ECC Training Camp 2011

As our backpacks were loaded onto the large song-thaew outside the English department at Ubon Ratchathani University, I had no idea what to expect from the coming weekend at English Crazy Camp. I had some wonderful conversations with students as we drove down the road and watched the sun set. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the school staff with a beautiful meal ready for us (the first of many!!) and we all dug in. After dinner, we got straight to work learning the new songs and games. I was especially pleased to learn of the Thai rendition of "rock, paper, scissors" entitled "girl, ghost, monk." In our get-to-know you game, it was also interesting to learn that the older students are addressed as "Pee" and the younger students as "Nong" I hadn't known that! After lots of laughter and already many interesting conversations with the students, we were ready for bed. I hadn't been traveling with a sleeping bag, so luckily the school gave me a very warm and fluffy bright pink blanket and matching pillow to sleep on. I slept like a baby.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early. I was absolutely shocked to see children already arriving by bicycle at the school hours before we were scheduled to start, and on a weekend at that! It was really beautiful (and refreshing!) to see kids so eager and excited to learn!

The day was filled with lessons, games and songs. I helped out with the Nature group, mainly assisting with correct pronunciation of different items in nature and colours. The kids had to find the different objects we asked them for, like "pink flower" or "yellow leaf. and then later, they had to draw pictures of what we described and tell a story about it. Thanks to the translating skills of the students, I got to appreciate the kids' creativity in their storytelling.

That night we were up late again, but got to watch the great film, Pay It Forward. It was nice to hear the discussion that followed the movie about everyone's different conception of what "paying it forward" means: in the world, at English Crazy Camp, etc. A great discussion, but after a long day in the heat and mountains of beautiful Isaan food (I love Isaan food, by the way!), I was ready to sleep again.

The next morning we started early once again, and I think - if it's possible - the kids were there even earlier! They couldn't get enough! We started with a walk to the nearby temple. Netting taught me a lot about Buddhism in Thailand and a bit about the forest monastery tradition in Ubon. After some more games back at the school, and another HUGE lunch (I was feeling quite full at this point), there was a beautiful Isaan closing ceremony during which I had tens of little white bracelets put around my wrists for good luck. It was a very special experience: I kept those bracelets on for over a month!

The weekend ended with a walk around the children's villages, a game of dodgeball, and then the group of English Crazies left for a stop in Netting's village and a walk over the dam. We tried looking for monkeys but couldn't find any, unfortunately!! It was a nice relaxing end to a great, albeit exhausting, couple of days.

I was so pleased to have stumbled onto English Crazy Camp. I had lots of fun playing with the kids, and in the meantime learned so much about student life in Ubon, and about Thai & Isaan culture and politics from the other students, not to mention making many lasting friendships. I can't wait to come back to Thailand join the English Crazies again. Thank you for including me!!

Immersing in Peaceful and Sufficient Life in Laos

by Atchara Simlee

Student Faculty of Liberal Arts, Ubon Ratchathani University, Northeastern Thailand

I was extremely excited when I knew that I was one of 12 students from Ubon Ratchathani University that was selected to take part in the Southeast Asia Field School 2009. I prepared myself to stay in Southern Laos with 24 Australian friends from the University of Sydney and 12 Laotian friends from Pakse Southern Agricultural College.

After the van crossed the Thai border, everyone who was a part of this journey, myself included, felt excited because most of us would be visiting Laos for the first time. The van took me and my friend to meet the Laos and Australian authorities and the students at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in Champasak province. Here everyone welcomed me and my friends warmly. Laotian students dress modestly, and the girls wear their local skirts most of the time. I felt like I was still in Thailand because Laotian and E-sarn Language and cultures are similar.
So I got use to Laotian culture quickly and got along with the people there quite well.

