A Glimpse at Corruption

The root of Kenya is corruption. I wish I could say it isn’t so, but its all around, in the government, law enforcement, religion down to the community development NGO we were working for. My guess is that there is so much fear of living that horrific impoverished lifestyle, that corruption has become secretly acceptable.

It is said that the very best job in Kenya is to be a Pastor. The only hope some people have to hang on to is God. They believe with all their heart that He will come through for them. With that they are willing to give everything they can spare to the local church. That comes in very handy for the Pastor. I have yet to see one that isn’t looking spiffy in a nice suit, clean and well groomed. Other volunteers were placed living with the Pastors and their families and their accommodations were just short of living in the U.S. There may not have been running water in a 6 to 10 room house but there was always a house-hand to flood flush the toilet for them. 

As a realist, I wonder how or why these people keep giving when they don’t see the money coming back down to repay their children, provide food when they’re hungry, build shelter and keep them safe, when that small bit extra could make a difference in their today. Then I see... when you have nowhere to go and don’t know where to turn, you have to have something to hang onto. Faith. 

Where has the blog gone...

Where has the blog gone....

I do apologize to those of you who keep track of my where abouts, health, safety and most importantly, adventures; through my blog. This piece of my blog could not be updated until I successfully joined paths with my parents. Knowing how on edge my Mom was while I was gone, all the while putting on her brave face reminding herself that she raised a strong, capable daughter; I knew it would make her shudder to hear the highs and lows of each of my days. 

Protecting the mindset of my friends and family was a large part of my lack of communication, but not completely. Modern luxuries like internet and electricity was a battle that I wasn’t willing to fight for when settling in and living a Kenyan lifestyle.  I captured many of my thoughts and experiences in a handwritten journal during my stay. Hopefully I can paint an objective picture of life in Kenya for others to understand, but from my very few conversations I’ve had with the outside world, its not really a place that anyone can comprehend. And, to be honest, I have sat down to write this blog many of times but could never come up with the words to describe my experience and fully portray the horrific life so many of them lead and how they touched my heart. 

Being a white person in Kenya isn’t exactly the easiest trait to deal with. Even the Kenyans will say, “you don’t look white, you look as green as money”. No matter who you get to know and how much you like them there is always the line of trust that you never really can be sure of. As much as it may disgust you at times, the underling reason is desperation. There has been so much desperation in the eyes of the common Kenyan for so long that all morals have been discarded and survival is the number one priority. For mothers that could be prostitution for as little as 25cents U.S., but for a Kenyan that is food on the table for the family. Pit pocketing, robbing, rape and murder are not uncommon stories to be heard as they have very little regard for human life. Yes, I heard many of those stories from locals and also from volunteers, and I thanked my lucky stars everyday that I had not encountered such situations, then hoped for the best for the next day. 

Vurmilia School

School is hard for me to get through everyday. I love the kids as always but struggle with the teaching methods of our local Kenyan teachers. Its not just here, it is common throughout Kenya from what I have learned to discipline the children by beating them. Most commonly when they get an answer wrong or hesitate with confusion. Sometimes it is a wack on the hands or butt with a whipping stick other times it is a slap to the back of the head and always some form of verbal abuse. My least favorite is, “you are wasting our time”. These kids came to learn, if they already knew all the answers... they wouldn’t need to be in school. 

After my first week of viewing this, not feeling like I could be involved in class at all, confused on where my place was, I knew it wasn’t my right to tell them that their years of customs were offensive to me. I decided to step outside of the classroom, bringing the less developed kids along with me. I know that it is only a temporary fix but I figured it saves them a few stern strikes a day, gives them some one on one time, hopefully allowing them to catch up a bit and prevent abuse in the future. 

Knowing that I have to accept cultural differences I have inquired about the way the children are reprimanded. The common census is that there is no point in babying them now as they will be in for a rude awakening when they are ready to go onto a proper school. 

Thursday was an exam day. Helping out by writing the name of each child on the top of their exam, I have only become familiar with their baptismal names (John, Mary, Jacob, Elijah, Ruth), they also have swahili names. After finishing my small job, Teacher Joyce asked me to also put the Swahili name on their paper. Not knowing any of them, I asked her what each was, and when I didn’t spell it correctly she had the audacity to give me a light smack on the back of the head and take the pen from me. Taking me completely off guard, I wasn’t prepared to tell her how I felt about that until class had started and the moment was gone. To say the least we are not getting off to a great start. She however, is unaware of how inappropriate that is in my opinion but I will not make a rift that would extract from my time with the kids. They are who is truly important. 

Garbage Slum

You can know they exist, you can look at pictures or hear stories but there are no words to describe the reality of a garbage slum. Peoples entire livelihood depending on the trash from surrounding areas. 

I had my first visit to the Gioto Garbage slum where over 6,000 people live. It sounds awful but it is worse than even imaginable. The smell that permeates the area is so vile it makes your stomach turn and your head hurt. Mounds of trash piled everywhere with people of all ages, from small children to the elderly digging through them to find anything they can live off of. Scraps of food, materials to build their homes with, anything that could be crafted and sold. 

