Culture Shock right here in the US

Such a bizarre place I landed in. At first, bland, and somewhat "Truman Show"-ish as each block I drive past looks exactly like the last. Weather is still and comfortable, people swim in February- outside- and there is a long wait outside the California Pizza Kitchen.

After two weeks, which feel like months by the way, much of that is unchanged, but I can also begin to see how this is just normal to people who grew up here. It's no wonder that there are people with an extreme focus on the superficial- the right body, the right clothes, being up to date on current fashion, trends, pop culture. THis is NOT Los Angeles, mind you. This is the O.C., a stretch of suburbia that runs about 100 miles between Los ANgeles and San Diego.

Near the beach is a different experience, I have been lucky to have been shown. THe beaches are gorgeous, and the 'city' life around it has, at least, a bit of character. Though it still creeps me out that I met friends for sushi in a strip mall that also contained a furniture store and a Ferrarri Shop. But this is normal to Southern California, in the same way walking into a home that has been converted into a coffee shop is normal to Portland, or a dog sitting inside of a nice brunch spot in San Francisco, or selling groceries in a restaurant in New Orleans, or going to Dunkin' Donuts for a GOOD cup of coffee in New York is normal. It's a cultural experience that I find fascinating and hysterically funny at the same time. Especially when last week, my grandmother was so concerned about me finding a grocery store- there's one on every corner!

Delivering flowers on Valentine's Day was interesting- not a job I would have ever imagined doing, but fun to liven up people's day. It took 10 hours to do about 4 runs.The first three were easy, the last one took 3 hours and was hardly worth the cash I made. But I learned a LOT about getting around this area, which is a gift when everything is so spread out.

Tutoring is going well, and I am working more than I expected or intended, but I am also recognizing that this is who I am. I am actually in the process of interviewing for a nanny position with a high-profile band. We'll see where that lands me. It certainly wasn't in the plan, but I am trying to walk into open doors as they show themselves to me. It could be a really fantastic experience.

I'll keep you all updated.

Gated Access

Not so enlightening- just a check in...

Scheduling things when my schedule is wide open has been much harder than I thought it would be. I've been down here for almost a week, and after a few days with Kara and her family, and a quick weekend in Las Vegas, have been trying to block some time for small jobs, and time, of course, for my grandparents.

Grandma and Grandpa gave me a key to their house, and we signed up for a pass to get through the gated entry. Elise gave me the parking permit to hang on my rearview mirror. Last night, I interviewed (and got!) a tutoring gig up in Coto de Caza, where my name was left at a gate before I could get near the mansions. I've never had so many pieces of paper on my dashboard! And apparantly, all three are here for the duration of my time here in Strip Mall, California.





I'm enjoying spending time with my grandparents, cooking, cleaning, eating with them. I've dodged 'going to the mall' and 'getting my hair done' at least twice, so I think I may be safe for a week or two. What's really nice is the comfort level. Last night after dinner, my grandma and I sat on the couch. She was doodling on a piece of paper, drawing a profile of a beautiful woman. The tv wasn't on, and neither of us were talking. We were just sitting together. Silently. It was fabulous.

Living with Elise has been great. She is teaching 6th grade, so I can definitely relate to her stress and exhaustion level. It's great to catch up, and the longer I am here, the more memories of college flood my brain, which has been fun. Her cats are characters!

I start tutoring in the mansion (holy moly) today. The husband worked on the Shoah project (Steven Spielberg's project interviewing Holocaust survivors), which interviewed my grandma right after they released Schindler's List several years ago. Interesting connection.

And right now, I have to go get ready- I am going on a 'trial run' as a flower delivery person for Valentine's Day! How funny is that?!

I'll be back with more insight when I get some.
Now it's back to the gate.

Take care! I miss you all.

Trying out the auto-pilot

Hi guys. Anticipating having really interesting things to write about. I'll give you a username and password so you can post without signing up for blogger. Will you just drop me an email and tell me if you get it?

so it's been a couple years.....

Hello all,
Not a post to gleam anything from other than the fact that ......I'm baaaaaack!

