7/10/2015

All students have arrived and called home! Staff will send blog pic as soon as a group photo can be arranged.

7/11/2015

We were all very excited to receive our 17 students who arrived last night. Our home is once again filled with new people and stories to hear.  Today we woke up a bit later than usual and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast prepared by the Mamas.

We then began orientation where we learned each other’s names, played some fun icebreakers, and sat through a basic Swahili lesson. The students then put their Swahili to practice when we went out to the market and were greeted excitedly by those around. After exploring the market, almost everyone bought some brightly colored fabrics to make tailored clothing within the coming days (The tailor is coming on Monday). We then went to the supermarket to buy some extra snacks and came home to some free time before dinner.

After eating, as a group, we created a working document of things we want to include in our community. This brought up awesome conversations about group expectations that we all have for one another.  We then finished the evening with personal goal setting before returning to our rooms for the night.

We are all very excited for what the next few weeks will bring!

-GLA Moshi Staff

July 12, 2015

Today we met with our host families and went on an African adventure! After breakfast we had a Swahili lesson that covered the basics we would need to know to communicate with our host families. They came to lunch at the compound and we had a chance to bond with them before going out with them for the afternoon. I was partnered with Aidan and had a lot of fun venturing the city with him and the family. The family took us to their house, openly shared everything with us, introduced us to many people throughout the town, and even took us to the river that runs down from Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Aidan and I both learned that the communication barrier is a challenge for any foreigner here but found a way to make it work for both us and the family. Though we had some challenges communicating, I think that we really got a feel for the culture and community as a whole and I’m so glad I had the chance to meet the amazing host family I had.

-Nat

7/13/2015

Today, we went to the two schools, Himo and Korona, that we are going to be teaching English at. We met the headmasters of the schools and introduced ourselves to the children that we’ll be working with. First, we introduced ourselves the headmasters using the Swahili that we have learned in previous days. Then, we went around to each classroom and used the same introduction. The kids were ecstatic to see us, crowding around us to touch our hair and skin, not used to seeing white people. The children in these schools were some of the happiest people we’ve ever seen, excited to be able to learn and talk to us. After we got back from the school, we were taught some basics about the Maasai tribe, including their cultures and way of life. This day was both eventful and fun for all of us.

-Riley

7/13/2015

Today was our first day teaching at the schools Himo and Korona. We had already introduced ourselves to the kids that we were going to teach who were grade 5 ages 11-12. Everybody has a teaching partner and mine is Becca L. Not only am I very lucky to be paired with Becca because she is super cool and a great teacher. I am very lucky to be paired with Becca because she knows the fastest way to kids hearts, through stickers. So as we arrived today at Himo and reluctantly walked in to a room of kids that we were not sure would like our curriculum we just both pretended that we were not scared. Without even having to bring out our top tool (the stickers) we instantly felt relief and comfort after we sang head shoulders knees and toes with the kids. After we finished our lesson for the day and I painfully destroyed my morals by giving kids homework we went outside for recess. Recess today was outright no doubt one of the most incredible experiences in my entire life. The kids adore all of us and are intrigued by our white skin and different language. What is amazing about the kids and the experience though is that all they want to do is hold your hand. So as I had 20 kids grabbing on to my arm I must say it was hard to run after the soccer ball. The soccer on the playground is incredibly different then I thought that it would be. In the particular soccer game one person out of the thousand of kids grabs the soccer ball and runs with it until any of the other kids get close then the kid punts the ball into the air restarting the process. This goes on and on if not for our incredibly nice and funny bus driver Zenoos who would grab the ball and tell the kids to back up and then hand the ball to me so I can punt the ball as high as I can. This happened like 5 times and oh yes I have videos of it. Also incredibly kids were doing flying somersaults off rocks. Later we had a speaker come in and who was a woman’s rights activist here in Tanzania. After that we went to an Internet café and enjoyed American food and wifi both of which were very nice. I got to talk to my mom (shout out to Amy White) and all of us got in touch with friends and family. That wrapped up our fun filled day as we await for many more to come.

Best, Aidan White

7/15/2015

Today was our third day teaching at the fabulous Himo and Korona primary schools. Waking up super early wasn’t the best. However, it is extremely rewarding to be with literally a thousand children. I walked into class today with my “co- teacher” Aidan, and immediately the children greeted us in unison. We began class with the catchy “Happy and You Know It” song, which they were wild about. Towards the end of class, Aidan and I tried to get the forty students to sing the song again, but something hilarious happened. We began to sing the song, but the children sang another song. In unison, they began to clap and sing the chorus to “We Will Rock You”. As the children sang and clapped, they began to creep towards us. This was one of the funniest experiences because neither Aidan nor I expected them to sing a song at once all together. After class and recess, we went to the field for service work. Talk about a sweat storm as it was brutally hot out there, yet it was quite fun! Personally I was on trash duty. The job was very easy to complete because nearly thirty children came to help us pick up trash. One girl, named Irene, should have won an award because she probably tripled the amount of trash in my bag. Once we came home, a man named Sam came to teach us how to batik, a technique of wax paint. He pulled out a ton of his paintings and we were given the opportunity to purchase them. We spent the whole afternoon creating our own wax paintings. First we got a cloth and traced a picture, then we painted them and poured wax on the paintings. After it dried a man ironed them and we were able to admire the fantastic drawings. Sadly, I have no artistic ability, so I had to have someone else draw mine, but that is beside the point. Overall it was a fantastic day, but then again every day in Africa is fantastic!

Becca Langfelder

7/16/2015

Today we went to a coffee plantation and danced with Changa tribe members. On the plantation, we picked Arabic coffee beans, sifted them, and dried them. We then roasted them and were able to drink the coffee we picked. It was really good and we had the opportunity to buy packaged coffee for our families back home. We also were given sugarcane to try and it was really sweet. Everyone was so welcoming and inviting. They also had really cute goats, pigs and cows that we were able to take pictures of. 21

Becca Zamir

7/17/2015

Today, we completed our first week at the Himo and Korona schools. Just like every other day, we were greeted by the excited waves and smiling faces of the young children running up to our bus windows. Today, I had a particularly nice experience with a little girl named Rukia. She couldn’t reach the windows while we were parking so when I stepped off, she ran into my arms for a huge hug. After teaching our classes, we went out to the yard, where both schools join for recess. All week, recess has been intense as well as extremely enjoyable. Each of us have had a crowd of sometimes a few dozen kids, whose ages range from about 13 to 6, and sometimes younger (today, there was a 6 month old baby with her 9 year-old sister). We did our last day of digging/pic-axing holes. Next week, we are going to start planting trees. After a good lunch and a bit of free time, we went back out to change money, shop at an “underground art market”, and go to a (surprisingly large) used clothing market that was an enchanting maze of beautiful locals and old American clothing, shoes, and bags. We got a nice mix of productive service and cultural experience today, which isn’t uncommon, but is always nice.

