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Saturday July 21, 2018

Sawasdii-kha from Thailand!

We all landed safely and are on our first excursions out into the city of Chiang Mai today.

Sunday July 22, 2018

Today we had our first outing into Chiang Mai. We explored a museum dedicated to the history of the city and then learned more about Buddhism after visiting Chiang Mai’s oldest temple, Wat Chiang Man. After visiting the temple, we returned back to our beautiful home base for our lesson in teaching English to non-native speakers, and then we jumped into lesson planning for our first day at school tomorrow. We can’t wait!

Monday July 23, 2018

Hello!

Today was our first day of teaching the students here in the beautiful city of Chiang Mai! All of us prepared lesson plans the night prior and today we put them to the test- many of us had very diverse teaching styles which gave the Thai students different approaches to learning. The kids were eager and happy to learn and constantly smiled.

Proceeding the school day, we headed over to a Muay Thai gym where we underwent a very rigorous training session. We rotated through three different stations that focused on agility, precision, and quickness. Despite our pain, we all enjoyed the experience!

After a very smelly car ride, we arrived at home base and anticipated a swimming test, but due to Thailand’s rainy season, only a select few of us were able to undergo the “trial.”

Following the draining activities of the day, we all promptly crashed in our rooms. Some of us crashed a little too hard and slept through the beginning of dinner causing the early birds to wait. After dinner, we grouped up in the meeting space to discuss our lesson planss for the next day. As a community, we also came up with a definitive list of agreements of how we should treat one another.

We’re ready to take on the day tomorrow!​

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Sawadii-kha everyone!

Today is our second school-day and we got to know our students even better! The kids were adorable! Some of us got to play fun Thai games at recess. Now that the kids are closer with us, they are even more friendly and won’t stop hugging us! They had a hard time saying goodbye to us even though we’ll still see them tomorrow.

After school, we all got together for the Monk Chat. We got to ask the monk many questions and we learned all about Buddhism. Prior to the Monk Chat, we all thought it would be a much different experience. We learned that the monk had a good sense of humor and joked around a lot with us. He was very kind and made us feel very comfortable asking any type of questions. He told us a lot of personal stories which helped us relate to him more. Some of the students who were more familiar to the culture had a different experience than the ones who did not. Nevertheless, the students who were familiar with the philosophy of Buddhism still got a new perspective on the subject. The students who were new to the culture, learned more about the origins of it.

Once the Monk Chat was finished, we all felt more enlightened and excited to move forward in life with the knowledge that we received.

Goodnight!

-Leaders of the day: Leela Cullity and Jennifer Nguyen

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Sawasdee-krap from Thailand!

Despite the gloomy weather, the GLA team had a very productive day. It was our last day of teaching individual grades, but tomorrow we are putting together an English Camp full of fun, educational games for the kids at Baan San Kayom School and Baan Ta Luk School.

After school ended today, our groups met up at the Art Paradise 3D Museum, where optical illusions covered the entirety of each wall. We participated in a scavenger hunt throughout the museum, taking photos with giant cats, giraffes, and even underwater!

Later , out taste buds were delighted by scrumptious Thai delicacies that we prepared and cooked ourselves. It was a truly eye-opening experience to encounter another culture’s food first hand. We all loved the food, and some of us struggled with the spice. All in all, it was wonderful!

Stay tuned for more posts!​

Thursday July 26, 2018

Today was our last day working with the Thai children. It was bittersweet leaving the kids but many new adventures await us. We hope they enjoyed our lessons as much as we did! The schools had closing ceremonies and gifted us some fun souvenirs, including cups and flowers. After an hour of downtime, we headed into town for a western styled dinner. The smells and flavors of pizza and french fries reminded us of home. Accompanied by our very full bellies, we headed into the night bazaar, a street market filled with various unique items to purchase. We went home with bags filled with keychains, clothes, soaps, wooden toys, and much more. After a quick evening game of “Splat!”, we headed to bed excited for the adventure that awaits us tomorrow!

Sawasdiika!

Leaders of they day,
Hanna Malec and Maddy Hays

Friday July 27, 2018

Sawasdee ka!

Today was filled with the outdoors and adventure! We learned about the indigenous Hmong population by visiting one of their villages and seeing their farming lifestyle. We also learned about the art of umbrella making and got to paint some ourselves.

The Hmong village was high up in the mountains and we reached it after a beautiful car ride. Once we got there, we took a hike through one of the farms in the area guided by a village elder. He told us that the forest that surrounded us, which was his garden, was completely edible. After the hike, we tried our hand at batik, the art of creating designs on fabric with wax. Then we have some traditional Thai food along with traditional Hmong food prepared with ingredients from the forest around us.

After the hike, we headed to an umbrella making factory. We got to paint fun designs on our very own umbrellas.

After painting our umbrellas, we made a pit stop at a local 7/11 and picked up some fun Thai snacks and candy.

Overall, it was a fun and exciting day, even though we’re kissing our kids.

Leaders of the day: Savannah and Leela

Saturday July 28, 2018

After a tiresome night, we hopped in the vans and headed to Doi Suthep. The bumpy ride left some feeling nauseous, but we managed to climb over 300 crowded steps up the temple. We were blessed by a monk who provided a gift of holy string bracelet; we proceeded to have our fortunes told by means of shaking a holy cup until a numerical stick fell out. Afterwards we departed on another bumpy ride to the Hmong village of Doi Pui where we had the opportunity to shop, see gardens, and get some ice cream and coffee. Despite the rain, the views were breathtaking and it made for many great photos. We then took a sleepy drive to the Saturday Night Walking Street where we underwent a time trial to buy as much as we could with what little Baht we had left. We then headed home and proceeded to have a rather heated debate about the content of our student cultural exchange on Wednesday. Despite some disagreements we were able to come to agree on a “History of American Dance” performance. Stay tuned to see if we actually stick with it. Good night peeps/parents.

Leaders of the Day: Parker and Olivia

Sunday July 29, 2018

Hi GLA parents. Today was a fun-filled day of elephants, elephants, and elephants. To start off, we fed the elephants a scrumptious treat of bananas. After that, we trekked down a slippery mud trail for lunch and then rest of our activities. A few of our shoes broke along the way, but we proceeded to fix them in innovative ways. After lunch we used our strength to mash up the elephant’s medicine, then prepared for our mud bath. The mud was sticky but we were able to wash it off and splash at each other in the river. Then we headed home and made a pit stop at 7/11. For dinner, we enjoyed a western meal that we were all waiting for. Thanks for following the blog. Stay tuned for more!

– Aastha and Olivia

Monday July 30, 2018

Sawadii-kha!

We woke up nice and early, to the pleasant surprise of delicious pancakes! We then traveled to a cultural village to learn about the indigenous Tai Lue people. They speak a different dialect than the Thai people of Chiang Mai. Before we entered they blessed us with water to clear the bad spirits and welcome us to their home. When we entered they gave us bracelets to wish us happiness and luck. They taught us how to paint a wooden doll and produce textiles. Next we visited the locals and they taught us how to make rice cracker desert (which was very tricky).

Around noon we had a traditional Tai Lue meal including: grilled egg omelet, rice crackers, Tai Lue pad thai, and spicy sticky rice. While eating, we listened to authentic Tai Lue music and singing! Then some of our own group performed “Riptide” for the Tai Lue people. Lastly we made stencil bags and wrote goodbye notes.

