Village Project: Khao Lawm!

On Friday, the GVI team visited Khao Lawm School in the village of Khao Lawm in the Khao Yai sub district. The school has 95 students from pre-school through 6th grade. GVI volunteers led the 71 1st-6th graders in fun, simple English activities and an environmental workshop. Students rotated through activities about fruits, numbers and animals which included vocabulary activities, songs and games. All students also participated in a special environmental education activity combining Thai and English to learn about litter and recycling. At the end students took a pledge to help keep their community clean and became honorary members of the GVI Green Team.After the educational activity students and teachers gathered together to clean up the trash at the near by temple.

After an exhausting morning of fun and work everyone returned to the school with a delicious lunch. GVI brought along the usual picnic lunch of sandwiches and salad and the school subsidized it with some Thai omelet and bananas.

Village Project: Khao Lawm!

Thursday Night Party!

It's been a while since there has been a themed party at the GVI base. The theme was national stereotypes and everyone represented their own country in a whimsical fashion.

This Thursday's party was in honor of a few very special volunteers. We prepared to say goodbye to Chris and Mim who were 2 week volunteers and congratulated Steve and Chris on completing their 50 hour TEFL certificates. Mim is a repeat volunteer (3 times already!) on the Teaching Children project and we expect to see her again later this year.

Thursday Night Party!

Rotary Club Meeting

On Monday, GVI's Thailand Country Director was invited to come speak at the weekly meeting for Ao Luk's local Rotary International Chapter. Charin Klaewtanong, director of the Ao Luk Non-Formal Education Center and GVI Thailand's project partners, is a member of the Ao Luk Rotary Club. He requested that a representative from GVI come to speak about GVI's work in the Ao Luk Community and lead an activity to demonstrate GVI's student-centered TEFL teaching techniques.

Escorted by Teaching Children volunteer, Mim, the two GVI representatives joined the group for a nice dinner of noodles with spicy curry and fried chicken. After an hour or so of mingling and socializing, the meeting began. Guests were introduced as well as the rotary members themselves. The mayor gave a speech about the Rotary Club's work in Ao Luk. And then it was time for GVI to take over the show.

Country Director, Jill, gave a speech highlighting GVI's work in Ao Luk over the last nearly 2 years. Topics covered included GVI's overall mission statement, the TEFL training program, the free English classes for the Ao Luk community (in which advertisements were handed out), the Ao Luk Village Project, and the newest project, Teaching Children in Thailand.

As a final activity, everyone participated in a mingling, "Find somebody who..." activity. They received a list of statements such as 'has been to Vietnam', 'can play guitar' and 'is married'. Participants asked each other questions to identify people who could answer yes to the questions and wrote their name on the sheet. The activity provided everyone with plenty of things to discuss and opportunities to use the English language in a laid back environment.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience and the opportunity allowed GVI to encourage more new students to come study English next term!

Rotary Club Meeting

Thai Cooking Workshop

On Saturday one of our newest volunteers, Chris, took part in a Thai cooking workshop on base. A local community member, Pee Ban, who also happens to be our friend, student and a great cook, led the cooking workshop with her daughter, Bock-Back. Chris had the opportunity to learn how to make Laap Moo (spicy minced pork salad), Gaeng Kiaw Waan Gai (Green Curry with chicken) and Phad Thai (Thai style stir-fried noodles).

After cooking, everyone sat down to enjoy the feast together.

Thai Cooking Workshop

Kayaking trip

See below for staff member, Shaun's take on Saturday's kayaking trip:

"On Saturday the 23rd Chris, Steve and I set off to Bor Thor for an exciting kayaking trip. Paired up with ‘Man’ – the local tour guide; I was able to sit back and take in the beautiful scenery. Chris and Steve weren’t so fortunate as they attempted to navigate their way through the mangroves – taking small detours to actually get ‘up close’ to every rock and mangrove plant that they encountered. Meandering through ancient caves, they were able to see 5000 year-old cave paintings and dramatic rock formations of stalagmites and stalactites. After more haphazard steering in the kayaks, they finally finished off the day with a wonderful seafood lunch."

Kayaking trip

Term 16 begins!!!

Another term of free English classes for the Ao Luk Community began on Monday with 83 students in Levels 1-6. Our 3 newest TEFL volunteers observed their trainer teach a class before having their own go at teaching on Tuesday. The remaining 9 classes (10 classes in total) are being taught by our 10 and 20 week volunteers and GVI staff.

Term 16 begins!!!

Morag's Volunteer Story

Morag Burnie is spending 10 weeks as a volunteer with GVI in Thailand. She has just completed her TEFL qualification and will go on to teach her own class in the local community. Read about her thoughts on the GVI TEFL:

"I have really enjoyed the GVI TEFL course in Thailand. It’s been challenging at times, but also a lot of fun. I can’t believe how fast it’s gone by!