Maya Velasquez

 

 

7/18/2015

Today, we visited the Masaai tribe. We went to bed early and woke up early at 3 AM to get ready to leave. We were on the bus at 4 AM for the long drive to meet the Maasai. It was the quietest bus experience I’d had on the bus yet, since our bus driver, Zanus, usually blasts music so loud that the bass shakes the bus. We woke everyone up at around 6:30 to watch the sunrise, which was the very first sunrise I’d ever witnessed. It was incredibly beautiful. The sky was pastel pink for awhile, then suddenly this huge ball of light rose into the sky. The sun was bright red and the sky turned orange and red around it. It was amazing. When we were close to the village, we saw wild giraffes out of the window of the bus. They were much bigger than I thought they’d be. There was a mother and a baby. We got off the bus and met some of the Maasai people and milked the goats. We went on a hike for a few hours where we saw a herd of zebras, birds, and even baboons. It was really hot but it was so fun to see all the animals and hike with each other. When we got back, they showed us the inside of one of their homes. It looked much smaller on the outside, but it was actually pretty big inside. There was a space inside the house where the cows could stay in case it rained, and they had a kitchen and two bedrooms for the children and for the wife. The Maasai believe in polygamy, so the man who showed us around the house explained that he had eleven wives and they each had their own home for themselves and their children. The men have their own houses that were a bit smaller that they live in alone. Next, we watched the Maasai warriors slaughter a goat so that we could eat it. They skinned it and drank the blood and ate the liver and the kidney raw because they believe that it clears everything out of you. It was kind of gross to watch especially because I love animals so much, but I loved learning about their culture and part of that is to learn how to respect their traditions even if you don’t agree with them. After that, we threw spears with the warriors and ate the goat. It kind of tastes like it smells, but it wasn’t too bad. Lastly, we watched a traditional dance of the women and the warriors and we danced with them. The women took off their huge necklaces and let us wear them and taught us how to dance. I loved listening to them sing. Each time, a different women would start or lead the song, and the other women would answer. It was interesting to see that it wasn’t just the oldest woman, who was 105 years old, who lead the song. The younger girls loved to teach us how to dance, and they laughed when we tried. Everyone had a great time. The men have a dance where they try to jump as high as they can, and it was fun to watch the group try to jump. We also got the chance to buy some of their jewelry, and many people bought some to remind us of the amazing day. We watched the sunset on the bus ride home, which really made the day feel whole. We got to sleep in the next morning to catch up on sleep, but it was definitely worth the exhaustion. I hope I never forget that day.

-Katie Guardino

 

7/22/2015

Teaching never gets old. The kids always find a new thing to laugh at, whether it’s Max and I acting out the word “blind” and running into the desks or everyone at recess trying desperately to speak in Swahili and probably saying something that isn’t even close to what we were trying to say. At this point, I’d do anything to make them laugh because it’s the most amazing sound in the world. It’s so hard to let them go after recess so we can start planting trees. They hang out by our workspace and wait for us to walk by so we can hold their hands while we walk to get water. I’ve never been around people who want to be with you and talk to you so much. It’s amazing. We were also surprised today by a group of traditional dancers who came to the compound and danced for us. All of the dancers came from different tribes, so the choreographer used styles from all different tribes and incorporated them into their dances. They were incredible and energetic; their happiness was infectious and we all joined in at one point. It was hilarious to watch everyone dance (or try to) and smile through it even if they thought they were bad. I love doing everything I can to learn more about the Tanzanian culture, whether or not it’s through dance or speaking to the kids or looking out the window on the bus and observing the everyday life of the locals. I also had a surprise of my own that I planned along with one of the mentors, Allison, and Mari. Tomorrow is Baraka’s birthday, who is a local staff member who we’ve gotten close to over the course of our trip. I decided I wanted to buy him a live chicken for his birthday, and with the help of Allison and Mari, we surprised him at dinner with the biggest rooster I’ve ever seen and a handmade card. He was thrilled and told me he would bring the rooster home to surprise his mom. Thankfully, he’s going to keep it and not eat it, which I was worried about. I still can’t believe I bought him a live rooster. When in Tanzania!

-Katie Guardino

 

7/23/2015

Today each classroom was faced with the challenge of having to keep 70 pupils silent due to the surprise visit from the Government assessing the quality of the teaching. This meant no loud singing, dancing (or beat boxing as Nolan was gutted to hear.) After putting on our best performance, bribing our students with countless stickers and promises of games tomorrow in exchange for their cooperation we successfully received no complaints from the visitors. Recess remains my favourite time of the day; not only is this the time to sing, dance and play with hundreds of adorable children but also this is their time to teach us. I’ve learnt Tanzanian songs, several greetings and phrases from the kids, which they giggle, at my poor pronunciation. There’s so much going on in one playground; there’s extreme football with Aiden, Mari’s makeshift dance classes, or aimlessly wondering around with millions of little gremlins clinging onto your arms. The best is when all the little girls get together to hold hands and skip in a circle and just as they are about to sing in flies a football and screams of delight erupt as millions of boys demolish the formation desperately scrapping for the ball. The moment we’ve all been waiting for finally arrived where 17 teenagers were reunited with a brief exposure to Western-world. The Wi-Fi café acts as a hub of desperate instagram uploads, calls home and Facebook stalking trying to get on top of the week’s activity those without 3G did not get the opportunity to access. This is the one place in Tanzania where we have access to Pizza, Hotdogs, Panini’s and various milkshakes. After an exhaustingly antisocial afternoon we retired to watch “John Tucker must die” together.

-Phoebe Nicoll

7/24/2015

Today was our second to last day of service, teaching English and watering the trees that we planted previously, and it was emotional for everyone. When we got back to Home Base, we ate lunch, then three professional hair braiders came and almost every girl got their hair braided, while none of the boys ended up braiding their hair. Then, a Tanzanian man named Gilly came and lectured us on tourism, climate change, national parks in Tanzania, and about the safari we will be going on tomorrow. As always at six we sat down to an amazing dinner prepared by the mamas where mama Simba made some announcements about being organized, keeping up with our items, and other things. Later we struggled with the seating arrangements for the safari jeeps, but hopefully everyone will be fine on the safari tomorrow and have an awesome time. To finish off the day we played improv games and then retired to our rooms to pack for the safari and get a good nights sleep.

-Serenity Dobbins

 

7/25 and 7/26/2015

On Saturday we went to the Tarangire National Park to start off our safari weekend and as soon as we got into the park we were overwhelmed by the number of animals that we saw. First of all we saw dozens of Wildebeasts , and then even more zebras which was amazing. We also saw giraffes and so many elephants, which came so close to our safari car and crosse right in front of us which was incredible to see.

As we moved through the park toward the end of our safari time we stopped and saw a lion far down below us by a river, which was amazing, and my car was the only one to see a lion on the Saturday of the safari.

Then on Sunday, we went to the Ngorogoro Crater after staying at a hostel close by, so the early start wasn’t too bad. As we drove down into the crater the views were amazing and the sheer size of the crater was so large and surreal to see. On this part of our safari we saw ostriches, hippos, hyenas, lions (some of which were so close to our car we could almost touch them), zebras and many more animals. For lunch we stopped by a lake, which was beautiful and hippos were just chilling in it which was an amazing sight to see. As we made our way back to homebase we stopped at the viewing point at the top of the crater and saw the whole crater and it was so amazing to see, once again.

After the very long journey back to the homebase, in which most people slept due to the tiring activities of the weekend, everyone was so shattered that we went to sleep earlier than usual, after taking in and talking about the surreal experiences of the whole weekend.

– Olivia Miller

 

7/28/2015

This morning, we woke up at seven and enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the home base. Then we made our final trip to the Himo and Korona primary schools. We went to our classrooms for the last time and sang and played games with the students as we said goodbye to our classes. We then made our way to the playground and enjoyed our final minutes with the students we had come to know and love over the past three weeks. Before the bell for class rang, we watched as the children all gathered around and sang us a song to say goodbye. After the students returned to their classrooms, we watered the trees we have been planting for the past few weeks and completed our service project. After we headed back to the home base for lunch, we left to do some final shopping at some of our favorite markets. We returned home for dinner and watched two videos on what leadership truly is as we discussed the leadership skills we developed throughout the trip. We talked about how we could apply these skills at home and enjoyed some downtime before heading to bed so that we could rest up for the Kili hike tomorrow morning.

