Paid Summer Teacher in Thailand

I am writing this review while I am still in Thailand: I am currently on a home stay in Khao Tao, which is 15 mins from Central Hua Hin. I have been very much welcomed into the family home and made to feel comfortable. Mae-Thai for mother, cooks the most amazing food and she makes sure that I am fed-probably too much. I have been hovering as she cooks and writing down recipes as i know i will want to cook these foods when i go home! Mae and I spend a few hours in the morning doing English words and we muddle through conversations about the difference between Thai culture and Australian culture. There has definateky been lessons for both of us! In the evening, the family's maid drops off her 11year old grandson Ngeun for english lessons. Sometimes Mae and other family members sit in too. It's been wonderfully delightful teaching how to say hello, as well as beginning to learn words... There have some laughs and fun times and of course some frustration, but mostly it's been really good! It's such an amazing opportunity to think that in some small way I may be contributing to Ngeun's future and his options. For me, the experience has been so rich and joyous, and also I've loved getting to see the local area and discover the temples, beaches and rural life of Khao Tao. I've even hired a small scooter and am zipping to the shops and to the beach,sharing smiles with people as I ride past. And I cannot fathom the kindness of my host family...GeoVisions and Xplore Asia have been brilliant in helping me settle in and making sure everything is ok...I cannot stress what a amazing opportunity this is..."

I spent nearly 9 weeks teaching English in a home stay in Khao Tao, which is a small fishing village located about 20 minutes from Hua Hin- 2.5 hours south of Bangkok. It was an opportunity to live with a family and to teach English, as well as to learn about another culture. It was a pretty brilliant time as well as slightly nerve racking- knowing that the family where depending on me to help them learn an new language/ I could ot have been made to feel more welcome by the Mum and of course the maid's so- both of whom i taught. They were ready everyday to learn and were using the things i taught them regularly. The benefit was i had wifi so i was able to download heaps of resources and flash cards into my iPad- which were invaluable. I also learned to cook some Thai food, and helped round the house as needed. We talked about Australia and my home town of Melbourne and i taught them our national anthem and about my culture. It was really sad leaving but i know that in some small way, the little boy i taught will have had his future changed because i was there...

I can honestly say this has been the best summer of my life. Its sad to thin its coming to an end. I wish I had more time to stay in this genuinely beautiful and peaceful country. If I was not starting a new job back in New York City, I would extent my contract with out a doubt. While I came here to teach my students, they have taught me so much more in return. I have learned the value of patience which is not easy growing up in New York. GeoVisions was such a great company to start with and Xplore Asia was a great transition into a country I knew nothing about. GeoVisions had such great customer service and would answer to any and every (which was a lot) e-mail I sent. Since me and my girlfriend were doing the Summer Teach in Thailand together they assured us there would be no problem placing us together. Which there was not. However, they have ZERO knowledge of the placement as the second you land in Bangkok you are handed off to a company called XploreAsia. XploreAsia was a great company which really made the transition easy. This is a culture I knew nothing about and after a full action packed week orientation I felt as if I have been here for years! The hardest part about orientation was leaving the people we formed such tight relationships with in that short week. I don't have a negative thing to say about this experience as I kept my exactions low (one thing you have to do in this country). Go in with an open mind and know what you want to get out of the experience. I would love to do it again, if not here, somewhere else across the world! Thank you GeoVisions and XploreAsia!