After the warm greeting and the lecture from Laotian authorities, the group of a total of 24 students, was divided into two groups. The first group had to stay at Kaengpho village and the scond group had to stay at Khamyaad village. Every Thai student got two buddies, from Australia and one from Laos. The buddies had to take care of each other until their one week task was finished. It was there that everyone had their first friendship lunch and got to know each other more. After the lunch, we headed to the Sanachomboun district where the two villages were located. The two villages are situated along the Sedon River which flows into the Mekong River. I was in the first group and stayed at Kaengpho village. Every two students stayed in one house. My hosts were extremely nice. They feed my buddy and me very well with local fresh food. After I woke up early in the morning, the first thing I saw was food and a bucket of water for cleaning my hands after eating.

While other friends and I stayed there, we participated in many activities. There was interviewing the villagers about their life and the way they manage resources in the village. Our activities for the first day, were visiting a back swamp of the village, finding local food depending on students’ interest and building a brick pond for breeding fish. From the interview, which my buddies and I did, I found that the villager’s ways of living are sufficient and peaceful. They find food in the village and grow rice by themselves. They rarely buy food from anywhere else. The older people live in the village, while the younger villagers work in the city or other countries and send money back home to villages often.

The villagers’ management of the swamp is well organized. They make rules to preserve the swamp and birds which live around it, using only fishhooks and other small equipment to catch fish in the dry season. They do not catch birds, only a large number of fish when there are visitors arriving or there are annual ceremonies held in the villages. They also believe that there is a female spirit who protects the swamp. If any villagers break the rules, they must be punished by the spirit and also fined by the head of the village. However, this case is rarely found because the villagers trust each other. They also raise animals such as chickens, ducks, and pigs around the village which have never been stolen. Moreover, people make a fence to protect only the animals not the robbers.

An interesting activity that I did with the villagers was catching fish from the back swamp. We were riding a boat and collecting fish from the swamp at the same time. Although the weather was quite hot, I felt fresh because of the coolness of water that I touched and the nice wind that swept around the swamp.

We gathered enough fish to cook lunch, including food from another group, who collected red ant eggs. We then had another friendship lunch between students and the villagers. Because of my hunger and my exhaustion from finding food, I ate like a horse and felt like that meal was the most delicious meal in the world!!! After lunchtime, we went back to the swamp to construct a pond for breeding fish. Everyone worked hard and tried to finish building it before sunset. Before we went back to take a rest, we took some impressive photos with the almost complete pond.

The next day, before I left the villagers, they prepared blessing ceremony for my friends and me. Our friends from another group left Khamyaad and met us there. In the ceremony \, some of us drank a lot because we could not refuse when the villagers offered us a glass of whiskey. If we refused their offering, it would be considered to be impolite. We left the villagers with a big hug and smile, and stayed at a hotel in Pakse for two nights. During our stay, we visited Wat Pho and Tad Pha Suam waterfall. After that we spent one night at a village along Mun River. We again interviewed the villagers about how the contruction of the Pakmun dam has changed their lives. Here we had time to play with some lovely kids before we left.

Next we headed off to the Tai Ban Research Center to stay for the night. Afterwards, the Thai students left the Australian and Laotian friends and traveled back to Ubon. At that time, I felt sad and lonely having to go back and live my urban life in Ubon. I was envious of the Laos’s way of living, where things go at a slower pace. This made me think about Thai people and how their lives seem to depend on rushing through everyday life.

** this article was taken from Mekong Today, volume 5 issue 1, March 2009 (above photos were added later) Mekong sub-region social research center (MSSRC) at the faculty of liberal arts, ubon Ratchathani University.

The First English Crazy Camp at a Temple!!!

Story by Atchara Simlee (Aom),

In the extremely hot month of March 2010, eight staff fully charged their energy to run a three-day English camp for seventy Matthayom 2 and 3 students of Choomchon Pueyhaudong School located in Lue Amnat, Amnat Charoen. The staff of this camp were Nok, Cherm or Roxy,Bird or Monica, Pat, Ann, Ton,Yok, and Aom, a camp coordinator.

It was the second time that English Crazy Club was invited by a kindly beautiful English teacher, Kroo Jiraporn to do the English Camp for her students. Last time, the camp took place at the school for two days. For this camp, the location was changed to another place from the school to a huge beautiful temple called Wat Pho Sila. At the same time, the school area was used for a so-called arts and music camp.