– Victoria Westmoreland

 

7/29/2015

Today was our last full day in Tanzania, and it was, in my opinion, one of the most challenging excursions from this trip. The day started out normally with breakfast at seven, and we were on the road by eight to hike the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. From the get go, the hike proved itself to be more physically taxing than we had anticipated, involving tons of walks close to ledges, slippery spots, and steep upward climbs. Though we were all tired, it was impossible to ignore the stunning scenery that surrounded us; it felt like something from a fairytale. We hiked to three different waterfalls, one of which we were given the chance to swim in. It was optional, and I was one of the volunteers who chose to go in. The water was absolutely freezing! It felt like we were swimming in a bath filled to the brim with ice, but it was worth it! After some more exploring and more than enough walking, we filled out a survey and headed back to the home base. When we arrived, we were surprised by an amazing feast made by the Mamas, and had a final review of our experience. Then we were given ice cream and sat at a bonfire as dusk turned to night, simply enjoying our last night with our new-found family at our home away from home.

– Lauren Romero

* We apologize for the lack of photos, unfortunately the internet was not good enough to email photos with the posts.

 

7/30/2015

All students are safely through airport security and are on their way home!

7/1/2015

All students have arrived safely and are ready for an amazing program!

7/2/15

It has been a whirlwind so far but we are excited for a new adventure! Our whole family arrived last night, everyone feeling strong, with only a few baggage issues that appeared as challenges. Our first day has been full of information, games, activities, and orientation to get everyone more and more enthusiastic about being in Arusha for the next 21 days!

We started the day with some fun games with all of the local staff to get to know each other better. We got our first look at the community by walking to the school field, and it was really cool to finally get a look at our surroundings! (It was dark out when we arrived last night).  Playing games at the soccer field was a good introduction to our school where we will be spending the next few weeks and we even got to meet some of our students.  Once back at the Homebase we learned the house rules and took a tour to become familiar with Homebase.  After lunch we learned we took care of some logistics and had a crash course on Tanzanian culture, getting to learn some Swahili words!

Even though the afternoon seemed long, spirits are high and the group is already becoming close, supportive, and excited for what’s to come. Here’s to the session, much love to everyone back home!

7/3/2015

Today was our first day at the service site. We were greeted by the headmaster, met the teachers that we are going to work with and got a chance to play with our students. After a short tea break, fueled by peanut butter sandwiches, we headed off to service. Our two major projects this session are restoring classrooms and fixing desks.

Once we were done with service, we headed back to home base where Baba Joseph had made Indian Food. Avocados and flat bread complimented the lentils perfectly. After lunch, we loaded up the big bus and headed to “Town.” Arusha is about twenty minutes away and we spent time walking through town, buying fabric and stopped at a local supermarket to buy snacks.

After another dinner, our mentors Laura and Ashley led a session called “The Danger of a Single Story.” We watched videos combating stereotypes and talked about how it’s important to keep an open mind. Tomorrow we are going on a local hike and to the market.

7/4/2015

Day four of our Tanzanian adventure was awesome! We woke up and had breakfast around 7:30, preparing ourselves for the five-hour hike we took to Mt. Shimbumbu. We walked a beautiful path with wildlife all around, and then encountered a cave that was literally meant for fairies and other very small creatures. The hole we had to climb through to get into the cave was extremely small! We had to slide in
feet first, which got all of our clothes covered in mud. I, being almost abnormally tall, found it very difficult to do this because of my super long legs but it was sure an experience I will never forget. There wasn’t much room inside the cave either because a huge boulder blocked its path, so we didn’t spend too much time in there. After we got out, we got to learn about the history of the cave from our tour guide. Later in the day, we went to the local market Tengeru where we bought ingredients from vendors. It was so interesting seeing all the people live their daily lives and getting to experience Tanzania as if we actually lived there. After we bought all our ingredients, we used them to cook dinner with Baba Joseph. We all worked together to make a delicious meal; one of the best we’ve had on this trip so far. After dinner, we had the rest of the night to celebrate Fourth of July! Our mentor, Ashley, brought us sparklers and light-up balloons to enjoy. Although the sparkles didn’t really work to well, we think because of the humidity, it was still a great way to end a day full of fun and excitement. ☺

By, Taylor Cotchett

7/5/2015

Today was amazing; in the morning we got the privilege of sleeping in till 8:30. After breakfast we had a quick lesson on women’s groups, IGA’s and microfinance. We then had a Swahili crash course, leading into lunch. We spent the remainder of the afternoon with our host families, enjoying the sun and experiencing the culture. For example, I went and spent time with students during Sunday school while others went to a lake or walked around the village. Coming home to find a well-prepared meal, we shared exciting stories of the day. We finished the day with a lesson plan for upcoming service at school.

By Chris Hughes

7/6/2015

Today, after another delicious breakfast made by Baba Joseph, we head off to meet the Usa women’s group. They gave us a tour of their compound, showing us where they grew bananas, corn, papayas, and sugar cane. Afterwards, we prepared a green banana soup and corn for a pre-lunch snack. The women also showed us how to weave banana leaf place mats.

In the afternoon, we split into our teaching groups and led our classes at the Patandi primary school. It was quite daunting standing up in front of a room full of children trying to teach them English. After class, as the children brought us out to the field to play, I couldn’t help but smile even with five girls tugging at my hair.

After some time of playing with the kids, we made our way to the other classroom where we continued sanding down the walls and fixing broken desks. Once we got back to home base we enjoyed a lovely meal that included delicious guacamole, thanks to the avocados gifted by our host families. To end the day, Upendo and Godwin gave us insight about the Tanzanian education system. J

By Emily Cotchett

7/8/2015

Wednesday we went to the market because some of us needed fabric. When we got back the seamstress took our orders and measurements; it was different having someone take all of your measurements exactly to your body. It is very different from buying clothes in the US or having clothes altered. People got many different things but all of the boys got one or more blazers made and most if not all of the girls got skirts. Afterwards we all went to service and because it was our second day it went far better than the first. This was because we had an idea of what the local students knew, and in what way we should teach them the lessons we had planned. Later, Ashley, one of the Mentors, briefed us on Female Genital Cutting, a very prevalent issue in this region of the world. She briefed us on this because there was a panel coming the next day. Ashley gave us a very objective view on this issue, to present us with a scientific and unbiased reference when compared to a more specific viewpoint of the issue the next day. It was helpful to have all the facts so we were ready for the panel. Everything is great!

– Jared Gross

7/9/2015

On Thursday, July 9, we started the day with a panel that discussed Female Genital Mutilation. It was both informative and disturbing. After that, we walked to the local university to watch and interact with the Kilimanjaro Wizard dance group. It was the most bizarre, exotic, and altogether terribly fascinating performance. I can say for certain that I could not tear my eyes away for the entirety of the performance.

We returned home for lunch, which was when one of our mentors, Ashley, broke the news to us that she was leaving our trip early. Everyone was sad to let her go, but it was understood that she had a family emergency that she had to tend to. The mood of the day was dampened, but our responsibilities took precedence so we left for service to resume the day. However, we cut our service hours short so that we could properly say goodbye to Ashley before Laura drove her to the airport.

After many tears, hugs, farewell letters, and photographs, Ashley was on her way back home.

After dinner, we had speakers representing three of the biggest tribes in Tanzania: Chagga, Maasai, and Meru. We were all very tired, but they each had very interesting information to share about their tribal cultures.

And then we went to sleep! The End!

