Turkey is the bird of choice around traditional Christmas time. But for our latest volunteer, Christmas means chickens.
Paul is a master carpenter who has just started a two week placement at one of our newest network schools. He'll be busy building chicken coops for the school as part of their most recent community project. The chickens will supply eggs for the school. The surplus eggs will be sold in the local market to provide revenue for other school projects.
"I've never taught school in my life," says Paul. "But I guess I could give it a try. But why not help the school by donating my real talent which is building things."
Inevitably the children at the school will want to see how things are done and as they do Paul plans to teach them the vocabulary that a carpenter might use. And when he's done he'll have given the children a Christmas present that keeps on giving. When he's back home, he'll have something to think about every time Christmas rolls around.
Posted December 11, 2009
Volunteer at a big time international golf event
If you're in Thailand January 8-10, you can volunteer at a major international golfing event: the Royal Trophy. Marquee participants include 2010 European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie and rising teenage star Ryo Ishikawa from Japan.
We help out with volunteers for the event and we'd love to see you out there.
And for you golfers out there. If you've never seen a top golf professional up-close and live, you don't know how magical a well struck ball can be. When we hit iron shots, it sounds like we're hitting ice cubes. When they hit it. The balls sound like marshmallows. And the trajectory. Shots with their long irons and drivers look like they're going to burn up on re-entry to the earth's atmosphere. Television doesn't do them justice. So come out and watch. Try to keep your jaw from dropping or someone might call a paramedic for you But come out and watch. It'll change the way you think about the game you love.
Posted: December 10, 2009
Stay tuned: A volunteer teacher compares Africa with Thailand
A 20 year old, round the world traveler, may have some insights about volunteer teaching in Thailand.Diane has just joined our program here in Thailand and is on her way to a placement in Chiang Rai at the northernmost tip of the Kingdom.Her next stops?Australia.Then Hawaii.Guatemala and then home to Europe.
“The students I taught in Ghana were amazing,” she says.“They’d laugh and smile and carry my things to school,” she said. “I’ve heard the children of Thailand are also very friendly.So it will be interesting to compare the two experiences.”
When Diana sends her first written report, we will be sure to carry it here on this webpage.
But we have to admit that we’ve cheated just a little bit towards getting a favorable report.She already knows that she won’t have to shower using a bucket of cold water as she did in Ghana.
