Pun Pun Internship – Thailand
| January 11, 2010 | to | March 1, 2010 |
Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
Instructor: Jon Jandai, Peggy Reents, Justin Sahibdeen, and Nathan Reents
Tuition: $1,400
An in-depth experience in hands-on earthen building, organic gardening,
seed saving, and community living
Pun Pun Organic Farm, Seed Center,
and Sustainable Living Learning
Center
This year Pun Pun will be offering a 7-week internship program to
individuals interested in getting a hands-on experience in organic gardening
including seed saving, earthen building, and community living.
The internship will be a combination of organic gardening techniques,
earthen building, and appropriate technology. We will learn all of these
together through hands-on projects with each. Interns will learn the organic
gardening techniques we use at Pun Pun through use on their own experiential
garden beds and making compost and cultivating micro-organisms themselves.
Interns will learn earthen building techniques by building together a structure
and learning all of the stages involved in building your own earthen home.
Interns will also get the opportunity to be involved in an appropriate
technology project and learn about the way these can be applied to different
contexts.
It is an opportunity to learn through doing where interns will learn the
techniques we use while actively applying them to projects at the farm. It is
also a chance to live with other like-minded Thai and international folks as
well as meet various interesting visitors to the farm.
Topics & techniques
What interns will experience during their time at Pun Pun:
Garden skills:
Pun Pun philosophy of living making nursery seedlings and
a discussion of what plants need to start as seedlings garden bed making techniques
for different seasons and situations composting including
“Bokashi” composting technique and different uses of human and other
animal manure cultivating micro-organisms
for making liquid fertilizers companion planting garden care including plant
observation and problem solving techniques to understand what plants need making natural pesticides harvesting for consumptiondiscussions on the importance
of seed saving, what is happening with our seed biodiversity now, and
active seed saving on the farm
Building:
brick making design including
orientation, environmental factors, usage of building, and aesthetics as
well as a discussion of the design for the building we will build togetherfoundation principles adobe wall construction
including putting in windows and doors earthen plasters, earthen starch paints and
options for finishing sealants earthen benches finishing work – relief
work, sculptural work, etc adding of simple electric
lines, plumbing lines
Community living:
Evening activities and exchanges will also be included. A large aspect of
the internship also includes the experience of community living in the Thai
context as interns will become community members for the duration of their
internship. We focus on this relationship in learning how to be mindful,
conscious individuals living in community together. We will meet in weekly
group check-ins to work on these relationships.
Additional Topics:
Opportunities for Thai massage, meditation, rice wine making, forest walks,
soymilk and tofu production and Thai cooking are available depending on
participants’ interest.
General Schedule
Morning and afternoon sessions will be held with an extended break after
lunch in the hot part of the day. Evening and early afternoon discussions
sessions will be held periodically depending on interns’ interest.
Every Friday and Saturday will be break time to rest or do any other errands
necessary in town. If you are planning to do other traveling in Thailand
we ask you keep that to before, after the program, or during program breaks.
Teaching team
Jon Jandai, Peggy Reents, Justin Sahibdeen, and Nathan Reents
Living situation
Simple room in one of Pun Pun’s earthen or bamboo guesthouses. A thin futon
mat, blanket, sheet, pillow, and mosquito net will be provided.
Fresh homemade meals will be shared and eaten in the communal kitchen,
vegetarian and fish options will be available and we will try to use the most
organic vegetables as possible from the farm.
Bathing options include an indoor cool shower or a dip in the pond.
Fee
$1,400 US/person. All proceeds go towards supporting Pun Pun community to
grow and continue with our seed center and outreach work.
Community living aspect
People who have thrived here at Pun Pun in the past generally:
enjoy physical workenthusiastic to work as a
group on projects collectively to complete tasks at handflexiblehave an interest in
experiencing living closely with others, are comfortable living in close
quarters with little sound barriersinterested in experiential
learning and a holistic approach to learninginterested in personal
growthhave an interest in engaging
with people of all ages, including childrenwilling to participate in
the group processfree to express concerns as
they arisepractice moderate alcohol
consumptionseek to deepen understanding
on ways things are done and whyhave a willingness/freedom
to express concerns without judgmentcontent with simple,
primarily Thai, vegetarian foodhappy to find their place in
our communityhappy to find ways to be
helpful to communityenjoy simplicity
Registration
1) Email your participant survey below to Peggy Reents at
pareents@yahoo.com.
2) Once you have sent your participant survey and have been confirmed, a
$500 US non-refundable deposit is due to secure your spot. Please understand we cannot hold your spot
until we receive your deposit.
If you are sending the
deposit from a country that is not the US
or Thailand,
please do an international transfer to our account. You can email
pareents@yahoo.com for information you need to make the transfer.
If you are in the US,
the deposit check should be addressed to Peggy Reents and sent to:
Peggy Reents
Re: Pun Pun Internship
3405 El Caminito
Loveland, CO 80537
USA
If you are within Thailand,please
transfer money directly into our Pun Pun account. To do so, go to any
Bangkok Bank and give them our account information. You can also do it
from any ATM machine in Thailand.
Account name: Jon Jandai
Account number: 458-0-51390-3
If you have any difficulty, please call Jo Jandai at 081.470.1461
3) The remainder of your contribution will be expected on the first day of
the internship at Pun Pun community in either Thai baht or US dollars.
For more information
Contact pareents@yahoo.com
Pun Pun Internship Participant Survey:
Please write us a short letter introducing yourself. This will help us get
to know you and also help us prepare the program for your needs. It will remain
confidential.
Write a simple, honest, authentic letter about yourself and why you want to
participate in the internship program. It does not need to be formal, just in
your own style. Please include your age, gender, and an overview of your
present life (for example, what brought you to want to come, where you are
from, where you are coming from at this point in your life, how you hope to
integrate the experience/learning from the program in your life, a few of your
strengths and weaknesses in living in community/working with others).
If you have any emotional or health difficulties, please let us know how
these are effecting your life now. Please wait for acceptance before making
travel arrangements.
Please send your letter to Peggy Reents at pareents@yahoo.com.
Please
visit our website at www.punpunthailand.org for more
information on us and our projects.