We returned back to home base for well deserved free time. We ended our night discussing and practicing our dance moves for the cultural exchange happening on Wednesday!

– Aliyeh and Caroline

Tuesday July 31, 2018

This morning we woke up to an amazing breakfast from our home base staff. We needed the fuel for a fun day of ziplining. Then it was off to the vans, and an hour later we arrived at Eagle Track Zip-Lining. We conquered our fears with 35 platforms of adventure and teamwork, ending it all with a 40 meter drop! After an exhausting adventure in the jungle we were off for relaxation. What relaxation you might ask? A Thai massage! At the end of the amazing day we came back to Tianna and practiced our performance for the cultural exchange tomorrow.

– Leaders of the day: Kaitlyn and Hanna

Wednesday August 1, 2018

a-wat-dii-ka!

Curious about our activities for today? Well, keep reading, folks! You’re in for a good one!

We began our day bright and early at 7:30 to visit a Thai pottery workshop. We learned about the different clays used in certain pieces, how each piece is polished, and got to watch & experience firsthand the amount of effort it takes to create one pot! We circled around in two groups, each one following the instructions of a professional potter. After about an hour, we all finished with our own unique pots, made with heart and soul 🙂

Once we left our pots to dry, we headed out to lunch at a community mall area where we were met with some familiar fast food brands, such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Dairy Queen. I suppose you could say we were craving a little bit, seeing that most of us visited each food stop.

After a hearty (and greasy) lunch, we drove to a Thai high school to do a cultural exchange. We arrived to see many friendly and excited faces. The students there performed a traditional music piece for us and in return, we performed a dance piece! Twice! It was a cool experience being able to see a part of their culture while sharing a part of ours. In addition to that, the students had two stations set up for us; one taught us how to play the musical instruments used in their performance and the other had us write out our names both in Thai and Lanna (traditional Northern Thai language). We also had the opportunity to play some sports with the students! It was an incredibly fun and tiring day!

I hope tomorrow is just as good, maybe even better 🙂

But that’s it for today! Thanks for reading! See you later!

-Charlene and Leela

Thursday August 2, 2018

Hello and sawasdee-ka from Thailand!

Today was our last full day together. We kicked it off by heading to a local market when we got to try different fruits and candies local to Thailand and Southeast Asia. We tried jack fruit, mango sticky rice, bamboo worms, and most divisive of all: durian. We either hated it or we loved it, and it was a pretty even split! After trying all of the great foods, we were given time to walk around a do our last little bits of souvenir shopping. Some of us ended up with fish slippers!

After visiting the local market, we headed to a Tesco Lotus where we had our last opportunity to stock up on Thai snacks before we set out tomorrow. After lunch, we headed back to home base to relax, start packing, and get ready for our farewell dinner.

We went to a restaurant on the Ping River for our final dinner in Thailand. We had all of our favorites: spring rolls, chicken wings, and pad Thai. After we finished dinner, we headed back to home base one last time in the vans to have our farewell party. We viewed our photos from the scavenger hunt and then sang the night away karaoke-style.

Eventually, we headed back to our rooms to finish packing and start saying our goodbyes. It’s a bittersweet feeling to know we’re leaving Thailand, but we know we’ll be back again.

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Thursday July 5, 2018

Good morning from Thailand! Everyone landed safely last night and went straight to bed. Here we are at breakfast ready to take on our first full day in the country!

Written by Kathy Youngkin, International Director

Friday July 6, 2018

Sawadii-kha to everyone back home!

Today was all about getting to know Chiang Mai, both its history and its food culture. We explored a museum dedicated to the history of the city and then learned more about Buddhism after visit Chiang Mai’s oldest temple, Wat Chiang Man. Our history lesson was sandwiched by a buffet lunch at Siripanna restaurant and a shopping trip to a local market to learn about the fresh ingredients that we would be using in our evening Thai cooking class. At dinner we tried our hands at cooking Thai food and surprised ourselves with how delicious everything was. What a great first “taste” of the city and Thailand.

Saturday July 7, 2018

Hello! We can’t even begin to tell you how amazing Thailand is, how much fun we’re having, and how much we’ve learned already.

Today, half of our group went to the village of Hmong Mae Saa. When we arrive we explored the village and learned about the lifestyle of the local Hmong indigenous group. Then, we took a hike touring the farm of one of the village leaders who grew over 100 different varieties of healing herbs and many other fruits and vegetables, including coffee beans. We ended our visit by making our own wax design and trying some local food.

The second group went to a local market where they tried new, local foods such as: durian, bamboo worms, and other Thai candies. We also had a chance to explore, buy souvenirs, and practice their bargaining skills.

To end the amazing day, both groups got the opportunity to tour a pottery village and then make their own clay pots under the guidance of one of the local potters.

– Leaders of the day: Emma P., Rachel R.F., Amanda S.

Sunday July 8, 2018

Sawatdii-kha!

Today, we split up into our two groups from yesterday to visit the local market and the Hmong village. At the market, we had the chance to try durian which we had expected to be disgusting because of all the terrible reactions from the last group, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as we had thought! Luckily, there was an assortment of exotic fruits, which were extremely delicious. We had the chance to bargain with the locals, which proved to be difficult at times. While we were exploring the market, the other group had the opportunity to hike and explore the Hmong village. They listened to the village elder play a local instrument, tried batik art, and bonded with kids in the village.

Our local administrator, Todd, returned to Tianna to teach us how to teach our students for the first day of school tomorrow! We learned to use our “teacher voices” by screaming at each other across the room😉. Then we split into our teaching groups, planned out our lessons for tomorrow, and also began practicing routines for our high school cultural exchange.

By leaders of the day: Taylor and Isa

Monday July 9, 2018

Today was our first day of service!

We woke up nice and early, gulping down our breakfast within minutes so we could jump on the vans to start our first day of teaching! We split into two groups to teach at two local primary schools, and as our vans pulled up on the school grounds, we were greeted by the bright smiles and enthusiastic waves of the students at Wat Phra Non School and Wat Rong Oor School.

The three class periods that we taught went by in the blink of an eye as our students learned occupations, animals, numbers, sports, colors, and more! We had a delicious lunch with the students at school and then ran it all off at recess as we played tag and soccer with the kids. We also played jump rope with the students at Wat Phra-Non School, and the kids even gave us flowers to put behind our ears which were the absolute cutest! When the buses came to pick us up, we were overwhelmed with happiness and love while hugging every student in our path goodbye for the day.

After that, we drove to Wat Suan Dok Temple for the monk chat. It was super eye opening and inspiring, we got to know all about the lives of monks and the teachings of Buddha and its history and philosophy. The monk (which is ‘pra’ in Thai) had a great sense of humour and was happy to answer every single on of our questions! We then went on a beautiful tour of the temple, and walked through the graves of the Royal Chiang Mai Family.

We ended the night preparing for our Wednesday cultural exchange and for classes tomorrow! We can’t wait!

-By leaders of the day Adele and Lydia 🙂

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Everyone loved their second day of service! Once again, our students greeted us with warm smiles and never-ending enthusiasm.

Our teaching groups of four of five volunteers tackled eccentric classes up to 49 students! We used feedback from yesterday to make today’s lessons more clear and fun for our loving students. After class, we saw many of the same faces coming to greet us with hugs and smiles during recess. We can’t wait to see what the next few days of teaching will bring as we better ourselves in the classroom.

