ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCTION

[Andrea Barrios]

Hello everyone!
My name is Andrea. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. I was born in Chile but have been living in Canada for the past 15 years.
I love travelling and have visited 12 countries in the past, and have studied abroad in France and Japan. I have decided to travel to Thailand because it has been a country that I have always wanted to visit and I would love to teach the kids, give back to their community and learn a new culture. I have worked at my university teaching English to international students and that is how I discovered my love for teaching.
I think the biggest challenge I expect to face is the language barrier and adapting to a new way of life. But I expect to overcome it by being open to new adventures and willing to immerse myself in a new culture.
From this experience I hope to improve my teaching skills and make an impact in a local community. And I also hope to share all my experiences and knowledge with my students and friends back home.

[David Frame]

Hey Michael. It’s so good that you’ve made a decision to do something so different to what you have done in the past. I’m Australian too and I have enjoyed breaking the ethnocentric mould. It’s impressive that you’re after new challenges and moving out of your spheres of familiarity. Looking forward to catching up.

[Joshua Boyd]

Hello

My name is Joshua, I run my own painting/epoxy business, and I reside in Edmonton, Alberta. I enjoy learning more about different cultures and their architecture, on top of that I have always enjoyed working with kids. So, when the opportunity to explore Thailand and teach kids arose, I was excited to apply. I am excited to try new food, look at some temples, talk with new people, and overall, just create new experiences. I expect the challenge I will face the most while I am there will be the language barrier, as I speak English and am not well-versed in Thai. But when I traveled to Chile for months, I quickly learned Spanish and even though I was not proficient at speaking it, I quickly learned to understand what people were saying, So I expect during my time in Thailand I will quickly learn and understand the language. Another challenge I expect to face will be local customs and familiarizing myself with the area. As this is my first time visiting Thailand, there are a lot of concepts, norms, and areas, I would like to learn so I can interact with the people there and make my time there valuable. I hope this whole experience allows me to create more memories and friends. A good understanding of the culture, its history, architecture, and its cuisine.

[Andrea Barrios]

Hello!
My name is Andrea. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. I was born in Chile but have been living in Canada for the past 15 years.
I love travelling and have visited 12 countries in the past, and have studied abroad in France and Japan. I have decided to travel to Thailand because it has been a country that I have always wanted to visit. I would love to teach the kids, give back to their community and learn a new culture. I have worked at my university teaching English to international students and that is how I discovered my love for teaching.
I think the biggest challenge I expect to face is the language barrier and adapting to a new way of life. But I expect to overcome it by being open to new adventures and willing to immerse myself in a new culture.
From this experience I hope to improve my teaching skills and make an impact in a local community. And I also hope to share all my experiences and knowledge with my students and friends back home.

[Lily Kelsey]

Hi! My name is Lily, i’m 19 years old and i’m from Surrey. After finishing my first year of college i then went into full time work to build up my money to fulfil my dream of travelling! I’ve decided to take on this program because i’ve always wanted to travel to thailand and have the experience of teaching abroad so having the opportunity to do both at the same time is a blessing!
i think the main challenges for me will be adapting to the culture and the way of life in thailand as well as navigating a language that i’m not familiar with. But i love challenges and i’m willing to immerse myself in this incredible experience.
i’m looking forward to meeting lots of new people and making amazing memories whilst exploring the country and also gaining teaching skills along the way 🙂

[Charolette Gonzales]

Hi! My name is Charolette Gonzales. I am from the United States. My home is considered the enchanting New Mexico and I am Native American. I am a proud member of San Ildefonso Pueblo as well as the Navajo Nation. I went to school at Fort Lewis College in Durango Colorado where I graduated with a Bachelors in Political Science and Criminal Justice Studies. I am looking to work in areas of law or policy work for human rights or the environment. I am the oldest of two younger brothers and many many cousins. I want to travel to Thailand and live there for 6 months because I think it is important to see the world. Problems seem so much smaller when you have seen how big and beautiful the world can be. Traveling and immersing yourself in another peoples culture is what builds meaningful empathetic connections. Not only to one’s self but to the people around them and I think that there is a great deal of that lacking in our world right now. I expect to face many challenges big and small. From losing a charger to misunderstanding a local. Regardless of the circumstance I want to embrace the situation with patience and grace. No one can make clear and concise decisions while upset. I will do my best to be a pleasant and respectful guest to the people and land of Thailand wherever I go. I hope to gain many friends and knowledge about Thai culture.