How does anyone get to this point in life? The stories that came from just a few of the families that lived there were dreadful. A single mom with 14 kids. She became pregnant at the age of 11 after being raped. Trying to support her baby led her to prostitution, the outcome being 13 more kids and infected with AIDS. Now she is immobile and it is her kids that are digging through the trash to find food. 

Profile surveys of the kids that have been done by past volunteers show many of them go months without being bathed, weeks without clean water and actual food (such as rice, beans or porridge), and most beaten daily. The majority of children are conceived from rape and most already infected with AIDS. 

Kenya holds the top 3 garbage slums in the world. The largest is home to 171,000 people outside of Nairobi. I’m not even ready to think of a city built on trash and hate to think that many people have no other choices. We (Fadhili organization) try to do as much as possible to get the children out of this lifestyle by raising money to send them to boarding school and for those not as lucky we supply as many as possible with clean water and a meal. Its not nearly enough to make a dent but its a step in the right direction. 

First Weekend In Kenya

No matter where I am, I continue to do the same types of things that I love to do, the scenery around me just changed and it has the ability to make a world of difference (no pun intended). 

My first weekend in Kenya I spent hiking and biking through Hells Gate National park. Meeting some new faces from multiple different projects, a group of us were guided through by a couple of high spirited Kenyons. We started by biking 7 km, but not your average ride to enjoy some exercise, fresh air and landscape. This was an unexpected National Geographic bike ride. Not many details were given out when signing up for this excursion other than the opportunity to bike through the canyon and hike to a natural hot springs created by volcanic activity. The idea of a hot bath in the stream was enough for me to sigh up, the view and activity was an added bonus I knew I would really enjoy.

I started the ride at the front of our pac, as we had a few virgin bikers.  Only a few minutes into our ride I found myself shouting to the others like a child at the zoo, “zebras!!!!!” Ten feet in front of me a herd of adults and babies were grazing in the field and before I knew it they were migrating across the road just a few feet in front of me. We continued our ride into the canyon when I heard someone else had spotted a giraffe. Stopping to look around, sure enough at the top of the canyon wall above us a giraffe was grazing the trees along the edge with a friend not far behind. It was a moment of ahhh, looking around thinking that these animals were as common and at home as deer would be in the yards of Craig Colorado. Through out the rest of our tour we saw gazelles, warthogs, ostrich and furry monkeys as big as a golden retriever. We had quite the outing for just a day trip jaunt.

New Project

After my fist week on my new project I am starting to get familiar with some of the people, kids and daily life of this community. Although so many of them are able to put on a smiling warm face everyday the conditions aren’t pretty and they know it. Kids will be kids knowing no other life, they run and play, sing and dance and adore every minute you spend with them. 

It is just the beginning of the rainy season here in Kenya. The days are hot and humid and the rain starts to poor in late afternoon, sometimes not stopping until morning. The first day I really enjoyed it. Not only did it seem refreshing and cleansing but I they needed the water desperately. After a couple nights of the rain, walking through camp made it more apparent that the rain is much needed for food but also very damaging to the only home they have.

The tents are made out of a thin plastic and tarps. After 3 years they are starting to show lots of wear and tear from the weather. Talking to people they say they haven’t slept in days. They joke about needing a boat instead of a bed. Mothers spend the nights protecting their young from the cold and trying to keep them as dry as possible. Most tents have anywhere from 3 people to a family of 7 or 8 in one, which leaves little room to scramble for the dry spots. 

The house I am living in has taken a little adjustment time. No electricity makes for very dark evenings listening to the rain pound on a tin roof. Mice keep us company during the night. Roosters make for very early mornings and the chickens on the couch make for a great welcoming comity at breakfast. Our house is not closed in so they come and go as they please. Checking to see if this was a normal occurrence, I was informed that they just come in to lay their eggs and go, however that is far more timely that I would have ever guessed. The food is simple but eatable with a Kenyon kick, sugar. 

At the end of the day looking at the difference between my accommodations here making my life at home look so plush, a short distance away I am reminded that I am still living such a large life. I go to bed every night with a full stomach and wake up to bread and tea. I have no worry of water destroying everything I have or taking a toll on my health. I have an education to share with others and at any point in time the ability to change my dissatisfactions. I hate that others live with such rough conditions and suffer so much but love the ability to put things into perspective. 

IDP Camp

I arrived at my placement today. Yes, even a shocker for me. I was prepared for the slums, but did not think that I would be living so close to them. I am about 15 steps away from the Vurmilia IDP camp. 

I think the people who dropped me off at my location were waiting for a shocking expression as the said “welcome home”. Although my mind was racing I played it off as though I would have expected nothing more. I do not live like I am in an IDP camp but not too far off. My house is nothing more than a cement block house and a tin roof. There is not only no running water but only one large tank for the whole camp. If you thought that the toilets I was using in Thailand were a stretch they are still a step ahead of the hole in the ground here shared by many. We are allotted a cold bucket shower about once a week and a sparing cup of water to wash up our face and hands daily. As of now I have not showered (not by choice this time) since Saturday night in Chiang Mai. I am now writing on Wednesday and have traveled three hours on a bus, through 4 airports and 3 countries. 

