Sunday, March 31, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Student updates
I've been concentrating on coordinating events on the trip and sorting out important details like food, communications & the potluck dinner when the kids will go home with their host families.
Fortunately, Pat has been able to do the blogging to keep people back in Thailand updated on our progress while I handle stuff over here. But I'm slowly catching up. Here's my impressions of the kids so far:
Gam: She's been very mature and confident on this trip. However, when she accidentally ran into Dori Miller at the library, her facade slipped and she nearly burst into tears as she rushed over to give her a hug. It's so great to be reminded of the close bonds these kids can develop with their hosts in such a short time together. Connecting people like the Miller's with Gam and her family is really what this trip is all about, and I'm very proud to be a part of that experience for them. Gam has been a great leader on this trip too. Due to her experience and maturity, the younger girls look to her as a role model. She's been very good about helping them to adapt to things over here.
Didi: June and Didi have been inseparable this trip. They do everything together. However, when she met her host family at bowling, she did a great job talking to them and playing with them. I think she will become good friends with her host sister too. She told me they seemed very nice and kind, so I think she is looking forward to staying with them. In our orientation lessons, Didi told me that some of the American food she's been eating is not as tasty or flavorful as Thai food. I told her, "Welcome to America". Yes, the food is different, but we still have to try everything we are served. We never know if something will be good or bad until we try it. For example, when she tried the cheese curds, she really liked them. She also liked Taco Bell too.
In: She's been very quiet so far on this trip. I don't think she's said more than five words to me, and I've noticed that she doesn't seem very social with the other students. Normally, I would take this as a sign of homesickness, but I think it's more about In's observant nature. She just likes to watch the other children talking and playing rather than participating. However, when the Stier's showed up for bowling night, In walked right up to Sophia and introduced herself. I was very proud of her, because I saw she was making a real effort to have a conversation with her new host sister. It was great to see her doing such a good job!
Japan: He has been suffering from homesickness a little bit. The other day I saw him eating breakfast in the kitchen by himself, and self-isolation is usually a sign of homesickness. Part of the problem has been his phone. He has a sim card that should work in America, but it doesn't and so he's frustrated by that. The other students know that since we don't have internet at the house, they cannot contact home except when we go to the library, but Japan knows that he could contact him if his phone worked, and that's causing him to focus on something he lacks & things he's missing back home rather than focusing on the here & now like the other students are doing. I completely understand his parents' desire to keep in touch with their son, however this is one of those times when what's best for the parents may not be what's best for the child. In fact, the other day when I found Japan in the library playing games & chatting with people back home instead of doing his blog, I took his phone away. He didn't like it at first, but there was a noticeable improvement in his attitude after that. Once he knew that he couldn't contact home, he immediately found other things to do and started to participate with the other children. For example, he and the other boys rebuilt their snowman in the front yard. He was quite happy and proud of his work. It was very good to see him smiling again.
June: She's been doing very well so far on this trip. Having already experienced living in America before, she is more confident and sure of herself this time around. But she doesn't know everything. For example, I pulled a "Tom Sawyer" trick on her yesterday and convinced her than scraping ice off the windshield of the van was "fun". Hahah! I've noticed a lot more smiling from June this time around, and when I joke with her, she'll laugh and say something fun back to me. I think she's matured a lot since her last trip. Every morning Gam, Didi, and June wake up before the sun comes up, take showers, and then get bundled up to go for a walk. When I ask them what they are doing, they just shrug and say, "walk around." I think they really enjoy the snow and like to talk about their experiences while they walk around in the park.
May: I've noticed a big change in May since her last trip to America. She seems more confident and capable of being on her own. She also enjoys the trips to the library, because it means a chance to play on Facebook. Like Gam and June, her previous experiences have given her more confidence. I remember the first time she went with Jan to stay with her host family, they cried all day. This time, however, May knows her host family already, so she's really looking forward to staying with them. On her first trip, she didn't want the orientation camp to end and she was very worried about meeting her host family, but this time, she keeps telling me that she can't wait to go back to Hilbert so she can see all her friends again. Her host sister couldn't make it to bowling night, but she did join us for dinner at Mr. Lucky's. May was very happy to see her, and they gave each other a big hug.
Sai: Although this is technically Sai's first trip, I think the fact that her brother came over her and had such a great time has given her more confidence than her friends. She knows what to expect and she knows it'll be OK, so she's been very fearless on this trip. Pat and I tease her a lot, and she's always joking around with her friends, so she's always on the giving or recieving end of a joke. Most of the kidding revolves around boys, and Sai can't seem to make up her mind who is more handsome: Korean or American boys. I think she likes both! When I took a picture of Jinny at the church's carnival, it looked like the American boy was kneeling down to propose to Jinny. When I showed it to Bangpan and Sai, they both said, "No! He's mine!" Haha!
Bangpan: The three amigas on this trip are Bangpan, Jinny, and Sai. Their obsession with Korean pop culture has made them inseparable friends. In fact, Pat told me they had already started using the Thai pronouns for very close friends with each other. Bangpan always has a smile on her face, and I often hear her laughter around the house. On bowling night, she was very excited to meet the Larson's exchange student from Korea. Jinny, Sai, and Bangpan could not stop talking about how he was so handsome and kind. When she found out he could play CNBlue songs on his guitar, she just melted. Of course, Pat and I have been teasing her endlessly about her infatuation, but she doesn't seem detered by that at all. Hahah!
