Bringing "Hakuna Matata" to Chiang Mai

At the end of my six months of the theatre outreach internship with Chiang Mai Drama Centre and Art Relief International, I had the honor of taking part in the special Lion King musical theatre workshop for kids. When I was growing up the Lion King was my absolute favorite Disney movie. Even today, the story deeply resonates with me; when I hear the musical score, I can feel the powerful emotions of the music running through my veins. So when Natalie, the founder and director of CMDC, asked me to create the choreography, teach the songs and dances to the kids, and create some costume pieces, I was beyond enthusiastic about it.

After much anticipation and planning, the first day of the Lion King workshops finally came, and adorable children aged 5 -10 arrived to Lanna International School full of energy; ready to tackle everything we threw at them. As they learned the first song and dance, “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”, they were incredibly attentive and ready to learn African dance moves. We finished off the afternoon by reading through the script and assigning parts. At the end of Monday, Natalie and I felt like it would be a challenge to have everything learned and completed on time, but we leaned in with anticipation of the coming days.

By Wednesday, these incredible children learned 3 songs and dances, blocked almost the entire script (with some students already having memorized their lines), and we began seeing more character development. The students were creating brilliant set pieces like jungle bugs, flowers, birds, and elephant graveyard bones. Even though 4-hour days are definitely challenging for kids this age, they continuously blew us away with their energy and attentiveness. At this point, it was evident that the kids would be able to blow the performance out of the water!

Time flew and it was already the day of the performance. There was a good vibe in morning, and the kids were nervous and excited to show their new-found skills to their parents. The music started and all of our animal characters entered to the “Circle of Life”; just as I expected, they performed brilliantly! They remembered to smile big during the songs, all of their dance steps, and dialogue. On top of this, some of the students were even able to improv, stay in character and keep going even when things didn’t happen according to plan (like Timon and Pumba hilariously missing their high-5 a couple times before getting it right).

At the end of the week, I felt ridiculously proud of the kids for working hard, putting in a lot of effort, and focusing on a common goal at such a young age. Personally, I felt accomplished and successful in seeing my ideas come to fruition. What I have learned from Natalie while working at the CMDC is that everyone can learn how to be a team member, while growing in confidence by having a bold voice and showing others what they are capable of. It is amazing to see young kids learning how to be committed, flexible and able to adapt to challenge. These are key qualities and skills for life that they can carry into school, friendships, and future jobs.

As it is with so many folks that travel to this captivating place, Chiang Mai has captured my heart and I now plan on staying here longer than I thought I would! Of course, this makes me incredibly happy, as I know that I do not yet have to say goodbye to all of the young individuals who have made my life so much brighter. I am more than thrilled to see what the future holds with the shining youth of Chiang Mai.

Peace and love,

Shellie

Hello from Maggy!

Hi everyone!

I'm Maggy and I hail from sunny Southern California, specifically a little beach town called Ventura.

I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara (another beach town-I really like the beach...) a little over two years ago with a Bachelor in Communications.

After graduating I did a bit of travelling around Western/Southern Europe and then landed a position in politics, working as a field representative for a state elected official. Through my experience in politics I was able to gain a unique perspective into state law and policy-making, while also using my direct ties to learn about significant issue areas such as water, education, the environment, public safety, and non-profits. Although all interested me, I felt spread thinly across several different topics and preferred to focus on, and be an expert in one field--something I deeply cared about.We can all strive to make the world a better place if we genuinely care about the work we do, right?

As far back as I can remember I have always been passionate about societal issues and helping at-risk populations. To be honest, there is nothing else I have ever really considered dedicating my life to-I don't feel as strongly about anything else. However, for a long time I just knew I wanted to help people. But help people how? I didn't really know. I just wanted to do some good. Working as a field representative I was able to learn a lot about government, but I knew it wasn't something I was going to commit my life to. I see politics as longitudinal systematic change and I'm all about direct, hand-to-hand, help. So I decided to take a risk and do something I have always wanted to do. And that's why you are reading this now.

I quit my job and came to Thailand to spend the next 6 months interning at Urban Light through CCT. Urban Light is dedicated to helping boys at risk of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. I am very excited to be able to not only immerse myself in the beautiful Thai culture, but to have the opportunity to learn about and contribute to such an important cause. I am really looking forward to making the most of my time here!