IDP stands for Internally Displaced People. Which translates into people who are refugees of their own country. Where ever they were living, in the slums or in nearby towns, fled during the political clashes that led to large amounts of violence and riots. Homes and churches being burnt down with people inside, rape, and torture such as cutting off body parts are a few of the horrific stories I have heard. Many of these people have an education and businesses that were lost. People that are now living in this IDP camp next to me in very small tents that leaks in the rain, without much food or water and few opportunities for education or work were once on track to overcoming so many of the typical African obstacles. 

The government compensated each family with 10,000 shillings (80 shillings to 1USD = $125). These families put their money together to buy a piece of land that they could feel safe on. They purchased this land in 2008 and since then many families have moved to this land as non-registered  IDPs, meaning the government has no record of them and they received no compensation. Now there are 158 tents on this plot and a small school built by volunteers. Some people have a small garden although the conditions aren’t well, the women make baskets and jewelry, but being so far from a town there is not much market for them. What very little they do have is self-sustainable with very few resources.

I’m not exactly sure were to start on this project, it is more mind boggling and overwhelming than I had imagined. I hope to tell you in the future that we have changed a few lives here and give them some hope for the future. 

Nairobi

I flew into Nairobi Kenya today. Having some exposure to Africa I had a mental image of things I had seen before only multiplied knowing that it is the largest city in the country. Once again my eyes were opened even wider as nothing was as I expected. Nairobi is a city similar to ones we all know, busy streets filled with cars, large buildings and stores, apartments and housing tracks crowded with people all over, combined with the reality of a third wold country staring you in the face. 

Through town you can see business men and women walking the streets and along side of them a man pulling a massive cart filled with produce, construction materials or water jugs; looking like some sort of animal heaving as much as possible from one destination to the next. The roads seem to be without rules. When in a traffic jam,  no need to worry, you can always pass on either side of the shoulder, go off roading or use sidewalks if needed. Air quality is not something anyone has any concept of, I’ve never seen so much exhaust in the air or trash on the ground. Where ever you are there is sure to be goats, sheep, cows and chickens roaming. To be honest, its all together a bit out of control. 

Staying at a guesthouse for one night before being put in my placement a few hours away, I had some time to get to know a new group of people. Everyone starting at the same time but all placed differently so no need to get attached. Some of us getting the itch to explore the area we set out on a short walk to the market. Feeling like a celebrity, eyes gawk at the only white people for miles. The word Muzungo is shouted from all directions (swahili for white people). Collecting kids behind us as we walk. 

Our return home was just as eventful but not nearly as amusing. Just before entering the gated community to the house we were staying in a man just steps in front of us collapsed, started ciezing and foaming at the mouth. In shock, we had no idea what to do. Looking around all the locals continued to walk past, most not even giving a second thought about it. It felt like we just stared forever waiting for him to move, then decided to go consult with the women of the guesthouse. Shocking to us all, they said, “just leave him, it happens all the time... he’ll be fine”. It may be normal for Kenya, but it still didn’t settle well with me. I stepped outside again to see if he had moved multiple times in the next hour, nothing. Eventually he was gone. 

Today was just an introduction to some of the situations I will see here. Not things that I want to get used to but things that I will have to accept. 

Only a Few Days Left

My last weekend in Thailand was outstanding. Shelley and I headed up to Chiang Mai one more time, the second biggest city in Thailand to accomplish the last two activities on our list of things to do. 

We started the weekend by heading to a small town called Chiang Dow were we had heard about a must see cave that was over six miles long. Making our way through a crap-hole of a town, working our way to find a bungalow guest house we had heard of, hoping the map we were following was steering us correctly we found ourselves on a long unpromising road. After just a mile or so a local woman driving a truck asked us where we were going and told us to hop in back. We were headed in the right direction but would have been walking for hours if we had not hitched a ride. She took us deep into the Thai jungle in between the mountains, not far from the caves and dropped us off right in front of our bungalow destination. Thrilled with our location and ready to settle in and settle down we unpacked for the night, showered up and set off to see a bit of the area. It was a well kept tourist secret and a fantastic find for us. Not very far down the road from our guesthouse was the temple of serenity and determination hidden in a mountain. The name describes it perfectly. There was not a visible soul around and it was perfectly peaceful and quiet with only noises of nature around. The temple was built up high on a mountain and took over 700 stairs to get up to it and along the way had inspirational encouraging words of determination and where it will get you. In this case it  took us to an unbelievable view of the valley and beyond. It was not the mellow tour we were expecting after a long day but what a sight to see. Worth every step taken we found part of the temple built into the rock of the mountain and even higher up was a prayer room and look out ledge. Almost sundown the weather was cooling to a perfect temperature, I’m not sure if we could have planned a more perfect moment to remember the best Thailand has to offer. 

