How is it week three already and halfway through my volunteering experience?! My school kids were rather excitable, as most of them have school trips this week and next. On Monday, I taught the daily routine to my secondary students and on Tuesday I taught my primary children classroom objects vocabulary. As a mid-week treat, we all went on a cinema outing on Tuesday evening. We were all so happy to find a film showing in original English as they are usually dubbed in Thai. Armed with our popcorn, we enjoyed the film Pompeii. In Thailand, before a film begins, a tribute is made to the royal family and there is a standing ovation in the cinema. It was a great film and we enjoyed the Thai cinema experience.
On Wednesday, I taught my primary class how to tell the time. It was rather challenging, not only because teaching to tell the time is difficult when you can't explain in their native tongue, but also because my students were just not able to focus. It was unusual for that particular class, so I put it down to it being a hot day and them being preoccupied thinking about their school trip the next day. So far, all the children have been very we behaved and had good concentration, so this was a new challenge for both myself and my coordinator, Nikki.
Wednesday evening was meant to be a quiet evening with housemates playing UNO but turned into a dramatic evening of screams and paranoia, after we saw a cockroach in the kitchen. We initially thought it would be fine to move it out the house with something, until it started flying around rapidly into the living room. As you can probably imagine, we were all screaming and jumping. We were unable to find it, so sat outside for a long while trying to forget about it. When we eventually wanted to go to bed and hadn't still forgotten, we carefully turned over and moved every item in the living room, and next in my bedroom. What if it had flown into my bedroom?? Still unable to source it we were just about to walk away, when it flied out of some corner again! More screaming and jumping until Sarah and Alex come to the rescue and help dispose of it. A very jumpy evening indeed! I think some of us are still paranoid everytime we sit in living room or go into the kitchen..
On Thursday, I went to a different volunteer project as my schoolchildren were away on their school trips. I accompanied my other housemates to the child care centre where they go to volunteer. This is like a private nursery for two and three year olds. I'd already heard so much about this place from my housemates, so I was looking forward to a new experience. The children are absolutely adorable and in playing with them all morning with Lego and singing nursery rhymes, I barely registered the morning turn to afternoon! The childcare centre is lacking funding to develop building so my housemates are organising fundraising for it. If you would like to donate money, please do contact me. A spot of lunch in Surin town and by evening we were welcoming back our new housemate Steph, from her week at the elephant sanctuary.
I thought it wasn't possible to like Thailand any more than I already did from my last visit, but the more I learn everyday the more I fall in love with the country.
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