tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67004528675169454682024-03-21T14:22:49.166-07:00Sam's Thai AdventureThe country of the eternal smileSam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-26037160171275007462012-06-01T22:55:00.004-07:002012-06-02T02:18:03.408-07:00A fortnight of dress ups and goodbyes<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Teaching
the local children in Surin English is not longer done by us. Because
yesterday, we finished our last lessons in our school. It was a day to
remember.<o:p></o:p></span></span>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But before I
talk about that, I would like to give you an insight in the different costumes
and uniforms the teachers and pupils wear during a normal school week. On
Mondays, each teacher wears a uniform fashioned by the Thai government. It’s a
beige outfit and they look like military uniforms. On Tuesday, every teacher
wears a pair of sweatpants and a green polo shirt emblazoned with the school
logo. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On
Wednesdays, its boy- and girl scouts day. And not only do the pupils wear a uniform;
the teachers wear it as well. I got to say, seeing a grown man in a costume meant
for children and young adults is quite hilarious. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On
Thursdays the teachers are free to wear whatever they want (and this is the
only day mind you) but some pupils wear a dark green military uniform. If they
wear this every Thursday for three years they can skip their military duty. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And on
Fridays every teacher wears a blue/green shirt with the school logo on it, also
known by two foreigners as: crazy Friday. Oh, by the way, the hat in the following
picture isn’t required but it does make one hell of a nice picture, doesn’t it?
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During this
week nothing really interesting happened apart from the fact that I joined the
English Club on Thursday. The goal of this club is to ‘Edutain’. We tried to
achieve this goal by singing and dancing the ‘Hokey Pokey’ song and playing a
couple of games of Hangmen afterwards. The pupils seemed to love it, so of
course, I was happy too. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">During the
weekend we went to Surin for the very last time. We met up with Sally to get
some school work done and we decided to pay one last visit to our </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">favourite</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> shops and bars. After a nice stroll to the
city we went for a swim in our hotel and grabbed lunch afterwards. We were back
home at around 14.30 on Sunday and we got some more school work done. Instead
of decreasing this work seems to pile up so we got going and didn’t stop until dinner.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Monday
morning Nele and I had a strange feeling; it was to be our last full week in
Thailand and this was just strange. Time flew when we were here and we couldn’t
believe it was our last week. We got dressed, took our cameras and were off to
teach some English. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During this
last week we also said goodbye to all of our classes. Some pupils were happy
because know they didn’t have to speak English anymore but most pupils were genuinely
sorry to see us leave the classroom for the last time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now we’re at Friday the 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> of
June. Our last school day and a day full of things that will be hard to forget.
First off, we had a give a goodbye speech to 1700 pupils and about 100
teachers. Stage fever? Bad luck… With the money we received for guiding the project
at the university we decided to buy English reading books to put in the school
library. We gave these to the principal during the official morning ceremony just
after our speech. To be honest it was hard saying goodbye to all those smiling
faces shielding their faces from the morning sun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In the
course of the day rain started pouring down; a sign that even the weather gods didn’t
want us to leave their country? Anyway, we said our last goodbyes to our ‘</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">favourite</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">’ pupils and we headed to the teachers’ lounge.
30 minutes later we were headed to the Lamduan Karaoke Bar for a night of sheer
fun and delicious food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had
heard from several reliable sources that Thai people loved singing karaoke and
indeed, they do. We entered a strange looking room (to be honest, it reminded
me of a football cafeteria) and sat down with the principal and vice principal.
In the end, about 10 teachers joined us that night and we had a lovely time. We
ate some yummy fish, spicy soup and French fries as appetizers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During the
meal every teacher sang at least three songs and of course, we didn’t want to
stay behind. A list of our performance;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">R.E.M.
– Losing my religion<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Train
– Drops of Jupiter<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eagles
– Hotel California<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">John
Denver – Country Roads<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Out
Of Reach – Gabrielle (Nele’s Solo)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing
we noticed, every Thai sings as if their lives depend on it. They make funny
faces, go on stage and when they do they receive tips from their colleagues. We
laughed a lot and time passed quickly. Before we said our goodbyes, every
teacher wanted their picture taken with us and we gladly obliged.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-81955327200219711242012-05-20T05:54:00.000-07:002012-05-20T05:55:37.161-07:00*Yawn* Good morning teacher!<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know it
has been two weeks since I posted an entry but to be honest, nothing
interesting happened so I decided not to bore you with my futile stories.
You’re welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But hold on
to your seats because this just in: the new school year started and in this
eventful week the teachers provided us with no more than 8 hours to teach! </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Monday
and Tuesday we were to help two Thai teachers teach the new pupils revision
lessons before they entered the English classes in our school. I was shocked at
the level of English these children ‘mastered’. Some pupils couldn’t count to
twenty and some had difficulties reciting the alphabet. They have been getting
English lessons since they were 8 years old so I wonder what the hell the
teachers have been doing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On
Wednesday it was the official start of the new school year. A long morning
ceremony followed by no classes pretty much covered the entire day. So after
half an hour of socializing with colleagues we skipped school (after we had
asked permission) and went home to get some other things done.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Thursday
most of the teachers still had to go over the new rules, aims for their courses
and so on. Since all of the lessons would be in Thai today we ended up spending
an entire day in the library with no internet. I do love Thai schools, don’t get
me wrong, but spending 8 hours in a room where fans are non-existent? Not cool.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We put on
bold faces and told the teachers that if we didn’t have any classes on Friday,
we would just stay home. Luckily they created a timetable for the upcoming two
weeks so we would have something on our hands. Seems like I’ll be teaching more
than any regular English teacher, but hey, I am not complaining. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After four
lessons (Introducing yourself and revising numbers + alphabet) I was back in ‘the
zone’. The negative vibe we picked up in the last couple of days disappeared once
we were back in front of the classroom, trying to help Thai children understand
a tad more of English than they can possibly learn by their normal teachers.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh yeah, I
almost forgot to mention I spotted a strange looking gecko (or chameleon) in
one of the hallways. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-85800181834963141762012-05-11T01:11:00.002-07:002012-05-11T01:11:39.044-07:00A private hairdresser please!<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because we
only had to teach on Thursday this week we had a lot of free time on our hands.
