Our Christmas tree :)
Aw they are getting all grown up!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Right to Education
Well Hello! I know its been a while! Paul and I have our Christmas tree up with lights, decorations, and of course many many presents (with make shift, random, and recycled wrapping of course)...I hope you all are gearing up for lovely holidays with friends and family!
Life has been moving along here. Paul and I are going to Sri Lanka for three weeks in Jan/Feb for a bit of learning, exploring, and surfing.
As for teaching, things are going really well! Aside from loads of super fun 'gigigam' (thai for activities) Lydia and I ran our first workshop with the teenage classes: Self Esteem Building. The teens seemed to enjoy it and Lydia and I learned quite a bit about our students! We also handed out questionnaires so that we can get to know them better and prepare future workshop topics.
Questions included:
'Where do you see yourself in 5 years?', 'Who inspires you?', 'If you could do anything you wanted in one day what would you do?'...etc.
Most of the kids answered that in 5 years time they wish to be studying...which puts them at university level and is such a wonderful thing to hear. When the BRP was started none of the kids were in local schools. Roj and Kaan, two former BRP social workers had started a school called 'The Rainbow School' and after a few years the BRP was able to get most kids accepted at local schools. As you can imagine this was a struggle for many parents for a lot of reasons...fear of authority, not wanting to lose people to help around the house, help make money for the family, etc.
Now 10 years later most of the teens are doing very well in high school and hopefully at least a few of them will be able to go on to University. One obstacle in the way is the recieving of completion certificates (diplomas). Currently at the schools in town Shan students are not given certificates upon completion. This means that their chances of going to Unviersity, regardless of how smart they are, are limited. The only Universities known at the moment by the BRP to accept students without certificates are Christian schools that discriminate against non Christians. One option is to move kids to boarding high schools/international high schools that give certificates to everyone, but this of course is a big decision as well. Hopefully this will be possible in the future...it goes to show you how LUCKY all of us with citizenship to a country and financial oppurtuinty (even when it often seems like we don't, we really do!) are to be able to study to whatever level we choose, in whichever state or country we choose. Hopefully the world will someday see a day where everybody is given this oppurtunity.
Picture Frame Making Project!!!
Life has been moving along here. Paul and I are going to Sri Lanka for three weeks in Jan/Feb for a bit of learning, exploring, and surfing.
As for teaching, things are going really well! Aside from loads of super fun 'gigigam' (thai for activities) Lydia and I ran our first workshop with the teenage classes: Self Esteem Building. The teens seemed to enjoy it and Lydia and I learned quite a bit about our students! We also handed out questionnaires so that we can get to know them better and prepare future workshop topics.
Questions included:
'Where do you see yourself in 5 years?', 'Who inspires you?', 'If you could do anything you wanted in one day what would you do?'...etc.
Most of the kids answered that in 5 years time they wish to be studying...which puts them at university level and is such a wonderful thing to hear. When the BRP was started none of the kids were in local schools. Roj and Kaan, two former BRP social workers had started a school called 'The Rainbow School' and after a few years the BRP was able to get most kids accepted at local schools. As you can imagine this was a struggle for many parents for a lot of reasons...fear of authority, not wanting to lose people to help around the house, help make money for the family, etc.
Now 10 years later most of the teens are doing very well in high school and hopefully at least a few of them will be able to go on to University. One obstacle in the way is the recieving of completion certificates (diplomas). Currently at the schools in town Shan students are not given certificates upon completion. This means that their chances of going to Unviersity, regardless of how smart they are, are limited. The only Universities known at the moment by the BRP to accept students without certificates are Christian schools that discriminate against non Christians. One option is to move kids to boarding high schools/international high schools that give certificates to everyone, but this of course is a big decision as well. Hopefully this will be possible in the future...it goes to show you how LUCKY all of us with citizenship to a country and financial oppurtuinty (even when it often seems like we don't, we really do!) are to be able to study to whatever level we choose, in whichever state or country we choose. Hopefully the world will someday see a day where everybody is given this oppurtunity.
