ChiangRai

My plan was to write often, so I wouldn't overwhelm all of you (thanks for the idea, Vern!). In case that doesn’t go so well, feel free to skim.

I'll post some pictures here on the blog, but I'll be posting many more on facebook. I know, I know. And I hate pressuring anyone to join facebook, but if you want to see the pictures, you'll have to join, cause I only make my pictures available to my "friends."

Alright, with those disclaimers out of the way...

Sawatdi kha!

Returning to Thailand has been... complicated, as is any homecoming, I believe. Whenever you return to a place that was once home, but isn't anymore, there are going to be complications. Some things change: people move away, new people come and buildings are built or torn down. Also, you forget things. Like what side of the car is the passenger's side, how to work the showers or that you’re not supposed to hug people of the opposite sex. Or even how normal everything seems, no matter how exotic it seems back home. It comes back quickly, but it’s disarming when you first realize you've forgotten. Then there are things that seem so crystal clear in your memory, it seems you were never gone at all. The smells, the voices of good friends, roads you walked and on hundreds of times and being told you have a “big body” everyday. Even the blind man singing at the market.

At first it feels like you've come home. Then it feels like you’ve gone back in time. You’re stepping into memories. But as you walk through them you see the changes, the absence of people who should be there. You feel like a tourist in your own town.

The most surreal moments were walking into the Coats’ house, driving up to Baan Athitaan Church and driving by where I used to live with the Franny family. These are the times past and present seemed to collide. At times I’ve almost felt nauseous with anticipation.

Mekong Minority Foundation

I was relieved to begin work at the MMF office. After the first hellos, everything felt so normal. Monday mornings we have worship with the staff- a perfect way to start the week. I found I could still read along to sing in Thai- at least during the slow songs. And of course Pi Nit had already prepared work for me to get started on.

Being back at MMF has reminded me why I’m doing this internship at Tshwane Leadership Foundation. I love the work they do! And I’m hopeful I will have similar experiences in Pretoria.

There are many things I could say about MMF’s work in Northern Thailand. I could tell you about their new program focusing on environmental issues or their agricultural training they give farmers, teaching them how to make organic fertilizers and produce a better crop. But instead I’ll tell you about the sponsorship program.

When I was here three years ago I visited one Mien (a minority hilltribe) village twice and got along really well with the youth there. I was impressed with their faith and their many talents. They came from a poor, Mien-speaking village with few prospects. But through an organization called Milagros, several of these young men have been sponsored to go to University and pursue ministry opportunities as well. I’ve seen a few of them coming in and out of the MMF office volunteering and at my church here, Baan Athitaan. What impresses me is how MMF has come along side these highly capable young men with much potential, but few resources and provided them the opportunities to pursue their dreams. That’s what I love about MMF.

Tree planting on “haunted” mountain

One day the whole Coats family and MMF staff drove up to a nearby “mountain” (we’d call it a hill in the Northwest) to plant some trees that were once indigenous, but are no longer growing on the mountain. The mountain is actually named after these trees. It was actually a challenging hike, considering we were all wearing flip flops! At the top of the mountain one of the staff explained how Buddhists and other non-Christians don’t climb the mountain because it is said to be haunted. We also saw the whole where people had dug for the amulet said to have been hidden under the ancient temple that is no longer there.

Fishing!

Pi Muu invited me to her house for the weekend. It was great to be with her and Pi Gung, and Gung’s seven year old son, Toei. What a sweet kid. Saturday we went fishing, the kind they only do once or twice a year. It’s actually pretty involved. We went out to Gung’s family’s rice paddy, where Gung’s Dad was already busy hooking up the tractor to a pipe that started pumping water out of a long and deep trench into the nearby paddy. Gung told Toei and I to hang out in the sala (hut with no walls) while she and her Dad started fishing. From the sala all I saw was them wondering through the paddy, occasionally picking something out of the water.

