10 Tips for a Successful Volunteer Abroad Experience (all the rest)

I realized I will literally never get around to writing about each tip indivdually now that I'm on the move...maybe that's for the best! Less rambling.
Without further ado, tips #3-#10.

3.Come prepared

Since you've taken the earlier tips into account and you've done your homework, you will know what your volunteering position will entail! This will help you know how to prepare. Do as much as you can ahead of time, ie: if you're teaching, research lesson plans and teaching tips. If you're working with kids, look up games that are easy to teach across the language barrier. Bring as much material as you can- its surprisingly difficult to find things once you are abroad!

4. Learn the language

I made the mistake of thinking I would just learn the basic phrases once I arrived, and then wished I had made the effort to work on them before! Learning the language is a great way to connect with the locals and people you come in contact with, and it also shows a willingness to embrace their culture and put yourself on their level, rather than expecting everyone to cater to you. People appreciate the effort and are usually patient and willng to engage with you even if your pronunciation is atrocious! My taxi drivers were far friendlier with me when I started using my "taxi Thai". It was very, very basic, but it was better than hopping in and expecting them to understand English. Also, making a bit of a fool of myself encouraged the women I worked with because they saw that I struggled to learn their language as much as they struggled to learn English!

5. Stay positive

No matter how many times you travel, there is always going to be some element of culture shock when you volunteer, and there are many times when you might feel a bit despairing about the effectiveness of your volunteer efforts. Remember that its completely normal to go through a phase of anxiety, frustration, and even hostility towards the country, city, and people that seem so strange and sometimes "backwards". Try to stay positive and remember that you came to experience the world in a new way, that things are "different", but not "wrong". Eventually you will start to understand a new normal, and the new place will not seem so threatening. 

6. Be flexible and patient

Closely tied to staying positive is the concious effort to be flexible and patient. Volunteering abroad is rarely what we expect it to be, and it rarely runs in a way that Westerners are used to. Often it seems inefficient, disorganized, and occasionally chaotic! Remember that not all cultures run on tight schedules- I've often been in situations where I was waiting around, or thought "there has been loads of time to prepare for this, why is no one ready yet?". Also, you may be asked to do things you didn't sign up for- rather than resist something unexpected, just embrace the new adventure! Rather than getting frustrated because something is not what you think it should be, strive to be open to something new. Having a sense of humor and going with the flow will bring down unnecessary stress levels, and enhance your volunteer experience. 

7. Expect to be uncomfortable

I think our expectations of our volunteer experiences are often quite vague, but we kind of think that it will be all warm-fuzzies and simple, straight-forward work. This usually not the case. Entering a new culture and a new volunteer situation both fall outside most of our comfort zones, just like going to a new school or starting a new job. There are new social rules to learn and adapt to, and it can be exhausting and uncomfortable until you "settle in". Understand that its going to be a while before you adapt to a new normal, and make friends.

8. Bring Items to Share

I always forget this! Bring some small souveniers from home, postcards of your hometown, photos of your family, things like that. Locals are curious about your life, and its also nice to have something to give away as a thank-you or parting gift. Gifts of candy and money are discouraged for children. I have some Canada flag pencils that I have been giving away to some of the children I have met. Its a small thing, but useful, and the kids are thrilled to get them!

9. Communicate with the staff regularly

Its important to keep the lines of communication open with the staff of your volunteering agency. They usually have a pretty good idea of the things you will struggle with, they are great sources of information for tips and tricks on local life and travel, and they can help solve the small day to day problems and explain cultural differences. If you don't ask or don't inform them of the issues that arise, they can't do their job. Don't expect them to be mind-readers, but do expect them to want to help! 

10. Stay Humble

I will be the first to admit, sometimes when I think of volunteering abroad I get the mental image of the smiling, fulfilled white person surrounded by the grateful, adoring non-white children...arrogant, right? Totally. Yet we've all seen the photos, and they lurk in our subconscious when we sign up for these things. We think we are going to save the world by "selflessly" sacrificing our time and money. We think that because we have paid for this experience, we should be thanked and admired by everyone. They should be in awe of our generosity. And I don't think we often realize that this is hidden in our thought processes until we realize just how useless we are, and how little we can do! I have thought, and have heard said by others, "I feel like it doesn't matter if I'm here or not. I feel like no one cares if I show up. I don't feel like I'm making a difference". (This usually is quite an overwhelming experience within the first week or two).

On one hand, this is a little bit true! As newbies to the culture and language, we can be fairly uselss! But on the other hand, volunteering is what you bring to it. If you come in knowing that you may not save the world, but you might make a small positive difference in a couple lives, you will have a much better experience! Staying humble might mean realizing that its up to you to find ways to make a difference...its not going to just magically happen by showing up. It might not change the entire world...but it might change one person's world, and that's pretty awesome.


I highly reccommend volunteering abroad (but volunteering at home would be cool too!), and I think its a valuable experience that really brings a lot of perspective to our lives. Its my hope that these tips will help you prepare for and enjoy a future volunteer trip!
If you have already been volunteering abroad, I would love to hear what you think...what was your experience, and would these tips have been helpful to you?

Siem Reap!

Sorry for the long hiatus on blogging! Its been a busy week!
Last Friday I said goodbye to all my new friends at the Fatima Center. It was bittersweet, since I felt like I was beginning to find my place there and could have done more to contribute if I'd planned to stay longer, but I was also excited to say goodbye to Bangkok and begin my travels across the rest of SE Asia!

Angkor Wat at Sunrise

Satrday morning I left bright and early and boarded my bus for Siem Reap Cambodia. I was fortunate in my seating partner- a Californian girl the same age as I am, of Cambodian heritage. She has also been doing a fair bit of traveling this year, and we talked for a really long time and really connected. We were booked into different hostels, however, so we parted ways upon arrival.

Backing up a bit...despite being warned of scams at the border, a bunch of us definitely fell for the trickers that lay in wait. Our bus was no help. The driver likely has some kind of deal with the scammers, so he dropped us off at their office which is right outside passport control. We were told this is where we got our visas, so we paid the money, waited 20 minutes, and were given our visas, and then they started to fill out our entry forms for an additional 200 B. (approx $7). Once we realized what theye were doing, we told them we would fill out the forms on our own, and headed for passport control. After completeing that, we stepped out of the office and saw a very official looking sign that said "Visa On Arrival" for about $15 US less than we had paid. Oooooh well. Live and learn.

I stayed at the European Guesthouse in Siem Reap on the advice of my trusty Lonely Planet travel guide. While it doesn't win any awards for cleanliness, it has a nice small pool, a decent bar/restaurant, and it comes at the low, low price of $5 US/night. Having lived in treeplanting camps probably helps me get over a bit of bathroom grime!