By Julia Wengler

7/10/2015

Friday, July 10, was a very eventful and fun day. Wake up call was around 7:15 and since most everyone is officially on Tanzania time, we all woke up pretty exhausted and in need of Baba Joseph’s coffee (I’ve officially turned into a coffee drinker because of this trip!!!). We started our day by walking to the nearby lake to meet up with some Maasai mamas. There, the mamas taught us how to bead which was actually a lot harder than it may seem. I ended up with a bracelet and some earrings. Everyone showed off his or her newly beaded bracelets, crowns, necklaces, anklets, etc on the walk back to home base. We had some time to lesson plan, eat lunch, and then we headed off for school. In my teaching group (Linjun, Emma, and Kenzie), we created a review quiz of some of the topics we had taught that week. We rewarded the kids to a dance party at break and star stickers on each of their quiz papers (which is basically equivalent to gold at Patandi Primary School). At service, I worked on desks while the second service group painted the windows bars of one of the classrooms. Friday night we all got to go to a nearby hotel and connect to WiFi for the first time on the trip. It was awesome to be able to post a picture or two, see what’s up at home, and connect with my family for a little (Hi mom and dad!!!!). We all came home and had a quick orientation about our Maasai trip the next morning then went straight to bed because of a lovely 4 am wakeup call awaiting us in the morning. All is well here in Tanzania

– Amy Schloss

7/11/2015

This morning we woke at 4am and had coffee and peanut butter sandwiches before getting on our bus to the Maasai Boma. The drive there was incredible – we started off in complete darkness and then as we were driving down a mountainside the sun rose over the Great Rift Valley illuminating the endless savannah.

We hopped off the bus to be greeted by some Maasai elders and were immediately shown their livestock and setup. It was the most incredible sight any of us had seen – a few simple mud huts and the colours and beads of the Maasai against the unreal backdrop. We were given an insight into their culture before heading off on a walking safari. We trekked through the dust and bushes for a while before spotting a ton of giraffes grazing in the trees. A bit further on and we walked right passed a herd of zebras. It was so cool to be able to see animals up close that you would only usually see in a zoo.

We walked for more than 3 hours before the heat really got to us and we hiked back up a dusty hill to the Boma. Everyone collapsed under a tree and drank a ton of water.

After a delicious lunch some people went to watch two goats being slaughtered for a second lunch but others stayed back with some Maasai who showed us their jewelry and were intrigued by their reflections in my camera.

The men and women performed their traditional dance for us and some of us even had a go. We had quick look inside one of the huts before we had the privilege of throwing the men’s spears.

The culture of the Maasai was so amazing to experience and the sights we saw were indescribable. Everyone was super tired and dirty on the bus ride home, but after singing happy birthday to Chris and having some well deserved bucket showers everyone went to bed. (Hi mum dad and family!!)

– Sian

 

7/14/2015

Today started off at 7:15 a.m. with my wake up call of a VERY loud drum. We all eagerly went downstairs for a delicious breakfast of fried eggs, bakes, and our classic porridge. After our bellies were full, we put our minds to work and developed our lesson plans for the day with our designated groups. Next, we had a feedback session with the local staff where we reviewed our anonymous suggestions for improvement. Mama Simba and the rest of the crew were awesome in working with us and listening to our ideas to try to make our great experience even more fantastic. After that, we met up with Laurent who guided us to his coffee plantation. He took us through an in-depth explanation of the development and growth of the plant from bean to brew. After enjoying our cups of coffee we roasted and ground ourselves, we walked back to home base for a scrumptious lunch prepared by the one and only Baba Joseph. After a short break, we gathered our backpacks and walked over to the Patandi Primary School for service at 2:00. Chris, Julia, Taylor and I worked together to teach our class more about past, present, and future verb conjugations and concepts of time. After class time, we went outside to play with the kids for a bit. Once all our hair had been braided, shoes dirtied from football, and voices tired of screaming and singing, we said, “Badaye!” meaning “Later!” in Swahili. We finished our peanut butter and margarine sandwiches and then split up into our two groups to work on broken desks and painting classrooms. Afterwards, we came back to home base and ate dinner. We all took quick bucket showers and went back downstairs for Laura’s presentation about Public Health, Ebola, Malaria, HIV/AIDS and the stigma and issues around them. We quickly met up with the seamstress for final alterations and then headed up to bed for a good night’s sleep.

– Emily R.

7/15/2015

The day begun with an innovative wake-up call, synthesized by your most humble, me! After the ringing of the fire alarm that was our wake-up call, sourced from the web, and projected by a portable speaker, we were greeted by a feast, prepared by our always impressive Baba Joseph (Father Joseph). Shortly after our delicious meal, dishes and silverwares were washed, and a HIV/AIDS panel introduced. The panel, consisting of five members, and with a mission to “restore humanity” for those who discriminate, and to fight against stigmatization. It was their presentation which revealed to us the struggles faced by people living with HIV/AIDS, further complemented by their fascinating and intimate personal stories, it is fair to say that we were on a “spiritual” journey of sorts, staffed with exciting adventures, and concluding with a measure of how much opinion has changed, in part due to efforts by panels such as these. Shortly after the conclusion of this presentation, Kate and Laura introduced our next activity, a picture scavenger hunt! And it was this activity which engaged two hours of our time, dragging our groups, three groups of five, into every corner of Tangeru. When we returned, we were flushed with excitement, and this excitement, with its associated happiness, was quite obvious on all of our faces. It was in the commons that we spent the thirty minutes until lunch, sharing, and, of course, laughing about the many pictures we had taken, as well as some of the more comical expressions on our faces as we posed. This was a brilliant time. After yet another delicious lunch, served by our brilliant head chief Baba Joseph, we were ushered to the local primary school for our community service, where we spent just under two hours teaching standard VI students English, played, then fixed desks or painted until 17:45, or 11:45 Tanzanian time.

After dinner, we engaged in something called “Privilege Beads”, where, if I can speak for all present, we discovered, or rediscovered, how incredible the concept of privilege is, how culture modifies privilege, as well as how privilege is not something to fear, but something to enjoy and share. In fact, at least for me, I have never realized how fortunate I was, yet, I am quite content to enjoy my fortunes, because it is our responsibilities to not waste opportunities, and use our fortunes to improve those of others. In short, this activity was quite refreshing, and brilliant in both design and execution.

July the 15th was an eventful day, and, though we may not have done something extraordinary, it is fair to say that this day symbolized everything we loved about this program, and is not simply just “another day”, but instead much more. On a final note: Happy Birthday Emmanuella!!!!!!

Signing off, Linjun Peng. Godspeed.

7/16/2015

Today we woke up and went to Arusha! After that we went to the Maasai Market and bought some African souvenirs. Next, we had a delicious lunch then left for service! When we came back, we were pretty tired. But we had Baba’s amazing dinner to look forward to. Finally to end the day, we played jeopardy. It had history, Swahili and education topics about Tanzania. It was so much fun! Today was a great day!

-Kylie

7/17/2015

After a yummy breakfast from our Baba Joseph, we focused on how to take everything we learned in Tanzania back to home. After realizing how amazing our time has been, we walked down to the river where we learned about the next steps on our journey of service. Afterward, we had a fantastic time relaxing by the river. After the river, we returned to home base and ate a delicious lunch. Then, we went to service, which was awesome (like usual)! After another tasty dinner, we celebrated our amazing local staff with a super cool cake! The night ended with a talk by Lodrick, prepping us for tomorrow’s safari…it definitely will be awesome! I can’t wait!!!

Emma

7/29/2015

All students have arrived safely!

7/31/2015

Hello family and friends across the globe!

It’s only been a few days but already it feels like our group has been here for weeks. After some very long travel days, our amazing 28 students finally arrived! Shell shocked but smiling, exhausted but excited!

Yesterday morning we enjoyed breakfast in our outdoor dining area. Built beside a winding river with mountains behind, it creates quite the impressive start to the day. After munching on mangos and other newer fruits like dragonfruit, rambutan and passion fruit, we jumped right into orientation. Our amazing local Thai staff helped us learn some important cultural norms and Thai phrases.