Thinking we had already had a successful evening we were making our way back to our guesthouse keeping an eye open for a restaurant when we came along another beautiful guesthouse hidden by nature. Curious of what it had to offer we stopped in to check out a menu. Once again quite as could be the path lined with small candles lead to a beautiful patio restaurant where we saw the name of the Guesthouse “The Nest”. As Shelley was faithful about reading every guide book in sight, it rang a bell for her immediately. The restaurant at The Nest was to be one of the very best in Thailand. We sat down having the place all to ourselves and had an incredible dinner. Feeling like we splurged far more than average we had to laugh that our 5 star meal was still no more than $7 a plate. How hard will it be to return to our homeland when that is sounding over the top and more than the cost of our room for the night. 

The following day we didn’t waste anytime. Starting out with a bike ride to view more of the area that we were so lucky to find and then into the cave. What a fascinating creation made by mother nature. Not only did it seem like it went on indefinitely but the rooms within it were huge and unique. 

The following day we returned to Chiang Mai, planning our last hurrah. We had both been very interested in taking a cooking class that we had seen offered so we could take our favorite Thai dishes home with us. 

Some of the adventure dishes were far over my head... along with flames, (I will not be doing those at home, or I may end up with nothing left of a home). But the rest of the class exceeded our expectations. Partnering together we were able to make eight delectable dishes. Two soups, two noodle plates, two curries, and two main courses (cashew chicken and sweet and sour chicken with vegetables), along with mango sickie rice for desert. If you were worried about my weight loss from the previous week, you needn’t worry any longer. Along with the class we also received a cookbook, hopefully my memory will serve me well over the next few months and I can replicate a few of these dishes for you when I return home.

I have tasted a bit of everything Thailand has to offer, seen enough temples to last me a lifetime, ridden a motor bike to as many national parks as possible, walked enough markets to see every brand-name remake out there and Thai handy craft invented, and best of all made another great collection of friends. I would say this sounds like success.  

Sick as a Dog

It is only to be expected that your body can only take so much while traveling. My body however, has a harder time than most what ever it is battling. Im sure that I am bound to get what ever is around me, possibly carrying bugs in my system as long as possible and win every contest of how sick can you get... but still recover proudly and positively. 

This past week was a hard one for me. I believe I had another bout of what is most likely Malaria. Creeping up on me slowly with a soar throat, congestion and chest pain. Just when I thought I was recovering from the common cold the dreadful fever took me over. Hot, cold and chills all over in the heat and humidity of the Thailand summer felt like it would never end. Sick at my stomach and quickly becoming frail, my positive attitude of thinking it would all be over before I know it was dwindling. It was on and off for just over four days, when I took the dreaded trip to the Chiang Rai hospital. Surprisingly it was a great experience compared to what it could have been. The staff spoke minimal english but were productive and thorough. It was a newer clean facility and they ran a far more efficient process than any hospital I’ve been to in the U.S. 

I also had an amazing support group all around me. Shelley is a great care taker but also knows to give a bit of space. Wendy kept the positive loving vibes alive all the time and also kept a close eye on me. Many others provided their support in every way they knew how. 

I wasn’t connected to the internet most of the time, but in hopes to not worry my family from afar I didn’t tell them how sick I was until I felt I had to. After the 4th day of not breaking the fever, I was really wondering how much more I could take before I considered more serious repercussions. Chatting with my mom briefly I knew I worried her and scared her even more that I was worried as well. Finally Skyping my parents, knowing that they just needed to see me, I couldn’t keep myself composed, all I could do is cry. No words needed to be exchanged, I was miserable and there was noting in the world anyone could do. With in the next day I started to see the upside. My fever was down and I was able to keep a cracker or two in my stomach. I took the better part of the next 3 days to finish recovering, sleeping well and eating as much as I could to regain my strength. Luckily fruit is on every corner of Thailand and I indulged in as much pineapple, watermelon, papaya, mango, tangerines and dragon fruit as possible.   

Thinking of all the different places this could have happened on my tour of the world this was a great location with great care and the best people. Hopefully that is it for me and random illnesses. 

I have two weeks of blogs saved up but no way to upload them. I hope you all enjoy reading my book one day when I find internet that allows me to upload.
Other than that, life is going well. Crazy African style... but great. I can't wait to update you all on all that I have been doing.

Seasons

The weather has changed seasons just since I have been in northern Thailand. When I arrived I was afraid that I had not properly prepared for the very cool nights and mornings. It seems as though it is a bit warmer everyday. Now I require a cold shower mid day and enjoy the beautiful summer evening we all love so much, when the heat is gone but the temperature is so perfect that you don’t require a jacket. I’m thinking I planned well, summer all over the world. 

It is really nice to be somewhere long enough to watch the scenery change around you. Its hard to believe how fast time passes no matter where you are. I have seen the rice fields bare, flooded and now a full crop. I have enjoyed the extremely popular “green mango salad” in the off season and now the mangos at their very best and ripe. It’s possible that is my new favorite fruit. And as not enjoyable as it may be I see the controlled fire burns to maintain the jungle around the villages (which many of the outdoor volunteers help out with). It is very understandable to take care of it before the wet season starts in late March to April, but leaves the air feeling dirty and a bit foggy sometimes.

