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1st year students visit Siam Ocean World
Muanfun Wutthisit
At the end of February, the first year students accompanied by
lecturers and staff from Asian University went on a field trip to Siam Ocean
World, at Siam Paragon in Bangkok.
 Fun
(BBA student), author of this piece, during the aquarium visit.
Before we entered the aquarium, we had enjoyed a 15-minute 4-D X-venture
film called “Take Me To The Moon”. It was tremendous and enjoyable. After,
we toured the aquarium main tank in a glass-bottomed boat. Every minute on
the boat was exciting for us, with super close-up views of sharks,
stingrays, and a multitude of fish. Our journey through Siam Ocean World
took us through seven different zones - Weird and Wonderful, Deep Reef,
Living Ocean, Rainforest, Rocky Shore, Open Ocean, and Sea Jellies.
We enjoyed this trip and gained bags of knowledge from this first
world-class aquarium in Thailand.
Students and faculty gather
for a group photo.
Asian U students undertake English language teaching project at Huay Yai School
Jarupa Chuengyingruangrung (Bell)
“Hello!” was the word that some of our Asian University students
heard every Wednesday, for six weeks during January and February. The
Community Service Committee of Asian University had organized an English
teaching project at Huay Yai School. Not only the committee members but
many other students joined in this project.
 Nok
and Gib (MEd students) teach English to the students at Huay Yai School.
Our students at Huay Yai School were from grade 4 to 6. We taught them
Basic English, such as greetings, numbers, colors, time, parts of the
body, etc.
The students were divided into two groups: G-6 and G 4-5. Each group was
taught by a foreign teacher from Asian U, while the Asian U students sat
down with the kids to help them read and write. They were happy and
enjoyed this very much because the teacher and staff were very friendly.
In the last class of the project, there was a test to find the best
students from each group. The test was about everything we had taught
them. Then, the winners were given certificates.
This project has been done ever year and it is very useful and
enjoyable. We hope that this project will be organized again next year.
Bell (BA student, and
author of this piece) helps the young students learn.
Regent’s students build new workshop in Mae Hong Son
Suraj Kadam
Year 12 IB student
On the 15th of February 2009, 36 students from the Regents School
Pattaya accompanied by 4 teachers and 3 gap staff traveled to a remote
hill tribe village in Mae Hong Son Province, called Ban Mae Lid, with
the purpose to build a workshop for the local school. The funding, a sum
of 144,000 baht for the project, came from the fund raising activities
of the Regents School such as the Coin Challenge. The Regents Students,
as always, generously contributed to the cause and the money was sent to
the village in order for the villagers to buy the supplies required
prior to the project.
 Steven
and Suraj take a well earned rest.
The students arrived at the Ban Mae Lid village on the 16th of February
to a warm welcome and a thrashing in a football game by the Mae Lid
students. The students and the teachers savored their rest, as the next
few days would be hard work.
For the next three days the students, along with the teachers and gap
staff, with the sun bearing down on them, put their heart and soul into
the building of the workshop. At times the student’s from the school
came to rescue with offerings of help in building or just some nice
ice-cold water.
During the trip some of the Regents students also got the chance to
teach some of the Ban Mae Lid students some English.
 Robert
takes control of the cement mixer.
At the end of the three days of work the students had managed to build
most of the building, which included laying sand and cement for the
floor, putting up bricks for the walls and a start was made at laying
the tiles for the roof.
On the night of the final day in the village, all the Regents and Ban
Mae Lid students and teachers attended a farewell party. The party was
full of performances from the Regents and from the Ban Mae Lid students.
Some of the performances included break dancing, Thai dancing and
singing. All the students from the local school had hand made wristbands
and bead necklaces that they offered to the Regents students and
teachers.
The final words are always the most difficult which the Regents students
had to experience before leaving the next day. All the Regents students
lined up in assembly when they shook hands with all the Mae Lid students
and the local teachers and the headmaster. A few minutes later all the
Regents students were on board buses and left for Chiang Mai.
Despite being cut off from technology and the other luxuries of life all
the Regents students highly enjoyed themselves as they got to live with
and relate for four days with a community that leads a very different
life. As we left the village all of us left with a smile on our faces as
we realized that despite having much less, the local people had in fact
given us more than what we had given them.
This activity was a classic example of the Round Square activities that
the Regents undertake, as it involved not only service but also other
aspects of the Round Square IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy,
Environment, Adventure, Leadership, and Service), an experience never to
be forgotten.
The Armenian boys test out
the strength of the new wall.
Ugy presents the Mae Lid
students with
a photo of His Majesty the King of Bhutan.
Fountain of Life thanks kind supporters
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
The Fountain of Life Center gave a party on February 20 to thank
two charities, Jesters Care for Kids and Pattaya International Ladies
Club (PILC), for their continuing support.