For lunch we went to a delicious buffet with lots of opportunities to try Thai specialties, especially from the North. Ball, Mim, Wa and Nutt (our local staff), guided the students through the maze of new foods. One of my personal new favorites and a specialty of the area is Khao Soi, a mix of soft and hard noodles with a coconut curry sauce, veggies and meat with raw onion, bean sprouts and lime to top it off! Delicious!

In the afternoon we had the chance to visit a couple truly incredible temples, including the biggest and oldest temples in Chiang Mai. After dinner, the students were divided into three groups. They met in their mentor groups for the first time – a great way to meet in a smaller setting to continue processing and discussing all the leadership and cultural activities.

Today we started some important prep work for teaching English starting Monday at a couple local primary schools in the area. In the afternoon we headed to a small fresh market in Chiang Mai for an amazing cooking class lead by a few very entertaining locals. Everyone left stuffed to the brim after making and chowing down on tom yum goong (spicy and sour soup), pad thai, green curry and mango sticky rice!

We’re all excited for more adventures in beautiful Thailand!

Andrea Heyse
International Program Director

 

8/3/2015

Monday was by far the most exciting day of the program. We finally started our volunteer work at local elementary schools. We were quite nervous about meeting the kids and taking the responsibility of teaching them some English.

Our service hours turned out to be exhausting, but also satisfying. We got to know our pupils and how to cater to their needs, while teaching them English at the same time.

After having lunch at school, we went straight to the Muay Thai boxing course. We spent a couple of hours getting to know our physical limits. Unfortunately, Ashley and Chris went past theirs and an appointment with a physician turned out to be necessary.

In the evening, we completed an exciting leadership activity by training our listening skills.

– Rael Samaria and Kinga Jurkiewicz

8/4/2015

Today we taught at the primary schools for the second day and it went a lot smoother than the first because we weren’t as nervous and we all loved the kids. They were so cute and the younger kids especially loved to just run up and talk and hug us. We then went to get massages which felt amazing. Then we went to the Art in Paradise museum where we took so many photos with us against the wall paintings. Most of us had time to get a few minutes of wifi and contact our friends and family which was good to see what was going on at home. Overall, everyone had so much fun although we are still sore from Muay Thai boxing yesterday.

– Allie Colglazier and Ashley Lamoreaux

8/5/2015

Today everyone had a fantastic day. In the morning, everyone was woken up to the amazing song “She Knows.” At breakfast, there was an amazing strawberry smoothie that lit everyone’s hearts. Sadly, there was no bacon but we will always hope for the best. After our delicious breakfast, everyone got in their vans and we all headed off to teach more English! The students are starting to get to know all of the teachers, even asking for autographs! Yes, they all want to live the American dream! We hope that after learning English they will want to visit America someday and realize how great a country it is. After the hard work that we put in at the schools, we all drove to learn how to make Thai parasols (umbrellas). This was such an enlightening experience as the man who taught us how, was also a psychic. For example, the man told Elliott that he was perfect and that he was going to be rich at 32. For others, it wasn’t as happy as one girl was told she would have menstruation problems with growing old! It’s okay, after all it’s just a fortune, we never know what will really happen! After painting our hearts out, we all drove home to the GLA homebase and had a great dinner that topped our breakfast. In conclusion, a fantastic day, with the exception of a few minor blips.

– Elliott Tang and Jake Buck

 

 

8/6/2015

Today started out as a normal day in our schedule for the week. We got up, ate breakfast and headed to school to teach English to the adorable students. Unfortunately it was our second to last day of teaching and it was our last formal lesson.

After teaching, we headed back to homebase or some much needed resting/free time. Since English camp was happening the very next day, we spent some time figuring out our stations and preparing for our performance for the schools.

As we were wrapping up with our preparations, the staff surprised me with cake and a pool party to end my birthday. I would like to again thank the staff and the program’s participants for making my birthday so special.

– Anwen Griffiths

 

8/7/2015

Woke up this morning #blessed because I realized that I was in Thailand #blessedx2 but I also felt super bummed because it meant it would be the last day to hang out with some awesome kids we bonded with throughout the week, so the main goal for me was to make the best of it. After we finished breakfast, we hopped in the vans on our way to the school. As soon as we got out you could see kids smiling and waving as we got closer to the school. It seriously was the cutest thing ever. I was super exhausted but I knew that I wanted to have fun and make sure the kids were going to have fun as well. There were a few bumps that our group hit but we still managed to keep it fun and enjoyable. At the end of the day, the school performed for us and I just knew they worked really hard and I felt so honored to be there. To finish things off, the teaching staff (us) decided to do the cha cha slide and sing party in the USA, which was awkward but more fun at the same time. Sad to see that I will never see the kids again, but I’m happy that it happened and I got to meet some awesome kids that I will remember forever. Dinner was good as always but tonight, even better. We got a taste of home, which most of us were missing. The day was draining, but we are all excited to be able to experience something new when we go visit the elephant camp tomorrow.

– Pilar Guinazu Dolan and Georgie Gonzales

 

8/8/2015

Today, Rachel and I got the pleasure of being leaders of the day. I was most looking forward to the elephant camp. We woke up later than usual which really helped everyone regain some energy. We had fried rice for breakfast and went to the elephant camp which was amazing, besides the smell and getting soaked in poop water (Thanks Elliott). The first thing we got to see was how they make dung paper (yes, poop paper). After lunch we had a frightening but fun experience riding and feeding the elephants. To finish our visit at the elephant camp, we rode bamboo rafts down the river placed in a beautiful scenery. To top off our beautiful day, we got three hours of free time and a great meal.

– Xen Delacruz and Rachel Furman

 

Bonus Photos!

 

 

8/17/2015

Well, we made it. Today’s the last day that a blog will be written. Everyone’s feeling pretty sad but we’ve all come to terms with our departures. At least we will all stay connected! These past couple of days we’ve been involved with arcades, bowling alleys, zoos and aquariums. It’s been a fantastic couple of days and none of us would trade it for anything. Even though these last days have been extremely sad for some of us, all of us will still remember to not worry and be happy. Thailand 2015has taught us all to live in the moment and enjoy our own lives to the best extent.

If you want to stay tuned, most of us will be in Tanzania next summer around the same time!

Trip motto: “non sibi sed alis” (not for self but for others)

– Elliott Tang

 

8/18/2015

All students have departed and are on their way home!

7/24/2015

Arrival Day!

Greetings from Chiang Mai, Thailand! After traveling from both near and far, all 25 of our students have arrived safely! It has been a long day of making trips to and from the airport, but after taking some time to settle in to Joy’s House (our GLA Home Base and our home away from home for the next two weeks) students were given their first taste of authentic Thai cuisine at our first group dinner, followed by an opportunity to try some exotic Thai fruit before heading to their rooms for some much needed rest.

The GLA team at Joy’s House has been working hard preparing for the students’ arrival and trying to fine tune our schedule for the next couple weeks, and we are all very excited to have everyone here with us now. We will be going through an Orientation tomorrow morning after breakfast that will include an introduction to Thai culture, safety and security protocols, highlights of our service learning activities and adventure excursions, and a few other minor details (like staying hydrated in sunny Thailand!). After our orientation, we will be heading to the Sriri Panna Hotel for a lunch buffet full of more delicious Thai food, which should be a fantastic introduction to the culinary delights Thailand has to offer.

Also, a quick note: we have included a few pictures from our airport greetings and a large group picture after dinner earlier today, but unfortunately one student wasn’t feeling very well and was resting during dinner so Kristen Woodworth is not pictured. We want to reassure everyone that our entire group has in fact arrived and they are safe and sound, and we will be sure to post a group picture with everyone pictured for tomorrow’s blog update.

We’ll be getting an early start tomorrow morning so we’ll wrap up this first blog post here. Future blog posts will be authored by our student leaders and will include pictures from our busy days as well so be sure to check back often for updates on all the amazing adventures we are having together in the Land of Smiles! As they say here in Thailand, Khob Khun Krap!