On Monday we decided to book a hotel room in our all time favorite town: Surin
(not that we have a choice, it’s the only ‘town’ near us). <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a
swim, had a couple of nice meals, bought (even more) souvenirs and I got a
haircut. Not that special you think? Guess again. I entered the sleazy looking ‘shop’,
was assigned a seat, waited five minutes and gulped. A pair of rusty scissors,
shampoo bottles with greenish mold on them and some other dirty artifacts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily the woman that came in had her own
materials and they were clean as a whistle. Phew. Before she started cutting my
hair she spent at least 10 minutes blessing my hair, making ‘Wai’s’ and asking
me of it was okay is he touched my hair. Of course I said yes, otherwise she’d
have troubles actually performing her job. After twenty minutes she was done
and I had to pay 1.75 EUR. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tuesday and
Wednesday: nothing special to report. We did some work for school, watched a
couple of movies, and that’s it really.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Thursday
we finally had something to do. We gave our final day of English Camp at
Surappinpittaya (our school name) and we were rather excited. We again gave the
pupils the assignment of creating a booklet about English Camp and we were
going to receive them today. Everyone single pupil had finished them so we were
happy as can be. After doing some more activities, we had lunch and after our
meal we started the closing ceremony. First we awarded the prizes for the most
beautiful booklets, we gave every pupil a certificate of attendance and we had
a few bags of chips and some refreshing drinks. After we said goodbye, we
cleaned up and said goodbye to Sally. She is going back to her school for the
remainder of our time in Thailand. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb_kdam3oI2RqucvrrQn1w89AIyC2JxAYn_i5R2YUQzFvKoAKPkE1v2sVrox-IJmNnHGPXDM8Pu1P1mYV6jD6Oj5cuclfGKv1msmcZOvcudUit50M2rBjOnQ3TdwZ8sy39Q5lwWiIOoc/s1600/AP+kamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb_kdam3oI2RqucvrrQn1w89AIyC2JxAYn_i5R2YUQzFvKoAKPkE1v2sVrox-IJmNnHGPXDM8Pu1P1mYV6jD6Oj5cuclfGKv1msmcZOvcudUit50M2rBjOnQ3TdwZ8sy39Q5lwWiIOoc/s320/AP+kamp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now it’s
Friday and we are sitting in our room with a fan blowing. We just went out for
a drink (Ice-Chocolate for Nele- I already dread the time she has to go cold
turkey – and Iced Green Tea with milk for me) and we had to run back inside. It’s
just too hot. Well, beats rain, doesn’t it? <o:p></o:p></span></span>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-61140097064976852872012-05-05T21:34:00.002-07:002012-05-06T02:03:34.221-07:00What happens in Cambodia, stays in Cambodia<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our first
week of English camp in Lamduan is finished, 4 days of teaching grammar, pronunciation
and vocabulary really is quite tiring. Luckily we try to make these lessons as
fun as possible to throw in a couple of games and fun activities. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because we
will only be holding this camp for 5 days, it was a real struggle deciding
which parts we really wanted to teach. We managed to provide a lot of variety for
the pupils and still let them experience what it feels like to follow a
coherent course. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We noticed
that the level of the pupils in this school is higher than the level of the
pupils in Sally’s school. This could be due to the fact that our school tries
to hire a native speaker for at least one year. I don’t need to tell you that
this really does help the pupils’ progression, do I? This, plus the fact that
we only have 7 pupils, makes the pace of the camp a lot higher.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />Like I said
before, the organization of this camp is far worse than on Sally’s school. On
Wednesday they forgot we like to eat during lunchtime so we only had 10 minutes
to gobble up our meal. Not that bad, but if you are having trouble eating rice
in the morning, it is hard to skip lunch. And in this heat (approximately 40°C)
you really need your nutrients and sugar. Especially the sugar.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Friday
we gave out pupils the task of creating a booklet about English camp. Because
we had already received some beautiful ones during our other camp, we wanted to
extend our collection. <br />On Friday night I had the realization that another week
had almost passed. Time flies when you’re having fun. But time is flying really
fast now...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday
we left the country. Just like that. We were sick of Thailand and we wanted to
leave. Just kidding! We needed to get a stamp on our visa in order to prolong
our stay for at least one month. Otherwise we would be illegal immigrants and
since this can cost you around 20.000 Bath and some jail-time, we decided to
get the stamp.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">P’Mook
picked us up on Saturday morning together with a Science teacher and off we
were! After a one hour drive and a nice lunch we arrived at the border where we
were ushered to a man sitting behind a register, checking our ID cards. We were
often passed by some Thai people throwing money in his booth, and what do you
know, they didn’t have to show anything…<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We followed
our ‘guide’ out of the office and we were in Cambodia! The first thing you
noticed: four big casinos. Since gambling is illegal in Thailand, there are a
lot of Thai people hopping the border every weekend to try their luck in one of
the big and beautiful casinos right across the border. Cambodian marketing at
is best. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After
having our picture taken, paying way too much money (money you know never
reaches the right person) and waiting for our visas we were back in Thailand.
In the end, I think we passed four control booths for two stamps. Hail bureaucracy!
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After this
we went to a famous market just near the border. You could practically buy
everything you wanted here. Name it and they sell it. Car parts, furniture,
clothing, army supplies, food, wooden structures, plastic plates, tablets made
by Apple running on Android, “Sumsvng” cell phones and so on. A nice place to
browse for stuff you don’t really need. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At night we
watched a movie and went to sleep peacefully. Tomorrow’s plans? Doing laundry
and doing some work for school. That’s all folks! </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDVZqap2ajEyj7px12PBaGFpwCHfHOQVmaXcqopuAveaZOxADJcAac76Y-CLc5i52KwVQxv4Uy9DcyCbGWCWYsYOTTkvCrjXkGNzpEeXi0uBWgl3sQ8tJRe8oUQD3WJKFCu4LatL0Zjg/s1600/AP+ETEN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDVZqap2ajEyj7px12PBaGFpwCHfHOQVmaXcqopuAveaZOxADJcAac76Y-CLc5i52KwVQxv4Uy9DcyCbGWCWYsYOTTkvCrjXkGNzpEeXi0uBWgl3sQ8tJRe8oUQD3WJKFCu4LatL0Zjg/s320/AP+ETEN.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry and Chocolate Potato Chips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-14891041704820023432012-05-01T04:05:00.001-07:002012-05-01T04:05:43.614-07:00Lamduan, we're back!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On
Saturday, we packed our bags for the last time. The next time our clothes go in
our rucksack, we say goodbye to Thailand. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves,
shall we? First we need to focus on our second English camps. This time we will
be doing them in the school where Nele and I have taught the first three weeks
of our stay here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Sunday,
P’Nee, our host, picked us up at the university and drove us to our familiar
house in Lamduan. We thought we would be saying goodbye to Sally (she will be
staying with another English teacher for two weeks) but her host wasn’t home
yet, so she spend the day in ‘our’ home. We killed time by playing childish
games like Oxo, reading (I admit, I secretly slept for half an hour until Nele
busted me…) and so on. We had a nice lunch and dinner and about half an hour
after the meal, Sally was gone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We unpacked
our bags and got settled quite easily. That’s the nice thing of spending our
last 5 weeks in our first host family; we already know everything there is to
know so we can adapt really easily. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Monday,
we had a day off, well; we were supposed to meet P’Mook in the afternoon so we
set our alarm clocks at half past 9. Only to rediscover the thrills of speaker
boxes in the middle of the street, sprouting Thai nonsense at half past 6 in
the morning… Eventually we got up at 10 o’clock, had breakfast and slept some
more. At about half past 12 in the afternoon we leave for school. We told our
host we would be walking to school and so we did. Never again! It was way too
hot and we stopped 2 times to buy a refreshing drink. When we almost made it to
the front gates of the school, some teachers picked us up and drove us inside.
Much obliged!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We met
P’Mook and discussed some formalities about the English camp. One thing we
immediately noticed, it wasn’t organized as good as it was in Sally’s school.
We didn’t know in what room we would be teaching, didn’t have an exact number
of participants, and so on. We told ourselves it would work out just fine and
left for home. On the way back I drank a Thai Ice Tea with Milk (looks really
orange, almost chemical), it’s so delicious! In the evening we had dinner and
watched a movie, nothing special to report.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today
(Tuesday, the first of May) we had our first day of our second English camp. We
were assigned a room with a beamer and a whiteboard so at least we had that.
Then again, no speakers (luckily we brought our own), the classroom covered
with a layer of dust (which we quickly took care thanks to some nice pupils),
benches and chairs all over the place, and so on. A fine mess it was. But being
the neurotic types that we are, it ended up being quite ‘cozy’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">12 pupils
showed up and 2 left after half an hour (not sure why though). We also had the
pleasant company of Mr. Chatchai (the radio host) who wanted to see us in action.
He told us the activities we did were very stimulating and he was going to use
some of them in his courses as well. Yes, we were quite proud to have a man
from the English Consulate tell us that he wanted to ‘borrow’ our material. Or
is that just naïve, ah well, he’s a nice guy so were happy to oblige him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our first
day was quite okay, the children being still very shy and all, but we were
surprised about their reading skills. They ended up being quite good and we are
happy to say that they all did a wonderful job today. Onwards to day 2!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-22124871000731796402012-04-21T00:24:00.004-07:002012-04-21T00:24:29.629-07:00The Voice of Surin<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our
first day back at the university we didn’t really do anything special, we
caught up on some tasks we have to finish for our school on Belgium and that
was pretty much it. I couldn’t catch much sleep so I read a bit. At Koh Chang I
picked up a good read: ‘Kafka on the shore’ by Murakami. Yes, this was my most
interesting news I wanted to share. Quite sad isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At 9 in the
morning we met with P’Nurai, she is the vice-dean of the English department of
this university and she was going to provide us with a busier schedule. Turned
out we even have less classes to teach now. But good news came as well; Sally
received a call from the English consulate asking us if we would be interested
in tutoring local doctors and nurses in the hospital of Prasat. We were very
happy to have a change of scenery and of course we eagerly accepted this
proposition. We felt quite honored to be able to teach people with a higher
degree than we will (most likely) have so we were a bit nervous at first.