Older girls classroom in front of my house
Animal Camo/Cubism Painting
Tie Dye
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Surprise!
The Sharecropping Village planned a surprise party for Lydia...here are some pictures to share!
Post Frosting Fight!!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
How to love chaos...
Wow Im exhausted, what a wonderful but crazy week. After doing catch up with two classes after Loi Krathong I left myself a tad bit unprepared for the younger kids and with my lovely co-teacher sick it made for some crazy classes with the older kids as well! Not only am I getting an idea of what its like to be a teacher (constant planning and more planning...and after thats done more planning) I am facing many more hurdles teaching art (and crafts) that I didn't get last year while teaching English. Heres a little look at my last weekend...
Thursday: Rock Village Younger...so tired from the rest of the week that I planned something simple, stamping and coloring followed by balloon animal making (their favorite) Lesson learned: check the balloon pump before class...it was broken and balloon animal making didn't happen ... and language barriers are much more difficult when the kids are disappointed!!
Friday: Bulumburri Village Mixed...showed up...one kid doing homework and two kids MIA...class canceled
Saturday: Rock Village Older...first day that the older girls came to my house for class. We finished making our sketchbooks and did some light hearted candle making...an easy project without Lydia to translate!...Strange Run-ins: (1) Neighbors Golden Retriever comes to visit and insists on humping my leg while I am showing the girls what to do next...the only way to escape was to lock myself in my house until the dog left. (2) caught my bamboo porch on fire trying to melt the gel for the candles!
Saturday: Sharecropping Older...We finished making our sketchbooks and due to a quick run from the earlier class to this class we ended up making fudge afterward instead of candles. Village challenges: passing a baby between two students and me while working with "adult" glue, scissors, fire, and molten chocolate.
Sunday: Sharecropping Younger...We made stainded class candle holders using tissue paper and tissue paper flowers...only 1 minor hiccup: no classroom = if you forget something you have to go without or run to town!
And now to begin all over again tomorrow!
Peace, Love, and Popsicles,
Michelle
Thursday: Rock Village Younger...so tired from the rest of the week that I planned something simple, stamping and coloring followed by balloon animal making (their favorite) Lesson learned: check the balloon pump before class...it was broken and balloon animal making didn't happen ... and language barriers are much more difficult when the kids are disappointed!!
Friday: Bulumburri Village Mixed...showed up...one kid doing homework and two kids MIA...class canceled
Saturday: Rock Village Older...first day that the older girls came to my house for class. We finished making our sketchbooks and did some light hearted candle making...an easy project without Lydia to translate!...Strange Run-ins: (1) Neighbors Golden Retriever comes to visit and insists on humping my leg while I am showing the girls what to do next...the only way to escape was to lock myself in my house until the dog left. (2) caught my bamboo porch on fire trying to melt the gel for the candles!
Saturday: Sharecropping Older...We finished making our sketchbooks and due to a quick run from the earlier class to this class we ended up making fudge afterward instead of candles. Village challenges: passing a baby between two students and me while working with "adult" glue, scissors, fire, and molten chocolate.
Sunday: Sharecropping Younger...We made stainded class candle holders using tissue paper and tissue paper flowers...only 1 minor hiccup: no classroom = if you forget something you have to go without or run to town!
My favorite raccoon faced kitten, Hiccup
T finishing up her sketchbook
Enjoy your fudge much?
Smile!
And now to begin all over again tomorrow!
Peace, Love, and Popsicles,
Michelle
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
World Aids Day and Burma
Often times the rights of individuals and minority groups get forgotten amidst country-wide oppression and abuse. On this Aids Day (yesterday for some of us) let us not forget those that are experiencing compounded human rights abuses.
Follow this link to an 'Irrawaddy' article on Aids in Burma:
Aids Day Highlights Plight of Burma's Sufferers
xx Michelle
Follow this link to an 'Irrawaddy' article on Aids in Burma:
Aids Day Highlights Plight of Burma's Sufferers
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