My group and I visited a school where we got to interact with the students whose age ranged from 3 to 12. It was so incredible to see how smart these kids were and it was so much fun to interact with the little ones. The three year olds had so much energy and it was refreshing to watch and play with them. We split up into two groups
and visited the older students and had the opportunity to teach them English and Math. I was so amazed how dedicated these students were and how positive they remained despite their lack of resources. They have a low budget and have to mix grades due to lack of teachers. The class that I taught had fifth and sixth graders. They were all so happy to see us and it really made me smile to see how grateful they all were for our help. The following day we went back and decided to come up with a cool game for them to practice their math skills as well as spelling and it turned out to be a great teaching method for them. This has been one of the most heartwarming experiences for me and I am so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to make these great kids smile.
Archives for May 2016
Bangkok living
It has been hard to find the time to post as so much has been going on. Its hard to believe it is May 30th and I have been here since the 18th. I am loving my time spent in Thailand.
Each week day is spent at my worksite. We start the day at a day care helping the staff with various things such as putting fluoride on the children’s teeth or doing health check ups. Then we go with the nurse to see one or two patients in their homes. After that we do activities such as teach English to the local hospital workers.
Myself and two other students on the trip are EMTs so on Tuesday we got to spend the morning at the local ER observing.
We were given the weekend off. A group of us went west to explore the area near a national park. We went to ride elephants and see a waterfall, except it was dry because we are at the very beginning of the wet season. We spent the night at a hotel and then woke up and sat by the pool. We also went to a massive mall called Terminal 21 which has 6 levels and hundreds of stores.
Today is Monday and we are back to work at our worksites. It is upsetting that this is my last week in Thailand. I absolutely plan to come back to Thailand at some point.
A rainy day in Paris
On my second day in Paris (Sunday, May 28) my jetlag has begun to subside and I already find myself falling into the rhythm of Parisian life. Yesterday morning (Saturday, May 27), I met a family friend of mine at the airport and we took a train from the airport to my family friend’s apartment. Once there, I had a short nap in a successful attempt to counter the jetlag, and then I went out with the son of this family friend to explore the city on foot. We walked to the nearby Sacre Coeur de Montmartre, passing several other gardens on the way there. Along the way my friend pointed out the cafe where Amélie Poulain (from the film Amélie) worked, and I practiced my French with him as we walked. After returning home for a short period, I went out by myself to buy a few groceries and a baguette, and then cooked a quick dinner.
This morning (Sunday May 28), we skipped breakfast and walked to the Japanese quarter, where we ate a delicious brunch consisting of yakisoba noodles, seafood, and some kind of fried dumpling-like food which was covered with a generous mound of chives. After strolling through a few nearby gardens it began to rain heavily, so we made our way back to the apartment by metro.
Perhaps tonight, if the weather cooperates, we will go out and get a drink in a bar, or if not, maybe I will stay in and draw a bit.
******
After the rain subsided on Sunday, I did indeed go out with my family friend to visit a local bar, but only after stepping out to pick up a few groceries and making some quick sketches of the roses in a nearby park. The bar was small and cozy, and it had one small concert room in the basement where a local band played. I enjoyed the music – which was some kind of alternative punk rock – as well as a pint of the local lager – and then we returned home for the night.
Pre-Departure Post
Only two days left until we leave! I am both nervous and excited to begin this journey abroad for a month, and I know it will be unforgettable. Even though I have visited Mexico before, I have never been to Oaxaca and I can’t wait to learn more about its rich culture and experience it first hand. I remember first hearing about study abroad during my freshman year and since then I knew it was a must-do! I am grateful for having this opportunity, and the more I learn about the program and what we will be doing, the more excited I get to begin this adventure and share it with everyone!
Work Site
On my first day at my work site I was scheduled to meet three cases of people who needed assistance and these people were suffering from hypertension, diabetes, stroke etc. We got to stop by say hello and observe there atmosphere and encourage them to get better by being there to support them and make their day. I was quite scared at first because I was unsure how some of them would react to us. Some people do not like to be seen or even helped so I was nervous going into it, but luckily the three people we met were very nice and very positive. It was inspiring to see how determined they were to get better. The first two elderly people had gotten a stroke years back and had still not recovered their mobility. Their stories were so heartbreaking and their living spaces were not making it any better. It was clear that these were low income people who could not afford medical bills. The second women lived in the farm area and it was not a comfortable space to do exercise, but she still managed to create some type of rope to help her do her own personal physical therapy. What was even more breathe taking was how her grandson was her personal masseuse who rubbed her legs and stepped on them to keep some circulation going. Visiting these people who were going through so much, but still managed to keep a smile on their face and still managed to remain hopeful and positive was a life changing experience for me.
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