[Dayna Gill]

Hello! My name is Dayna, i’m 27 years old from Toronto, Canada. I completed my Bachelor of Media and Communication Studies at Carleton University in 2019. That same year was the first time i ever travelled to Thailand. I have been in many jobs and i am extremely excited in this next journey to combine what i have found to be my two passions; travelling and helping others. From the first time i visited Thailand i fell in love with the culture, food and people. For these reasons i have chosen and am looking forward to returning to Thailand. I believe one of the best ways to learn and grow is through new experiences and what better experience than travel. As this will be my first time teaching i expect as any new job there will be some challenges. I intend to overcome them by maintaining gratefulness and always continuing to learn!
I look forward to meeting new people, creating new memories and really getting to learn and enjoy Thai culture!

[Michelle Vang]

Hello everyone! My name is Michelle. I am 24 years old and I am coming from California in the states. I graduated from university in 2020 with a Bachelors in Sociology. I also have two minors; one in criminal justice and one in psychology. At just 24, I am experiencing an early quarter-life crisis. There are so many things I want to do in this lifetime and so many career fields I would like to explore, but it feels like I don’t have enough time in the world to do it all. Despite going through an early quarter-life crisis, I know three things are certain: I love traveling, I enjoy working with children/youth, and I am passionate about giving back to the community. So, I wanted to find a way to combine all three together. I actually started this journey one year ago doing research on ways to live and work abroad and during my research, teaching English was one of the first options to pop up. I chose Thailand for various reasons. I heard Thailand is a great starting point for those who have little to no teaching experience (that’s me). Second, my ethnic group has roots in Thailand and the surrounding countries. I have made it a goal of mine to visit my people’s home one day and see where we came from so when the opportunity to not only visit but also LIVE in Thailand came up, I knew I had to apply. Right now, I think the biggest challenges facing me are teaching in a classroom, adapting to the lifestyle in Thailand, and overcoming homesickness. Again, I have no teaching experience so I’m very nervous about that. I’m also nervous about the lifestyle in Thailand as I don’t know what to expect. And being homesick is something I already know I will experience along the way. However, I believe the best way I will be able to overcome these challenges is to really immerse myself into this experience, maintain a positive attitude, be open to anything, make friends along the way, and interact with the locals. I am looking forward to meeting new people. I know I will gain an immense amount of wisdom and knowledge from this experience. I hope this will help me grow both professionally and personally.

[Monsoonwara Rahman]

Hello, my name is Monsoonwara Rahman, I’m in my early 40s and I’m from the United Kingdom.

Having worked in retail since I was a teenager, I have always yearned to do more in life. I came across Xplorasia by chance and I thought how wonderful it would be to be a teacher, but how challenging it would be one in a country far away from what I know. I started researching Thailand and found it to be a wonderfully fascinating country that just appealed to me.

I had the opportunity to do a diploma in Childcare and for one year I worked as a student teaching assistant in a primary school and loved it. However, family obligations and financial restrictions forced me to abandon the path in teaching.

As the years flew by and the restrictions lessened, I feel now is the time to do something meaningful that can inspire me and my family.

To say I’m nervous about the future is an understatement, but I am embracing the fear of the unknown that may come with going to a foreign country when I do not speak the language.

You only live once and I want to push myself. I cannot wait to learn another language, culture and tradition and expand my own knowledge. I want to be a good teacher and be able to say a helped nurture children. Yes, it will be difficult, but I will hold a “cup half full” attitude and deal with it. Thai people are known to be kind and hospitable, and I too will be kind and patient.

Xplorasia has already guided me to appropriate websites to help learn already learning the language and mannerism to help me fit in Thailand, for that I am grateful.

At the end of this journey, I hope to achieve a sense of fulfillment knowing I did something good, inspiring and honorable.