However this nervous feeling quickly turned into anticipation as we reached the
hospital. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It turned
out we were assisting Mr. Chatchai Chumnum, a member of staff of the English
department. He prepared an entire lesson and we were to help him with the
pronunciation bit. We introduced ourselves, showed the ‘students’ some pictures
of our school and town and then we did some origami. I know, sounds silly,
right? In wasn’t exactly origami but all of the students received a piece of paper
which they folded into a neat little book. A Tinybook, if you will. This kind
of activity made me think of kindergarten but to be honest, I actually enjoyed
it. Mr. Chatchai had us make 6 books: one in which he introduces himself,
another about the famous YouTube hit: Charlie Bit Me! (of which we didn’t
really got the gist, but hey, at least the movie is pretty funny), one about
common errors made by Thai people in English, one about health issues and the
last one was filled with tips and tricks to study English in a fun and
motivating way. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC27pkFjTCPiBRVQ-vWkmhyphenhyphenJ0fXOZ_XzkiLXZF6LJnqnoMu_t5PdZWA37anVH6XbqBWuGZaAI_tdhhSLopkciIzzwcsJkx6nmZzeEtPAbx9VIT3OqaNEvP-xnrUzNYB5PCdnAc8nLoUSE/s1600/AP+tinybook+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC27pkFjTCPiBRVQ-vWkmhyphenhyphenJ0fXOZ_XzkiLXZF6LJnqnoMu_t5PdZWA37anVH6XbqBWuGZaAI_tdhhSLopkciIzzwcsJkx6nmZzeEtPAbx9VIT3OqaNEvP-xnrUzNYB5PCdnAc8nLoUSE/s320/AP+tinybook+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The lesson
itself was pleasant to sit trough but we didn’t really participate as much as
we expected. Then again, this lesson was probably the closest thing to teaching
so far at the university. <br />
Almost forgot: due to the heavy storms: Blackout number 2. Reading a book by
candlelight isn’t that romantic when you suddenly spot a cockroach trying to
get in your bed. After a bloody battle (none of mine), I won and could sleep
safe and sound. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Thursday
(19<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> of April) it was my first real lesson at the university. The
Thai teacher had seen the grammar part and it was up to me to let the students
practice this by using conversations used in everyday speech. I prepared a lot
of activities and conversations only to find out that the students didn’t
really get the gist of the grammar and since the Thai teacher had suddenly
vanished into thin air, I improvised some fun games about pronunciation. The
students seemed to like getting taught by a Farang because some students were
more occupied taking pictures of me than actually paying attention to their
peers. It was a fun lesson but I didn’t get any feeling of accomplishment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the
evening we were invited by P’Nurai and her fellow teachers for dinner at the
dam. Since we like being in the company of other people (and I just can’t
resist Thai food) we accepted her invitation. Rain seemed to rain on our parade
(I know, ha-ha) but luckily it stopped as soon as we arrived at the dam. The
place was crawling with people, all eating at the artificial shore and their
children swimming in the huge lake. We had a typical Thai dinner, washed it
down with a couple of beers and watched the sun set in beautiful shade of red. The
funny thing is, we didn’t really expect to bond with these teachers since we
don’t see them that often. Turns out every one of them is simply adorable. We
had a very nice and cozy evening at the dam and went to sleep really excited.
Could this be because tomorrow we would become FBIS (Famous Belgians in Surin)?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember
Mr. Chatchai from the English department? He happens to host a radio show in
Surin called The Voice of Surin’ and we were invited to tag along for a
45-mintute interview with him live on antenna! The goal of this radio broadcast
is to make people more aware of the importance of the English language because
of the fact that is Asia is becoming one union in 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mr.
Chatchai picked us up at 08.30 and took us to Surin, where the radio program is
being broadcasted. We are welcomed into the building and are offered a hot
beverage. Not that we needed a hot drink, it was already about 35°C, but we
politely accepted it anyways. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were
ushered into the broadcasting room, were assigned seats and a microphone and
suddenly, without any warning the light flashed and we were live on Thai radio.
Mr. Chatchai started talking in Thai and then asked to introduce ourselves.
Without any form of preparation we were asked a lot of questions about teaching
English in Thailand, what the differences are between Belgian and Thai culture,
and many more. It’s a really funny feeling knowing that this conversation is
live on radio but we managed to uphold our nerves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once the
interview was over we were given an MP3-file containing our feat so that we can
listen to it again. We thank everyone there for having us and after a short
drive, Mr. Chatchai stops at our favorite bakery in Surin. Here we have a
coffee together and he asks us if we would be willing to rejoin him for his
show next week Friday. We are already looking forward to this. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will soon
let you know if it’s possible to listen to our live broadcast next week. Stay
tuned!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-46460476528466853192012-04-16T07:03:00.000-07:002012-04-16T07:03:21.441-07:00Unforeseen pleasantries<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know I promised you all some information about
the lessons and teachers in the university, but something came up. Due to the
fact that we only have about 9 classes during the whole of April, we had a lot
of free time on our hands. So we decided to take a short trip to Koh Chang, an
island in the southeast of Thailand. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But first
we welcomed Mrs. Van Cauteren and her husband in the country of the eternal
smile. They arrived on Saturday (7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> of April) and we showed them
around in Surin on Sunday. We had a lot to talk about regarding our project and
progress here and it was nice to share this with our teacher.<br /> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Monday
we took a trip to Buriram. These are remnants of Khmer temples and look like
they ran away from Disney’s ‘Jungle Book’. After a steep climb on a volcanic
plateau, we arrived at the top of the temple and were able to witness a
beautiful temple on top of a big valley. After we descended in the blistering
heat, we hogged back in the van to visit another temple, this one surrounded by
artificial ponds decorated with Nagas (five-headed snake creatures). <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the
afternoon we took another trip to Elephant Village, being our second visit
there. As you most likely will have read in one of my former entries, Nele got
a massage from an elephant there. Well, let’s say me and Mrs. Van Cauteren’s
husband had higher hopes of our first Thai massage… We explored the grounds of
the village while watching the elephants and their trainers doing the same
thing. Meanwhile, we talked and talked and talked some more. (I bet you don’t
have any difficulties believing this if you know Mrs. Van Cauteren and Nele).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Tuesday
we took our teacher to see our dorms at the university, we met the spokesperson
here on campus and we went to see the school where Sally teaches. Mrs. Van
Cauteren was surprised about the conditions in which we have to teach and told
us these classrooms were the worse she had seen so far. Then again, she also
mentioned that the school gave her a relaxed and nice feeling. She met P’Boom
(Sally’s Thai foster mother) and was happy to hear that we were being treated
with the utmost care. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Wednesday
we arranged a van to take us to the ferry to Koh Chang, a 7 hour drive from
Surin. When we arrived here we split ways with Mrs. Van Cauteren and her husband
and we took off to our hotel. The manager of the hotel and the other staff)
greeted us with a warm welcome (and some orange juice) and were shown to our
rooms. They were nice, clean and cozy and the best part was that we had a hot
shower! Once we unpacked we took off toward the beach only to find that our
hotel was quite secluded from taxis… So the manager brought us to the beach
without even charging us a single Baht! We dove headlong in the warm ocean and
enjoyed the fresh sea breeze. Once in the water, we looked back and saw that
most of the island is covered in rainforests and tropical trees. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first
day we just decided to take it slow and relax on the beach. However on the
second day we felt adventurous and went for a hiking trip to Klong Plu, a
beautiful waterfall with a natural swimming pool in front of it. (Plu Waterfall,
please tell Peter Aimé about this) After 30 minutes of climbing and walking
through a dense forest, it was quite refreshing to jump in those waters. And of
course, I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t climb the rocks and jumped in from
every angle that was possible. When we got back to the beach we ate a lovely
dinner on the beach while the sun was setting on the horizon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because the
beaches and places of interest of the island are quite scattered we often had
to take a taxi to reach those places. And since Songkran was coming up, the
taxis were quite expensive. In case you didn’t know, Songkran is the Thai
equivalent of celebrating the start of the New Year. They celebrate this by
throwing water at every person they come across so it isn’t really that
surprising we were soaking wet wherever we went. This event lasts for three
days and they do this to please Buddha so he will bring prosperity to the next
harvest. A nice tradition and very fun to participate in, although it was very
one sided: Thai people throwing water and we getting wet. And when you do get a
bucket of cold water thrown in your face, it’s hard to be mad at those grinning
faces, waving and yelling: “Happy New Year!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The only
thing that was rather disturbing was that the women were dancing quite ‘exotic’
in the middle of the street and the western tourists looking at them as if they
were browsing for furniture. It just doesn’t feel right when you see an
overweight fifty year old man walking hand in hand with a Thai girl about 15
years old. This sight reminded me of why I was here in the first place, trying
to provide a better education for some pupils so they don’t end up being
