The Day Before New Years Eve

We had one full day of school after camping, that was a 'fun' day. Christmas carols and various other games. No teaching. It was a good day of school. When it ended I had a phone call from Ben saying we were going out to dinner with his friends.

He picked me up and we headed out into Saraburi. The place we went to was great, it was a buffet where you literally cook all you're own food, either by grilling or boiling. There was a massive choice of food and even ice-cream at the end. His friends were mostly people who I had met from the school on the camping trip. But there was another guy there, one of the heads of departments. A really nice guy. Even though I hadn't bought any beer, he kept topping my drink up, and then refused to let me buy a bottle, even though I must've drunk about 4 bottles.

Afterwards we did a gift exchange, some sort of tradition in Thailand. I got a little Buddha statue.

After that we headed to the bar called 'the class room' with whiskey slush puppy type drinks. They had five measure of whiskey in each, and cost two quid each. Insane. There were eleven flavours and between a group of us we had all of them. It was a very good night.

More Camping - Part 3, Thai school buses rock!

Oh my god my head. Last night there was a lot of "Thai Whiskey!" and I'm feeling it this morning. Damn. Oh well! So... it's the final day of camping. But it ended very quickly. There was some final talks, didn't understand anything. There were some goodbyes and suddenly the buses are there and people are packing up! Oh! Okay! Well, goodbye! I say goodbye to the kids as they start leaving.

Now onto the Thai school bus. Wow. Check out the video. This was for the three hours it took to get back to the school. Too much fun. If I wasn't this hung-over I would've liked it a lot more. Still made the most of it though!

We got back to the school with about two hours left of the day! They plugged my iPod into the speakers (for the first time!) and the speakers boomed across the village music to sing and dance to. And that was the end of the day and the end of the camping trip! A quality time had by all.

More Camping - Part 2, Serious amount of mud, more fire and a Hippo dance

Four in the morning? What was I thinking. I said I'd do it. Get up. Get up! I crawled out of bed and headed on to the field where the kids were gathering. Not a single other teacher was up. It was all the camp staff. Great. We did some exercises that were silly and fun. Then we did the run. It wasn't a really long one, maybe a kilometre. I cheekily took a break half way through to just pretend like I was rounding up the kids and making sure non were lost... on this completely straight and open path... yea. Non of them bought it.

I got showered and went back to bed. I was woken up for breakfast, and after breakfast it was back to the square. More silly dancing. More fun and games. Then the kids moved off after about an hour or so in their groups to do marches, knot making and other scout-like activities. I was placed at the knot making area.

Formation!

They cycled through so each group did every activity. Then it was lunch time. There was a TV (amazing!!) at the hut where we ate lunch. The news was on showing a football game. A fight broke out between several players and people got in to stop it. Then more people got involved, then police, then the crowed started invading the pitch. The camera concentrated on one guy, wearing normal cloths who looked like a normal guy from the crowed. He was running up and punching players. Eventually one threw him to the ground. As he landed he suddenly pulled out a gun. Everyone backed off. Then the police joined him, like they were on his side. Helped him up, and he just carried on waving it at random people. No idea what actually happened. But was very strange!

After lunch was probably the most fun ever. Muddy activities in groups. Work as a team and individuals. I was at the tyre, they had to jump up and climb through the tyre. Some of them were to short to even reach, so watching the work together was very sweet! There were lots of others that I went to to look at, and got lots of great pictures (all below).

My station!

My favourite station...

...and this is why

Another good one!

No mud... but looks like a lot of fun!

More serious team work going on here

Don't want to many people crossing at a time... it DOES go under the water!

Too much fun!

A real team player!

Lol... mud all over her face

Pandetta!! I'm not going to miss this picture opportunity! Haha

The mud tunnel. Most of them slipped on fell on the mud getting out...

...like this little guy

No showers... just a giant bath!

Afterwards people showered, because there was a lot of mud, and then had dinner. After dinner everyone chilled out and worked on little plays and dances to do... at some point. I could not help with this, at all. I had no idea what was going on. So I did the only logical, sensible, staying out of the way thing I could do.

Why are they giving me funny looks? (other then the camera)

I spent the next three hours chilled out on a hammock and having the kids fetch me things like my iPod, drinks, fruit ext.

It's because I couldn't be more chilled out!

The sun went down and there was a huge show put on. The camp gathered around a giant fire, special dignatory guests came and had special seats, it was all very 'big big'. The kids did their shows, did their dances...

Fire! Dance! Funny costume!

And then I was called up.

"Me?"

