Isara Volunteer - Stefanie

[PK]

Isara has a new volunteer arriving on Oct. 5th. Her name is Stefanie and she is originally from Germany but is now living in Singapore. She will only be staying for two weeks so we'll have to fit a lot of Isara charity projects and Nong Khai tours into that time. I hope she's ready.


Welcome to Isara, Stefanie. Can't wait to meet you and to show you around.

[Ginafish]

Stefanie ~ thanks for volunteering!

[M3R1IN]

HORRAY for STEFANIE, Welkomen zu Isara!  Haben sie eine sehr gut spat am Isara!

[Sean]

Hey Stefanie!  Have a great time.  If you have any questions I am definitely available to answer them.


My first advice...Stop by the Roti lady across from Dee Dee's....You'll understand soon enough.

[Ming]

Yin dee ton rupb Stefanie! (Welcome in thai)

Hahaha yes, Roti lady. Everyone like her a lots.

Great news you will volunteer with Isara. I'm sure  you will enjoy yourselve and feel full with love. Thank you very much.  Can't wait for that!

[KitKat]

   Stefanie!!

It's great to have you volunteering for Isara, thank you!  Have a wonderful time.   Sawatdee Kha!  (Thai morning and evening greeting)   

[Steffi]

Sawadee Kha and hi everybody -  thanks for the colourful welcome! You were so much quicker than me posting here!

I really do appreciate your tips - especially every food recommendation is very welcome with me !!!

Now there are only three more days to go and I am very, very excited!

[M3R1IN]

Dee Dee is one of the best places to eat in town although they generally arent open till the afternoon..
There is a little breakfast parlor down the street from the pantawee hotel it serves decent breakfast at cheap prices... i think PK knows where this is. 
Coffee Talk is a nice air conditioned place to get ice cream and theyre usually open till around 9pm or so.
oh if you get a chance, try "sai mai" (saaiieee maaiiiee - pronounced with a rising falling tone) ask ming where to get this stuff it kind of looks like long colored horse hair strands.. it tastes somewhat like cotton candy although i think it has a flour base.
There is an Australian restaurant called "Outback" ... its located about 3-6 blocks east of the 7-11 on prajak road then turn south on a side street and it is about 100meters down the block... the interior is paionted red and theres a big kangaroo statue in front of the place... they serve quality western food at very good prices... the owners are very friendly.  you will know when to turn south off of prajak road because there will be a optometrist and eyeglass store with a big yellow sign with a big pair of sunglasses on it on the corner you need to turn at.
If you get a chance try some of the rotisserie chicken, pork or barbecue fish from the vendors on prajak road or from the restaurant next to the ILC.
There is a Pizza place, a KFC, and a Doughnut place in the mall you can go to as well.
The nongkhai grand hotel serves ok western food and thai food  at their top floor open air restaurant but it is fairly expensive for Nongkhai.
The Pantawee hotel has a 24 hour restaurant but the food is OK at best.... dont expect them to cook everything on the menu late at night because their kitchen staff is shorthanded late at night.
There is a viatnamese restaurant that everyone seems to like... ask PK or ming to take you there.. it is on Prajak road but i cant remember where.
Oh i cant believe I forgot Mut mee, Mut mee is such a nice place to eat it has good Western food and the riverside sitting area is so relaxing... to get there go east on mechai road  or left if youre standing in front of the ILC and facing with the ILC to your back, then head down mechai road go past the hospital and past the hospital take your first left the road should be called "koaw woravut"  head down this road about 75-100 meters and the road will begin to curve then there should be mut mee signs on your right head all the way down this little lane and talk to the receptionist.
There are also a lot of little restaurants and hotels that cater to westerners on Rimkong road... there is also a pub and restaurant called "warm up" on rimkong road that is a place where many westerners hang out... but i havent been there in 2 years since it changed ownership because I was friends with the owner and thats one of the main reasons I went there.
There is a lady close to warm up on the north side of the street who makes fruit shakes and they are always good.
I also used to get my laundry done at a guesthouse on the south side of rimkong road across the street and slightly east of warm up... i dont remember its name.
there is a riverside restaurant that is west of the ILC along the river... I think it is called "Le Nongkhai" but i could be mistaken... its a bit up there in price and the staff dont speak much english but ming likes to go there and she will take you and order for you if you ask.
Ming also likes some of the street vendor restaurants on the "boardwalk", which is technically still rim kong road, along the river past the indo-china market and she will also accomodate you if you ask.
If you get a chance to try korean barbecue do it, it is very different than anything in the West.

