Volunteer Story

The following is a blog excerpt from Alex, an expedition member joining us on the first stint of his Asian Explorer Project. The Asia Explorer takes volunteers on a teaching adventure through 3 different countries. It begins in Thailand where participates gain a 100 hour TEFL certificate. Then they move on to Nepal and India (in no particular order) to help out with teaching projects organized by GVI's local partners.

Alex's blog follows his adventures through Asia and has a witty yet realistic charm that his parent's (as well as many others!) find endearing. His blogs are quite extensive so we've just included some particularly entertaining bits.

Saw-wat dee khrab from Thailand! My first week of teaching the fine folks of Ao Luk is in the books and it was exhausting. My comprehensive training program has focused on developing lesson plans, practicing language drills, creating class resources and refining pronunciation techniques. Given my command of the English language, it would not be inconceivable to think that my performance in these areas would range from strong to quite strong. Not so. I am diligently working my way up to mediocrity and the students are being more than accommodating. They are a cheery and loquacious bunch, and the class often takes on the form of a pseudo-social hour. Regardless of the lesson's focus or activities, the students will usually laud your teaching performance ("It was good" is a popular one) and give you a ride home in the back of their pickup truck. An additional wrinkle is that the class is mostly middle-aged women whom I can't decide if they love me or are scared of me. So obviously I'm fitting in seamlessly.

Aside from the intensive teacher training, the scenery has been beautiful and the company of my fellow English language gurus has been highly entertaining. In camp, we have a healthy mix of Americans, Aussies, Brits, Irish, Canadians, etc. and all have something to bring to the table (obvious cliche, I'm tired). However, the most popular member of the camp is Singha, the deliciously smooth Thai lager that seems to make its presence felt on a nightly basis. After a tough day of educating ourselves and an evening of molding minds young and old, I think a beer or two is in order. To be sure, I am not sustaining myself solely on alcohol (breathe easy Mother) and am being fed adequately. The food has been good, but very spicy (shocking in Thailand, I know). We have had an abundance of curries (green, matsaman, penang), fresh fruit and vegetables, noodles and about 2 tons of rice. Thankfully, rice and I have an long history of amicable relations so no problem there. My only issue has been with the spicy foods as I certainly don't have the highest tolerance for such cuisine. Thankfully, my digestive system has sustained the dietary roller coaster thus far and I haven't had the need to get out my health insurance card (yay me).

Despite my gripes about my lurching stomach and educational hurdles, I am having a great time in Ao Luk. This is a beautiful region that has remained relatively immune to the foreign commercial development that dominates so many other areas of the Thailand. The lush natural surroundings and friendly faces on motorbikes (often four faces under 15 years of age on a single bike, there don't seem to be driving laws) still make me shake my head on a daily basis. I am living in Thailand, which is something I never thought I would say in my life.

Visit http://www.ramblingsfromasia.blogspot.com/ to read more about Alex's adventures in Ao Luk (and beyond to Nepal and India)

Volunteer Story