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

End of the northern hiatus

Somehow, I feel like I went on 'break'. But I am back at the beaches in the south, now, back to having the tsunami in the forefront of my mind, visually, and mentally, rather than on the back burner.

Our week in Chiang Mai was unplanned, and a must needed recooperation from what transpired, and didn't transpire in Ranong. Although I was somehwat disappointed in the whole thing, I haven't lost my drive to help, nor have I lost any respect for United Planet. I have already been in contact with one of the coordinators, and if nothing else, I believe it is and will be a grand learning experience all the way around.

Jamie and I took a day trip to Ayyuthya, the second capital of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) about an hour north of Bangkok. It was really interesting and fun. We took a bus to get there and stopped at the summer palace, which was strange architecturally. It looked like the king who built it couldn't make up his mind whether to build it Thai style, or European style, so there are mixes everywhere. For example a statue of Venus, or the like, stands tall along the bridge, and in it;s background is an enlarged Thai spirit house in the water. Another strange one was a traditional Thai cottage, with lattice added, and a pink a white paint job that made it look like an English Tea House.

The ruins of Ayyuthya were beautiful, and a bit sad, as most of the Buddhas had been beheaded by the Burmese from a previous war. After viewing many ruins and temples, we headed back to Bangkok on teh Chao Praya river. Also in Bangkok, we visited the Royal Palace, Wat Pho, and Jim Thompson's house. All very interesting, and I won't go into detail.

Shana arrived, and the three of us headed to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to see the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. It was like being on a field trip- our guide taught us so much and was so gracious. This, I will go into detail on in another posting, but I need the pictures to jog my memory, and there is a sunset over the beach, behind an enormous rock covered in palm trees that needs my immediate attention.


Peace to all of you!
Rebecca

on our way to bangkok

Only have a second, but wanted to take advantage of a fast computer that I can send group email on!
Hope this finds you all healthy and well. We have been in CHiang Mai for nearly a week, and are now ready to go. It has been an adventure so far. After a week in rural Bang Ben, we decided NOT to go on a trek and sleep on the floor in village houses. Instead, we took a one day 'trek', sort of an appetizer plate of all the things trekking is popular for. We started out the day taking an hour long ride on an elephant. Our mahout (guide) seemed totally uninterested. He perched himself on top of the elephant's head, feet dangling on the bridge of the elephant's nose. He smoked cigarettes, and hummed the same song for the entire trip. Behind us was another elephant, with her baby girl chained to her, learning what mom was doing. The baby elephant started 'talking back' to his mom, and we ALL heard about it. I had no idea the little ones couple be so vocal! An hour later, we visited a Hmong village, learned a little aqbout how they live, and mostly, how they have modernized. Next, we hiked to a waterfall in the rain. Jamie was a bit scared, because it was slippery. But it was fun nonetheless. On the way, we say jackfruit and papaya and mango trees (all of them make me itch just thinking about it). The waterfall was pretty, but nothing like the one wwe swam in in Ranong. Finally, we took a trip to a Karen village, and then took a bamboo raft down the river. This is much different than the nice boats we take river rafting in the states. It is just ten rings (?) of bamboo tied together. The 'guide' stands on the front of the boat and uses a bamboo pole to guide the boat. Then there is someone on the back, also steering.

Well, within the first twenty minutes, we realized there were rapids on this river, and ten minutes after that, 2 of thefour of us fell in. Not the fun kind of falling in, either. At first, I tried to hold onto the boat, and then I realized it would be safer if I pushed it away, and just went downstream with my feet up. So that's what I tried to do, swallowing disgustingly brown water on the way. When all was said and done, everyione was fine. Wet, and a little sore, but fine. We were quite happy with our choice not to spend a night.

We did a lot more, too, but really enjoyed our time relaxing here in Chiang Mai. We head to Bangkok in a few hours, and meet up with Shana tomorrow night. THen off to Cambodia's Angkor wat on the 21st. Hope to hear from you soon!Love, Rebecca

off we go

How do I sum up a week in one entry?
Jamie and I arrived in Ranong on SUnday, July 3rd, spent the night in the small town which has a small tourist center, as it is the place to go to renew your Thailand visa in nearby Burma (Myanmar). We were told to meet our United Planet rep at the KiwiOrchid Guesthouse at 10:00 am on Monday. When we got there, there were several other volunteers from many different organizations. Our representative turned out to be a rep named Ralph, from Greenway, a Thai organization funded by a man named Patrick, who is originally Dutch, but moved here over twenty years ago. Intuition was at a peak, and I whispered to Jamie, "we can leave after a week if this isn't what we signed up for."

At the table, we were told that United Planet (3 of us) and Commondo (Dutch- 6 people) would be building a Muy Thai boxing gym, with the hopes of turning it into a community center, with library, etc. The others would be going to the national park and helping making and painting chairs so they could re-open for tourism. Right away, I was thinking that was more suited for me and Jamie, but kept quiet at first. We were driven to the 'volunteer house' where we were told what our schedule would be- breakfast at homestay, Thai lessons for one hour, then work. There was a cultural and educational component, which is one of the things that Jamie and I liked. But the Commondo group had been told they would be doing construction the entire time. SO right away, we recognized that there was lack of communication between organizations, which I think is typical in any country. We had lunch, and asked when we would see our homestays. We were told very soon, and waited, watching the rain, and staring at the mosque accross the narrow road for several hours, doing nothing ,really, but waiting to get to our new homes with our luggage. We asked for the third time, and finally, we were able to go meet our new 'family'.