Dada: I think Dada has been amazed and shocked by everything she sees the older kids doing. She keeps coming up to Pat to report the "strange" behavior of her friends. Everything is so weird to her, and she wants to tell us all about it. Hahah! Of course, she thinks Pat and I are weird too. We're newlyweds after all, and so we hold hands and hug a lot, and every time we do, Dada looks at us like we've lost our minds and starts to giggle. She's also been a very good friend to In on this trip, and I often see them playing together. Dada hasn't been very adventurous about food, though. So sometimes when we go to a restaurant, she doesn't want to try something new on the menu because she hasn't heard of it before. For example, when we went to Mr. Lucky's they had mini corn dogs on their kids' menu. I recommended to Dada that she order it, but she wrinkled her nose and said, "I don't like corn". Of course, corn dogs have nothing to do with corn, it's just a name, and every kid loves corn dogs, so I convinced her to try them and of course, she loved them!
Gene: He's been a little quiet on this trip around the adults, but I think that's just because he's too cool for us, hahah! I see he struggles a bit with having fun while trying not to look like he's having too much fun. If he could relax and stop worrying about being cool, he'd probably enjoy himself a lot more, but he's a teenager, so I don't think that's possible. Haha! Gene's been very good on this trip and he's shown a lot of maturity. He follows instructions very well and he's always willing to help out with the chores. He did a good job introducing himself to the Larson family and they told me he seemed like a great kid.
Jinny: When Jinny met my parents, my Dad asked her why her gift had elephants on it, and Jinny correctly explained the meaning of elephants to Thai people for my Dad. I was very proud to see her speak so clearly and confidently in English. Of course, like Bangpan and Sai, she's very curious about the American and Korean boys she's met so far on the trip. When we were at bowling night with the host families, she tried to secretly take a picture of the Larson's Korean boy, but she forgot to shut off the flash! Hahah! When the flash went off, he knew she took a picture of him and she was so embarassed that she said, "I give up! I can't talk to him again!" Hahah!
Pokpong: He's been terrific on this trip. Even though he's not from the same school the other students, he's been socializing with them very well. He did a fantastic job introducing himself to the Stier family and talking with Lawton Stier while they bowled. He's also been a good big brother to the younger students. He helped Japan with his bags during the flight and he's been taking care of In too. When the boys were making a snowman, Pokpong figured out that he could use hot water as "glue" to stick the snowman together. That's very smart considering it's his first experience with snow!
Fortunately, Pat has been able to do the blogging to keep people back in Thailand updated on our progress while I handle stuff over here. But I'm slowly catching up. Here's my impressions of the kids so far:
Pokpong: He's been terrific on this trip. Even though he's not from the same school the other students, he's been socializing with them very well. He did a fantastic job introducing himself to the Stier family and talking with Lawton Stier while they bowled. He's also been a good big brother to the younger students. He helped Japan with his bags during the flight and he's been taking care of In too. When the boys were making a snowman, Pokpong figured out that he could use hot water as "glue" to stick the snowman together. That's very smart considering it's his first experience with snow!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Church
After church we went back to the library. We stopped along the way for lunch at Taco Bell. The kids really liked it, but they said it wasn't spicy enough for their tastes. At the library, Pat and I caught up on our communications a bit while the kids worked on their blogs.
When I went out to check on the kids, I noticed Japan was chatting online and playing games. He was the only student who had not completed his blog, and so Pat and I took his phone away and had a talk with him. He's been struggling with homesickness, lately because he can't get his phone to work properly so he can call his parents back home. The frustration has caused him to focus more on what he's missing back home, rather than focusing on what he's doing here and now. I understand his parents' desire to keep in touch with their son, but sometimes what's best for the parents is not what is best for the child. Japan needs to keep busy and adapt to his surroundings here, rather than spend his time trying to communicate with people back in Thailand.
The lack of internet access at the house has actually been a bit of a blessing. It's forced the kids to find other things to do, and so instead of sitting in their rooms chatting on Facebook, they are outside playing in the snow. However, since Japan has a phone that should work in America, he has been trying to get that to work and isolating himself from the group, which is a sure sign of homesickness. I remember on past trips, the kids who suffered from homesickness the most were the ones who had communication problems with home while other kids did not. In way, this is what's happening to Japan. The other kids know they can talk with their families when they get to the library, so they put it out of their minds and don't think about it. Communications isn't a problem for them. Japan, on the other hand, has a sim card that should work in America, so he knows that he could talk to his family right now, if only he could get the phone to work properly. So unlike the other students, communication is a problem for Japan, even though he can talk to his family while at the library just like the other kids.