My first morning I met  (read: nosily wormed my way into a conversation and introduced myself) a Colombian girl who was also traveling by herself. We hit it off, and decided to take a Khmer cooking class and wander around the city together, and then rent bikes to ride to Angkor Wat the next morning. I am so glad I met her, as we had a great time hanging out over the next few days, and sharing my Siem Reap experience with someone made it so enjoyable!

We got up at 4am on Monday and cycled to the temple, joined by throngs of tourists in tuk-tuks and taxis. I was a bit dismayed by the crowds of selfie-sticks, but we moved to a less-popular and populaced location to watch the sun rise and snap a few photos. It was really beautiful, though I remain a bit jealous of those who had the opportunity to see the magical area before it became such a tourist hotspot.

The rest of the day was spent wandering through the main temples, riding our bikes in the hot sun, and snacking on dried mango and salted cashews we had bought cheaply at the market the day before.

On the way home, we missed a turn and ended up way off track, out towards the airport! It made for a VERY interesting ride back to the hostel as we were obliged to cycle along one of the busiest main roads in the city! It was quite an experience, and I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself for how calm I remained, especially as I have never been much of a bike-riding expert, and helmets literally do not exist here. Traffic patterns in Cambodia are different from anything I have seen before- they seem even more chaotic than what I saw in Cusco, Peru! So there we were, pedalling hard on a mix of pot-holed dirt roads and random brick sidewalks, while cars, motorbikes, and tuk tuks are zooming by, occasioinally honking at us to get our of their way (which I would have gladly done, had there been anywhere to go!), and then out of nowhere some random will cut directly across traffic, or just go right against the flow. Literally everyone is just going everywhere and hoping they dont get hit. I just kept my eyes wide open, and kept on pedaling!!! It was actually kind of hilarious. My friend and I were just like...what is even happening right now....

Needless to say, we survived, and it is something I will never forget!

Yesterday we took it easy, swam in the pool, did some skyping and facebooking, went to the market, ate some spicy frog stirfy and then delicious ginger and black sesame ice cream, stuck our feet in a tank of fish that ate our feet, and visited the night market with some new aquaintances! It was a fun, relaxing day, and a nice finale to my Siem Reap visit.

Evidently my feet have more to offer....

This morning I hopped on another bus for my next destination, but that's another story for another day!

Christmas is Coming Early This Year!

So, I am volunteering at this really cool place called the Fatima Self-help Center, here in Bangkok. In a nutshell, this is a sewing center that provides dignified and fair-wage employment to vulnerable women in the city. They are accepted based on need, and childcare and education are provided to them, as well as on-the-job training. They are paid by the hour, not by production, so they are not penalized for making mistakes. The crafts they produce are high-quality, and they sell them throughout Thailand as well as to a few places abroad. Basically, its just a really awesome organization that gives these women a skill and a way to provide for themselves. I can see how happy these women are to be here; there's a great sense of community, and the children are well-cared for too so its such an empowering place for these families. For many of them, there would be no other way to manage.

I have been thinking about how I want to do something more for the center, and support them financially. My problem is, I am only one person, and as much as I would love to fill my backpack with these lovely goodies to take home, I would literally have to wear the same thing every day for the next 6 months to make that happen. 

So, here's my pitch: I want to invite all you lovely friends and family to check out their website and take a few minutes to browse the items they sell.  If you see something you like, I will pay the shipping on it (I'm hoping to send a big box back to Kamloops in time for Christmas, where I'm hoping my dear mother will distribute them for me...I haven't asked her yet, so fingers crossed). (Also, if you don't live in Kamloops I'll still pay shipping for you if the order is $40+).

I particularly reccommend the "educational books and toys", "baby toys", and "activites" to my friends with young children- these toys are super cute, well-made, and will stand up to years of use! These will make GREAT gifts as well, if you don't have young kids but know someone who does!

The "bags and purses" are BEAUTIFUL and sturdy, and a lot of the "Christmas Decorations" are really nice as well...I like the fabric christmas trees, myself. 

advent calendar

****these are photos I just snapped quickly- better quality photos and WAY more selection on the website!*****

I know you might be thinking made in Thailand = cheap. You might be surprised by the prices because it doesn't reflect that. These goods aree hand-made, quality, fair-trade, crafts that are supporting a REALLY good cause. Fatima strives to break even, they do not make a lot of profit...they simply are trying to help women survive in a city that is notoriously unfair and unkind to them. So, I encourage you to keep that in mind...and I also encourage you to buy an item or two, because they really are awesome! :)

I would love to send the box off at the end of the week, but could possibly manage to place an order while I'm in Cambodia too. The sooner the better, though really. If you have any questions, or would like me to take a photo of how something looks in real life, or you want my opinion on a certain product, please ask!!!

It would be fanstasic to fill a box! If you"re interested, you can Facebook message me, or email me at jkcoulter79@gmail.com.

EDIT: I realize the website is not the easiest to understand in regards to pricing. 100 Thai Baht is approximately $3.72 CAD, but if you prefer to shoot me an email asking for prices on specific items I'll work it out for you!  

Weekend Wonders

Where has the time gone??
I'm on my last week of volunteering/staying in Bangkok, and preparing to strike out on my own come Saturday.  I can't believe how fast the last 3 weeks have flown by!

I've been much busier since the two other volunteers arrived, which has been nice. We have gone out exploring on a few nights, and spent our long weekend (last Friday was a holiday here...what the occason was is still a mystery) about an hours drive outside Bangkok (read: 2 hours for the whole trip, because it takes an hour to get anywhere in the city) at the historic UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ayutthaya. This was a good warm-up to starting the backpacking portion of my trip :)

Checking out some ruins at sunset on my first night in Ayutthaya

I stayed in the cheapest room I could find, which was about 200 Thai Baht ($7.45 CAD). It was a private room, with a shared bathroom. Creaky floorboards, opaque plastic windows, and a small fan sitting on a plastic chair serving as the A/C lent it a rustic charm. The bed was big, fairly comfortable, and clean, so I was satisfied. The bathroom was sketchy as heck, and I spent very limited time there! haha!

I ate the street food served piping hot from the little pushcarts on the corner- delicious! - and drank SO much water, iced drinks, and coke...anything cold. It was ridiculously hot outside. As soon as I took a drink out of the cooler, it began to sweat almost as much as I was, and in a matter of minutes it's lukewarm, and then just plain warm and gross. So I guzzle while its chilly.