After school we went straight to Muay Thai. We got to learn about Muay Thai boxing from experiential professionals as well as try it out ourselves! For most of us who were trying something completely new, all of our peers gave it their all! Not to mention the hardcore workout we all got.

Our dinner tonight was a special treat of Western food that gave us all the energy we could need to haggle prices at the night bazaar. We walked around countless tables of handmade crafts and souvenirs as we start to stock up presents for home.

We ended the night with our final prep for the cultural exchange tomorrow. We couldn’t be more excited!

Love, the leaders of the day,

Aine, Jillian, Teerith

Wednesday July 11, 2018

​​​​​​Sawatdii-kha!

Today was day 3 of teaching. The kids are still so excited when we pull up to school, and the opportunity to teach continues to be just as rewarding.

After our service at primary schools in the morning, we made our way to Sacred Heart College, a local, private, all-girls Catholic school in Chiang Mai. During our visit, we got insight into Catholic Thai culture. The students performed traditional Thai dances for us, and in return we performed “The Cup Song” and danced to “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. It was so fun to watch how excited they got by our performances. We made so many new friends and won two out of three friendly basketballs games with the Sacred Heart students.

We finished the day by preparing for Thursday’s classes. We can’t wait!

Thursday July 12, 2018

Today we started the day with breakfast at Tianna. After breakfast we jumped into the vans and headed to school for our last day teaching in the classroom. The games that we prepared, such as charades, songs, and Simon says, left the kids with big smiles on their faces. After teaching, we enjoyed playing football and running with the kids. The kids were excited to have us sign their books and sent us off with endless hugs.

After teaching and returning to Tianna, we enjoyed free time at the pool. When free time was over, we met back to prepare for English Camp. To prepare, we came up with new dances, scavenger hunts, and fun ways to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We then enjoyed a nice dinner which included pad thai and chicken wings. Evening games we played after dinner included human knot, partner shoe tying, and the human bridge. To close the night we watched a Ted Talk about happiness and reflected on how we view our own happiness. Groups finished polishing off the rest of their English camp materials and are excited for our last day with the children.

-by Nathan and Gracie

Friday July 13, 2018

Hello!

Today we had English Camp. This wasn’t a normal teaching day, it was our last school day. We first started off by doing an ice breaker game. The Wat Phra-non School made a 100+ person conga line, and it was super fun! Meanwhile, Wat Rong Oor School played rock, paper, scissors.

At each school we set up 4 stations. At both schools the kids’ favorite station was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They were excited to make and eat them. Watching them smile when they bit into the sandwich was heartwarming knowing that our American food was good to them. We really bonded with our kids even more when we did the stations. Knowing that we could give the kids such an amazing time felt awesome.

Leaving the kids at the end of the day was the hardest part. The kids lined up one-by-one so we could give them individual hugs. There were a lot of tears from the students and from us. It was evident that the kids taught us as much as we taught them.

– Leaders of the Day: Faye, Hudson, Juliette

Saturday July 14, 2018

Today we got to sleep in and enjoyed a late breakfast at 9 AM. After breakfast, we jumped into the vans and drove up windy road to Doi Pui, another Hmong village in the mountains. We got to explore a beautiful botanical garden and then tried a delicious Northen Thailand curry dish, called khao soi (pronounced cow soy), for lunch. After lunch, we walked through a museum and then another botanical garden before a coffee break.

Then, we drove a little down Doi Suthep to Wat Phra Thot, the “Golden Temple on the Mountain,” where we did fortune sticks and were blessed by a monk. For our last activity of the day, we finished our drive down the mountain to a walking street market where we bought food and shopped for a little. Finally, we returned to home based for a brief round of games before bed.

From Leaders of the Day Hannah, Paige and Nicole

Monday July 16, 2018

Today, we explored the ancient art of umbrella-making and we learned first hand about the process. After, we got to experiment through painting umbrellas of our own. When we finished painting, some of up got our water bottles, phone cases and other accessories decorated by local artists. At a shopping mall nearby that umbrella making center, we ate lunch and purchased some popular Thai snacks.

After our delicious lunch, we went to a 3D museum in which we completed a scavenger hunt. We later rewarded ourselves with coffee, smoothies, and other treats. Once we were fully hydrated we split into two groups for our traditional Thai massages. The massages made us feel rejuvenated and ready for tomorrow’s ziplining extravaganza!

-by Chloe and Álvaro

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Our final day before departures kicked off with one of the most anticipated activities of the program: ziplining. After another great breakfast at our home base of Tianna, we piled into our vans and set off for one of the nearby mountains. Once at ziplining, we got suited up and set off on a 35 platform, 2.5 hour adventure in the trees. We zipped across rivers, tackled high ropes courses, and pushed ourselves with guided drops of up to 40 meters!

After ziplining, we headed to an internet cafe for some wifi time before heading back to home base to get ready for our farewell dinner. Our farewell dinner was located at a restaurant just a couple minutes down the road, and still on the Ping River. We listened to the rain as we ate a delicious meal of Thai food and chatted with our friends. We finished the evening back at home base with karaoke and a viewing of our scavenger hunt photos from the 3D museum. Tomorrow is the day we are least looking forward to: leaving Thailand and saying goodbye to our new friends.

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Monday June 18, 2018

After many hours spent at airports and on airplanes, everyone is finally together at Tianna! We will rest and sleep tonight with many Thailand adventures to look forward to tomorrow!

Tuesday June 19, 2018

We had our first ‘taste’ of Chiang Mai today. From a delicious breakfast at Tianna Home Base, to a buffet lunch at the Siripanna restaurant, followed by a shopping trip to a local market to find out about the fresh ingredients for our afternoon Thai cooking class. Lovely food, all the more special as we made it ourselves. In between the eating, we learned about the history of the Lanna region and the Buddhist temples. A great day!

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Our day started by going to an umbrella making center. It was fascinating to see the effort and skill required to make a wooden umbrella. We each got to paint our own umbrella and it was really interesting to see the different GLA student perspectives on creativity and art.

We then had an authentic Thai lunch at Setthasri to prepare for Muay Thai boxing later that day. We didn’t expect that good of a workout, but everyone was really invested in doing their best and trying to learn a new sport. We tried the different fighting styles and learned about the art behind Muay Thai.

On returning to home base we had swim tests in the pool. In the evening we discussed our thoughts on Thailand in our mentor groups.

It was a great third day of the program!

 

 Thursday June 21, 2018

This morning we had Todd, the country co-ordinator, come and hyped us up about teaching the Thai students for the service part of our program. He showed us the ropes, before we started on our lesson plans. After a delicious lunch, we went on a tour of the schools we will be teaching at. The kids were adorable!!

In the afternoon, we headed over to the old Chiang Mai food market to try different foods, including durian and worms!

After a busy day we came back to Home Base and took a dip in the pool. We ended the night with a debate on mega sporting events and the impact their development has on the lives of local children. It was really interesting to hear different viewpoints.

Friday June 22, 2018

Today was our first early morning at Tianna and we awoke with eager anticipation for the many activities of the day.

