Erin's Volunteer Story

Erin just finished 3 weeks of teaching children with GVI in Ao Luk. Erin joined us from the US. Erin taught at the Ao Luk Primary School and the Municipality school, both within walking distance of the GVI base as well as Baan Tham Suea School, a smaller rural school in Ao Luk. Below she talks about her experiences working and teaching in Ao Luk.

'My three weeks at GVI have given me the opportunity to soak up the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of rural Thailand. Since I traveled around the more touristy parts of Thailand before starting my GVI trip, I can truly appreciate the unique experience that the GVI teaching children program offers. My favorite teaching memory was from my first day at the Ao Luk Municipality School. After finishing class, the teachers pulled me aside. After five minutes of broken English and Thai, drawings and hand gestures, I finally understood that the teachers wanted to know if I'd like to ride the bus home with the kids. I said, 'Of course!' and had the best time riding the bright yellow school bus with 20 energetic first graders. They practiced their English and I practiced my Thai on the ride home. They found it hilarious it hear me trying to count to 10 in thai.

Outside of the classroom, one of my favorite nights in Ao Luk with the other volunteers and staff was the night we visited the local Karaoke joint. After eating a delicious Thai feast at Nong's, a family-owned restaurant near the GVI base, Nong invited us to go with his family to sing Karaoke. What ensued was several very entertaining hours of singing and dancing to Thai pop songs and bad Thai versions of English hits; in a Karaoke bar that was just a small cinderblock building with a few tables and a jukebox. By the end of the night, everyone was calling us 'family' and we were dancing with all the locals - it was truly the epitome of living in small-town Thailand.

Overall the last few weeks here have been truly fantastic. The other volunteers, staff, and the generous and fun-loving members of the local community have made my time here unforgettable.'

-Erin Buchman

Erin's Volunteer Story