someone’s sex slave. Harsh words, I know, but the truth nonetheless. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our last
day on the island we bought a book, rented a nice lawn chair and enjoyed the
good life. We went for a last swim in the ocean, had lunch in a shack on the
beach under the palm trees and went back to the hotel to pick up our bags. We
needed to get to the ferry but this was very much like ‘Mission Impossible’
because everyone seemed to have the same idea. Traffic jams, rain showers and a
lot of Thai people made our trip to the ferry rather unpleasant. Luckily we
were rescued by three guys on scooters who were willing to take us to the ferry
free of charge.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8 hours, 3
stops, 2 naps and a couple of cookies later (it is now 1 AM) I was glad I felt
a pillow under my head and I dozed off instantly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-41080356210973868512012-04-08T07:39:00.000-07:002012-04-08T07:39:18.347-07:00Lights out!<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Close your
eyes…(now open them again or you can't read this..),imagine this…you are in a foreign country, you stay in a building with
only people of the same gender, you get a room with 4 beds, 4 desks, 2 fans
(only of 1 of them actually works), a shower with nothing but cold water, a
toilet with ants and cockroaches crawling all over, a mattress which could
serve as the foundation of a football stadium, a porch with iron bars and
industrial lights. Where are you? Prison? Guess again! You are at the
Rajamangala University in Isan!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And do you
know what the worst part is? We are stuck here for 30 days with nothing to do
whatsoever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh sure, we were given a
timetable, 9 days of teaching… and most of those days we only have to teach in the
morning or afternoon. I can hear you thinking: “Oh, so you have a lot of free
time to explore the campus and relax a bit, right?!” Wrong... Dead wrong…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since April
is part of the Summer Holiday in Thailand, most of the students are at home,
leaving the shops and footstalls deserted. Meaning we have to go out and look
for a restaurant thrice a day. We were given a bike (a mountain bike with a
basket in the front, quite hilarious) that is custom made for Thai
people…meaning after three days of riding this monstrosity, my knees are
ruined. Luckily we were able to find a bus to take us to a supermarket where we
bought (and I’m not kidding) a plastic ball to play some sports and ping pong
rackets. We felt like three little kids in a candy store.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know this
sounds like a lot of complaining, but picture this: the only thing you look
forward to when going to your room at night is checking your e-mails, watch a
movie on your laptop and then peacefully falling asleep with the fan blowing
cool wind in your face. This is possible for most of the evenings, but earlier
this week, the weather gods decided to test us and made the electricity fall
out due to heavy rain showers and lightning. I can tell you this, lying in your
bed when it is 33 degrees with no cold, running water or a fan is not fun at
all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More about
the teachers, lessons, and our future plans is coming your way in the next
entry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-53292987109873571882012-04-03T21:05:00.003-07:002012-04-03T21:05:18.480-07:00English Camp<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After we
said goodbye to the busy city of Bangkok, we welcomed the sight of almost
abandoned roads, palm trees, rice fields and the buffalos grazing upon them. We
were back in Isan. And now the time had come to focus on our ‘IP’, guiding
pupils through two weeks of English Camp. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During
these two weeks we stayed at P’Boom’s house. She is a 26 year old mother with an
8 month year old boy, Fork. She lives in a big and quite modern house so we had
no difficulties adapting ourselves to our new host family. In the evenings we
sometimes went for a walk in the neighborhood to witness the beautiful sun
setting on the deserted rice fields.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we
arrived at school, the first thing I thought was that this school isn’t really
that different from the school we taught at in the beginning of our journey.
Low buildings with no doors or windows, a lot of trees and grassy perks and of
course, everywhere you look you see friendly and enthusiastic pupils greeting
you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since we
didn’t know the level the pupils it was difficult to create fun and challenging
activities while preparing our ‘IP’ in Belgium. We quickly came to realize that
our games and lessons were far too advanced for the pupils. So we spent night
after night adapting our activities until we were sure the pupils would think
it fun and interesting. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the
start of the English Camp we were a bit let down because only 14 pupils turned
up. Then again, the next day this number was reduced to four...This was because
the school was organizing an open house for pupils of the elementary schools
who could come and check out their future school. The first week went very
smoothly and as the week progressed we noticed some big changes in some pupils’
attitude and level. We played a lot of games, had some lessons about telling
the time, taught the pupils how to conjugate some new and difficult verbs,
drilled on the fact that they have to pronounce the final sounds of words and
much more. We also gave the assignment of creating a booklet in which students
could make a mind-map about English Camp. Our top three would get a prize at
the end of the week. We were looking forward to receiving these booklets
because in general, Thai pupils are very creative and tend to put a lot of work
in arts and crafts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the weekend we kept ourselves busy
preparing for the upcoming week op English Camp and we didn’t really do
anything noteworthy except taking a few walks in the rural part of “town”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During the
second week we noticed the pupils were progressing quite ‘fast’ (for Thai
standards that is) and we, being the ones who made this possible, felt proud.
It was also in this week that we decided to have reading session. Each of us
handled a different book each day and we worked with set groups so we could
deal with the problems of 6 or 7 pupils instead of an entire group. As the
reading sessions advanced we noticed the pupils were gaining a lot more
confidence and actually started to enjoy the stories they were reading. Mission
accomplished for that matter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Thursday
we told the pupils that they would be acting in a movie on Friday. They were
all very excited and were therefore very enthusiastic while playing the acting
games we provided them with. After these games we did a couple of teambuilding
exercises which they really enjoyed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our last
day of English Camp was a busy one. First, we shot the movies in which the
pupils needed to act (we choose to let them play ‘The Smurfs so we could show
them some Belgian Heritage), we played a couple more games, we watched the
movies (which were now edited and put together in three big films), we awarded
prizes and we gave each pupil a certificate of attending English Camp.
Afterwards, we bought the students some soft drinks and crisps and sadly that
was the end of our first English Camp. We will always remember the way some
pupils hugged us on the verge of tears when Camp was over…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mark my
words: it’ll be hard once we are back in Belgium, where pupils prefer to run
away from you than greeting you and acknowledging your existence outside the
school’s premises. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that
the English Camps are over, we move on to a new chapter of our trip: the
University of Rajamangala in Surin. What we will be doing there? No idea.
Exciting isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-64246056256973114852012-03-27T18:55:00.003-07:002012-03-27T18:57:05.192-07:00This is it! Bangkok!... is this it?<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bangkok.
Gateway to south-east Asia. Good time-city. Where you can buy everything for
every price. Where you can have a good time with a girl, boy or something in
between. Where you can trade Thai Baht for counterfeit watches and goodies. Where
there are at least a hundred foul reeking odors intruding your nostrils and
exhaust fumes assaulting your longs. A city with 10 million people who don’t
know the verb ‘to carpool’, resulting in huge traffic jams, men and women on
motorcycles driving like crazy and Tuk-Tuks (local taxis) squirming themselves
between cars. Welcome to the bright and busy capital of Thailand! <o:p></o:p></span></span>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our first
impressions were not at all positive. We checked in a very clean and cozy hotel
and then we hit the streets. The most prominent thing in Bangkok is the traffic.
You see cars, motorcycles and Tuk-Tuks everywhere you look. Because of the fact
that traffic lights often don’t work and a pedestrian has fewer rights than a
driver, it is difficult to cross a road most of the time. It took us a couple
of days to work up the nerves to zigzag trough the traffic without taking too
much a risk. Even though the taxi fares are quite cheap (by day, at night the
prices skyrocket) we wanted to have the experience of riding along in a
converted scooter that can transport up to 5 people. In other words: ride a
Tuk-Tuk. There is one thing you need to know before you board one: make sure
you have a life insurance. They drive like crazy, squeeze their vehicles trough
the tiniest of openings and change lanes as often as you normally blink your eyelids.
A cheap rollercoaster ride if you will.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our
first night we went for a walk. Because we didn’t really have a clue where we
were going, we let our instincts guide us. Turned out they failed us quite
badly. We ended up in a sort of slums under a bridge. Not really the nicest
place you want to be as a western tourist. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u style="text-underline: words;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></u></i>We
didn’t encounter any particular trouble but we were glad when we spotted our
hotel in the distance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
following day we went on an arranged trip to ‘The Undefeatable City’ Ayutthaya.