And heaven knows I needed hydration. Most people rent bikes or hire tuk tuks to get around Ayutthaya, but one of our party was nervous about riding a bike and tuk tuks get expensive fast, so we decided to walk! And since I was detirmined to get to a certain temple at the far reaches of the town, I continued walking long after the other girls turned back. It was an adventure, as my free tourist map was fairly useless, and I had to stop to ask for directions several times. But it was good. And a nice Thai lady on a motorbike saw me tootling along sweating up a storm, and stopped to offer me a free ride to the temple! I took her up on it, and got my first motorbike ride- what a thrill! I loved it! Once I'm out of Bangkok I think this will become a more regular occurance :)

I visited 3 temples in total, and they were all very beautiful. Wat Phra Mahathat was of special interest to me because it is the location of the intriguing Buddha head that is tangled up in tree roots. Its an image I've seen a few times, and its always appealed to me, so I wanted to see it for myself.
I guess I had never seen a picture with it next to a real person, to get the scale of it. For some reason I imagined it was this massive boulder of a sculture, locked in roots the thickness of a giant's arm. I was slightly taken aback to discover that in fact, the Buddha head is about the same size as mine, if not smaller, and could easily be missed if not for the crowd of tourists snapping selfies with it.

I was a little disappointed, but then realized how ridiculous my expectations were, and snapped my photo. I like it.

Next we visited Wat Pha Si Sanphet, which was cool, but very crowded with tourists, and also caters to the Elephant-riding crowd, which made me sad and a little peeved. I get that its cool and exciting to ride an elephant, but that doesn't make it ok. Especially when you can clearly see that they are being mistreated, ie: scars and marks on their bodies from the hooks the handlers use to control them.

After that point, my friends and I parted ways for the afternoon and I carried on to Wat Chai Wattanaram, which was my favorite! It was a bit further out = less crowded, and very well preserved. While not very large, I spent a fair amount of time wandering and taking photos, cuz that's how I roll. I even took a selfie! Gasp!

Despite sunscreen usage, I burnt to a crisp.
Thanks to frequent application of Burt's Bees After Sun lotion, it turned to a tan. Hooray!

I finished the day with a quick trip to the local floating market, which I'm sure lacked authenticity, but was fun nonetheless. Again, not what I expected, but it was interesting to look around.

On Sunday, back in Bangkok, I visited the Jim Thompson House (pretty, if not really as interesting as I'd hoped), and took a Thai cooking class! We learned about some of the key ingredients while shopping at a local market, prepared each dish separately, cooked, and ate! It was fantastic and we had a lovely chef to guide us. I walked out with a small recipe book I am very excited to use!

Now, I am back to work at the Fatima Center for the rest of the week, and then I carry on to Siem Reap, Cambodia on Saturday! Wish me luck at the hectic Poiphet border crossing!

As always, more photos & anecdotes can be found on my instagram, jllkc79, or #jillgoesbackpacking.

10 Tips for A Successful Volunteer Abroad Experience (Tip #2: The Longer the Better)

10 Tips for A Successful Volunteer Abroad Experience

Tip #2: The Longer the Better

I can almost guarantee that the longer you stay somewhere, the more beneifical it will be for you AND for the organization of your choice. The more you put in, the more you get out. Relationships take time to build, and they are central to a successful volunteering experience. The longer amount of time you commit to, the stronger your relationships will be with those you are working for, and with. Your understanding of the people, culture, and issues surrounding your project will be so much greater if you invest a significant amount of time.

How much time are we talking?
I don't want to limit anyone, but I will share my opinion.

If you want to teach, or work in a managerial/administrative setting, build meanginful friendhips or connections (ie: orphanage work, social work, etc), the bare minimum should be 8 weeks. You simply cannot expect to adjust to a new culture and new social setting AND learn a new job AND build relationships, in less. If you can stay 3 months, 6 months, or longer, that is going to be so much more rewarding for you! I think you do yourself and the people you will work with a disservice if you can't commit to a decent length of time.

The exception to this, I think, is if you volunteer with a group tackling a specific project, ie: building a school, running a children's daycamp, etc.

I'm writing this for myself, as much as anyone else. I personally struggle with this because I have committment issues ;-)

After 4 weeks at the Girls' Home in Peru, I felt like I was only just starting to connect with them in a meaningful way, and then I was leaving. And now, I'm coming to the end of my third week volunteering at Fatima Center, and I know there is so much more I could help with and make a difference in if I was staying longer. And the relationships I've begun are still so fragile...I think partly because both sides know that in a week or two, I'll be gone anyway.

Staying a short time means that you arent able to absorb the amazing new opportunitiees and relationships available to you, you can't help in a significant way because you haven't had time to adjust to and understand the situation you are entering. You are less likely to be prepared to commit emotionally and mentally to your project, because the time will pass so quickly, and your deadline will loom over you and those you interact with. Your mindset and priorities change when you know you are "stuck" there for a while!

With this in mind, it becomes even more important to choose your organization carefully, so that you don't become committed long-term to a project that isn't going to support you in the ways you need, or don't operate as advertised (still looking at you, Aldeas de Paz).
Many organizations find short-term volunteers to be a lot of work, because they rarely get to a point of independence and meaningful connection. Usually longer duration stays are encouraged by reducing fees after a certain length of time commitment.

My advice if you are unsure of the suitability of an organization, is to commit to a minimum of a month, but leave your options open so that if you decide you like them, you can extend your stay. If you already know it is a reputable NGO, then dive in, and give it your best! The longer the better!

10 Tips for a Successful Volunteer Abroad Experience (Tip #1: Research & Communicate Before Booking)

I mentioned once before that for quite a while I have been meaning to write up a post on volunteering abroad. It just keeps getting pushed to the back burner because I am having trouble putting my thoughts into a cohesive and coherent order.

But I think that I am going to give it a try. 

I was joined by two other volunteers last Friday, and it has been fascinating to witness how they are processing and adjusting to the placement here. It is like seeing and hearing exactly my experiences in the past year being lived by someone else! This has been helpful in figuring out exactly what I wanted to blog about, because by talking with them I find myself passing on some lessons I have learned/am learning about volunteering abroad.

So, here I begin an incomplete (but I hope helpful) list of...

10 Tips for a Successful Volunteer Abroad Experience. 

#1. Research and Communicate Before Booking.

Scour their website for information, read reviews and testimonials (try to find some that are not listed ON the website, as those are likely only to be positive, and may be old and outdated), and email the NGO. directly to ask questions...however make sure you read the website thoroughly first so you can ask specific questions that have not already been answered online.The staff dont have time to repeat answers for everyone, and you will only frustrate them by doing this.

Some sample questions might be:

-How many staff are involved in the organization, and who is on the ground with the volunteers? How long have they worked there? What are their qualifications?
-How many volunteers will they will have during the time frame you want to stay? How long are they staying? Will they be in the same placements or different? Will you be working in a team or individually?
-Are there any current volunteers that you could talk/write to?
-What will the accommodations will be like? Where is the accommodation located and in what sort of area? Is it easy walking distance to shopping/restaurants/etc?
 -Where will you be volunteering specifically? How will you get there? How many hours are you expected to work per day/week?
-What kind of resources are available (ie: for printing, buying, sourcing helpful lesson plans; are materials such as pens/pencils/paper provided?) Are pre-planned lessons provided? How much are you expected to do/provide yourself? What kind of resources are helpful to bring from home?
-How much will the placement cost, and what is and isn't covered? What is the cost breakdown?*

*The last is especially important, because most volunteer organizations will charge a significant sum of money, and you should know where that ends up- don't assume it is a "charitable donation" to your project, because most of it probably isn't. Also, it is extremely unlikely you will get a refund if you arrive and discover that things are not as they seemed on the flashy website. Looking at you, Aldeas de Paz. 

