CCT Volunteer Duncan Brady 2nd Blog Post (Wat Baan Thong Gai School)

Boy, is teaching people in a different language hard! It has been getting easier with each week, but is still by no stretch of the imagination easy. The difference between where I am now and where I was 3 weeks ago is that I actually have a grasp on how much English my students actually know. This allows me to plan ahead for them more successfully, rather than being surprised by their level of knowledge the hard way. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to lesson plan every day for a set of six different grade levels with six varying degrees of ability. Actually, I should rephrase that. Each grade has a varying ability level, but the spectrum of ability within each classroom is even more severe than the spectrums between, so making plans for a specific class here is incredibly difficult. The age range in every class is at least 3-4 years, and in one or two of my classes is upwards of 5-6 years between the youngest and oldest student. Needless to say, when you have a student from Burma who is twelve-years-old and speaks Thai as his second language and English as his third language, and a student from Indonesia who is six-years-old and is still learning the written fundamentals of her own first language in the same class, it can be tough to make an engaging lesson that accommodates all 25 students. So yes, it is still a tough job, but it is getting easier and easier.

I’ve been picking up particular Thai phrases that are helpful in school from the kids. Even though most of the time the young students just stand in front of me and spout Thai at lightning pace, I eventually can grab a phrase or two that they are trying to tell me. I would cautiously recommend to anyone considering ESL as a career that they become proficient in world languages before jumping into the career, however. I’m at the point where my face and presence are regular enough to the students, and the same in reverse, that I have an individual connection in some way with mostly all of the students. There are inside jokes and tendencies that I have developed with many of them (almost all of them in Thai or just with body language, because it would be too difficult in English to be funny to them). My Sixth grade class was even able to ask me when I’m going home to America, and when I drew out the days we had left on a calendar they all started complaining that it was too soon and that I needed to come back –Or at least that’s what it seemed like. Again this is all in very broken English-Thai conversations–.

I’ve been trying to learn the names of my students more effectively as well. The task was so daunting at the beginning that I almost ignored it altogether. There are just too many students, and the names are just too difficult to pronounce. But this last week I committed to memorizing the names of my sixth graders, which is the smallest class, and I was able to do it! So I moved on to my fourth graders, and I’m getting close. If I can keep up the pace, maybe I’ll have this whole school memorized before I leave. The problem is, that will likely only make me miss them more when the time comes for me to go.

The weird stage I’m at right now is in coming to grips with the impermanence of my time here in Chiang Mai. Although I miss home so much and want to be back in America, I’m terrified by the idea that it could be years, decades, or even until the day I die before I have the chance to see these people again. What it takes to fly to Thailand is just more than I have the capability to do a second time financially. Maybe someday though, it would be great to come back with my family and show them the place I called home for a few months. So I’m here in this seventh inning stretch, where I miss home and want to go as soon as I can, but I love my home here and want the trip to stretch on forever…

Despite all that, I can’t forget that I’m not here on a vacation. I’m here to do a job, and my job is to educate young, underprivileged Thai students and S.E. Asian refugees in the English language. When I remember that I’m here helping people, it makes it easier to continue forward during those nights when I just want to sit and miss home. The lesson planning, the early mornings (comparatively), and long days all come together for an incredibly rich experience.

CCT Volunteer Anna Osborn 2nd Blog Post (FORRU)

I can’t believe I have less than 2 weeks left interning for FORRU, these past 6 weeks went by incredibly fast. A lot has changed since my last blog post, but one thing that hasn’t is how much I enjoy working for this organization. I have attended more field trips, been assigned specific projects to help with, learned even more about forest restoration, and continue to see the beautiful scenery Northern Thailand offers.

                The past 4 weeks since my last post have been a mix of data work, field trips, and various tasks around the FORRU office. I was able to help care for the seedling nursery we have outside our office. I spent an afternoon doing seedling care for around 300 seedlings which included picking weeds, refilling the dirt to each individual seedlings, and watering them...basically I was gardening, which I enjoyed (the only part I didn’t enjoy was the heat that day)! Other tasks include entering data into spreadsheets for our bosses, making seedling identification tags for planting days, and attending meetings for the education events. Although field trips and my individual projects are a bit more exciting, I recognize this work is very important!

As for my individual projects, I have been assigned a task of assisting a professor in Chiang Mai University with a project she’s doing with forest restoration. She is in the process of working to figure out which tree species could survive in Thailand regardless of changing climates in the future. She traveled to a herbarium in England to research the diverse tree species in various countries in Asia. She collected pictures of the data she recovered and brought the information back to Chiang Mai to continue her project. I will be helping her transfer information from pictures she has to data sheets on the computer so it is accessible easier. The pictures are snapshots of information tags included with each tree species. These tags include collector, collection date, description of where the species is located, and description of the habitat where the species grows. However, these tags date back decades old, and on occasion, over a century old. It can be difficult to gather the information on the tags due to illegible handwriting or not enough information provided. Although, it is really interesting to learn of all the different species in various Asian countries and even learn more about the geography and habitats of Asia. The professor’s project is a long process but the translation of the information tags will be a start to her succeeding in her research.

