Friday 29 January 2010

Friday update

Yeh - half day off and a whole day on Sunday!

Have spent most of the week at the daycare centre in the mornings and the school for the blind in the afternoons. Unfortunately confined to barracks on Wednesday with whatever the Pattaya equivalent of Delhi belly is ( answers on a postcard please ), but all ok now.


At the school for the blind we sing songs and make music with anything we can make - tins, water bottles, pretty much anything we can lay our hands on that we can put rice or lentils into.The children love singing and are fluent in " If you're happy and you know it" and " the wheels on the bus". Any extra nursery/reception cds of songs gratefully accepted.
 From 8.30 til 12.00 is spent in day care. 8.30 is the equivalent of wake and shake, followed by some calm time meditation. Then I'm off to the room of 3 year olds where first task is to give out the cod liver oil ( orange flavoured so the children are happy to take it) Lessons, as in children sitting at tables, begin at 9.30. First they go through the Thai alphabet - 44 characters, then it's on to ABC. They were trying to cover the whole alphabet all at once, but we've( myself and Cynthia, who's from Nova Scotia) managed to convince them that a letter a day is quite enough. So today was cat and carrot. We're making worksheets as we go along - just the capital letter and a picture.At the moment phonics would be a journey too far for the Thai helpers.

At 10.15 the children have a break for a fruit snack and then are able to play with Lego ( not much else available) the room is large and reasonably airy, but no air con. 10.30 lunch is served, usually noodles, occasionally rice with some pork or chicken and sometimes a bit of greens

After lunch the children are able to go outside to play. Some climbing apparatus and a slide, as well as lots of balls. They enjoy having the volunteers to play with them - there are usually half a dozen of us outside with them.
Then 11.15 and it's inside for a shower, change into pjs and lie down on fold up mattress ( that's the kids not the adults !) The volunteers and Thai staff sit with the children massaging their backs until they drop off to sleep. LOTS of techniques we've used at Vincent's - wish I'd had access to a portable mattress now and again !
Right, it's almost 4.30pm so it's off to the swimming pool to help with the disabled kids swimming lesson - good chance to cool off.
Tomorrow its the children's village in the morning and the street kids drop in centre in the afternoon. Sunday is REST day - may have to celebrate with a few beers.
Next update who knows when !!!

3 comments:

  1. Here goes Loo. loo skip to my loo skip to my loo my darling(I think it should be Lou), Jelly on the plate wibble wobble wibble wobble jelly on the plate etc etc.bannanas inh pyjamas are coming down the stairs---the list is endless!! I'll have to join you plus Jim with his guitar. Can<t help with the swimming. Keep up the good work--no more funny tummies!!!

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  2. I did mention Imodium didn't I? Don't get caught drinking those beers, I wouldn't like to see you with a shaved head and is yellow really your colour? On a more serious note, I lived in Singapore for three years without air conditioning and I think if you don't turn it on you will get used to the humidity more quickly than if you turn it on now and again. It can be pretty miserable until you do get used to it though. What about Ten Green Bottles, helps with learning to count as well, that's my grandmotherly advice not profesional. Keep writing the Blog, I enjoy reding it, a good diversion when I am supposed to be studying.

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  3. Why doesn't my computer spell the words correctly? I know there are more esses in that word and there is an a in the other one.

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