On the way to the APDO 2019 - National German Language Olympiad in Thailand

The Asia-Pacific-German Olympics (APDO) will take place from the 9th until the 16th of August in Bogor, Indonesia. It is a competition for young learners of German language at level A1 and A2. And also Thailand has got six tickets for the best students of the country.

But the country is big and the trails are sometimes long and arduous. Not everyone can come to Bangkok for a competition, so what to do?
 
A German proverb says: "If the mountain does not come to the prophet, then the prophet must go to the mountain." Nothing is easier, we thought, quickly select a motto and then set the "prophet" in motion!
 
After a short brainstorming session, this was quickly found - "on the way with German"! And since we did not want to be alone, and it was important to us that both knowledge and fun were not neglected, we decided to invite a band to accompany us on our tour through Thailand: the Munich Supercrew!
 

Station 1: Nonthaburi & Bangkok
 
The tour started on June the 10th at the Satrinonthaburi school. While 36 students were involved in the German competition, there was a training course for teachers with Kurt and Shirin from the Munich Supercrew. The school organized a great Oktoberfest for all the other with booths, music and treats from Germany. In the evening there was the opening concert at the Goethe-Institut with more than 200 enthusiastic spectators. An opening to measure!
  Station 2: Khon Kaen
 
On the next day we went to the northeast of Thailand. Ajarn Wimon from the Kaennakorn Withayalai School was waiting for us at the airport and brought everyone to the hotel safely. Afterwards, we briefly looked at where the competitions and the concert would take place on the next day. A great location! And so were the competition, the performance of our band and the song that the school band had specially trained for us.
  Station 3: Chiang Mai
 
Two days pass quickly. Today in Khon Kaen, tomorrow in Chiang Mai and on June the 14th we were guests at the Watthanothai Payap School. A real music festival awaited us here: a band from the Dara Academy has played and two bands from the Wathhanothai reached into keys and strings. A magnificent atmosphere that left no one quiet!
  Station 4: Patong/ Phuket
 
What is still missing for a successful tour across the country? Right - the wild south! On June the 18th the last concert of our NDO Tour took place. So far, we had played at the Goethe-Institut, have appeared in two schools and there was another concert for schools and the public this day. At 6 pm the first chords were played at the Beyond Patong Hotel and shortly thereafter enthusiastic fans jumped to the sounds of Lieblingsfach and so on!
  Station 5: Bangkok
 
After a great tour through Thailand, the big finale at the Triam Udom Suksa School had finally arrived. All participants had done their best in the last ten days and 22 of them had moved into the finale. But only six of them would come to the APDO in Bogor. On June the 20th they competed against each other. A jury composed of experts (representatives of the DAAD, the Chulalongkorn University and the Goethe-Institut Thailand) assessed the individual language ability.
  In the afternoon it was clear: The National German Language Olympiad 2019 was decided

The winners of the A1 level
Gold Medal: Pimook Ongwibul, Satri Phuket School
Silver Medal: Pasupat Vorasarn, St. Gabriel's College Bangkok
Bronze Medal: Kanokon Saengkla, Luea Kham Han Warin Chamrap School Ubon-Ratchathani
 
The winners of the A2 level
Gold Medal: Yanisa Vararaksapong, Triam Udom Suksa School Bangkok
Silver Medal: Ornwara Muanboon, Kanjapisek Witthayalai School Nakhon Pathom
Bronze Medal: Thitipol Srisong, Kanlayanawat School Khon Kaen
 
These six winners will be representing Thailand at the Asia-Pacific-German Olympics (APDO) from the 9th to the 16th of August 2019...

© Goethe-Institut ...but before that there was the final concert of the Munich Supercrew: thanks a lot to all participants of the last days!