CoS Conference

...And then there were 37 (I am top right in orange shirt)

1 year and 11 months ago (almost as many as 4 scores and seven years), I started out on this marvelous, wacky, life-changing, experience along with 52 other individuals in PC Thailand Group 121. 23 months later, 37 individuals (soon to be 36) are still going it along with me. Our close of service (CoS) gave us the opportunity to take a moment and look down that long, steep path we've taken to get here and remember those we've lost along the way; to reflect on our experiences, successes and tribulations, give ourselves a little pat on the back (maybe reconcile some of our regrets) and look on to the future.

The whole CoS conference is something we hear about our whole service. It's a pretty big deal and feat to get to this point. After which, we can call ourself RPVC (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers--well, not quite yet). This year, it was also particularly extraordinary because our Country Director will also be ending his seven & 1/2 year service in as Country Director in Thailand.

Close of Service Conference was roughly 3-4 days spent by:

- Taking Thai Language Proficiency Exams (the last time we took this was almost 20 months ago--during which time I received an intermediate- mid rating but this time I scored advance-mid
-Listening and talking to RPCV's and working professionals in Thailand from various career paths (Foreign Service Officers, UN workers, NGO representatives, free-lancer, etc. )
- Eating a "thank you" PCV's Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by the Deputy Ambassador
- Sitting through sessions to reflect on our work in respective program areas and our lives as PCV's in general
- Talking about the necessary steps to leaving Thailand--writing a DoS (description of service), getting finances in order, reaching medical clearance, packing, leaving host communities (which, was all very odd to think about)
- Reminiscing and hanging out
- Talking about life after Peace Corps
- Toasting the Volunteers who've left us
- Attending a very sentimental "tying ribbon" ceremony in which we all had a chance to say something about our service here (along with Dr. John)
- Joining in on a final 'no-talent' talent show (to be honest, there's nothing but talent in this group!)


Reflecting back on the 3 & 1/2 days we spent during the CoS Conference, I'm filled with conflicting feelings of reverence for my time here and for the people I've come to know and love, accomplishment, some regret & guilt, melancholy, relief, apprehension for the future and and being altogether overwhelmed!

It's all a bit of a blur to me as I look to the future. As of now, I am unsure as to whether or not my career with eventually end up continuing here in SE Asia or if I will be Stateside/somewhere in-between for a while. My immediate plans include traveling to China, Japan, Bali, & India after I end my service at the beginning of April 2011. Then, off to the good old US of A for some catching up. Beyond that, I'm very much undecided. I keep reminding myself, I have to get to mile 26.2 of this marathon before I can begin to embark on a new race. Preparations are definitely in order but, it's hard to know now what life will bring beyond this. I've still got some loose ends to time up here! (ie: Daycare Project) Anyways, Life is unpredictable and maybe it's best not to know exactly what is to come...




Country Director, Dr. John gives an emotive speech


At the Deputy Ambassador's House about to enjoy a complimentary Thanksgiving Dinner


In front of the USA Embassy Grounds where the Deputy Ambassador resides


At Peace Corps HQ after our 3-day CoS Conference in Cha-am Thailand (near the Gulf of Thailand)


Not to ham it up but, I can't hide that I was pleasantly satisfied with my Language Proficiency Interview Results...maybe I could even do better!

Two Farang's Wed, Thai Style

Loy Krathong


(Picture compliments of Wikipedia taken at a Loi Krathong festival in Chiang Mai)

On our way to a Volunteer wedding, we haphazardly caught and savored the traditional practice of lighting and releasing "Khom Loi's" (lanterns) into the night sky during the beginning of Loy Krathong, a Thai holiday briefly described below.

"Loi Krathongs history in Thailand
Loi Krathong in Thailand originated in Sukhothai period as Loy Phra Pra Teip or Loy Khom (floating lantern). It is a festival of Thai people. After that, Noppamas- the most favorite concubines Sukhothai king - created krathong, like lotus-shaped, for floating in the river. Instead of floating lantern, it used for worshipping the foot-print of Buddha at Nammathanati River beach in Thakkhinabodh district, India. As we called Nehrabhuddha river.