The drive was wet, the area was wet, and very green because of it. There were marshes everywhere, with egrets and buffalo roaming around. Small houses, some made of concrete right on the land, some made of wood and risen on stilts, dotted the road. Families of three and four traveled past us via motorbike (yes, all of them on one bike, no helmets), most of the women wearing the Muslim headdresses. We got to our home last, a small concrete bungalow resting precariously on the muddy banks of one of the many rivers that made the village of Bang Ben an island. The roof was tin, and everything inside smelled of mothballs. Mami Nom was a beautiful woman, older, non-Muslim, but not quite Buddhist. We heard later, she was actually Lao, but not many people in town know that. She showed us her kitchen, which was out the back door, across some wodden planks, into a shack, basicaly, tin roof again. But the shack was constructed with sticks, stick floor, stick walls. There wre three gas burners inside, and she sat on the floor cooking, talking to us in Thai, while we just kept responing with 'Uh-huh" as if we understood. My bedroom was accesses two ways- one, from the outside, the other, through a small window in the bathroom (yes, that is how I got to the bathroom at night- through the window). The bathroom was nothing I had ever seen before. There was an eastern toilet in the ground (a.k.a. 'squatty pottie'), sovered with a board, and a bucket full of water next to it, with a tupperware scoop floating on top. This is how you 'flush' the toilet- by scooping clean water into the bowl until everything goes down (right into the river, I assume,as all the food and washing did, but I never asked). Nect to the toilet was a cement tub, filled with rainwater from the roof pouring into the gutter, and then running through a pipe, which was interesteing during torrential rain, as it filled rather quickly. Floating in this tub was also a scoop, meant for bathing.
Thais bathe about three times a day this way, and you NEVER get into the tub, as it spoils the clean water. So you scoop water out of the cement, stand next to it, usually next to a hole in the cement wall for drainage (again, into the river) and you pour it over yourslef. It takes quite a while, and was a bit cold. As there were a lot of western volunteers in the area, we could talk about this new experience freely, and one of the English guys coined it 'taking a scoop' instead of the usual 'taking a shower'. Food was good, however, it was often cooked hours before we were ready to eat it, and although it was kept covered and away from bugs, I think this is the reason I have been having some stomach issues. Jamie had them a bit, too. I could write for hours about our experioence with Mommie Nom and her daughter Miss Pen. But I will save your eyes from the reading now, and write more another time, or share with you all in person.

Volunteering- as I mentioned before, MOnday was pretty much a travel day rather than a work day which didn't make too much sense to me, as the other volunteers were there Sunday. We all met- all 26 of us, and our Thai leaders, and Ralph, at the Wasana Resort in Laem Son National Park (the village of Bang Ben is pretty much part of the park). Lucky Jamie and I- we were right next door, and, maybe unfortunately in some ways, spent all of our evenings there as it was clean and bright, and remarkably absent was the smell of mothballs. VOlunteers came from all across Europe, the UK, and the States, which was very fun. We all shared stories and wondered what would happen when weactually started working. Tuesday, after Thai lessons, we drove up to the site for the gym. I have to insert here, that until Thursday, it was raining cats and dogs, which offered us a respite from the heat, and I also found my ankles again. But it was hard to see or move quickly as it was sheets of water. The site was covered with trees- palms, banana, and some other that I would soon find out was poisonous. We sat down in the volunteer house across the street to discuss the plan. I was feeling completely out of my comfort zone, and to make it more strange, Ralph decided I would be the 'manager' and lead the meetings, and make lists of what we needed. This made no sense to me, as we had two building contractors in our group. I think Ralph was trying to have us do 'the teambuilding' thing, but it seemed like a waste of time. He also said we had to wait for the things we needed, which we argued was a waste of time, as we could at least clear the plot while we waited for the proper equipment. So we took charge, and started digging. And clearing. And raking. And sawing. And Jamie and I and a few other....less handy.....dragged branches and logs and things to a burn pile. Again, intuition told me this wasn't good, as when I touched one particular tree, I felt stickiness. A week later, and I have blisters up and down my arms and hands which took 3 visits to the doctor (the one in Bang Ben didn't know English and kept saying chicken pox, and gave me antibiotics for 1.50 US which I didn't take, but will keep in my med bag for future probs if needed)- the doctor at the airport agreed with my personal prognosis and gave me the right topical treatment, and it is still disgusting, but getting better.

