Tuesday, March 20, 2007

English Crazy Camp # 15 - Ban Thalong, Ubon


March 10-11, 2007, BAN THALONG, KHONG CHIAM - In a typical English Crazy Camp, the kids who attend the camp are the most important part. But this weekend, the English Crazy Club held a camp without kids! Ban Thalong, a village on the eastern border of Thailand, hosted this weekend’s camp for Non-formal Education Students. These campers were adults from 18-40 years old, though some of them brought children of their own along to learn too!



The staff taught using the songs and games normally used for children’s camps, modified slightly for more mature students.

It may be surprising that so many adults would be really eager to dress up in clothes and model them while learning vocabulary about fashion,


or that they would be so energetic about tug-of-war, or races, or that they would sing “Hello, How Do You Do?” so enthusiastically,


but the campers and staff were all excited to participate, learn, and teach. In the “International Hello” game, 40-year-old participants were literally rubbing noses with each-other and with staff!


After a hot day of singing in English, learning, and English games, English Crazy Club staff and children from Thalong village took a sunset swim in the waters dividing Thailand and Laos- the beautiful Mekong River. When one can easily swim across physical international boundaries it is a reminder of how arbitrary these human-made borders are. Even locals couldn’t say at what point the Mekong’s waters belonged to Laos!



In the evening, students and staff danced, and performed “Crazy TV Shows’ around a blazing campfire. Some students advertised products and new inventions, others performed interviews with guitar players and Miss Universe contestants, and others informed the other campers about local weather conditions.



This weekend was spent learning English, and going CRAZY getting in touch with all of our inner-children!


Thursday, March 8, 2007

English Crazy Camp #14 - Ban Phachan, Ubon Ratchathani


4-5 March 2007, Ban Phachan, Pho Sai District, Ubon Ratchathani - Here we did it again, turning rural children's dream into reality with the English Crazy Camp, 10 Thai staff and Vermonter staff. A BIG thank you goes to the Montpelier to Thailand 3 (M2T3) who kindly sponsored this project!


I had an awesome time working with you guys! This camp was amazing and tons of fun. Pink team rocked and so did everyone else but pink was the best. This is an incredible program and such a great group of people. The kids loved the camp. I hoe I can see you all again soon. Stay CRAZY!!!
Love,
Alex
From Vermont, USA

English Crazy Camp Team,
The camp was a lot of fun. ‘Hello, how do you do’ will forever be the theme song of my nightmares for now on. The activities were organized, informative for the kids, exciting, and certainly…CRAZY.
Keep on keepin’ on,
TYLER

ENGLISH CRAZY CAMP COUNSELORS,
Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your camp. I had a lot of fun and learned things too. Your program is SO helpful—the kids definitely learned while having fun! I wish we had the same type of thing for other languages in the USA. Thanks again!

Arie

English Crazy Camp,
I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep my energy “crazy” for two whole days, but the camp was very fun, and I had a really good time. Thanks for letting us help, and keep up the good work. Good luck in your futures.

<3 Kelsey P. Munge
Vermont, USA

Dear English Crazy team,
THANK YOU for including us in your camp! I had a lot of fun and I enjoyed being all your craziness! I was amazed by all the work you guys put into the camp…your enthusiasm was truly awesome! I hope you keep the English camps going, as I think the kids really enjoyed it! Good luck!
<3 Elena

English Crazy Camp,
It was nice to participate in the camp. I wasn’t sure If I could keep up the “crazy’ but I found that being with the kids helped me keep up my energy. I had a lot of fun. My rotation (shopping) was very entertaining. Thank you! And good luck!
Cassandra (Dada)

Dear English (Halta) Crazy Camp,
This has been an awesome experience that I will never forget! Thank you so much for running such an amazing program. The staff and kids alike were all ridiculously crazy. The things you do and accomplish are unbeatable. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to hang out with you guys and learn so much. Even though all the teams were cool, blue was the best! J I work at a camp over the summer in America and even though those kids speak English, I’m sure to bring back all the fun songs, games, and memories you have shared with me. Remember to always keep sexy, cool, and crazy.
Love,
Julia (Gulia)

Dear English Crazy Club,
You all are AMAZING, the energy and the gift of enthusiasm you bring via your teaching is beautiful. It really works. I was astounded at just how much English the kids learned in only 2 days.
Thanks for joining us on the long hike; it was magical.
I look forward to the Thai Crazy Club in Montpelier, Vermont.
-Ruth

Dear E.C.C.
The level of craziness that you bring to the camp is really astounding. At first I was a little doubtful of your methods, but by the end of the second day the kids were really into it, it was amazing. It seems like for quite a few of the kids the E.C.C. was really where the inspiration to learn English began.
I wish you all the bet of luck in your efforts to make Thai children English Crazy.
-Nate

ENGLISH CRAZY CAMP!
What can I say? It was crazy! But it was fueled by the knowledge and passion and fun that was so contagious. It was b-e-a-utiful. Thanks so much for letting us be a part of it.
-EM-ISO

English Crazy Camp, March 2007, Baan Phachan
You truly inspire your campers- including your Montpelier, Vermont assistants. The energy and enthusiasm for learning and teaching is contagious! Thank you for including us and sharing your love for English. (Let’s start a Thai Crazy Camp!)
-Linda Wheatley

English Camp is Crazy!!
Gee Wiz Thank you for knowing how to turn great ideas into reality. What a gift to children! It was a blast to be a part of. Thank you for sharing it with all of us!!
Maybe again sometime,
Alexcisissisis

English Crazy Camp,
Thank you so much for your energy. It was a great experience for us and for the children. The cap was so much fun and it was a great learning experience!
-Jill

The English Crazy Camp was CRAZY!!!
I would do it again anytime. Not only do the kids learn stuff, I feel like I have learned a lot from them.
Xoxoxo Nipa (Nipaaaah)
Dear English Crazy Camp,
Thank you for a wonderful experience. You have all made something wonderful; I envy your energy and enthusiasm at all hours of the day. You are all truly a blessing to these kids- don’t stop.
Chris

Dear English Crazy Camp Crew,
Thanks for showing me the joy in peeling & shaking bananas, relocating poo to corresponding toilets, and keeping the kids cool & sexy. You guys are doing great things and making a difference while having fun the whole time! Thanks for making me a part of the craziness!
XO, Sophie