After our ever delicious breakfast, we began to prepare for the journey to the Hmong Village. After the twisty drive up the mountain in Mae Rim, we arrived at the village and were introduced to two men who have high rankings among the indigenous Hmong. We split into groups for the village and mountain tours and saw many different sights: pigs and chickens, puppies, small farms owned by individuals, and of course the lush forests of Mae Sa Mai. Ending up back together in the main meeting hall of the village, we then enjoyed a craft seminar, local lunch and a musical rendition by one of the Hmong villagers.

In the afternoon, we visited the 3D mural Museum, Art of Paradise, where we were tasked with creating a dramatic video, interacting with the artwork. We ended the day with a super relaxing traditional Thai massage. In the evening, we reflected on the people we had met and what we had learned, challenging some preconceived beliefs.

Saturday June 23, 2018

It is day six of GLA Thailand and it has been quite the adventure. It started off with a race up the 306 steps to the Doi Suthep temple. From the top we could see the entire city of Chiang Mai.

We then went to a nearby Hmong village, where we had some very delicious Khao Soi for lunch. This was followed by a stroll through the beautiful botanical gardens, and the temptations of handcrafted souvenirs from local stall holders.

In the evening we headed to Chiang Mai’s famous ‘walking street market’. Here we were able to look for gifts for family and friends, and also get a taste of authentic Thai street food.

Overall, we had a great day, further immersing ourselves into Thailand’s unique culture. We can’t wait for more activities tomorrow.

Sunday June 24, 2018

Hey everyone!

Today was full of elephants, mud and lots of laughter. We went to an elephant sanctuary, which was an AMAZING experience.

We began by learning about the elephants, their trainers and the work that the sanctuary does to protect them. We got the opportunity to actually feed the elephants! We fed them bananas and sugarcane and were able to observe their behaviour and how dexterous they are with their trunks.

We then hiked down to the camp with the elephants and made medicine for them by hand. We then got into the water and bathed them. This was the best part of the day! It was muddy but totally worth it because it was a once in a lifetime experience. We covered them in mud and then cleaned them off with fresh water (we were covered in mud too).

To end the adventure, we hiked to a beautiful waterfall that was located near the camp.

After a long ride home, we ended the day making our lesson plans for our first day of school tomorrow. Everyone is nervous, but super excited – we can’t wait! This week of service is going to be a challenge, but we can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

 

Monday June 25, 2018

We kicked off the second week of adventures with our first day of service.

Split into two groups, we went to our schools. The children greeted us with a traditional Thai ceremony, making us feel very honored. We all had smiles on our faces throughout the challenges of teaching such young children. They loved to play games like tag with us at their break time.

After school, we went to the Buddhist University for a monk chat. The monk enlightened and taught us about the philosophies of Buddhism. He made connections with us and told us his personal stories. We also explored the university grounds, which was home to a beautiful white temple.

In the late afternoon, we headed back to homebase to prepare our lesson plans for the morning and our performance for the cultural exchange, taking place on Wednesday.

We have had such a lovely time in Thailand so far, the food is amazing and the country is so beautiful.

Tuesday June 26, 2018

We began the day by eating a unique breakfast of rice and various meats. There were some familiar features like eggs and fruit. We then prepared ourselves for the daily adventures of teaching.

The students received the lessons magnificently, and the children were left with bright, shinning faces despite the few bumps in the road. Although there were struggles we quickly learned what it meant to be a good teacher.

After the tiring but joyous day at school, we trekked to a small pottery village. We created our own pots as well as learned how the villagers lived day by day, sustained by the pottery business.

After immersing ourselves in the Thai culture of pottery, our famished group continued on to dinner at the American-styled Duke’s family restaurant. The group demolished the food placed in front of them and burned it all off by walking through one of Thailand’s lively night bazaars.

The night was concluded with preparations for the cultural exchange, which you will read about tomorrow.

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Today was, yet again, another great day in Thailand. We started our early morning, dining by the river with our usual eggs and toast. Then, the third day of teaching English – colors, numbers, the alphabet, occupations, sports and culture – to the cutest kids on the planet. Our favorite part of the school day is recess, when we get to play hopscotch and tag, and share popsicles with the children in the courtyard.

After lunch, we headed off to the local private school where we engaged in a cultural exchange with Thai teens our age. After hearing their versions of Ed Sheeran, Stevie Wonder and an authentic acoustic Thai song, we shared our own performances. This consisted of our own rendition of Cotton-Eye Joe and the Cup Song from Pitch Perfect. Following the ceremony we tasted traditional Thai food such as Papaya Salad and Khanom Bueang, and bonded with the high schoolers (many of whom spoke English better than us).

We returned back to home base for a well deserved two hours of free time and celebrated Mariel’s 18th birthday with cake and perfectly pitched singing. We ended our night discussing leadership with our mentor groups, preparing for our last day of teaching, and planning for Friday’s English Camp.

As we enjoyed another amazing day in Chiang Mai, we find ourselves dreading the end of this life changing adventure.

Thursday June 28, 2018

This morning, we had our last teaching classes at our schools. We had time to play with our closest students after lunch and said our goodbyes to the younger students, who won’t be at the English camp tomorrow. There will be various stations where we teach vocabulary related to different topics, including how to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dances to American hits like the cha-cha slide and cupid shuffle.

We had lots of time to hang out with friends at Tianna this afternoon. Some of us went swimming and others hung out with friends around the resort. After dinner (which included crinkle fries and garlic bread), we all gathered in the meeting room and had a heart-to-heart activity that helped students relate to each other with stories that have impacted who they are today.

Friday June 29, 2018

Our final day of service was an English Camp, the aim of which was to reinforce the English we had taught over the week.

We have made friends with the children, and so when it was time to say goodbye, it was very emotional. This week of teaching has made a huge impact in all of our lives because of the welcoming nature and eagerness of the children. The experience has touched us all very deeply, and we are thankful for the opportunities we have been given.

Note – due to poor internet connection tonight we are unable to upload photographs.

Sunday July 1, 2018

Bags packed. Time for goodbyes and looking back … buddies; cooking Thai food; eating Thai food; temples; monks; different cultures, new ideas; Muay Thai; ABBA – SOS; elephants; markets; zip line; teaching; the children; Tianna; new friends … happy memories.

Wishing everyone a safe journey home.
GLA Team – Tianna

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Friday July 13, 2018

Hi Parents!

All 27 students have arrived safe and sound in Tanzania! We’re so happy that our group is finally complete, and we are all looking forward to spending the next 3 weeks together in this beautiful country.

With some students arriving yesterday, and the rest today, we haven’t been able to take a FULL group shot yet. But below are some photos from the various arrival groups.

Please note: Tyler Milner, Madison Stock, and Madison Feldman are not pictured, as their flights arrived around midnight Tanzania time, but our staff were ready and waiting at the airport to greet them, and they are now at home base with the rest of the group getting a good night’s rest in preparation for a low-key orientation day tomorrow.

Stay tuned for updates from our 3-week adventure, and we will be sure to update the blog with a full group photo tomorrow!

Sincerely,
GLA Tanzania Program Staff

Friday July 14, 2018

The energetic people of Tanzania are some of the most selfless and heartwarming individuals I have ever met. We have spent hours and hours with the children playing catch, soccer, dancing, and running. The children seem to never run out of energy. Though we haven’t done any service work yet, we have been introduced into the community and already feel like a family.

