Tag: volunteer
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Warm Heart, Charred Lungs
“I can’t breathe. I can’t stop coughing. I have to get out of here asap.” That was 7:00pm. I had phoned Evelind while wearing my pajamas and facemask. The next day, Evelind and Michael drove me to Chiang Mai. I had to leave Warm Heart. My cough for the past month suddenly got worse. Months
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No More Punching Penises
This dog is in a heat-induced coma in front of 7-11. This article states that the Royal Rain unit has been dousing the up-country regions in water to alleviate the extreme haze and dangerous levels of pollution. Personally, I don’t think it made a dent. The pm2.5 AQI (air quality index) was 251! Acceptable AQI
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Teaching A, B, C: Volunteer in Phrao
Beautiful Lanna style house: Warm Heart offices and orphanage The Thais call the north “up-country”. This is a region dotted with cozy villages, red-dirt roads, roosters, and unfortunately—a lot of smoke. Every year for three-to-four months, farmers to clear their fields by burning everything. Although hazy, it is beautiful here. Many evenings as I sit
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Don’t Have Syphilis, Get a Thai Work Permit! Phrao, Thailand
Warm Heart dog. Warm Heart Volunteer I arrived at Warm Heart Worldwide to volunteer as a TEFL teacher. Located 70km north of Chiang Mai, this nonprofit is tucked in the village of Phrao. My students—the orphans—would depend on me to teach them and deliver fun, engaging lessons. I felt nervous, but thankfully had my TEFL
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How to Ensure Getting Checked by Customs
An Acupuncture Volunteer in Guatemala I had been instructed to mark “Tourist” on my customs form, and to say that everything in my suitcase was for “personal use.” “Don’t worry,” I was told, “we’ve never had problems getting our supplies through customs.” Another friend’s mother echoed that by saying she never had her bags checked
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Mae Sot Thailand
Photo essay Ban Thai Guesthouse is gorgeous, with traditional style architecture that suits my aesthetics perfectly. Elegant rooms with shutter windows and silky mosquito nets created a luxurious sanctuary—and my home for the duration of my volunteer service at Mae Tao clinic. Bird of paradise arrangements mirror the natural beauty that surround the guesthouse. Elegant
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Acupuncture with Dirt on my Face
Volunteering on the Burmese Border Mae Sot, Thailand The other day I nearly made the head of parliament faint while giving him acupuncture. He had arrived—with his entourage in tow—at the urging of a patient I had treated earlier in the week who had been suffering for years with a disc problem at L4, mild