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*.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
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....
Saturday, October 16, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Ode To My Buffalo
Tribute to Gwei Dtiao
Some of you may know that during the past year or so, I've befriended a buffalo. It shouldn't really be a surprise to anyone who knows me since you would already know I grew up raising and loving animals. In fact, on of my earlier career aspirations was to become a veterinarian. And who doesn't love books about animals--Charlottes Web, James Herriot's biographies, The Jungle Book. In any event, buffalo in Thailand are smart and keen creatures, with a sense of solemn wisdom about them. Many people will attest to this. Sometimes I liken them to horses or dolphins. About a year ago, my neighbor's large old buffalo gave birth to a little bundle of joy--they gave me the privilege of naming her..."Gwei Dtiao" or Noodles (I chose the name mainly because of our close proximity to my other neighbor's noodle shop and because I've always liked noodles in Thailand. In fact, I wanted it to be my nickname back in the day). Anyways, Gwei Dtiao has been a pleasant presence in my life here--often frequenting and keeping the grass trim on my front lawn. I'd spend many of afternoon lounging in my hammock while Gwei Dtiao kept me company nearby. When she'd fain thirst, I give her water and show her affection. It was especially during times when being a Volunteer felt very lonely that I appreciated having the companionship of animals like Gwei Dtiao and serene surroundings--there's something about the solitude of animals that provides one the feeling of acceptance and understanding.
Times Changing
Two weeks ago, I came home to quite devastating news that my pet buffalo (really my neighbor's pet but truly my friend) had been sold. My neighbor and her husband have long been buffalo raisers so selling a buffalo for profit seemed pretty commonplace. But, when I caught wind of it, she could tell by the look on my face that I took it to heart and truly felt the loss of a companion. As a compassionate person, she assured me the buffalo went to a good home where it would come into maturity and live a good life. Apparently she's found a new home nearby.
It's taken some adjusting but I've become more used to the current situation and I accept like all things--life changes, moves on, buffalos come and go! In a month, Gwei Dtiao's mother will give birth yet again and I assume the cycle will start all over again and before I know it I'll be christening the new buffalo... "Sen Lek" ('small noodle' in Thai). But, I thought it only right (before I move on to newborns) to dedicate a blog post to my beloved friend and companion, Gwei Dtiao, the buffalo--however silly it may seem to the reader. I'll never forget her!
For more information on Buffalo in Thailand, follow the link: Thai Buffalo
Thursday, September 23, 2010
September Slipping Through My Fingertips
Dear friends,
It appears September is breezing by with October just around the corner. I’ve meant to post more but life happens in spades these days, and I find myself exhausted at the end of each day; happy and satisfied with the adventures, conversations, twists and turns of each passing moment. Life is fresh and ubiquitous in my present state. It’s all happening!
First of all, I want to say thanks for all the support for the Daycare Water Purification and Systems Improvement Project in my local community. We have almost reached the funding goals and will commence implementation soon—in about a week or so! It’s very exciting for myself and the local community is thrilled to be doing this.
I’ve been away from site more than usual in the past 6 weeks—in Bangkok for several occasions—a birthday shindig, doctor’s appointments, Project Review Committee (PRC) meetings followed by the unpredictable onset of flu viral infection (5 days for recovery. Then, we had the Project Design and Management Workshop, which took up almost 6 days and a substantial amount of energy. Subsequently, I took one more weekend getaway to collect myself and rest a while, I suppose. In total, that’s about 4 & ½ out of the last 7 weekends I’ve been away. Which is probably a personal record. Before I probably would have berated myself for all the ‘in absentia’ but the truth is, I don’t feel guilty. Thing are coming together and I believe it’s a good sign when people don’t need me here all the time to consult or work on one of our collaborative projects. They are becoming more confident and self-sufficient. This is especially the case with the Hope Group—which has improved immensely and become so much more confident and self-reliant. This week, the product development phase of the Hope Group’s business development endeavors will undergo final touches with fully packages detergent and dish soap. With the advertising banner and tables ready, next week will be the big selling debut just in time for the Khmer Festival, Wan San Dton Dta. And they did it all themselves. We just stood by to encourage and facilitate.
