MEET JULIAN PETERSON:

PiA’S NEW PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR THAILAND & VIETNAM

burying themselves in dry textbooks. I strove to show that language learning as an adult can be fun and meaningful. We played games and tried to use English with purpose. Some of my favorite moments were watching students laugh after being asked about their first crush. I was also thrilled by seeing my more advanced sections have discussions about the issues raised by Sandra Cisneros in The House on Mango Street.

Outside of the classroom, I formed bonds with community members, from my barber, to the two Thai women who owned the restaurant on the end of my block. One cooked grapao - stir fried basil - and the other brewed ooliang - traditional Thai coffee. After some time, language and cultural barriers were crossed, and the bonds felt as real and dependable as any other relationship in my life. One night, Richard Parker and I went into town to see my barber play guitar with his band. And eventually, the women at the end of my block told me to call them bpa, the Thai word for “Auntie.” update from Executive Director, continued from page 5