So when Pat and I took his phone away, he didn't like it, but we noticed an immediate improvement in his behavior. Now that he knew he couldn't communicate with Thailand (because we had his phone), he focused his attention on the here and now, rather than the people he misses. This was a common problem on previous trips, and its probably a result of our modern world. We are almost too wired together these days. So while it's possible to achieve physical separation by traveling around the world, we are all still connected together by phone cards, Skype, Facebook, and Line. That's a great thing most of the time, but it can be a problem some times, especially when you're trying to explain to a 10 year old why something that ALWAYS worked before suddenly doesn't work. It can also be a big distraction and a way to retreat from actual interactions with the people around us. On previous trips, the host families gave me feedback that they wanted less
We had planned to do a pizza party on Sunday night, but the kids told me they were bored with pizza already, so on the way back to New Holstein, we stopped at Mr. Lucky's, a restaurant in Valders. I didn't think the food was very tasty, but the kids told me they really liked it. Sydnee Koenigs and her mom stopped by to visit May. When they arrived, May ran up to give Sydnee a big hug. Then they sat at the far end of the table with May's friend. After a while, I looked over to see Sydnee sitting there with a big wide-eyed expression on her face. I told her now she knows what May felt like on her first day at school. To be the odd-one-out in the group with everyone talking too fast and laughing at jokes she can't understand. It must be a unique experience for a kid from Hilbert to be the "minority" for the first time in her life. Haha!
After dinner, we drove over to my parents' house to pick up some paper for the host family party on Thursday. The kids sat in the living room with my parents' dog, Pepper, while Pat and I talked with my parents. We had to sort out the transportation details for Thursday, because I'll be returning the van and we will need a ride back to Valders. Pat also taught my dad how to watch movies on the internet because she wanted my dad to see a TV series she likes. We talked for about an hour, but it was the end of another long day, so again we had a van full of sleepy, grumpy teenagers when we went home, hahah!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Bowling & Pancakes
Saturday morning, I went across the street to the church to use the phone. I had to call my brother so he could come pick me up and take me to Manitowoc so I could rent the van. When I got over there, I saw that they were preparing for a pancake breakfast and carnival. How lucky!
So I went back to the house to get the kids ready for breakfast, but they were already awake and down at the park playing in the snow. So I walked down there to call them back to the house. The pancake breakfast was held in the gymnasium of the school that's attached to the church. They had scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes and donuts. It was very delicious and the kids ate their fill. They also got five tickets to play carnival games, so it was a bit like a temple fair, except that the games were a lot easier and run by students at the school.
One little boy was so excited about everything. When he got a "1" on the peg game (which is the lowest score), he would shout "YES!" as if he'd done really well, and when he caught another stuffed bunny rabbit in the fishing game to match the one he'd already caught, he shouted, "Now my rabbit has a girlfriend!" The girls thought he was hilarious, and they laughed at everything he said.
The kids played carnival games for a while and then we went back over to the house. My brother came to pick me up and we drove into Manitwoc to the van rental company. By the time I returned, Gene, Pokpong, and Japan had already built their first snowman! It was really good for a first effort. It had a long nose made of ice, and eyes, mouth, and buttons made out of stones. It even had the classic arms made from sticks.
Once we loaded all the kids into the van, we took a short trip over to the Walmart in Chilton so Pat and I could buy a phone. Some of the kids forgot their name tags, and so I had to scold them a little bit. I don't like to bring the kids down when they are having a good time, but safety is my primary concern and so sometimes I have to be "Mr. Meanie" if the kids are not being mindful of their own safety. Of course, we didn't have any problems at the Walmart, but I still don't feel comfortable letting the kids out of my sight without them having some way to contact me if there is a problem or if they get lost.
Pat and I got a phone at the Walmart, so we have an American phone number now. That was very important because a lot of our plans for this week required getting in touch with host families and other people. Since we arrived, we were in a communications blackout with no internet or phone service. The house we are staying at doesn't have a landline or internet, so getting the phone at Walmart was one of our top priorities.
When we got to Manitowoc, we learned that the library had changed its hours since last year, and so we only had a half-an-hour before they closed. That wasn't much time, so Pat got the kids to update their blogs quickly while I focused on getting the phone registered online so it would work. I also had to send out a quick email to the host families about bowling and the rest of our schedule.
It's taken me a while to catch up on my blogging, but that's OK, because Pat has picked up my slack. She's the "communications officer" on this trip, and so she's been keeping people in Thailand updated on our status while I handle organizing trip details with the Americans here. Like I've said before, it's been great having someone on these trips who is reliable and responsible. Pat handles the things that I don't have time to do, so that I can focus on taking care of the kids & making sure we make contact with hosts and other people we need to meet during this week.
I'm slowing managing to catch up on my blog, but in situations like Saturday where we only had half-an-hour of internet access, it's good that Pat and I could divide responsibilities. She took care of updating her blog while I took care of registering the phone and contacting the host families. Whew!
After the library, we took the kids to Hong Kong Buffet for lunch. The food was very tasty and the kids ate a lot. The fortune cookies were a highlight, because they seemed uncannily accurate. For example, May got a fortune cookie that read, "You will step on the soil of many distant lands in your lifetime." How cool is that?
Even though Pat and I divided chores at the library, we didn't have enough time to get everything done, so once we finished feeding the kids lunch, we drove around the block a few times until we found a street with public wifi access, and then we parked there until we finished contacting everyone. The kids didn't seem to mind since it meant a few more minutes of Facebook access, hahah! After that we took them to Beernstein's Chocolate shop. They weren't very hungry because they were still full from the Chinese buffet, but they tried a few sundaes and fountain sodas anyway. Sai also bought a few huge pieces of homemade chocolate to eat later.