I guess thats all my info on places to eat.
ask if you need any other info.

[Steffi]

Wow! Thanks for the extensive list - I sure will not be able to try all those places in just two weeks..

[PK]

Stefanie should be arriving any minute now. Will probably give her a quick tour of the ILC and then we'll go get something to eat. She's probably hungry from all the traveling she did today.

[Ginafish]

Heeeeeyyyyy Steffi! Glad you've arrived in Nong Khai safely! I hope you enjoyed the food, and I look forward to hearing about your journey to Nong Khai.
Classes begin in less than 24 hours!

[lambie83]

Hey great!  Another volunteer!  Have a great time in Nong Khai Steffi!  Looking forward to hearing about it.

[PK]

Steffi taught her first classes today and she did a great job!

     

Steffi brought a lot of stuff for the little kids (pens, chocolates, books) and she even brought some candy for the big kid (me!) too.  Tomorrow we're going to Statue Park and will take some more photos.

[Ming]

Welcome to Nong Khai Stefanie. Great job with first class.
Have a wonderful time!

[M3R1IN]

did you guys move the kids class outside on to the East porch of the ILC or what? That is a really good idea it keeps the noise levels down inside the ILC.
WELCOME stefanie, it looks like the kids like your class

[KitKat]

Stefanie, great job jumping in and teaching right away.   You and your students look like they're learning a lot and having a lot fun in your class.
Cheers to you!      WhoHoo!! 

[Ginafish]

Steffi - I can tell I like you already. You wrote your age on the board and didn't wear shoes! Way to Go!
 

What are your impressions of Isara and the Learning Center so far?

[Steffi]

the classes yesterday were great - I do not know what I would have done without PK in the children class though. PK, big thanks again!

This morning we went to the statue park and I enjoyed it very much, strange ideas that guy had, but a beautiful and truly unusual park. PK, again thanks for taking me there!

I like Nong Khai a lot, because it is such a nice, quiet and tidy little town (at least compared to other Thai towns or cities), I do especially enjoy the river in the evenings

[PK]

We went to Sala Kaew Ku (Statue Park) yesterday. It was hot but interesting. Here's Steffi.



I see something new each time I go.

[KitKat]

Great photo! So glad you enjoyed Statue Park.  PK took me there too, so I know you had a good time.   
 It's still very hot in Nong Khai?  Will Nong Khai EVER get some relief from the heat? 

[Steffi]

Time passes quickly and my two weeks of teaching at Isara are over... 10 minutes ago the students went out of the door and I am not a teacher anymore...

BUT.. I might return and be a teacher again next year! Thanks to all of you for the information and guidance. The biggest "Thanks a million" goes to PK, of course, who made my time here easy and fun!

[Ginafish]

Thank you Steffi!! I heard that you were really great with the students and I'm sure they really enjoyed having you!

Will you be volunteering somewhere else now, or heading back to Singapore?

[KitKat]

Thanks Steffi for volunteering to teach at ILC!!       Great job and I'm sure all your students enjoyed your time as their teacher.     Hope you're able to come back to Nong Khai again.   Safe travels to you, and again,  thanks  for all your help. 

[Ming]

Khob koon kha (Thank you) Stefanie.
Glad you had a great time volunteering here and I'm sure the student will miss you.
Please keep in touch, we're always here at Isara.
Thank you very much again. Good luck with your next trip.

[PK]

Here are some pics from Steffi's last class. She taught the kids all the different fruits and also colors. They then made a mobile using their favorite fruits.

   

One of our students in the adult class knitted two scarfs and gave them to Steffi as a going away gift.



Thank you for all your help, Steffi. And good luck with your jewelry making and refurbishing your home in Greece.