After the trees were cut down and dragged, it was time to start digging holes which would have to wait until Wednesday. Then it was mentioned that we would not go to the school Wed- we would dig holes. The group was all on the same page, the leader not. He wanted us all to 'be together' and we decided that 'being together' meant for us that we all did what we felt most useful doing, so again, we took charge and Jamie and I went to the school on Wed. We were told on the spot that we would teach English. The teacher walked out of the room full of 15 year olds, leaving us alone. Um, ok. Now, being a teacher, I was able to handle it well, and Jamie was brilliant at bouncing off me, and picking a few activities that suited her comfort level. It was a great experience- one I would actually hope to do long term in a Spanish speaking country in the near future- but not one we were prep[ared for. ANd then we waited. And waited. And finally were brought back to the boxing gym, where it was still pouring, and everyone was soaking wet, wrinkled and filthy, digging holes. We opted out. The tools they had were primitive at best, and several of us felt it unsafe to handle them in such a downpour. The next morning, everyone came to the table with their frustration, that this was not a priority- to do heavy construction in the poourning rain. ANd as we were all told this was what the Thais wanted, we were all frustrated seeing that there were no Thais working on it. THe other group of 17- the ones building and painting chairs? 11 of them left as there was no work for them to do.

Patrick, the leader of Greenway, came and talked with all of us, and we decided to migrate to the painting group, as that was more our capability. He was fine with that. Ralph was not. The groups decided to merge completely and we went to the beach. This seemed right. The beach was devoid of any humans, as the villagers were completely frightened of the sea. This is where we thought we could make the difference. So we all started cleaning. We dug up fishing traps that had washed on shore 6 months ago, and had been buried under wet sand for months. We picked up trash- old shoes, styrofoam from the traps, ropes, nets. It was a mess. When we all had dinner together that night we felt good. We didn;t build chairs because the Thais were busy doing it, which felt even better, showing us that is what they wanted. But it started raining again, and it wasn't possible to clean as everything blew out of the bags, out of our hands. We sawed apart three fallen trees, but again, too many people for one job. So we left.

Any regrets? No, not at all. We had a cultural experience that will never be forgotten. We met fantastic people from all over the world! We brought our smiles and our dollars to an area where there are no tourists. We walked to the beach every day, with children looking to see where we were going, some adults even coming to see. We showed we cared. I will assume that United Planet and Greenway's lack of communication with each other and with the volunteers was specific to our experience, and remember that both strive to make a difference. For this, I am not angry. But we felt like we weren't doing anything, and would rather see more (which in the big picture means spend more, which was part of the original goal). Hopefully we can get a small refund and redirect it to HiPhiPhi. We shall see when we actually have a chat with UP. And that is how it will have to stand for now.


So here we sit, after a luxurious night of air conditioning, clean white sheets, a tub and shower, and a pedicure, in Chiang Mai. We will go on some sort of Hill Tribe adventure here, after my stomach settles and my weird skin thing clears up a bit. All is well in paradise- being here reminds me how everything is possible. We were in a remote seaside village with no public transport and were told we couldn't get a flight out for a few days. Yet, we made it happen by just saying "ok. but take us to the airport anyway". 4 hours later, 2 plane trips on different airlines, not pre-booked, costing a total of less than 100 dollars, we are hours and hours away, missing some things, grateful for others. ANd with that, I will say goodbye, take care and I do enjoy your emails, so please write!!!

Much love....
Rebecca

Has anyone seen my ankles?

I swear they were here a few weeks ago. I have been poking and pulling at my mosquito-bitten skin, and I can't seem to find those two little bones on either foot! IT IS SOOOOO HOT! They have gone into hiding.


Here I sit in Ranong town, a much more Thai town than we have been in. I have only seen two other farang. Here, we pay Thai prices for the internet- 15 baht an hour. That is about 42 cents. Of course, you pay for what you get, and it has taken me an hour to send two emails, but, like they say around here, mai ben rai. We head out for the village tomorrow, and I wanted to take a little time to write about what has been settiling in my brain, and my heart, and what I have been seeing.

Phi Phi seems like weeks ago. WIth the date change, we only ended up being there three full days, and only volunteered one, as Friday is a 'day off' for all volunteers. As tourists, we experienced massages every day, fabulous food (though I think I need to bring in a picture of a plum and a picture of a pig and tell them that plums don;t have teeth) beautiful water, a strenuous hike, monkeys, snorkeling. We hired a longtail to take us out to Phi Phi Leh again after a hard trip the first day that led us to stick around the island due to waves. It was more beautiful than I remembered, and snorkeling felt ok over there, as the island is uninhabited. later the same day, we hiked to the viewpoint where you can see Ao Dalam bay and Ton Sai bay meet in a narrow isthmus, and could see where, exactly, the wave came and left. From here you could see that Ton Sai was full of anchored boats- diving boats, a couple of fishing boats, a few speedboats (annoying), and about twenty longtail boats. A lot, but less than I remember. On the other side, absolutely nothing. This is not how it used to be.

