East Tennessean

Issue date: 2/9/09 Section: The Scene

Media Credit: Michele Gourley The Jithpratucks (left) were able to have a new experience at Beech Mountain thanks to their friends the McCormicks. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Michele Gourley Mary McCormick teaches Maew Jithpratuck the basics of skiing. [Click to enlarge]

Until a few weeks ago, the only beach Warit and Maew Jithpratuck had experienced was in the form of the warm sands of their native Thailand. The couple moved to Johnson City from Thailand last summer so Warit could begin his internship with the ETSU internal medicine residency program.
However, the couple had yet to experience another type of "beach" located in nearby western North Carolina - Beech Mountain, home of a popular ski resort. Recently, the Jithpratucks were invited by their friends, Andrew and Mary McCormick of Johnson City to "ski beech."
The McCormicks, both fourth-year medical students at Quillen College of Medicine, met the Jithpratucks last semester through a local faith-based program, FriendSpeak, which pairs church members with international students who would like the opportunity to practice speaking English. The McCormicks spend one night a week with Warit and Maew, helping them refine their English skills as well as teaching them new vocabulary.
"Besides helping them with English, we also try to expose them to other things in the area," Mary said. "We've eaten at different restaurants, taken them horseback riding and just tried to be there for them in any way that we can."
A few weeks ago, when more than a half a foot of fresh powder fell on the mountains of North Carolina, the McCormicks decided it was time to introduce Warit and Maew to two new vocabulary words: "skiing" and "snow." The couple helped their Thai friends acquire all the necessary gear for their winter outing including coats, gloves, skis and hats. The four then drove to Beech Mountain, located near Banner Elk, N.C., to enjoy a night of skiing. When asked if she had ever seen snow, Maew laughed and said, "No." With help from Mary and Andrew, the Jithpratucks not only learned two new words in English, but they also enjoyed a night of learning to participate in a popular winter sport.
With the recent snowfall, most ski resorts in the area are reporting open slopes and good conditions.
Many resorts offer various discounts throughout the week for students or other groups as well as reduced rates for night skiing.
The McCormicks and the Jithpratucks plan on taking advantage of these discounts soon to make another outing to improve their skills on the slopes.
For now, the two couples plan to continue studying English together and looking for more opportunities to put words into action.

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