In the same vein, the recycling project has taken it’s own form with one of the local school leading initiatives and providing a local model. Students and local leaders have already completed trainings on pollution and global warming. Furthermore, they’ve sought guidance and financial assistance from the local ministry of environment and conservation, which, has allowed them to set up a proper and functional recycle bank. I find it exhilarating and even though I am not “doing” all the work, I feel a sense of pride given the seeds I helped plant and the groundwork laid to promote bigger things to happen. That’s what it’s all about.
The last thing on the projects front is the news that my counterpart and I were recently awarded a grant for 20,000 Baht to support the Youth Local Wisdom for Traditional Healing and Natural Products Training, which will take place in mid/late October. One of the greatest things about the society and culture here is how interconnected families are and how reverently elderly wisdom is treated. Not to mention, the interconnected, harmonious living with the natural environment. Given this, I have witnessed the onset of the Youth Local Wisdom of Herbal Remedies and Environmental Conservation Group. The group, that begun a few months ago, now flourished with 20-25 14-15 year-olds who train regularly with local elders and experts on natural remedies/ natural products. They also plant and tend to their own organic herbal garden—learning how to grow things properly. Some products and skills training have included: herbal compresses, massage oils, natural soaps, smelling herbs, incense, Thai massage, and pressure point healing. The whole concept is so refreshing and important. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful thing and happy that I could help—in the least—to strengthen the group and increase the practice of preserving the local wisdom and ecosystem.
So, before I bid adieu to September, I’ll leave you with some highlights of the Project and Design Management Training since it was such a pinnacle point in the month for me. I believe we accomplished what we set out for. Volunteers and Counterparts alike seemed to get a lot out of the training—if only to have 2 & ½ days of uninterrupted time to plan a project. One Volunteer even said it was the best and most useful training she had experienced in Peace Corps so far—that was a highlight for me =) Enjoy!
The Project Review Committee and Peace Corps Thailand Training Team--what great people to work with!
My Program Manager and I Getting Ready to Present on Budgeting
Hard at work
Project Planning in Action!
All Smiles... Trainers & Participants
It appears September is breezing by with October just around the corner. I’ve meant to post more but life happens in spades these days, and I find myself exhausted at the end of each day; happy and satisfied with the adventures, conversations, twists and turns of each passing moment. Life is fresh and ubiquitous in my present state. It’s all happening!
First of all, I want to say thanks for all the support for the Daycare Water Purification and Systems Improvement Project in my local community. We have almost reached the funding goals and will commence implementation soon—in about a week or so! It’s very exciting for myself and the local community is thrilled to be doing this.
I’ve been away from site more than usual in the past 6 weeks—in Bangkok for several occasions—a birthday shindig, doctor’s appointments, Project Review Committee (PRC) meetings followed by the unpredictable onset of flu viral infection (5 days for recovery. Then, we had the Project Design and Management Workshop, which took up almost 6 days and a substantial amount of energy. Subsequently, I took one more weekend getaway to collect myself and rest a while, I suppose. In total, that’s about 4 & ½ out of the last 7 weekends I’ve been away. Which is probably a personal record. Before I probably would have berated myself for all the ‘in absentia’ but the truth is, I don’t feel guilty. Thing are coming together and I believe it’s a good sign when people don’t need me here all the time to consult or work on one of our collaborative projects. They are becoming more confident and self-sufficient. This is especially the case with the Hope Group—which has improved immensely and become so much more confident and self-reliant. This week, the product development phase of the Hope Group’s business development endeavors will undergo final touches with fully packages detergent and dish soap. With the advertising banner and tables ready, next week will be the big selling debut just in time for the Khmer Festival, Wan San Dton Dta. And they did it all themselves. We just stood by to encourage and facilitate.
