Sawasdee Thai Summer Project (2)

It is better to read the previous post to help you understand more :)

After I followed so many administration processes. I had to choose what project and which country I wanna go. I wanna go to Thai, because I was really interested in its culture. Therefore, I googled AIESEC project in Thai and I found Sawasdee Thai Summer Project. I was stuck after being interviewed by AIESEC Thai committee, because they did not give any response few days after that. I thought I was failed in that process and tried to find another project. However, my manager, Angga, was very care to ask the committee and later he found that I just got a technical problem.

A month after that, finally on 19 August I went to Thai. I thought the project was not so strict, but then I found it was very tiring but still fun. It was really a project :D I had to teach basic English in Elementary school from Monday until Friday in full time from 8.30 to 15.30 with an hour break time, which was only enough for eating and praying.

However, the school principal, teachers, and the janitor were very nice to me. They gave me and Ruta, my teaching partner, Thai foods and fruits almost everyday. They also understood me that I only could eat Halal food, so they always reminded me that particular foods were made of pig. So nice :'). The students always said "I love you", "good morning", etc; gave us drawing, bracelet, necklace, ear ring, and so many things :D 

The school also had several religion and cultural events. We joined the events and explored so much about their values. The school was in the same area with a temple and several monks were living there. They very respect to the monks by not touching them, always said "Sawasdee ka (for women) and Sawasdee kab (for men)" to them, and put their heads lower than the monks' head. So if you wanna have a picture with a monk, you had to sit down beside a standing monk. The monks also slept on higher bed than other normal people. What I just knew about monk were: first, women can be monks and they also had to shave all their hair. Second, there were several monk programs. Normal people could choose whether they wanted to be monks for one day, one week, one month, three months, etc. :D

made a short trip around village to collect donation for Budha's day

collecting donation for welcoming Budha's day

welcoming the Budha's day

A campaign for International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Traficking

The students in my school, Watsangsawang school, were wearing a Budha necklace to protect them from bad things. They were very good by ringing the school bell by themselves and they had a ceremony before going to the class every day. They also learnt ASEAN studies as compulsory subject at school as they are one of ASEAN founding father also to prepare ASEAN free trading. What a good strategy!

ASEAN day

They were also very good in dancing, singing, and playing Thai traditional music instrument. I also learnt their traditional dance for Queen's birthday and learnt how to play Thai traditional music instrument.

dancing on Queen's birthday

I don't have my pict with the instrument.
That was Ruta, my pretty teaching partner

A problem in my school was they were lack of teachers, so they learnt from television. A teacher was responsible for two classes and the teachers were mostly monitoring them to watch the TV and taught only the difficult concept to the students. So, Ruta and I were very lucky to help them teaching the students and I hope the government will solve the problem immediately. :)

the naughty but lovely Primary 1 :)

6 weeks teaching there, I saw the students improved a lot in English. They knew more English vocabularies, phrases and conversation. Good coordination with the teacher and school director made us easier to teach them. It was very great moment to teach in Watsangsawang school, because we got so many lovely memories with the cute children. It was so sad that I had to go back to Indonesia. The students always said "Teacher, no go home Indonesia" and they were crying :'( If the school was only hundreds kms from my house, I would be very glad to visit them often. I miss teaching there very much and really wanna go back.

will you remember me, kids?

I love you :')