"Nick!! Hippo!"

Oh great. Want to see the hippo dance? Enjoy.

Ready....

Boomba!

Boomba!!

And then a funny, slightly gay, twirl

The night winds down, there is a lot of dancing like a fool for a long time. Kids seem to love it, can't get any of the teachers to join in so I look nice and silly. So, is that the end of the night? No. I get invited into the Directors tent, the one with like 5 directors. They are playing cards, gambling (highly illegal) and drinking. They invite me to play. A late night was had, and another 4am start is not on the 'cards' tomorrow! (Oh yea! Badass pun there!)

More Camping - Part 1, Hiking, Machetes and a Burning Forest

I don't know how I got my dates so badly mixed up! Between Christmas and New Year was more camping! This time with my guys. It wasn't the whole school, just class 5/6 (the oldest). I had already done a camping trip as you know, I was really looking forward to this, especially with my little guys.

My bag was packed, and I was all prepared. Everyone piled up in front of the school, ready and waiting for the bus to arrive to collect us. Only some of the teachers were joining us, and not even all at the same time. For the journey there, it was the class of kids, me, 1 teacher and one other personal who worked at the school.

There was already another class of kids on the bus and along the way we picked up a third. Once we got there the set-up was similar to the last camp, with a large square where the kids all gathered and listened to various rules and instructions. But there was a lot more fun going on... fun I would be dragged into.

The square

So first, there was introductions from all the various teachers. I was told what to say in Thai, and then to repeat it in English. So I said, in both languages, "my name is Nick, and I teach English in Wat-Banlad school." It went well I think. Then the camper staff, who at first looked very militaristic and serious did some long talks.

This was actually one of the teachers from one of the other schools. A total Badass.

Then we went on a trek through the Jungle. Not all the teachers took part. Most of them unpacked in their rooms and giant tents. I just dumped my bag in mine. I was sharing a double room with Mr. S, the director at my school. It wasn't as luxurious as the last place, but I had a soft bed and hot water. So I was very happy.

During the trek one girl got far too hot, probably sun-stroke of some kind, so some of the teachers stayed back and helped carry her through to the road. I was with this group, with the main leader of the camp. We started talking, initially he looked scary but he spoke good English and was actually a really nice, funny guy.

At the road another group of teachers picked up the girl in a pick-up truck and we walked the long way back. It was right out in the open, in the middle of the afternoon with no shade. It took it's toll on me but I made it without collapsing and looking like a fool.

Making it back I had about five big cups of water and the kids spent the next hour unpacking and getting settled. I did the same; unpacked and took a much needed shower. Afterwards Mr. S took me to meet the other directors who all shared a single large tent. We also got lunch. I'm not sure what the kids food was like, because our eating area was the other side of the camp, in a lovely stilted hut just on the edge of the jungle. It was beautiful. The lunch was always great here. They had a massive choice and even some great desserts!

The hut behind me is where we ate breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There was another gathering at the square and the camp workers put on entertainment. I got dragged up to do a hippo dance. Was actually really funny. I had no idea what I was doing, but when do I? There will be pictures in the next post of this hippo dance... funny stuff. Then the kids were put into groups and received a piece of raw chicken and large piece of some kind of Thai vegetable. Yummy. Then they all headed out to one of the fields.

Half of them climbed up the side of the jungle hill and with machetes (yes... the kids of 9-11 years old were just handed machetes on mass) and started hacking bamboo trees (is it trees? I think so) down. This was to make camp fires. They also would cut a stick down the middle and they created an amazing little holder for cooking the meat.

Into the hills to chop down some trees

Health and safety can take a back seat while this ten year old chops some stuff up!

There was a lot of smoke everywhere, my eyes went so red and started watering so I walked away from the area until most of the fires became less smoky. I moved around and got pictures of and with the various groups.

One thing I loved about this was the groups were all mixed, so there would be only two or three kids from the same school in one group, and the groups had about twenty members. So the kids mingled a lot with each other.

This was not the kids dinner, we moved on to have dinner in the hut. After dinner, there was music and other entertainment and for the most part the kids just played around until the sun set. After it set, there was a ghost walk. Half way through the silent and completely pitch black walk (we are in the middle of nowhere, no lights, it's totally dark apart from the moon and the stars) the camp leaders started setting of explosion fireworks. They just blew up. There was no screeching. They just exploded very, very loudly with different bright colours.

I had an early night, as did the director. I was getting up nice and early, at 4am to take part in the morning exercises with the kids and the morning run. What a stupid person I am.