Playground Project

When I think of playgrounds, I imagine giant forts in the shapes of boats, homes, or rockets. Spending what seemed like hours and hours playing with friends while running around in cedar strips or sand. Slides that help you conquer your fear of heights and make you feel invincible.  Monkey bars that seem so easy when you were younger and leave us adults wondering, “Where did all my upper body strength go?” Swing sets where competitions of “highest swinger” were raged even if you didn’t know who the kid next to you was.

Behind all the fun and imagination, other skills were developing.  Having a safe area where kids can play with one another has social, physical, emotional, and mental benefits. Social development with other children allows students to interact with each other and build friendships with one another. Physical exercise is not only good for the children’s health but will improve their energy levels at schools. By interacting with peers, students will be able to act independently and gain self-esteem, which leads to improved emotional health. All of these areas are interchangeably important with cognitive development and improved motor skills.

So why I am taking a trip down memory lane while giving a health lesson?

Because I need your help.

The school I currently volunteer at and I are trying to build a playground. Right now, the students only have a soccer field to use during recess and after school. The goals don’t even have nets. Our mission is to get enough funding so that we can buy equipment that will suit the students’ needs and imaginations. The school will be contributing to the project as well, however, it is a poorer school in my district so we will be relying on donations for the most part. If we make our goal, we can give these students an area to exercise and develop properly and the tools to allow their imaginations to take them where they have not ventured before.

Potential site for new playground with soccer field in background.

Ways that you can help:

1.       Click and donate to the playground project https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=493-174

-  100% of funds go directly to the volunteer’s community

2.       Tell your friends and family.

- Post and share the website link on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks

- Send a mass email using your address book

3.       Doing a yard sale? Getting rid of old books or games?

-  Mail children’s games and books via USPS Medial Mail to:

Reflections

Attn: Tiane Shoemaker

250 S. Main Street

Colville, WA  99114

(These items will be mailed to my community)

- OR -

Darien Book Aid

1926 Post Road

Darien, CT  06820  USA

(These items will be sorted and donated to Peace Corps Volunteers throughout the world based on what their community needs.)

Still looking for ways to help?

My volunteer friends in Thailand and in other countries are always looking for support for their projects. You can search for potential projects based on type of project, volunteer, or host country. 


Visit http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate to begin your search or see what types of work Peace Corps Volunteers do.

Cock Fight

A few weeks ago I moved to another house. I am living with a host family again and I could still be in the honeymoon stage but things are working out better. The man works as a rubber farmer and his wife owns a small store in front of their house. They have two kids around their 20s who are going to school. I’ve known them since I first came to visit and it’s certainly a better situation than my old place.

There’s only one drawback.

This weekend, I was having a productive day. Doing laundry, talking to villagers, and just having a grand ol' time. That is until I stepped in chicken shit.  Barefoot. This has been the 57^th time it has happened and it seems to only happen right at the front door of my house. Seriously, what kind of animal takes a dump on your front porch? With my luck, I managed to live with the family that quite possibly has the most foul fowls in the district (>40). However, I do not like Thai roosters/chickens. Listed below are the reasons why:

•           Their biological clock is broken or nonexistent so they think 10:00PM - 3:00AM is the sunrise.
•           They crap everywhere.
•           They ugly.  Even their chicks. Babies of anything are never supposed to be ugly.
•           They are smug.
•           They have annoying mannerisms.
•           Some look like those little raptors from Jurassic Park. 

Just waiting for you to trip over that log...

There is a perfectly good reason why cock fighting is legal in Thailand. Some say it's for sport or gambling or entertainment. I think it's a prime excuse to wrangle up the ugly ones and watch 'em fight. What? If they're already going to go to that big coop in the sky ("free-range farm" if you so like), then why not get two or four of them together and let them get a few licks in first before they hit the fryer? They will die with dignity and valor in the battlefield. Plus, it will save you the time to tenderize or defeather 'em. I consider that a textbook case of a Win-Win situation.

I'm not going to end with a long spiel about the positive attributes of the Thai chicken and how much benefit they have or how beautiful and majestic they can be. It's just not going to happen.

The only time I like Thai chickens are when they look like this:

Next to their ol' friends B.B.Q. and Potato "Spuds" McGee
 (Thai translation: Fish Sauce and Sticky Rice)

I would love to give a shout out to two organizations that are absolutely amazing. If you are a Peace Corps Volunteer looking for an easy way to get supplies or if you are looking for an organization to give a donation towards, check out Darien Book Aid and Medwish.

Darien Book Aid is accepting books and monetary donations. Peace Corps Volunteers can request specific materials based on community-need and student comprehension and this service (including shipment to your site) is free. This was an extremely fast service and soon I had a box delivered to my school with books for every age.

MedWish is accepting volunteers, medical supplies, and monetary donations. Peace Corps Volunteers can request medical supplies and other heath station supplies. The materials are free but you will have to pay for shipping to your site. If you have a friend or family member coming to visit, they offer a Pick-Up/Mail service where you can have your visitor bring the supplies over with them which saves on international mailing costs.

Both organizations were very personable and helpful through the process. Check out their websites below for more information.

www.darienbookaid.org

www.medwish.org

January.  It’s a New Year and we PCVs (Group 123) are half way done.  Peace Corps Thailand has welcomed a new group of recruits (Group 124) and pretty soon it will be time for Group 122 to return home or go on their next adventure. I’m sure there’s a hidden metaphor in there someone about "Auld Lang Syne" and new acquaintances. However that song goes. Welcome freshman.

At the end of last year I had a couple visitors. My mom was able to take time off of work and come travel to a couple hot spots and shop. We got to travel to Phuket, Chiang Mai and even a boat ride to the Golden Triangle of Thailand, Burma and Laos. My boyfriend visited a month later and we went to KhaoYai National Park, my site at Thung Song, Ao Nang- Krabi, and Bangkok. It meant a lot to have visitors and the people in my village were excited to see variety. Seeing the same white, female farang around can get boring.

To my family and friends, I hope everyone has a fun- filled new year with adventure, meaning, and happiness.