Another individual project I have been assigned is updating the FORRU website projects page. The project page has two categories; recent projects and previous projects. I’m working to move projects that have been completed to the previous project folder and add the project outcomes and final reports to them as well. I also am adding new projects to the recent project page and updating the current projects that are still in the works. I have met with professors and various people heading each project to get more information on what they have accomplished and what they're working to achieve. This is cool because while I’m working to update the website, I am also learning about projects FORRU has done with forest restoration before I came to intern for them. I’m able to understand which part of the projects were successful and what did not go as planned, which is helpful to know in the world of environmental sustainability.

Away from individual projects, I’ve attended more field trips. A few weekends ago I participated in a planting day in Mae Takhrai National Park but this time I was the volunteer (this event was not put on by FORRU but the organization Flight of the Gibbon). During this planting day we planted around 4,500 trees with hundreds of volunteers. This past weekend we did another planting day, this time put on by FORRU at Tham Pa Thai National Park (3 hours southeast of Chiang Mai!). We left on Friday and helped with the controlled planting of various tree species all afternoon on Friday. After the work day, we spent the night in a cabin located inside the national park due to the national park being far away from Chiang Mai. Saturday was our big planting day. We planted over 3,000 trees this time. It was hot and a long day, but very rewarding. I love being outdoors for my job, it’s always in beautiful national parks and I am able to see more of Thailand. I also am able to participate in hands on experience, which is beneficial. One of my favorite parts about the planting event in Tham Pa Thai was our adventure ride to the planting site. We drove 30 minutes to the site through backcountry roads in the bed of a pickup truck. We passed several rice fields, beautiful luscious mountain views, and went through the forest in order to get to the site. It was a once in a lifetime experience to say the least. Not only was planting the trees really cool, but also all the breathtaking scenery I was able to see. I definitely could not have asked for a better summer internship.

During my time at FORRU, I also helped with an education event. Around 30 Thai high school students came to learn about forest restoration. This day began with an information session on forest restoration and was followed by a hike to Doi Suthep (a mountain in Chiang Mai). Although the information sessions and guided tours were in Thai, my super awesome Thai co-workers helped translate it for me so I could understand what was going on - which I’m very thankful for! After the hike we did various activities with the students, which provided a fun way of learning about this topic. They were able to engage and do group work to understand all the information they obtained. It was really cool and such a good idea, I would love to see this kind of thing happen for American students back home! They also have these education events for younger students and college aged students, which I think is awesome. Educating students on the importance of environmental sustainability can be really helpful for the future of our planet.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have to reiterate how awesome my coworkers are. They’re so fun to be around and are so passionate about forest restoration which is a great vibe to be surrounded with for the summer. Over the past few weeks I’ve gotten to know them more and more and love that I can call them friends. I’m really thankful for FORRU and my summer in Thailand. This place is amazing and this organization is great work for anybody with a desire to help the environment.

CCT Volunteer Mansur Alam 2nd Blog Post (BEAM Foundation)

It has already been a month since I landed here in the beautiful city of Chiang Mai, Thailand but it only feels like a week. I have no idea how the time has passed so quickly and I only have 3 more weeks to go.

So here is what I have been up to for last five weeks. When I came here, first I had my orientation with the executive director of Cultural Canvas Thailand. We went out to a coffee shop where we talked about my work and everything that I needed to know about Thailand, Thai culture and places I can visit here in Chiang Mai.  It was an amazing day and I was so excited and looking forward to next day.

On the first week I did very little, I went out to meet with the people at BEAM foundation (the place where I will be working for the 8 weeks I am here) and had orientation with the ART relief director. Later on we visited the Hope home. Hope home is a foster home for children with disabilities. The home is for seven children but it also serves as respite for families of children with disabilities and provides loving and caring environment. 

BEAM

Teaching is never something I thought I would do, in fact, if someone would have suggested a year ago that my next job would be teaching high school level science I might not have believed them. It was not until few weeks before I came here I read about the lives and circumstance of the kids I would be working with that I felt it was something I had to do. I think I was very affected by the stories of the kids and how they relate to my own story.

 At the beginning I was extremely nervous, and still sometimes I have to put in a lot of extra work to keep up but so far I have loved every moment of it. I am proud that I have managed to grow and pick up other skills I may have been worried would hold me back in this position.