There was a man at the top restaurant who told us all about that day, and since he spoke so much English we were able to ask him a lot more. My memory was fresh fish outside every restaurant, and on this trip, it was non-existent in most. It was on the menu, but never available. I thought maybe the fishermen were scared, or there weren't enough tourists to warrant to many fish. But it turns out that our little war in the middle east has driven up gas prices everywhere, and the fisherman cannot AFFORD to fish as they used to. Probably not news to a lot of you- I am sure on some level I knew that. But at home, it is always so easy to just get caught up in the effects at home.
Anyway, he was a wealth of information about trees, places, the tsunami, it was interesting. All of this was discussed over the most amazing view that I am not going to even try to put into words, because there is no way, absolutely no way to explain it.

So what do I think now about Phi Phi after my first memory of it? A little differently. The people have touched me in a way that the ending of your favorite book sticks with you somewhere in your mind. In the same was I can still recite Stay Gold, by Robert Frost, twenty years after I learned it, I think I will remember Lek, Mr. Lee, and many of the places and things I saw for the rest of my life. Amidst the war zone, hope prevailed. Yes, it is still full of vodka and red bull buckets, fire dancing, and 22 year olds. Yes, there is still the untz untz that drowns out the sound of the waves gently lapping against the shore. But I can overlook all of that, knowing that they are all there helping the THAI people who love Phi Phi and call it home. I know I will come again, to check up on the people of the island, to see what will happen when the government makes up its mind on what to do about building. HOPE will stick with me, as I will remember the one day that I helped scrape paint off cement poles, avoiding, but drawn to, the little shrine for the 4 year old that will never be forgotten. And you better believe the SF Chron is going to get a letter to the editor about their story, as it completely overlooked the work of the volunteers, and didn't mention that the island is not only acccessible to day-trippers, but to people who want to stay as well. Thailand does not end with the "one German tourist having lunch with a bored looking Thai woman". Hello? People who have been here before could tell you exactly why she was looking bored, and it had little to do with the lack of tourist. SHe was working. Interesting they chose to puclish that in such an undertone. Sorry- I digress. Would I recommend Phi Phi to someone over 30 wanting to travel to Thailand? Yes, if they were interested in helping, but the things that I didn't like about it before still exist. Yes, if they avoided going out at night other than a leisurely dinner during low season. I am sure there will be more to process about that later.

We spent last night in a fancy western-style hotel (22 US including breakfast) in Karon beach, Phuket. I think I already blogged about getting stuck in the middle of the ocean with a funnel cloud. Still have sea legs.Mai ben rai. We met a really nice couple from Salinas/Santa Cruz in the taxi to Karon. Teachers, of course, and an easy connection for the obvious reasons. Phuket was empty. We could have counted the people in town. Restaurants were open, but there was rarely more than three people in them. Very sad. It made it hard to be happy about a good deal. We went to Patong briefly to shop, and I didn't have the ill-feeling I thought I would after my last horrible experience there (which seems to be quite common with the non-partying thirty something crowd. Yay! I am not alone). We also tried to book our flight from Ranong to Bangkok, and no one seemed to know if that was possible. Thought of a ten hour bus ride to Bangkok loomed heavy, and I got a bit anxious to leave for Ranong and get that all worked out.

This morning we woke up and took a taxi to the bus station for the 10:00 bus (5 hours) to Ranong. Well, typical of Thailand, nobody really has the answer, but they don;t want to loose face and tell you, and there was no bus at 10:00. It was at noon, which would put us in Ranong at night. So we hired a taxi for 75 bucks to drive us 4 hours, rather than waiting 2 for a 5 hour bus. Around 11"00, we passed the 8:00 bus!!! Driving up here wqas beautiful, green verdant valleys with huge mountains. It reminded me a bit of Costa Rica. About an hour into the trip, we got to Khao Lak. Somehow I had pictured this a bit off the main highway, but no. The destruction was massive, all the way to and somewhat beyond the highway. In some places, concrete slabs were standing, some with a pipe or a wall still intact. In other places, it looked like someone took a huge rake and just sifted everything over two inches high into a heap on the side of the road. We stopped for a picture of the poilce boat that you may have seen in pics on the news and internet, that is far away from the ocean. I had read 2 km, the driver said 5 km from the sea. My guess? Somewhere in the middle. Mai ben rai. It was hard not to feel like a disaster tourist, but I am here because of the disaster, and there is nothing I can do to avoid seeing what I see.

We are now in Ranong, a provincial town, funny smells, cracked concrete, very little English. Gone are the milky green and blue waves, replaced by street noise and Thai television in every shop where we really have to investigate packages and make a good guess of what is inside. Tomorrow morning we will be picked up by United Planet and taken to the fishing village. It is quite Muslim- people are covered head to toe (not in the city, but on the way). I look forward to reading your comments and emails when I return on the 18th. Oh yeah- and we have a flight from Ranong to Bangkok on the 18th where we will meet Shana.

The kid-friendly blog is www.rebecca2005.blogspot.com

Miss you all
Love Rebecca

quick check-in

Hi all, just wanted to let you know we are safe here in Phuket, getting ready for the bus to Ranong tomorrow. We took a ferry from Phi Phi and it was pretty choppy. The people sitting out front (helm??) of the boat got thrashed! three of them came inside the cabin after a few waves, completely soaked through to the bone. It wasn't raining, or anything, but I did see my first funnel cloud to the left of us. It scared me for a sec, as it actually went all the way to the water, and water was spraying upwards. But I took a deep breath and reminded myself that the Thais do this trip several times daily all year long. About half way to Phuket (an hour?), the engine just shut off. COmpletely. Everyone kind of looked at each other, and the drivers tried to turn over the engine a couple of times unsuccessfully. Without the sea breeze, it got really hot!! Jamie and I looked at each other and started cracking up hysterically.

