One of our many adventure in Thailand was going to a “ hippie school” on the island of Koh-Phangan. We were registered for one month at a place called Serenity Residence. Serenity is a yoga centre and international school. There are separate buildings for the yogis down below on the beach, and two classrooms for the kids on top. Serenity had a very relaxed and free vibe. It was on the top of a hill overlooking the sea with plants everywhere. The compound was small, quaint , and painted a light brown. There was also a kitchen were the school kids had lunch. The school director was a funny French guy by the name of Ben. The way we learned about Serenity school was through our Quebecois friends we met in Nepal. Apparently they learned about the school by meeting a French family whom they met in Laos. After that, they told their other Quebecois friends that were traveling as well to check out the school in Thailand. They then told us and we agreed. So, all in all, one French family brought over three Canadian families each with three kids. The number of students almost doubled when the Canadians arrived. They actually had to rent a separate classroom down on the beach to contain everyone. My brothers and I were very shy on the first day but we made some new friends. Everyone at the school was nice and talkative. With multiple nationalities, the school was very diverse. There were Canadian, Russian, Spanish, French, Thai, Israeli, and Iranian students. We were surprised when we discovered that most of the kids swore. It wasn’t really mean, it was more like teasing. I admit, it kind of became the norm after a while. Ben even joined in on the swearing sometimes, but he says, “What happens in Serenity, stays in Serenity”. When our Quebecois friends arrived three days later, we had to speak French to the younger kids. Our parents also told us to speak to the older kids in French and have them speak English to us just to practice. I think that’s how we learned the most French. Nico, Milo, and I were put into the French class to learn some French grammar. Somedays, Ben would let us play at the beach. Some of the kids would play in the ocean and play with sea-cucumbers, while others would build sandcastles.It was very relaxed and fun!
Overall, my brothers and I had a wonderful time that I ought to remember for a long time. It was one of the many highlights on our trip. I loved Serenity because I met new people and made new friends from around the world.