Not in some tropical wonderful place, but I am in San Francisco, a stage full of excitement, for the next three weeks. Then I am off!

Filling in the blanks

Filling in the blanks
Angkor Wat- one of the wonders of the world. I can’t describe anything that would make it real to you. It is absolutely awesome, and the experience there will never be forgotten. We spent our time well- got up before sunrise each day, had the same driver and guide each day. We learned about their families, and life in Cambodia since the 70’s. We had an unexpected side trip to the Killing Fields, which made me swallow hard and have to go to that ‘special place’ where I can block out any pain. One of the prisons used during that horrible time has now been converted to a school for very poor monks. Our spontaneous guide was a volunteer teacher at that school, and took us around the compound. He told us things I don’t remember reading in schoolbooks, and I had the same distinct feeling that I had when I was in Auschwitz last summer. At the end of our tour, he did ask us for a donation for the school, which we gave gladly. Since we were in Cambodia for such a short time, we didn’t have much US currency on us (strangely ironic), however he assured us that every little bit helped, and showed us the budget for the school and what ahad been collected (there is a Brit or an American volunteering there as well).

After two more days of touring Angkor, it was time for us to go back to Thailand. Upon getting dropped off at the airport, our guide was emotional, and thanked us for the kindness that we brought, that it wasn’t what they normally experience. Touching and disgusting at the same time. We spent so little- this was a country that uses US currency, however, our driver, a middle class Khmer man, earned 40 US dollars a month. It cost half that to send his daughter to school. We gave them each a 30 dollar tip-easily forgotten for us middle class Americans, three weeks salary to these amazing, hopeful people. After being in Thailand, very well-to-do in comparison, this was amazing.
There’s a lot of pain between the two countries- so much in common, yet so much history of war and pain. Cambodia is still ridden with landmines, with 60,000 victims of landmine accidents each year. Angkor Wat is their Pearl, their way to make tourist money, sustenance in a country so poor, that the village of Siem Reap- about 6 km from the ruins, is quite profitable. To us, the poverty is obvious and prolific. To them, this tiny bit of US money is a gift.


United Planet- how we ended up with a Buddhist family in a Muslim village, I am not sure. In some ways it was good- we had more freedom, and there was so much more laughter. Mami Nom sold beer, and laughed and smiled at everything. But it was a different experience than that of the others. Our food was good, though cooked hours and hours before we ate it which led to sad bottom. Mami Nom’s daughter, Miss Pen, lived next door. She adored Jamie. They all did, with her blonde hair, and fair skin. Each night, the Thais in the south cover their faces with white baby powder, exactly the same that we use to cool a baby’s bottom. But they don’t rub it in. They use it to whiten their skin- they will go out of the house with their faces caked with white powder. Mami Nom was funny, and tried very hard to communicate with us. Jamie was so good with words in Thai. I was terrible, but once we got to numbers, it just clicked. Mami Nom was so excited when we came home counting everything. She brought out her calculator (which is hilarious in general. Thailand is 95% literate, yet their math skills SEEM terrible. When something is 10% off they consult with their calculators, even though everything falls in a very easy to manage mathematical category). Anyway, we laughed a lot. The bathroom was what it was- and it was fine. Mami Nom also had a pool table and a little store. We would come home and there would be Thai men our age playing pool, paying Mami for drinks, Very interesting.


