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

ECC Young Volunteer Wanted!!!

A Story of Tangmo: A Successful English Crazy Student

Tangmo is a highschool student in Si Muang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, NE Thailand. She is one of the potential campers of our English Crazy Camp, who has got infected with our English Crazy Syndromes two years ago at the camp in Khong Chiam district. Now she is getting more and more successful in her English learning. She won many English speaking competitions, she runs English radio program with her English native speaker teacher, DJ Superman, and she kindly teaches English to her younger neighbors. Let’s get to know her more now!

Hi Everyone! I’m Tangmo, or DJ Amazing Girl of Ban Si Muang Mai (as everyone knows this given name, Amazing Girl from the radio program in my village), Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast of Thailand. I’m 16 years old girl, studying in Si Muang Wittayakhan School, who is CRAZY in

English Crazy Camp #35 Betty Dumen School

It was the 6th and 7th September, 2008. English Crazy crews were inspiring 120 high schools students in Betty Dumen School crazily.