This used to be the capital of Bangkok until it was…well, defeated. A van came
to pick us up in the wee hours of the morning only to let us wait for an entire
hour for another van. When we finally left we dozed off because it was a 2-hour
ride from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya is actually a collection of several
temples and monuments spread over an entire city. Therefore, we saw the inside
of our van more often than the inside of the temples we were visiting. But at
the end of the day, we were glad we booked this trip because of the many
beautiful structures, temples and statues we were able to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a
trip to the hospital to get my stitches cleaned up, we decided to take a stroll
in the shopping district of Bangkok, Siam Square. Imagine ‘Het Waasland
Shopping Center’. Now add six floors, luxurious boutiques, an entire floor
dedicated to still a man’s hunger, a car vendor, and other outrageous things
and you have Siam Paragon. The most beautiful shopping center I have ever laid
eyes on. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we
woke the following morning we wanted to take a cab to the National Museum of
Bangkok. But since there wasn’t a single taxi driver who wanted to take us
there (in Bangkok, the cab driver chooses his customers, not vice versa) we
took the subway to Lumphini Park. We thought we’d encounter a nice little park
but it turned out to be a huge one with streets dividing the trees and grass. After
lunch we tried once more to find a friendly cabdriver and luckily, we
succeeded. The National Museum was nowhere as impressive as say ‘The British
Museum’ or ‘The Louvre’ but it held some interesting pieces concerning Thai
history and religion.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the
evening we put on our fancy clothes, pulled over a cab and asked him to take us
to the State Tower, the second but biggest tower in Bangkok. 64 floors of
luxurious rooms, two restaurants and Sirocco, a bar at the upper level of the
building with a view that would blow your socks off. We had a (rather
expensive) drink and enjoyed the beautiful skyline of Bangkok by night. After
this, we went for a walk in the business quarter of Bangkok, Silom Road. After
a couple of minutes we spotted something strange. It was a bar in the cellar of
an Irish pub. It was called the ‘-5°C’ bar and because we have to miss the cold
days and nights in Belgium, we decided to have drink in there. Even though we
were the only guest there, it was a cool experience to sit on a bench of made
of ice when the outside temperature almost reaches 40 degrees. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
following morning we went on another arranged trip. This time, we went to see
the floating markets and the Erawan Waterfalls. This was a 4-hour trip so we
got back together with our former friend: the mini-van. When we arrived at the
floating market we were kind of disappointed. Instead of seeing locals trading
their wares in their long tail boats, we saw too many tourists browsing for
souvenirs from their little speedboats. After a very nice lunch, we drove to
the Erawan Waterfalls. These are situated in a National Park and consist of 7
waterfalls. Because time was not on our side, we were only able to reach the
fifth waterfall in which we had a refreshing swim. 5 hours later we were back
in our hotel rooms and slept like logs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8UbGdu60pLUZ8Y9enjfUmA4CRp1uoazn4cI-fJfOMic3k5WgxFltZavUYRUR1rOQXicvCOEzIMFB2UN5YO9N4FIsWzsng-yZEyCHrq5jo-5Sd0GQmJoylhXp3opmP5HsXHhcKBtBC78/s1600/AP+ERAWAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8UbGdu60pLUZ8Y9enjfUmA4CRp1uoazn4cI-fJfOMic3k5WgxFltZavUYRUR1rOQXicvCOEzIMFB2UN5YO9N4FIsWzsng-yZEyCHrq5jo-5Sd0GQmJoylhXp3opmP5HsXHhcKBtBC78/s320/AP+ERAWAN.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bangkok doesn’t have that much to offer but we
had a good time exploring the nooks and crannies of its vast grounds. Ignoring
the rodents, odors and Thai men spitting as they see fit, it’s a city you have
to see, even if it’s only to say: “I’m never coming back again!” And don’t get
me wrong, it’s not all that bad, but as you could derive from this entry’s
title, we expected a bit more than this. </span><br />Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-18770625916940422992012-03-19T02:01:00.000-07:002012-03-19T02:01:06.926-07:00A Golden Gun amidst a Mangrove Forest<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a
refreshing three days on Koh Phi Phi, we booked a hotel room in Phang Nga. We
stumbled upon a cheap bungalow in the middle of a National Park. We didn’t
hesitate for even a split second and we were glad we didn’t. When we arrived at
our bungalow we saw it was surrounded by a mangrove forest and it looked like a
lumberjack’s house, it was that authentic. When we unloaded our luggage we went
for a walk in the National Park. The first thing we noticed was the inhabitants
of the mangrove forest weren’t shy at all. We saw mud crabs, mud lobsters, a couple
of beautiful blue birds and even a wild snake!<o:p></o:p></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLc3wzDgTVsQGGnD_VY_s8-eiK2-Wkjwv5WTfcZLNTUldWKIBdZ6bdId1wi94bvo4wkl0G2TGq7cszWAhoDvUUfGjd5bX9pHWTU_JAdGyu_NzpUgTCNq9SCSPC-gHTrbvYvmrbQT5_KGo/s1600/AP+bungalow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLc3wzDgTVsQGGnD_VY_s8-eiK2-Wkjwv5WTfcZLNTUldWKIBdZ6bdId1wi94bvo4wkl0G2TGq7cszWAhoDvUUfGjd5bX9pHWTU_JAdGyu_NzpUgTCNq9SCSPC-gHTrbvYvmrbQT5_KGo/s320/AP+bungalow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we
came to a side road, we spotted a road entirely made out of wood. On the side o
the road were houses build in the same fashion. Under the wooden road and bridges
we saw a concrete path which lay now demolished on the muddy shore of the bay. And
then we knew that what we were seeing were the results of the tsunami which
reached Thailand all those years ago. The people here managed to survive (if
you can call it like that) and were now busy rebuilding their former houses.
Sadly, most of the Thai people are poor and can’t afford to rebuild a house
made out of concrete and bricks. These people live of catching fish (and
tourists for their expensive boat excursions) and that is often all they do. We
were glad to be a part of these tourist traps because without the local
fishermen and women, we wouldn’t have been able to see what we saw. Starting
with a golden Buddha which lay in a cave filled with monkeys.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwNMcfMa2Zmt1Wz4zRY8PeBjjeyrnLsvndp4RaZ81oJMy4vTMTUjYFBGD2TtJoQ5lTaM8XJv2cuXtU3Ur-Btl8FFTcFgTFGkxtu9WrMtcuid7dZXbCfJlL90EXNmQs5_109makS0v-3I/s1600/AP+tsunami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwNMcfMa2Zmt1Wz4zRY8PeBjjeyrnLsvndp4RaZ81oJMy4vTMTUjYFBGD2TtJoQ5lTaM8XJv2cuXtU3Ur-Btl8FFTcFgTFGkxtu9WrMtcuid7dZXbCfJlL90EXNmQs5_109makS0v-3I/s320/AP+tsunami.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The day after
the same fisherman took us to see James Bond Island. Obviously this island was
named such because it was the setting for the famous movie: ‘James Bond and the
man with the golden gun’. After we visited the island (which we did quite early
to avoid the many tourists (which of course, we aren’t)) we went to Koh Panyee,
a Muslim village build entirely on stilts with a huge monolith protecting the
backside of the village. Too bad all the village had to offer were souvenir
shops and grumpy Thai people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After three
days of rest and quiet we left Phang Nga and signed up for a beach vacation.