If there is anything else you need to know about me, it's that I am a super upbeat, positive, warm person, who really just wants to be your friend. Oh, and I LOVE to eat and be adventurous-whether it be with food or exploring some new terrain. Need a new buddy? Just say the word :)

Love,
Maggy

Teaching... With a Twist!

From the 2nd November to the 18th of December I taught English at the Wat Kuang Singh school in Chiang Mai. 

The biggest challenge was the communication with the kids, because most of them had only learned English for a short time and so they understood next to nothing of what I was trying to say. But with the help of tooth and nail, pictures, a Thai speaking teacher or google translate, everything was possible. 


I taught 3 different classes and discussed different topics in every class. With the youngest (6-7 years old) I talked about pets and the numbers until 20. We learned new words with pictures and played pantomime games. 

The middle ones are about 8-10 years old and we spoke about our families and the different rooms in a house. We drew our family trees and the ground plots of our homes. 

The oldest ones are about 10-12 years old and they were the biggest class with about 48 students. It was really hard to work with such different levels in one class. But they all had fun when we talked about weekend activities or the western Christmas. Furthermore we played a lot of hangman to learn and remember new words. 

The other teachers were really nice and from my first day on I was a part of the team. One day we made a school trip to Doi Suithep and to the Bhubing Palace. Because the guided tour was in Thai the teachers did everything to explain the whole tour to me. And at the temple a few girls took me with them and showed everything to me.



Furthermore I learned how to build a krathong, a traditional, boats like structure made from banana leaves and flowers as part of the Loy Krathong Festival. I was a bit helpless at the beginning but the teachers and also the students showed me how to fold banana leaves and how to fix them on the banana trunk. 

The father's day ceremony was also a great experience. Everybody wore a yellow shirt and girls of all ages performed traditional thai dances. They also sang the National Anthem and other Thai songs and every adult had to write greetings for the King in a book. After the ceremony every class made their own chilli paste and then sold them. 

I should also say something about the food because I've never had such delicious food at a school. I am really impressed that one person is able to cook such good food for so many people.

All in all I had a awesome time here and I am really upset that this time has ended so fast. But the time here showed me that I really want to become a teacher in the future and I'm thankful that I was able to have all these experiences.


Alina, Germany

It's Already Almost Over!

Okay. Almost over is a little over-exaggerated with 18 days left in my project and 3 months of travelling after that. But let's say it’s almost almost over! Because that is certainly what it feels like. Working with FORRU I don’t experience a break like all the other CCT volunteers that I live with but that's totally fine by me! The last weeks are jam packed with super cool stuff! But there are most certainly things I will not relive. For example the first time I rode the pickup truck up to my work site. I was almost certain I would die. I did not and my fear was completely based on the good roads back at home and TV shows like “the most dangerous roads” where this trail, if filmed correctly, would be perfect!

Or the one time we got stuck in the mud having to pull out trucks for local farmers and drone pilots. Written down, this seems like a really odd aggregation of individuals but at that time all I could think about was how to get my feet dry and, again, not die on our way back down. But it’s not the unbelievably cool Automated Forest Restoration conference or the numerous field trips with the most incredible views that stick out to me the most. But rather the people I met along the way.

One of the best days I spent with my fellow Intern / Volunteer / Student, Ibren from the Netherlands. For a science project he needed 1g of plastic cable. Approximately 3000 pieces of said cable. It took us around 5 hours to cut all of it but I guess you can imagine us sitting in a really small lab as happy as only people in Babyfood commercials and organic wheat burgers can be. Listening to great music and just talking with someone who has traveled the world quite a bit was an enlightening experience! 

After the five hours of finger numbing scissor action and a really nice coffee at my new favourite place I didn’t even realise it was time for pickup. But of course all the other people I met and most certainly the ones I have to meet are fascinating. I really didn’t know the world was filled with so many awesome people until I started to travel!

You Are Never Too Old... Or Young!

Hi there, my name is Silvana, an Italian / Swiss woman, living in Switzerland, and only 63 years young! 

When I applied for a volunteership I had the feeling people were smiling at me. And when I went for the introduction evening before I left Switzerland I was absolutely the "old lady" amongst teenies. I thought "Oh dear......"