Loi Krathong at the present:
Nowadays, Thai people still keep form suitably; on the full moon of the twelfth, people usually prepare natural materials to make krathong. For example, they use banana trunk and lotus to make beautiful krathong then stick candle, incense stick, and flowers in krathong. They always ask for good luck in the future and forgiveness Pra Mae Khongkha.
At the temples and tourist places, they held contestation of making krathong and Noppamas beauty pageants contest. There are many entertainment shows at night. Moreover, they set cautiously fireworks. The materials, used for making krathong, could be easily decomposed.
Reasons for Loi Krathong

We can conclude the reasons for Loi Krathong in Thailand are:
1. To ask for forgiveness Pra Mae Khongkha because we use and drink water. Moreover, we often throw rubbishes and
excrete wasted things in the water.
2. To worship the foot-print of the Buddha on Nammathanati River beach in India.
3. To fly away misfortune and bad things like floating sin- Bhrama ceremony.
4. To pay respect to Uppakhud whom mostly northern villagers show their gratitude for. According to legend, he was a monk who had supernatural to kill Mara.

Krathong could be made from anything else such as banana leaves, banana trunks, coconut barks, paper, and etc. Stuck with incense stick and candle to make a wish and float it in the river. "

(Information accessed at Loy Krathong, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)


PCV's gathering for some pre-Loy Kratong 'lamping'




Setting our off dream into the sky





I'm behind so in order to catch up to speed, I have to back track a little. Whew. Where did the time go?! I've been out of site and in Bangkok way too much lately. They say a little of time away from site is good for rejuvenating the soul and balancing mental health but I now also believe too long of respite from site can cause an imbalance of reverse sorts. The more I'm away, the harder it is to get back in the grove of things. Being only months away from Close of Service, I'm definitely feeling a bit more pressure to get as many things done as possible before I leave yet, try really hard to cherish the time left. Seems like it's suddenly hit me like a freight train train how little time I have remaining. I'm not even sure I'll be ready to leave when the time does come!

It's been an incredible, frustrating, rewarding, strange, wacky, overwhelming, and altogether, life-changing experience. Given the intense nature of my existence here, it's been very hard lately to think all this building to creating and doing something is finally coming full circle. But, ready or not, it's coming.

I regress. This theme of this blog really has nothing to do with my existential Peace Corps crisis (which, let's be honest, is nothing new!)

I'd like to share memories of a purely blissful nature.

On Nov. 19-21, around 20 Volunteers attended a wedding for one of our very own. Some might call it the gala of the season; others, a mere result of our being here so long that we've become Thai. (Not really but, somewhere in between). It's probably not a coincidence that the momentous occasion fell so close to Loy Krathong as our lives inevitably weave into the beautiful tapestry of our surroundings--nothing happens in and of itself. Towards the end of the picture show, you can tell though, that despite the day long ritual (6AM to 8:30 PM) of making merit, monks chanting, parading around on elephants, pictures, pictures, pictures, Thai dance, & karaoke, that the bride & groom added their own American flavor--however subtle. (think: "Just Married Signs, Wedding Cake (definitely not a Thai tradition), & goofy costume pictures). Enjoy!

P.S. I won't comment too much, but you might notice a particular gentleman Volunteer who keeps popping up in my pictures who may or may not have captured my affections in recent months ;)

Parent's Visit

Back From Sojourn

Dear Readers,

I am finally back to site from a lovely, venturesome journey with some of my most beloved people. My parent's visited from the USA for about 13 days and luckily we had incredible luck with weather, food, and safe (sometimes bumpy and tiring) transportation. It has been almost 3 weeks since I set out which, seems like an eternity ago. I'll be updating my blog in installments since I'm back to site and thus back to slow, steady Internet--plus I have a plethora of things to catch up on.



Below is a brief summary of our vacay stops and pics previewing some of the highlights. Pics will have to wait for now since there seems to be technical difficulties.

From Oct. 28-31: Bangkok. Visited Peace Corps HQ, $6 Thai massage, shopping, & sight-seeing including the Reclining Buddha & Jim Thompson House.