 It turns out that having a lot in common with the students has really helped me to connect with them and build some meaningful relationships. I love that the students are engaged and interested in learning, they try their best in every moment and some of them seem to love science as much as I do. I also enjoy moments in the class where I can hear small pieces of their stories and share small pieces of mine. I love how unique they all are, and how they are able to laugh at themselves and feel comfortable enough to bring their sense of humour to the class and make it more fun for everyone including me. 

Aside from occasionally being showered with messages in the evening about homework confusion and wifi “not working,” I really have nothing negative to say about my experience with the students at BEAM. I am just over half way through my time with them and I am already starting to feel sad about leaving.

ART Relief

I have had the privilege of working with Art Relief International by participating in some of their workshops in my free time. I spend most of my time preparing for my class at BEAM as it is my first time teaching I am not yet very fast with creating my own lesson plans.

I have enjoyed every workshop I have participated in, they are all great and educational. There are  great lessons behind every workshop and I am very glad to be a part of it.

Here are a few of the workshops I have attended: 

Hope Home

I had five workshops with the kids at the Hope Home and they have been my favourite ones out of all the workshops with ARI. Our main goal here is to improve and practice sensory and motor skills including touch, sight, and sound. Therefore our workshops involve drawing, painting, folding etc. It is very important that every workshops we do include everyone in the house so that we don’t leave out anyone just because they can’t do it in certain way, therefore we help them to get involved in the activity with whatever way possible.

We go to hope home every Wednesday and do small workshop with the kids and it is really amazing, I absolutely love going there and doing different activities, playing and laughing with the kids, they make me smile so much and I really hope I can make a difference in their lives by just helping them in whatever way I can.

So far some of the things I have done with the kids at hope home are making Tambourines, Paper Plate Animals, sensory jet packs, kites, and textured painting. 

Wat Muen Ngen Kong

I have done two workshops with this school and both have been very fun and successful. I particularity  enjoyed one where we had the kids do portraits of their friends and were not allowed to look at their page. It was a fun way to get the kids to think differently and create something interesting they may not have made if they were allowed to look.

nd do small workshop with the kids and it is really amazing, I absolutely love going there and doing different activities, playing and laughing with the kids, they make me smile so much and I really hope I can make a difference in their lives by just helping them in whatever way I can.

So far some of the things I have done with the kids at hope home are making Tambourines, Paper Plate Animals, sensory jet packs, kites, and textured painting. 

Elderly Care

Going into the Elderly Care program, I was curious about how Art would be used or relevant as I am more familiar with working with kids using arts and crafts. I was pleasantly surprised by the ability that the simple art activities had to uplift the seniors and it made me happy to see them so happy. I was also quite entertained by the fact that many of them seemed to think I was Thai and made me feel quite welcomed (thanks to P’Noom translating everything they said.) So far I’ve only been able to attend one workshop with them where we did dot painting which they took to quite well. I would love to go back to Elderly Care before I leave.

CCT Volunteer Sarena Sanchez 2nd Blog Post (Wat Kuang Singha School)

The past couple of weeks have been such fun at Wat Khuang Sing School! I’ve really found my groove as a teacher and am really enjoying leading the classes!

One Friday we were lucky enough to be a part of an awesome celebration that included the entire school! At the end of the day the classrooms all lined up in a huge group with the band at the very front and the teachers right behind them. The regular teachers put us towards the front, where people of importance usually go. We then walked off of the school property and began a parade with the entire school where we walked around the neighborhood and ended at the temple. We went inside and listened to a monk talk and listened to the students recite many things. We also were given things to give to a certain monk. It was a super cool experience and I’m so glad we were able to be a part of it!

At the beginning of week 4 my teacher returned! It definitely took some adjusting to have someone else being in the classroom with me and feeling like I was being watched the entire time and almost evaluated. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but once I became a little more adjusted to it, it was such a huge help to have someone who could translate things that I struggled to get across. I also am really thankful to have her back because I am able to learn a lot from her. Teaching is what she does for a living and I have been using her strategies to make my own lesson plans better suited for the classes! 

I can’t believe there is only a little over a week left for me at Wat Khuang Sing and in Thailand! I am really going to miss the kids and other teachers in the school. I can’t wait to see what other adventures the last week brings!

CCT Volunteer Lauren Dekleva (Urban Light Intern)

Hello! My name is Lauren Dekleva, and I am from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I graduated in December from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, with a degree in Social Entrepreneurship and minors in Music and Political Science.

Through Cultural Canvas Thailand, I am interning full-time at Urban Light, one of CCT’s many partner organizations. Urban Light is an NGO that provides life-changing services to young male victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the region.

I've always been interested in human rights, and first learned about human trafficking as a freshman in high school. From then on, I wanted to pursue a career in anti-trafficking efforts. That desire led me to declare a major in social entrepreneurship, join collegiate organizations to raise awareness of the issue, intern with domestic anti-trafficking organizations, and ultimately, travel to Chiang Mai to work with Urban Light.