After that, it was time to go bowling. We managed to contact most of the host families and so they started showing up just a little bit after we did. The first-time kids were very nervous about meeting their hosts, but they did a great job introducing themselves and trying to start conversations with their host siblings. Andrea Stier (In and Pokpong's host mom) kind of shocked In by giving her a big hug!
The highlight of the night for some of the girls was the arrival of two Korean boys being hosted by the Kupsky and Larson families. Once they arrived a gang of giggling girls suddenly formed in the corner as they intensely discussed every detail of the local Korean "superstars". Kay Larson told me that Arnold, her exchange student, had spent most of the afternoon deciding what to wear so he could make a good impression on the ladies. And he did! The funniest moment of the evening was when Jinny tried to secretly take a photo of Arnold with her phone, however she forgot to shut off the flash! When the phone's camera flashed at the handsome Korean boy, Jinny turned beet-red with embarrassment Haha! Bangpan was also smitten by Arnold's charms. She came up to me at one point and said, "Arnold is so nice and handsome!" Once she found out he could play CNBLUE songs on his guitar, that was it. She stole Arnold away from Jinny and Sai for the rest of the night!
I was very impressed with the way the kids made an effort to talk to their host siblings while they bowled. It was a bit awkward and shy, but I could see that they were trying. In, for example, walked right up to Sophia and introduced herself. I was very proud to see her do that. Pokpong seemed very at ease around the Stier family too. I think he will fit in well with them. June and Didi got a chance to meet their hosts too. Ella Hecker seemed very sweet and I think she and June will get along just fine. Didi talked with Olivia and Emma Kolar while they bowled and once she gets over her shyness, I think Didi will really enjoy staying with their family.
Joey Larson broke his arm right just before we arrived, so he didn't bowl with the other kids. In fact, he was pretty zoned-out by the pain medication he was on. So Gene mostly talked with Arnold. Sai and Brylee seemed to hit it off immediately, and I think they'll be behaving like sisters by the end of this trip. The Walsh family arrived with their son Connor. Lynn Walsh told me that Connor had been waiting all day to get confirmation about bowling night, so it was a good thing we finally got internet access! They were very excited to meet Jinny, and they told me they had arranged some nice girls to be Jinny's buddies at school, however, Connor seemed like a great kids, so I think Jinny will probably enjoy hanging out with him too. He's already got a list of Wii console games he wants to play with her at home.
The new host families had a lot of questions for me, so I stopped bowling and talked with them. Even after the kids finished bowling we still had things to discuss about the trip, so by the end of the night I had a bunch of sleepy, grumpy teenagers in my van!
So I went back to the house to get the kids ready for breakfast, but they were already awake and down at the park playing in the snow. So I walked down there to call them back to the house. The pancake breakfast was held in the gymnasium of the school that's attached to the church. They had scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes and donuts. It was very delicious and the kids ate their fill. They also got five tickets to play carnival games, so it was a bit like a temple fair, except that the games were a lot easier and run by students at the school.
One little boy was so excited about everything. When he got a "1" on the peg game (which is the lowest score), he would shout "YES!" as if he'd done really well, and when he caught another stuffed bunny rabbit in the fishing game to match the one he'd already caught, he shouted, "Now my rabbit has a girlfriend!" The girls thought he was hilarious, and they laughed at everything he said.
The kids played carnival games for a while and then we went back over to the house. My brother came to pick me up and we drove into Manitwoc to the van rental company. By the time I returned, Gene, Pokpong, and Japan had already built their first snowman! It was really good for a first effort. It had a long nose made of ice, and eyes, mouth, and buttons made out of stones. It even had the classic arms made from sticks.
Once we loaded all the kids into the van, we took a short trip over to the Walmart in Chilton so Pat and I could buy a phone. Some of the kids forgot their name tags, and so I had to scold them a little bit. I don't like to bring the kids down when they are having a good time, but safety is my primary concern and so sometimes I have to be "Mr. Meanie" if the kids are not being mindful of their own safety. Of course, we didn't have any problems at the Walmart, but I still don't feel comfortable letting the kids out of my sight without them having some way to contact me if there is a problem or if they get lost.
Pat and I got a phone at the Walmart, so we have an American phone number now. That was very important because a lot of our plans for this week required getting in touch with host families and other people. Since we arrived, we were in a communications blackout with no internet or phone service. The house we are staying at doesn't have a landline or internet, so getting the phone at Walmart was one of our top priorities.
When we got to Manitowoc, we learned that the library had changed its hours since last year, and so we only had a half-an-hour before they closed. That wasn't much time, so Pat got the kids to update their blogs quickly while I focused on getting the phone registered online so it would work. I also had to send out a quick email to the host families about bowling and the rest of our schedule.
It's taken me a while to catch up on my blogging, but that's OK, because Pat has picked up my slack. She's the "communications officer" on this trip, and so she's been keeping people in Thailand updated on our status while I handle organizing trip details with the Americans here. Like I've said before, it's been great having someone on these trips who is reliable and responsible. Pat handles the things that I don't have time to do, so that I can focus on taking care of the kids & making sure we make contact with hosts and other people we need to meet during this week.
I'm slowing managing to catch up on my blog, but in situations like Saturday where we only had half-an-hour of internet access, it's good that Pat and I could divide responsibilities. She took care of updating her blog while I took care of registering the phone and contacting the host families. Whew!