Phi phi for the second time. I take a deep breath even trying to go there in writing. We were on the boat on the way there, and Shana leaned over and said this looks like Semester at Sea. Yes, a boatful of 20 yr olds. This was one of the reasons I didn’t feel comfortable here years ago. But after the beginning of this trip, and the experience we had with the people on the island after the tsunami, I was thrilled to be coming back. I wanted to see Lek and hear about what happened with the specialist with her leg. I wanted to see what had transpired in the month that I was gone. Right when we got off the ship, it was apparent to me that this was an organization that was working. In the four weeks I was gone, tourism had tripled (still at 15-20% of normal, but this is a positive shift), and there were numerous new restaurants and businesses up and running. The HIPhiPHi Volunteer center had been taken over by businesses selling the usual tourist stuff, as well as items made by the children in Phi Phi. A new store had been opened via a French organization, selling crafts made by victims of the tsunamie, all proceeds going towards medical and rebuilding efforts. I was a little bit nervous to walk by Lek, in a very juvenile way. She recognized me at once- I am not sure if she placed why, which was fine with me. Though it became apparent on subsequent meetings that she did remember. She made us banana shakes. We sat with her a little while each day just talking. Her smile was infectious.
We spent our time roaming around the island, meeting people, seeing what had been accomplished. Places that had been completely disheveled had been cleaned up and turned into hotels or restaurants. Boats now filled the bay. Prices for rooms went up by 20%. I have never been so thrilled to spend so much! We went walking through the little streets stopping in all of the stores. The Thais were so anxious to talk. They were so happy to see tourists, not just because of money, though making a living and feeding their families is obviously the number one priority, but, “when farang (Thai word for foreigner) come for holiday, they are smiling. We see more smiles on the island now than since tsunami.”

We went to the HiPhiPHi meeting one night, which had been held at 7:00 PM 6 nights a week at a bar on the beach since January or February. This was the meeting to come to, to find out who needed what kind of help, to volunteer. This is how Jamie and I had volunteered one month earlier. But by 7:30, no one was there. Someone came by and told us they were at the medical clinic. This was the place I may have mentioned earlier, that was a hotel for two days before the tsunami, ad the owner donated what was left to HiPHiPhi for the clinic. Anyway, as we walked over there, the crowd was about 150 thick. The volunteer nurse was speaking on behalf of the organization, and announced that the PhiPhi Hospital was now re-opened! And that this would be the last HiPhiPhi meeting, after almost 7 months. The organization will still run, and continue to help those in need, as well as pay Thai people to rebuild what they are allowed to rebuild (Note- the government has yet to decide the fate of the island, even though it was supposed to be known by May). There is still so much to be done, but in comparison to December 26, this island has come a LONG way. Volunteers will still be needed, but it is now the Thais who are ready to take back their island, without it being so overwhelming, and with an influx of some tourist money cushioning them. A very exciting meeting that left me in tears, especially when the Thai leaders took over the meeting, speaking in Thai, but showing their gratitude in English to all of the volunteers (over 3,000 since January) and to tourists. “Spread the word that PhiPhi is back in business.”

And our time was then over. We did what we came to do. It is true that things didn’t necessarily pan out the way we thought, or planned. But it rarely does, and in the end, we knew that just being there, enjoying ourselves and spending money would make the biggest impact. My only regret is that we couldn’t stay longer.

Total money raised: $3,187
Donation to United Planet ………..$1,427
Save the Children………………….$480
KrabiRelief.com…………………$250
HiPhiPhi…………………………$475
Cambodian school for Monks……$25
Cabbages (see pic once I get it loaded)..$25
Lek………………………………..$150
Total direct donation……………$2832
Total spent in Thailand/Cambodia…roughly 3000
Total spent in direct tsunami related areas…..over 2000

This, of course, is not counting what both of my cousins spent and donated.

Thanks again for all of your support!!!

Round Trip

No glasses with me, and 5 days left of the trip, so this one will be a little shorter than the last.

We are back in Phi Phi. I want to cry. I want to laugh. I want to hug everyone on the island, and avoid some of it all at the same time.

It's been about a month since i was here, and right off the ferry, I could see what had changed (see photos- left side is June, right side, July- same places). The HiPhiPhi main center had moved, a few new restaurants were open. Several stores are now selling things that the surviving children have made during 'art therapy', and a way to continue raising funds for the rebuilding effort. We stopped and saw Lek, the woman who I (you) donated money to in order to continue health improvements with her leg. SHe recognized me at once, though couldn't quite place why. She has visiited with the doctors, and will go to her family in Trang for more work, but it looks promising. Her smile continues to be infectuous. she waves each time we walk by, holds my arm when we stop for a minute.










