Inside His World

Launched on 24 August, A Whole Neu World is an account of Singapore International Foundation volunteer Neu Wee Teck’s one-and-a-half-year experience as a volunteer teacher from 2008 to 2009.

During that time, he taught English to government officials at the Laos Institute of Foreign Affairs, and also found time to create many adventures, from sampling exotic foods to fending off a matchmaker to organising the first Laos-Singapore Charity run.

Running through the book’s 150 pages are amusing and heart-warming anecdotes about daily exchanges with the numerous Laotians he met, a deep appreciation of their gentle warmth, and his personal learning experience of living and working in a different culture.

Wee Teck, an English teacher at the time, writes that this was “where I had learnt about humility; that I could survive on less than 500 Singapore dollars a month; where I found myself and learnt that life does not revolve around what other people said and thought”.

And when his volunteering stint ended, the 33-year-old maintained contact with his Laotian friends, organised overseas trips for his students and fellow teachers to Laos, and kept alive the connections he had created between Laotians and Singaporeans.

If you’ve ever been curious about what life is like as a long-term stay-in overseas volunteer, here’s an opportunity to find out.

‘A Whole Neu World’ will be available at Books Kinokuniya, Select Books and Books Actually from 7 Sept 2012. Profits will go towards setting up a sustainable business to improve the livelihoods of the Laotian villagers.

View pictures from the book launch here.