Oct. 31-Nov.2: Sisaket Province (my site). Thai-style welcome & dinner. Sight-seeing and tour of Issan cuisine. Main attractions included the 'Glass Bottle Temple', 'Giant Animal Statue Temple', & waterfalls.

Nov.3-Nov.8: Rayong Province (on the Gulf of Thailand). Stayed at a quite 'resort'on the beach, enjoyed ocean swims, ate spectacular seafood, had Thai massage with herbaol compress, & randomly engaged my parents in a 'mock consolidation'--a coincidental test of the Peace Corps Thailand EAP (emergency action plan) which brought us to Rayong City for the evening.

Nov.9-10: Lop Buri Province. Visited my old host family from Peace Corps Training (I lived with them from Jan. 30-April 9, 2009), experienced a Thai sports day which boasted a mini cultural show and opening ceremony. We also saw my host brother show off some mad skills at "Dta Graw" which is a Thai sport somewhat similar to Voleyball only players have to use their feet to pass the ball instead of their hands. (It's harder than it looks--we're talking gymnastic-esque stealth required).

Nov.10-11: Bangkok. Parents head back home.

Nov.11-15: Bangkok. Peace Corps meetings & Dr.'s appointments, spending way to much time & money shopping & eating farang food!

Nov. 16: Back to site, back to reality =) But happy to have a home in Thailand to come home to after the long-awaited visit from my parents (it had been almost 2 years since I had seen them).

I'm getting ready to go to a wedding this weekend so the pics might not make it up before then but I'll try!

Picture it: A Peace Corps Volunteer is getting married on an elephant!!! It shall be the wedding of our service.

Hope everyone is doing well and getting ready to give thanks*.

Silent Inundation

Buffalos Take Refuge On My Lawn--NOTE: the incredibly cute new object of my affections: 2-day old, 'Sen Lek'








Almost overnight our seemingly quite and uninterrupted (from the outside world, that is) neighborhood went from ‘business as usual’ to an abrupt standstill prompted by mounting floodwaters. As I stood on my stoop two days ago, a hundred feet or so from the rising waters, the memory of last year came back to me in a flash. Talk about déjà vu. I suddenly remembered like it was yesterday. Compared with my post, from October 2009 entitled: Weathering The Storm(s) , the current circumstances are an eerie reminder that nature can and does repeat the same phenomenon year after year. To us, as human beings, that often means misfortune and disasters.
Here’s a brief from the recent Bangkok Post article relating to the flooding situation in Thailand:

Bangkok Post : Flood Toll Rises to Seven
Heavy flooding in the Central and Northeast regions has claimed two more lives, in Lop Buri, raising the death toll from the most severe flooding in decades to seven this week.
For more visit: www.bangkokpost.com

Now I remember vividly the rainy season going out with a bang last year as it has this year. Over the past two weeks, it has rained almost non-stop. I bike in the rain, I walk in the rain, I do my laundry with rainwater, I play in the rain, I sleep a lot while it’s raining. Actually, I was beginning to think I was mildly depressed because of all this good sleeping weather—rain induced coolness, that is. Needless to say, I have been sleeping far more than necessary during the ‘rain days’ & nights.
It reminds me of Monterey, California, where I lived before I came here. Everything was always damp during the perpetual ‘sweatshirt weather’ that Monterey often boasts.

Then, I’m reminded of Iowa in the harvest of autumn when the air is crisp and cool. My dad would say it’s good sleeping weather. But to be honest, good sleeping weather with all it’s pleasantries, has been making me a bit... shall we say... lethargic, not to mention a bit discontented with myself. Call it timing, perhaps the 6 months-to-go-syndrome but these last 10 days or so I’ve felt very unmotivated while wallowing in self-pity. The blues of facing the unchartered future and how I’m going to make the most of the time I have left. It could just be a coincidence that the heavy rains happened to coincide with my state. And, furthermore, that the flooding occurred when I’d about had it with my brooding and was beginning to climb out of my proverbial well.

