Laurence

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hi everyone, I am an English teacher who has mostly been based in Bangkok Thailand for the past 11 years. I have gained a lot from this time in my life, in terms of skills, experience, connections with people, and overall worldview, however now I feel it's time to spend some time outside the city in environments that are more in line with my natural inclinations, which is why I'm choosing to sign up to Workaway. Here are some of the things that really resonate with me:

1) Connecting to nature & gardening
I absolutely love being outdoors, anywhere with lots of trees, plants and wildlife, rivers, mountains, anything like that - it's good for the soul I think! I love to travel and see different landscapes and places of natural beauty. At home I get a lot of happiness and satisfaction from maintaining a small garden, I also love to cook so I love to plant things like herbs and leafy green vegetables to use in the kitchen. It's an incredibly rewarding feeling, having seen those ingredients from seed to plate, taking care of the plant and the soil throughout the whole process. In recent years making compost has been another little hobby I have gained a lot of quiet happiness from, hardly any vegetable peelings, fruit skins or food waste goes in the bin, and I love the idea of bringing those 'waste' items back into the little ecosystem of my home and kitchen.

2) Language learning, teaching & exchanging
Words, symbols, sounds and meanings, and their interconnection, have always been a source of fascination for me. Both in my work as an ESL teacher, and as a student of various languages myself, I have seen firsthand the power of language and its ability to open opportunities, enable self-expression, and build connections and friendships that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve. For me personally, especially learning Thai has been one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life so far, for all of the above reasons and more.

3) Building community & immersion in shared projects
I have always been drawn to places and projects that are center points for people to come together and work towards meaningful common goals, create something together, or simply act as a hub for people looking to make real connections and foster a sense of community. In the past I have thoroughly enjoyed working and/or helping at farms, environmental projects and live music venues with these kinds of goals at their core. In terms of Workaway hosts, I feel especially drawn to those that have similar outlooks. What really appeals to me is the idea of helping to transform an undeveloped piece of land or a neglected old building into a thriving community garden, creative project, educational space, or possibly a combination of all of the above!

I would describe myself as someone with a mix of extroverted and introverted traits, sociable but also needing alone time. I love things like cooking shared meals, playing music together, and interesting late night conversations around a campfire. As mentioned above I also absolutely love learning other languages, and helping others learn English, or even Thai which I can speak, read and write to an advanced level.

To sum up, I'm hoping to get away from the often hectic and isolating life of the city for a while, and immerse myself more in the things I mention above. I'm looking forward to connecting with hosts and other volunteers who are thinking along similar lines!

Interests

Sustainability

Culture

Farming

Plant care

Music

Languages

Gardening

Cooking & food

Books

Mountain

Beach

Nature

Camping

Outdoor activities

Hiking

Cycling

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Thai: Fluent
German: Beginner
Hindi: Beginner
Khmer: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I have many years of experience in teaching my native language, English, mostly to adult students in Thailand (and a short time in Cambodia), but also occasionally to younger learners/children as well. I would love to use this experience to help others learn English while staying with any host. I also have a high level of spoken and written Thai, with informal experience teaching this too, and would be very happy to help others with an interest in learning this language!

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Teaching

Life at a Farmstay

Helping around the house

General Maintenance

DIY and building projects

Eco Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

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Able to teach about:  

Languages

More details about your skills

I have 10+ years of experience teaching English, mostly to adults in language school and corporate environments, but also with younger learners occasionally. I have taught all levels from beginner to advanced, and love creating my own activities and teaching materials. One of my hobbies is making different sets of picture/word cards to use in classroom activities or games, and I will bring these along to any workaway hosts so that they can be used in any English classes or informal language exchange sessions that may take place. I speak Thai fairly fluently and have an in depth knowledge of the writing system, which I have enjoyed teaching to friends in Bangkok who wanted to improve their Thai language skills. I would be delighted to hold workshops or informal activities for any of my fellow volunteers who may be travelling in Thailand and wanting to gain a grasp of the language, it would be a lot of fun I'm sure.

I have been really into gardening as a hobby for the last 5-6 years, and have learned quite a lot about creating ideal growing environments for plants, mixing soil and composting, and other little things that help to create a thriving garden. This has been through a mix of trial and error, advice from other people, and watching online content. I am by no means an expert, and still have a lot to learn, but I've had quite a lot of success so far and would absolutely love to do this kind of work at any host's property I may be staying on.

Age

36

What else ...

I love board games, I think my favourite one is Settlers of Catan. I also can play a bit of guitar, so would be very happy to play a few chords and/or sing in any musical sessions that may occur!

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements