. After a couple months of reading many insightful ideas and thoughts on this site, I decided to contribute to this community because I got an inspiration or firing up by reading through your regular columnists: Oakmonster and Bow. These two individual did a good job of sharing their lives experience. I also enjoy Richard, Steve, and other people post too.
In fact, I have pretty similar journey as Oakmonster, but in the opposite end of her. You shall see why…. Let the journey begin! My name to be use in this blog is Maitree, which mean friendship in Thai. I got this name from a group of friends in Thailand. These individuals know that I have a lot of friends.
My real name is Decha Chanrueng Robinson. I am, a Thai adoptee, who was born and raised in Thailand until the early teens. Toward the middle of my teenage years, I was adopted by American family from St. Paul, Minnesota (USA). I am originally from Rayong, Thailand. When you hear of this province, you might think that I am from major industrial Amphur Mueang Rayong or somewhere near the Gulf of Thailand, but I am not. I am from Amphur Ban Khai, Rayong. It is approximately 30 km north of Amphur Mueang Rayong and approximately 175 km drive from Bangkok.
I was born and raised there until about four years of age and then was placed into the orphanage institution in Nonthaburi named “Prakkred Baby Home.” I lived there approximately two years and then got transferred to a neighbor orphanage institution named “Prakkred Home for Cripple Children.” I live in this institution for approximately seven more years. So a total of experience living in the institution was approximately nine years. In 1994, I got adopted, which brought me into the United States. Since then, I have been living in the states for eleven plus years now. I am enjoying my life in the states but I still have a lot of interest on my native land. Currently, I am in the middle twenties year and pursuing my master education in business administration (finance) at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. I am going graduate at the end of this year, so I am in the process of job searching.
My goal for regular contribution of this community are to share my adoption experience, life in the United States, general perspective and knowledge of culture shift [alternate] between Thailand and the United States. I will try to post something interesting one per week but not guarantee for sure since I am full-time MBA student.
I am looking forward to meet all of you.
P.S. You may spot my grammatical errors from time to time. Sorry for this. English is not my first language. But I will try my best to use the “correct grammar” as much as I can. I am studious, [extra] sensitive, and at time very stubborn Thai-born personality. But I will try to keep an open-mind and might make you giggle at time because I love to exchange and share knowledge with others. I will also view things as if I am a CEO of an organization. The MBA or business program in the United States teaches me to view thing as If I am a CEO. If you have listen or read our King’s speech in the last couple years….you know what I mean.
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