After the library, we took the kids to Hong Kong Buffet for lunch. The food was very tasty and the kids ate a lot. The fortune cookies were a highlight, because they seemed uncannily accurate. For example, May got a fortune cookie that read, "You will step on the soil of many distant lands in your lifetime." How cool is that?
Even though Pat and I divided chores at the library, we didn't have enough time to get everything done, so once we finished feeding the kids lunch, we drove around the block a few times until we found a street with public wifi access, and then we parked there until we finished contacting everyone. The kids didn't seem to mind since it meant a few more minutes of Facebook access, hahah! After that we took them to Beernstein's Chocolate shop. They weren't very hungry because they were still full from the Chinese buffet, but they tried a few sundaes and fountain sodas anyway. Sai also bought a few huge pieces of homemade chocolate to eat later.
After that, it was time to go bowling. We managed to contact most of the host families and so they started showing up just a little bit after we did. The first-time kids were very nervous about meeting their hosts, but they did a great job introducing themselves and trying to start conversations with their host siblings. Andrea Stier (In and Pokpong's host mom) kind of shocked In by giving her a big hug!
The highlight of the night for some of the girls was the arrival of two Korean boys being hosted by the Kupsky and Larson families. Once they arrived a gang of giggling girls suddenly formed in the corner as they intensely discussed every detail of the local Korean "superstars". Kay Larson told me that Arnold, her exchange student, had spent most of the afternoon deciding what to wear so he could make a good impression on the ladies. And he did! The funniest moment of the evening was when Jinny tried to secretly take a photo of Arnold with her phone, however she forgot to shut off the flash! When the phone's camera flashed at the handsome Korean boy, Jinny turned beet-red with embarrassment Haha! Bangpan was also smitten by Arnold's charms. She came up to me at one point and said, "Arnold is so nice and handsome!" Once she found out he could play CNBLUE songs on his guitar, that was it. She stole Arnold away from Jinny and Sai for the rest of the night!
I was very impressed with the way the kids made an effort to talk to their host siblings while they bowled. It was a bit awkward and shy, but I could see that they were trying. In, for example, walked right up to Sophia and introduced herself. I was very proud to see her do that. Pokpong seemed very at ease around the Stier family too. I think he will fit in well with them. June and Didi got a chance to meet their hosts too. Ella Hecker seemed very sweet and I think she and June will get along just fine. Didi talked with Olivia and Emma Kolar while they bowled and once she gets over her shyness, I think Didi will really enjoy staying with their family.
Joey Larson broke his arm right just before we arrived, so he didn't bowl with the other kids. In fact, he was pretty zoned-out by the pain medication he was on. So Gene mostly talked with Arnold. Sai and Brylee seemed to hit it off immediately, and I think they'll be behaving like sisters by the end of this trip. The Walsh family arrived with their son Connor. Lynn Walsh told me that Connor had been waiting all day to get confirmation about bowling night, so it was a good thing we finally got internet access! They were very excited to meet Jinny, and they told me they had arranged some nice girls to be Jinny's buddies at school, however, Connor seemed like a great kids, so I think Jinny will probably enjoy hanging out with him too. He's already got a list of Wii console games he wants to play with her at home.
The new host families had a lot of questions for me, so I stopped bowling and talked with them. Even after the kids finished bowling we still had things to discuss about the trip, so by the end of the night I had a bunch of sleepy, grumpy teenagers in my van!
Friday, March 22, 2013
FIRST DAY!
The flight from Korea to Chicago was long and boring. I'd already watched the movies I wanted to see on the flight from Bangkok to Korea, so I ended up watching movies from their "classic" selections, just to pass the time. I was seated in the very front of the economy section, which was good because I had lots of leg room, but the seats don't recline very far so it was still uncomfortable. As a result, I didn't sleep at all on the flight.
We arrived at Chicago and passed through immigration without any problems. This was the first time an immigration officer actually asked me for permission forms from the parents, so I was glad that I had brought the Amphur letters and guardian letters with me. I had never needed them before, but it felt good to be prepared!
While we waited for the shuttle coach to pick us up, the kids got their first taste of winter air. Brrrrrr!
We loaded up the shuttle coach and then drove to the Wisconsin border to have lunch at a McDonald's. I had to scold a few of the girls because they didn't order any food. I told them they had to eat at every opportunity. We're not in Bangkok any more, where food is available on every street corner, so if I take them to a restaurant to eat, they must choose something on the menu & eat it there, because there might not be another opportunity later on.
It's a very typical thing to happen on these trips. The kids are still operating on assumptions that worked well for them in Bangkok, and it takes a while for them to understand that those assumptions may not work in America. So skipping a meal isn't an option because we don't have street vendors and 7-11's on every street. So these experiences are good learning opportunities for the children. They begin to see
The shuttle coach took us to New Holstein in about three hours. In Chicago, there was no snow, but as we went further north, we gradually began to see more and more snow. The kids were very excited about it, and couldn't wait to get out of the van so they could play in the snow.
Once we arrived in New Holstein, we dropped our stuff off in the house and the kids ran outside to play. I had them leave their big bags downstairs so they wouldn't scratch up the walls banging the bags up and down the stairs. So they only took their carry-ons and backpacks upstairs with them.
