Monkey Videos!

My last week in Mae Sot!

In the last week I was very busy! GA and I visited CDC school, it's a primary and high school which is founded by Dr Cynthia Maung. The same Doctor who founded the Mae Tao Clinic. CDC school is just across the road from the clinic.

My mother's new school Campie is linking with CDC Primary school. So GA and I took letters from Campie to CDC school, we took pictures of the children and I asked them to write letters back to the Campie students.

On the way back from school, we rode past all the kids walking home and bumped into a few bulls.

On the 5th of January I went to golf with the roomies. Jack tummy picked me up in a hurry cause I had missed his calls, so I had no time to get changed - freezing! Then we went to a village where there was a Karen concert.

Little Jack was there but Lisa and Ailsa weren't feeling too well. We played in the park there and ate some food. I love looking after Jack, he's such a lovely boy.

The place was beautifully lit in fairy lights and it was in the middle of a little lake/pond.

Eh Klo Dah and I.

Everyone was giving the singers flowers so Jack and I took flowers to our favourite singer after he came off stage. They were both very happy.

We saw Jue Jue there and all the people from the office. She was carrying a huge baby.

Jack giving flowers to a singer.

Jack and Saw Kod dancing.

Jack approves.

The next day we went back to CDC and took some more photos of the children from Grade 1 to Grade 6.

On the 8th of January I had my last day teaching at Hle Bee.

These are two of my Grade 3 students, they are twins. Too Go and Thinn Tha Zin. They are fantastic at English and are the sweetest little kids. A few weeks before I left, I went to their house and met their uncle and grandmother. I learned a bit about their family and looked at photo albums.

Most of my Grade 3 class.

The girls :) beautiful thannaka

I said goodbye to Si Si Win and her family. She bought me a blue top as a leaving present. She is such a kind and intelligent girl who deserves to have a chance. As a result of the economic downturn, a lot of factories have been shut down. Both Si's mother and father lost their jobs at the local factory along with hundreds of other migrant workers. Si is attending high school in June at CDC.

This is a huge moth that was outside our house for days.

That day, Clair and I got our hair cut. I had been to this hairdresser before and brought a picture the first time. I didn't the the hairdresser remembered me until the end when he showed me to a pinboard in the back which had my photo attached to it! hahaha. Where's Wally?

On that Sunday, Jack and Niamh had their anniversary party. It was a barbecue and the food was brilliant. What was even more brilliant is that it was a kareoke party! Rocky had just come back from Karen state so Jack, Ailsa and Lisa were very happy.

I say the food was brilliant...but I stuck to the barbecue chicken etc :)

Monday the 11th of January was my last day in Mae Sot, it was also a very busy day.

The school had invited me back to say goodbye. I went into my classes to say goodbye and Tha Zin had forgotten I was leaving, so we had an impromptu leaving party. All the children gathered in the Grade 2 building and students from each grade sang beautiful songs. A little dancing and students and teachers got up to say goodbye speeches. Each Grade gave me beautiful presents, gorgeous vibrant tops and pretty scarves. I was so surprised they had gotten so many presents, it was never ending! I was touched by their generosity for letting me work in their school, being so inexperienced and a rubbish teacher. The kids had a lot of fun in my classes but I doubt they learned anything of significance related to the English language.

Me with teachers Khaing Khaing and Phyu Phyu.

My lovely grade 2 luzzo's!

They had a machine for making snow cone type things.

You grind the ice down by turning the handle. The ice then goes into a little dish then they pour sugary liquids on them. I think you guessed I didn't eat them.

Kisses goodbye from Teacher Katie and her daughter.

The boy's from grade 4 rushed out to te shops and bought me a present!

Baby was very angry at me for leaving. Every time I went on holiday or away for longer than a few days, she hated me!

After saying goodbye to everyone at Hle Bee, went to the clinic to say goodbye to everybody there. I had a long chat with Lisa, it was hard to say goodbye to her cause it's fun havng her around. I really didn't want to leave her and the kids, they're such fun children.

I said goodbye to the office staff, didn't feel like I was properly leaving though. Just felt like a normal day.

The driver -never knew his name-, Saw Kod and I.

On the way home I had to go and give something to Ngwe Ngwe, one of the girls from Borderline.

They had this poster in their house. It's Sylvia and Meme! Very funny.

I wasn't meant to be staying for long because I was supposed to be meeting GA at my house. But Ngwe Ngwe had bought lots of food for us to eat and GA turned up at hers because I wasn't at my house, so it all turned out fine.

Ngwe Ngwe lives with Than Thoo Zaw, his Mother and Uncle.

So I got to say goodbye to him.


I bumped into Maung Maung Tinn at Casa Mia and said last goodbyes.

Then I said goodbye to my favourite waitress and my Karen mother.

That night, I went for my last dinner at the barbecue place with the Canadian volunteers and my australian roommates. Half way through the dinner, Michelle and Kristen said they were going to the shop. They came back and as we were finishing our they surprised me with a full banoffee pie from Casa Mia! They had sneaked out in the middle of the meal to pick it up, I was so shocked. The Canadian volunteers gave me a present too, a beautiful Karen bag. I wore it the other day.

Afterwards, we went to Thaimes bar and had a few drinks. We met Andy, the volunteer from the clinic and chatted for a while, said goodbyes.

I had a long conversation with Emily, which was great.

Then we said goodbye to Emily and Clair and I, the true partiers, went to seven eleven.

In front of seven eleven was a night butcher stall, pretty mingin. But I had to get a picture!

Jack Tummy going crazy
at the Karen Concert.

Okay, that was my last blog. It only took me 2 months to finish it! I will upload a few videos soon.

I will return to Thailand on the 5th of July and I am immensely excited. I cannot wait to see everyone again!

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