The majority of today was spent on orientation. In orientation we met the local and international staff, did icebreakers, went over the code of conduct, and to top it off we did the Amazing Race! The Amazing Race was a team activity where we had to go through Tengeru figuring out clues in order to finish. For example, we had to buy nyanyas from someone at the local market (tomatoes), we had to take a selfie with a goat, and we had to go a local school gate and take a team photo. In the end, we all met up and played sports with locals and got to know our peers better. Megan and her mentor group won the Amazing Race and got a prize of hot chocolate and getting to give Lodrick (Local Director) and Debra (International Director) a makeover.

After the Amazing Race, we all got together and talked more in-depth about the code of conduct and general safety. The night ended with a slideshow of our Amazing Race photos and a delicious dinner. Overall we have had great food and a great time!

-by Rohan Kalra

Sunday July 15, 2018

Yesterday was an amazing day because we experienced the honest culture of the fellow people of Tanzania. The students gathered in groups at homebase and met their host families, some had children and some were alone. We all sat and ate lunch together and asked many curious questions including questions about their daily routines. After eating together our individual host families took us back to their homes. The language barrier was a problem for some groups, but thankfully we had translators! Later into conversation, some of us learned their views on religion and politics.

Some had very traditional values and the students were very open to hearing about the opinions and beliefs of their host families. We got to see their homes and had a peek into how they live their lives. It was very different from our homes because many of the host families grew their own vegetables and partook in animal husbandry (raised their own animals). Later in the evening, we had our first mentor groups with Kate, Lolly, and Megan.

This morning we all walked to Patandi Primary School to orient ourselves to our service site and see the children and classrooms. We also met the Principal that has worked there for six months. Then after touring the school we took our bus to Arusha where we shopped for snacks and went to a WiFi café, which everyone appreciated.

Then we went back to homebase on the bus and ate a delicious lunch courteous of Jackie and Joseph. We then went to the open air Tengeru Market to shop for fabrics for students who want a custom garment sewn. We have a seamstress coming in to make the designs the students sketch out for them. After that we went back to home base and had our first Swahili lesson. Then we had dinner and ended with our second mentor group session of the trip.

-Tyler Milner

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Entering the small cream-colored classroom made me feel like I was in a movie. All of the 5th graders were sitting at their wooden desks, dressed in formal white and navy uniforms. Their faces filled with light and energy, even though it was only eight in the morning. I was amazed by the confidence in every single student as they covered adjectives. In fact, their enthusiasm towards learning English inspires me to put forth that same amount of energy towards learning Spanish.

Recess was the time I got to bond one on one with the students. With 27 Americans and 800 children, all the Americans were swarmed with love and affection. Watching the kids bonding together in their small friend groups really exemplified recess when I was in elementary school.

Later that morning, I got to get my hands dirty in the delicate garden. Our first service was divided into two groups of either sanding the inside of a classroom or watering the garden. By watering, I mean flooding the plants. By the end of the gardening, I looked like I rolled around in mud. However, I did not mind the dirty clothing because it felt so lifting and empowering to make a difference within the school. By the end, the children did not want to let go of us.

For the second half of the day, we took a long and intense hike up to a coffee farm. I’m not kidding, I had to stop at least ten times and I used my hand against the rocks to help me power up the hill. Walking through the gates of our destination I heard loud, bold, spirited music, which was being performed by the farmers. They were in bright yellows and oranges dancing in a circle. Step by step we were taught in detail the procedure of making the perfect decaf coffee. It was amazing! I even bought by parents a bag of coffee to make at home.

As the sun started to set, we had a relaxing walk back to home base shouting “jambo” or “mambo” to the locals as we passed. Today was a day jam packed with love, excitement, and learning. I am so excited for a good nights rest, in preparation for another unforgettable day!

-Emma Fuller

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Today we woke up to the iconic rooster yet again, ate a delicious breakfast of eggs and rice puffs, then began our walk to the school. We split up into teaching groups of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade then taught two 40-minute classes. As this was our first day teaching a full class; we’re still getting the hang of it, but we feel that the kids are learning a lot. We then played with the students during recess, which even helps us pick up some Swahili.

Afterward we began the physical service, which consisted of painting the buildings, repairing the broken desks, and tending to the school garden. We then headed back to the homebase for lunch, then met with our teaching groups to plan our next lesson. Also, we all met with the seamstress to make clothing out of the fabric we previously bought. We ended the day with free time to enjoy each other’s company!

-Olivia Phillips and Ella Beard

Thursday July 19, 2018

Today was our first official day of teaching our different grades at Patandi Primary School. It was awesome to be able to fully interact with the kids as well as adjust each lesson to what worked and didn’t in the previous lessons we had observed Tuesday and Wednesday. The kids are adorable and very bright and we love to be around them just as much as they like to hang around us.

We put our second coat of crème colored paint inside one of the classrooms and finished the outside of one the main buildings. We repaired some desks and worked on our sawing and hammering skills. After lunch, we walked to the local high school nearby our homebase and sat down with the students and teacher. The teacher told us about the levels of education in Tanzania and the different grading system.

There’s a lot of testing that the kids have to pass to continue onto high school and university. The teenagers were really fun to talk to because they told us their favorite American movies and musicians. We asked them about what they do on the weekends and what their favorite part about living in Tanzania is. The students thought we were all a lot older and in college. After our time at the high school we drove to a local orphanage. The orphanage cares for 150 kids, ages ranging from around seven months to twelve-years-old who don’t have parents or just a single parent.

Some of them stay in the dorms and go to the preschool built in their orphanage. It was bitter sweet to give them a lot of love but know that we can only do so much for them in the short amount of time we were there. It takes only $10-$20 to sponsor a kid who goes to public school. Some of us talked about how for the amount of money we’ve spent on this trip in trinkets so far we could have sponsored at least five kids. After we left we reminded them that we would see them next week so it was a bit easier to say goodbye. Going to the orphanage put things in perspective for the lives we live and the parents we have that want the best for us.

-Ali Detjen-Creson

Friday July 20, 2018

We woke up to the sound of the neighbor’s cow mooing. The GLA students captured the scent of Joseph, the chef’s famous fried rice balls. Then we walked to school with our friends. We taught the students English, painted the windows and classrooms, and fixed desks. Later that day we had the privilege of talking to a group of people with HIV and we were able to hear about their experience battling the virus. Best part of the day: Joseph’s vegan potatoes.

-by Sydney Anish

P.S. We love you Joseph

Saturday July 21, 2018

Today the staff and students got to visit the Maasai people and experience traditional tribal life. Our day began at 3:30am and we left homebase on our buses at 4am to head to the Maasai boma. After our two-hour journey to meet our friends for the day, we arrived at the village, which is called Mferejini. We first milked goats that belonged to the Maasai and got to hold them. After a light breakfast, we began our walking safari trip.

Everyone was able to see giraffes and one group was able to spot antelopes. When we finished our excursion we had a group conversation with the elder of the Boma, Olengobei, who is married to 11 wives. We were able to ask him questions about his wives and children and the Maasai culture. Following our conversation with Olengobei, we watched the other men in the village start a fire from sticks on donkey dung.

They used the fire to boil water to cook the goat. Following this, we were taught spear throwing and were welcomed into Olengobei’s home. Before we left, we were able to purchase jewelry the Maasai women made. To end our day with the Maasai, we celebrated new friendships with a dance circle and said our goodbyes. When we arrived back at homebase, we ate dinner and had a free night to shower and relax after our exciting and busy day.

