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Summer camp at the orphanage, Nongkhai by Amy Fry and Nadeem “Sid” Siddiqui, volunteers in Nongkhai, Thailand We decided to volunteer about half way through our round the world trip. Well, actually I decided and Sid needed a bit of persuasion, but I knew he would love it so I persisted! Nong Khai is a lovely town and the volunteer house is in an ideal location. There’s a brilliant market a minutes walk away,where we bought a lot of our meals. The riverside is 5 minutes bike ride away and there are lots of great food stalls practically surrounding the house. We had a very warm welcome from Sabine, Bobby and Nalinrat. They showed us around the town and some good places to eat. Then we had an orientation, in which they told us some cultural dos & don’t s and what to expect at the orphanage. We had a bit of a planning session, where we organized some games and activities for the boy’s but this was quite hard as we didn’t know the age groups, how many boy’s there would be and also their capabilities. The first day at the orphanage was quite a shock. We were shown around the boy’s living area’s, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. Basic would be an understatement to describe the rooms. They had a bed each but nothing more in the rooms. No pictures on the walls, no other furniture, nothing child-like in sight. The standard of cleanliness throughout the rooms was very low and this was reflected in the boys appearance. They also had many open cuts and sores all over their bodies. Looking past all of this, they were very happy boys and very excited about the “falang” coming to play with them. The boys were not shy, almost straightaway they were hugging us and holding our hands. It was quite obvious that physical contact is something they lack in their everyday lives. On the 3rd day most of the boys we had been playing with were going to become novice monks at a nearby temple. Even after 2 days with the boys we felt sad about saying goodbye to them but we knew we would see them before we left. We felt very privileged to be able to watch the ceremony and take part in it. Sid was given the very special job of physically lifting the Abbott. He was the leader of all the monks and very respected. He was very elderly and frail, Sid had to lift him from his wheelchair to his table so he could eat his lunch and then lift him back. Sid was terrified he was going to drop him! Next came Songkran (Thai New Year Festival) which is basically translated as a big water fight! We had so much fun, for 4 days we were absolutely soaked and didn’t even notice that it was sweltering 35 degrees! We went to the temple to watch the parade, played in the streets with the locals soaking every passer by with ice water! and we joined the neighbors for some more water throwing. Sid was having so much fun, he carried on throwing water with the kids when we had all got tired and gone inside! At the orphanage we had 2 days of playing water with the boys, which they loved! An Australian family joined us half way through out time and just in time for Songkran! It was really good timing as when the family arrived the number of boys increased as well! Some came back from the temples and some from foster families. There was enough of us to have several different activities going at the same time. Although some days even with 10 of us it was absolute chaos, but good chaos! Living with Nalin added to the whole experience, she is such lovely lady and she taught us so much. We learnt Thai language, Thai cookery and lots about the culture. Before we came to Nong Khai we had been travelling around South East Asia for 4 months, but by living with a Thai person we learnt more in one month about the culture than we did in 4 months put together. We didn’t know what to expect regarding teaching English. Neither of us are teachers but we were willing to give it a go. As it turned out at the orphanage there was not that much teaching involved. The boys were on their school holidays and it quickly became clear that the important thing was to let them have lots of fun, care and attention and not to focus on the teaching side too much. Although quite a few of the boys were very keen to learn. So they could choose to sit and do an alphabet game or go and play football. Twice a week in the evenings we taught some English to the neighbors children and some other local children from the market. This was optional, we really enjoyed it and it was an opportunity to get a bit more involved in the teaching side of things. Our month in Nong Khai flew by and the time for goodbye’s came round far too quickly! The whole experience was amazing and definitely one of the highlights of our whole years trip. The combination of supportive staff, beautiful children, the lovely family from Australia and the friendly town of Nong Khai and it’s locals made it a very special and unforgettable experience which we would recommend to everyone. text and photos: © 2008 by Amy Fry and Nadeem Siddiqui. Share this: Twitter | StumbleUpon | Facebook | Delicious | digg | reddit | buzz
