Joan's Thailand Journal: English camp

We are having an English camp/Christmas celebration next week at Ban Serm School. It has been planned for 2 months for 12/25 & 12/26. I got a call on the 19th from my co-teacher asking if we could change to 12/24 & 12/25. Surprisingly all the volunteers who are coming were able to accommodate.

After all the volunteers re-arranged their schedules, no return call to confirm the date change. After a 1 ½ hour meeting, change was confirmed. We were supposed to go for supplies Monday, then Wed. then Thurs, and then maybe Friday or Sunday, for the Monday 8:00 a.m. camp.

Also last week I told the teacher who wanted to host the volunteers that they were staying with me. I was very kind and worked hard to make sure she knew it had nothing to do with her, we just wanted to stay together at my house. Done deal? No, today I was approached by someone other than they potential host with the idea that we should all be staying at the wannbe host's house with a list of reasons why. Why is “no, thank you” not acceptable? And why is a 3^rd party involved?

I was told today that Thailand has a high attrition rate due to cultural differences. I have to say I will be so happy when the camp is done and I would be very reluctant to plan another.

I wrote this rant on 12/20 when I was feeling so frustrated by the lack of planning and organization that seems to be so normal for the culture of Thailand. A few more things got done on Sunday, but everything was not ready and my co-teacher’s priorities were not the same as mine. I had to let it go and just hope for the best. I was so grateful for my volunteer friends who were supportive and who I knew would be able to make the best of whatever was going to happen.

We got to school very early Monday morning and things were in pretty good shape. There were a few glitches in the schedule, but bottom line, the kids had a great time, the school director loved having 5 Americans, and I gained a whole new respect for so many of the teachers I work with at Ban Soem School.

Learning to embrace and trust a culture that is so different is one of the biggest challenges of this service for me, but it is hard to argue with results and the pictures tell some of the story. The other part is the kindness, hospitality and generosity of the Thais. The school director had the camp shirts made on the fly after the first day. I think it’s because he was so impressed with the energy, enthusiasm and fun that the Peace Corp Volunteers brought to the day and he wanted to express his gratitude. Three Thai teachers totally ran the craft activities where the kids cut out their hands for the tree and made the paper chain. I explained how to do it by showing them because their English is as limited as my Thai and they just made it work and smiled the whole time. The PCV’s who came sang songs, played games and taught some English to the students. They were awesome and the energy level was high. The Thai staff rose to the occasion and provided all the support we needed to make it all work. And there was enough food to feed twice as many people as were there.

What an incredible Christmas 2012 has been! And I was so wrong about what needed to happen!

The tree Emily, Linda, Nolan, Faith and I made at my house with gifts!