Three more days of relaxing on a beach, renting bikes and riding around in the
Northern part of Phuket really did the trick. The stress had completely left
our bodies after a few scrumptious meals in a restaurant on the beach and we
were ready to enter the busy life and nightlife of Bangkok. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdpyqaLz6FiYjwmV6dZ7tVLS96mpGNgB5sjLwczOC5hN98kgQNfw0Fgw6Ix3_OLg4SVg_033i-hmZxogZ1LS81ZGlEka9DkP8aEnh2I93HGygh_6A_9MPduB5jGWD38B4B78uc0OliZY/s1600/AP+bikes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdpyqaLz6FiYjwmV6dZ7tVLS96mpGNgB5sjLwczOC5hN98kgQNfw0Fgw6Ix3_OLg4SVg_033i-hmZxogZ1LS81ZGlEka9DkP8aEnh2I93HGygh_6A_9MPduB5jGWD38B4B78uc0OliZY/s320/AP+bikes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-45504397182092356122012-03-10T07:51:00.000-08:002012-03-10T07:51:14.701-08:00From Hellish bars to Heavenly hospitals<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our two
week holiday has started and since I don’t want you all to miss out on a single
thing, here it comes.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Round 1: Hell</u></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After two
hours of flying we safely arrived at Phuket Airport. Here we had a drink while
looking for hotel on the internet. This proved to be a very difficult and
tedious task but we were finally able to make a reservation for a hotel in
Patong. If you like crowdy and ugly beaches, many tourists who have no
(self)respect, one night stands and massages with ‘something extra’; Patong is
the place to be. We on the other hand wanted to get out of this Hellhole as
fast as possible. We stayed the night in a nice hotel room but when morning
came we bolted. We booked a boat to Koh Phi Phi, an island not far from Phuket.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Round 2: Heaven</u></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the
island made itself visible for us, we were in awe. We knew it was considered a
very beautiful place on earth but we never even dreamed of this view. Lush
green mountains with a crystal clear sea, lagoons and beaches with palm trees
and last but not least: wild monkeys!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHJvb0arpYhtPRa4qQ1FCJBvfMmt_Y5GguQ2P02dC2pA36Mm4pFczdBwkzGGEHXxPm4pk-K_xf42laILuhczD1wwvf_kAIMkqIzOogt5u6fwUhMUDmg1qhClt6C4vJT1aCR6adx31PAs/s1600/AP+monkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHJvb0arpYhtPRa4qQ1FCJBvfMmt_Y5GguQ2P02dC2pA36Mm4pFczdBwkzGGEHXxPm4pk-K_xf42laILuhczD1wwvf_kAIMkqIzOogt5u6fwUhMUDmg1qhClt6C4vJT1aCR6adx31PAs/s320/AP+monkey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our
first day we decided to explore the island and ended up swimming, eating and
having a cocktail in a cozy beach bar. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When
morning came we were feeling quite energetic and went for a 5 hour kayak trip.
The thing is: that’s just way too long. With the blistering sun on your bare
skin it’s hard to manage physical labor. We first disembarked on Monkey Beach.
That’s right, a beach where wild monkeys live! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MqUnKTAk2UTL6PsauNOnmu2i6yVtFFHQrSPNiqF0TV5iE5Hr2j6a-0Ko0Bdv6AgmHbqgkhf81WtsXlCGSWERH6fE8FVT39lqNqeoXhBGMTYK0EVpwZZR7S0asmsMgQgKSB_udetEK8Y/s1600/AP+monkey+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MqUnKTAk2UTL6PsauNOnmu2i6yVtFFHQrSPNiqF0TV5iE5Hr2j6a-0Ko0Bdv6AgmHbqgkhf81WtsXlCGSWERH6fE8FVT39lqNqeoXhBGMTYK0EVpwZZR7S0asmsMgQgKSB_udetEK8Y/s320/AP+monkey+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a
tiresome trip we managed to return to our beach, but not without harm. The
three of us looked like lobsters (Could it be that we forgot to put on suntan
lotion?) and were in quite a lot of pain due to our burned skins. I even got
something extra to take care of. While I was kayaking in a small grove, I
thought I would be able to climb a couple of rocks and then jump back in my
kayak. Result: three stitches in my right hand + a two day swimming prohibition
issued by the local doctor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next
day we decided to take it a bit easier because of our (and especially my)
“wounds”. We rented a long tail boat and a groovy Rasta captain took us too
many beautiful places around the island. We went snorkeling, fed fishes,
visited Maya Beach (known form the movie: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Beach) </i>and visited Viking Cave. This is a cave where a couple of gypsy Thai
actually live. For dinner we had a very nice Mexican platter in a rooftop bar
overlooking the two beautiful bays of the island. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-60154550843787673362012-03-09T03:29:00.003-08:002012-03-09T03:30:08.422-08:00Festivities and farewells<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our last
week before our holiday was one of many gatherings, one happier than the other.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Monday
we did two quite remarkable things. In the morning we went to the hospital to
finally address the issue of our work permit. One thing that immediately caught
our attention: the biggest part of the hospital was out in the open. And then:
the great number of people sitting on plastic chairs like they were waiting for
a bus that would never arrive here. There were some wooden benches but they
were reserved for the monks. When it was our turn, they checked our weight,
height, blood pressure and alcohol usage (We’re in perfect shape by the way). After
that we were ushered to the X-ray room where we, obviously, had to take an
X-ray. After all of this was finally over we paid and left. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we get
back to school we saw the fifth year getting ready for the parade. This parade
was held in honor of Buddha’s last reincarnation. Every local school made a
parade float and then they all went to the local temple (the one where we were
blessed by the Head Monk). We followed the procession and the funny thing was
the locals were taking more pictures of us foreigners than checking out the
parade itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really hot while
we were walking and we gladly accepted the cups of water the local onlookers
offered us. Not to mention the ice-cream on the way there was Godlike. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Tuesday
we were invited for lunch at a Khmer wedding. The bride is a teacher at our
school and she wanted to have the foreign teachers to eat at the wedding as
well. The food was very nice and the people we had lunch with as well. The
strange thing: when you go to a Thai wedding you receive a gift instead of
giving one. Of course we declined the bag of food and soft drinks but the other
partygoers eagerly took the bag home. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rest of
the week was strange enough very confusing. We were of course very excited for
our holiday was creeping closer and closer but on the other hand, we had to say
goodbye to so many lovely pupils. Some of them are going to a different school
next year so it really a definite farewell and that made it even harder. I know
it sounds ridiculous but the bond we have created with these pupils in the last
three weeks is really strong. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also
said goodbye to a fellow foreign teacher: Mercedes. She has lived here for over
1 year now and she will soon go to an elementary school where they have an English
program. Our fellow teachers wished us the best of luck on our trip and asked
us to take as many pictures as possible. Because most teachers are not very
rich, pictures are there only way of seeing the beautiful coastlines we are
going to witness in the South of Thailand. Bring it on!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-79841803863349169612012-02-28T05:41:00.002-08:002012-02-28T05:43:44.329-08:00To eat or not to eat...<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that
our second week and weekend are over I would like to take you with me on a tour
of the wonderful place that is Isaan. Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be
bumpy ride.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can’t
even begin to compare the Thai school system with the overall Belgian one.
Since you have probably read my former posts, you already know that the lessons
in which the teachers teach ‘English’ are horrible. This + the lack of
communication between the teachers make this a very frustrating undertaking. With
some teachers we have the understanding that we each teach a part of the
lesson, so the pupils are exposed to at least 25 minutes of ‘good’ English by
the volunteers and 25 minutes of ‘very bad’ English by most of the teachers.
When I gave my first part of my lesson about introducing yourself in a fifth
year the teacher just copied my lesson and made the pupils write it all down
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If such things happen I wonder
why I am still here. But nevertheless, we strive to look past those flaws and
indulge ourselves in the fact that this entire trip is probably a once in a
lifetime thing. And therefore we have to make the best out of it and don’t let
a silly thing like stress get in our way (spoken/written like a real Thai). </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The pupils
really make our day, every day. Whenever and wherever we go, there are always
children greeting us and shouting “Good Morning Teacher!” When you respond they
start to giggle like crazy just because you said something in English. On
Thursday it was so hot I was sweating really hard and I was having trouble to
stand up straight because of the heat. A pupil immediately arranged a fan,
plugged it in, offered to write down my lesson on the blackboard and asked if
she could get me drink. I refused the drink and the writing on the blackboard
but I was happy for the fan blowing cool wind in my face. Imagine this happened
in Belgium. Do you think the pupils would react as such? I hardly think so. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Enough
about school, you all want to know how we live now don’t you? To be honest, we
can hardly complain. We have a western toilet, a nice bedroom (although the
mattress is worse than sleeping on concrete), a shower which we can use
multiple times a day and a fan which is in the ON position for the main part of
the day and night. But we have to be careful. On a given morning I was putting
on a shoe and I felt something crawling in it. A big toad had decided to stay
the night in my shoe and was not very happy when he had to leave. On the same
morning we saw millions (not kidding) of ants moving from one part of the garden
to another, more sheltered, part. And when we have dinner, we almost always
have a guest or two, be it a toad, a gecko or a giant flying bug, we love our
new pet collection (except when they sting, then we hate them). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Friday
night an English teacher (one with whom we can have a decent conversation)
invited us for dinner at her place. She has a sister who just loves to speak
English and that is why she has to invite every volunteer for dinner. We gladly
accepted the invitation of what was to be a very lovely night. We bought a
pineapple and dragon fruit (Flashy pink exterior with a white with black
speckles interior) as presents and they were immediately sliced and put upon
the table. After we helped with the cooking we had a very interesting dinner.