We all kind of moved up to the deck of the ship and made funny jokes about being stuck in the middle of the ocean (with lots of boats going past us, so we weren't too worried), and looked for the next funnel cloud. There was one, but very small. It took about twenty minutes, but we got to phuket safe and sound. Now we are in Karon beach, and it is almost devoid of tourists. Nice for us, but sucks for them. Got a GREAT place for 22 dollars- really nice restaurant and pool.


Trying to plan how we areoging to get to bangkok from Phuket, as there seems to be no more flights or something. I can't really tell, and all they keep saying is "yes" without ever showing me anything. So, mai ben rai (no problem), we will figure it out as we need to. Otherwise, just another squelcher in paradise. If you don;t hear from me for a couple of weeks,. I will get on the internet again on the 19th at the lastest.
Much love...

SPread the Word

"If you are wondering where the Red Cross, donations, or other aid organizations are, they are not here," said one of the HiPhiPhi volunteers currently taking a leadership roll.
They are not here.
Those millions of dollars we donated?
Not here.
Boats came from Krabi and Phuket on the 27th of December to take live bodies off the island
The government came to take the dead ones.
Trash was left piled on the road.
In broken ENglish, I think I understand that an organization from Australia and Miami came for about a week to look for more bodies.
About a month later (again, broken English-not sure of exact info), the government dropped off a couple f bulldozers and a barge to get rid of some trash.
What has been done, which is A LOT, has been all volunteer, and by hand.

Yesterday, we worked on Chilli House Bar,
a 4 month old place owned by a Thai-Aussie couple. The Aussie had a friend and his wife visiting during the tsunami. The owners lost their four year old girl, the friend lost his wife. As we scrape and clean, to get it ready at least somewhat ready for paint and the return of the couple in a week's time, we are instructed not to touch the back wall. Bud, the director of this project, is not sure what will happen with this wall, but for now it is a dedicated shrine to the yound girl, with a little shelf full of candles and a picture of the child.

Bud introduced me to Lek, a woman who, like everyone on the island, has her own story. I have been reluctant to ask for these stories. But she takes Jamie and I to her room, where she was asleep when the tsunami hit. She woke up underwater. SHe tells us what happened that day very matter-of-factly. She hurt her leg very badly. I can't tell by looking if she had stitiches, or what happened for healing, but her leg is very infected. 6 months later, and she may have to have it amputated. Her guesthouse was condemned by the government, and although these are the people the HiPhiPHi is designed to help, their hands are tied. If they help, they anger the government. SO they spread the story instead, and other volunteer tourists do what they can. Jamie and I sat with her for while, and when I handed her 6,000 baht (roughly 150 US, thanks to your donations), her initial response was "ahh...too much!"But I insisted, and she wai'd me (like a bow).


As I sit here, itching mosquito bites, listening to the motors of longboats, and some horrible music playing in the cafe, I want to break down and cry. Please spread the word- our money never came here. Please check out www.hiphiphi.com. Read it all. look at the photo journals. Look at what the children have accomplished, how the people are bouncing back. Read about the Thai government's plan. ANd most of all, DONATE. Every dollar counts. And our dollars translate to much much more in Thailand than at home. They are doing good things here. Even if the government's plan to build high end resorts here go through, the money we send now helps all of the locals rebuild their lives. Everybody here lost many people. So many, that they can list them very matter-of-factly. Spread the word, please!

-Rebecca

Wow!

I know I just posted last night, but today was so intense. I tried to start writing but I couldn't. I am still unsure of how I am going to paste this onto the kids' blog.

We started out the morning with a tsunami walk given by HiPhiPhi. Our bilingual Thai guide took us first to the medical center, which was a brand new 5 star (truly 5 star, not the ones you laugh about when you get there) that had opened up on the 24th of December. 2 days and it was gone, so the Thai owner donated the land for the clinic.
We also viewed footage of what happened that day, as well as photos documenting what volunteers and locals have accomplished. It wasn't unlike any of the news reels we all saw 6 months ago, except that we were standing where it had happened, saw photos of the hotel we are currently staying at (newly re-built of course). I had to look away a couple of times, and let my eyes wander around the room to a white board with a list of things to do. On this list were the normal things of any remote clinic- order new supplies, things of that nature. At the very bottom of the list, however, was a note to call someone about how to get the bones off the island. It really put it home.