The kids have all just ended their school year and now have almost two months off, similar to our summer. We will continue at the temples, hospital and community centers but will also start a summer education camp for the hill-tribe village kids from 6 to 14. 

Change is all around us. It is something that used to challenge me greatly and I would do my best to resist but I am learning to embrace it and appreciate so many things about it. 

Volunteer Spirit

The group is constantly changing but we have all still made our friendly connection here and there. You may have heard me mention Shelley a time or two. We are by far the most similar, in so many ways; American... California transplants, travels and hobbies. She is far quieter than I (most people are), but we complement each other well and spend most of our free time together. She is just as, if not more outdoorsy than I am and we find somewhere to hike or run most days. This week we started a circuits group, which was much needed with all the rice eating we do here. We have been faithful daily but the others come and go. Ironically Shelley and I are on a similar travel route, she came from Kenya and that is my next destination. I love that she can give me lots of tips on great things to do... and a few of what not to do. We are planning a quick trip to Burma this next weekend and then to Laos the following, not places that I would have thought I would go but am excited to experience them with a friend. Shelley has a bit more experience in SE Asia than I do, as she just finished a project in Cambodia. 

Most of the boys here are British and have bonded well (funny how that worked out). We banter constantly but always have a good time. They have been informed in the past that Americans don’t have a sense of humor and continuously tell me they don’t understand mine. After almost everything I say they ask, “are you serious or joking”. I really didn’t think it was that different than dry British humor, but apparently so. They keep life fun and entertaining. The boys don’t enjoy the peace and quiet of our village much and often are creating the funniest of activities, in which we have elected one of them to be the events coordinator. This week we had a bon fire, game night and quiz night, embarrassing me on my worldly knowledge. 

The eldest of our group and some of my favorites left last week. Pat, 70, and Shelley, 53, kept up with the pack without any problems. They were good humored, related well to everyone and fed off the youthful energy. Always offering great advice about life or simply just the moment. Above all else they provided inspiration to so many of us that hope to be doing similar things when we are of that age. 

As so many people come and go, myself included, I hope to keep the volunteer spirit alive where ever I may be, by taking the very best that people have to offer. 

Akha Village Home-stay

At different periods of our time at Mirror, we go into a hill-tribe village, stay with a local family and help the community with a current project. Last week our entire group went to  an Akha village to build a water system. 

The job consisted of lugging a large amount of sand and rocks used to make cement, literally; over the river, through the woods and up the hill. Hoeing a trench to lay piping and building a water tank. The amount of manual labor and time put into this project is unbelievable. Many people had some culture shock challenges during this project, knowing more efficient and productive ways to get the job done. But when coming into someone else’s domain, it is important to respect their methods. It is a serious obstacle we all face, coming from such a productive crazy world, we want to give and do so much, but the goal is to lend a had and help them learn from us, not change their ways, as they need to develop in their own time. It is such an incredibly hard thing to accept when you feel you have so little time with them. But it would be just as shocking to them and possibly damaging to the essence of who they are if we tried to do all of these projects in our modernized form. 

I was very eager to work outside, be apart of a big group project and excited to do something physically demanding. However, I did not last long on the project, after only a  few trips to the top of the hill, on the afternoon of the first day of work I bizarrely got a stick stuck in my foot. As we were hiking through a jungly forest I heard a snap and felt a quick jab. Continuing to hike a bit further not wanting to loose my grip on my load of sand, until I crossed paths with Shelley, and she thought it looked far worse than I had imagined. I have no recollection of the pain but as we sat down and she was pressing on the top of my foot to pull the stick out, she realized that her fingers were actually on the stick inside my foot, well over an inch in horizontally along the vein of my foot. We debated a bit about what to do and then Shelley gave a good tug, it didn’t come out, so I did the same and once again it didn’t come out... After a little pow wow, I told her to give a give it another try, thankfully it was a successful one. Out came the stick along with a lot of blood. Keeping my cool through the whole show, I thought I was fine, but getting up and walking was a different story. I was immediately sick to my stomach, light headed and found myself aiming for the bushes. It took a while to collect myself, by that time I had the support of our entire group, which was so kind, and finally made it back to the village. 

I knew I was out of commission for a bit, but really didn’t know how painful it was going to be after the shock wore off. I was feeling extremely guilty for not being able to help as that is what I came for, but ended up really enjoying some of the Akha hill-tribe women. I was getting very antsy just laying on the bamboo platform on a very hot afternoon, when they brought out some of their handy-craft projects. Bags, jackets, hats with so many traditional artistic designs embroidered and beaded. They showed me some of their tricks of the trade and let me do a little myself. 

The following day my foot was extremely swollen, red and hot. The villagers were very worried about it and with in a few hours they had put together everything needed to do a small tribal surgery. It was painful to say the least. I had a large audience intrigued by the situation and a fellow volunteer who video recorded it hoping to send it to the Discovery Channel or somewhere interesting, most likely just my family. After opening the wound and cleaning it out thoroughly, my foot was wrapped in warm herbs and cloth. The herbs burned for a few hours, but for some reason I trusted their remedy. These people have been coping with injuries and illness for many years with out modernized western medicine, and they are all looking just fine. I left the herbs on for 8 hours, continuing with my day. I helped with what I could, brushing dried corn off of the cobs to feed the chickens, playing with the kids and reading when I was bored. 