 Gillian
Thom, president of PILC, talks about what a pleasure it is to be able to
help the underprivileged in Thailand.
The center’s directors, Sister Jemjit and Sister Joan, welcomed 40
members of the Jesters, led by Chairman Woody Underwood, and PILC, led
by President Gillian Thom. Delicious Thai dishes, desserts and soft
drinks were served to the guests.
The Fountain of Life Center was established on August 15, 1988 and works
for disadvantaged children and women at risk of sexual abuse. “One
person is more valuable than the entire world” is the center’s motto.
The center aims to improve the quality of life for these women and
children, to help them realize their individual worth and civil rights
and to help prevent sexually-transmitted diseases.
The center offers an informal education system for the target groups
from primary school to the pre-college level, and occupational training
for people living with HIV.
It consults and advises, holds seminars and training and organizes
activities for religion, Thai culture and tradition.
The Small Children’s Group (Center 1) is located at 463/49, Soi
Srinakhon, North Pattaya. The Fountain of Life Center is at 3/199, Moo
6, Naklua, Banglamung.
Woody Underwood, chairman
of Jesters Care for Kids, talks about the club’s commitment to continue
their assistance.
Sister Joan (left) and
Sister Jemjit (right)
thank the sponsors from the bottom of their hearts.
Delicious Thai dishes,
desserts and soft drinks were served to the guests.
It was a night to
remember.
Guests listen to a
featured speaker at the thank-you party.
Charity Club provides update of Isaan activities
Christina Boden
The Charity Club of Pattaya is building a house in Isaan for a
young girl and her mentally ill grandmother. Originally, they were only
meant to put a new roof on the original building, but, when they put the
roof on, unfortunately the building couldn’t stand the weight of the new
roof and the house collapsed!
 Sittipong
(age 15) and Mum with high protein food provided by the Charity Club of
Pattaya.
January saw the villagers get together for the blessing of the land.
Building will now progress quickly, we would imagine. When the house is
finished we will go up to Isaan and take some pictures. In the meantime,
Peter Rottmann, the Charity Club’s representative in Isaan, will oversee
the building work.
Pa and Sittipong, two boys, are still receiving the club’s help with the
high protein food that they can eat without any digestive problems and
is easy for them to swallow. They are also sending other food parcels to
those that have fallen on hard times, until they are back on their feet
again.
Sittipong has just celebrated his 15th birthday and the Charity Club is
still sending high protein food, but unfortunately he’s still not
putting any weight on. As previously reported, the doctors have said
there is nothing more they can do and they suggest the club carry on
with the high protein food.
Poo Gan, the little girl that fell into a fire at 8 months old, is still
attending the hospital in Bangkok, now on a monthly basis with Mum and
Dad for the pressure mask and bandages to be changed.
Poo Gan still doesn’t have a problem wearing the masks or bandages and
has become quite well known on the monthly train trip from Buriram to
Bangkok. She has become something of a little star! Apart from her
injuries she is a normal healthy little girl who loves getting into all
kinds of mischief!
As well as these children in Isaan, the Charity Club prepares and
distributes food parcels for the elderly and the needy, arranges for
artificial limbs to be fitted, and distributes wheelchairs, tricycles
and walking aids to adults and Children.
Anyone who would like to help with a donation of cash, food, clothing,
bedding, children’s clothing, shoes, toys and/or games can contact the
Charity Club at any of the following:
Christina on 0895454185
Malcolm on 089 7441040
charityclubofpattaya@ yahoo.com
Or drop in the Queen Victoria Inn Soi 6, the Charity Club’s adopted home
with your donation and ask for Vic King who will take your donation from
you.
Poo Gan before & after.
Villages pray for the new
house.
School kids meet trees
Youngsters learn about the
importance of flora
in helping to slow down global warming.
Patcharapol Panrak
Burana Navy School took their students to plant trees at Nong
Nooch Tropical Gardens to show them how trees help reduce global
warming.
Teachers of the school of Krommaluang Chumporn Camp in Sattahip taught
340 kindergarten students about social responsibility re planting trees
and gave their youngsters a tour of the lush and green botanical park on
February 27.
Rear Admiral Jumlong Wangdan, director of Burana Navy School, said many
young people knew about the problem of global warming but not ways to
solve it.
Therefore it is important to give them the knowledge that planting trees
and not cutting them down will slow down the greenhouse effect that is
only a few steps away from becoming disastrous for our world.
The botanical park contains plants and trees from all over the world and
is a good place for kids to experience the true nature of the world.
The very young children can make a comparison in their minds as they
observe the green tropical garden and dry and arid places elsewhere and
see the importance of planting trees, he said.
These young students
receive hands
on experience in planting their very own trees.
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