The more questions you ask, the better. Don't accept things at face value, and don't hesitate to probe further if you're not entirely satisfied with the answer. Be specific.

There are a LOT of organizations out there, so you don't have to "settle" for anything- look around until you find a reputable organization that has nothing to hide, good RECENT reviews/testimonials, and is willing to spend the time to explain things to you and help you prepare.

This can be a difficult step because there are so many options and places to go, the choices can be overwhelming! Take your time, ask around, and try not to assume anything- always get clarification. If you do your homework, it is less likely that you will be dissatisfied with the organization you work with and your experience will be more positive.


On A Side Note...

I should mention that paying money to volunteer is not a crazy idea. People often think, "Why would I go work somewhere for free- never mind actually PAY someone to work for them?". It seems like a backwards idea, but give me a moment to make a case for the paid volunteer placement. 

Often volunteers don't realize that they can be costly to the NGO. Running an NGO can be expensive in itself, and in fact, we volunteers can be a bit of a hassle. Its a shocking concept- aren't we descending from our lofty privileged lives to extend a hand to those in NEED out of the goodness of our hearts?! Believe it or not, most volunteers are unlikely to "earn their keep", and we have high standards of living that will be an unusually high expense locally. We require a certain amount of "babysitting" because we often don't know the language and culture, so skilled and trained staff are necessary, and they need to be paid a fair wage. There are a myriad of costs associated with hosting volunteers, so when you look at the fees, remember that they are providing a service to YOU as well. In addition, you are supporting a worthwhile cause...that is, if you've done your homework and are volunteering with a quality NGO. 

Tip #2. to follow at a later date :)

2 weeks In

Hard to believe it, but I am already 14 days into my 6 month adventure, which also means I am halfway through my current volunteering experience.

When I am planning out my trips, one month of volunteering always sounds like a really substantial length of time, but then once I get there I realize how quickly it goes by. Its only now that I feel like I am starting to connect with a few women at the center- there are 3 sisters that speak English, and I have been spending the lunch hour with them. Its been interesting to hear their stories, and learn about what their future holds. They are such warm and generous people, warmly welcoming me to their little circle, and eager to share their food with me (even though as a volunteer I am provided with a large lunch, they keep pushing me to eat more! "Try this! Have you ever had this before? Have more!"), and even insist on washing my dishes (today I told them it was my turn haha!). It is humbling to know they have so little and still share everything with someone who is basically a perfect stranger to them.

Another woman sells cold drinks every day. She keeps a small cooler of ice, which she scoops into disposable plastic cups and tops up with your choice of bottled beverage- I  choose the sweetened coffee, which is delicious and hits the spot on these sweltering afternoons. She speaks a little English and is very friendly (she is the one who taught/tried to teach me how to dance!), so I like to meander over to her corner after lunch, order a coffee, and then use it as an excuse to chat with her. She says her husband speaks English fluently but doesn't like to talk in English with her because she doesn't have the same level of proficiency, and he gets frustrated.  I told her I am happy to help her practice as much as she wants! I have learned a little about her past, and we talk about her little boy who was in my class while I was teaching last week. At first she would charge me 20B. for my drink, but today when I handed over the usual bill, she gave me 10B. change, and then offered me a free refill after. I think I'm making headway on our friendship ;-)

As far as the work goes, I am still working up a sweat in the stockroom, and I actually really like it! I help with filling orders to ship away, go on almost daily trips to the post office to send them off, and lately I have been organizing to my heart's content, and taking inventory. Apparently I am going to learn their computer system next week so that I can enter in the data I am compiling, and on Saturday I am going to help run their booth at a local charity bazaar.

This is not exaclty the type of work I was expecting to do, but I know that this is the help they need right now, and I am enjoying the practical hands-on nature of it. Maybe I'm not on the "front lines", but hopefully this will contribute to the overall success of the project.

In other news- 2 more volunteers are arriving tomorrow! I'm pretty excited to have roommates here at the volunteer guesthouse, and partners in crime for exploring further afield.

On Sunday I am hoping to see some of the sights of Bangkok, so check back for some photos after the weekend :)

Weekend Reflections

Today has been pretty chill for me. Sunday is a quiet day in Bangkok relatively speaking, and for once there is no disruptive orchestra of construction noises outside my bedroom window.

I have been feeling a tickle in my throat the last couple of days that turned into a definite scratch this morning. Combined with a busy week of volunteering, and a day-long sensory overload at the Chatuchak Weekend Market yesterday, I was feeling a little worn out, and decided to spend the day at "home", resting. I did get the chance to chat online with my parents who will be celebrating Thanksgiving with the family tomorrow. I love Thai food, but the thought of a delicious turkey dinner does get my mouth watering!

On Thursday I started my work in the sewing center at the Fatima Center, and got to know a little more about it. This is a Catholic organization run by the Good Shepherd Sisters, which strives to empower local women to gain dignity, respect, and independence. The nuns who run it are really wonderful women who are compassionate, firm, and funny. The eldest is an Irish woman likely in her late 70s or early 80s who probably told old age to go away, she was too busy to put up with it. Evidently it ran away with its tail between its legs, because this woman does not look like she will be stopping anytime soon! She also speaks Thai fluently, and no one messes with her! The other sister that I have worked closely with is a Thai woman who speaks English very well, and she coordinates all the volunteers. I have found her to be friendly, funny, and kind.

The women working at the sewing center come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some are refugees, others are elderly or disabled and have no one to look after them, some are single mothers, and others are seeking an escape from the sex trade.
At Fatima, they are provided with free childcare and an opportunity to learn skills to earn a fair wage from dignified work. They learn to sew many different high quality products, and these are sold at fair trade prices locally and overseas in countries like Australia, Ireland, and the USA.

There are quite a few women, maybe 50-60 or more, and they seem very happy at Fatima. It is quite a community, and its nice to see them laugh and joke around at lunchtime. They are so friendly, and invite me to eat with them and share their food, even though only a few can speak English, and my Thai is as bad as it ever was. After lunch sometimes they play music and do traditional Thai dancing...they even taught me how (or at least I tried to learn. I'm not very coordinated!).

