Isara Volunteer - Wes

[PK]

Wesley (username: M3R1IN) arrived in Nong Khai this afternoon to begin 3-4 months of volunteer teaching at the Isara Learning Center.



Wes is from Alberta, Canada so I'm sure he's tired from the long trip over. Fortunately he'll have the whole weekend to rest up before his classes start on Monday.

Welcome to Isara, Wesley. We really do appreciate you coming over to help.
-pk

[M3R1IN]

Hello everybody, I am so happy to be in Nongkhai again!  SO happy to be out of Bangkok and into real Thailand.  What a wonderful warm welcome I recieved today.  The 2 Thai interns did such a great job on the welcome banner they made for me today, Thank-you.  I even taught an adult english class today they were really great.  I look forward to working for Isara, I truly believe it to be a worthy cause and their goals are true and genuine.  Im off to bed though so I will say more later
-Wes

[Ginafish]

I'm so excited to see volunteers with Isara! And already teaching?! Wow Pk, put 'em right to work, why don't ya? I can't believe Wes is already there! It's seems just like Sept 11th was yesterday when Wes joined our Isara forum family.

Have a great time! Enunciate clearly! and take LOTs OF pictures for us! (hint: Isara has blog program you can use to update your family.)

[thartley]

Glad to see you safely there, Wes.     The banner looks pretty special.  Try to make time to update the rest of us on how things are going. 

[KitKat]

Thanks Wes, for flying all the way to Thailand to help the ILC. I hope you have a great time and keep us posted on how you're doing. The banner the volunteers made for you looks great!   

[Soulessaint]

Wonderful news!!!! Be safe. Gbya

[Ming]

Welcome to Isara, Thailand. Wes.
Very nice of you.
And your first meal with Pk is pizza, I guess
Sean will soon come to volunteering too so you both will see each other at ILC.
This is a wonderful news.  Have a great time 

[lambie83]

Wow!  You rock Wes!  Really cool project to go help out for a bit

[SofA]

Yea M3R1IN, your hardcore in my book. Congrats!

[Vin.]

Welcome. Great work you're doing there. Maybe one day I would be able to come over and teach at the school?

And yes, hardcore indeed.

[M3R1IN]

Top O the mornin to ye
I am anxious about teaching my first planned adult class tonight
I hope i can come up with something good, I'll let you know how it goes. 

[Soulessaint]

M3R1IN, you'll do great!! Take care. Gbya

[PK]

Here's a photo of Wes teaching his first English class. He did a great job and focused on pronunciation and phonetics. He also taught them a fun tongue twister.



Wes also started his free Thai lessons. On Tuesday Tar and Nok taught Wes the Thai alphabet and today they taught him a few common phrases.

[KitKat]

Way to go Wes!! Wow!  And you're learning the Thai alphabet (72 letters)? Awesome!
 


I love how all the Thai students are so eager to learn English.    Tongue twisters are a fun way of teaching, great idea Wes!
Thanks for the great photos. 

[star]

Welcome to Nongkhai,Wes.
In this month,Nongkhai will have Naka fireball festival and it will have the show Naka fireball's tale in both Thai and English near Tha sa-det.I hope you will enjoy it.It's very beautiful and interesting show.

[M3R1IN]

I taught Directions today to the adults.  I think it might have been a little too much too fast for them I am trying to think of a way to re-visit this topic later without re-doing all the same stuff.  I have to make a game or something I think.  Oh my gosh I cant believe PK took pictures on me learning Thai!! I had not even showered yet that morning ;P  Yes Star, I believe I saw that story last time I was here near Tha Sadet along the riverfront.  It was very "Grand" but it was only in Thai when I saw it last, lots of actors and special effects, very cool.  Star are you in My english class?  I always forget the names of everyone here.  Sorry. 

[Ginafish]

Merlin: good game for directions: Simon Says: Simon says walk forward, take two steps to the left, shake your hands, turn around three times, take a giant step to the right, etc.... Even adults will enjoy it.

[M3R1IN]

Thanks for the suggestion Ginafish, unfortunately we had about 20 people show up last night and there simply isnt enough room in the classroom for that many adults to be doing that without risking injury. 

[KitKat]

  Wow Wes, twenty students last night. I know the size of the classroom and I don't know where you put everyone.
I know you'll do great! Thai's love hearing falangs speak. It'll take a little time for them to get used to hearing you pronounce words. Keep up the great job and have fun!
 
PK took me to one of his classes, when he was teaching at JBAC in Nongkhai, and asked me some questions, so his students could hear me pronounce English words, and I said some of the silliest things. I was trying to think of words they would understand, simple common words, and in the process my answers sounded really silly.      
PK said, "Don't worry Mom, they wouldn't understand anything you say, this is their first day!!" 

[PK]

Wes wasn't joking, it really was a full class on Friday.

[star]

Hello Wes!! I'm a student in your class.I knowed how much you intend to teach us. Because everytime when you teach us you prepared it before.Thanks and don't worry about my name because I never told you about it.I'm a thin woman who came to Nongthin with my fat cousin boy yesterday.Can u remember? See you in your class.

[M3R1IN]

Ah yes i remember you now, thank-you very much for your help yesterday, and thank your cousin for helping.  It is very honorable for such a young person to help with a large project like that.

[Ginafish]

What is Nongthin? is that the same as Nong khai?

[PK]

Nongthin is the name of the park in Nong Khai.

[Ginafish]

OooOOOOooOOOh! Thank you.