Adventures & School Over-Night Field Trip

I just typed a whole post and it randomly disappeared, and even with my computer savvy skills, I was not able to find it. Sometimes I hate technology. At least I hadn't spent time putting the pictures in I guess.

So last week, we got a new roommate! Leah moved into our spare room, as she was looking for a new place to live. It is fairly exciting and it was definitely a great idea. It is nice to have another person in the house with us. Plus it makes rent cheaper, can't complain about that!

So last Sunday after Leah and I went to breakfast with Megan, Leah said she wanted to go on an adventure and instead of going home that we should just drive down the 118 into Doi Saket. I agreed, though I suggested we go back out in a couple hours, as it was boiling hot at that time. So we set out on the adventure, turning off the 118 on some road, riding through a village. We ended up going up a little ways on a mountain, the road ending at an abandoned house. We parked and headed up the rest of the mountain on foot. Eventually we found ourselves at the top of the mountain looking out at other mountains and some kind of body of water. Our new mission was to find this water. When we got back on our bikes, set out to find it, we failed. The elusive lake must be further than anticipated. We decided to save our quest to find the lake for another day, and head home. At home, we tried to order a pizza, to no avail, as they had no idea where our house was when we gave them the English version of our address. So we ate whatever we had in the house and relaxed.

Leah on our adventure

Our bikes parked as far as they could take us up the mouton

View from the top

The next three days after our adventure were spent at the Maekok River Village Outdoor Education Centre with our students. Grades 4, 5 and 6, got to go on a 3 day-2 night field trip, and as their teachers we got to go too. The place we stayed was like a resort, mostly cause half is a resort, the other half is the outdoor education centre. The students stayed in dorms with 6 in a room, while teachers got their own rooms. The three days were filled with lots of fun things for the students to do. Our first day, my students participated in team challenges and at night they did the 'confidence course'. Many students were scared to do it, as it was an obstacle course over top dirty frog-infested water. They had to hold a rope while walking along a chain to get to a barrel. Once on the barrel they had to jump/fall into a rope to swing across to another barrel. Then they had to walk across a balance beam, stopping halfway to do a 360 turn and walk to the end. The last part was either a set of rings or monkeys bars to get to the end. The other Grade 6 teacher and I each promised difference students if they did it, we would too. When it came to our turn it was pouring rain and lightening and thunder. He still did it, but they closed it down before I did. He fell in, but he was already soaked so it wasn't too bad. I promised I would do it the next day.

That night the power went out for two hours, so the students were confined to their rooms, which were hot due to the air conditioning not working. The teachers all hung out under some shelter, keeping an eye on the place. Eventually we all turned in.

Team Challenge

Team Challenge

Resort Pool (students had their own pool, but we got to use this one)

Where the students and teachers stayed.

Confidence Course

Some were not so lucky

The next day my students got to go to the market to buy a list of ingredients in groups, and then they were taught how to make green curry chicken and a veggie stir fry. I tested out each just to make sure it tasted good enough. Delicious! After lunch, Grade 6s got to go over to a Thai school and in groups were able to teach Thai students English. It was a lot of fun watching my students give lessons to Grade 1s who spoke little English. I wandered around and watched, and took lots of pictures. After they were done, they played a game of soccer against some older Thai students. Then we headed back. When we got back, I got my chance to do the confidence course. And I got across it without falling in, I have video proof! My students were disappointed they didn't get to see me fall in. But I was super proud of myself. I don't have much coordination, and can barely walk without hurting myself, so this was an accompaniment for me.

That night after dinner it started to rain again. They still took the Grade 6s to the forest area where they were playing a game where they had to get from one gazebo to another through a dark forest, with no flashlights, without the counsellors seeing them and shining their light on them. One of my students was terrified of thunder, and it started to really storm. So I took her back to the buildings and we played Jenga until the other students came back. After the kids were in bed, a few of us went across the street to a random 'bar' that was really just a house that pulls its wall up and puts out table and sells stuff. When we walked up a girl was lying on a mattress watching a movie. Random. I had a mango juice and left shortly after I finished it, as I was tired.

Buying ingredients at the market

Cooking together

Finished Green Curry Dishes

Thai student listening intently to my students

Thai student

They kept giving me the thumbs up

The last morning on the trip, I woke up feeling awful. I barely made it out of my room. But I didn't want to miss watching the next activity. My students got taken to the riverside and split in three groups. Each group was given 4 inner tubes, 10 bamboo poles and lots of rope. They were told to create a raft that they were then going to use to get down the river. It was fun watching them come up with ideas, even though they all ended up looking fairly similar in the end. A few of us teachers chose to take the 'safe boat' down the river and watch as they paddled down the river, with a counsellor helping each group. After that, it was time to have lunch and head home. I slept a bit on the (mini)bus ride home. And fell asleep fairly early that night.

Our ride to the riverside

On the river

Safe boat

Me watching the kids make their rafts

Raft making

The river the kids paddled down

Police Station beside the river

This weekend I haven't been feeling well so I have spent a lot of it in bed. Feeling better this morning and getting exciting cause in two weeks my Australian friends Nick and Nicole will be here! Which means it's almost time for island hopping for 16 days from April 5th to April 21st. I cannot wait!