The following morning my foot was close to its normal size again and far less painful. I still wasn’t able to help with the project but was happy to be up and about again. Sitting still isn’t really my thing. It was hard to be there and feel like I took more away than I gave but at the same time I felt so lucky to experience so much kindness and generosity. It seems like, to us, that they have so little but they were willing to give anything to make (me particularly) us feel comfortable and welcome.

Picture taken the day after tribal surgery. No one should ever post their feet that are as filthy dirty and worn as mine are, they look disgusting, but thought you needed a quick view ;) 

$$$$

Yes, as you  may have heard or already know, Thailand is a very inexpensive place to be. The U.S dollar goes a long way, it is 30 baht to 1$. On average I may spend $30 max to live and really enjoy anything I want for a week. I feel quite spoiled here. An average hotel that we may get on the weekend is 250 baht. A dinner out, 50 to 100 baht.   There are so many great Thai dishes, my favorite usually consist of coconut and pineapple. 

After finding out that I may have been partially taken advantage of on my first Thai massage I was persuaded to try another... in a group setting. It was far better this time and indeed an experience everyone should have. It is deep tissue (which can hurt seriously) with a mixture of stretching the body in positions most would never think of. An hour of rehabilitation and finishing with tea and cookies is only 150 baht, equal to $4.50. 

Shopping through the markets, I generally feast off of the fruits. A bag of fruit is 10 baht, equal to 30 cents. They have all natural fruit smoothies for 15 baht, that are absolutely fantastic! It blows my mind to think of ever buying a $4 Jomba Juice again. I also have an awesome friend, Shelley, that is very adventurous and gets me to try so many local treats that I would probably never go for but have really liked. Luckily she is a vegetarian and doesn’t go for any of the mystery meats or bugs. 

A bus trip to travel around the surrounding areas are under 200 baht, so for $4 to $6 I can go adventure out into other cities. Last weekend a friend and I rented bicycle to ride around Chiang Mai, for only 30 baht. We got to see all the views, temples, and museums on our own little tour.

These are only a few of the perks of Thailand.

Life in Thailand

Such a beautiful peaceful place. In my last blog, I may have made things sound a bit scant, but that is hardly the case. Our daily life in our village is very primitive but that is only one side of it. The elements that we may never thought about living without seem so insignificant. 

One piece of life that has really intrigued me is the Buddhist religion. So much of it focuses around peace of mind and kindness toward others. I’m sure it that plays a huge role in the surrounding environment that generally feels very safe, giving, and accepting. As it is the dominating religion by 96% it is obvious that most Thai are faithful to the religion and take it very seriously. 

Some of the very first things I was taught when I arrived in Thailand were the rules not to offend or dishonor anyone. The human chain starts with Monks at the very top, then eldest to youngest. When greeting someone it is important to address them appropriately based on their status. Some that are a little harder for me to adapt to are watching the way you sit, making sure your feet are never pointing towards anyone, as they are thought of as the lowest part of the body... when in fact... they are. Pointing, I have never thought about how much I point my finger to show something or get someones attention, but it is thought of as very rude here. The top of the head is very sacred, so no matter the age touching the head is very inappropriate... even when playing “Duck Duck Goose”. My least favorite, of coarse, is taking your shoes off EVERYWHERE. It is very impolite to wear shoes indoors, so whether your at a house, school or public place such as a temple, restaurant, or hotel, it is customary to leave your shoes at the door. All I can think of is how many nasty feet have been on that floor, but I kindly obey. 

It is a slight challenge to learn as much as you want here with such a huge language barrier, but I take in as much as I can. Although we are learning Thai phrases a little bit at a time the language is based on tones. There are 5 different tones and what you want to be saying could easily be interpreted very differently based on the tone. I try to use it as much as I can around our village and some with the kids, but find it quite intimidating to take other places.

If you are a nature lover, the vegetation is unbelievably beautiful. Everywhere you turn there is a jungle rolling on hills and mountains far into the distance. Rice paddies stand out in the midst of the jungle in the most vibrant green I have every seen. In the mid day, when the paddies are flooded it is as if they almost glow when the sunlight reflects off of the water. At any point and time it is easy to find a spot that you can only hear the the whispers of the incest and rustling of leaves. Whether it is to take time to think, or enjoy not thinking at all the peace is rejuvenating. 

The Mirror Foundation

I did not know a lot about the project that I signed up for but am so glad that I did. I’m learning so much about the history of Thailand and feel that this is admirable cause. The  Mirror Foundation was originally created to support hill-tribe people in northern Thailand. The hill-tribe people have migrated from surrounding countries over the past few centuries. Although by this time most to all hill-tribe people have been born in Thailand, they do not have Thai citizenship. With out citizenship they are not eligible for any rights or benefits such as education, healthcare, land or the right to vote. In turn, many of them end up in human trafficking for sex or drugs. As I can’t even imagine that being the result of the misfortune of where I was born, I hope to benefit the people here as much as possible with what now seems like so little time here. 