The house is really big, and there are six bedrooms upstairs. Pat & I took a small one in the middle between the boys' and girls' rooms. The girls had two rooms, but they opted to sleep altogether in the big room and use the small room to store their bags. They laid the sleeping bags out so they could sleep foot to foot, and it was very crowded in their room, but that's actually a good thing size it would be a lot warmer at night with all those people sleeping together.
The sun had been out all day, and it was actually pretty warm (around 0'C), so the snow was soft and easy to pack. The kids made their first tracks through the snow as they walked around the house, chattering excitedly about this amazing experience.
Of course, it wouldn't be a snow experience without a snowball fight. So the kids started packing snowballs & throwing them around. For some reason, I didn't have anyone else on my team! So it was students vs. teacher (my wife didn't help me at all!).
The kids asked how far they could walk around the town, so I took them down to the park and told them they could walk there, but I wanted them to avoid going into other people's yards. I took a picture of them on the way back that I really love. It makes me think about what it would be like to be little kids exploring a big, big world. They are so brave!
Afterwards, we went to eat dinner. The first restaurant I took them to was closed for remodeling (which proved my point that the kids should eat when given the opportunity, because we can never predict what will happen in the future). So we had to walk a bit further down the road to a pizza restaurant.
We ordered two sausage pizzas and a taco pizza, plus some garlic bread and cheese sticks. The kids seemed to really like the pizza, but it was a bit too much food so we took a box of pizza home with us.
Once we got home, we had the kids shower and get ready for bed. The shower/bathroom situation in the house is not ideal. The bathroom doors don't have locks on them and the basement is unfinished so the kids were a little scared to go down there at first. So I made some "occupied" signs for the bathroom doors and I put my rubber shoes near the basement doors so the kids could wear them in the shower down there (the concrete floor is very cold).
In a way, it's a lot like real camping. We're roughing it and making due with what we have. It's a good experience for the kids because it teaches them to adapt to new challenges. For example, the house is a little bit cold, but they put on sweaters and they are quite comfortable. Su! Su!
Patty, of course, is teaching the kids well, although I hope none of them copy her fashion sense! Hahah!
We arrived at Chicago and passed through immigration without any problems. This was the first time an immigration officer actually asked me for permission forms from the parents, so I was glad that I had brought the Amphur letters and guardian letters with me. I had never needed them before, but it felt good to be prepared!
While we waited for the shuttle coach to pick us up, the kids got their first taste of winter air. Brrrrrr!
We loaded up the shuttle coach and then drove to the Wisconsin border to have lunch at a McDonald's. I had to scold a few of the girls because they didn't order any food. I told them they had to eat at every opportunity. We're not in Bangkok any more, where food is available on every street corner, so if I take them to a restaurant to eat, they must choose something on the menu & eat it there, because there might not be another opportunity later on.
It's a very typical thing to happen on these trips. The kids are still operating on assumptions that worked well for them in Bangkok, and it takes a while for them to understand that those assumptions may not work in America. So skipping a meal isn't an option because we don't have street vendors and 7-11's on every street. So these experiences are good learning opportunities for the children. They begin to see
The shuttle coach took us to New Holstein in about three hours. In Chicago, there was no snow, but as we went further north, we gradually began to see more and more snow. The kids were very excited about it, and couldn't wait to get out of the van so they could play in the snow.
Once we arrived in New Holstein, we dropped our stuff off in the house and the kids ran outside to play. I had them leave their big bags downstairs so they wouldn't scratch up the walls banging the bags up and down the stairs. So they only took their carry-ons and backpacks upstairs with them.
The house is really big, and there are six bedrooms upstairs. Pat & I took a small one in the middle between the boys' and girls' rooms. The girls had two rooms, but they opted to sleep altogether in the big room and use the small room to store their bags. They laid the sleeping bags out so they could sleep foot to foot, and it was very crowded in their room, but that's actually a good thing size it would be a lot warmer at night with all those people sleeping together.
The sun had been out all day, and it was actually pretty warm (around 0'C), so the snow was soft and easy to pack. The kids made their first tracks through the snow as they walked around the house, chattering excitedly about this amazing experience.
Of course, it wouldn't be a snow experience without a snowball fight. So the kids started packing snowballs & throwing them around. For some reason, I didn't have anyone else on my team! So it was students vs. teacher (my wife didn't help me at all!).
The kids asked how far they could walk around the town, so I took them down to the park and told them they could walk there, but I wanted them to avoid going into other people's yards. I took a picture of them on the way back that I really love. It makes me think about what it would be like to be little kids exploring a big, big world. They are so brave!
Afterwards, we went to eat dinner. The first restaurant I took them to was closed for remodeling (which proved my point that the kids should eat when given the opportunity, because we can never predict what will happen in the future). So we had to walk a bit further down the road to a pizza restaurant.
We ordered two sausage pizzas and a taco pizza, plus some garlic bread and cheese sticks. The kids seemed to really like the pizza, but it was a bit too much food so we took a box of pizza home with us.
Once we got home, we had the kids shower and get ready for bed. The shower/bathroom situation in the house is not ideal. The bathroom doors don't have locks on them and the basement is unfinished so the kids were a little scared to go down there at first. So I made some "occupied" signs for the bathroom doors and I put my rubber shoes near the basement doors so the kids could wear them in the shower down there (the concrete floor is very cold).