-Keith Wingeard (International Director)

 

 

7/25/2015

Title: Full Bellies

Greetings from the beautiful country of Thailand! The trip got off to a great start with lots of delicious food and new experiences. Our day started off with a delightful breakfast of exotic fruits, croissants, fried dough, and tangerine juice. After breakfast, we had orientation, which involved reviewing the code of conduct and establishing a solid foundation of Thai culture. Although it was boring at times, we tried our best to make it fun and definitely took a lot away from it. After this, we transported to a hotel where there was an impressive array of Thai food in the form of a buffet. We were all able to try new foods, and by the end we had all eaten our weight in curry and pad thai. We were also introduced to the concept of “bum guns”, a new form of wiping after using bathrooms. You can decipher that yourself (or Google it!)
Following the great food, our full bellies were taken to two different Thai temples. The range of vibrant colors, details, and architectural designs were stunning. We had the opportunity to watch a monk ceremony that took everyone’s breath away.
The best part of the day was the cooking lesson. After being separated into two groups, we explored a market and learned which foods we would soon be cooking with. We then had a few minutes to shop, where most people proceeded to buy pants, smoothies, and other fun goods. The cooking classes then began. Our meal was large, consisting of soup, chicken pad thai, green curry, and mango sticky rice. It was so cool to be able to take simple, fresh ingredients and twist them into a flavorful, authentic dish. You’ll have to ask your son/daughter to cook you a meal when they return (we’re basically professionals now).
The day finished back at home base with some small group sessions and journaling, followed by a large group activity. While everyone is still quite jet-lagged, we are pushing through it together and already making great friendships. We are all very excited to go to the elephant village tomorrow! So far, the trip has been an absolute blast.

-Claire Wright and Peyton Gaughan

 

 

7/26/2015

Title: Elephun

We started our third day in Chiang Mai by snacking on a mixed selection of fruits, grains, and pad thai. After filling our stomachs with some local treats we began discussing the finer aspects of the day ahead of us. We then boarded the vans and embarked on a journey through Chiang Mai in pursuit of the Maetaman Elephant Camp. Soon after arriving we climbed aboard the majestic elephants with their mahouts and set out on an adventure through the jungles atop wooden seats. After about a forty-five minute journey through the river and the jungle, we boarded the bamboo rafts and rode down the river and through the lush vegetation of the forest. We quickly ate a locally made meal, made our own paper out of elephant dung, and prepared for the most anticipated activity of the day: bathing elephants. Twelve mahouts led their elephants over to our group and assisted us in mounting the elephants (without a seat). We rode them into the river to bathe them with their mahouts. After a bittersweet goodbye, all of the students began lesson planning for our English as a second language classes. Reflecting back on the day, many GLA students came to the consensus that it was an unforgettable experience in Chiang Mai.

-Liam McCaffery and Hannah Roberts

 

 

 

7/27/2015

Title:  Service and Suffering

Today was the commencement of our service work at Baan Don Keaw School in Chiang, Mai. It was our first official visit and the purpose of the interaction was to prepare us for our teaching. For many of us, we found it difficult to be culturally appropriate. Thailand has a very modest dressing philosophy, especially for women. In order to respect their standards, our clothing had to be more formal than expected causing a frenzy of nervous activity over cultural norms and what to wear.

When we arrived at the school, we were fortunate enough to witness the traditional Thai morning ceremony which honors many aspects of Thai culture. The students played instruments, participated in Buddhist prayer and paid tribute to the Royal family. The students were playful and enthusiastic making us all feel excited to be their teachers for the next week. When we returned to our home base we created our lesson plans for the upcoming classes.

After a tasty Thai lunch, we gathered at the Wat Suan Dok Temple to have a discussion with a monk about Buddhism and his way of life. His name was KK and as he liked to say “if you forget one of the K’s, there is always another.” KK was enthusiastic and willing to answer any questions we eagerly asked. We all felt the genuine passion he had for his philosophy and humor in his own quirks. Also, many of us admired the story of his journey to becoming a monk. KK explained to us that after he lost both his parents, he entered a period of extreme suffering and grief. Through the guidance of another monk, he found peace and relief from suffering through the Buddhist teachings. Not only did he share his own journey with us, but he wanted us all to know that we too could be enlightened and free from our suffering. After showing us around the beautiful temple, he blessed us and we all walked away feeling forever impacted by his words of wisdom.

It was a day full of new experiences, and one that all of us are going to remember for many years to come.

-Emily Buerkle and Caitlin Quinn

 

 

7/28/2015

Title:  Warm Welcomes

Today we woke up excited about the thought of teaching English at our designated Thai schools for the first time.  This thought filled our conversations during our early breakfast as we prepped for the day to come. We were welcomed with warm smiles from both the Thai students and teachers as we entered the class rooms.  The first few moments in the class room were nerve racking but everyone soon realized the exhilarating act of teaching.  We were all sad to see the vans pull up at the end of the day, meaning it was time to leave, even though we knew we would be back again.

After teaching, we made our way up the very windy roads to Doi Suthep temple, the most famous in Chiang Mai. We walked up hundreds of steps until reaching the vibrant reds and golds of the walls. Within the walls we played a game to discover our fortune and then proceeded to get blessed by a Buddhist monk. It’s easy to understand why so many people travel to Chiang Mai to visit this gorgeous temple.

Next, we drove up a very foggy, almost magical looking road to visit a Hill Tribe village approximately 10 minutes away from Doi Suthep.  At first glance, we knew the Hill Tribe would be special.  We trekked through gardens, stopping to shoot a traditional Hill Tribe bow, until we reached our final destination, a coffee shop overlooking the city of Chiang Mai.  For many, this experience was surreal.  The beauty of the foggy vine-laced jungle and lush gardens made us feel like we were truly experiencing the heart of Thailand.

-Madison Botzet & Sydney Van Sickle

 

 

7/29/2015

Title:  Culture Swap

All of us were more confident in our teaching abilities after the first day, allowing us to form more connections with the kids.  This also means we were able to teach more successfully.  We were greeted by smiling faces ready to learn when we arrived at the school, and left with smiles on our faces.  The saddest part was knowing we would have to wait until Monday to teach again.

In the afternoon, we all traveled to a Christian private school for a cultural exchange.   We both gave performances and played games representative of our separate cultures.  While the Thai students displayed their culture through a traditional dance, we showed our American-Canadian-Chinese pride through the Cha-Cha-slide and a slideshow presentation of the places we are from.   GLA students formed connections with students of the same age and differing cultures to form a wider grasp of a world beyond their own.

We ended the night as usual with dinner at Joy’s House and team bonding games including Frogger and Mafia.  Everyone is exhausted but ready for the day tomorrow at the Hill Tribe Village or the market!  Stay tuned for more updates of our adventures!

-Sophie Klein, Jack Berroug

 

7/30/2015

Title: Ahka Village & Thai Market

This day, for many, was a great day. Half of us went to the Ahka Village that was within the hills of Chiang Mai. It was a sight and a drive that was absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking. While the group was there, they took a tour around the village, got to taste a traditional meal, as well as try on a traditional headpiece that was very common in the community for women. While on the hike around the gorgeous hill view, many slipped and almost fell due to the rain and the mud. The other half of the group went to a very popular market within Chiang Mai. At the market they tried many traditional snacks in Thailand and got to buy a lot of new foods that they might not be able to get back home. A lot of students loved trying the new flavors of the food of Thailand. After both groups came back from their day activities, we all had a large pool party. At the pool party, we played a big game of volleyball and everyone was having a great time. After we played a glorious game of volleyball, we all had root beer floats and headed back to change in order to go to the Duke’s and the night market. The Duke’s is an American food restaurant and many students were excited to finally have food that reminded them of home. After everyone ate the Americanized food, we all went down to the market and had time to buy gifts for friends and family. While at the market, many students experienced fish massages and a majority of them were uncomfortable at first but enjoyed them in the end. After everyone finished their shopping, we all headed home to do mentor groups and everyone expressed how much of a great day they had.