Off we went to tour some of the damage, which was immense. So much has been done, and that HOPE made me want to cry. Several hotels, and a staff housing apartment was left exactly as it was the day the tsunami hit (sans human remains). We learned about what is going on with the Thai gov't- which seems a little convoluted, and reeks of injustice. And then, some of it makes sense to me. SOme of it. Apparantly, Thailand refused any donation. In some ways, I suppose, that is good- they could 'handle it themselves' , or something, and they are relatively better off than the other counties hit by this tragedy. But aside from flying and boating out people, they didn't come help with the rebuilding efforts. Help International Phi Phi started when a Dutch man who owned some cabanas out here, came out to assess his losses. He saw what happened and got this 100 percent donation-run organization off the ground. Volunteers help with rebuilding, yes, but the organization does so much more. They hire Thai workers to do some of the work (they have about 80 Thais employed right now- FYI, it is estimated that 294,000 Thais lost their jobs due to this tragedy), they sponsor the children's soccer team- and they are playing in tournaments in Bangkok!, and they also have a place where locals can go and log in a book what they need to get by day to day or to rebuild, and HiPhiPhi does what they can to provide this.

The main beach of Ton Sai is recovering rapidly, and all BY HAND, which is overwhelming. There is still a lot to be done, but smiles abound, and tourists are here (there were abuot 60 people at the meeting tonight, all new, and all volunteering tomorrow). The exceptions to this are some of the hotels we saw, which are less than 30km to the water. New Thai law is that hotels have to be at least that far away. So these hotels and staff housing are being used now more as an informational purpose, and apparantly, this translates to volunteers, many of them who planned to be here on a two week holiday, and have now been here for months.

After the tour, we decided we needed to do some more tourist things, so we could get an early start Thursday with volunteering, so we hired a long tail boat to Kho Phi Phi Leh. But as we left the harbor, the waves got really big, and Jamie got a little scared. ABout three waves later, I was, too, and the boat driver turned us around and took us to a secluded beach on our island instead. We had intended on snorkeling at Phi Phi Leh, so just adjusted, and jumped in the water closer to home. Jamie went first and, and I jumped in witout even hesitating, which is a little strange for me. It usually takes a little counting or coaxing. Once I am in, I am usually fine floating around checking out the fish and coral. I ducked down to see- no fish. Lots of coral, and then a piece of metal. I shot up rapidly out of the water, and my heart was pounding. There was nothing there, I am sure, but the thought that there might be something- even as small as a pair of reading glasses that hadn't been retrieved by the volunteer divers yet, was emotionally too much. I thought I was going to start crying, or perhaps get sick, but it was momentary. Jamie noticed my change, and cleared the way of the ladder so I could get back into the boat. So, ok. I guess I am just not ready for that....yet?

All of the volunteers meet at Carlito's Bar each night at 7:00 to find out what jobs are available the following day. The amount of people here to do just that is unreal. Mr. Lee, who is the Thai component of HiPhiPhi's leadership, spoke to us with sincere gratitude, sharing with us that just by being here, we were giving the Thai's hope. "A lot has happened behind us, " he said,"and this makes it possible to see what is in front of us. We thank you, thank you." This all makes me want to stay longer, or to come back for a longer period of time. It will be interesting to compare this to Ranong.

I think that is it for now.
Thinking of you all,
-rebecca

Relieved!!

Sawasdee from Ko Phi Phi, Thailand.

So, and, um.....how many days has it been? 10 hour flight to Japan, 5 hour layover (including a foot massage and a shower), 6 hours to Bangkok, overnight in a hotel, 1 hour flight to Phuket, 40 minute taxi to the pier, 2 hour boat ride to Phi Phi- and somehow neither Jamie nor I have jet lag. At all.

Coming into the pier at Phi Phi was exactly what I had read- you can see the devastation right away. Yes, it is masked a bit by new buildings, and friendly faces, of course. But as we were walking through those narrow passageways to check out hotels, it became more and more apparant, with cement mixers right on the beach, sandbags everywhere, people painting, cleaning, and of course touting. We didn't arrive until almost 5:00 pm Tuesday (left SF 9:00 am SUNDAY-Yikes), so we haven't checked out the relief efforts yet. Although not jet-lagged, we are definitely tired, and going to spend a day being tourists and getting things organized before we do. It is definitely more clear to me now, what it means to spend money here.

Jamie and I sat inside the boat for most of the boat ride from Phuket, until I could see we were coming close to Phi Phi. Even inside, we could see islands all the way to the horizon. Approaching Phi Phi, we decided to go up to the top of the boat with the suntanners to get a better view. Jamie was in absloute shock- probably much like I looked when I saw it for the first time. HUGE cliffs seem to vanish into the sea, here. The tops of them are covered in palms, the sides, several different shades of beige and white that contrasts both the sea and the jungle in a way that is somewhat indescribeable. Being limestone, there are also stalagtites that look as if they are wax dripping down the cliffs, creating just enough texture to convince you that, no, this is not a photo- you are here, right now.






Relieved- that is how I feel right now. I was so worried about being here, and I think I figured out why. I think I associated my night here with my nights in Phuket (esp the horrible one in Patong last time, that I am sure I have shared with many of you. With those I haven't, ask me later). Yes, it is touristy, yes it is full of very young travelers. But it still remains an amazing sight, and we found a relatively inexpensive, but very clean place right off the beach (600 Baht, which is about 15 dollars). Last time, it was high season, and very difficult to find a place. This time, along with general tsunami slowdown, it is also low season, so there are far far fewer people here. Besides, this is a great way to sort of get accustomed to the pace of Thailand, and chill a little before we have the more cultural experience in Ranong.



