So my life has been ridiculously crazy over the last few weeks (I just realized I haven't posted since January - epic fail). Here is a timeline of what I've been up to~
Jan. 31: I started volunteer teaching in English at a school for migrant workers - which I love! Most of the students came over to Thailand from Burma - which is a disastrous mess right now - to find work in Thailand and be able to support their families. There are many ethnic groups in Burma that are being attacked by the Burmese in Burma (not all people in Burma are Burmese - if you'd like to know more about this, click here). Most of 'my students', for lack of a better term, are from the Shan state in Burma. While the Shan state is being attacked and hundreds of thousands of people are being internally displaced within Burma itself, Thailand does not consider them refugees because it would have to fault trade with Burma, from which Thailand imports teak, jade, and other resources. Thailand will take in a certain number of Shan, but they do not have any paperwork and may be shipped back to Burma at any point. It's a tough, confusing issue.
Anyway, my students are wonderful! I teach every weeknight when we're in town from 6-8pm, and I'm really enjoying helping them with their English. They're also teaching me a lot in the process. I've learned that making a fool of yourself is a must if you expect your students to put themselves on the line when they're not sure how to say something, and because of this class has been a lot of fun! I'm hoping to really get close to these guys and girls and help them as much as I can while I'm here. I knew I liked helping people learn before, but now I know that I can handle it too. (And by handle, I mean that I can at least think of something to do on the fly!) The students range from around 14 years old to older than myself, so it's a good mix of ages, personalities, and abilities. I plan to get a group photo before my time is up there, and when I do I'll upload it ASAP!
Feb. 3-5: Novice Camp Weekend
For anyone who's seen my Facebook photos, you've probably noticed a lot of pictures of young boys in really bright robes. Like these!
These guys are Buddhist novices. The idea would be that they're training to become Buddhist monks, but they can disrobe at any time and are not eligible to become monks until they are 20 years old.
This is an amazing group of kids. The youngest is around 14, and the oldest was 21 and deciding whether or not to become a monk. (Monks live under much stricter rules than novices do.) Several of these boys are from the IDP camp near the Novice camp (IDP stands for Internally Displaced People, which is what I've been calling it since the Shan are not technically refugees). Some of them have lost loved ones in the fighting in the Shan state, and one of them is now an orphan. But you would never guess the hardships they have been through because of how happy they are.
Sorry, I've got to get going. It's Nick's birthday today - he's a Valentine's Day baby! - and we're taking him out to dinner. I'll try and finish up after we get back.
~Abby
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