Authors: Alexa Mirchou and Caia Crow

 

7/31/2015

Title: Ahka Village & Thai Market

Today we switched the groups for the Ahka Village and Thai market so we could visit both places. Martyna’s group tried Thai snacks and shopped in the midst of smelly durian and dried squid. Ryan’s group ran down muddy hills in the village and tasted a traditional Ahka meal of rice, tomato sauce, and vegetables. All the ingredients were organically grown and freshly harvested. After Martyna’s group finished shopping at the market, they spent some time at a park in the city. They fed the pigeons and catfish for a good half hour before meeting up with Ryan’s group at the Art in Paradise museum, an illusional art museum in Chiang Mai. The whole group took lots of hilarious photos at the museum. Afterwards, we took a trip to a local spa, where we all got Thai massages. Some found it to be a relaxing experience; some could not stop giggling, and others found it too rough. Nonetheless, we all found it to be an hour worth experiencing. Next we returned to home base and had a delicious dinner at Joy’s House. In the later hours of the evening, we relaxed together by sharing refreshing root beers and watching emotional Thai commercials, humorous short videos, and motivational speeches. Laughter was heard and tears were shed, and finally, the group retired to their rooms, ready to rest for yet another great day!

Authors: Juliet Polaski and Jessica Huang

 

8/1/2015

Title: Muay Thai for the Win!

Today every one woke up with excitement on their faces, because we know that every day will be better than the last. In the morning, the vans picked us up and we were on our way to a new village. We arrived at the Ban Sanpeesua Community Learning Center, where the leader of the community lived and taught local people skills. We toured the community and saw goats, cows, wild black pigs, and thousands of catfish. While we were enjoying the view of the Ping River, we had the most traditional Thai tea and coffee. Then we proceeded to meet the community leaders and they taught us four different kinds of Thai art. Even though the elders did not speak English, we understood them through the universal language of art and creativity.

After arts and craft, we went to Khow Soi Lomduan for lunch, owned by one of our Thai staff’s family. Throughout the whole trip, this was one of the best meals we have had- also the spiciest!

After lunch we went to learn Muay Thai, Thai boxing. We learned how to punch, kick, elbow, and knee. The Thai boxers showed us how to dance in order to show respect to their teachers before competitions. A few students tried to fight with the Muay Thai boxers. Everybody agreed that Muay Thai was one of the highlights of the trip!
After a long day of fun, we arrived back at home base to play a couple of games. We played “Bird and the Perch,” “Wedding Game,” and Karaoke. Then we closed up the night with fireworks!

Authors: Bella Sinelli and Yi (Becky) Xu

 

 

8/2/2015

Title: Rainy Day Adventures

Finally the anticipation for zip lining day had come to an end as we rode the vans up the winding road to Eagle Track Zip Lining. Before we could zip line, we spent some time planting trees along a rushing waterfall at the finish of the course. Each person got to plant two to three trees, experiencing the joy of making the world a more beautiful place.
Then we got suited up and fitted with helmets to finally use our Gold Zip Lining Package. We split into groups of eight and piled into pickup trucks. Once we arrived at our first station, we were briefed on safety and the technicalities of the adventure ahead. Within no time we were flying over rice paddies and enjoying the views. Throughout the thirty-five station course we completed a mix of lines, rope bridges, and drops. Many people overcame (or tolerated) their fears and ended the course with a forty meter drop. We then ate a quick lunch at the track, where we received certificates and t-shirts.
After a quick stop at home base we piled back into the vans to experience the Sunday Night Market in Chiang Mai. Using the buddy system we spent three hours browsing, buying, eating, and enjoying the overall atmosphere of the market. Due to the torrential downpour, many students rushed their shopping. Do not worry; we still got some great gifts! After we returned to home base, we got together for nightly mentor groups and discussed our day.
Overall it was a fabulous day with many fun-filled adventures that the rain could not ruin.

Authors: Emma Ungar and Bhavreet Dhandi

 

8/3/2015

Title: Back to School

THE MCKAYLAS SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THE FOLLOWING CONTENT: After a long weekend away from teaching, both school groups were reunited with their classes. We were all extremely eager to get back to teaching the students. The school day went on as usual and there were 3 to 4 groups of classes to be taught. After each school finished eating lunch, we reconvened at home base before setting off to the umbrella factory. Upon our arrival to the factory, the owner proclaimed that we were the first group ever to arrive on time. From there we proceeded with the tour, where we were taught about the making of the magical one-of-a-kind waterproof umbrellas. From there we were brought to paint our own little umbrellas. Once we had finished painting we were able to go to the gift shop, where we had the option to purchase items that we could have custom painted with a drawing of our choice. After spending a lovely afternoon relaxing around the umbrella factory we set off back to base. We then continued our evening rituals of mentor groups and dinner at Joy’s House. After dinner we came back to finish the night off with an all-group activity where we took personality tests. At this time in the night we all came to realize how little time we have left together and in Thailand.

Authors: McKayla Mottola & Mychaela Sullivan
Photo Credit: Claire Wright

 

8/4/2015

Title: Teaching and Bonding

We started the morning teaching at our separate schools. We are all forming bonds with the students and are finding it difficult to have such a short amount of time with them. Teaching the Thai students has been an incredible learning experience for both the students and us.
When we returned to Home Base, many of us felt the stress from packing. After some time to pack/rest, we gathered together to plan for the English Camp tomorrow. We learned some games to play with the students and then split up into separate groups to come up with our own activities.
In addition, we played team bonding games, including the Blindfolded Maze Game, where we learned that it is okay to ask for help. We all ended up enjoying the games, though we were skeptical at first.
After dinner, we discussed ourselves and our futures. We also did an activity called Cross the Line where we embraced our personal struggles and realized that we are not alone.
We all can’t believe that this trip is coming to an end and how quickly time has passed.

Authors: Joyce Wei and Rebecca Goldman

 

8/6/2015

Title: Departure Day

The past two weeks have flown by and we would like to say thank you to everyone for an incredible two weeks together! All 24 of our students were able to board their departing flights and are on their way back home (some have already arrived!). Our group finished up our service with English Camps at the two schools we worked at on Wednesday and then had our farewell dinner on a river boat in Chiang Mai Wednesday night. We shared many laughs and a few tears before saying our goodbyes, but we all have our memories from out time together here in Thailand to cherish. Our team here was privileged to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing young people this summer, and we wish everyone all the best in the future! Thanks for making our GLA experience such a great one!

Authors: Keith Wingeard (International Director)

7/6/15

Hello family and friends across the globe!

It’s only been a few days but already it feels like our group has been here for weeks. After some very long travel days, our amazing 34 students finally arrived! Shell shocked but smiling, exhausted but excited!

This morning we enjoyed breakfast in our outdoor dining area. Built beside a winding river with mountains behind, it creates quite the impressive start to the day. After munching on mangos and other newer fruits like dragonfruit, rambutan and passion fruit, we jumped right into orientation. Our amazing local Thai staff helped us learn some important cultural norms and Thai phrases.

For lunch we went to a delicious buffet with lots of opportunities to try Thai specialties, especially from the Northern region. Ball, Mim, Wa and Nutt (our local staff), guided the students through the maze of new foods. I kept hearing different students say things like, “I don’t know what I just ate but it was amazing!” One of my personal new favorites and a specialty of the area is Khao Soi, a mix of soft and hard noodles with a coconut curry sauce, veggies and meat with raw onion, bean sprouts and lime to top it off! Delicious!