And so we are, enjoying the here and now. We had a great Thai meal (Jamie's first), and originally had plans to go watch some firedancers (I know- no comments), or Thai kickboxing, and as we finished dinner and walked across the path to our hotel, recognized how exhausted we are. So internet and bed it is for us, with plans to go on a tsunami walk if we get up early enough, sit around, get ANOTHER 6 dollar, hour-long massage, and eat some good food, until we go to the HIPhiPhi meeting at 7:00.

WIll this all make sense after a full night's sleep after so much travel- I don;t know. But I do know that sleep is the goal right now, so I say, "goodnight!".
-Rebecca

36 hours and counting

June 24, 2005

Flashback…February 26th (?), 2003. I arrived in Bangkok after a week alone in Beijing, China. My good friend, Emily, just happened to be spending a year in Thailand when I decided to travel there. Emily and her mom met me at the hotel, and the next morning, her mom went back to the states at the same time Em and I boarded a short flight to Phuket. I really wanted to see Koh Phi Phi. Before heading out to Thailand, I rented every movie I could find to see what it looked like. I had rented The Beach (not one of Hollywood’s finest) and desperately wanted to see the island it was filmed on. I knew it would be overrun with tourists. I knew that there would be things there that would make me cringe, but the beauty of what I saw on film had to be seen.

We boarded the ferry, and found a spot at the front of the boat, feet dangling over the side. It had been snowing in Beijing, and 12 hours later, I was slathered in sunscreen, hotter than ever. The ocean was more beautiful than I had imagined, with monolithic limestone karsts jutting straight out of the azure water, tempting fantasy. As we approached the harbor of the island, I was dumbfounded with the beauty that was in front of us. It seemed unreal. So did the amount of tourists! There were no cars on the island, so the ‘streets’ were narrow. One souvenir shop was followed by another selling the same goods, then a restaurant, and another, and another. It was amazing how many businesses were operating in the same breathing space. Apparantly, these narrow walkways caused quite a problem during the tsunami.

It was also high season, so a bit of a challenge to find a place. Eventually, we ended up following a friendly Thai man, carrying our luggage, across a narrow footpath to our little oasis- a bit of a hike from the main area, but that’s about my style. The brochures we had looked at pictured our hotel, cabanas standing alone, decks facing the bay.
Aesthetically, I was pleased. . I took a deep, wet breath, and could smell the plumeria caught in the dense heat, the salt in the air.I stood out on the rickety deck for a while, listening for the gentle sound of the ocean, the wind whistling through the palms, birds chirping amidst the hibiscus and bouganvillea. We were on a hill, and could see the flat stretch of land that met the bay. The water was so clear, it started out white at the shore, and gradually became green, then turquoise, and finally blue as it reached the coral reef. Decorated longtail boats bounced around ever so slightly, anchored several yards off the shore.

I really could hear all of those things if I concentrated hard enough, but many of those sounds were somewhat trumped by the motors of the boats, and an inconsistent “fwap fwap fwap” of the ceiling fan in our room. It was hung at a rather odd angle, giving us respite from the oppressive heat, yes, but I couldn’t quite figure out where on the bed I would have to lay to make sure it wouldn’t land on me if it chose to be airborne. There was no mosquito netting over the bed, yet I could see the ground below the cabana through the slats in the wooden floor. Now, I am a ‘when in Rome’ kind of girl, and giggled at these oddities. That is, until Emily went to take a shower. I heard a grown, and figured it a response to a cold shower, which I was anticipating indifferently. “Is it cold?” I asked her.
“Hardly. It’s quite warm….and salty.” Hmmmm….ocean water. Sounds refreshing.

We checked out the nightlife-firedancers, and a slue of twenty-somethings drinking mixed drinks out of buckets. If I didn’t look at the menus and restaurant names, I could have been in Mexico, Greece, anywhere touristy that draws college-aged kids. It was absolutely gorgeous, but one night was enough, so we left the next day.

So why am I compelled to go back to this island? I saw the news, and the pictures. My jaw dropped. I cried. I became fixated on the TV for a little longer than I would call healthy. And it wasn’t long before it was clear to me that this island was absolutely, positively WRECKED.

I am not interested in vodka and red bull buckets. I am not interested in firedancers. I am not interested in partying with 22 year-olds looking to find themselves in another country with 32 people from their hometown. But, I am compelled to join them, in all of their heartfelt intentions, in rebuilding a once-beautiful island for the locals, who have been all but overlooked by the Thai government. I am nervous about it, really, on some very deep, and also completely superficial levels. I have been desperately searching for adjectives that feel right about my apprehension, but it just isn’t worth the time. Four days. That’s it. When all is said and done, I will be in Thailand for about 40 days, and I am dwelling in about the first four. Hmmm….I think that is a reality check that it is time to go to bed and let it go. But I wanted to make sure there was something to compare and contrast once I actually get there.

