?????? (Hello)
My name is Cameron Welsh; I am 17 years old and have just finished my sixth and final year at Blairgowrie High School (near Perth in Scotland). In little over 2 months I will be flying from London into Thailand, where I will be staying and working for a year. The town I am staying in is called Phana and is located on the Eastern edge of Thailand near to the border with Laos and Cambodia. My partner and I will be living in a bungalow near to the council buildings which is who we are employed by. Due to this we will be teaching in 3 schools (one secondary and two primaries). I will be teaching conversational English and this will be a great way to learn Thai quickly as I will be conversing with pupils nearly every day.
I am going with Project Trust which is a Scottish based charity which sends 17-19 year old school leavers to numerous countries around the world for volunteering years. I first heard about the organisation from my older sister who went on a year to South Africa. She was based in Cape Town where she worked in childrens home caring for kids needs. I had the privilege of going on a family holiday to see her and also see the change she had made to the childrens lives. From that moment I knew that I wanted to follow in my sisters footsteps and pursue a volunteering year. The thing I was most shocked at was the change in my big sisters attitude and outlook on life. She returned outgoing and a lot more independent, it was like she was a totally different person. I believe that my year in Thailand is going to have the same positive impact on my life that I witnessed my sister go through.
The main reason I chose Project Trust was because I knew how reliable and supporting they were from my sisters time with them. Although I will be very independent while away I know that I will always have a dedicated team behind me who are there to help me through any difficulties that may arise, as well as having my parents it is a good foundation to have. I completed a selection course on the Isle of Coll (where Project Trust is based) midway through last year which was a fantastic experience and week as I met many people that sought the same experience I did. I have my training course at the end of July which I am very much looking forward to as I will meet all the other volunteers that are based in Thailand as well as my own partner.
Although I am ecstatic about being accepted to go and as the day grows nearer so too does my excitement, I know that saying goodbye to my family and friends for a year is going to be extremely difficult. We are a very close family especially me and my little sister as there is such a small age gap and not seeing them on a day to day basis is going to be strange to begin with but I think this will give me the opportunity to become more reliant upon myself.
The main challenge I think will be the language. I am rather good at picking up languages however this will be a whole other ball game due to the complexity of Thai. Not only the symbols but the tones they use are going to be tricky to say the least! However being part of the community and using the language daily for a whole year means that picking it up should be easier. Hopefully by the end of my year I will be quite fluent and not have to look ridiculous fiddling with a phrasebook to the locals.
I chose Thailand as the country I wished to live because of the culture surrounding it. It is described as the land of a thousand smiles. This appealed to me greatly as I find myself to be very upbeat and always up for a challenge or adventure. Having never visited Asia before I believe that it is going to be a year full of new experiences and wonders which I will remember for the rest of my life.
This year has flown by from the time I spent on Coll for selection through to the present where I have finished all my fundraising and am now just counting down the days till my flight. Excitement and anxiousness are defiantly the two overriding feelings I have however I know that no matter what Thailand throws at me I am going to enjoy my volunteering year to its fullest. All that is left to do now is organise and pack my massive rucksack!
By the time I write my next report I will have hopefully integrated myself into my new job and also the way of life in Thailand. Im sure I will have lots to report upon (good and bad) but until that time,
?????? (Goodbye)
