We are...คือเรารักกัน (We are... we are in love)

Chapter 81: Life at the Camp

[From Sprite: Happy belated birthday danisagopar_24  Cheers to another year of adventures, laughter and endless fun 🥰😘]

"We volunteer to bring joy and unity.

We offer our hearts and lives, joining hands with our fellow Thais.

Even though far away, we never tire — even if it's atop a mountain peak, touching the sky.

We push forward, make our way, and bring development with kindness and compassion.

The cold wind and rain may touch our skin, but our hearts remain calm and cool.

We are warmed by the good deeds we do, and all hardships seem to fade away."

Song: "We Volunteer"

I could hear the faint sound of a song coming from the academic team or maybe the teachers singing along with the kids — it sounded like they were having fun. Those of us working in the kitchen, like me, got to enjoy listening too. Right now, the kitchen's in full chaos as it's almost noon, meaning it's time for lunch. So, we're hustling to get the food ready. Even though all I do is carry the water jugs, lift the rice pots, and chop the pork and chicken, it still counts as part of cooking, doesn't it?

It's been a full week now since we came up here to the mountains for this volunteer camp in Mae Chaem. Honestly, it's been such a great experience. The atmosphere here is incredible, the air is fresh, and I don't mean to brag, but there's even a small stream nearby with crystal-clear water. In the evenings, we'd go down to play and catch fish — kind of like bathing at the same time.

[T/n: Oh, at least Peem had some kind of bathing.]

Another major highlight is that we came at the end of winter, that perfect moment when the dok bua tong (Mexican sunflowers) are in full bloom, painting the mountains bright yellow. The yellow contrasts beautifully with the red leaves of the Christmas (Poinsettia) trees—those are the ones with red leaves that we use as decorative plants, not the pine trees with gifts and ornaments that we put up during the holiday. Haha!

Anyway, you'd think the red leaves are already gorgeous, right? But the poinsettias up here are something else. They're massive — like actual trees! Almost every house has one, but the locals don't seem to think much of them. It's like they treat them as casually as a mango or coconut tree.

But for us city kids coming up to the mountains, we were awestruck. We took so many pictures that it could've turned into a short film. And to top it off, Q and Mick imagined these trees to be magical ones and started a little ritual to "ask for lucky lottery numbers" from them. I mean, just look at those two! But... I admit, I secretly joined in too. Haha!

I swear I'm not bragging or anything — just trying to say how beautiful it is here. Seriously, I'm not! I just want you to know that Mae Chaem has a great vibe. This isn't bragging, okay? Just letting you know that the sunrise and sunset here look kinda like New Zealand. That's all. I swear I'm not bragging — confirmed.

In the mornings, there's thick fog, but as it gets later, it starts getting hot—and really hot. Then by evening, it gets unexpectedly cold, like it completely forgot how hot it was during the day. So, it's no surprise that our dear Phum caught a cold on the very first day we got here—couldn't quite adjust to it all.

As for the school where we're running the camp, let me give you a quick rundown. The school is located quite a distance from the village. It's set on a wide, open space surrounded by many trees. You can picture it, right? When you look out from the school, you can see the village far off in the distance, since the school is on higher ground, following that typical terraced-mountain style you see in hill tribe areas.