-by Madison Feldman

Sunday July 22, 2018

Jambooooo! Today we slept in and it was such a blessing. Half of the group learned batik painting and the others learned to cook local cuisine and prepared lunch for everyone. We made our own batik paintings with the help of the batik artists. Everyone created incredible paintings and they all turned out so well. The batik artists brought other paintings they did themselves to sell, as well as flowy pants for us to buy. The rest of the group cooked a delicious lunch. We cut up vegetables for a salad, made pancakes, a beef stew with cooked bananas as well as watermelon. After everyone ate the lunch we made, we got ready to go to the supermarket to go get WiFi and whatever else we wanted/ needed.

After a few hours in that area, we went to the Maasai market. That was a bit stressful because everyone working there tried to make you go into their kiosk to buy something. But I know that everyone got a lot of really cool and amazing stuff for themselves and their loved ones. There were some super interesting things being sold and it was a great experience. It was also fun to bargain with the vendors at the Maasai market too. When we went back to the home base everyone went to show each other what they bought before a yummy dinner. Afterward, everyone got into their teaching groups to prep for our school day tomorrow and for the rest of the remaining days at the school! Overall today was very fun and I can confidently say that everyone enjoyed it, especially the part that we got to sleep in… well at least I did 🙂 Also mom if you’re reading this- I miss and love you

-Madi Stock

Monday July 23, 2018

Today was phenomenal. We danced, laughed, turned up, connected, and were educated. We were up early to go to the school. We taught the students our lessons for the day and then did our physical labor, which included breaking concrete floors and painting the rest of a classroom and a play structure. We have a few more days left with the kids so we’re trying to appreciate our time with them as much as possible.

When we returned to home base, we switched groups for the batik and cooking class. We cooked and also decorated for dinner for our mentor Kate because it was her birthday. Before dinner, some of us went for a walk and visited the river we have nearby. Everybody had a blast painting, cooking, and getting ready for the celebration!

As we ate dinner we sang happy birthday to Kate about 10 times. We ate cake, good fresh food, and at the end we had the best party ever! We danced and jumped and sang. This day was one of the best days of the trip so far. Until tomorrow!

-Sonic Fleming and Ariana Morales

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Today started off as weekdays usually do with going to school in the morning. Our classes have been progressing very well, and it’s so rewarding to see the kids getting excited when they understand a concept. For service, some of us dug holes to plant trees and others worked on breaking the floor of a classroom with axes and hammers. Despite the blisters, everyone maintained positive attitudes and we’re looking forward to finishing our work for the students.

In the afternoon, we listened to a heavy discussion on female genital mutilation with some speakers from an advocacy group. Although it was very disturbing, it was an important talk that led to further discussion on our previous interactions with the Maasai people in our mentor groups. We are all very sad that there is only one week left of this trip, but there is still so much more to come!

-Anika Phuvasate

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Hey guys! Lets splash into a pool of possibilities! Today, we went to go hike at Kilimanjaro. The day started out extra early with a pit stop at Moshi to buy “schnacks”. The ride from homebase to Mount Kili is approximately 3 hours long. Yikes! Before starting the hike we visited a cute, little gift shop near the base of the mountain. After that, we walked down to a beautiful, remote waterfall. Moving on, we hiked up to a large pool of water.

There, we ate our home made lunches (shout to Joseph and the kitchen team!!!) and took a freezing dip in the pool! #articplunge After drying up, we made it up t the official starting point for the Kili National Park. There, we learned some history of the mountain and its tiring trails. We all learned that it takes 6 days to make it to the top of the mountain! WOOAAHHH! On the bus ride back, the group stopped at a large gift store. Finally, we made it back safely to homebase and were welcomed home to our kitchen staff preparing us dinner. What an amazing adventure!

-Jonah Harris and Reena Agarwal

Friday July 27, 2018

Hi parents! Friday was our last day at Ptandi Primary School. We started the day of by teaching our final lessons to the students. It was touching to think back on all the progress they had made in the last two weeks. Then we had a farewell assembly with all the students where we sang songs, listened to students’ appreciations, and said our final goodbyes. Afterwards, some of us stayed to mix concrete and paint while others headed back to home base. Once we had all return we had another fantastic lunch prepared by our the famous Joseph. A short while later, we headed over to the Serena Hotel where many of us ordered ice cream, cake, fries, and anything else we had been craving. While we were there, we listened to Mama Simba tell us her life story. Mama Simba is the founder of Experience Tanzania. It was so inspiring to hear the story of how she pursued her education and how her values have changed over the course of her life. After heading back to home base, we celebrated Hailey’s birthday! We at two cakes and had a small dance party led by DJ Jonathan. It was a pretty eventful day! We’re so grateful to have been welcomed by Ptandi and will miss the students greatly! Much love to our families back home, especially my parents. And ya, that’s about it.

-Howie

Saturday July 28, 2018

Today we were blessed to sleep in with a late breakfast at 9:30. Shortly after we took a quick walk to Duluti Lake, this absolutely beautiful location, we learned and inquired about the fascinating history of Tanzania. After exploring for a bit, we separated into our mentor groups. We drew the river of our lives and discussed how our sojourn to Tanzania was going so far. We returned to home base for a delicious lunch of egg and fries omelette. Then after lunch we set off to the orphanage. There we had a blast playing with the sweet and wonderful children. Once we finished at the orphanage we came home for yet another scrumptious meal. After dinner we had ice cream and movie night. After the film we were all collectively exhausted and marched straight to bed. That brought the end of a spectacular day!

-Remi Chester-

Tuesday July 31, 2018

Lions and rhinos and wildebeests, oh my! After a 4:30am wakeup and breakfast at the Twiga lodge, we packed into the safari jeeps for our second day of safari. Although every jeep had their own experience, every group saw the same amazing animals and scenery that the African savannah provides. From fearless baboons to sleepless lions, today will never be forgotten. Once we got back to homebase we found a beautiful decorated dining room with candles and farewell artwork by the amazing Jonathan. At 7 we gathered around in our final chakula circle.

Dinner was served with love from the local cooking staff and shared with laughs and smiles. We said our goodbyes to Mama Simba and Vinny and prepared for our flights tomorrow afternoon. The tailor arrived and we all received our customs bags, outfits, and other accessories. Everyone was more than happy to strut their new designs in a GLA Tanzanian fashion show. Tomorrow will be full of many see you laters, I think we can all agree that saying goodbye to Tanzania will be a difficult one.

-Grace Clark

Wednesday July 1, 2018

When we first arrived to Tanzania seven weeks ago vibrant green corn stalks greeted us, their tops waving like hands as we drove from Kilimanjaro Airport to the GLA Arusha homebase. Over the next few weeks, we would be greeted with a warm karibu sana, or very welcome, by many more who would soon become family. First by the homebase staff, who work from the wee hours of the morning to prepare delicious meals, the students at Patandi who greeted us with “good morning teachers!”, and the Maasai at Mferejini village who taught us to milk goats as the first rays of sun welcomed the day. From the beginning, Uweza, the Tanzania Country Director, and the local staff told us we were family and that she loved us.

With each day our bonds grew and our love deepened as we learned more about each other. Many of us realizing that our commonalities far outweighed our differences. Our world views expanded by seeing the world through the eyes of resilient women with HIV diagnosis, exuberant school children, and educators spreading awareness about FGM.