The TEFL course itself is fairly intense, especially in the first week or two, but as I progressed through it everything began to click and I could see how the theory applied in the classroom. It was a bit nerve-wracking being thrown in the deep end and teaching on day three, but it was a lot of fun! The students were so enthusiastic and keen to learn and I’ve loved teaching them. It’s been challenging and I’ve definitely been taken out of my comfort zone but I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself.

Ao Luk is a really nice place to live, as I feel like I’ve experienced a bit a ‘real life’ in Thailand. The people here are so friendly and welcoming! There are lots of nice places to try the local foods. It’s also really easy to get to the beautiful islands and beaches around the area on the weekend. The side trips have also been really fun – especially the kayaking trip to Bor Thor and being chased by monkeys at the Tiger Temple.

Overall, the experience has been challenging but lots of fun. I’ve made some really good friends and had some experiences I’ll never forget. "

by Morag Burnie

Morag's Volunteer Story

New Arrivals!

While we said goodbye to several of our new friends at the GVI base we also saw the arrival of our next batch of volunteers. Karemie (Mim) joined us for her 3rd stint (she just can't get enough of Ao Luk!) as a volunteer for the Teaching Children in Thailand Project. 3 other new volunteers joined us to take part in their 50 and 100 hour TEFL qualifications. These 4 volunteers are joining us from Australia, England and Canada. We hope they enjoy their stay!

New Arrivals!

James' Volunteer Story

The following was written by James, a volunteer that recently completed his 100 hour TEFL with GVI in Thailand. James is signed up for GVI's Asian Explorer project (http://www.gvi.co.uk/projects/Asia/Thailand/asian-explorer/home). After completing a TEFL qualification in Ao Luk Thailand, Jame's will go on to other teaching projects in India and Nepal. What an adventure. Below is just the beginning of Jame's adventure in Asia.

"The phrase that sums up my time with GVI in Thailand is, “the more you put in, the more you get out.” If you put the work and time in, you take so much from taking the TEFL course, teaching and of course experiencing beautiful Thailand, and all that it has to offer!

Admittedly, I was surprised by the amount of time I spent working on lessons, and by the effort I put in. the course really challenges you to consider what will (and won’t) work in the classroom. However, the hours I spent working out of the classroom benefited me massively, when the time came to teach a class. The GVI staff was so friendly and supportive – they couldn’t have made it any easier for me and my fellow volunteers!

Teaching itself is an amazing experience, and I’d strongly recommend it to anyone. Being able to transfer all the hard work you put into preparation in to the classroom is such a great feeling, and personally, gave me a real buzz!

The students are absolutely brilliant! They’re so appreciative, and show a fantastic willingness to learn which makes all the hard work worthwhile. Living in Ao Luk, was in itself, a great opportunity. It’s been a real privilege to live in ‘real Thailand’ – without the gimmicks, the tourists and cable TV! Instead, I had the chance to live in a really stunning area, and lived in a community of wonderfully warm and friendly locals. Saying this, it was also great to see the ‘other’ side of Thailand too, visiting Railay Bay and Koh Phi Phi, which were both great fun!

My time spent with GVI in Thailand has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve had the chance to get real teaching experience, met some great people and lived in a beautiful area. It’s an opportunity that I’m thrilled I took!"


by James Willson

James' Volunteer Story

End of Term Party

Friday was the 15th end of term party at the GVI base in Ao Luk. 8 new teachers received their 100 hour TEFL certificates and had a fantastic time celebrating alongside their students and fellow volunteers.

As always, students brought along delicious dishes and drinks such as fried and roasted chicken, shrimp cakes, spicy papaya salad, and fried rice and much more. Background tunes played while everyone settled in with some food and the karaoke went on after certificates were awarded.

Level 5 students went all out and made it a particularly special party. Students always bring along food and drinks to contribute to the party creating an incredible feast that continues throughout the night. Level 5 students, Mr. Adul and J.J. had some particularly creative and original treats. Mr. Adul set up a cocktail bar creating free cocktails and mocktails for everyone to enjoy. Level 6 student, See, helped out making fresh fruit smoothies for the kiddies to enjoy. J.J. set up a nearby salad bar that was a huge hit aided by Level 6 student, View. What a special treat!

End of Term Party

End of Term 15

The end of another term of free English classes in the Ao Luk community and yet another TEFL training has arrived. On Thursday teaching volunteers and staff evaluated their students in Levels 1-6 to find out what they have learned and retained over the 4 week class term.

While evaluating students 1 to 1 the rest of the students took part in some fun and games with other volunteer teachers.

Certificates were awarded to students that attended at least 85% of the classes and a total of 61 certificates were awarded!

End of Term 15

Ao Luk Family Kayak Rally

Sunday was the first annual Ao Luk Family Kayak Rally, an event to promote Laem Sak's new pier. Emily, our base manager was invited to take part in the event and joined the kayaking team of a couple of local friends from Bor Thor, who lead our monthly kayaking trips and also study English with us at the Non-Formal Education Center. See below for pictures and Emily's take on the exciting day out with the Ao Luk community.

