THAILAND: Last Working Day {DEPDC & Orphanage}

The Tuesday before I left Thailand was our last workday. There weren't a lot of us left so I went to DEPDC to take pictures for them. DEPDC (Development & Education Program for Daughters & Communities in the Greater Mekong Sub‐region) is a non‐profit, community‐based NGO working to prevent the trafficking of women and children into the sex industry and other exploitative child labor situations. DEPDC offers free education, vocational training, and full‐time accommodations for vulnerable children and teens who do not have access to Thailand’s public education system. The kids there are INSANE. I have never heard that much noise the whole time I was in Thailand. That day was a party day so they made thank you cards and then once I left to go to the orphanage they watched a movie. 

Krystal and Dave

 making thank you posters for some of the teachers

 Dave hard at work

 Aubrey. The kids are very touchy and clingy at DEPDC.

Group picture with Krystal and Aubrey

No one "was able" to go to the Orphanage to help teach with me so I prepared a last minute lesson by myself while eating lunch at one of the little places next to the bus station. I went over to the guys on the scooters for a ride to the place where we teach but they mixed up the office with the actual orphanage. I knew they would too. But I had no way of explaining it to them and no cell phone to have someone else speak to them in thai so I let them take me 30 mins all the way out to the orphanage where I might have the hope of finding someone to explain it to the driver. I am actually really glad that I got to have that last ride out there, especially on the back of a scooter. The drive out to the orphanage is breathtaking and it was a perfect sunny day. The sky was filled with the most gorgeous clouds I have ever seen and the mountains and rice fields were beautiful shades of green. I wish I could've stopped to take some photographs, but the memory is just as valuable. 

On the long road in to the orphanage we passed a man driving a truck and I recognized him as one of the teachers and had him stop. Eventually through some broken communication he explained to my driver to take me back into town to the office so I could teach. I was nervous at first because he kept driving in to the orphanage so I thought he didn't understand, but I had a bag of clothes to donate with me and they had me drop it off there (although no one was there to receive them, so I just left them outside the door). I finally made it to the office to teach, but some of the kids were missing unfortunately. But I taught those that were there. They were kind of crazy that day too. The craziest i've seen them actually. After playing an intense game of pictionary, we mutually decided it was time to end the lesson a little bit short. I wanted some pictures with them since it was my last time there but I had no other volunteers with me to help so I finally found one the people in the office to take one for me and then I think Phet took the second picture of me with the little girl. 

She was literally attached to my leg like a monkey while I was teaching that day. She kept reaching for me to hold her but since she didn't have a diaper on (and believe me I could tell) I tried to resist as much as possible but in the end she liked me tipping her upside down so much that I didn't stand a chance. 

It was a bit harder teaching them by myself that day, but looking back I am kind of glad that it was just me that got to see them for the last time. I was able to reflect back on all my experiences there (although short). I was there from the beginning of the project and as the lead I got to see it to the end (at least for now). I wish we could've had a party for them that last day, I wish I could've better explained that it was my last day and I wouldn't be coming back, and most of all I wish I could've spent more time with the children there. Paulo, however, knew. I really think he understood that it was the end and he was the only one that saw me all the way out and watched as the truck pulled out that day to take me to the bus station. Since he is a boy he isn't really used to girls hugging him, but I gave him a hug on the way out anyway. He really is an amazing kid and the deepest part of me wishes that he will have the bright future I know he, and all of the children, deserve. He is such a hard worker, and I know if given the right opportunity, he will succeed. On the ride to catch my bus one of the teacher was talking to me in the very small amount of english he knew, and it was so touching. You can tell how grateful they are for any help, because they care so much about those children and want them to have a better life.

Orphanage, Sky Lanterns, Chiang Mai, & TIGERS.

so it's been a long time since my last post. sorry about that. but if you are friends with me on facebook i post pictures there quite regularly that you can check out. {i am going to spare some of the details because the post would be too long if i didn't}. here we go. 

on monday we took a 2 and a half hour trip up to an orphanage in Mae Sai to check it out and what thery're needs were. the location is beautiful and they have around 80 kids. in a week or so we are going to go back and help them with square foot gardens, and in the meantime we have been teaching around 15 of the kids english.

