About a week ago I was able to go o some work out of the city in Kabin Buri. English Camps with Dragonfly! It was a blast! If anyone has some time while traveling to Thailand or other countries in the area, hooking up with a local English camp group is definitely a worthwhile experience. Now I have done maybe 10 of these English camps and everyone is amazing. I like to do them in the summer to supplement my income when the scholarship cuts out.
Usually they start out with a long drive out to some very local place such as a temple school or sometimes a small private school in some province or town that is never seen by tourists. The drives are fun because they give you a chance to talk to people from all walks of life, everything from American sounding English expats who grew up in Thailand to exchange students who just got off the plane from some other English speaking country. You will also run into Thai's who speak English better then native speakers, so don't think this is a foreigners only game. Once you arrive at the location you normally grab your bag and find a 1 inch thick mat to call yours for the next few days, check to see if there is a AC unit or if its just a fan, and then head to the bathroom, and see if there is a shower, or a bucket. I should mention now I think that this is not for the spoiled or high maintenance people who can't handle doing things the local way.
Once everyone has arrived, if its early enough you will all go out to dinner, but as we had eaten before we got there this time and knew each other from previous camps we skipped the getting to know your roommate phase and went to see the football game (soccer to us Americans). After the game we all headed back to the room to settle in for the night and go over the game plan for the weekend.
The next day we head out for the morning meal and then off to the homeroom, in this case the homeroom was a large outdoor stage area with three fans for the 200+ kids, 8 counselors, and 8 school staffers who were there to make sure the kids learned something and didn't goof off or leave. We started off the day with introductions. This is where you get to stand in front of all the kids who's age's range from 10 to 18 and get them to play some kind of game so that they will remember your name. After this we break the kids up into teams and they make name tags for themselves as we do the same. It may be international greetings, get to know your teacher, or the song and dance game, but it is the start of 2 days of games and learning.
The first day is spent getting to know your team, and helping them earn points and stickers by encouraging them to speak English to you and by keeping them motivated so that they do well in the games. It helps that there are prizes at the end. By the end of the first day we were doing well. Today was temple game day so that meant that at the end of the day, the kids get to build a game booth of their own and charge us and other teams Dragonfly Money to play games (there is always a balloon stomp game, no matter what). The team at the end with the most money wins. After that we hook up some lights while the kids are cleaning up, check the music and next thing you know, its a party! Dancing kids, teachers and staff will party till 10 or so and then everyone is off to bed.
The next day we spent doing a nature walk/obstacle course, some aerobics and a few other games (can't tell you everything or you will never try it yourself!) and finish off with the all time favorite powder game. When its all over and you have had your shower and are heading back to the city, you can't help but wonder when the next camp is, and if they might need another person to come help out. Because in the end, the money isn't that what keeps you going back to these, it's the kids, even if they do bombard you in the powder game (see picture).
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