Michael and I traveled to Thailand as part of our career break. The following is an excerpt from our travel blog.

Of all the places we would visit on this trip, the last place I thought Michael would be able to relate to the most was a small Muslim Village in Thailand.  But surprisingly, he eased right into sleeping on a mattress on a floor under mosquito netting with roosters crowing at 2am, speaking a completely different language from anyone else around us, and feeding baby goats twice a day.  But he easily compared it to consulting – traveling endlessly from one hotel to the next, needing to learn a new dialect or corporate speak, and understanding a new corporate environment and supporting it.  Makes perfect sense.

Our stay in Tung Nang Dam was thanks to Andaman Discoveries – an offshoot of the North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR) organization.  As their website states “we started by doing relief projects FOR community members, then we progressed to development projects WITH community members, now we are assisting with projects led BY community members.”

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This March Andaman Discoveries was very pleased to welcome the Hong Kong International School in the Andaman coast. They were a group of 20 keen students between 15 to 17 years old who wanted to learn about the tsunami and work for the Tsunami relief in Yaowawit school. 

Before getting to the school they met P'Tui, a member of Andaman Discoveries staff, and Bang Muth, a guide, who guided them through an introduction about the tsunami. 

They were all able to visit a Moken village just after landing to understand what this community went through after the tsunami and also learning some AD work with the communities. We were also able to discuss about how tourism can help or harm the local communities.

After this brief introduction, they were able to go to Khao Lak where the Marine boat is since it was washed inland during the tsunami. After seeing the boat they visit the tsunami memorial. All the students showed their respect and understanding about the suffering from the tsunami.

P'Tui was really happy to had known all these amazing teenagers and pleased to guide them through this introduction day about the tsunami.
After this, all the group spent 7 days in Yaowawit. 
We hope they had a great time during their stay in Thailand and we encourage them to come again. 

We will receive all of you again with open arms!
Thanks

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Handicraft Experience Thailand-- By Jo Quinn 

Tie-dye – Koh Prathong 

One of the groups on the island does tie-dye projects to bring in additional revenue. The dyes are all natural and can be found all over the island. For example, the bark of the mangrove is used to make brown and pink dyes. The group also makes yellow and green dyes. Once the pattern is made, the cloth must sit in the boiling dye for two hours. From there it is taken to the cold water that has chemicals to set the dye. After soaking for another 20 minutes, the cloth is removed and dried. 

The group is able to make many different patterns and an array of products. Many of the houses have tie-dyed tablecloths, curtains, and sheets. There is also a tie-dye display room, where the products are displayed and can be purchased.



Old lady who weaves – 

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James & Rebecca's experience

Thai cooking lessons are also a part of the experience, and a brilliant one too - the food here is very good, and varied, and Gai is an extremely good teacher.

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GLORIA’S EXPERIENCE

The first time I met Anis Nee, the director of the English department of the Kuraburi’s School I was really nervous. It was Friday morning and Karen (volunteer’s coordinator of Andaman Discoveries) took me to the school with the motorcycle. Even though I was looking forward to start my new experience as an English teacher at the Kuraburi High and Middle School, it was the first time I was going to teach teenagers and I felt quite scared. But Ajan Arunee – Ajan means teacher in Thai language- received me with a big and large smile. “We are very happy to have you here”- she said. 
Next Tuesday, during the student’s morning assembly Ajan Arunee introduced me in front of all the students of the school. As I was talking to them I could notice 800 curious faces looking at me, and all the fear disappeared. Then I did my first class with the eldest students of the school – 18 years old. The main aim –Arunee told me- was to make pupils talk in English because most of them are really shy to speak another language. That’s what I did: I tried to talk them about my life in Spain and I ask them to talk me about their life in Thailand. It was a successful icebreaker. My experience had started!

During the two weeks I volunteered in K.C.P., my schedule changed everyday but the day before I already knew what I was going to do the next day so I could prepare my lessons during my free hours. I had class three or four hours a day with different students and also different teachers.