We took the same tsunami walk that I took with Jamie a month ago. The trash that had been piled up- what the volunteer divers had been dragging from the ocean- has been removed. Tourism, though still only at 15% of normal, is double what it was only a month ago! There is a lot still, to do. But it is being done, and seeing what is possible, really makes me impressed with the organization. On a side note, one of the links on the HIPhiPhi.com website, is Krabirelief.com. My students chose to donate, and I wanted to visit. In my head, I envisioned an orphanage- I will explain more alter, but I visited with the director of the program in AoNang, an AMercian ex-pat. He knew the names and stories of each child in the book. And many of them are from Phi Phi. All of this makes me certain that the money donated is going 100% to those in need.









for a few hours, i felt incredibly guilty that when we left Ranong, we didn't come back here. My stomache ached when I started counting how many days we could have been here, we could have made a difference. But then I recalled my swollen arms, and our not-so-happy bellies, and our reason for going north in the first place=to get well in a cooler climate. And although I didn;t pick up a hammer or a paintbrush as often as I had imagined and hoped, I donated in larger quantities. In the end, more money was spent than originally expected. And each person was gracious for the tourist dollars, for their livelihoods, for their dilapidated businesses.

It was easy for me to overlook my original anxiety about coming here- the age of most of the tourists, the excessive drinking, the 'this could be anywhere' feel of Koh Phi Phi. Those things are still true, but this time I had the experience of meeting the people for whom this is their life, their family, their love. I strongly urge those of you who are travelers to come out here to Phi Phi, or to Sri Lanka, or wherever is appealing- even though stretching of your comfort zones. Even in the midst of Ground Zero, there is a way to enjoy paradise, and know that by coming here, you are doing a great service to those who rely on our vacations for their everyday lives.

I'll leave it at that for now.
Thinking of you...

Pad Thai in your purse

Yes, you read it right. So for the most part, we have encountered edible if not excellent food. There has certainly been the occasional laughter, or careful, "hmmm... this is interesting." But usually, things go down gracefully, and life is good. Tonight, however, was a different story. But before THAT explanation, you have to know how we got here- to Koh Lanta.

We awoke this morning, quite early, even for Robinsons (those who know us, understand what this means), after a self-imposed late night for Shana's birthday. Since we were getting picked up at 10:00, we made sure to be ready by 8:30.Ha. And then we got in a seangtheaw, which is basically an extra long pick-up with a bench seat along each side, with all four of our backpacks (don't start), and drove to another hotel to pick up someone with another two backpacks, and then to the pier to pick up a Spanish couple with rolling suitcases, which, if you have ever traveled- I mean, going from place to place to place, via bus, boat and van, then you know this isn't the most efficient packing device. About 40 minutes later, we were dropped off at a site in Krabi town, to await our air-conditioned minivan. And THEN, there was the fact that the mini van seated 9, w/o luggage, which we all had A LOT of. We picked up yet another couple with several bags, and finally, an hour and a half after we left (but only 10 km further), we were on our way.
The minute the van started on the highway, English heavy metal started blaring throughout the luggage packed van (imagine legs and arms laying across random baggage) at a volume I think even college freshmen would find offensive,. But nobody said a word ,other than the sideways glances you give your traveling companion, in hopes that you aren't the only one!. An hour and a half hair-raising hours later, we got to the FIRST ferry crossing. And then drove some more, and then the SECOND ferry crossing, and then drove some more, until there was a pick-up. An ordinary pick-up, with no seats in the back, but plenty of room for all of the backpacks and a bar to lean against, brought us to our low season hideaway guesthouse, perched above the beautiful ANdaman Sea, swimming pool and stray dogs ready for our arrival.

You can fill in the blanks about the room, and the food (remember the title) because now we are being told that we have to sign off in ten minutes. And so the story goes, that we will be doing the same trip again tomorrow morning, bright an early, back to Krabi town, to catch a two hour ferry to go to Phi Phi and call it a good time. So it all ends where it begins, and with it, another story will surface. SO with that I say good bye for now. I am sad I am at the end of this journey, but grateful I got to take it at all.
Look forward to seeing you!
Rebecca