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Campa Samhraidh ag an dílleachtlann, Nongkhai ag Amy Fry agus Nadeem "Sid" Siddiqui, oibrithe deonacha i Nongkhai, An Téalainn Shocraigh muid go deonach thart ar leath bhealach a dhéanamh tríd ár thart ar an turas domhain. Bhuel, i ndáiríre chinn mé agus Sid gá le beagán de áitimh, ach bhí a fhios agam go mbeadh sé grá sé sin fós agam! Nong Khai Is baile álainn agus tá an teach deonach i suíomh idéalach. Níl margadh iontach nóiméad siúil ar shiúl, nuair a cheannaigh muid a lán dár béilí. Is é an cois abhann 5 nóiméad rothar marcaíocht ar shiúl agus tá go leor de stallaí bia iontach praiticiúil a bhaineann leis an teach. Bhí fáilte roimh an-te ó Sabine, Bobby agus Nalinrat. Thaispeáin siad dúinn ar fud an bhaile agus roinnt áiteanna maithe a ithe. Ansin bhí againn le treoshuíomh, inar inis siad dúinn roinnt dos cultúrtha agus nach s agus a bheith ag súil ag an dílleachtlann. Bhí beagán de seisiún pleanála, áit a d'eagraigh muid roinnt cluichí agus gníomhaíochtaí do chuairt an buachaill ach go raibh sé seo deacair go leor mar nach raibh a fhios againn ar na grúpaí aois, cé mhéad buachaill Tá mbeadh agus freisin a gcumais. Ba é an chéad lá ag an dílleachtlann leor turraing. Taispeánadh muid timpeall an buachaill limistéar ina gcónaí ar, seomraí codlata, seomraí folctha agus cistine. Bheadh Basic an understatement le cur síos ar na seomraí. Bhí siad leaba gach ach aon rud níos mó sna seomraí. Níl aon pictiúir ar na ballaí, aon troscáin eile, rud ar bith leanbh-mhaith i radharc. Bhí caighdeán glaineachta ar fud na seomraí an-íseal agus léiríodh é seo i an chuma buachaillí. Bhí siad freisin nuair a gearradh oscailte go leor agus sores gach cearn n-chomhlachtaí. Ag féachaint anuas ar fad, bhí siad buachaillí an-sásta agus an-excited faoi an "Falang" ag teacht a imirt leo. Ní raibh na buachaillí cúthail, beagnach láithreach a bhí hugging siad linn agus go bhfuil ár lámha. Bhí sé soiléir go leor go bhfuil teagmháil fhisiciúil rud éigin nach bhfuil siad ina saol laethúil. Ar an 3ú lá a bhí an chuid is mó de na buachaillí bhí ag imirt againn ag dul a bheith manach novice ag teampall in aice láimhe. Fiú amháin tar éis 2 lá leis na buachaillí mhothaigh muid brónach faoi fágáil slán leo ach bhí a fhios againn go mbeadh muid iad a fheiceáil sular fhág muid. Mhothaigh muid an-phribhléid a bheith in ann féachaint ar an searmanas agus páirt a thógfaidh sé. Tugadh Sid an post an-speisialta de go fisiciúil ar leataobh an Abbott. Bhí sé ina cheannaire ar gach manach agus an-urramú. Bhí sé an-aosta agus frail, Sid bhí a thógann sé as a chathaoir rothaí a tábla ionas go bhféadfadh sé a itheann a lón agus ansin é a ardú ar ais. Raibh eagla Sid raibh sé ag dul chun titim dó! Ar Aghaidh tháinig Songkran (Téalainnis Féile Bliain Nua) a aistriú go bunúsach mar troid uisce mór! Bhí orainn spraoi an oiread sin, ar feadh 4 lá, bhí muid sáithithe hiomlán agus fiú nach raibh faoi deara go raibh sweltering é 35 céim! Chuaigh muid go dtí an teampall chun féachaint ar an pharáid, bhí na sráideanna le muintir na háite soaking gach passer ag le huisce oighir! agus chuaigh muid ar an comharsana do roinnt níos mó uisce ag caitheamh. Sid a bhí ag spraoi an oiread sin, rinne sé ar chaitheamh uisce leis na páistí nuair a bhí fuair muid tuirseach ar fad agus imithe taobh istigh! Ag an dílleachtlann a bhí againn 2 lá ag imirt uisce le na buachaillí a grá siad! An teaghlach na hAstráile thosaigh linn leath bhealach a dhéanamh tríd am amach agus díreach in am don Songkran! Bhí sé i ndáiríre am maith nuair a tháinig an teaghlach ar an líon buachaillí níos mó chomh maith! Roinnt tháinig ar ais ó na temples agus roinnt ó theaghlaigh altrama. Bhí go leor de dúinn go bhfuil gníomhaíochtaí éagsúla ag dul ag an am céanna. Cé go bhfuil roinnt laethanta fiú le 10 de dúinn go raibh sé chaos iomlán, ach chaos maith! Maireachtáil le Nalin leis an taithí ar fad, tá sí bhean álainn den sórt sin agus mhúin sí i bhfad dúinn mar sin. Táimid ag foghlaim teanga Téalainnis, cócaireacht Téalainnis agus go leor faoi chultúr. Sula tháinig muid chun Nong Khai bhí ag taisteal muid timpeall san Áise Thoir Theas ar feadh 4 mhí, ach ag cónaí le duine in Téalainnis fhoghlaim muid níos mó i mí amháin faoi chultúr ná mar a rinne muid i 4 mhí a chur le chéile. Ní raibh a fhios againn cad a bheith ag súil maidir le teagasc Béarla. Is iad Ní de dúinn múinteoirí ach bhí muid sásta a thabhairt dó dul. Mar iompaigh sé amach ag an dílleachtlann nach raibh an teagasc i bhfad i gceist. Na buachaillí bhí ar a laethanta saoire scoile agus bhí sé go tapa léir go raibh an rud is tábhachtaí a lig dóibh go leor de chúram spraoi, agus aird agus ní chun díriú ar an taobh teagasc i bhfad ró. Cé go raibh ar go leor de na buachaillí an-fonn a fhoghlaim. Mar sin, d'fhéadfadh siad a roghnú chun suí agus a dhéanamh cluiche aibítir nó téigh agus peil a imirt. Dhá uair sa tseachtain san oíche mhúineadh againn roinnt Béarla do na páistí comharsana agus roinnt leanaí áitiúla eile as an margadh. Bhí sé seo roghnach, taitneamh as againn i ndáiríre é agus bhí sé deis a fháil le beagán níos mó baint acu leis an taobh teagasc na rudaí. Ár mí i Nong Khai eitil ag agus an t-am beannacht ar tháinig bhabhta i bhfad go tapa chomh maith! An taithí ar fad a bhí iontach agus cinnte ar cheann de bhuaicphointí ár n-turas bliana ar fad. An meascán de bhaill foirne tacaíochta, leanaí álainn, an teaghlach álainn ón Astráil agus an baile cairdiúil Nong Khai agus tá sé muintir na háite a rinne sé le taithí an-speisialta agus unforgettable a ba mhaith linn a mholadh do gach duine. téacs agus grianghraif: © 2008 ag Amy Fry agus Nadeem Siddiqui.Comhroinn é seo: Twitter | StumbleUpon | Facebook | Delicious | digg | reddit | Buzz