Meanwhile I have started my voluntary services at the Wildflower Home. The home provides safe shelter, education, health and other services to young single mothers who are either pregnant or have young children. WFH offers emotional and educational support to help them move from crisis and poverty to steady jobs or continous education after leaving the home.

I immediately noticed that the children (up to four) were quite agressive to each other. They tore away each other's toys. Young volunteers seemed to always try to be nice to them. I learned that they needed firmness and limits to their behaviour. You would not believe it, but after three weeks everybody noticed! The children became calmer, they now play together, they share, and they politely ask if they want something! I am amazed how quick they learn. 

I just love them. Everyone wants to be hugged in a different way....... their background has certainly not been easy.

In the next edition I will talk about the young mothers!

As you can read, I am still eager to achieve a lot, step by step, whilst just being a little bit over 30!

Teaching English to Mums and Kids Alike!

Hey there,

My name is Alina and I'm from Stuttgart, Germany. I'm 19 years old and I finished High School this year. My volunteer programme will take three months to complete, from September to December 2015.

I decided to spend some time in Thailand because I am really interested in Asian cultures and I hope to get to know the Thai culture. I want to become at teacher later so the work at a School here will prepare me for my occupational future. I also think that it is really exciting to get to know how kids in other countries are taught and how their parents nurture them. In addition I hope that the time here will be a great and unforgettable life experience.

Because of the school holidays I spent the first 4 weeks of my volunteer programme at the Wild Flower Home. This is a home for single mothers who are either pregnant or have young children. During my time there I took care of the kids, helped in the garden or in the office and I helped to clean the Buddhist temple kitchen from where the foundation gets most of their food and drinks. In addition I taught English to some of the older kids and to a few of the mothers.

Since November I have been working at the Wat Kuang Singh school. These children are essentially refugees from Myanmar and kids from the hilltribe villages in Thailand attending the school. I teach 3 lessons a week in 3 different classes. The most difficult part is the size of the classes (up to 48 kids) and the communication barrier, especially with the little kids. But I have a Thai teacher by my side and I realize that it is getting easier from lesson to lesson.

I'm looking forward to the following weeks and every experience I will get there.

Alina

An 18 Year Old German in the Thailand Jungle!

After one month in Thailand I can say I have arrived. Maybe I adapt especially quick. Maybe the circumstances were just right for me to feel accepted and welcome. Maybe it's because I was always interested in Asian culture. Maybe it's a combination of all those and so many more factors that make me comfortably say “for nothing would I trade this unique experience!”. Working with FORRU means being flexible. Very flexible. I didn't know I was that flexible. I also didn't know i would love this job, that before I arrived I had little to no interest in, so much that it would be no problem to sometimes work a 60+ hour week. But I guess that's exactly why I decided to make this journey and leave my family and friends for six months. To learn. Not only about a different culture and a different life and work philosophy. But to learn about myself. Also not only to meet incredible people ranging from people just like me doing a gap year to people working at Oxford on firing tree seeds in to the earth using automated drones. But also to meet myself. But who am I? Not in philosophical terms. This answer would probably exceed the few lines I'm writing here. But rather how do you imagine me? 

Writing this is an 18 year old guy from Germany, though when you read this it’s very likely I have already turned 19. I just finished the German equivalent to high school and I am currently on my gap year. Even though it’s only half a year I spend abroad I like to call it a gap year. 
I decided to travel to Thailand for a multitude of reasons. First of all I wanted to get away from home. And traveling a few kilometers in one direction just wasn’t going to cut it for me. 9000 km minimum! And another big plus for me was the culture. As I already mentioned I have always had a certain affinity with Asian cultures. Not so strong that I would just go there by myself and try to survive. After all I’m still only 18 years old. That's where CCT comes in to play. They were the perfect solution for me! I’m working with the Forest Restoration Research Unit (FORRU) at Chiang Mai University and have a place to stay and eat. So I get to do something really great (helping to find solutions for reforestation! FORRU is even considering using drones to save forests all over the world!). But I’m not alone on the beginning of my journey! And trust me having incredible people around you all the time really helps when leaving home for a long period of time and coming to a place you’ve never even been close to. For an 18 yo guy wanting to travel to Thailand, CCT provides the perfect starting point and in addition to that you also get a life altering volunteer opportunity.

Phillip