After having a few weeks to adjust to life at Mirror I am feeling quite settled. I stay very busy during my work week, teaching at the schools and temples, working with the E-bonnok store (hill tribe made goods), and learning Thai. We have Sunday and Monday off to leave the village and enjoy a larger variety of foods, sleep on actual beds, take showers, and tour surrounding areas. 

As  you may get the gist, life is very simple in our village. There are very few luxuries here. We sleep in a dorm style room, with boards on bunks for beds, the boys sleep on a cement block. The bathrooms have toilets but no pluming so we take water from a bucket to poor down the toilet and have a hose with a nozzle for a shower (which should only be taken mid day, when it is hot outside). The food mainly consists of white rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, sometimes adding a broth soup or a veggie on a really good day. We also have what we call the mystery meats... in which don’t get eaten by many for obvious reasons, but I think we have all braved it at least once. ;)

It is amazing how quickly one adapts to the surroundings and accommodations. I may know the differences between the two wolds and life-styles, but I rarely miss or long for amenities I once had. 

A new home

I arrived safely at my final destination inThailand, also where I will be settling for a while.  My new program is working for the Mirror foundation, located in norther Thailand. 

Very different than I expected and also quite different from my last experience. I quickly reminded myself that having no expectations is the best frame of mind to have when going into something completely new. We have our own little village at the Mirror Foundation, about 20 minutes away from the town of Chiang Rai. Many of the local hill tribe members also live here at Mirror with us. We have the opportunity to work side by side with them and get to know them and their families. 

Who your with truly does have the ability to make it or break your experience. They are the people you will be working with living with and hanging out with most of the time, so you always have to hope for the best. So far it seems like a great group of people.

After traveling for 2 weeks, I have not seen a single American, today half of our new group is American. Not only are 8 of our volunteers from the U.S but they are all from Colorado or California, (I play both sides depending on what fits best. ;)) It really is such a small world we live in. We have a group of 20 all together, the other are a mix of Canadian, Australian and British. Fifty/ Fifty boys to girls this time as well, which is not very common. Sixteen members came in today so I was not alone in getting my bearings. 

The 4 that were already here welcomed us with open arms. They planned a bon-fire and party, bringing all sorts of treats from town; such as fruit, candy and popcorn; which is not easy to get. They quickly put our “rice for every meal menu” at ease, knowing we could find other options once we made it to town. 

The joking and chattering started immediately, nationalities bantering back and forth, exchanging past travels and projects, and getting to know each others history and personal gossip. Once again so many different people all coming together with open minds for the same purpose, reminded me why I love these projects so much and quickly made me feel like I am right were I am supposed to be. 

Pattaya

Of all the things that I have heard about Thailand, I have heard the beaches there are unbelievably amazing. As much as I like sun and the beach, I couldn’t possibly miss out on that. After having the guidance of our Thai receptionist at the hostel, I set out on my trek to the beach. Taking the train to the bus and the bus two hours south to Pattaya. If you look it up, you will understand why that was my final choice, it was the same place the the movie “Beaches” was filmed. 

Note 1: Always listen to your mother! She said to me on more than one occasion, “I’m a little concerned about the language barrier... don’t you think that will make your travel a bit difficult?” I, with my oh so optimistic attitude often shrug off the not so joyful aspects of things and focus on the positive and exciting points. I can write about this now that I am safe and sound, but my bus trip to Pattaya was one of the most nerve racking two hours of my life. Not because I felt threatened but because I was the only english speaking white girl on the bus. And as they stopped at each stop my heart raced to see something that matched my directions... but would I even know it, as most everything is in Thai with only a few signs using the alphabet. I know that I looked panicked as I looked almost in circles searching for a bit of hope, when a young Thai man speaking good english asked me if I needed help. He directed to my stop and to where a taxi would be that could take me to my hotel. Before I found a taxi I asked a security guard, knowing they usually speak english, where about my hotel was. After taking the entire group to find it on a map, he offered to take me there for a larger price than average. At the moment I didn’t think twice. Who cares if you get ripped off by a security guard, right? I was glad to find my hotel safely and unwind all the nerves. 

I spent the rest of the day at the beach. Finally catching up on a few cat naps when I was rudely awakened by a Russian that just wanted to give me a banana milkshake as a gift. That was when I thought I should call it a day. As I am unbelievably allergic to bananas I thought it had to bad juju, not to mention that most Russians can be aggressively brash and I was not in the mood. 

After many stressful hours of travel and not much sleep in the last week, I took myself back to my hotel and had my first and hopefully my last meltdown of the trip. After a good cry, a short nap and a shower, I got ready and went out on the town. I wasn’t much in the lively mood but you can’t be in new and exotic place and not take some time to see what it is all about. 