[Susan Emrick-Riggins]

I’m Susan and I’m currently working in Yellowstone National Park in the US. At the end of the summer season, the park closes for maintenance on the 150-year-old log structures, and the rest of us get kicked out for several weeks so we’re not in the way. I use that time to travel, but this year, I also wanted to volunteer, and this is what Google presented. As I have a background in teaching and training and I LOVE my language, and I’ve never been to Asia, this checked all the boxes.
I’m one who plans for spontaneity; I need to know the whats and wheres and whens ahead of time, so that when something comes up, it’s handleable. (But I live in a corner of the world with substandard internet because mountains, so frequently, that alone is a challenge.) I am expecting challenges (language, culture, language, food, language…) but what is life without them? I’m looking for my next personal challenge anyway; I’ve wanted to teach overseas for literal decades, and if I fall in love with this, it may be time to take that leap.

[Kylee.metcalfe@gmail.com]

My name is Kylee and I am from Canada. I have travelled extensively and have lived overseas on numerous occasions. I am interested in teaching English in Thailand as I travelled to Thailand in 2005 and fell in love with the Thai people, the culture, the food and the country in general. I was to teach English to help young learners who keen to learn a second language. The biggest road block for me will be learning Thai. I’m

[Martina Kovacic]

Hi everyone! My name is Martina and I am from Croatia. For the past 7 years I have been leaving in Germany where I worked as an Early childhood English teacher.
I visited Thailand for the first time earlier this year and I loved it! The people, the culture, the food… I decided that I want to spend more time here and learn more about Thailand. What I am most excited about is the language! I would like to learn at least basic Thai during the time I spend here.

[Molly Fox]

Hello everyone! My name is Molly, I am 24 years old and am from Austin, Texas. I was lucky enough to visit Thailand for several months when I took a gap year after high school, and I am incredibly excited to be returning to such an amazing country. Last time I was in Thailand I lived with a host family in Nan which was such a lovely experience– I hope to reconnect with my host family at some point while I am in the country. As for challenges, I’ve noticed a pattern with myself where I get incredibly nervous right before I am about to move somewhere new or leave for a long adventure– and these feelings sometimes persist the first few days (or weeks) of arriving to a new place. However, with a bunch of patience and self-compassion I can get through all the emotions and soon enough I am happier than I have ever felt before. So, for me it is just being open to this completely new experience, being patient and gracious with all the things involved in a big transition, and also centering feelings of gratitude that I get to be right where I am, even if it feels crazy at times. In this season of my life, I hope to continue pushing this edge of personal growth through immersive international experiences. A huge goal of mine is to also meet many new people and create new friendships with people all over the world!

[Mikayla Thornburg]

Hello!
My name is Mikayla and I graduated from the University of Colorado in May. I grew up outside of San Francisco and have always had a passion for traveling. I’ve never been to Asia but have always wanted to, and when I came across this opportunity I thought what better time than now! I look forward to immersing myself in a completely new culture and learning from others. I expect to be challenged by language barriers, culture shock and being away from home for such a long period of time. However I believe there’s no better way to grow than to challenge yourself. Therefore, I’ll approach these struggles with an open mind and heart. I hope to gain independence and simultaneous comradery throughout the duration of my stay.

[Elin Roberts]

Hey!
My name is Elin, I’m 26 years old and I’m from Wales originally, but now living in Cornwall! Funnily enough I’ve only been here for 10 years, and grew up in Wales, Germany and Brunei, before moving here. I currently work at a cake and cocktail bar by the ocean as a head supervisor, leading a small team and guiding them in a way that ensures they provide top-tier service to all our clientele. I’m well travelled and familiar about the variety of customs in different areas of the world, and I’m very excited to be out exploring the world once again! My main drive for teaching abroad is because life has become stagnant here in Falmouth, and I’m itching to explore the world and discover what it has to offer, while expanding my mental horizons by taking on this new and exciting challenge. I’ve never taught children before but I’ve always had a keen interest in shaping the minds of the next generations. I’m expecting my biggest struggle will be adapting to a new way of life, whilst figuring out the best way to do my job in the process of it all. Luckily I’m a fast and avid learner, and I adapt quickly to new regimes as I love the challenge and having something new to focus my energy and time on. I think the main thing I’m hoping to get out of this opportunity is a better understanding of people from all walks of life, being able to gain more knowledge so that in the future I’m better equipped to teach those who are in need, should they desire. I’m also hoping to discover more about myself as a person, and finally find that one thing that brings me joy. I’m hoping this adventure turns into a life long passion!

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