Toei and I played. He talked a lot, unaware of how little I understood. We walked through the paddies and he found giant snails to toss through the tunnel of water flowing from one of the adjacent paddies into the trench Gung’s Dad was emptying. Eventually, Toei and I noticed that there were fish in the trench, trying to climb out back up into the paddy. As the water drained, there were more and more fish, clambering around in the trench. Soon Gung, her Dad and Muu, who joined us were at the far end of the trench with nets.

It wasn’t till the water was a little lower that they invited Toei and me to join them. We put on boots and gloves and were handed nets. Then we began scooping up the fish and thowing them in buckets. It was surprisingly easy. I was a little nervous, cause they kept using words like “bite” and “hurt” in long, fast sentences I couldn’t quite understand. Then I noticed what Gung’s Dad was doing. He was carrying to long metal poles and had a pack of gasoline on his back. He would go up to a fish with the two poles and a buzzing noise would precede the fish’s collapse or twitching. He was shocking them so they would be easier to catch! It wasn’t too long before I couldn’t find more fish and was sweating like mad in the heat. So I stripped back down to my shorts and tank top and rested in the sala.

Soon afterwards we had lunch- fish, of course! Muu skewered the fish onto bamboo sticks she’d just carved, even as they were still wriggling! Blood dripped everywhere and I attempted not to lose my appetite. I found out later the fish didn’t agree with me much anyway. I confess I mostly filled up on dragon fruit. After lunch they kept fishing for a couple hours. I don’t know how they kept finding more! I’m sure they had thousands! Meanwhile I napped and stared up and the beautiful sky. I watched as Gung’s Dad first plugged the tunnels draining into the trench and later opened them up again when they were nearly done. He then laid long sticks across the trench as it began filling up and then started spreading some fertilizer across his paddy by hand.

Gung, Muu and the rest of the family spent most of the evening cleaning fish while I rode Toei’s bike (actually the same bike I borrowed from the Franny’s three years ago) around the village, to the amusement of all the villagers. I decided to venture to the market to get out on my own a bit, after being at the rice paddy all day long. All went well until the ride home. I was carrying a sweet coconut drink served in 4 little plastic baggies, to share with my friends. I was proud of myself for being able to manage them with riding. Then a car slowed in front of me, as if to turn left. Since I was on the left, I was afraid that if I kept going straight, the car would turn into me. But I didn’t have time to go around on the right and I had already noticed my brakes didn’t really work. I swerved and caught my tire on the soft shoulder and the next thing I knew I was on the pavement with my four drinks spilling everywhere. I jumped up, assuring the (amused and not concerned) driver that I was ok. I dusted myself off and got back on my bike. I soon realized there was no way I was going to tell my friends this story, already feeling like the stupid farang who doesn’t understand anything. So I tossed out all the half spilled drinks at the next trash can, cleaned myself up a bit and rode back, being careful not to let them see the little scrape on my knee.

Just hanging out

It’s been great to see so many friends! My boss at MMF and good friend Pi Nit has continually welcomed me into her home, where I get to play with her two young boys, Us and Am. Scott and Pi Tan are of course always great hosts and it’s fun to be their family- watching McGuiver (sp?) and eating delicious home cooking. I’ve gotten to stop by FLC, the school I worked at before, seeing a few friends like Pi Muu and Pi Jo (and her adorable baby boy!). I’ve had bubble tea at Baandu Market, shopped at the Night Bazaar and Big C, and have hung out at the church with friends there.

I also got to go with my good friend, Gift to another friend’s house to pick fruit and then check out the market at the University. This girl’s family has a giant back yard you have to get to by crossing a rickety bamboo bridge. It’s full of pineapple bushes (?), papaya trees, banana trees, rambutan trees and a fruit I only know as “grathon.” It’s not very sweet, so you eat it with fish sauce, salt and chillies.

The plan from here is to hang out in Chiang Rai a few more days, head to the beach on Tuesday and then fly to South Africa on Thursday! As much as I’m enjoying my time here, I’m excited to begin my year in Pretoria.