In the afternoon we had the chance to visit a couple truly incredible temples, including the biggest and oldest temples in Chiang Mai. When we returned to homebase, the students had a bit of time to relax (and enjoy the pool!) before dinner.

After dinner, the students were divided into three groups. They met in their mentor groups for the first time – a great way to meet in a smaller setting to continue processing and discussing all the leadership and cultural activities. We’re all excited for more adventures tomorrow!

Andrea Heyse

International Program Director

7/11/2015

We started the day with breakfast, then made our way to the elephant camp. Once we arrived, we went on a beautiful bamboo raft own the river. After we had a nice buffet lunch followed by a tour of the elephant dung paper making facility. We were then introduced to the elephants that we were able to feed and ride.

After riding them, we bathed them and played with them in the river. After a few hours of interacting with the elephants, we returned to the base for showers and dinner. After dinner, we watched an informative documentary on the treatment of elephants at various camps as well as learning about elephant hospitals. To end the night, we had mentor groups where we discussed the treatment of elephants and lastly, we went to sleep!

Michael Lavine and Sam Hori

7/9/2015

The group started the day with a personality quiz. The quiz determined a color that represented what type of person you are. The next activity was to teach us about cultural awareness and acceptance. We split into groups that each got separate rules, then we mixed together so we understood how it felt to be different in somebody else’s culture. At the orphanage, Nimit 2, we began lacquering the ceiling in the canteen. We then primed the outside of the building so it can be painted a new happy and beautiful color. The kids arrived and we played football, soccer and fun hand games with songs. We were all reluctant to leave but got huge hugs and high fives from the kids.

– Carly Sturm

Today we started our community service project. They split us into two groups with one group at the orphanage (Nimit) and the other at Wildflower, a women’s shelter. I’m at Wildflower where we will be filling a flooded hole. This will help keep the still water from spreading diseases like malaria and dengue. Unfortunately, it rained a lot earlier on, so the women didn’t want us working on this project yet, so instead, we made cards for the women to sell, helped clean and played with the children. Afterwards, we came back to the homebase and had a surprise birthday party for Marc!

– Belle Briatico

7/10/2015

We went to a reservoir where we got to swim for a few hours which was lovely because it was hot and beautiful. After, we ate lunch and played with kittens. From the lake, we split into groups and went to community service. The group at Nimit orphanage painted the fence and played Thai games with the kids. The group at Wildflower helped make organic shampoos and shovel dirt. Then we returned to homebase, ate dinner and played a group bonding activity.

– Sam Folger and Margi Weiss

7/11/2015

Laundry day! This morning’s yoga was instructed by Belle and Ali while Jeremy and Ben ran some laps #yayexercise. At our breakfast there were eggs, toast, fruit and sausage. Everyone’s meal was enhanced with Calvin’s Nutella. After passing our laundry on to the wonderful Thai staff, we loaded the buses and set off for umbrella making. The umbrella instructor gave us a tour of the factory and told us what he knew about ADIDAS. Next we moved on to painting umbrellas and everybody keyed into their artistic abilities. All of them were so beautiful wtf! We all headed to the gift shop and then to the market for lunch. We all picked out traditional Thai food. After literally hopping onto the buses, we went to Muay Thai. It was a #struggle, but very fun and life changing. It involved a series of punches and kicks. Post exhaustion, people jumped in the pool to cool off. The night ended with a nice spaghetti and onion ring dinner followed by leadership activities. We love GLA!

– Catherine Hudson and Andrew Isaac

 

7/12/2015

Today’s activities began with yoga and running/strength exercises starting at 7am sharp. This was followed by the best breakfast of all time, shout out to the Thai cooking staff. Then the groups split up according to what service site you were at. Those at Nimit visited the “Art in Paradise” museum in downtown Chiang Mai, with interactive 3-D art bursting off of every wall. The museum visit was followed by a deep (and painful) Thai massage. Meanwhile, those who work at Wildflower went to a monk chat and got to ask questions to a monk. It was very interesting. After both groups switched and got to do what the other group did in the morning. Then both groups met up later and headed down to the Sunday Market and had two hours to roam around with friends to shop and explore. It was a great day!

Evan Walker and Cat Willner

7/13/2015

Our day began with breakfast before moving up to the big room where we got an extensive and slightly confusing Thai lesson from P.Ball. We then broke into groups and designed mock lesson plans to prepare for next week’s service. We got to teach our lessons to the rest of the groups and got some great feedback from our mentors. After lunch we went to service at Wildflower, it was the first day of everyone digging together. With the help of some amazing women, we made tremendous progress. For the last half hour we got to play with some upper cute kids, one of which made our day by peeing on Isabelle. At Nimit, we primed and painted more of the fence. The kids are adorable and love to play and teach us Thai games. Everyone took much needed naps on the ride home to base and filled up on a great dinner before leadership activities and finally a well deserved rest.

Kat Devine and Julia Guimaraes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7/15/2015

(done for the group as a rap)

Woke up early, chowing on rice

Waking up people, not playing nice.

Hopped in the bus, not making a fuss.

Hung out with the mountain tribe,

Chilling with positive vibes.

Bought some merchandise,

We ain’t spoutin’ lies.

Hussled on down to a café,

Wifi made our day.

Ate some floor food with a chill old gal,

Then went to Nimit, all our pals.

We be lacquering and painting,

Working so hard, we close to fainting.

Finished the day with massages,

If happiness is money, we ain’t poor men.

Swag.

Jackson Devine and Marc Roube

7/17/2015

Today we all enjoyed a nice pancakes, bacon and other foods I forgot breakfast. Calvin had Nutella which made it perfect. Good looks bro. After breakfast, we got into groups and got in vans to go on a scavenger hunt around Chiang Mai. Pretty sure we all know which squad won. Next we got an hour at Tesco o exchange money and buy stuff…like food. After Tesco, we were broken into groups to visit the schools we would soon be teaching at. The kids were excited and treated us like movie stars. They were also very friendly. Shaking our hands, greeting us and even comparing skin tones. After a tour of the school we returned to the homebase and had some free time. Once our free time was up, we spent some time prepping for teaching at the schools which was really productive. Then we ate dinner which was pretty good. At 7, we met in the big room for activities which people were excited for, or maybe not, depending on how they felt. Today was also high five Friday which made it all a lot better #insquadwetrust. GLA 2015

Calvin Chappell and Jeremy Walker Jr.

 

 

7/18/2015

We started the day off with a wonderful breakfast! Then we split up into our two service groups of Nimit and Wildflower. At Nimit, we played English speaking games with the kids. Afterwards, we went to the Chiang Mai Zoo where we saw majestic creatures such as lions and fish. Meanwhile, at Wildflower, we also taught the moms and kids the cha-cha slide, English words and English games. Then at the mall, we ate Thai food, played arcade games and played in the ball pit with kids. To wrap up the day we ended with an awesome bonding activity!

-Robin Truitt and Jen Hughes

 

 

7/24/2015

As we near the end of our journey, we wake up with mixed emotions. We know that our trip is coming near to its end but we reflect on all the amazing memories we have made with each other in the beautiful city of Chiang Mai. After a pancake breakfast, we start our day at the schools we have been volunteering at all week. Today we rocked English camp, playing various games including making pbj and dress up. Although saying goodbye to the school kids was hard, we immensely enjoyed our time working with them. When we arrived back at homebase, we emotionally prepared ourselves for the goodbye dinner at Baan Suan, the restaurant. The food was delicious and after our meal we had time for some picture taking. We headed back to Tianna resort where we have been living for the past three weeks, and gather in the big room for one last time. To end this wonderful journey I would like to think that we have all been the change.

-Abby Mickelson and Andrew Isaac