Dave teaching about square foot gardens

one of the girls' rooms

wall of rules

then on one of the nights we lit thai sky laterns (like the ones from the movie tangled) and made wishes. they are so beautiful, i wish i had been here for the festival where they light thousands of them.

thats me...

me again 

and again.

we taught at the orphanage until wednesday and on one of the days we bought a fruit called Durian. It is the King of fruits in Thailand and for most people it tastes awful enough that they can't swallow it the first time without gagging. I ate two bites without difficulty and swallowed them both {to me it tasted like rotten deviled eggs}. But apparently ours didn't have as much flavor as usual and according to Todd when they do they taste like: "eating rotten onions and sucking on a dirty man's big toe while smelling hot sick anus."

friday me, manasa, and lauren got massages and ate italian food for dinner. so good. 

saturday we made a 3 hour trip to a bigger city south of us called Chiang Mai. We were going down for a soccer game but it got moved till sunday so we went to the one of the Chiang Mai temples, played with tigers, and went to the night bazaar to shop for souvenirs. 

yeah, they are cute until they ask you for money if you take their picture, but not to worry all i did was zoom in to get them. ha. two can play that game. 

amy, me, manasa, lauren, aubrey, and courtney.

view of the city of Chiang Mai

oh hey look mom, i found you! heh. heh.

getting blessed by a monk again.

Buddha. 

Carving a giant candle of wax.

so tigers was a amazing. we picked the large&smallest tiger bundle and i do not regret spending the money for it. i mean when will i ever do this again? go big or go home. we were all actually pretty nervous...i didn't think i would be but those things {there were 2} are huge and have even huger teeth. but i love cats so this was like a big Comet {my wonderful orange cat} except lazier {if that is even possible}. at one point the tiger started to push amy toward the electric wires with its back feet. and then we played with the baby tigers. adorable. if i wasn't for the rights of wild animals i would definitely want one. 

mitch, me, lauren, and amy. 

mitch covering up his "critical area" so the baby tigers don't get it. hahaha best thing ever.

our tiger guide made us pretend to be asleep with them

and to kiss them firmly as he said "FIRMER! FIRMER!" haha so great.

and on sunday we stayed after for a baptism. she was so cute and so happy. 

excuse my side glance. there were a lot of cameras okay.

the next week i went to teach the orphanage kids mon-wed because i am the project lead. they are some of the best kids ever and really smart too. we get anywhere from 10-15 kids and the ages are from 11-18. some of the boys are such studs too {especially Moko, Atalay, Phet, & Paulo}. we teach them vocab, play games, sing songs, and afterwards hangout with them for few minutes. 

Atalay. so cute.

Moko. {doesn't he look like Rufio from the movie Hook?}

Paulo is such a hard worker. 

playing simon says.

Booba.

Wayya.

we made paper airplanes after class. 

Phet. all around stud, scholar, and a bit of a show-of.

Booba, Meeyuh, Phet, Kalagna. 

Meeyuh, Manasa, Atalay, Paul, Moko, Yapa, Me, Wayya, Phet, Kalagna, Paulo. 

playing games on Paul's phone. 

wayya and atalay. 

Atalay, Yapa, & Moko.

me and the boys.

Kalagna, Paulo, Wayya, Atalay, Yapa, Moko, and Phet. 

Booba and Meeyuh. 

Lauren, Paul, Manasa, and Me with the whole class.

moko and paul arm wrestling. i beat all the boys except moko. that kid is strong.

on the way to the bus station in a truck.

paul taking a picture of us with some of the boys.

in Thailand the kids think it is cool to pose like this.

so i was supposed to go to the orphanage again today to teach but it was cancelled for a meeting, which is perfect because i am sick. i think i have some form of the flu. and that is why i have had time to blog. even though i got to sleep in til 2pm i would rather not be sick...

{the second group of orphanage pictures were taken by Manasa. there are more that lauren took, so once i get them from her i will probably post a few}.


and as i am in the internet cafe thai school kids flood the computers to play shooting video games. even boys in thailand are the same.