Much of the tension has eased in Bangkok and I’m feeling much better. Thanks to everyone who has expressed  their concern. Things are getting back to normal, but for how long? As people begin to examine what led to the events that brought Bangkok to a halt, some have correctly identified the role of charitable [...]

I am probably not in the best mood to be blogging about anything sanuk. I have contracted some sort of wimpy cold. The kind of sickness that doesn’t completely debilitate you, but keeps your nose snotty enough to be generally unattractive to present company. Doesn’t help that today I ventured out into the smoky city [...]

Thanks for your responses on National Volunteer Week. Especially to Charlotte who wrote to say that in addition to her regular volunteering gig, she went to the Bangkok airport with supplies and toys for people who had been stranded by flight cancellations in Europe. There are more people out there like Charlotte who are doing [...]

Happy National Volunteer Week to everyone reading from the US. I wish I could brag that I planned it this way, but I couldn’t have picked a more exciting time to visit home. I soaked everything in a few weeks ago when many of the country’s inspirational and nerdy do-gooders descended on Atlanta for the [...]

People always send me questions about volunteering abroad. In addition to telling them about what we’re doing in Bangkok, I stress two points: 1) Be Prepared by educating yourself about what you’re getting into and 2) Get Connected with people who have been to the places you’re going or are doing what you want to do. That’s [...]

You’ve heard from me about the background on the Sanuk My Saturday English teaching project and I was excited to announce expanding to a challenging new classroom this past February. This week, as I’m preparing to spend a few weeks in the US, you’ll hear Chris’s perspective on the project. Below we’ve combined her thoughts [...]

In the post about my top volunteering picks in Bangkok, I first mentioned visiting Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Center. Here are more details about how doing good may even lead you to go to jail in Thailand. The waiting room is full and tense. There is a mixture or people from all backgrounds, packed together in [...]