Jack Cleary
Name: Jack Cleary
Location: Production, Thailand
An amazing adventure! One month has passed and I am all settled in my new home and getting to grips with the working routine. I feel very lucky to be in Thailand it is a truly amazing country, I have seen things in this last month that have amazed and shocked me; from a very hectic work life to an increasingly more hectic social life that the EITE programme offers. I have enjoyed being able to see the factory at work and I'm starting to get to grips with all the different processes.
I have already had the chance to make two pair of shoes for myself which was a challenge and from a distance they almost resemble a high quality pair of ECCO shoes. On closer inspection they would not pass any one of the many quality inspection points in the factory. The fact that they stay together is possibly the amazing point.
The adventure part is everyday as I have the chance to throw myself completely into this new culture which is so different from what I am comfortable with; the hustle and bustle of Bangkok on the weekend, the long drive to a beach trying different restaurants and foods. Trying my best to remember the Thai vocab I have learnt in my Thai lessons I have twice a week and occasionally trying to use it in restaurants usually with little success. I’m sure in time with the help of my Thai teacher and the many people in the factory willing to help I will.
To think back two months ago when I started out on this programme is more difficult every day as the introduction month in Denmark seems more surreal from abseiling down silos to cross culture training and now a month in Thailand.
I have done so many new, exciting and challenging things in the last two months I feel as though I have been an EITE trainee for at least double the time...
I think that means that this is going to be an amazing three years.