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Invitation to “Story Dinner with Music”: Hosted by Bookworm Foundation and Takaaki Shirai

Date / time: October 10th, 2020 (Sat.), 21:00-22:00 (Japanese standard time)
Venue: Online (It will be livestreamed on Youtube and Yoshimi’s Facebook page)
Ticket fee: free (donation with PayPal and through bank accounts will be highly appreciated)

Caution: You may want to prepare some snacks witha cup of tea / coffee, because you may feel extremely hungry after listening!!

Photo: Takaaki with his violin and Yoshimi in front of a bookshelf

Hello, it’s Yoshimi here.
i hope you are doing well in this interesting time.
As you may know, I have organised several online events for Japanese-speaking audience with my friends here in Japan, and this time we will do the English version of it.
My friend Takaaki will play violin,
and I will read some short stories in Braille for you.

To mark our first-ever English event, I’ve picked my lifelong favourite topic as the theme: FOOD!!
If you know me in any way, you know that I love eating as much as reading!
So I’ve decided to serve you a three-course dinner, comprised of some stories and music.

Photo: A white, square plate, containing rice, grilled pork and sausage with vegetables, and small salads

There will be:
◦ An appetiser
◦ A main course, AND of course,
◦ a dessert!

But the detailed menu will be kept as a surprise on that day.

? About Mr. Takaaki Shirai
Takaaki is a professional violinist, who happens to be blind, and also happens to be my classmate from high school!
Here, you can listen to “A whole New World,” covered by Takaaki.

? About Bookworm Foundation
I set up Bookworm Foundation (formerly known as Always Reading Caravan) back in 2010.
We have three main projects:
1. Library with mobile library activities located in Phrao, Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.
Here is a video, capturing one of our mobile library activities at a local temple.
2. Early childhood literacy centres for hill tribe children near Phrao.
Take a look at atmosphere of both Sunshine Kids Center and Little Smiles Center.
3. Noon Noon Books (production of universal design picture books for children with and without disabilities)
Check out our introduction to Noon Noon Books to see what it is about.
Please feel free to visit our website here.

Photo: Our staff Jiew and a child holding a strainer to wash tapioca pearls
Atmosphere of our Saturday cooking time at Rang Mai Library

? Call for Support
Thanks to the strong team in Phrao, Bookworm has been able to continue working throughout lockdown period in Thailand.
But most work related to fundraising had to be stopped because we have been heavily depending on personal fundraising where I would go and meet potential donors in person.
To keep Bookworm up and running, we really need your support now.
Every Yen, Euros, and dollars count.
During the event, you will be able to chip in using “online busking” function.
But if you rather want to concentrate on “the dinner,” you can always donate through PayPal before and after the event.
Or, you could also transfer your donation to our bank accounts in Thailand and Japan.

? PayPal
アークどこでも本読み隊
(This is name of our organisation in japanese)
E-mail: yoshimi.in.kochi@gmail.com

? Bank account in Thailand
Bank name: Kasikorn Bank
Branch: Central Festival
Account No: Savings Account 043-8-15111-7
Account Holder: Bookworm Foundation
SWIFT CODE: KASITHBK
Address: 99,99/1-2 Central Floor 3, Road Superhighway Chiangmai-Lumpang, T. Faham, Muang, Chiangmai 50000 Thailand
Tel: +66 53-807-605

? Bank account in Japan
Bank name: Mizuho Bank
Branch: Takadanobaba
Account No: Savings Account 1954538
Account Holder: あーくどこでも本読み隊

? Bank account in England (Account of Ms. Moeno Kiuchi, one of the performers)
Bank name: HSBC
Sort code: 40-10-00
Account number: 45053196
Account holder: M KIUCHI

? Bank account in Germany (account of Mr. Peter Beck, one of Bookworm supporters)
Bank name: Spardabank Baden-Württemberg
IBAN: DE24600908000000146357
BIC: GENODEF1S02
Account holder: Peter Beck

? Contact us!
Please feel free to get in touch with me!
E-mail: yoshimi.horiuchi@gmail.com
WhatsApp / Facetime: +66 83 542 7283
Twitter: YoshimiARC
Line ID: YoshimiARC

Please come and join us on October 10th! I assure you that your heart and mind will be filled with yummy imaginations,!

Call for Volunteers: Noon Noon Books Project Coordinator

Volunteers get together to make touch-and-feel parts

Background Information
Bookworm Foundation (BWF) is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organization to promote the joy of reading and learning among children and adults with and without disabilities in Thailand. Our missions are:
◦ Promote reading for pleasure,
• ◦ Provide equal reading opportunities for children from various background, and
◦ Utilize books as bridge between vulnerable groups and mainstream society.

