I was Ignored by the Elephants (and I’m happy about it)
By Nandi - 5 week intern
When I first arrived at KSES, culture shock hit me like a brick wall. Although this five-week internship in northern Thailand was a dream come true and something I’d been hoping to do since I was 10 years old, the reality of stepping into a remote village with limited internet, cold showers, and a new language was overwhelming. On top of that, a series of unfortunate events reminded me just how remote I was.
But slowly, the stress of being so remote and with limited contact with the outside world started to fade away. I stopped clinging to the small comforts I had left at home and started to appreciate the simplicity of village life. For the first time in a while, I was able to slow down and do the things that bring me joy but somehow get lost in daily life. I finished many books, painted, and journaled daily. But most importantly, I was able to just sit and appreciate nature and the beauty of the forests that surrounded the village. I enjoyed sitting and walking with just me, my fellow interns, and my thoughts. In the quietness, I started to understand what it means to be somewhere and just observe, similar to how I observe the elephants each morning.
As for my time in the forest with the elephants, they ignored me, and I’m lucky they did.
If you had told me before coming that I would enjoy being ignored by something I loved so deeply, I would not have believed it. At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I was desperate for a connection with these amazing animals, but they didn’t seem to notice me at all. They foraged, and foraged, and foraged some more, maybe they occasionally mud bathed or dusted, like we weren’t there. Over time, I realized what a privilege this was. Their indifference to me wasn’t rejection; it was their freedom. How lucky was I to get to witness these animals in their natural habitat, doing what they would in the wild. Many people cannot say they have experienced that. They weren’t forced to perform or beg for bananas in an artificial environment; they were simply elephants doing their elephant thing. And somehow, their lack of acknowledgment made me feel closer to them. Standing quietly in the forest, I was no longer a person; I was the wind, or the rain, or one of those giant bugs. And sometimes I would forget that I was not also an elephant.
In my third week, I discovered a pair of binoculars in the office; these were a game-changer. Not only was I able to observe them from afar, giving them their space to forage, but I also felt like I was right there with them. I could spend hours sitting there looking through the binoculars at their minute movements I wasn’t able to detect with my bare eyes. And I would have sat for hours; however, lunch was also calling my name after a grueling hike. I became obsessed with my binoculars as they gave me a way to feel like one of the herd.
This internship not only gave me a connection with the elephants, but it also gave me a connection with the amazing Karen community and many friendships. On my last weekend, I was able to participate in a local festival. Geeju is only celebrated once a year, so I felt very lucky to be able to attend. This festival celebrates the end of the planting season. The whole village gathered together to celebrate, jumping from one house to another, sharing their infamous rice whisky. It was a day for this hardworking community to rest, celebrate, and let loose. They invited us into their homes and allowed us to join in on their traditional practices. They gave us traditional dresses to wear and shared their rice, sticky rice, and rice whisky to drink. I got to witness this hard-working community having fun and enjoying the company of others, and that was incredibly special.
I came to Kindred Spirit expecting an adventure and hoping for a connection with elephants. What I got instead was something better: the chance to be ignored by the elephants and accepted by the community. I got to blend into the background, to be a fly on the wall as I observed the elephants, but welcomed by the people. Getting to see elephants be elephants is the best gift I could have asked for. There’s something profoundly humbling about being ignored. It reminded me that this sanctuary wasn’t about me. It was about creating a space where elephants could live as naturally as possible, and I was just lucky enough to witness it. I was ignored, and I’m happy about it.