In a way, it's a lot like real camping. We're roughing it and making due with what we have. It's a good experience for the kids because it teaches them to adapt to new challenges. For example, the house is a little bit cold, but they put on sweaters and they are quite comfortable. Su! Su!
Patty, of course, is teaching the kids well, although I hope none of them copy her fashion sense! Hahah!
Flight to America
We boarded the plane without any problems. The kids were nervous and excited, but very well-behaved. We flew Korean Airlines which meant a stopover in Incheon, Korea, something Bangpan, Jinny and Sai were VERY excited about.
Korean Airlines was great. They gave us a little package with toothbrush, toothpaste and even some comfy slippers! The seats also had individual screens on them so we could watch movies, play games, or look out exterior cameras of the airplane.
Eventually, fatigue overcame the excitement of departure, and the kids began to fall asleep. Pat & I got to sit together on the flight to Korea, so we watched a few movies together and discussed our first impressions of how the kids were behaving on the trip so far. It's a big adventure of them, but they seemed to be handling it very well!
We only had a two-hour stopover in Korea, so that was just enough time to get through the security screening and across the airport to the next gate. The kids were disappointed that they couldn't explore the airport more (they always are), but I herded them to our gate anyway. Once we got to the gate, we had about half-an-hour to wait before they started boarding, so I let the kids do some shopping in that area.
I don't know how Pat managed to do it, but with only half-an-hour in Korea and she still managed to spend $100 on makeup! Hahah! I was sitting with the boys when Pat returned & told me she was $10 short and couldn't afford the eyebrow pencil she wanted. After listening to her tragically describe how short her eyebrow pencil was and how much she reeeeeeeeally needed a new one, I gave her the $10 and she literally RAN back to the shop, bouncing gleefully like a little girl. Pokpong & Gene looked at me and shook their heads in disbelief, but I told them, "That's your future boys, you're going to work hard all day just so some girl can spend $30 on a PENCIL!" hahahaha!
Korean Airlines was great. They gave us a little package with toothbrush, toothpaste and even some comfy slippers! The seats also had individual screens on them so we could watch movies, play games, or look out exterior cameras of the airplane.
Eventually, fatigue overcame the excitement of departure, and the kids began to fall asleep. Pat & I got to sit together on the flight to Korea, so we watched a few movies together and discussed our first impressions of how the kids were behaving on the trip so far. It's a big adventure of them, but they seemed to be handling it very well!
We only had a two-hour stopover in Korea, so that was just enough time to get through the security screening and across the airport to the next gate. The kids were disappointed that they couldn't explore the airport more (they always are), but I herded them to our gate anyway. Once we got to the gate, we had about half-an-hour to wait before they started boarding, so I let the kids do some shopping in that area.
I don't know how Pat managed to do it, but with only half-an-hour in Korea and she still managed to spend $100 on makeup! Hahah! I was sitting with the boys when Pat returned & told me she was $10 short and couldn't afford the eyebrow pencil she wanted. After listening to her tragically describe how short her eyebrow pencil was and how much she reeeeeeeeally needed a new one, I gave her the $10 and she literally RAN back to the shop, bouncing gleefully like a little girl. Pokpong & Gene looked at me and shook their heads in disbelief, but I told them, "That's your future boys, you're going to work hard all day just so some girl can spend $30 on a PENCIL!" hahahaha!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Departure Day!
We arrived at the airport around 11:00pm. Some of the families were already there. I guess they were excited! Pat had done a great job organizing the paperwork beforehand, so it was a relatively stress-free departure.
I've felt more relaxed and at ease about this trip than any previous trip. We've got a great group of students, my wife and I make a great team, and we're better organized & prepared than ever before. I think this will be the trip where my homestay program finally achieves the level of professionalism & quality that I've always strived to attain.
In the past, the trips were always a great experience for the students and hosts, but they took a tremendous effort on my part to organize single-handedly, and that always left me exhausted & stressed on departure day. This time, however, I felt very calm and relaxed. I know we'll still encounter minor problems during the trip, because that's the nature of these types of adventures, but now I'm more experienced and confident that I can handle anything, plus I have a great "assistant/boss" to help me out!
As the kids began arriving at the airport, we handed them their snack-packs, tagged their luggage, and gave them their emergency contact cards. Once the last student finally showed up (Maaaaayyyy.....), we checked in our bags, took a few group photos, and said good-bye to a nervous, but proud, group of parents. See you in six weeks, everyone!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Trip Prep Week
We actually finished all the major preparations for the homestay trip last week, so we've been twiddling our thumbs in anticipation for the past few days, eager to be on our way.
Of course, last minute errands always crop up, but for the most part we've been packed and ready to go for a while. We used the guest bedroom as our "take everything in this room to America" room, and that worked out great. When the travel day finally arrived, we just put everything in that room into bags and we were ready to go!
One of the big last-minute things we were trying to get done before the trip was a small remodel/expansion of the learning center. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it all done before we left, but we managed to get it painted and the door to the new classroom cut, so we're off to a good start. The construction guys will continue working on it during the summer break, and hopefully by the time we return most of the remodeling will be finished.
Our staff has been sending us pictures of the progress, and so far it looks great!