At the first day we taught English through four crazy rotations; ‘Directions’ by Bird and Pat, ‘Shopping’ by Aom and Yok, ‘Fantastic Fruit’ by Nok and Ann and ‘Fancy Zoo’ Cherm and Ton. We all had to work a little bit harder to cheer up our campers continuously as they are teenagers and seemed to be shy to follow crazy activities provided by Crazy Staff. Anyway, to encourage the campers was just a piece of cake. They began to get used to our crazy songs and games from the very first hour.
The next day was more fun because in the afternoon we led our lovely campers to do walk rally. We run four bases filled with informative and fun games. The afternoon activities were full of laughers and smiles though the weather was so hot. Everyone played games, sang songs and danced crazily without any complaints because one of the bases had to do with throwing balloons contained water and we all totally got wet. What a fun time we had!

The last day, we played some games in the morning and let the campers enjoy a collaborative activity, newspaper game, in the afternoon. They were challenged by this game a lot. This game allowed them to create many fantastic items with only one piece of newspaper. At the end they came up with fantastic different items, based on staff’s instructions; a big mat that every member can stand on, an Eifel tower model, the biggest belly, the longest rope and the smallest ball.

In evening of each day, there was no night activity. We were free and had time to observe the art and music camp in the school. More than that Pat, one of the staff was asked to show her beautifully impressive voice by singing “Zombie” song. We must admit her talent and everyone in the hall gave her a big round of applause.


The camp ended. All staff and campers said goodbye. They might not see each other again, all good time they had during the camp will not fade from their minds though.

Reflections from the new members

Name: Sirinthornthap Sainet (Hen)

Age: 18
Hometown: Ubon Ratchathani

1st year physics student, at the faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani University

''This is my first camp in my life and I hope I can learn how to run the camp from the experienced staff''

(The rest is coming soon)

Name: Pinthip Theerathanabodee (A)

Age: 18

Hometown: Roi-Et

1st year student of College of Medicine and Public Health, Ubon Ratchathani University

''If I can be a small help to the kids in rural areas, I'm more than willing to volunteer''

(More detail is coming soon)

Thung Sawang Camp, Srisaket

How could nine staff deal with more than 150 fully energetic kids in the sweltering March days? The answer to this question is to be 'It's not easy', but it would never be too difficult for us to carry it off. Impressively, another bang-up job was archieved by the nine super staff in the Thong Sawang Camp on the 17 and 18 March.

Thung Sawang is a small school, hiden in a rural part of Sri Rattana district, Srisaket. To get into the village, a small pick-up truck carried us in the narrow dirt road through a huge paddy field. When we got to the school, before a warm greet from the school teachers, we met up with a shelter, attached to the buliding with many chairs, neatly arranged. Nobady told us that it was where we are going to have the 150 campers sing and dance, but we knew at once what it was for. After the school teacher's confirmation, we suddenly knew that we were not going to have the kids play "Deng Dung-Deng Darng" and "Dragons go through the cave" there.

When the morning came, the kids were sitting on those neatly arranged chairs with no-idea faces. Max, a Pratom 5 student, told us that it was his first time, participating in the English camp. That's why he was specially excited to meet up with the staff. After the introduction song-''Hello! How Do You Do'', the staff bombarded the kids with fun from the Crazy dances, songs and games. No matter how much songs and dances they did, the kids did not seem to run out of energy. Late at night, they were still actively dancing and singing and asking for more........while the staff were altogether fatigued.

Natchanicha Guerdpunya or Nong Cake told us that she was very excited knowing that she and her friends would learn English with the English Crazy staff. A 14 years old, who have already participated in the English camp for two times also made us smile when she shew us the distinctions between our Crazy activities and the other camps'. "I like this camp even more because it is more fun. It is more fun because I have danced and sung songs and played games. I like this kind of activities.

Though the Crazy games and songs with dances, we always hope to have campers inspired to love learning English more and we finally brought them around in our goal.

''Before coming to the English camp, I did not like English at all, but now I feel like I love English more than in the past'' said Cake.