Since 2018, we have started a new project based around Bangkok area called Noon Noon Books (หนังสือนูนนูน). Through this project, we aim to produce universal design picture books that can be enjoyed by children with and without disabilities. The book is fully illustrated and lots of touch-and-feel features hand-crafted by volunteers. The text will be written in large print as well as Braille. For more details, please watch our introductory video.

You can also listen to the audiobook version of the book.

A page from our first book

Job description for volunteers
As the volunteer project coordinator, we would like you to dedicate 3 working days per week (roughly 20-25 hours). It’s a mixture of home-based work and on-site work such as meeting with volunteers and purchasing material. The main tasks of the volunteer project coordinator include:
◦ Co-ordinating with multiple groups of volunteers in Bangkok to create touch-and-feel features of the book,
◦ Searching and purchasing materials necessary for book production,
◦ Documenting the tasks related to the project in spreadsheet and other format, and
◦ Meeting project-related individuals / organizations such as donors and volunteers as representative of Bookworm Foundation.

Every week they get toegether to make bumpy parts

• As a volunteer project coordinator for Noon Noon Books, you are expected to:
• ◦ Have good communication skills in English. (Japanese and Thai skills will be highly appreciated as well)
◦ Be a prompt communicator (quick response to e-mails and other forms of communications is the key for this position)
• ◦ Have experience and enjoy working with simple documentation work, such as spreadsheet and word processor.
• ◦ Have good interpersonal skills both face-to-face and in e-mail and social media interaction.
• ◦ Have good problem-solving skills and constructive and positive mind-set.

Duration:
You can start working as soon as possible, and we would like you to stay with us at least half a year.

Toekn of appreciation:
We will provide you with 8000 baht per month as token of appreciation.

Another page from our book: “Treasure”

If you are interested, please send an email with your CV at
volunteer@alwaysreadingcaravan.org
or call for inquiry at Ms. Yoshimi Horiuchi in either Thai, English, or Japanese at
083-542-7283
Thank you for reading, and we are looking forward to hearing from you!

Universal Design Picture Book

Together with Yoshi and Joyce we create a new book for kids. It´s ab book for seeing, visual impaired and blind kids. In the book You can find braille, normal letters, pictures and tactile elements. It´s a story of a bat and a Pinguin – they sear the answer what is really important in the life. So they travel in different parts in the world, after they found a treasure map in the library. They visit a town, a tropical island, the jungle, the Antarctic, the moon and other places. At the end they find the answer – it´s the friendship between both.

Meeting with elephants

My name is Joyce, a Belgian volunteer and together with Ralph I am working on the universal book project for ARC in Phrao. I could tell you about this heartwarming project, or the beautiful town of Prao or the amazing people I met here, but today I want to talk”about this other”amazing citizens of Thailand namely the elephants.

I am in Thailand for a month and one thing I really wanted to do was touching an elephant. One month felt like so much time so we focussed mainly on the project in the beginning. Than the moment came that I only had 10 days left. Time flies here. I had to do research for wich elephant park to visit because it was very important to me that the elephants were treated well. So I ended up with elephant nature park. The problem was, also with other parks, that they pick you up with there own bus from your hotel in Chiang Mai since it is aimed at tourists. So I called the organisation to ask if we could come with our own car. THE man was very friendly and suggested the best project for us wich was ‘save Thai Elephant Park’ right next to the main elephant nature park.

Along the way there had been some miscommunications but in the end we arrived on time and everything was forgiven. They were very friendly. First we got information on the elephants and then we had to wash and cut the fruits for the elephants. We were with a group of around 10 people and they had 3 lovely lady elephants for us to meet. To feed the elephant was a very special feeling, they take your whole hand in there trunk. After this we had to lead the elephants to the river. We did this by giving the elephant a banana every few steps. Every family got there own elephant for this so it was only me, Ralph and the elephant. Of course the guides were also there to help if needed. When we arrived at the river, we all got a bucket and joined the elephants to help them with washing. This was really fun as we were throwing water at the elephants and they would shoot water back at us with there trunk. After this we had lunch and we had the possibility to make our own papaya salad. Than came the most fun part for the elephants, we watched how they tooka mud bath and it was really amazing to see hoö much they were enjoying themselves. We ended the day by feeding the elephants again. Is crazy how much these beauties can eat. I couldn’t give a hug to the elephants because they were totally covert in mud so I give a hug to the guide in stead for this amazing day. I will never forget this experience.

Bye bye Thailand. Kop-khun kah for everything.
Kisses, hugs and chocolates from Belgium

One Step Forward!!