We expressed our gratitude for the lessons with engaging English lessons, covering ourselves in paint splatters, planting trees and veggies, and replacing the concrete floor of an entire classroom.
We climbed mountains inside and out. Reaching the gates of the Marangu entrance to Kilimanjaro and summitting Coffee Mountain to harvest, prepare, and taste our own brew. We overcame fears of acceptance, speaking our voice, trying new things, and making new friends. Our journey culminated in a two-day safari, where we observed the majesty of the animal kingdom. We came to recognize the inside and outside beauty of the land, animals, people, and stories of this magical place.
We are all forever changed.

This time after hugs and tears we headed back to Kilimanjaro Airport. For now our time here has come to an end, the stalks of corn have been harvested, mountains climbed and lessons learned, and the dry blades wave us farewell. But as Uweza reminded us, we are all forever family, our story is just beginning and we are always karibu sana.

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Monday June 18, 2018

Everyone arrived safely! Here is our group! Student orientation will be underway tomorrow!

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Hello from GLA Tanzania in Arusha! All 29 students have arrived safe and sound yesterday and had their first full day together today. Today was student orientation and it was jam packed full of information ranging from how to greet in Swahili to home base logistics to how to best support one another and beyond.

The day was full of games, stories, and laughter as new connections were formed. We reaffirmed our code of conduct and collectively made a community agreement, which will guide us for the rest of our 20 days together. We decided as a group that Jua the lion would embody our agreement and team values- Jua means sun in Swahili. We determined that Jua represents respect, trust, friendship, acceptance, purpose, gratitude, and compassion. We look forward to living these values and cultivating our community over the next three weeks.

To close our first day together, we stood in a circle around a ribbon all holding an object that represents what we are bringing to the program. After each of us shared our object, we stepped inside the ribbon to mark the beginning of our journey together. We are very excited for everything that is to come!

Written by our program mentors: Lolly, Megan, and Kate

Thursday June 21, 2018

This morning the group woke up early to have breakfast at 7:15am. After a nice breakfast of toast, eggs, potatoes, fruit, coffee, and tea the group got ready for their first day to sit in with the Patandi Primary School students. After a short walk to school, the group broke into two with half going to fifth grade and the other going to sixth. There the groups worked with the students on their English skills. It was full of laughs and smiles as the groups got to meet the students that they would be spending the next few weeks with. After our time at the school was over, we discussed the difference between “helping, fixing, and serving,” reflected about our role as volunteers in an international setting, and deepened our understanding of “service learning” methodology.

After lunch, the students broke into groups to work on lesson planning for their upcoming work with the students. They also took turns meeting with the local seamstress to turn the fabric they bought into whatever creation they wanted. There were dresses, backpacks, shirts, and other items ordered for the seamstress to make. After this the students had time to hang out and either journal or play cards or get some rest. After the short break, a leader from the community came in to teach about the education system in Tanzania. He answered any questions the group had and gave insight into how schooling works in this country. We are looking forward to learning more about Tanzania and having our first full day with the students tomorrow!

Saturday June 23, 2018

Hey everyone! It was a tiring day, but nonetheless an amazing one! After waking up early we took a long bus ride to Mount Kilimanjaro. We hiked the base and visited three beautiful waterfalls and ate lunch; some of us swam and it was so cold, but so worth it.

Along the trail back we greeted many locals and made some friends; some of the children even hiked next to us along the trail and many high fives were given along the way. After another long bus ride back to home base we all got together for a great dinner and are ready to get a good nights sleep for tomorrow’s adventures.

Sunday June 24, 2018

Hi everyone! Today we luckily got to sleep in and rest after the previous day at Mount Kilimanjaro. Today is host family day! The mentors split us up into small groups and we eagerly awaited our chosen families. After they arrived we joined together for a yummy lunch we left home base to go visit our host family homes’. My host families’ home was a cozy, surrounded by many others.

My host family was two parents, a boy, and a girl . As you walk to the home, you see chickens running around, mothers carrying their babies, and goats being walked on leashes. On our way back to home base, some children followed and we played with bubbles, there were also kids playing soccer and volleyball. Overall it was an amazing day filled with culture and fun!

Monday June 25, 2018

Hey family and friends. Today was an early morning service day! After breakfast we headed down to Patandi Primary School to observe and teach English language classes; half us in fifth grade and half of us in sixth grade. After observing, some students got the opportunity to teach. Topics include parts of speech and relative pronouns. After teaching we play games with the kids outside, which is many of our favorite part! Then we changed clothes and began physical service where we started to paint the classroom walls a beautiful cream color and repair broken desks.

It was only the first day of painting so there is much more to come. Later in the day we had guests come to home base to show us Batik painting; they brought some pants and handmade paintings with them. We all gazed at the beautiful artwork and many works were bought. Students split in half and between Batik painting and a Tanzanian cooking lesson. Tomorrow we will switch groups and do the activity that we did not do today. We all had a great time learning to try new things that we have never done and the dinner was delicious! We can’t wait for the adventures that are to come tomorrow.

Photos from Monday!

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Hey everyone! Today after a breakfast of sambusas, Tanzanian samosas, we taught English with our 5th and 6th grade classes before continuing to our physical service. One group hoed garden beds that will be planted with vegetables for the Patandi Special Needs Teacher College. The other group sang and danced to music as we continued with the oil paint layer on a classroom and the teachers room. Afterward, we walked back to home base and had lunch. Then we spilt into two groups, one group learned Batik cloth dyeing while the other learned Tanzania cooking including fresh fruit juice, tomato sauce, salad, and a pea dish. Both came out amazing! Some of our group enjoyed a walk to a nearby soccer field, some played with kids, while the rest relaxed at home base.

Thank you,
Kate

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Today, we walked to school where we continued to teach our 5th and 6th graders whom we are getting closer to each day. We then performed our physical service work, all the while bonding with our students and each other. Later on, we walked to a beautiful lake about 20 minutes from our home base. We had the opportunity to get a soda and sit down and relax for a bit before our second Swahili lesson started. We learned a lot of practical words and songs that we could use in the classroom when interacting with our 5th and 6th graders. After Swahili, we had a debate/simulation of FIFA’s impact on Brazil in the past World Cup. We discussed how certain decisions affect different groups of people and tied this back to our roles as leaders. As the day came to an end, we finished the night with family fun, singing, “Mafia”, and drinking hot chocolate around a bonfire.

Thursday June 28, 2018

Hey everyone! Today was a busy day, which started off with our usual service. Some students started to paint the windows of the school and other students hoed the land to prepare the garden to plant vegetables for some of the kids who sleep at school; the school will be growing fresh veggies and fruits. Then it was time for lunch and so we departed from school and took a long peaceful walk to home base with many detours as we encountered lots of excited young children along the way; this is definitely the best part of walking through the village.

We had to eat a quick lunch as today is Maasai market day! The Maasai market can be overwhelming at first but nonetheless very exciting. There are alleys upon alleys of traditional African jewelry, art, and lots more items. Students really had to test their bargaining skills as the first price isn’t usually the fair one! It was quite an experience. We can’t wait for the adventures to come tomorrow and this weekend.