We ate flies (which are carefully bred in special farms) and drank a fish soup
which housed ants. The flies were really good to be honest, especially with the
dip sauce. After dinner we went for a walk with the teacher’s sister and were
invited for soymilk with her brother. Every time we meet new people, we tend up
eating and drinking. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday
we went back to Surin to book our flights for our upcoming holiday. We are
going to Phuket, Phi Phi Island and other small islands. Afterwards we fly to
Bangkok and to Lob Buri, a monkey Temple. A temple full of monkeys, be honest,
how exciting does that sound?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Sunday
we went for a walk to a nearby Temple (30 minutes flat) in the excruciating heat and decided to
call it a day. We read a book in our room with the fan blowing at approximately
50km/h and just lay on our beds to relax and fill up our energy bars for the
upcoming week.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One last
thing: I have made it my personal quest to try every kind of Lays Chips Thai
people eat. So far on my list:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nori
Seaweed</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pecking
Duck with sauce</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lobster
hot plate<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hot
and spicy crab<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Baked
bacon cheese with seaweed<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Extra
BBQ<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chicken
BBQ<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sausage
and cheese<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cheese
and Jam</span></span><br />
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<br />Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-28829986529270780202012-02-21T04:58:00.000-08:002012-02-21T05:02:21.831-08:00Elephant Village and Surin by night<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday morning the son of our guest family showed us the way to Surin, a city not far from where we live. Here we teamed up with Sally and booked a hotel room with a hot shower and a pool for 900 Baht. 1 Baht = 1 Belgian Frank, so do the math and decide for yourselves whether or not this is a total bargain. The only downside (and I’m not kidding); it was rather cold (22°) that weekend. But we decided not to keep the "cold" from getting in our way and so we did what we came here to do: relax and enjoy the scenery.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday we went to Ban Chang (Elephant Village). People actually live in this village with their pets: the elephants. And when I say pet, I mean pet. They feed them more than three times a day, bathe with them, go for walks, ‘chill’ with them and so on. Even though the animals are chained up for public safety, the thought of mistreating them horrifies teh trainers. This we knowfrom another foreign teacher at our school, whose sister used to date an elephant trainer. </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The elephants also provide a show for the many onlookers. They dance, paint, play football and even massage spectators. Of course Nele couldn’t escape the watchful eye of the host of the show and she got her first Thai Massage…from an elephant. Sally decided to tempt fate and let an elephant walk over her and a few other people. Luckily, she lived to tell the tale. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We decided to leave the elephants alone and went back to Surin. We dined in a grill restaurant where we tried various sorts of meat and fruit and of course, ice-cream. Then we went out for a drink in a reggae bar where the table was made of an old bathtub in which swam small fish. Strange but oh so amusing. After a very busy day we scaled the stairs of our hotel, dropped down on or beds and enjoyed the soft mattress beneath our exhausted bodies. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxwulkwtxonb1Ht7rmWtMP-JS-wnR3pdY3zlofdbIj2UgMjabmTwca8jVJJ0FovIwRdaI1j75f9ogQWHpqw39upv5MdfVDrIfuvsiBexqJMz46KBGj_rmPJWu0u3vU14wTm3-sfEZqRc/s1600/AP+badvissen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxwulkwtxonb1Ht7rmWtMP-JS-wnR3pdY3zlofdbIj2UgMjabmTwca8jVJJ0FovIwRdaI1j75f9ogQWHpqw39upv5MdfVDrIfuvsiBexqJMz46KBGj_rmPJWu0u3vU14wTm3-sfEZqRc/s320/AP+badvissen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-74238440473578914452012-02-19T06:04:00.001-08:002012-02-19T06:04:27.082-08:00School - Week One<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our first week at our new school is completed and now we more or less know something about the school itself, out English lessons and the pupils. In Thailand, pupils aren’t divided in ‘studierichtingen’ but they are put in groups according to ability, 1 being strongest and 8 the weakest classes. To get in a 1-class (or special class as its being called), parents pay extra money. These special classes get English Camps, extra guidance and so on. Hardly fair is it?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The English lessons aren’t organized at all. The teachers don’t communicate, even if they teach in the same class, so every teacher decides what she (all female English teachers) will do without consulting the other English teacher. They don’t follow the curriculum and if they want to pas their exams to go to a university they have to pass their O-net tests. One week before those tests, pupils are tutored in the big hall. The tutors drill the content and pupils sit down and take notes for an entire day. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During the first week of ‘training’ I got to work with several English teachers. I teach in a second, third and fifth year. Some teachers prepare one lesson for all of their classes (doesn’t matter if its in the same year) and use this preparation for an entire week. An overview of an English lesson:</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 certain pupil: ‘Stand up; please!’</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All together: ‘Good morning teacher!’</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Teacher: ‘Good morning, you may sit down now’</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All pupils: ‘Thank you teacher!’</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It really is funny to hear this conversation every lesson, especially because those are in most cases the only full sentences they can produce. Why is that? Because they are all very shy. Whenever someone has to speak in front of the classroom they start to giggle, when someone succeeds in producing a good sentence they all start hooting and clapping, ah well, at least Thai pupils are enthusiastic when they do a good job. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Thailand children first start with English classes at the age of 8 or 9. With that knowledge, it’s frustrating to know that pupils in their fifth year of high school don’t even know the difference between ‘When’ and ‘What’. That’s why during a lesson I have to repeat myself at least a dozen times before I get an incorrect answer…</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are reading this, you are probably wondering why we haven’t fled the country. To be honest, you’re frustrated for 1 minute, you see a pupil lighten up when you tell him he did a good job and your frustration is gone. You really can’t blame the pupils for the flaws of their teachers. The English of some of the English teachers is so bad; we can’t even have a conversation exceeding 3 sentences. That’s why the pupils hear 80% Thai and 20% English in the English lessons. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Luckily, everyone is super enthusiastic when they spot us. They greet us with a Wai and say: ‘Good morning teacher!’ Getting this much respect from pupils is hard to get used to, but we’ll manage.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For a detailed description of the school architecture, daily schedule and much more, check Nele’s blog: </span></span><a href="http://nele-in-thailand.blogspot.com/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://nele-in-thailand.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-56691746526829253992012-02-14T04:21:00.000-08:002012-02-14T04:26:50.148-08:00A busy weekend<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we said goodbye to the pupils at camp, P’Mook took us to the province town of Surin. Here Nele needed to buy some skirts which are required for teaching. We treated P’Mook to lunch in Surin: Spaghetti with Black pepper sauce (no rice! But still very spicy…) and we had an ice-cream. Being an ice-cream fan myself, I wanted to try the local flavours, coconut it was! After we paid for the meal (about €7, 50 including ice-creams and drinks) we drove back to our guesthouse. It was then about three o’clock in the afternoon and we decided to get some schoolwork done. Working on a bench in a little garden filled with tropical trees is really stimulating.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we were a bit bored, we asked if we could help with some chores. I tidied the garden by raking leaves together and throwing them out while Nele was cutting some vegetables for dinner. Later, I was asked to skewer the meat and roast it over a small barbeque pit. Do I need to say we ate it all with rice and that it was spicy? We decided to turn in early and slept like logs.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Breafast was served at 9 o’clock so we were able to catch up on some sleep. Nevertheless, our neighbour thought he would wake us at 6.30 with some fine Thai music. Goodbye peace and quiet! When we had breakfast P’Nee asked us if we would want to go with him to our school. He had some business to attend to and we could walk around and explore the vast grounds of the school. When walking we noticed some pupils were here, on a Sunday! They were chatting here with some friends, listening to music close to a temple,… </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was fun to see that the school was actually a place to hang out in weekends. While we were walking, we spotted many buildings and around them were big palm trees, all sorts of flowers, big nicely trimmed bushes,… We even saw a blue gecko!