I have been helping out by doing small tasks for the sewing projects like cutting, tagging, hand-sewing, trimming, etc. and I have to admit I much prefer the peaceful repetition and practical tasks to the chaos of the kindergarten classroom! Doing these small things may not seem very important, and in and of themselves they are not. But spending time with the women, having small conversations, getting to know them, and showing them that people care is a small way I can contribute to the project. I may be teaching English later on, I'm not entirely sure yet. I think I would like to, as Ithink it would give them a practical skill and also give me an opportunity to get to know them better.

I always find volunteering abroad to be so humbling. Sometimes I just feel like a guilty white person trying to make myself feel better about being born more privileged. Sometimes I am acutely aware that there is so little I can actually do to help. I am fairly useless. But I try to do what I can, and learn how I can do better. Hopefully this will make a difference to at least one person.

Day 3, and I'm Ready For A Vacation!

I should have learned by now that even when you think you know what you've signed up for when you volunteer abroad, nothing goes to plan!

Monday was my first day at the Fatima Center, a community outreach run by the Good Shepherd Sisters of a local Catholic Church here in Bangkok. It is surprisingly large place, and I'm not even entirely certain if I've seen even half of it. There is a large school, a kindergarten/preschool, and the women's center for women escaping abuse and seeking help with unplanned pregnancies, where I expected to begin helping this week.

I arrived with two staff members from Friends For Asia, the organization that is hosting me. When we met with the sister in charge, she told me that there were some new women settling in, and it would be better for me to start there on Thursday. Until then, could I help out in the kindergarten and teach English to the kids?

One day I'll write a long post about volunteering abroad in general! I have a draft sitting around since last January when I spent 4 weeks volunteering at a home for girls in Peru. But basically, one thing I have learned is that you just have to roll with it, and do whatever you can to help!

I don't spend a lot of time with children, especially really small ones. I find them a bit intimidating, to be honest. They are so loud, and unpredicatable! One minute they're crying, then theye're laughing, then they are hitting someone, and then they're jumping on top of you...

So there I was, suddenly thrust into a classroom of about 20 small children of greatly differing ages (my inexperienced guess would be a range from 3-7), with the teacher looking at me like "now they're your problem".

I am not an ESL teacher. I'm not a teacher of any kind! And I certainly don't know what to do with a rowdy classroom of little kids that speak a different language. However, I never know what little kids are saying to me anyway, so it really did't feel all that different from my usual interactions.

I grabbed some books from the corner, and we practiced the ABC's, and sang Old McDonald Had a Farm, and The Wheels On The Bus...a few old favorites, by the sounds of it. They espcially liked when the Horn On The Bus Goes Beep Beep Beep!

It was chaotic, and loud, and overwhelming. But the kids are funny and cute, and when I got home that night (with a raging headache), I was able to do some preparation for the next day so that I couldd avoid that awkward moment of standing in front of them with my mind drawing complete blanks on what to do about the whole situation!

We praciced opposites (up, down, hot, cold...they love actions and funny faces), and words for emotions, action words, and sang If You're Happy And You Know It (for the following verses I made up whatever came to my head...its amazing to me that I actually don't know these songs beyond the name of it).
Today I prepared a lesson on shapes and colors, and I came armed with 2 different coloring pages for them (personally hand-drawn and then photocopied. Why thank you, yes I am so artistic and teacher-y! Thank you, thank you very much). They LOVE coloring! What a lifesaver.

Usually no activity lasts for more than 10 minutes before they lose interest and its on to the next thing, which I panic to set into motion before total loss of attention!

Luckily, there is more than just lessons. I arrive around 9-ish, after they've already begun, and then take over until about 10:30. Then they have some play time until 11-ish. I help set up lunch by placing the dishes on the table and chasing away pesky pidgeons who would like to eat too. Then I make sure the kids each find a seat (about 70-80 in all, I think) when they come in, and continue pidgeon duty for the remainder of the meal. After the kids are finished, they take their dishes to the back (to be cleaned by hand by one of the teachers) and brush their teeth. Meanwhile I help another teacher to wipe tables and benches, and sweep and mop the floor.
After cleanup, we eat lunch (purchased by another teacher from somewhere outside the compound) in the classrooms, watching over the kids who are supposed to be sleeping on straw mats on the floor. They, of course, do not wish to sleep (I would love to trade places with them!). There is lots of pinching, tickling, whispering, fart noises, coughing, giggling, etc., until the teacher shouts at them to be quiet. Eventually they do fall asleep, and I have spent this hour and a half entertaining one little girl who never naps (the teachers have just accepted it, and let her go about her business), and an older girl who is the daughter of one of the other teachers.
After nap-time, the teachers brush all the little girls hair and re-braid it...those that know me well are probably giggling to themselves picturing me braiding little girls hair. It is another gaping hole in my qualifications as a Thai teacher.
After this, the kids get a snack, and then its back into the classroom for more English lessons with Teacher Jill!

 They do not respect me AT ALL when it comes to discipline. In fact they usually completely ignore me when I tell them to behave, or else they just smile and continue merrily on. Again, not much different than kids at home. I am not a very threatening figure, apparently!

I am ok with this for the most part, mostly because I take it to mean that I am nothing like their teacher, whom I also fear. This woman is terrifying. I am sure differences of what is culturally acceptable account for much of her behaviour (such as physical discipline, ie: hitting children/smacking their palms with a ruler), but she also has done a few things that made me feel sick to watch, such as taunting and humiliating certain children in front of the class. It is hard to know what my place and role are here, so I don't know what to do about it. Its one of the really hard parts of working in a foreign culture. Even when kids piss you off, they are still just kids, and I hate to see authority figures abuse their power.

On a happier note, the kids really seemed to warm up to me today while I was playing with them. It was supposed to be a "sports day", but the rain really picked up right before we were going to head out, so we all played inside. They are really sweet kids, and were so thrilled just to throw a ball, play clapping games, sing songs, or read a familiar storybook. They love being tickled, being captured by a falling "London Bridge", and impressing me with how much English they already know.

There is definitely a part of me that was sad to wave goodbye this afternoon, but another part of me is deeply, deeply, relieved!!! I honestly do not know how I would survive an entire month of what has occured in the past 3 days. I feel like would need a heavier dose of extroversion in my blood to cope.

I am also excited to see what my placement in the women's center will be like. I find it much more enjoyable to interact in smaller groups, and to be able to work with a hopefully longer attention span (rather than struggling to get 20 children to sit in a circle for more than 2 seconds).

I'll report back on the weekend!

The Big Bangkok

The weekend is nearly over...I begin my volunteer placement tomorrow! What have I been up to in the meantime?