Caption: Foundation Registration Certificate in Thai

Yes, finally!
We are officially registered as Bookworm Foundation (มูลนิธิหนอนหนังสือ) in Phrao!
Yeaaaaay!!!

Now, next steps…

1. English name:
We may have to rethink our name, Bookworm Foundation, because there is a organization called The Bookworm Foundation in the US.
Why didn’t I Google for the English name and double check in the first place? Why? Why?
I have no idea… I want to kick myself…
Anyway, we need to think of cool, simple, unique, easy-to-remember, short, and lovely name (if it exists!). Ho ho ho…

2. Logo:
Our old logo was this:

Photo caption: Logo with two worms reading a bok on top a bus

And latest draft of our new logo is this:

Photo caption: Logo with an open book, and coming from that a globe composed of different items

I thought this is final, but I just received very constructive yet critical feedback.
So… no, this cannot be final yet.
We will discuss again in the meeting.

3. Financial duties of foundation:
Now that we are a registered foundation, we have more legal obligations.
We need to find someone who can make financial report, help us with tax document etc.
This person must be experienced, living not too far from Phrao, helpful, affordable, and approachable… Hmmmm… who can this be?

So, at the moment, I don’t feel like raise my hands in celebration and dance around the library.
Tons more to be done…
Still, we must stay optimistic, right?
At least I can say that we are definitely one big step closer to well-structured organization in my dream picture 🙂

Precious experience in Phrao, Gen

I started volunteering in ARC since I finished my studying abroad. I was just studying, hanging out with friends, I felt something not enough and I wanted to do something that can do only in Thailand.

And it didn’t take time til making a decision because of there was a crucial reason which is Ms. Horiuchi, founder of ARC, and Phrao, beautiful town where I was living.

 

I have known about Ms. Horiuchi from a teacher in my university. I couldn’t believe there is Japanese in Phrao such as a local area in Thailand.
Rang Mai library, which is located in Phrao, is comfortable, cozy, and everyone can spend time with relaxing. This is because of building and environment, but it is just small reason. Actual reason is nice atmosphere made by staffs in library, and children’s smile as well. And since I came Phrao first time, I believed that it is made by Ms. Horiuchi’s character which is a calm but also powerful.
As I have lived in rural town like Phrao, it was really cozy to live, beautiful nature, everyone has energy, and kind. After they know I am foreigner, they tried to talk to me in English. I was really glad to live here, I was really fascinated with Phrao.
Beautiful view on the way to town in Phrao.
After a moment I moved to Phrao, I stayed village in Chiang Rai, with host family and “Akha” people that is one of the hill tribe in Thailand.
I decided to devote everything that I can do during my staying in village. However, it couldn’t be going well in good meaning. Because I could have so much better experience than I expected. Their living, culture, delicious food and time with host family, everything was precious and I could have so much fun in short time.
One thing I was really surprised, is villager’s living with team playing and their working style. Someone goes to town to buy foods, and fertilizer, which is essential for village, and bring it back to village instead of everyone going by themselves.
One day if there are no parents in house, someone takes care of children, and live with them.
I’ve never seen that kind of living style which is never exist “living alone”.
Furthermore, sometimes they work as child minder, sometimes as architect, and as farmer. There is no actual occupation that they have to do. They just work for living. According to P’ nalae, who is my host family, I cannot know even part of their living, with staying only a week.
I couldn’t believe it but I want to come back to stay for experience more.
Girl watching sky in front of children center, “Sunshine kids center”, in hill tribe village.
With children at “Sunshine kids center”. They are Interested in iPhone that I’m using.
My activity in Phrao, everyone let me do whatever I want. Helping events, going children center by mobile library, and promoting funding programs with contacting some organizations and companies.
I have noticed something that library is needed by people in town. It is obviously one part of town. Especially, I could notice how reading and learning has huge influence to people. Even if someone has never left town, books teach us. Even if they don’t know about world, books tell us. If there is no knowledge, books rear us. P’ jiew, staff of ARC, her story telling from book is messaging me even I can’t understand Thai.
It would be less appreciating for something always besides us. Everyone, adults and children, who come to the library, make me notice what is important in life.
Story telling to children by P’jiew in library.

 

Everyone can relax with talking, and reading in library.

 

Living and volunteering in Phrao was really precious time for me.
Every staffs are so kind, funny, and they made library is relieved place for me.  Everything I saw, experienced, is being my confidence, and it changes to my next action.
It was all thanks to Ms. Horiuchi, staffs, and people in village and town. I appreciate so much.
Thank you.
I will miss everyone.
I hope to see you again in Phrao!
Gen Iwai

Une française à Phrao

Rang Mai library, founded by ARC

It has been six months since I have landed in Thailand for the first time. On the 8th of March, I will take the plane again, destination Cambodia. Well, I have to admit that I am not ready at all to leave the country.