"On Sunday, Ao Luk’s first-ever Family Kayak Rally was held in the neighboring sub-district of Laem Sak at the newly opened pier. The quiet coastal community welcomed families from all over Ao Luk district and from nearby provinces of Phang-Nga and Phuket. Our friends at Chok Thara in Bor Thor, with whom we go kayaking with on the side trips, had five teams in the race. I shared a kayak with Khaw and we were the first team to embark on the route but unfortunately not the first to return!

In the morning, participants planted mangroves in a village near the pier. After returning to the pier the group competed in a few games and gathered to watch a presentation about Ao Luk district’s tourist attractions. After a delicious lunch it was time for the kayaking. Fifty-five teams took part in the rally, which consisted of a 5.5-kilometer course around Phang-Nga Bay. Teams followed the course and along the way had to make twelve stops to pick up different puzzle pieces. In addition a trivia quiz was included in each team’s packet and had to be completed by the time they returned to shore.

The award presentation took place over dinner, after introductions of the local dignitaries in attendance and a comical introduction of all the teams by a local radio DJ and the owner of Laem Sak Seafood. The food was lovely as was the setting, looking over the water and surrounding karsts. In between presentations the crowd enjoyed live music and a slideshow of photos taken throughout the day."

Ao Luk Family Kayak Rally

GVI Alumni of the Month: May

The GVI Thailand blog will now be featuring past graduates of GVI's TEFL program and other related volunteers who have gone off to do great things in the world after their experience with GVI.

Our success story for May is- Taryn Amina!

Taryn joined GVI Thailand in July 2008 to gain her 100 hour TEFL qualification and volunteer in Ao Luk. Taryn was a great volunteer to have around; aware, productive and always knows how to make people laugh.

After completing her TEFL qualification, Taryn immediately went on to work as a volunteer teaching English to Burmese refugees on the Thai/Burmese border. She spent 6 months living closely with a dedicated group of Mon hill tribe women from Burma, teaching them English, human rights, and other core academic subjects. These women plan to use their English skills to help fight for democracy in Burma which has been under military control for a number of years. Many ethnic minorities, like the Mon, are forced from their homes in Burma and live in refugee camps and border towns in Thailand.

Taryn's stay in Thailand left a strong affect on her and she returned to the US as a teacher looking for a job in a less then perfect job market. Thanks to Taryn's training with GVI and her experiences teaching in Thailand, she has been able to gain employment with the Center for New Americans in Massachusetts, teaching English to local immigrant communities. Her work will help these students adapt to a new environment and culture and gain skills that will provide them with greater chances to gain employment and succeed in the United States.

And here are some words from Taryn herself:

"It seems impossible to me that, less than a year ago, I knew almost nothing about the politics of Southeast Asia, or the ways in which teaching can be a vital force in turning those politics in favor of the people. When I joined up with Global Vision I had never before left the United States; my knowledge of other cultures came from classes, books, new programs and hearsay. But because of GVI's integrative philosophy, I was immersed in Thai culture from the second I entered the Ao Luk program -- learning enough of the language to haggle at the market, singing karaoke with our Thai neighbors until the wee hours, and creating lessons that were locally relevant to our students at the nearby free school where we were taught to teach. But I wasn't "teaching" in the traditional sense so much as I was exchanging, and this equipped me to not only teach but share a house and live among my Mon students for six months, becoming their educator, friend, liaison and, indeed, their student: I received just as many lessons from them as they did from me. And in teaching me about the problems in their communities, the students were thinking critically about the issues that impacted them, putting themselves in the best possible position to find the solutions themselves. When teaching is seen as an exchange between students with different kinds of skills and experiences, solutions can't come from the top -- they necessarily have to surface. GVI prepares its teachers to be such full-on participants in the worlds of those they teach, and it does so by teaching its teachers to be students as well."

Good luck Taryn! Thank you for all your hard work!

GVI Alumni of the Month: May

Village Project: Tung Katigan

On Friday the GVI team paid a visit to the rural village of Tung Katigan, found in the Khao Yai sub district of Ao Luk. This small quiet village has a particularly beautiful setting with mountains (rolling ones as opposed to the sharp limestone ones found throughout much of Ao Luk), and lots of trees, lakes and streams. The village itself does not have their own school or temple but utilizes that in the neighboring village of Khao Lawm where the GVI team will be paying a visit once school opens up again mid-May.

GVI's team of volunteers and staff joined together with the community of Tung Katigan to clean up the area around the local community center, lake and one of the village main roads. They picked up trash, swept and several of the village's leaders worked to clean up the trees and leaves from the side of the roads.

After cleaning up the area, everyone joined together for a picnic under the trees and next to the lake. The community brought along locally made chicken and fish curry and rice and the GVI team brought along their own collection of sandwiches, salads and fruit. It tasted great after a morning of hard work.

Village Project: Tung Katigan