1. Thai Language Lessons

It was less than a year ago I started my Spanish lessons with Proyecto Peru in Cusco...what the heck makes me think my brain is capable of learning another language now?? Well, its just part of the curriculum for one thing, but I also really enjoy it. Yes, its a struggle, and I tend to forget things immediately after hearing them, but learning a language really does make a huge impact on being able to absorb a culture and travel experience. Thai is fascinating, because it is a tonal language...one word can have several meanings depending on intonation. I struggled to get my "maa" sound right in order to say "I am from Canada", instead mistakenly saying "my dog is from Canada". The trouble is it all sounds the same to me...Its going to be interesting once I start braving the streets with my new-found vocab!
Fun fact: I blurted out "Gracias!" to my server at the restaurant. Apparently my brain has registered I'm in a foreign country, it just hasn't realized that Spanish is of no use here.

2. Tasting Thai Food

I'm sure you are all well aware of my love of food. Its one of the best reasons to travel! Yesterday the staff took me to a fancy Thai buffet to sample the country's cusine...it was wonderful! I really tried not to eat too much, but it seemed like there was always one more thing to try! How can one resist the tastebud-tempting flavors of coconut, ginger, lemongrass, sweet basil, lime, peanut, spicy chilies, and garlic? What is not to love? I've even gotten adventurous with seafood, sampling squid, mussels, prawns, and various fish. I still don't love it, but I'm giving it a fair chance.
I also tried some interesting beverages...there was a sweet coffee-like iced drink that I really liked, and today my new friends handed me a takeaway cup filled with ominously black liquid and weird jello-y tapioca filling. It wasn't terrible, and it was nice to sip on something cold, but I can't say I'm a fan.
The sweets have been interesting. I tried a warm vanilla-flavored soup with tapioca balls in it (also not a fave), sweetened baked pumpkin covered in a warm cinnamon-spiced coconut milk sauce which was surprisingly delicious, crispy sugar wafers filled with marshmallow and sweetened, deep-fried slivers of egg yolk, and a coconut macaroon-type square. Its nice that most things are prepared with a rice base so I don't have to worry about the gluten issue too much.
Fun fact: the staff were convinced I had told them I was allergic to "weed", not "wheat". It was a pretty hilarious moment when this misunderstanding came to light.

3. City Sight-seeing

Yesterday we visited the Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram Temple (I despair of ever being able to pronounce that), which was really beautiful. We even got really lucky, because it was the last day of a festival there, so it was an extra unique experience!
The 3 saff here at FFA are all locals, and practicing Buddhists (at some level, anyway), so they took part in some interesting rituals, including buying a beautiful bamboo "giftbasket" filled with fruit, rice, and water, attaching banknote, and then writing a prayer on a piece of paper to deceased family members. This prayer and basket are intended as offerings to the family member, and are given to a monk, who reads the prayer on behalf of the the giver, and takes the basket (which is then resold to the next person).

The other ritual was the purchase of some river snakes in a plastic bag, which are released back into the river after reading a specific prayer. The snakes are symbolic of good luck. You can also purchase small turtles on behalf of deceased family, or fish for protection against evil.

The festival also brought food vendors. Since we had just eaten, the most I tried was a free sample of a pork skin puff. Like a pork-flavored styrofoam peanut. Yum.

Today we did a different kind of sight-seeing...we visited some huge shopping malls! The Siam Paragon was massive, high-end, and elaborately designed. We quickly moved on to the smaller, cheaper nearby mall where I purchased some basic shoes that will be appropriate attire for my volunteer placement. I got my first glimpse of typical Thai tourist souveniers, and maybe its a good thing that I have no room in my backpack because I instantly wanted to garb myself in nothing but those infinitely comfortable-looking pants and dresses.

Fun Fact: both Cusco and here in Bangkok, the locals are so proud of their shopping malls and can't wait to show them off. Generally speaking, I try to avoid malls, and they are definitely not something I seek out when I want to experience a new country and culture. No matter where you go, malls all seem pretty much the same.

4. Sweating profusely

It is so hot here. So. Hot. Its like the entire city is a low-setting sauna...sweaty and humid. When I got off the plane and took my first breath of local un-air-conditioned oxygen, it felt like trying to inhale something solid. The heat is like a steaming wool blanket enveloping you at all times.
I am dying. And sticky. And my hair has gone completely feral.
Fun fact: the staff have been complaining of how cold it is, and they are wearing scarves and sweaters. All I want is to stand in the cold shower all day.

5. Getting Over Jetlag

My internal clock is slowly readjusting, but I've still been waking up around 3-4am, and feeling exceptionally weary at 6:30pm. Its going to take time. Jumping ahead 14 hours wreaks a little bit of havoc on a person.

Well, that's all for now! I'll check back after my first day of volunteering :)

"You're Traveling ALONE?!"

The NUMBER ONE question I am asked when someone discovers that I am going traveling is...

"Are you going with someone, or are you traveling alone?!".

The general population worries that I will be robbed/murdered/raped/trafficked Taken-style when I leave home. Especially as my destinations include developing countries.
It is also a common assumption that solo travelers are friendless wanderers who spend their time in silent contemplation, wishing they had brought a companion to speak with.
This is in fact, not the case. Generally speaking.

I am a woman. I am single. I am an introvert.

I travel solo...and I like it!

I am not superwoman. I am not especially streetwise. I am not particularly out-going.
And I am not going to let fear hold me back!

When I was 19, I packed up and moved to a different country where I knew no one, and I lived there for nearly a year. This came out of the blue in some respects. I was considered "quiet" and some might consider me shy. I had never lived on my own before. I was a homebody. I was not the girl to do the unexpected thing.

But I was driven by a long-standing and passionate desire to see Ireland. An opportunity came up, and I seized it!

I don't remember exactly what I was thinking at that point. The decision surprised even me! I was nervous, but I was excited for the adventure.

By the end of that year I had seen a lot of the area surrounding my home base, and I loved it. The people, the natural beauty, the SHEEP! It was amazing. It was a great exercise in independence, but the fact is that I was probably too immature at that point to undertake such an extreme transplanting and thrive. In some ways my confidence in myself was rattled.
Luckily one of my good friends flew in and we traveled around Ireland together for a month...I'm not sure I would have pushed myself to do that trip if I had been on my own.

To further instill a dread of solo traveling, I did a 10-day guided tour of Scotland, at which I was the only person that came without a friend (or two)! I was also the youngest by a number of years, and I felt a little lost and intimidated.

After that, I told myself that I "couldn't" travel on my own. It wasn't for me.

I wasn't brave enough. I wasn't smart enough.
It was too dangerous. It was too hard. It was too lonely.

For years I wanted to travel SO badly...but I didn't, because I had no one to travel with. My friends were in university, getting married, or in jobs where they couldn't get the time off. I sat around waiting...and waiting...

It took a long time for me to decide to take the plunge and go to South America alone last year, The soundtrack of fears and doubts played in my head over and over. I hated it. And eventually I became driven to prove it wrong. There was no one to go with me? Screw that! I was going alone!