On the 31rst of last August, Yoshimi and P’Jiew welcomed me at the Chiang Mai airport and a few hours later, I arrived in the charming town of Phrao. Located at two hours from the big city, Phrao is the center of the the district of the same name, on the way to Chiang Rai.

It was love at first sight. 

The view I have on the way to the libary – INCREDIBLE !

Surrounded by mountains, located in the Lanna country, Phrao is simply lovely. Thanks to my colleagues, I found a house in the middle of the town, at around twenty minutes by bicycle from the Library where I have spent most of my time, five from the market, where you can find anything, and ten minutes walk from the bus station. The location is simply perfect. Every morning, I am amazed by the view as I am riding my bicycle to the library. The funny thing is that during my first three weeks in town, I was the “farang”, the stranger, the white girl riding her bicycle and people kept staring at me. As I took almost the same path every day, they started to know me and since then, we are just exchanging giant smiles, and warm “hi” or “sawasdee kha/khap” ! It is a real pleasure to ride the bike, even if it is sometimes quite hot.

In six months, I had time to do a lot of things a especially many projects with ARC. First, I discovered how an association works in Thailand. Well, it is my first time working in a library, but all is related to culture and fun activities, at least my missions were.

What did I do ?

I gave english classes to kids at the library, basic english of course, I am a French native speaker, not an english one. It felt great to teach them. I only had a class of 6 kids, it was quite easy to manage. Of course, P’Jiew helped me a lot as my thai was very basic (and is still so- ..) to explain about each exercise to them. Then, it was easier for me to teach French. I had a chance to work as teaching assistant for some french classes for Kru Tom, french teacher at Phrao Wittayakom, highschool of the town. I also went for weekly activities with the mobile library in villages around, visited disabled people who could not come to the library but wanted to read, I met a lot of people, learned a lot about thai culture and asked a lot of questions. Thanks to my missions, I really had a chance to discover a lot within my time in Phrao and around.

As Thai culture is different from mine, I was really curious about everyday things that I did not understand or that I could not read about. Meeting people who did not speak the same language as mine, forced me to step out of my “comfort zone”.

Let me tell you about one situation where I really felt like stepping out of my culture, and that was when I tried spicy food… I think that everyone at the library will remember me as the “not spicy” woman, as I could barely eat a “Pad Ka Pao” without crying. But then, I went to Mae Wean Noi, the village in the mountains to visit ARC’s early childhood literacy center, Little Smiles center. I was living among a Lisu family, P’Pim’s family, and there, everybody was used to eat spicy food since the youngest age. So, one evening, for dinner, I asked P’Pim it the sauce that she made was very spicy or not. You have to know that to the answer “pet mak” (very spicy) I usually step back, and to “nid noi” (a little bit), I usually try. Then, her answer was that it was “pet nid noi”, understand “a little bit spicy”. I tried it, and felt suddenly very hot, and super sweaty. After the ten minutes I needed to recover from the awful burning feeling, I asked her how many chili she had put inside the sauce, she then told me, as if it was totally normal “50”. I then cried again.

Picture taken right after eating this chilli meal

During my stay in Phrao, from where I am writing this article, I was confronted with myself and the others as well. For me, “pet kid noi”, was a maximum of 3 chillis, but for her, it was 50. And in fact, the entire family was eating it without even crying… It felt amazing to understand that the fact that I really thought that by “a little bit spicy” did not meant the same thing for her than for me. You can say that this always happens when you are travelling. Of course, but when my codes, my “already known notions” are challenged, I feel great, because I am rediscovering what culture-s really means. 

In six months, being the “farang” sometime forced me to step out of my comfort zone for the better and the worse (especially when there was someone to take picture of you). But i had so many great moments, with the kids, with my colleagues, with the people (farang or not) that I met here and I have discovered so many places and events as the different temples, some school camps, temple festivals, hill tribes villages, local high schools, and of course, the Rang Mai library.

This experience benefited me in so many ways that this article wouldn’t be enough to describe all of them. But I have to admit that the will of having new experiences I more present than ever in my mind.

I was supposed to stay only for five months in Phrao, and I just realized that it has been six months already.

Well, it is sure that I will come back for more !

ขอบคุณมาก!

Merci beaucoup et à bientôt !

One smily week in Little Smiles Center

Mae Waen Noi Village

   In order to well beggin 2018, I spend one week living in a hill tribe community. Here is the enssence of my personal experience there.

