End of Term 19/Halloween Party

As usual, to celebrate the end of another term of GVI's free classes in the community, a big party was hosted at the GVI base. 13 TEFL volunteers received their 100 hour TEFL qualification. Since it fell on October 30, it doubled as a Halloween Party offering the community an opportunity to learn a bit more about western culture which they are always curious about. See below for intern, Kristy's description of the party and check out the pictures of the celebration.



'Halloween came a day early in Ao Luk this year. Our end of term party had ghouls and goblins galore!

We kicked of the festivities with apple-bobbing and face painting. Everyone got into the spooky spirit of the night. We had skeletons, witches, black cats and zombies crawling out of the darkness. With spiderwebs hanging in the trees and monsters and ghosts hiding in every corner, the GVI house was a frightening place to be.

A beautiful little witch named Need won the best costume contest. Her competition being three skeletal policeman, a very scary zombie and some delightful devils.

After a haunting party all the creatures crept out into the black night to devour their prey.'

End of Term 19/Halloween Party

Tiger Temple!

'Last Saturday, our latest group of volunteers set out on a hot, blue-sky morning to conquer the fabled Tiger Temple. The 1237 steps seemed a little daunting in the heat but all were excited to take on the challenge.

Armed with bottles of water, sports-trainers and determination the volunteers set off up the steps and didn’t look back. Although a few cheeky monkeys attempted to stall the group’s progress along the way, the volunteers pushed on up the steps and soon reached the top.

Emma bounded up the mountain in a gut-busting 20 minutes, but was soon followed by the rest of the volunteers. While catching their breath at the top the group congratulated each other on the climb and agreed that it was certainly worth the spectacular 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape and offshore islands they were witnessing from the summit.

After the climb everybody headed into Krabi town for a delicious and well-deserved lunch. Some volunteers then chose to kick back and relax over a couple cold drinks while others hit the local market with a new wave of energy and searched out some great bargains.

It was a great day out, enjoyed by all!'

-Becca Winter

Tiger Temple!

Village Project: Tung Sung Community Forest

For this week's village project the group headed out to the nearby sub-district of Khao Yai, to the village of Tung Sung, which is part of Aoluk's Community-Based Tourism Network. The village has protected a large portion of their land and designated it as a community forest. The area is home to a multitude of creatures including a rare species of frog.

GVI staff and volunteers made our way to the beautiful forest early Friday morning and enjoyed a three kilometer stroll while taking the time to clear the paths of debris. It was a lovely morning spent out in nature and we were happy to support our neighbors in Tung Sung!

Village Project: Tung Sung Community Forest

Trash Pick Up at the Center!

GVI volunteers and staff gathered together with students to spruce up the center. The group convened in the evening, after the heat had subsided, to pick up trash in and around our classrooms. It was well-timed as that same evening the municipality was holding the women's day celebration just down the street.

The annual celebration is held to honor the women of Aoluk. Women from each sub-district come prepared to showcase some skill or craft and all enjoy a delicious meal together. After classes finished all the teachers wandered down to check out the festivities and some were even pulled in to a dance!

Trash Pick Up at the Center!

Kayaking in Bor Thor!

'Our first side trip for the expedition was kayaking at Bor Thor. I was lucky enough to be the staff member on duty that day. I teamed up with Maria for the day, thinking we’d have a few hours to chat and do some bonding. Little did I know Maria is an avid kayaker! No rest for me – we were full steam ahead the whole time.

Man, our local tour guide and longtime GVI friend, showed us around - in and out of caves and through the lush mangroves.

Everyone was basking in the sunshine, a nice relaxing way to end the busy week. After exploring for two hours, we headed back to the restaurant to enjoy our buffet lunch. Sweet and sour fried fish and chicken with cashews are just two of the many delights we gorged ourselves on.

The popular vote makes this the tastiest food since arriving in Thailand for all the GVI crew.'

-Kristy McCulloch

Kayaking in Bor Thor!

Village Project: Tham Sa Yuan Thong

'The day before the vegetarian festival started in Thailand GVI staff and volunteers decided to head down to the local temple, Wat Ao luk Thai, for our weekly village project. Along with a couple of locals, everyone pitched in to clean up the temple grounds and ready them for the oncoming festivities. It was hot and hard work with the end result very satisfying. The temple was sparkling!

We decided to reward ourselves with a tour around on one of the local caves Tham Sa Yuan Thong. Some of the enthusiasts climbed through to the top for an amazing view, while others (myself included) hung about in the caves having a swim in the black water.

A nice picnic lunch under the cool shade of the trees, overlooking a water filled pond was a perfect end to the day.'

-Kristy McCulloch

Village Project: Tham Sa Yuan Thong

Thai Cooking Workshop

On Saturday, volunteers participated in their first Thai cooking workshop. The group selected a spicy papaya salad, vegetable curry from the Muslim tradition and the ubiquitous noodle cart favourite, pak grapow gai (chicken with basil). The cooks, Pou and Iiat made the time fun, letting volunteers assist with the mortar/pestle stirring method and sampling the dishes. Since food is a universal language, verbal communication was quickly established with all the “Ooohs and Aaahs”. Dinner was delicious!

Thai Cooking Workshop

First Week of English Classes!

Once again, English classes are back in session at the GVI Non-formal Education Centre in the community of Ao Luk. On Monday night, we kicked off another term of English classes. The term will last four weeks and the classes are held in the evenings from Monday through Thursday. Many familiar faces and some new ones were seen during the first week, bringing our total enrolment to approximately 65 students. We offer six different levels ranging from beginner to intermediate.

This English program benefits the local community by providing the necessary language skills for them to effectively obtain a career in various fields such as tourism. The program also prepares students who are studying advanced degrees. Our students come from all walks of life and our classes act as a bridge, bringing the community together. All of our teachers and students are excited for another fun and successful term. Good luck students!

First Week of English Classes!

Thai lessons!

Thai lessons have begun for this expedition and so far we've seen a great turnout! Volunteers meet with Jack every Monday and Wednesday after lunch to pick up some useful Thai phrases and vocabulary. Time spent in Aoluk is a great opportunity to develop language skills and can be very beneficial in connecting with the community. The more you know the more you can get to know your neighbors!

Jack's Thai lessons cover all the basics such as greetings, shopping, numbers and telling time. Add to that, Jack always makes himself available for people to practice and ask questions.

Thai lessons!

Expedition 10 Begins!!!!

Fifteen volunteers crossed through the gates of GVI base yesterday, kicking off our 10th expedition. After going through their first day of orientation to base, to Ao Luk and to the project itself, they started their second day off with an introduction to TEFL. As seen above, volunteers on GVI Thailand's English Teaching Internship spent their morning learning about the field of TEFL and what they can look forward to over the next four weeks. Lead by TEFL trainers, Linda and Laura, we're all excited about this expedition's TEFL program and can't wait for classes to begin!

Expedition 10 Begins!!!!