And now two days later, I see waters receding and hope returning to worried faces. I feel my faith reviving and my outlook of present and future is seemingly better. I guess my bout with the blues could have been exacerbated by cabin fever too. This last week, I’ve spent an unprecedented amount of time in my house. It’s also possible that the parade and all the over-exposure of being in the fishbowl or on display like a zoo animal (ie: being in the parade) made me retreat into my shell. Whatever the reason, I see good things on the horizon. While in my hermit state, I took to watching a lot of Mad Men—and if you’re a fan, you would agree this current season (4) is not the right thing for an already melancholy person to be watching. Talk about depressing! But, I do recall a quote in one of the more recent episode when someone says... “When I’m feeling down, I look at the calendar. There’s usually something good on the horizon.” Now that I’m feeling a bit better, I appreciate those words of encouragement and I realize there is truth to it. I’m heading to see some friends this weekend and relax. Next week, I look forward to a long-awaited, anticipated arrival of my folks to Thailand. All the while, I continue to anticipate the transfer of funds for the Daycare Flood Remediation and Water Systems Improvement Project from PC Washington so implementation can begin.

And so the beat goes on and on....

Khmer Festival Time Again!

It really hits me as to how long I've been here when annual events start repeating. And wouldn't you know it, before I could hardly blink, the big Khmer festival of 2010, "Wan San Dton Dta" came and went. If you've been a dedicated reader to this blog long enough, you might recognize the event and the context. (and for a refresher refer to my post from last year's festival: A Khmer-Thai Tradition
It's hard to believe it's been over a year since I wrote that post and now I'm writing about the 2010 Festival. Time flies when your meticulously pinning ornamental garlic and chilies to a parade float and galavanting around in Thai costumes in the rain, smiling all the while. Actually, some of that makes the minutes go by pretty slow...

How incredible, the detail that goes into this festival--I think I noticed and appreciated in much more this year. Villagers literally work day and night to present amazingly displays of their local harvests, handicrafts, and specialties. My sub-district takes particular pride in their silk ( which comes entirely from the village--silk worms, looms, and finished products), crops of rice, garlic, chilies, and shallots,and last but not least, "Gwien Noi" which means small cart. Soon I'll have to dedicate a post to gwien noi because it's amazing what they do and how they do it. Below, you can see a picture of the large Gwien (or large cart) on the float. The gwien noi is a small prototype of the large cart that used to be one of the most important agricultural tools used for planting, harvesting, and transportation back in the day. Now that gwien's are outdated, the small prototype gwien noi's are ever so cherished and popular. They keep alive the memory of tradition and history in Thailand. For generations now people in my village have been carving and weaving gwien noi's. It's very much a local art that villagers are immensely proud of. You see, gwien noi's are not a common handicraft--though people recognize them throughout Thailand--it's a very painstaking and arduous task that originates from this particular village in Thailand. Sure it's not the only place gwien noi's are crafted but it's nevertheless, special to the people and they will tell you that the gwien noi's from this village are far superior to other's you will find. I sure am proud to know about and share in this tradition.

Anyways, yes, the festival. Well, it was great. Even though it rained. We also had the honoring of the dead/spirit world portion in which everyone makes up a bed in their home with all kind of fresh fruits and cooked rice, chicken, offerings, etc. I accompanied my neighbors and friends as they poured the wine and offered prayers and asked their ancestors to join in the feast of life. It's a rather beautiful display of reverence that takes place for about 2 days. In the spirit of the moment we did tip our glasses of ice-cold beer to the dead--it felt like the right thing to you. Here's to you, who have perished! Yes, and people got up at the crack of dawn again this year like they do every year to cackle and hoot their way to the temple to make a final merit with their ancestral offerings in toe.

I can't tell a lie, I got up at 4AM, all ready to go... only to fall asleep at 5:15AM and miss the whole activity. I blame it on not getting any sleep the night before...

Truth is, I felt less pressure and maybe a tad less enthusiasm to attend every activity this year. Not that the whole thing wasn't as fun as it was last year... okay parts of it were definitely more exiting last year since it was so novel and unfamiliar. It was almost like this year, I felt much more like a local ( sure, not so much when I was leading my entourage in the parade as 2,000 gawking onlookers hollered, smiled in awe, and took pictures.) But, as far as the activities in preparation and with my office and neighbors went, you might have had to look twice to tell their was a farang in the bunch.