Three years ago, ARC opened the Little Smiles center in Mae Waen Noi village, the place where I have spent one week, living among the Lisu tribe people.

P’Pim’s family house were I stayed for the week

 

I stayed at P’Pim’s house with her family, her two sons, her husband and her sister in law, P’Kung, who is also the second teacher at the Little Smiles center.

     Mae Waen Noi is located about one hour drive away from Phrao town,center of the district. P’Pim, my host, picked me up in Phrao. After the rough ride through mountain, we arrived in the beautiful little village. From my first moments there, I felt warmly welcomed. I loved every minute and every moment I have spent there.

The view from around the village

    P’Pim was my guide during this week. She showed me different places around the village. Few times a day, we walked around, so that I could discover the views and the way around the village. As it is a mountain village, the road is quite curvy and hilly. You need to have quite a good motorcycle or car to drive there, at least one with gears.

Every day, P’Pim gave me a lift to and from the center. Onfoot, it would have taken me at least one hour to get there. The kids arrived between eight to nine am as their parents drop them before going to the farm. The class starts at 9.30 and the parents usually pick the kids up around 3pm, on the way back from the farm.

Little Smiles Center where 12 a dozen of kids come daily

So, basically, one week is divided in three parts. On monday and tuesday, P’Pim and P’Kung teach thai reading and writing, then english for the next two days, and on friday, simple mathematics.

The kids are aged between 2 and 5 years old. P’Pim takes care of  younger ones while P’Kung teaches the older group.

    So what’s a normal day ? When the kids arrive, they drink milk that the teachers are give to them, they can have two cartons per day. then, they can go play with toys and stuffed animals. Around 9.30, everyone is supposed to be at the center.

Then the class starts with activities for the younger and for the older, then comes lunch time, and, after brushing their teeth, the kids take a big nap until 3pm.

Kids brushing their teeth after lunch

    During my first two days at the center, I was just sitting there, helping P’Pim and P’Kung whenever they needed help, and teasing the kids whenever they came close to me. Most of them avoided me, staring at me from behind their milk carton or toys.

Then, once they got used to my presence, they asked me to play with them and to help them.

The english class on wednesday helped a lot as I helped P’Kung teaching them songs as “Old MacDonald had a farm” and as they were singing with me the alphabet song. From that moment, they kept calling me by my name “P’Emi” and ushering me to play games ans sing songs.

To my greatest pleasure, I felt accepted by the kids and couldn’t help laughing with them as I was making a fool of myself to hear them have fun.

Kids warming up in the morning before learning

After all these activities, I could enjoy a bit of rest in the afternoon as the kids were asleep.

During these moments, I used to walk around with P’Pim or P’kung. We went around the center and as my guide was showing me the different plants and fruits you can find in the mountains like ginger, mint, corn, rice, young onions, coffee, bananas, and much more which I don’t remember the name, I’ve always been amazed by the beauty of the mountains.

You see, in France I live in the countryside but not surrounded by mountains. The nature there is so different. I guess that is what I will miss the most once I’m gone. The wildness and the peace of the mountains in the North of Thailand. Nature is beautiful and in Mae Waen Noi, I discovered that I do not wish to live in big cities. Life in the mountain is more attractive to me.

Mae Waen Noi surrounded by mountain, an amazing view

   Even if I couldn’t really discuss with my hosts, due to my lack of thai langage skill, I really enjoyed my time there. I made some new friends and I will surely go back to Mae Wan Noi one day. At least I hope so !

 

Hello, Spirit of the Land

“Hello, gods and spirits of this land, my name is Yoshimi Horiuchi.
We will renovate this house to be used as a community library.
I will try my best to utilize this place for the entire community, so please protect us…”

Yes, I greeted out loud.

The village monk told us that if we wanted our activity to flow smoothly, we need to start renovating this month.

Yoshimi with ax

So for the first time in my life, I held an ax in my hand and tare off a part of a door.
Indeed, we REALLY are going to move into a new location!

Hello Again, ICU!

When I graduated from International Christian University (ICU) in 2007, I never thought that I will be introduced in their clip to be shown to potential students and their parents. I still miss their campus in Mitaka, Tokyo, filled with green and beautiful nature, and even wild animals like tanuki 🙂 Oh, how many times I got lost in that huge campus?

Mr. Sato from Public Relations Office at ICU, and Tim and Bret who were in charge of filming really put their energy to collect good footage for the clip throughout the past 2 days. My colleagues at Bai Mon Library in Suphanburi were amazed at the level of details and sense of professionalism. The children at the library were happy to be in the camera as usual!

I’m half-scared, half-excited to see the end result in about a month. Thank you Sato-san and everyone for coming all the way!