Before the Tsunami I had just recently got a job at a hotel in Khuk Khak and had been working there for 4 months. I lived in a rented house with my friend.
On the day of the Tsunami I was working at my hotel on the third floor. My hotel was badly hit by the Tsunami, as was my home and my family’s home, but because I was on the third floor I was safe. Most of the people in my hotel also managed to get up onto a higher floor and escape the waves, but sadly 15 people did die. I was really scared about my family, but fortunately they were all safe. My father and younger sister were visiting my uncle at the hospital in Takauper at the time, and my mother, who was at her house with my older brother, saw the wave and managed to run away from it. My brother is deaf and couldn’t hear what was going on, but my mother got him to follow her so he was safe too.
After the Tsunami I was unemployed because my hotel was so badly damaged from the Tsunami and had to close. Me and my family all moved to my grandmother’s house in Takauper, as our homes and belongings were all gone.
A few months after the Tsunami one of my friends told me about a place in Khao Lak that she had been given a leaflet about, called Step Ahead. She said that I could learn English there so I went with my friend to Khao Lak on my motorbike, which took about an hour, and enrolled on a course. At that time I only spoke a little bit of English and was not very confident. I really wanted to learn more English as I wanted to be able to communicate better with English speaking foreigners. When I started learning English at Step Ahead I was pleased that I understood some of what was being said but I wanted to understand more, so I kept learning, coming with my friend on my motorbike from Takauper, even when it was raining! After I had been learning at Step Ahead for about 3 and a half months I applied for a job at a hotel that was being rebuilt and I got offered a job as a massage therapist. I started working there soon after when it was finished.
I really enjoy working at the hotel, I have lots of friends and I can continue to learn English as there is an English teacher from America who teaches us there. After living with my grandmother for about 6 months I moved, with my family, into a new house that had been built for them. Now that I work at the hotel I live with my friends in a staff house, which I really enjoy.
I am really pleased that Step Ahead exists and I hope that it is around for a long time. I would like to thank all of the people there who have helped me to be able to speak and understand more English and develop my confidence. I think that everybody who teaches there teaches really well! Finally, thank you again to everyone who helped me.
