What a difference between my volunteer teaching in Thailand, and what I'm observing and learning in a U.S. Kindergarten. I'm sure I shall be in for another surprise in Lesotho, southern Africa, where I am co-teaching in January 2016. Sometimes I wonder how I can use the skills I learned from teaching elementary school in Koh Samui, Thailand, Continue Reading
Archives for August 2015
I Leave for Africa with the Peace Corps on October 4th
It's all confirmed; I leave for Africa with the Peace Corps on October 4th. I called to make sure all my paperwork was in order, as I hadn't received a confirmation in writing, and I have to sell my car and pay for a storage unit. My recent Bamboo Project volunteering, was the best thing I did to prepare for the next stage of my life: Teaching Continue Reading
A Lifetime Experience Crammed into Two Weeks
I'm having a lifetime experience crammed into two weeks, on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand, working as a volunteer teacher in a local public elementary school. From now on, I've decided to take volunteer vacations rather than regular vacations, as a way to immerse myself in a new culture, meet interesting people from different continents, and Continue Reading
My First Impressions of Volunteering in Thailand
It's been one week since I landed at Bangkok International Airport, and today is my first day of teaching a first grade class how to count numbers one through ten in English. I'm nervous after observing the students during our initial orientation. Why am I nervous? Because I truly want to help and for the following reasons: I have no Continue Reading
My First Experience Having Google Banned
I experienced first-hand what it’s like to have Google and FaceBook banned. I was not able to logon to either at the airport in Shanghai, and asked a young Chinese woman working at the airport lounge why I couldn’t access to Google or g-mail. She blushed and in a hushed voice said, "No Google." It felt like my freedom had been taken away, and Continue Reading