Also, since Pat and I didn't have enough to do (and we're crazy), we decided to get married while we were in Wisconsin (we're already married, but we didn't have a wedding yet). We left most of the wedding planning up to a coordinator in America, but we still had lots of little details to take care of over here. For example, I had to go get a suit made.
I went to Raja fashions on Sukhumvit road. The owner, Bobby, was great and I was very pleased with the service (If you need a suit made, I recommend his shop!). Unfortunately, the suit required a few fittings & they couldn't finish it until Thursday, so on my last day in Bangkok, I ended up rushing all over the city running last-minute errands while carrying a very heavy suit!
Once I got back to the house, I finished packing and cleaning while I waited for Pat to come back from the center (she had to stay late to watch the workers finish the remodeling). When she returned, we watered the garden and said good-bye to Seven (our idiot dog) and Pumpkin (our unfriendly cat).
We actually finished packing early, so we called the taxi an hour early and got to the airport by 11:00pm.
One of the big last-minute things we were trying to get done before the trip was a small remodel/expansion of the learning center. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it all done before we left, but we managed to get it painted and the door to the new classroom cut, so we're off to a good start. The construction guys will continue working on it during the summer break, and hopefully by the time we return most of the remodeling will be finished.
Our staff has been sending us pictures of the progress, and so far it looks great!
Also, since Pat and I didn't have enough to do (and we're crazy), we decided to get married while we were in Wisconsin (we're already married, but we didn't have a wedding yet). We left most of the wedding planning up to a coordinator in America, but we still had lots of little details to take care of over here. For example, I had to go get a suit made.
I went to Raja fashions on Sukhumvit road. The owner, Bobby, was great and I was very pleased with the service (If you need a suit made, I recommend his shop!). Unfortunately, the suit required a few fittings & they couldn't finish it until Thursday, so on my last day in Bangkok, I ended up rushing all over the city running last-minute errands while carrying a very heavy suit!
Once I got back to the house, I finished packing and cleaning while I waited for Pat to come back from the center (she had to stay late to watch the workers finish the remodeling). When she returned, we watered the garden and said good-bye to Seven (our idiot dog) and Pumpkin (our unfriendly cat).
We actually finished packing early, so we called the taxi an hour early and got to the airport by 11:00pm.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Overnight Camp - March 2013
We're getting ready for the 2013 Homestay trip!
The overnight camp is our first big event of the American homestay trip. It's a chance for the kids to get to know each other and for us to iron out a few last minute details.
We met at Shambala Nursery on Chok Chai 4, and at first the kids seemed a bit shy & quiet. Some of them buried themselves in their phones, while others chatted with their school friends or sat in the corner observing everyone else. However, once the pizza arrived and we started setting up the blogs, the kids started to loosen up.
I sat back & let them set up their blogs on their own. It was their first challenge to overcome as a group & they did very well. Here's a list of their blogs. Please follow them all & give them lots of feedback!
June
Bangpan
Pokpong
Dada
Gam
Gene
Didi
Jinny
Sai
In
May
Japan
And of course, don't forget to follow Patty's blog so you can listen all her latest complaints about what terrible husband I'm turning out to be:
Panida Carroll
Once we got the blogs set up, we played a few icebreaker games with the kids. The first game involved secret numbers and speaking only in Alien language. It seems aliens like to grunt and point a lot, hahah!
Next we played Charades, which surprisingly none of the Thai kids had played before. I wrote out the words beforehand, and so the kids would give me dirty looks when they found out they had to act-out words like "Gangnam Style", "penguin", or "anime" but they were soon laughing & joking like old friends. The losing team had to go wash the dishes & clean up the trash, too!
I think this year's group is going to be really great together. I really liked the way they helped each other out when setting up the blogs & how they jumped up to do the dishes without complaint. This is a great group of kids we have this year, and I think they are going to have an awesome time on this trip!
The overnight camp is our first big event of the American homestay trip. It's a chance for the kids to get to know each other and for us to iron out a few last minute details.
We met at Shambala Nursery on Chok Chai 4, and at first the kids seemed a bit shy & quiet. Some of them buried themselves in their phones, while others chatted with their school friends or sat in the corner observing everyone else. However, once the pizza arrived and we started setting up the blogs, the kids started to loosen up.
I sat back & let them set up their blogs on their own. It was their first challenge to overcome as a group & they did very well. Here's a list of their blogs. Please follow them all & give them lots of feedback!
June
Bangpan
Pokpong
Dada
Gam
Gene
Didi
Jinny
Sai
In
May
Japan
And of course, don't forget to follow Patty's blog so you can listen all her latest complaints about what terrible husband I'm turning out to be:
Panida Carroll
Once we got the blogs set up, we played a few icebreaker games with the kids. The first game involved secret numbers and speaking only in Alien language. It seems aliens like to grunt and point a lot, hahah!
Next we played Charades, which surprisingly none of the Thai kids had played before. I wrote out the words beforehand, and so the kids would give me dirty looks when they found out they had to act-out words like "Gangnam Style", "penguin", or "anime" but they were soon laughing & joking like old friends. The losing team had to go wash the dishes & clean up the trash, too!
I think this year's group is going to be really great together. I really liked the way they helped each other out when setting up the blogs & how they jumped up to do the dishes without complaint. This is a great group of kids we have this year, and I think they are going to have an awesome time on this trip!
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