I don’t even know how to start telling how
wonderful this experience was for me. As I said before, everyone was just so
kind and welcoming! But aside from that, I definitely need to say how Chiang
Mai was beyond any of my expectations. I just love how the city is surrounded
by rivers, how street food is the best and the cheapest, and how you feel so
safe walking at night. That being said, I do have to point out my favorite
places / attractions: The Elephant
Nature Park , Zoe’s, Bus Bar, Tiddin, Sunday Walking Street Market, Doi Suthep
and the Night Bazaar.
As for my teaching project, it was
wonderful! As the kids got to know me, they were asking for my autograph (it was
crazy, I loved it!) and kept telling me they loved me and were making “I Love
You” hand-signs. It was too sweet. On my last day of teaching, everyone seemed
pretty upset I was leaving. During the morning one of the teachers I was closer
to gave me a scarf and said she was going to miss me!
At lunch time they asked me to go up to the
stage in the cafeteria and make a farewell announcement. I just didn’t know
what to say, it was very unexpected, so I just thanked all of them, said it was
wonderful, and that I was really going to miss everything and everyone. After
that, a couple of kids gave me a teddy bear with “Thank You Teacher” written on
a piece of paper and some Thai treats! I just didn’t know what to say, it was a
lovely gesture!
Finally in my last class, the kids made me Goodbye
Cards and asked for my Facebook profile! Soooo sweet. I truly did learn a lot
from these kids and teachers, they are very different, not only for being Thai,
but because they truly respect one another and try their hardest to make you
feel welcome and special!
Other than work, I had a nice time with the
other volunteers and the Cultural Canvas staff. On my last night, we all joined
in for a night out at Zoe’s. It was a
fun way to say goodbye. Everyone at
Cultural Canvas is just awesome! And I really love how they have family dinner
every Wednesday, it’s such a nice way to have a fun night, get to know everyone
a bit better and have plenty of laughs. I just wished I had more time to get to
know everyone better, although I already feel like everyone is just so kind,
wonderful, and funny. So thanks everyone
for making me feel welcome.
I’m always going to remember this
experience. It was a nice way to get to know an NGO and another country while
helping others at the same time. I would definitely recommend this to everyone.
I know I only stayed for 3 weeks, but in that short period of time I got to
experience and see things from a different perspective and appreciate the Thai
culture. That being said, I definitely want to come back to visit, or volunteer
again. So this is definitely not a goodbye, but a “See you later”. Thank you
Cultural Canvas and Thank you everyone at the school and the other volunteers!
You all rock!
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