In the same vein, the recycling project has taken it’s own form with one of the local school leading initiatives and providing a local model. Students and local leaders have already completed trainings on pollution and global warming. Furthermore, they’ve sought guidance and financial assistance from the local ministry of environment and conservation, which, has allowed them to set up a proper and functional recycle bank. I find it exhilarating and even though I am not “doing” all the work, I feel a sense of pride given the seeds I helped plant and the groundwork laid to promote bigger things to happen. That’s what it’s all about.
The last thing on the projects front is the news that my counterpart and I were recently awarded a grant for 20,000 Baht to support the Youth Local Wisdom for Traditional Healing and Natural Products Training, which will take place in mid/late October. One of the greatest things about the society and culture here is how interconnected families are and how reverently elderly wisdom is treated. Not to mention, the interconnected, harmonious living with the natural environment. Given this, I have witnessed the onset of the Youth Local Wisdom of Herbal Remedies and Environmental Conservation Group. The group, that begun a few months ago, now flourished with 20-25 14-15 year-olds who train regularly with local elders and experts on natural remedies/ natural products. They also plant and tend to their own organic herbal garden—learning how to grow things properly. Some products and skills training have included: herbal compresses, massage oils, natural soaps, smelling herbs, incense, Thai massage, and pressure point healing. The whole concept is so refreshing and important. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful thing and happy that I could help—in the least—to strengthen the group and increase the practice of preserving the local wisdom and ecosystem.
So, before I bid adieu to September, I’ll leave you with some highlights of the Project and Design Management Training since it was such a pinnacle point in the month for me. I believe we accomplished what we set out for. Volunteers and Counterparts alike seemed to get a lot out of the training—if only to have 2 & ½ days of uninterrupted time to plan a project. One Volunteer even said it was the best and most useful training she had experienced in Peace Corps so far—that was a highlight for me =) Enjoy!
The Project Review Committee and Peace Corps Thailand Training Team--what great people to work with!
My Program Manager and I Getting Ready to Present on Budgeting
Hard at work
Project Planning in Action!
All Smiles... Trainers & Participants
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Daycare Flood Prevention & Water Purification Project
The Daycare
Serving Water After Lunch
Greetings all,
Sorry for the hiatus. We (meaning myself and all the individuals I work with in and out of site & Peace Corps) have been super busy! Projects are galvanizing before our eyes and it's nothing but a beautiful thing.
Before i jump into current events, I wanted to link my readers to our water & sanitation project currently underway. Below is the original project summary similar to the one on the Peace Corps Partnership Program website: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=493-161
The Daycare Development Center is a children’s center under supervision of the Sub-District Administrative Office located in Thailand’s Northeastern province of Sisaket. Jaidee Daycare accommodates 60 students, ages 2-4. The building itself sits on a on a lowland silt area. Consequently, during the rainy season, water enters the building and permeates the bottom structure. This leaves teachers and children fending off rising waters and unsanitary conditions brought on by flooding. The first phase of this project addresses the flooding issue by constructing a new drainage system and elevating common ground around the daycare with concrete beams. Two diagonal gutters starting at the roof will funnel rainwater into a drain connected to the village drainage system. In addition, concrete beams affixed around the structure will prevent water from entering the building.
Phase two of this project entails purchasing a water purification tank connected to a common water canteen as well as the installment of sinks with running water. In addition to daycare teachers and children, approximately 1,452 local villages residents will be able to access this water source for drinking and household use. Currently, drinking water must be purchased from an outside source, which is often time-consuming, costly, and inefficient—most importantly, the water quality is not guaranteed. Water for personal use is accessed from local wells filled with unsanitary ground water, which is unsuitable for even hand-washing and brushing teeth. Teachers, parents, and local-administrators alike recognize the importance of this project and have pledged the necessary outputs to complete both project phases before the cool season begins in early November.
Visit from Peace Corps Thailand Administrators
Flooding...
Children Washing Up--notice the lack of sinks?
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