I have been in Chiang Mai for three weeks, and started my internship two weeks ago. It’s been an absolute whirlwind! These first few weeks have really been about getting my feet wet. I’ve spent a lot of time shadowing the current intern and observing the way she interacts with the boys at the center. Despite the language barrier (which has definitely been the hardest aspect of the job so far), I’ve begun forming relationships of my own with them as well, through many, many, many games of UNO, a ping pong match, watercolor painting, and a few guitar/ukulele jam sessions. It’s taking time, but many of them seem to have gotten used to me being there, and are willing to struggle through the language barrier to interact with me. And they are such incredible people! I am loving getting to know them and am looking forward to supporting and encouraging them in any way I can.

In addition to hanging out and developing trust with the boys, I will be responsible for Urban Light’s social media. Currently, I am brainstorming ways to create content and engage UL’s online audience to further spread awareness of their amazing work. I will also be assisting with the development of merchandise and a social enterprise project to generate income for the organization.

I am so excited to be in Thailand, to learn the culture and some of the language; to observe and contribute to an international nonprofit; and develop relationships with the young men at Urban Light. Over the next six months, I hope to continue to step outside of my comfort zone, discover ways to combine my passions for music and social justice, gain the knowledge and tools to become a better advocate, and have a positive impact on the community at Urban Light.

CCT Volunteer Anne Kaplan 2nd Blog Post (Wat Kuang Singha School)

For today’s blog post I want to talk a little about my desire for cultural experiences and how working at Wat Khuang Sing is slowly fulfilling them. It’s been great, but the cultural experiences are happening just a little differently than how I’d imagined.

Friday July 7^th was the start of Buddhist Lent here in Thailand. To commemorate the holiday, my school had a procession and ceremony at the temple next door. We had heard throughout the week that Friday was not going to be a normal day, but we weren’t sure until Friday as to how we were going to be involved in it. The Vice Principal of our school approached us as lunch on Thursday and asked Sarena and me what our teaching schedule looked like on Fridays. We told her that we each only teach one class in the morning, but were more than excited to stick around to observe the ceremony after school.

Around 3PM the procession started and Sarena and I watched from the back. We did not expect to do anything but observe until we were lovingly pulled to the front row by some of our favorite teachers. They wanted us to march in the parade AND carry alms! We walked for about 20 minutes (definitely the LONG route to the temple next door), until we were again lovingly dragged to the front of all the children. They wanted us to participate fully in one of their most religious, cultural events. There wasn’t a moment where we felt lost though. While the language being spoken wasn’t our own or the display of religion wasn’t something we were familiar with, the teachers translated all along the way. Words were chanted, monks spoke, teachers delivered baskets to each of the monks, and OF COURSE so many pictures were taken. My back and feet and smile hurt from all the laughing and kneeling but I couldn’t have cared less. 

In the end, it was so nice to be included in this incredible event put on by our school. I take for granted every day I have here until I experience moments like this. As a Comparative Cultures and Politics major, it’s the cultural immersions that I came here for. I wanted the change in pace, religion, culture, values, and overall difference than what I’ve had in America for the past 21 years. I spend so much time in university looking over case studies about the world that I tend to lose perspective that my studies are just representations of real life. Every case study in every class has real people they’re about.  

I’m so out of my comfort zone here, but there’s something so comforting about that. I walk into class most days expecting it to be horrible, but leave school every day with the biggest smile on my face. Each class has their own personality and specialty and now in one of my last weeks I’m learning how to use that to my advantage. P4 loves to dance, P5 has a thing for the game Hangman, P6 specializes in impromptu karaoke, but one thing I know they all have in common is that they LOVE to color.

Anyways, Annie Out.

CCT Volunteer Sam Walters 2nd Blog Post (Art Relief International)

     I feel like I have learned a lot in the time that I have been here, but I still feel as if I will not be here for as long as I would need to be to experience Art Relief International fully. I honestly can't wait to go home, to see all the people I've missed, but at the same time I don't feel like I have done enough for ARI or seen enough of Thailand. During my time at Art Relief International, I feel like I was taught so much about different people and different circumstances.

     Since coming to work for ARI, I have gone to places like Healing Family. Healing Family is a place with adults with mental illness. When we go their with a new project, they are always excited to participate and the atmosphere is like being around family. They are always welcoming, always happy to see you again, it truly feels like I walked into my aunts house or something of that effect. All the other places that we brought workshops to were great as well. There is nothing better than seeing everyone so happy to see everyone and how ready they are for whatever we prepared for them. Still, leading workshops are still the most nerve wrecking thing I've done in the past two and a half weeks, its usually worth it when everyone is happy and smiling at the end of our time together.