''I would like friends who never join the English to try once because it is very helpful in learning English and in our daily life, too.

After the camp, none of the staff refused that we were totally worn out and none rejected that we had a lot of fun, friends, and a lot of unexplainable things from this camp, too. The party finally broke up at noon. All staff did not forget to give a very big thank to all Ajarns who took a very good care of us. The camp came to the end with impression and smiles (happy tears, too)

Till the time

Geng

Khum Kum Camp

During the 13-14 February, 2010, the English Crazy Club had another mission to achieved. This time, it was taken place at Khumkumwittayakarn School, Don Mod Daeng, Ubon Ratchathani. Some of our new comers were inaugurated as young Crazies, meliculously escorted by the old and experienced staff, Bobbie (The co-ordinator), Aom (The co-ordinator consultant), Bird (The recreation staff), Cherm (One of the Fashion Rotation staff), Pat (A beautiful staff), Nok (On of the camp's Super Heroes), and last but not least Tae (The photographer).

-One of the Crazy trainees in this camp was Chompoo, (Pattira Sumalee) a first year English and Communication major student, going along with the team with a have-to-go feeling. Let's find out how her first camp was going.

How did you feel before the camp?

Chopoo: At first I wouldn't like to go to the English Crazy camp because I rather wanted to go shopping, watch TV and have a relaxing time at my room. But I finally went there with other friends.

It seems that you went to the camp with a kind of unwillingness.Did you find anything impressive at all? If yes, what are your impression at the camp?

Chopoo: When we arrived at the school, I was greeted by the school teachers. That's one of the impressive feelings I have found. The school teachers are very kind. They hosted us with a very warm welcome. From that moment on, they took a very good care for me and other volunteers.

The final preparation before the camp started in order not to miss any fun things.

How about the campers? How were their reactions to you?

Chompoo: We met the kids on the following day. The kids are very lovely, actually. They were very participative in our activities. They did whatever we taught them. They played games with us even if that day was a very hot and tiring day. But there was something I could not make it out. That is, before the camp started, the school teachers tipped us off with a warning. They said to us that their kids are quite stubborn and hard to deal with. But when I asked them to write their own super hero, they did with willingness. That impressive me immensely.

Campers having fun in a big group activity...

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How about our old and experienced staff? Could you say something a little bit about them?

Chopoo: Yes! Together with my friends, I was lavished with another impression by the experienced staff. At the camp, everyone worked very hard. We stayed up late on both two nights in order to work for the kids. Yet as far as we had the P' staff as our facilitators, everything went well. If we did not have them, working coorperatively with other friends, it was just inconceivable for me how could we acheive it as beautifully as it really was. They are cheerful and helpful to us.

One of the crazy rotations, run by Aom and her fellow Nong Nongs....

'The Monkey' song can be fun everywhere.

It's 'Fashion Rotation' and P' Pat is teaching vocab to N' Nongs

Look at their happy smiles..................

Even if craziness is deeply ingrained in our staff, sometimes
our craziness stops working for only a while when it is to be so....55+

But suddenly after that, their craziness automatically run high

"Oh..! Yes we are the staff team and we are the best team...at the English camp............"

--

Let's say this is the last question. I would like you to tell us your feelings about the camp.

Chopoo: I had a very good time in this camp. The kids are very lovely and the experienced staff are very cheerful and helpful. And because of this, I got a lot of fun and made more new friends.

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Running the English Crazy camp is somewhat very strenuous, were you tired at all?

Chopoo: It was fun. I am still happy to have met those lovely people. They are just friendly people. If asked me whether I felt tired or not. The answer will definitely be yes, especially because it was our first experience. Being tired but having a lot of fun is worthier my time rather than I merely staying at my room on the weekend, I think. If I had not gone to the camp with other staff, I would never have got to know and to make new friends with the campers, P' staff and lovely friends from other majors. My eyes would not have been worn with tears of happiness when we were about to leave the kids if I had not decided to go to this camp. Thank you very much for including me in the English Crazy Club.

-Geng

Living Together, Learning Together, Working Together, Eating Together!