Friday June 29, 2018

Hey!! We had a great start to the morning with a yummy breakfast prepared by our favorite chefs, Joseph and Jackie. It was a bit cloudier and cold today, so the streets of Arusha were quieter than usual. At school, the students continued to work on their English skills with lessons prepared and taught by GLA students. After class, we got to play with the adorable kids after which is so much fun because we are really bonding with them. After an amazing lunch we prepared for an HIV/AIDS discussion panel. This panel was comprised of seven women who live in Tanzania and have HIV.

They were really open with their stories and the session was very informative. None of the women who spoke to us had contracted HIV through their own fault, yet they were not resentful or vengeful. These women had been ostracized and blamed by society and their own families, yet they are still strong and loving. After the panel, we were given a shopping list and sent in groups to the local market. The catch was that the list was in Swahili and the local program coordinators weren’t allowed to translate for us. It was a very interesting experience to say the least, but everyone successfully got their items. In the evening we had dinner and talked about preparations for the following day with the Maasai, then got an early night for our 3:30AM wake up call!

Saturday June 30, 2018

Hujambo from Tanzania!

Today we woke up at 3:30AM in order to visit a Maasai boma, or home for sunrise. Although our bus temporarily got stuck in a rut formed from big rains after ten years of drought on one of the seven switchbacks as we descended into the Rift Valley, we were able to get some really cool shots of the sunrise! At the Maasai boma, we started our day by milking a bunch of goats before they headed out of the boma to graze for the day! Shortly after, we ate breakfast and began our three-hour safari or hike around the village. Throughout the hike, we got to see a lot of giraffes and antelopes, and learned about how the Maasai use cows as a sign of their wealth; the Maasai even go as far as to hunt down lions if their cows are attacked. In addition, our hike included getting stuck on a bunch of thorny bushes and trees, but we all came back in one piece! After the hike, we started learning about how the giraffes use their prehensile tongues (which are apparently blue!) to navigate around the thorns and eat the leaves.

During lunch, we continued our educational lesson by asking the Maasai elder a few questions; some of the questions included “Why does he has eleven wives?”, “What is the initiation ritual for the Maasai tribe?” and “How did he become the village elder?”. We even got to practice spear throwing, which was a lot like javelin, looked at a traditional Maasai house, and saw the various handmade jewelry and crafts that were sold by the Maasai people. There were a bunch of flies and some of us, namely Peter, our program coordinator, even swallowed one. To culminate our visit, the Maasai people started to throat sing and jump way up high high as they taught us a traditional Maasai dance.

Then we got on the bus to leave. On the way back, we stopped at the “Village” supermarket for a bathroom break and some additional chips, candy and other goodies! We got back to home base just in time to eat the delicious dinner Joseph and Jackie cooked for us. After an exhausting day, we had some free time before going to bed! As our trip slowly comes to an end, the amazing things we saw and experienced will always be remembered! But until tomorrow…

Kwaheri! (Goodbye in Swahili)

Photos by: Nestory T. Owano (Program Coordinator)

      

Sunday July 1, 2018

Hello and Happy July,

Sunday was a chill day. We stumbled out of our rooms for breakfast at nine thirty. After breakfast we planned our lessons for school on Monday. After lesson planning we wandered out into the sunshine and made our way to the Kili Wizards. The Kili Wizards are an award-winning dance group that performs traditional Tanzanian dances. We sat outside and watched the dances and clapped along to the drums that accompanied them. After the Wizards finished up, the group was put into three lines and we tried our best to turn our other left foot into a right one.

Some succeeded and everyone enjoyed moving to the music. Our laughter carried us to our second visit to the orphanage. The children were as happy to see us as we were to see them. We hung out with the kids for an hour or so before heading back to home base where we enjoyed second and possibly third helpings of fish. After dinner we broke into mentor groups where we drew rivers to represent our time here. As with each day there are ups and downs, but we went to bed with smiles on our faces, warmed by a lazy Sunday.

Monday July 2, 2018

Today, Monday July 2nd, we started our day at Patandi Primary School. Our group of 29 students was split among the 4th, 5th and 6th grade students. We worked together to teach our students about telling time, parts of speech, and relative pronouns respectively. After class we jumped into physical service. The group divided between two jobs: desk repair and sanding. In our classrooms there is often three to four people per desk. Our help hammering and sawing desks back into great shape will help give our students more space to learn and grow. Those sanding the classroom are prepping the walls so that the painting phase of the classroom can begin.

This is all in order to create an environment to foster learning. After our service at school, we headed back to home base for lunch followed by some free time to hang out together and continue to connect with one another and grow closer as a group of individuals. In the afternoon, advocates speaking out against FGM, female genital mutilation, came to our home base to educate us and expand our awareness about women’s issues across Tanzania, greater Africa, and the world. By educating us and sharing their stories, they hope to inspire more conversation, attention, and advocacy for vulnerable young women. After an informative conversation we played soccer at a local field and made thank you cards for our staff and students at Patandi. Our day wrapped up with dinner and some group discussion.

July 2 photos coming soon!

Tuesday July 3, 2018

Today, Tuesday July 3rd, we kicked off the day by teaching English to the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at Patandi Primary School. We continued to teach the children English skills needed for secondary school and for further education. In addition, we continued to mentor the children and be role models to the kids through outdoor activities.

After class, we resumed to our physical service. Many of us continued to paint the classrooms, while others started to sand the walls of a new classroom, in preparation for repainting. Some people were repairing desks, ensuring the safety of kids in a school setting.

After our day of service at school, we went to a luxurious hotel to listen to Uweza, Mama Simba, our Country Director talk about her life. Her stories were inspirational because they conveyed resilience. Uweza had many setbacks in her life but, with determination and passion, she was able to rise above her setbacks and become the successful woman she is today. To end the busy day, we started watching Inception.

Photos by: Nestory T. Owano (Program Coordinator)

Wednesday July 4, 2018

Today was our last day teaching and working at Patandi Primary School. Fourth grade has really made progress in time telling and we’re very proud of that given that we only had three full days with the students. We are hopeful that the 5th and 6th graders have finally conquered parts of speech. We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to teach them for a mere three weeks, but what they have taught us and given back to us will remain with us for a lifetime. We are quickly approaching what will be a very hard goodbye.

This afternoon, we learned that when a Tanzanian tells you there’s just a small walk uphill through the village, they really mean straight up a vertical mountain. After a long, and somewhat difficult climb we reached a humble coffee farm where we went through the process of making, and then of course tasting, our own coffee! We first had the opportunity to go and pick the red coffee beans off the trees. The beans ripen once a year between July and November. The next step was to put the beans through an ancient looking machine that extremely efficiently removed the outer layer off of the coffee beans.

We then soaked the beans in water to remove the bad beans, which tend to float to the surface. They usually soak for two days, then they dry for five days. Next we continued the process of de-shelling the beans, then picking out the imperfect beans, followed by roasting them until they turned from a cream color to dark black. We let the beans sit in a pot for a few minutes for the shining process.

Then we sang traditional songs while we pounded the grounds in a large mortar and pestle made out of what seemed to be a tree. Then the coffee grounds were placed in boiling water for about ten minutes. The final step was straining the coffee to get some of the grounds out and then at last we all got to taste! We took a longer and less steep walk back, which winded us around the village and gave us beautiful scenic views.

To wrap our day all up, our wonderful cooks made us burgers and fries to celebrate a good ole American holiday. Happy 4th to everyone!

Photos by: Nestory T. Owano (Program Coordinator)