I know I know its about bloody time!

Forgive me for not updating for a while! Paul and I returned from a lovely (minus a few hiccups) trip to Sri Lanka 2 weeks ago and I have been in fast forward mode since...applying for jobs, getting a website to sell arts and crafts up and running, and of course planning classes! Sri Lanka was beautiful, the only thing I wish I could say is that I visited the north of the country where many of my Tamil friends are from, but becuase of the Monsoon season we were only able to see the south west.

As for teaching things are going well. The young kids are so excited to finally get to do the greatly anticipated t-shirt painting class and I am in the process of teaching myself to screen print so that I can teach the older kids. The older kids are also in the midst of doing a photo voice project and are loving the oppurtunity to take pictures! Last year a mental health survey was given to the kids in two of the villages and it was found that the kids as a whole struggled with peer to peer relations and felt that they only had one or even no close friends. We will redistribute the survey in four weeks time at the end of the art classes and are pretty confident that they will show improvement in these areas! The art classes have been a fun way for the village children to come together and complete tasks together or just laugh about and share their art with one another. I look forward to updating you on the survey results!

Last week I had my 20 student younger class make and decorate potted plants out of recycled water bottles and plant flower seeds. One of my students, J, has really struggled to complete art projects, lacking confidence that his art is as good as the others. On a couple of occasions, when I havent been able to give him one on one attention, he has left class before finishing his project. This of course has been frustrating for me because I do not want any of the kids to get the opposite of what is intended out of the class...discouraged instead of creative and confident. But I am happy to say that with some extra attention and the right activity he left after the plant pot class happy and exstatic about his piece, asking me proudly if he could take his home and put it in his house! :) I hope with the extra attention and smaller group this week that we repeat this happiness and excitement!

I still have hopes on starting an NGO focused specifically on art education for refugees, but my attachment to these kids has given me little time to sit down and begin planning. Hopefully in my free time away from Thailand this will become more of a priority, as I know the process will be long!

Well I think thats a long enough update for now!

Peace and happiness to you!
Michelle

Shan Wedding and Various New Happenings!

:) Hope you all had a happy new year! Things are still chugging along here. I have had many wonderful classes and went to a wedding for one of the students last week. It was fascinating! The couple (looking very beautiful) sat in a house and each wedding guest approached them to give them a blessing and money and tie their wrists together with a string. Eventually they had hundreds of strings tying their wrists together! Meanwhile everyone else ate delicious Shan food and socialized with other guests. :) I am not sure if "S" (the bride) ever got a break to eat, but I hope she did!!!

I was also able to get to see "N" (a former student and good friend of mine from a previous post) over New Years. She has been in the city for the past year going to a better high school than is offered here.It was such a delight to see her and catch up (and hear her much improved English!!!). We shared a "ped mak" (really spicy) meal that I just barely managed to handle, but it was delicious and the laughter and joy that was shared during the meal nearly brought me to tears. I am so proud of her!! For old times sake we followed up dinner with a walk in the night market with a scarily high human population density (its phrases like these that make people question my English teaching abilities! ;-P ). After we chased around a famous Thai singer we embarrased ourselves at the "dart and balloon" game set up at the temple and recieved 1 grape flavoured cookie for our participation. :) mmmm yum....

As for this week I am preparing lessons as usual and working on a few side projects. I am making progress in learning to read and write Thai, a written language with endless rules and absolutely no sense to it...but its challenging and fun! I am also working on putting together a Shan Language book in transliteration, as nothing really seems to exist yet. Although all of the people I currently work with speak Thai it is my hope in the future to start an NGO in areas not yet reached where the people may or may not speak Thai.

Well must gear up for a big weekend...5 classes (two which are workshops on Environmental issues and rights), a New Years party for the kids, "the bosses" coming to a few of the classes, finishing an application for art therapy school, and meeting Paul's dad for the first time! 

Happiness to all of you and please enjoy the pictures of the hand made beads from last weeks classes!!

xx Michelle

 Homemade clay beads made by the kids

VISA RUN!! Pictures to share :)

Some pictures from "The Loop" trip...Pai - Mae Hong Son - Pang Oog - Mae Cheam - Doi Inthanon - Chiang Mai-Pai