</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When P’Nee’s work was done, he showed us around the ‘town center’. Nothing more than a few shops but he did show us two very beautiful temples. Nele and I decided to visit the South temple after we were dropped off at our guesthouse. When we arrived we didn’t feel really welcome. Everyone was glaring at us and we were just going to leave when a nice man called us over. He started asking questions and we were eventually invited for lunch! We couldn’t’ refuse this offer so we gladly accepted. It seems that every day, another family from around the temple cooks for the monks and then eats at the temple. The man and his wife, who invited us for lunch, work in a hotel in Bangkok so their English was quite good. After lunch the aunt of the man summoned the master monk to give us a blessing for our projects in Thailand. The master monk was a very friendly man who laughed all of the time. Except when he blessed us, then he was almost chanting and literally pouring liters of waters over our heads and backs. When the blessing was over he even asked for a picture with us Farangs (= foreigners).</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we got back home we read a book in the garden and P’Phen, the mother of our family, chopped up a fresh coconut for Nele and me. We almost inhaled the coconut milk, it was that delicious! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxObR3ElmURzjCZFtMCsBeoN58ZOr02CBp98EYpKIatMGP8sSTK8oWliOoRve6FzawB0rD608wmgUTqRIFw-OlDgXlCZSJmP7ztevGNxtRdX5iNUI9tFFX5hH_lUrjORS27vQQis56Hc/s1600/AP+Nielie+coco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxObR3ElmURzjCZFtMCsBeoN58ZOr02CBp98EYpKIatMGP8sSTK8oWliOoRve6FzawB0rD608wmgUTqRIFw-OlDgXlCZSJmP7ztevGNxtRdX5iNUI9tFFX5hH_lUrjORS27vQQis56Hc/s320/AP+Nielie+coco.jpg" width="240" yda="true" /></a></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-34257064748430336662012-02-12T05:12:00.000-08:002012-02-12T05:12:35.398-08:00English Camps<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Only 5 hours of sleep and the alarm clock woke us. We got dressed, had a shower and had breakfast. Rice covered with water, meat and vegetables. My stomach tried to flee. After half an hour, we got picked up by P’Deng and Tanja. We got a special camp T-shirt we had to wear for the next two days. When we arrived at the camp site there was one thing we immediately noticed: how beautiful the place was! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-r-5f4cPu8wbrqCuWdo58dVfalEjTckXUKdd-Vdc-tSKozpOHBn31a3VSnzihtFALtQtHQplg3XfugxtyG6_erxPyAe3-W_9zqOSTvl1ldUSGVGHQTcS3_rH2uXp6cW2U5sQWjBkkkI/s1600/AP+-+camp+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-r-5f4cPu8wbrqCuWdo58dVfalEjTckXUKdd-Vdc-tSKozpOHBn31a3VSnzihtFALtQtHQplg3XfugxtyG6_erxPyAe3-W_9zqOSTvl1ldUSGVGHQTcS3_rH2uXp6cW2U5sQWjBkkkI/s320/AP+-+camp+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At 8 o’clock the opening ceremony began and we were asked to introduce ourselves. All of the children were very curious and we were slightly nervous. We managed to give a short speech, but we were asked to speak very slowly because otherwise the children wouldn’t understand us.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another thing that drew our attention was the fact that all of the children greeted us with a Wai. This is a sign of respect. It is also used to greet people because the Thai don’t shake hands. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the opening ceremony the activities started. I could guide the ‘dramatic reading’ activity. I printed out some easy to read chapters from various children books, but they proved to be too difficult for the pupils. So I adapted my activity to the level of the pupils and put in some games. I ‘taught’ this lesson together with a Thai English Teacher Trainee. She was in her fourth year (a Bachelor takes 5 years in Thailand). Together I think we managed to let the pupils have a good time while reading and speaking in front of the rest of the group. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqWzJu0JYDoqjZxbhiof7dBoGoZ_H-u9vihyphenhyphenCZThMU7Pzu8YI4AkG_2yTgNMmUQluV4I_UHrQwFienD_1fjdUrtj28n2qAh9tM05efsAutiz96fDTfa85vAWm7GWr667lLuSZmbJCE5A/s1600/Ap+-+camp+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqWzJu0JYDoqjZxbhiof7dBoGoZ_H-u9vihyphenhyphenCZThMU7Pzu8YI4AkG_2yTgNMmUQluV4I_UHrQwFienD_1fjdUrtj28n2qAh9tM05efsAutiz96fDTfa85vAWm7GWr667lLuSZmbJCE5A/s320/Ap+-+camp+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After lunch (rice, meat and spicy salad) the activities continued. When all pupils had done all of the activities, we had dinner (rice, sweet vegetables, spicy pork, long beans, soup, spicy salad,…). I’m getting used to the spicy food but I only hope my stomach will keep helping me digesting all of the rice. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After dinner the Thai Trainee Teachers organized an entire show for the pupils. Songs, dances, fun activities… There wasn’t much to do for us so we took some pictures.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At 21.00 all of the pupils went to bed, including me. Tired but satisfied I went to sleep, and sleep I did.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next morning I was up pretty early (5.30) and decided to take a stroll on the camping grounds. Every pupil that I came across greeted me by making a Wai and saying: “Good morning teacher!”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the other teachers were awake, we had breakfast. The chemistry teacher saw my troubles with the early bowl of rice and offered me a chocolate brownie instead, which I gladly accepted. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the end of the camp they held a closing ceremony. All of the teachers were asked to come to the front of the room and suddenly all of the pupils began to sing a song for the teachers. But not just any song, it was more like they were chanting a prayer. The other teachers explained us that this is a Thai tradition. It is the pupils’ way to show respect for the teachers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-86490911506120283212012-02-11T04:47:00.000-08:002012-02-11T04:47:39.053-08:00Bangkok at last!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After 13 hours, we finally arrived in Bangkok. We made a quick pit stop in Frankfurt and there we had our first international meal: McDonalds :) </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After waiting an hour or two, we got on a huge plane that would take us to Thailand. We thought we would have some extra room for our legs, but guess again, heavy spasms in our legs after only three hours of flying. All in all, time flew, before we knew it we were in Bangkok International Airport.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we reclaimed our luggage, we were welcomed by a delegation of seven very friendly people. When our luggage was loaded we got ready for a 7 hour long trip in the mini-van. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first thing we noticed was the abundance of flags in this country! National Thai Flags, Yellow flags to praise the King, Blue flags to praise the Queen,… And in the center divider of the road there were often large statues which represented Buddha. We stopped at a local fruit market and there we were immediately asked to taste a variety of exotic fruits like Guava, Pomegranate and Jujuberry (they were all very good by the way). When we were browsing the market, it suddenly started raining. The owners of the fruit stands quickly pulled out their plastic covers and there wasn’t much left to be seen. So we decided to drive on and about an hour later, we stopped for dinner. We had rice with fish, spicy salad (you’re going to read this very often), chicken and soup. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After dinner we still had a four hour drive ahead of us, so we sped off. We all slept like rocks on the way to our guest family, but when I was awake (for a very brief moment, mind you) we almost crashed upon a buffalo crossing the road. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a total of 20 hours we arrived at our destination. P’Nee (father), P’Phet (mother) and Nongh’Pete (son) will be our hosts for the following month. They’re nice people but their level of English isn’t that high. We were shown to our room (it’s actually the son’s room) which holds a desk, a wardrobe and a double sized bed. Luckily there is a fan because it was still about 26°. We were given some water and went to sleep. It took a while to fall asleep because of the many strange noises we weren’t accustomed to. </span></span></div>Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700452867516945468.post-77172344732981049792012-02-02T06:47:00.000-08:002012-02-02T07:00:39.645-08:00The countdown has begun!More than six months of preparations, and it has finaly come down to this: only six days left before the biggest adventure of my life up till now begins. <br />
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Checklist:<br />
- Pack my bags.<br />
- Make sure I don't forget any important documents.<br />
- Say goodbye to my closest friends and relatives.<br />
- Pack my 'Thai for beginners' <br />
- Make sure I don't stress out...<br />
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I've always dreamt of undertaking a journey like this, but now that it has come this close, it truly is quite frightening...<br />
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If you want to know what I'll be doing for the next four months, don't hesitate to check this website: <br />
<a href="http://www.fund-isaan.org/">http://www.fund-isaan.org/</a> <br />
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Laakohn!Sam Rombouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15615961122605544584noreply@blogger.com0