 Sometimes I had to do some grammar, sometimes I had to read and help the students with their pronunciation. Teachers only guided me with the topics, but I was completely free to prepare my classes. At 11.30 I had lunch at the school buffet with a different teacher each day.

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Smith's Family at Home and Life

 

We have been so lucky to be tracked down by Allyson Smith and her family who, while on vacation in Phuket, want to spend time helping out and donating essential items to projects for children in and around the Phuket region.
Allyson got in touch with me, Karen, Volunteer Coordinator and asked if I could arrange a meeting with the orphanage we work with, this was no problem, we made a date and discussed items to bring and Allyson packed her car and the family set off to Thai Muang to assist with the project.



We decided that food was the best donation to make that everyone would benefit from; rice, eggs, sugar and flour were purchased and Kate, the resident cook, prepared a lovely meal for all the workers in the evening.
The family also helped to paint the new outside washrooms for the home, making it bright and interesting for when you go in to take a shower!




Allyson said ‘We have had the most amazing 2 days with the orphanage, it could not have been better. My children have LOVED playing and working with the children. We went shopping with them yesterday for food items they needed and then we went back to help paint the new bathrooms and work in the garden, then had a wonderful dinner with everyone. We will go back Friday and Sunday. Thank you so much for setting this up!

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Wild Asia Press release 

 After months of consideration and site visits, Wild Asia’s judging panel has finally selected its 2010 RT Awards winners. Operators such as Andaman Discoveries (Thailand), Heritance Kandalama (Sri Lanka), and Sarinbuana Ecolodge (Indonesia) have surpassed judges’ expectations for their high standards of environmental protection and social responsibility. 

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This month saw the first ever ‘Summer Camp’ held for the students of the Kuraburi Burmese Learning Center; this event was partly sponsored by Muan Mit Thai Foundation who help this event supplying transport for the kids, a very good sound equipment for evenings of karaoke and also contribute food for the event. These contributions are important to help improve the lives of the children through fun activities and education. This was a three day event held just outside Kuraburi town in the grounds of the college in Soi Nang Yong

The dedicated staff and helpers from the school helped to set up a weekend of activities for the children which included sports and games, signing and dancing, along with overnight camping; a rare opportunity for these children, as most of these students do not get the opportunity to go on excursions and spend overnight away from their village. Here they were allowed to run, play and get totally immersed in fun activities with their friends and classmates in a safe and new environment.

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Andaman Discoveries staff was really pleased to attend the Children’s Day celebration in Tung Dap; a beautiful village in the island of Kho Phratong. This amazing island is situated just in front of the coast of Kuraburi and it has its own unique wildlife and landscapes. There is another village on the island called Ban Lion, but the celebration took place in the other side of the island, in Tung Dap; it was definitely a day for the kids. All the children prepared dancing performances and had tones of fun watching their friends perform on stage. All of them received presents and recognition from the village. The villagers kindly prepared delicious lunch for everybody and we all enjoyed a day of happiness and joy. Andaman Discoveries contributed to the party with funding and provided toothbrushes and toothpaste for all the children in the village. We all want to see their shining smiles sparkle even more brightly. Lot’s of thanks for the hospitality and kindness of all the villagers.

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Recently, Ban Talae Nok was awarded with the 5 stars from the "One Tambon One Product" award. This means that the Ban Talae Nok handmade soap is recognized as one of the best community products all over the region. The pride of the community and its motivation to keep doing things in a good way is now reinforced by gaining this beautiful and deserved recognition

Meanwhile, guide training with youth has taken place in Village. All the participants have learnt lots of skills and knowledge and this will hopefully increase their motivation to become great guides; now, they are part of the community based tourism group of the village.

The youth also did a trip to a nearby province in order to be trained in drama and script writing about sustainability and environmental conservation. All of this makes this young people from Ban Talae Nok highly enthusiastic, prepared and full of new and exciting ideas to host their popular puppet show.

Andaman Discoveries feels fortunate to collaborate with such a nice community. Congratulations for the excellence award! We hope all of this helps the village to face the future.

We all cheer Ban Talae Nok to keep moving forward

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