Story and photos by Gai

This is what we shout out loudly before enjoying our meal together in Da Laa work camp and this will make us realize the point of our camp.

Da Laa, the International Volunteers Organization for Social Development is an interesting community I met in Songkla, a very big province in the south of Thailand. Two weeks that I spent for a short term camp with them was enough to develop a sustainable friendship between us.


Our camp worked on art projects around the community. We repainted and drew pictures on school walls, toilets, and academic buildings. There are ten people from five countries: Germany

Isaan Youth Gathering Event for ‘the Common Rights’

Young activists from different areas of the Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) were converging to Khon Kean University for the 2nd Human Rights Festival, held during 8-9 December, 2009.

After the inaugural Human Rights Festival in Ubon Ratchathani Province early this year

As a Camper in Puen Wan Suk Camp

By Nit (Noi)



During the vocation, I had a chance to participate in Hong Rian Hong Mai Gub Kroo Tai Ban Camp (roughly translated as “ A New Classroom with Local Teachers Camp) held by Puen Wan Sook Club.

Montpelier to Thailand 5: English camp at Pha Chan

On the 28th of February and 1st of March 2009, seventeen Montpelier High School students made the long journey from Vermont, U.S.A. to Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand with Montpelier to Thailand 5, a non-profit . One part of their trip included a homestay and English Crazy Camp in the village of Ban Pha Chan. On the third and fourth days that the students were in Thailand, they were joined by five English Crazy Club staff members (Ang, Ae, Geng, Gai

M2T5 English Camp/February 2009

On the 28th of February and 1st of March 2009, seventeen Montpelier High School students made the long journey from Vermont, U.S.A. to Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand with Montpelier to Thailand 5 (M2T5), a non-profit . One part of their trip included a homestay and English Crazy Camp in the village of Ban Pha Chan. On the third and fourth days that the students were in Thailand, they were joined by five English Crazy Club staff members (Ang, Ae, Geng, Gai, and Aom) and another volunteer from Vermont (Jill).

These two days were spent learning the English Crazy Club songs, games, and talking about the activities that would be used for their upcoming English Crazy Camp in the village of Ban Pha Chan

English Crazy Camp at Boong Khiew School

The teamwork of the English Crazy crews were making for Boong Khiaw School, Chanuman, Amnat Charoen for another Crazy camp. This crazy camp took place during 21-23 May, 2009, a week before the academic things come again. The craziness started by Jeab, Jan, Aom, Om-Goi, Ann, Gai, Ying, Eve In-On, a freshman of Law Ton, and our two lovely volunteers-Cindy and Anna.



Since all of the staff brought the campers a lot of energy and creativity, the two day camp was full of

English Crazy Crews at the Human Rights Festival

1-3 April 2009

It was called “Human Rights Festival in Isaan Region #1. This event was to bring together Isaan universities students and American CIEE students for a strong network, co-working for better understanding and solutions of Human Rights in Isaan area. The place where the event took place sounds very familiar. It is where the English Crazy crews’ memorable time was once inscribed—Tai Baan Research Centre—since they worked as interpreters for Australian Sydney University students under the dam construction issue last year.

This time, Aom, A, Cherm, T, Jan, Ying, Namwan, Fah, Eve, Bobbie and Geng, were trying their best to complete this challenging mission. Specially, Jan Ikeda

An Unforgettable Summer Volunteer

In the summer, while many students chose to travel or take a rest at home, nine members of the English Crazy Club and one volunteer from America (Aom, Nit, Boom, Jan, Tay, Eve, Ying, Pe, Pom and Kathryn) headed for Phosai district, Ubon Ratchathani to

English Crazy Club Song

Bo Collins, our potential volunteer and best friend has kindly composed this song for us.
Hope you all enjoyed it. Check out for more detail about this song as the link below.

http://englishcrazycamp.blogspot.com/2007/02/story-of-english-crazy-camp.html

English Crazy Club - Bo Collins

english crazy club
english crazy kon jai dee (good hearted people)
english crazy club
english crazy kon jai dee