Travel to Teach: Thailand Volunteer Story

Teaching monks in Nongkhai

Jennie Ekedahl, 22, Sweden

When I first arrived to Thailand I had no idea I was going to get stuck, postpone my studies and spend another 7 months in the land of many smiles.

It was quite the change for me to arrive from the everyday stress in Sweden to the easygoing Thailand. Getting used to "thai time" was the most difficult part, things never happen when you want them or the way you want them to. But once I got in to it I realised it was pure healing for me.

My first week I spent in Nongkhai with a big bunch of other newly arrived volunteers. After a week of restoring Meechai school I decided to leave for Namsom, a smaller village a few hours from Nongkhai. Although there wasn't much to do in Namsom (exept for a few local karaoke bars) I really enjoyed my time there. You never had time to feel alone since there was always someone picking you up, taking you for dinner (Korean barbeque mostly) or serving you fresh coconuts straight from the tree.

The school and the teachers were lovely, although my first day I wasn't actually sure I would survive it all. Alone in class with kids running around, not listening to (probably not even understanding) a single word I said. But I got the hang of it and realised you just have to be willing to make a fool out of yourself to get some attention. Once it was time to leave I had a fan club the size of a small village.

After Namsom I took the opportunity to get a placement in Pai in the very north if Thailand. Pai had a beautiful scenery and on the motorbikes (be ware of the motorbikes!!) we headed for waterfalls, hot springs and just rides through the rural thailand between the mountains. As a town Pai didn't appeal to me as much as Nongkhai or Namsom since it is almost more western than thai. Although I was really happy to be able to have cheese and western food like spagetti on a daily basis for 2 weeks, that was not what I went to Thailand for.

I headed back to Nongkhai and got the chance to join two English camps, one in Ban phu where we educated teachers, and one kids English camp in the hometown of 300 elephants; Surin. What I learnt from those experiences is that thai people love to take care of you and they do it well (the way to your heart really does go through your stomach!). But also that thai adults are just as crazy about songs and games as thai kids. However, not to forget: seeing an elephant walking around on the street with a red light on his tail doesn't mean you had too much Sangsom to drink, it's perfectly normal.

I was also lucky to be in Thailand during two big festivals; the Naga festival and Loy kratong. The first one we spend by the Mekong in Phon phisai, waiting for the Naga dragon to spit fireballs from the river, and Loy kratong I celebrated dancing fully dressed in Thai traditional dress with approximately one kilo of make-up on my face!

As for Travel 2 Teach it is a lovely organisation. Although rapidly growing it always feels friendly and personal thanks to the great staff. But remember! If you sign up for volunteering, take the opportunity to really put an efford in to it. No one would tell you off if you lay in the hammock all day but you would surely miss out on the time of your life!

There are so many opportunities for you in Thailand to do whatever you are interested in. In Nongkhai I got the chance to join James Business collage's radio wich transmits all over town and in Pai me and a friend sang and played at a bar. There is something for everyone, if you want to stay in and read a book or if you want to do the classic night out with the bar Surreal and the club Barnana (Thai clubs are something beyond imagination, I tell you, it must be experienced).

Now I don't want to live without things I've grown to love; karaoke (in thai of course), thai pop/rock music, thai language, having long chats with the monks, thai whiskey, som tum (papaya salad), banana pancakes, the demandatory every day shake, my friends (both western and thai) and the smiles of the thai people. As I've been saying about things here in Thailand; it's just so easy!

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