Thai-Korean Bilateral Camp Maechaem

Hello everyone, it's Jujai here from Bangkok, Thailand. We got a chance to welcome "Good brothers volunteers team" from South Korea to our working camp in Somdejya Learning Center, Mae Chaem, Chiang Mai, Thailand. There were 10 Korean students, 4 Korean teachers and a Korean camp leader. And from us, me as a Thai camp leader, 8 Thai teachers and 58 Thai local tribe students.

The school here is pretty amazing! It is an alternative school which comprises of many local tribes who live different way of life and occasionally argue or fight with each other but none of that happen here. You can see from their traditional dress and how happy they are here together.

Korean team may start the camp roughly coming in with 7 big boxes of sport gears and stationeries for donation. We had to pay more than 3,000 baht for custom tax. But it's a good lesson learn to prepare a nice letter to the airport officer next time.

Korean team started the first morning activity by 3 bases; Korean traditional dresses, making of Korean fan and outdoor playing. Therefore Thai team returned the first afternoon with school tour and 2 bases; planting (mixing soil, planting seeds, burning rice cover) and feeding (chicken, pig, cow). First day was easy cause we will have another tough day tomorrow.

No No No, it's not yet finish. Our lovely host at the home stay asked us to visit the annual Buddhist ceremony in the temple. So that evening we had a chance to join the ceremony in the Buddhist church and viantian(3 rounds of walking round the church with candle and flower). It was a nice moment and we deeply touch Thai's hospitality.

The whole second day, we altogether worked on several tasks, such as, transfer the soil block, clear the space for planting house, cutting and planting bamboo, cutting grass, building adobe house, etc. It was pretty tough so we had no further activity in the evening.

The third and last day at school we continued building our adobe house in the morning. Even though we hadn't finished as we expected, we were happy that we had learned and practiced. In the afternoon, I had a float/sink activity which allowed everyone to play, learn and share together with no boundaries of age or nation. Everyone was excited and learnt from the fact of things in their life and listen to others' thought.

Late afternoon, we exchanged our cultural show. Korean dance and songs were pretty fun and taekwando was amazing. Then Thai show was also marvelous. I learnt a lot about tribal life and we together play with bamboo dance.

For dinner, we decide to cook our traditional food together. Korean served "Peebimbub" and sweet fried pancake. Thai served "Padthai" and "Bualoi". We played a little by feeding partner's mouth, no one ate on their own. It was vey fun and cheerful. Then it's time to sing good bye song with a big sheet that Thais together wrote it for Korean. A fascinate merorable night!!!

The last day, Korean and I toured on our way back we stopped by at Wachiratarn waterfall, had a very big traditional Thai lunch, visited a stunning temple, drank at a nice hill-side coffee shop and had an hour trail up and down the mountain before we had our last dinner and shopping at fresh market. 

The goodbye time is always hard. I hug them all and hope to see them again. :)