I began reading up on women traveling alone through South America. As it turns out, there are a lot of women traveling alone all over the world! And they are safe! And they love it!

And after nearly 4 months of solo travel through South America, I can now say I have officially joined their number!

So, let's address these doubts, shall we?

The first one...is self-defined. You are as brave as you decide to be. Its up to you whether to let your fears hold you back or not.

The second...well, all I can say, is that if I can make it to South America and back in one piece without meeting a sticky end, pretty much anyone can. That is all. No, but actually, if you are capable of reading a travel guide, then yes, you are smart enough, and smarter than a lot of the other travelers you will meet.

On to other 3 points!

Is it too dangerous?
No! It certainly can be dangerous, but it doesn't have to be dangerous. I learned self-sufficiency, and I learned to be careful, and how to take precautions. But I also learned a lot about the kindness of strangers. There are many, many good people out there. I made mistakes, and time after time there would be wonderful, friendly local people there to help me out. As a woman you may be more vulnerable in some ways, but this also means that others are watching your back for you too.

I was taking the city bus once in a small town in Colombia, looking for a grocery store. I eavesdropped on a local couple with a little girl sitting behind me, and once I was reasonably sure they were nice, normal people, I turned around an asked them if they could recommend a stop for me to get off at that had a grocery store. They promptly took me under their wing, got off with me, showed me where to go, which bus to take to get back to my hostel, and where to catch it.
This was not the only time I was blown away by the simple kindness of strangers. Remember that the average person is not out to get you. Be safe, but don't close yourself off from the world.

Is it too hard?
No! There are many different ways to travel solo, depending on how much time and money you have, as well how much flexibility and independence you want.
I personally have enjoyed volunteering for a while in different countries. This gives me a home base where I can acclimatize to a new culture, learn a little bit about the way people live, meet new friends, give back to a community, and ask people to refer me on what to see and where to go afterwards. Then I can make a plan, set my own pace, and figure it out as I go! The buses, hostels, and tours can be booked along the way.
Others enjoy guided tours with a set itinerary and someone else to worry about the logistics! You just have to show up and meet your fellow adventurers! There are a lot of companies that provide this kind of service, and its a great way to get your feet wet in solo travel. You have a support system to help you with any problems that arise, and you won't have to worry about where to sleep/eat/meet people.

Is it too lonely?
No! If anything, I meet more people when I'm traveling alone! As a decided introvert, sometimes it does take a little extra effort to strike up conversations or tag along on a group activity, such as a hostel pub crawl. However, when you travel alone, you also get to make your own rules about how social you want to be! If you don't want to go out every night, you don't have to! You will not have to figure this out with a travel buddy, and you won't be letting anyone down when you do things your way! On the flip side, if you want to go out with total strangers to swap travel tips and stories, join up with others to go on a daytrip on a whim, or buddy up for a few weeks- you totally can! You are free to meet, talk, hangout, drink, dance, travel, eat, etc. with whomever floats you boat! And you can leave whenever you want, or not! Its totally up to you (and the other person/people you meet...haha).
There are never any shortage of other travelers to be found at hostels, or on tours, or sightseeing. And guess what- many of them are other women traveling alone!
I made some great friends by simply putting myself out there, saying hello, asking where someone is from or where they're going, and just hanging out together.
I made a friend with a girl stuck in front of me in a long line at the airport. I made a friend sitting next to me on the plane. I made a friend swinging in a neighboring hammock. I made a friend when I heard a girl mention she wanted to go to a local market, and I offered to show her the way. I made a friend commenting on their accent (strange but true). I made a friend couchsurfing.
You get my point-- you have literally endless possibilities to make friends when you travel!

Don't get me wrong. Traveling with friends and family is SO much fun, and it is wonderful to be able to share those experiences and memories with someone close to you. But if you, like my past self, put off traveling because you don't have a friend to go with you, I think you might be making a big mistake. Don't wait for an opportunity that is dependent on someone who may or may not appear. Just do it!

Traveling solo can be scary, especially the first time. Its natural to be scared of the unknown. But I think that if you go for it, you will surprise yourself with just how much you enjoy it! It can definitely be safe, simple, and social!

Here's a handy-dandy link to some quick tips for solo female travelers- good to keep in mind!

Edit: And another link that will shoot down any other excuses :-P

A Last Ditch Attempt to Get the Travel Bug Out of My System

When I planned my South America trip last year, I intended for it to be a productive hiatus from studying, which would also scratch the travel itch that had been worsening. I was supposed to hit the books again come September.
But...you know how it is. When you scratch it, the itch gets worse! By the time I fly back into Canada in April, I was pretty sure my semester-long break was going to be extended.

I worked my usual cooking gig in the treeplanting camp for the spring and summer, visited lots of relatives and roadtripped down to the Oregon Coast in August, and now its September!
What have I been doing? Researching, planning, making lists, and shopping for new gear. What for? Well...

As of today, its official- in just over 2 weeks I'm heading out on another backpacking adventure!
I will fly into Bangkok, the capital of Thailand on October 2, and begin my travels through Southeast Asia that may last as long as 6 months!
Like my trip to South America, I am traveling solo and hoping to do some volunteering, treks, and tasting of the delicious local dishes!

So far my intinerary includes a month of volunteering in Bangkok, hopefully meeting up with some contacts for a local's-eye look at Vietnam, chilling out in Laos, popping over to Myanmar/Burma for a glimpse of the country that has only relatively recently become tourist-friendly, another couple weeks exploring the rest of Thailand, visiting Angkor Watt in Cambodia, tasting the wild variety of street food and outdoor adventures in Malaysia, and flying to the Phillipines for some sweet, sweet beach time! I don't know all the details yet, but I am pretty excited about everything, and I know it will be a crazy and awesome adventure!

While I'm not making any promises, I am hoping that I will maintain the blog a little better than last time seeing as I've purchased a new Samsung tablet which, unlike the last device, is compatible with Blogger (and Skype!!!). I have also ordered a keyboard for it, which will make typing up a blog post much faster and less of a nuisance than tapping away on a touchscreen. I should also be able to upload photos to it, so it will be awesome to share some visual updates on the road! 

Now to figure out which vaccinations to get, how to vote when I'm away, purchase travel equipment without blowing the budget, and all that fun stuff... :)

Maybe Not Quite 8 Weeks

SO! I´ve been in Santa Elena at Aldeas de Paz for just over a week now! 

I had some reservations right off the bat because the situation was not quite as advertised, ie: the founding director was not here, there were no other volunteers, and things seemed a bit disorganized, but I thought I would give it some time to see how it all worked out. 

Its not that its terrible or that I´ve hated it...but I found myself getting antsy and wondering what I´m really doing here, or if I should be spending my time elsewhere. Without any volunteers I haven´t really been able to meet new people and go exploring, and the NGO admin work I´ve been doing is pretty basic since there are no real programs running at the moment. 

