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Welcome to ocip 2007's blog!
Sobmoei Wittayakhom School
MaeHongSon, Northern Thailand
We will never forget.
All rights reserved [c] ajocip2007

We are a bunch of random people brought together by our willingness in wanting to experience a different lifestyle and culture.
We were lucky to be able to brave through the 1864 curves and enjoy an unforgettable 2 weeks in Thailand.
Many of us grew through these 2 short weeks with the frequent reflections.
It has been for us, an experience we will always remember.

Time of our trip: 27th November to 11th December 2007
Destination: Sobmoei Wittayakhom School, MaeHongSon, Northern Thailand
Mission: Embrace

Bulk of trip: Teaching

We taught students from the age of 12-19.
The subjects that were taught were English, Mathematics, Science and Computering (Windows Movie Maker)
We taught from 8.30am till 3.30pm for 5 days, with short breaks and lunch.
We tried to make the lessons as interesting as possible with interactive games, science experiments and last but not least, quizzes and tests!

After lessons: Mural Painting

We also did a mural in the school library to make the library for appealing and conducive for the students to study in. It is a legacy that we left behind, a mark of our trip.

At night: Night Tuition

Besides the main lessons we taught in the mornings and afternoons, we also had night tuition for the students we lived in the school.
It's the time we get to really interact with the students and get to know their cultures better. We get a glimpse of what they do during free time and understand the difficulties they have during learning.It facilitated in our lessons during the day.

A main problem that all of us experienced was the communication barrier we had with the students. They couldn't understand much English and Thai was just as foreign for us.

Despite this, we managed to communicate by hand gestures and simple words as well as with the help of the ever-important Eng-Thai translation dictionary!

1st to 2nd December 2007: Science Camp

Where they had a chance to learn science concepts through experiments and hands-on experience.They also taught them cheers from Singapore, icebreakers and even one of our orientation dance, "Boriquitto"! On their part, they also taught us their cheers and games too! =)

8th to 9th December 2007: Homestay

We stayed at some of the student's homes that are in the various villages near the school.
They live mainly in huts and slept on mattresses.
Their houses do not have the high technological appliances and equipments we have, yet it is still as comfortable as it would have been for us back in Singapore.
We had a great time at their homes, with the students and their families' warm hospitality. We will never forget them!

Almost every night, without fail, we would gather in the cold for hours to share what we experienced that day.
Everyone would have a chance to reflect, speak and grow.
We laughed together, cried together, had fun together.
The best of all, we grow and learn together.
To know more about our reflections, click on reflections.

"Communal living during OCIP taught me the importance of tolerance and consideration. It involves taking the initiative to do things but being humble at the same time." -- Yu Han (05/06)

"I really admire the respect they (Thai students)have for people. Not only do they respect the King, they also showed the same kind of respect to us too, though we are almost of the same age. When they greet us or call us “Teachers”, I will feel happy deep down and at least feel recognized. This made me realize that a simple thing like showing basic respects or giving a simple greeting can brighten up another person’s day." -- Jasmine (36/07)

" I was really glad to see that many of my students have the potential to do well in their studies but due to the education system available in Thailand, it really sadden me to realize that many talents would be wasted and that many opportunities for them to excel would not be accessible to them.I learnt to be more appreciative of the well- structured education system provided by the Singapore government." -- Melvin (04/06)

"During a particular debrief session, we had to share with everyone what we had become more aware of ourselves. For me, I am more able and daring to voice out my thoughts and opinions and I am much less self-conscious...I also realised that it's never easy to put others before yourself. Nobody can ever do that without feeling a tinge of regret...I guess the real giving happens when I feel happy to sacrifice certain things which are essential of me." -- Jie Xin (13/07)

" Through teaching the Thai students, I realised I have the patience for people. Yet I haven't been using this patience in Singapore towards my family, causing much hurt towards them. Hence, I'm aiming to use this patience on my family back here at home!" -- Hwee Lin (06/07)

"Homestay has impacted me as it showed me what cohesiveness is all about. While traveling around the village, it seemed that everyone knew each other and there were constant friendly greetings exchanged. The close-knitted village relation is something i have never witnessed in Singapore." -- Cerlyn (16/07)

"The experience I had whilst teaching allowed me to appreciate the facilities in my school more, as I realized that not everyone is fortunate enough to enjoy such amenities that we have. Also, I can finally relate to the ails of being a teacher; when you want to teach something that you understand well, in another language, it becomes complicated." -- Yiyao (08/07)

" I still remember an incident that happened during the Science Camp. When we were having reflection session at night, the lights suddenly went out. It was quite an interesting experience for me because in Singapore, no matter where we go, there will always be light at every corner. But this is not so in other countries. That impacted me and made me realise that we are really fortunate to live in a country like Singapore and we should seriously cherish what we have and not take things for granted!"
-- Qian Hua (06/07)