Welcome to my new classroom. This is a part of Bangkok called Yommarat. The community stretches along the railroad tracks for 3km or more. Like most of the slums and poor communities in this sprawling city, it’s only minutes from major shopping districts and tourist attractions. Occasionally, you do see a drifting foreigner stand at [...]

Every second Saturday in January is Thailand’s Children’s Day. I started the day early by  rounding up volunteers and helping take donations (a heap of toys, clothes, and snacks) to the Bangkok School for the Blind. In the photo below you can see that when we combined what we had with all the things other [...]

“Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.” -Paul Hawken
Contemplating what’s been accomplished is difficult to do without being honest about what’s still to be done. Some of last year’s challenges are [...]

I had fun thinking about all the things the great things that happened this year. I also have been wanting to write this to say it’s easier to make a difference than you think. None of these ideas are particularly original or impossible for you to do. I have big hopes for more In Search [...]

The ISOS English teaching Saturday program (aka Sanuk My Saturday) we began last July in a small slum on the outskirts of Bangkok has really taken off. I haven’t been very detailed in an explanation of what we do, so here’s a look at how we’re building relationships and getting kids excited about learning English [...]

I own Bangkok.
I own Bangkok.
Keep repeating that, replacing Bangkok with the community you live in.
I own [ _____ ].
I’ve renewed my perspective on ownership after hanging out at and visiting so many orphanages. Do you know what little you can claim as your own when you have thirty brothers and sisters? You better believe that [...]

I’ve been consumed the last few weeks with hosting the Bangkok Twestival celebration (see Twestival, Fusing Social Media With Global Change for more on this event). Feels great to raise money for charity in conjuction with so many other cities around the world, but YES–it was exhausting.
Here’s a special thank you from Baan Dada orphanage [...]