BACK FROM CHIANG RAI, THAILAND! :)
This was day 1, Sunday:
Met new faces, familiar faces who are not my close friends. Abit weird, but luckily there's my lecture mate, Jill. Chit-chatted & waited for awhile. Bid-goodbye to mum & dad. Boarded the plane at around 8plus in the morning. Transit at BKK airport. Reached Chiang Rai at about 3.30pm!
Loaded our bags into the van & headed to our guesthouse. Bcos it's rather late, so we're arranged to stay there for a night. Not too bad, but the room seems abit ulu. Jill was my roomie.
We're staying in room 204!
In Chiang Rai, all the dustbins look like this. Reminds me of the witch pot. Hahaha.
The egg-looking seat. I like it alot!!
After putting our bags into our rooms, we went to the hall for a quick dinner & then headed to the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar! We were super excited on the bus maaaaan. Walked here, walked there. We weren't allowed to buy the roadside food. :(
Tired uncle sleeping on his trishaw.
Pretty he-she.
Got background music while shopping eh.
We were only given an hour to shop. Crazy. So end up didn't buy much. Went back to the resort. & i realised i missed out some good stuffs! Beverly bought some pretty bags.. Hurhur, i should've open my eyes bigger!
Packed our bags, showered & call home to report. I tell you, the ants in the toilet freaked me out. SO MANY. They are BLACK & BIG. I was bathing, & accidentally sprayed water on them, the whole lot of them came crawling out. Fml. Lots of mosquitoes & lizards too. Cos not very used to the place, we left the tv on. Hahaha.
Day 2 onwards:
Set off early in the morning at 8am after breakfast, to the mountainous area! It was a 3hrs plus journey. Of course, we slept, see see look look.
WE WERE ON OUR WAY UP.
The vegetables are so big & green!!
In the van..
Finally, we've reached our next guesthouse!
The moment we got down from the van, we could feel the cool breeze. Super awesome! :)
This is how our room looks like..
This time round, my roomie were Jill, Sockteng & Wingchu! Definitely, i'll miss those days here. We used to squeeze together in the bed & gossip. Hahaha. BEST! Teehee. After putting our bags, we had our lunch! Fried rice, but the rice was kind of sticky type. Not glutinous rice.
After that, we went to Phucheefa Forest Park. We climbed up to the peak to look at the scenery. Prettyyyyyyy! Tough climb. Hahaha. Pant like mad dog.
See see see?!?!
We started going to the school to visit. First school: Huay Khu School.
The kids are organized & put their shoes neatly.
They lined up to sing their national anthem LOUDLY. :)
How cool can this be?
Empty & dead library
Abit mountain tortoise, but it's my first time taking a ride on a truck! Super fun. The wind will just smack right at our faces.
& meet my new eye candy! He is chart, my buddy for my photo essay. He is 12 years old.Super kawaii!!!
We gave first aid lesson to the kids.
One of the kids brushing his teeth!
Majority of us couldn't draw. So Hafidz took the lead to start drawing. The kids also joined us to see how Hafidz amazingly drew out the cartoon character.
Before going home, picture taken with Chart & Pawee! They are best friends. They looked alil alike. Haha.
Pretty sun rays! :D
Sockteng named him Alex. Randomly. Hahahahahahaha.
Teaching continues for the next 4 days till Friday. Lunch at 12noon. After that we'll proceed to the library to do painting.
There's a handsome ah beng!!! He's 15 years old. Meltzxzxzzzxzxz.
You spot Chart? :>
The pictures below showing the kids queuing for their food. That day, they only had a hard boiled egg & soup. That's all. As i walked passed them, they greated me politely. With a smile. Instantly, i felt so helpless. They're so young, yet they face poverty.
'Sawadee kaa'
We had our lunch everyday at 12noon. The school is nice, they'll provide us fruits & fried eggs. Hahaha.
The area they wash their stuffs.
Though it's not so clear, but there's a swing.
'Spider web'
This girl was stitching. So clever!
All same height & size. Kawaiiiiii.
Everyday, we'll also take the truck back to our guesthouse. I like the feeling! After a long day in the school, the evening sun will shine on us, accompanied with the cool wind.
There's 1 evening whereby the sky was beautiful!
As usual, lessons being carried out by us.
There will definitely be kids climbing up a slope peeping at us at our canteen. :)
Taadaaaaaa, the dead library finally has come alive after the cartoons were drawn & painted by us!
All of us love Sockteng's Doraemon.
I still could remember how Mr Lee pronounced 'Doraemon' & how Hafidz will mimic the way he say. Hahahaha.
Time to run home!
The last day at Huay Khu School, the teachers & students brought us to their village to take a look.
They sewed this themselves!
Your kawan
He played this very well!
Best friends. I love this picture. :>
Earlier that day, we had our last lesson. We taught the kids roller bandaging. Snacks, pens & balloons as rewards.
Many of them wore their traditional costumes!
After teaching, they threw a party for us. There were performances by the kids too. We also took pictures with the kids!
CHART, my favourite boy.
Teachers...
The school gave us these as a token of appreciation.
So this is the final product!!! The kids are happy, so are we. Mission completed. They can get to read & use the library again!
Before going back...
