http://au.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-iQmv8W40aaiiZeLJXo_nsiUKEM9Ob7JNCxPG en-us Sat, 24 Mar 2007 08:26:48 GMT http://au.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-iQmv8W40aaiiZeLJXo_nsiUKEM9Ob7JNCxPG?p=18 Gooday!

As you saw on the show tonight, I was lucky enough to spend some time with Patricia Woodham, who thanks to the Nivea Vitality Project got the chance to live in the hills outside Chiang Mai, Thailand and teach English to kids of all ages.

Nivea Visage Vital along with New Idea and Yahoo!7 rewarded four women over 50 years of age with unforgettable volunteering experiences. The winners travelled in pairs to Thailand or South Africa where they lived for four weeks and participated in one of two humanitarian and conservation assignments.

After speaking to Patricia, I learnt a lot about Thailand. Did you know that they have the second worst rate of English literacy in South Asia? Also, while compulsory education is provided free of charge from government schools, most children still don't attend a school after finishing primary school because their parents can't afford the school supplies, food and living expenses which aren't covered by the government.

Often the kids have to work on the land to help their family survive which means the education that could help them becomes a luxury that's just too expensive. Interestingly, Thailand is becoming more of an urban society so learning English is becoming increasingly more important for the people to be able to adapt to these changes.

Going out to see Patricia teaching the kids was an experience for me. Planting flowers with the kids was fun because they were just so excited about us being there. I also tried to teach them how to say 'yellow pot plant' as well as a few other Aussie words, which they thought was pretty funny. I wasn't sure if I was actually helping them but Patricia told me that because the kids are so curious about foreigners, they pick up English much more quickly.

I really admire Patricia and the other volunteers for the contribution they are making. In honour of these lovely women, I've made them 'friends' in my Yahoo!7 360 blog - so their blogs will be linked to via mine. Be sure to check them out!

Patricia and the other great women were placed by The Involvement Volunteers Association who have placed over 200 Australian volunteers around Chiang Mai in the last 14 years. So if you'd like to make a difference through international volunteering, best to give them a call. If you'd like to find out more about volunteering within Australia, click here for links to volunteering organisations in your state.

And one final thing, if you decide to give volunteering a go, please be sure to start up a Yahoo!7 360 blog so we can read all about your adventures. If you've never blogged before, here are some tips. Trust me, it's dead easy and loads of fun!

]]> Sat, 24 Mar 2007 08:26:48 GMT http://au.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-iQmv8W40aaiiZeLJXo_nsiUKEM9Ob7JNCxPG?p=3 Mullewa , Western Australia
1. Catch up with rellies (my family and friends). 2. It is nestled in the middle of wildflower country and the flowers bloom in July to October so that is the best time to go there. 3. Go see the Mulley football team. 4. Go see any football team in the Geraldton Region. 5. I lived in Perth for awhile too and Kings Park by the Swan River is absolutely beautiful. ]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2006 04:50:03 GMT http://au.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-iQmv8W40aaiiZeLJXo_nsiUKEM9Ob7JNCxPG?p=1

The Kimberley Region, Australia. 2. The Daintree Rainforest, Australia. 3. Central Australia – from the Alice to Kings Canyon and back. 4. New Zealand. 5. West Coast, Canada.

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