I felt guilty when I thought to myself that I would rather be traveling than sitting around here at a computer, because I had committed my time to the organization and I didn´t want to be flaky and back out. But eventually I realized that I wasn´t meeting the goals I had set out for myself, and I didn´t sell my soul to the organization, so I should just do what was best for me. Its very quiet here and I¨m by myself quite a bit, and that makes me go a little mental sometimes...its not good for me. 

So I´ve decided to only spend a couple weeks here and then hit the road again! 

As soon as I made that decision, I felt so relieved and excited, so I knew it was the right thing! I didn´t realize how much I was dreading plodding through the 8 weeks I had planned on originally until I decided to leave. 

The hard part has been breaking the news to the staff here...I´m terrible with confrontation, and sometimes I´m such a people-pleaser and I don´t want to hurt anyone´s feelings that I end up backpedalling so much from what I mean that I don´t even make sense anymore. 

The two guys here have been very understanding and still want me to get as much out of the experience as I can, so I will be more involved in shadowing the manager this week I still have to hear back from the founding director, which admittedly I´m nervous about.

Meanwhile, I´m in the process of changing my flight so that I will head home from somewhere besides Caracas! Right now I´m contemplating traveling to Colombia to see Medellin and Bogota after I´ve done the two treks here in Venezeula, and then bussing down to Quito in Ecuador and possibly seeing some Amazon jungle! I´m so excited! I´ve heard so many good things about Colombia lately that I kept thinking to myself, "I´m going to have to come back for another trip to S. America", and now I am incredibly stoked to actually get to spend some time in two more countries! 

(I will still have to come back to see Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil though...traveling only makes the to-do list longer and longer!)

This will be significant for me as well, because it will be my first real solo backpacking trip! While I didn´t know anyone in Peru or Venezuela, I wasn´t really backpacking it. When you are volunteering/going to school you are kind of plugged into a specific program and centralized in one place. This time, its just me and my backpack and the open road! Kind of scary, and kind of exciting! I know my poor mother is probably terrified for my life, but everything I´ve heard and read is that these countries are very safe now, even for solo women travelers. 

So, in conclusion, I have approximately 2 more weeks here and then I´m off to see more of this beautiful continent! Wahoo!

8 Weeks of Tropical Living

So, what the heck am I doing in Venezuela? 

I stumbled across Foundacion Aldeas de Paz (Peace Villages Foundation) website while googling volunteer opportunities in South America, and it appealed to me because it has an NGO Administration Internship program. Since I've been studying Sociology, I've been trying to figure out a potential career direction within that field, and this seemed like a cool way to explore one aspect. They also offer free Spanish classes, and it's in friggen Venezuela for Pete's sake! That sounded like an adventure to me! 

So far, it's been a pretty neat-o experience, though off to a slow start. As it turns out, the social and political climate is kind of crappy in Venezuela right now, which makes it a sort of unappealing place for potential volunteers. This fact combined with some other drama that occurred in the previous months, means that I have arrived at a time when there are literally no other volunteers here! There are 2 guys on staff that are really nice, but I was expecting there to be a big community here and instead its just the three of us! The founder is not here either, as he is currently working on a project in the Dominican Republic. Since I¨m working in the office, its ok. I´ve been going through our old listings on different volunteer agency websites updating information, and doing some maintenance for the guesthouse. I think I will be able to keep busy, but it can get pretty quiet over here sometimes, especially since its a 2km walk to the town, which is not recommended to do alone. 

So, its not really what I was expecting as far as meeting people, but on the plus side I´m hoping my Spanish will improve! 

Some highlights and memorable moments include:

-the lovely warm weather! No alapca sweaters necessary! 

-beautiful mountains and jungle

-delicious fresh fruit, including mangos from a tree on the grounds, and weird bananas we chopped down and then deep-fried with seasoning salt and garlic....sooo delicious! 

-driving 20 minutes to cross the border into Brazil! We bought things like fresh milk, laundry soap, and chocolate...you literally can't buy these in Venezuela, they are just not available! 

-an abundance of creepy crawlies, including a frog that jumped out of the toilet bowl after I flushed (causing confusion and outright terror/horror), a black moth the size of my hand, a cockroach under the cuttingboard, and my new roommate Oliver, a lizard, who watches over me while I sleep.

-Falling asleep to the sound of crickets and frogs, and waking up to the birds and monkeys. 

-homemade arepas and empanadas...easy to make, and so tasty!

-eating a red ant in a spicy sauce...apparently this is a Venezuelan snack, but I will pass on it next time...

-watching a futbol game in town, and snapping some photos of the Carneval parade

It's been a pretty chill week for me, which has been kind of a nice way to adapt to a new surroundings. Cusco was kind of a warm-up to the real culture shock that comes with Venezuela. Things here are just completely different than at home, so its good that I´ve had time to get used to some of the different things about South America before plunging straight into this crazy place. 

Obviously, one thing to get used to is the completely different concept of time. I simply accept that things will happen approximately an hour after they are scheduled to occur. Sometimes its more like 2 hours. Everything is done at a more leisurely pace, there is no rush. Everything takes a long time. For example, I was supposed to have a planning meeting when I arrived, but since I got there late in the week,  we decided to do it "on Monday". Monday comes, and we plan for 2pm. At 2, it sounds like someone will be late, so we reschedule for 5. At 6pm, I realize its not going to happen, so we reschedule for 8am the next morning. The next morning at 8am, we are eating breakfast, so we finally get around to starting the meeting at 9am, and then one of the guys is distracted by the uneven table leg, so that has to get fixed before we can start...you get the idea. Things get done, but at a verrrry different pace. I´m actually embracing it, though I know its going to be rough when I throw myself back into a treeplanting camp and have to have meals ready on time! haha...

Getting used to the aforementioned creepy-crawlies takes a bit of effort. At least there haven´t been any spiders...yet. 

There are a lot less tourists here in Santa Elena than in Cusco, so being white and speaking English makes me stand out even more than before. While in Peru I stood out as a tourist, here I´m more of a novelty. South American culture is very "macho", so guys tend to catcall and whistle at women a lot, and be very persistent when showing interest in girls. On my first morning here I joined one of the guys on staff to the morning market to do the grocery shopping, and I was quite surprised to find my blue eyes attracted a lot of attention from guys in the village...this is not something I am used to or very comfortable with! I am relieved that I decided to get rid of the platinum blonde hair before traveling. Its going to be an adjustment for me to get used to this part of the culture. 

Things I am looking forward to: 
I am planning on doing two different treks while I´m here, which I´ve heard are really, really good. Details to come (and maybe eventually photos!)
I am also putting some pressure on the guys to do some exploring on the weekends, because I want to see more of the country and get off the property once in a while! We´ll see how it goes :) 

Until next time...