♥
After going to Huay Khu School, i think i grew alil wiser! :) The kids are so different from what we see in Singapore. They have the hunger to learn when we teach. During this trip, i learned that us, city kids are too fortunate. We tend to take things for granted. The kids in Chiang Rai are pure, polite, contented with what they have. Even with their handmade 'spider web' or 'princess hut' or swings or toys. I can see happiness in their simple everyday life. Whereas back here, happiness is bought using money or when people are rich. Otherwise, they will be whining, complaining how tough their lives are. Stress here & there. Kids here are pampered. We will get what we want, as long as our parents got the money. We will also complain about studies, school, homework etc. How childish i was. People there want to study, yet, im given the opportunity but i decided to take it easy & give a heck care attitude. But everything is too late already, im going year 3 in poly. Well.. I think we ought to appreciate. All the best to the students in Huay Khu School!
Haha okay this was a random picture that was taken at Phucheefa.
So the next morning, time to say bye to Dusidhill's aunty & uncle. All i can say is, the aunty is a GREAT COOK. I miss all her dishes! Everyday, at the city, we always would mention how much we miss her food. Nice, big portion.
On the way dooooooown...
The kids can ride a bike at a young age!
Next, we arrived at Rimchan Resort.
The first thing that caught my eyes was this vespa. Very niceeeeeee, but not to ride it on the road though. After loading our bags & checking into our 10 bedded room, we had our lunch. After lunch, we boarded the van & headed to Long Neck Karen!
She's so preeeeetty.
The star of Long Neck Karen. You'll always see her on the tv. While we were over there, it started to rain heavily. Jeans got dirty, shoes got all soaked.
Then we headed for dinner! I TELL YOU, the food is awesome. Total we ate about $114. 18 people. Per pax is only around $6.30! Faints. Worth it to the max. So.. happy us!
Straight after dinner we went shopping at a night bazaar! Suuuuuuuper excited, cos teacher said it was better than the 1st one. We were given 2hrs to shop.
But well, we don't have the chance to shop actually. IT RAINED SUPER HEAVILY. :(:(:(:( Managed to buy a belt & some notebooks only. Sianzxzxz to the very max. Was all drenched, together with Jill.
The driver uncle bought fried crickets!!!! We tried, then Samantha bought somemore! Niceeee & crunchy. :D
Second school: Suksasongkraw Maechan School
Toured around the school with their student president, club president, & members.
The students sang & danced. Very talented!!
Look closely, that's not his school logo. He loves Man U. Hahahahaha.
Almost everyday we had this. JISHIONG ROU CHAO FAN. /:
On one day, we also got to the village to see banana trees. Didn't get to plant them though. But the students taught us to make Loy Kathong. It is said that purpose of making them is to repent & offer to the God in the river, for giving us water to use etc. A fun & good experience!
Cutting the banana tree
Done!
Headed back to school for lunch. After that, mingling session with the students.
Oh it was freezing there! Highest temperature that day was 13 degree celsius, lowest 10. Mad cold. See the water vapour? Super low!
Fun with iphone app..
Pear
Que
Dinner. Had 2 soups for the day to keep ourselves warm. Then i had pineapple fried rice. 1 of the dishes that are not too bad. The rest? Sucks. /:
I learned to fold paper hearts!
Dearest Sockteng's 21st!
We also got to visit the kids' dormitories.Super saddening also. These kids stay in the school bcos they're either orphans or they're family financial is very poor. At such young age, they're supposed to leave their family. Not much love & concern showered to them.
After visiting, we headed to the school hall. They're celebrating the sound & lion festival? Very nice!!
Handsome & pretty!
Back at the resort, we had our mini celebration for Sockteng!
With her birthday present & card
Last dinner at Chiang Rai was super duper extremely awesome. We went to this night market which was like 5-10 mins away from our resort. Walked & spotted this thai steamboat. After looking, Mr Lee said we'll have our dinner there.
Phew, we were super happy & full! :)
Last day at, early in the morning after eating breakfast, we took the van to the custom of Myanmar to do last minute shopping. Bought nothing much, just some necklaces & bracelets.
We were given 3hrs to shop. In between, there's this coffee heart cafe? The iced mocha is good! The settings also very nice & well decorated. They sell cakes & ice cream cakes too!
Then after shopping, we went to have our lunch. Nice place, but some of the food is too oily & salty.
This was the BEST!!!!!
At around 1.30pm, we headed to the airport already. Transit inbetween, nothing much to buy. The plane back was bigger & better. Sat together with Sockteng & Juvena. Reached Singapore at 11.30pm. Bid goodbye & homed! Afterall, it feels good to be home. :)
Dinner on plane, beef pasta.
Second school's mission, done! I feel that Suksasongkraw Maechan School, the kids love to hug us, glue to us. Because they've got different family backgrounds. They don't stay with their parents. Hence, they are very independent. But yet, they lack of love. So they enjoyed our love showered to them. What left a great impact on me, was the night we went to visit them in their dormitories. When we stepped inside, it was pitched dark. All we could, was them saying, 'sawadee kaa' super loudly in unison! That night was cold, yet there's no light no electricity. They live alone, no family members to be with them. If i were in their shoes, i'll be in depression! Emo one corner for the whole day already.
From this YEP trip, i seriously gained alot. In terms of knowledge, understand how people of the other world live. Their simplicity brings them happiness. From now on, im gna work hard, do well & score in my studies. Not to waste my time in school anymore. :) Also not to forget, i've made lots of awesome friends in this trip! Sockteng, Wingchu, Ailing, Juvena, Jill, Nicole, Regina, Beverly. Hafidz, Dzar, Farshad, Khairul, Brandon, Wingsum, Samantha. From strangers to close friends! Im very happy & lucky enough!
That's more or less about the trip. More pictures & videos on facebook!