I ended my night with my first Thai massage. Its something that they say everyone should experience as it is unbelievably inexpensive, and most would say just unbelievable. However, I am not most. Some parts were indeed amazing, but I am not one that likes to be touched much by people I do not know and in general I don’t get too touchy with those I do know. So to say the least I found my massage a bit invasive for my liking. When in Rome... I guess. That is what traveling is all about. 

Bangkok

My second destination is Thailand. A drastic temperature change from London, it is the end of summer here and hot! After arriving in Bangkok, I managed to meet up with an exchange student from high school, Nymia Habitch. Quite a coincidence that we happen to be a Bangkok at the same time and both having a very narrow time window. That is one of the joys of Facebook. 

Bangkok has not been one of my favorite locations so far. However, I am not surprised, I had heard that from many people before. But I am glad I got the chance to see some of the beautiful temples and palaces, they are a sight to be seen if you can handle the madness of the city. Nymia and the friends he is traveling with are all attending school in Taiwan for the year, one Swiss and the other German. Since they have been exposed to the Asian culture for a while it was nice to have them around and give me pointers while I adjust to the culture shock. They found it quite funny that I was not prepared for the over population and filth commonly found in the eastern world. It really takes some getting used to. Air quality is something that we are more spoiled with that I had ever imagined. 

Although I didn’t enjoy fighting the even more populated crowds that normal we did have good timing as it is the Chinese New Year. They have a massive five day celebration in the Bangkok Chinatown. It was fun to see the Thai Chinese celebrate their most important holiday with concerts, shows and parades around every corner. 

This was also my first experience in a hostel. I’m sure it was one of the better first experiences one could have. It was quite clean and the travelers were all friendly and enjoyable. I was probably the worst person in there. I am suffering severally from jet lag/ time change and up most of the night, always hoping not to disturb anyone. I’m not sure why it didn’t effect me as much on my last trip to Africa, but it seemed as though I was so exhausted I slept soundly the first couple of nights and fell right into timezone. I’m hoping at some point the same happens here but for now I am only sleeping a couple hours a night from about 4am to 6am. On the positive side that leaves me with good timing to Skype the western world. I seem to be getting to chat with my parents almost everyday, I hope I can continue that consistency. I try to stay logged on when ever I am around the internet so anyone else that happens to be on feel free to say hello, its always nice to see your faces and hear your gossip ;) kristin.whinery is my skype address.

The Blog is Back!

I must start by apologizing for not keeping my blog as actively as I did on my last trip. I do hope that will change going forward as it is as good of a memory book for me as it is an active update for all of you. I could say that I’ve been slacking for many different reasons; I’ve been having so much fun that I haven’t made the time to really sit down and journal, I’ve been traveling so far, so quickly that my time change is out of control by 14 hours and I’m delirious, but... mostly I think that my lack of blogging is due to the fact that I have active internet most of the time and I know my parents aren’t lying awake at night wondering if I’m alive and well. Just a little bit of communication makes traveling a bit more peaceful.

As for everything in life, heading into the unknown can be a scary thought. My trip started off with some shaky nerves but they quickly disappeared as I put one foot in front of the other and started my journey. Starting off in London, I was welcomed by a dear friend, my bunk mate from Mozambique. Her family, all just as kind, made me feel right at home. 

Diving right into the thick of London, I saw everything there is to see in only a few days and always being home in time for family dinners at the Hakda’s. With a little help from my Indian family I conquered the rail system or “The Tube” as they would say. Having the local pointers is an invaluable gift. 

For those of you who know me well, you know that I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspect of my sight-seeing adventure in London. It is absolutely mind boggling how old the city is and how much has occurred in its presence. Just walking down the cobblestone streets and goggling at the intricate detail on the old stone buildings is an experience in its self. My favorite sight by far was Westminster Abbey, touring a building that holds tombs of great kings, heros and artists all the way back from the 1200’s. In my mind, I often never even thought about life existing at that point in time... I mean if you asked me, I would have said it did, but I couldn’t have told you a thing about it, nor would it have even crossed reality for me. 

Another amazing point for me was the National Gallery. Seeing all the life-lines of the royal families that have existed all over Europe and reading the back history of their personal and political lives, many of which conflicted. You know I like all the juicy details.   I also saw paintings that at one point I only thought existed in history books such as Monet. To be perfectly honest once again... I never saw a Monet that I though was all that impressive... until now. The paintings were breathtaking. The amount of detail and color in such short quick strokes that created such an magnificent outcome is indeed impressive. 

Of coarse the best part of London was enjoying the company of my good friend Haseena. On the weekend she took me out and about. Hitting up the food market that is like nothing anyone from home has ever seen before. (Once again... the locals secrets) The food market is where all the great chefs of London, commercial and domestic, get their best goodies. Tastes of food from many parts of Europe and so much more. We nibbled and sampled the best of cheeses, breads, exotic fruits and veggies, meets, soups, spices and best of all desserts and pastries of all sorts. Walking it all off we window shopped the finest and most unaffordable of London that you only see in the movies. Nothing is better than spending time with a great friend and a great tour guide. Many thanks to you Haseena for making my time in London “positively brilliant” and unforgettable.