Planting trees in Khao Yai

I spent the weekend in Khao Yai National Park with the Plant-A-Tree-Today foundation (www.plant-a-tree-today.org). I had done a one-day volunteer outing with PATT a few months ago, and was excited to get a spot on this weekend trip. So about 30 volunteers and PATT staff spent the weekend camping on the grounds of a fancy resort just outside of the park. On Saturday, we went "whitewater" rafting (I doubt these qualify as whitewater rapids, but okay...), followed by an awesome BBQ with plenty of drinking and socializing.

Then on Sunday the 30 of us volunteers planted 800 TREES! It was hard work and we baked under the midday Thai sun, but it was really fun. Also, stunning views of the surrounding mountains and forrests more than made up for the uncomfortable heat.

There are a million reasons that I love activities like this (it's environmental, outdoorsy, volunteer-sy, and I get to play in the dirt!). But one of the best reasons is because I always enjoy meeting awesome, inspiring people with similar interests. One guy, for example, used to work for some industrial company, but decided there was too much waste and now he sets up projects all over Asia in which he teaches companies to be waaaaay more energy efficient, reduce and off-set carbon use, etc. A really amazing guy. He was this big business dude, but then turned all tree-hugger and now is doing really amazing things to show other people that our businesses do not have to be run at the expense of the environment. I love meeting people like that.

About the 800 trees, though. Let's do the math. As Andy put it: It took 30 people about 3 hours to plant 800 trees, which will each take many years to grow and mature. Meanwhile, every minute of the day the earth loses about a football field of trees. Something is not right about this.

Class that makes it worthwhile

I had such a great Basic Eng class this afternoon. I left smiling, as I so often after that class finishes. They're so motivated to learn and extremely appreciative of the work that I do for them. I tutor some of them for a few hours a week outside of class, and one of those tutoring sessions was the main thing that made me reconsider going home.

Jorge teaches some of them in convo, and he said that once he saw them drawing an anime version of me and saying how much they like me and my suwaaaaayy hair. I really enjoy the relationship I have with this class (obviously). It makes it worth it to know that I'm reaching these 30 students, especially since 2 of my other classes are definitely not as positive. Anyway, I know I'm not being very eloquent here, but I guess the point is that this particular class makes me feel like I'm actually doing some good as a teacher. They reassure me that I made a good decision to stay here awhile longer.

So, to Maprang, Kwan, Puone, Om-Am, Nack, A, Pat, Cheng, NungNing, Milk, Pop, Ham, Mark, Jub and ALLLLLL the rest, I secretly send you a little thanks for being such good students and brightening my teaching days. Kap khun kaa.

Pat, Puone, Om-Am & Mark
from Basic English (grammar) class

Eng I Convo students
Their assignment: Make a poster
telling/showing me why you're so cool.

My favorite Eng I Convo class

I swear this blog won't completely turn into a duplication of my students' writings that make me laugh, but for now, here are some excellent excerpts from their opinion paragraphs:

• In my opinion, the best musician that I like is Wannasigh Prasertkul. The first reason is because he is dead sexy. (bonus points for using some of my personal favorite vocabulary)
• In my opinion, I think everything is all the biggest problem in the world.
• People in the world use many battery and after that it must burn a battery and then it must have bad air. Sometime I see in the canal has many junk and it has a smelly. Factory exhausts a smoke on the sky. People are smoking every place. People use spray can. Finally the buffalo must fart and it has metain [methane] gas. For all of reason it will make a global warming.
• But I will try to learn and pay attention to learn. In the next class, I will find mp3 to listen to in this subject. It will make me feel good and not too boring. :)
• Sixth reason this promble [problem] make animals don't have abode.
• Finally, I think that Math doesn't useful for my life, such as when I sell something, I don't need to use trigonometry for counting the price or I don't need to factor the number for buying something.
• Another reason I like her, because she sings the international songs. For example: Dhoom-Dhoom, Sexy Naughty Bitchy, etc.
• Do you think so? If one day have many pollution, the world will hot and hot, and how can you stay in the world? Hmm?

Now it's time for me to actually grade the papers and see if I still like them as much after I'm blind and the ink in my green pen runs dry...

with Nat from Basic Eng Convo