Laura London

I agree that all kids are beautiful, but the children of Cambodia literally radiate despite a troubled economy and history. They have so much hope in their eyes and the brightest smiles I've seen in a long time. Traveling from north to south in May, the sights and stories changed, but the kids continued to impress and inspire me. Amy (my friend from Projects Abroad) and I started in Siem Reap and explored its main streets and markets, and then made our way to the Angkor Wat region, a world heritage site, and a teriffic place to spend a few days. The tuk-tuk helped us get around, but we were literally dripping with swet as we made our way through the ancient temples. We also spent a day at the floating school in the floating village, ... read more

Another great week in Krabi. It's almost summer and the schools have weird schedules due to exams and preparation, so I asked to work in 3 different schools for these 3 weeks of teaching rather than teach only a few days/hours at Ban Aonammao where I was originally placed. I'll miss it, but I'm excited to see the differences between the schools, teachers and students. So far, the students have been shy and hesitant to speak, but they are very welcoming, eager to learn and loving. They often give hugs, kisses and little gifts that say sweet things like, "I love you" :-) Took a weekend trip to the Phi Phi Islands and saw the most colorful water, fish and sunsets yet...and the beach where "The Beach" was filmed! Bad movie, but great beach! Phi Phi ... read more

Hello/sawasdee from Thailand! I hope this finds you all well, and I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the love and support you continuously provide. I'm writing to share my experiences and ask for your comments and help making sense of it all. I'm not sure where I'm headed, but I know it will be a smoother journey with your input and encouragement. As I learned today in teacher training, "Birds can fly because they think they can." After a warm, fun welcome in Bangkok with my friend Jenisa (pics attached), I settled into Krabi on Sunday Feb 20. For the next month I'll be living with my host mom, Pi Nong (a muslim woman from Bangkok), her two teenage sons (they don't speak English), and 3 other volunteers for Projects Abroad ... read more