Jip’s niece Boe, whom I’ve known since she was hardly half my height, graduated from college last year. Since then she’s been stuck in a job as a clerk at a Bangkok shipping company.
A few weeks ago she got herself a special visa to New Zealand, known as the working holiday visa. It’s designed for twenty-somethings, to help them enter a country they might not normally be able to visit easily, with the idea that they’ll spend a year doing two or three short working stints, interspersed with travel. I think it’s perfect for her.
Her parents and grandma probably feel a little more hesitant than I do, seeing as she is an only child and an only grandchild. She’s left Thailand only once before, a quick trip to Korea.
The first few email messages from her sound upbeat. After two weeks with the Kiwis, she seems to be enjoying the adjustment. She misses Thai food, but otherwise she’s not homesick. If anyone knows somebody there Boe could share housing with some day—empty nesters with a spare room, or a young single—drop me a line.
No comments:
Post a Comment