Each
month, Phuket Has Been Good to Us invites you to learn more about how the
organisation runs straight from the people who help run it: our volunteers!
The
update for May 2013 is brought to you by Cari Siebrits, our newest Office
Fellow:
Hey
everybody! It’s a new month, time for a new volunteer!
I’m
Cari (I will also respond to “the new girl”) and I can officially say that I’ve
lasted my first two months in Kamala!
 |
| (Cari, proudly wearing her PHBGTU shirt) |
I
didn’t know what to expect when I walked into the office on my first day. I
will admit that I was nervous – about the new country, the new job and all the
new people. I know now that I didn’t need to be. Everybody welcomed me with
open arms and went out of their way to show me the ropes. They have patiently
helped me master the Sponsor a Child spreadsheets, send my first media releases
and help out with events like the Pub Quizzes and Mystic Mirage. They’re
helping me navigate my way through the world of fundraising and development,
and I am so grateful to have them to learn from.
The
best part so far (as sappy as this sounds) has been the people. My coworkers are
some of the smartest, toughest, most inspiring and (hands-down) the most
hilarious people I’ve ever met. Being around them is like having a front-row
seat at a comedy routine one minute and having the privilege to watch them change the world the next. I constantly find myself in absolute
awe of who they are and what are capable of. Hopefully some of it will rub off
on me before I go. They’re the type of people who make an effort to watch the
sunset every night. They end every workday with a “Win of the Day,” where
everyone goes around the dinner table and lists their highlight of the day.
They take care of each other, and they’ve been taking care of me. New as I am,
I feel like I’ve already got a Kamala Family. I can already say that Thailand has
shaped up to be the adventure I was hoping for. From fried rice to beach walks
to motorcycle lessons, I’ve enjoyed ever minute of it.
School
and Coconut Club
(For the full dish on school and Coconut Club updates, please join our Newsletter and Coconut Club e-mailing lists!)
 |
| (Cari, fellow volunteer Hayley, and Teachers Angela, Talya, and Michele) |
School’s
out! The kids are all home for the holidays. The school feels quiet and empty without
them. They’re expected back mid-May, but in the meantime everyone is really
missing them. We’ve been lucky enough to get some donations for the new school
year though – everything from school supplies to swim shorts to birthday
presents.
In
other exciting news, we have just welcomed two new teachers! Michele and Talya
have joined the team and are as happy to be here as we are to have them. With
the two of them joining the Fantastic Four – Agie, Shah, Gina and Angela – this
is already shaping up to be an incredible school year!
The
kids may be on holiday, but we’ve all been hard at work!
Mystic
Mirage
 |
| (Big Boss Tina and event manger Hayley at the Mystic Mirage) |
The
Mystic Mirage took place at Bliss Beach Club on 26 April. After
months of hard work and many late nights, the amazing office team pulled off an
event that Phuket is sure to be talking about for a while. The days leading up
to the event were a whirlwind of preparing silent auction and
raffle items, organizing the entertainment and liaising with our many
incredible sponsors, who so generously donated their time and resources. Our
days were packed with jobs – there were “to-do” lists decorating entire walls
in our office - but I think everybody would agree that the hard work was worth
it! The Arabian Nights themed soiree was a huge success, raising over 750,000
baht for our students. The unique theme, beautifully decorated venue,
delicious food and exciting entertainment have generated overwhelmingly
positive feedback, and the office is still buzzing from the excitement of a
very successful night.
Pub
Quizzes
 |
| (Lauren, Tina, and Cari scoring quiz answers) |
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