Less than two days to go, and counting…..
-Rebecca

P.S. I caught a glimpse of the front page of SUnday's Chron- I think Phi Phi is on the front page. I am going to have to get one to bring over there.

Less than a week to go!

I am almost embarassed at how long it has been since I have written. I got the kids' blog up and running and kind of neglected all of this.
School is finished, and my youngest cousin, Jamie, and I leave San Francisco this week. It is unbelieveable how time has flown, and equally as unbelieveable that we were able to make it happen. Everyone has been so supportive!

I just got back from a beautiful wedding in Eureka. It rained and rained, but the ceremony (and the bride and groom) was absolutely stunning. A terrific way to start the summer.

See you all soon, with much more to say.
-Rebecca

A Success!!!

Well, as a class, we did it! The students' rummage sale and car wash was a success on many levels. Over 600 dollars was raised for tsunami relief, and leftover rummage was donated to Goodwill, Friends of the Library, and PARCA. True, there was a moment or two where we all wondered, "what is going to happen with all of this stuff??!!" But in true Ocean Shore nature, it was moved and taken care of before 3:00 in the afternoon. The children all participated, even the ones that couldn't join us on SUnday, and over half of the families were washing, selling, cleaning, organizing, cheering, laughuing, supporting and giving so much on the day of the event (in some cases, paying 5 dollars to wash their own car!!)

To say that I am proud of them is not saying nearly enough.


5 weeks and counting, and it looks like I will be moving my apartment into storage for the summer. The list continues to grow, but all is good. Jamie is getting set for the trip. She had three shots just today, and has to go back for two more. What an adventure that keeps evolving.

Helping is Contagious

May 13, 2005 So many things have changed, it almost isn’t worth writing the new plan, because surely it will change again. However, the good news is, that more people are coming! My youngest cousin, Jamie (mom’s side), is about to graduate from Chico. She called the other day, expressing interest, wondering if it was too late to make it happen. Somehow, and quite delightfully, I may add, she is going to make it happen. It’s a bit of a logistical twist, but it is going to work, and I am so proud of her, and excited for her, and thrilled that she will be joining me.

Apparently, as she was making the rounds telling the people important to her what her plans were, a friend of hers signed on as well. SO now there will be three of us volunteering together for three weeks (so far, one week in Phi Phi with hiphiphi.org, and two weeks with United Planet).

After the initial three weeks of volunteering, I will fly up to Bangkok to meet my cousin, Shana (dad’s side) and she and I will travel together for three weeks. We will take a side trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia for a few days, and then head back to the affected regions, and enjoy ourselves while spending as much as we can in the region (insert ‘thank you’ to donations here- you are all awesome). Also included will be a trip to wherever the students decide to donate the money they raise from their event, and perhaps some time to play with some of the children sponsored by those organizations.

What fortune this is, to be able to do this, to be supported emotionally and helped financially, and now to share the experience with my family. I can’t begin to explain how lucky I feel. When I think about this trip, sometimes I feel a twang of guilt- knowing that even though this experience is for the benefit of others- I am receiving so much.

Student Plan

April 29/30
So I told my students of my plans to volunteer in Thailand for the summer. I told them what I was already doing and what I had already done to raise money for my quest. I then asked if they wanted to be involved in something dealing with tsunami relief and the response was overwhelming.
Because the entire class wanted to be involved, I gave them complete control of the project. The only requirement was that the money had to go to an organization that would directly benefit tsunami survivors, not to organizations (as great as they are) that spread their funds to all of their programs. They decided they wanted to research that more thoroughly, and perhaps split funds among several organizations, or perhaps find a specific school or hospital in need for me to bring a direct cash donation. They were able to momentarily put that on the back burner in order to get to the planning process; the big question- how are we going to raise money?
This time, they had only two requirements. One was safety. For example, they could not go door to door. Secondly, because they are minors, they had to have permission from their parents for any after school activity.
Originally, I had allotted an hour for the discussion. They chose to take two hours, completely focused on the activity at hand. My students accomplished much more than I anticipated.
After discussing several possibilities, hey decided to combine a few of the suggestions. The end result was a rummage sale, selling their own unwanted items, as well as inviting others to donate to the cause. They also wanted to sell food and drinks, as well as craft packets at the rummage sale. At the same time, they want to have a car wash for those that are shopping at the rummage sale.
A step I may have overlooked in excitement, they had already covered in their small group discussions, advertisement. One student has a connection with a local sign making company, and another has a connection with the local newspaper.
Finally, when we regrouped and outlined the plan, the students recognized that we also needed permission to use the school, so they needed to write a personal proposal.
This is what it said:
Dear Mr. Lorenzen,
We would appreciate it very much if you would consider our proposal for our class to have a rummage sale/car wash. We were hoping we could have it at the school’s field and parking lot.
If you accept our proposal, we would like to talk to you about dates for it with you. We will be making and handing out fliers hopefully soon. There will be a group washing cars while parents and kids look around the sale space.
Our class recognizes that the tsunami caused a lot of damage and we want to help repair the lives that were affected by the tsunami waves. We are going to research where the money is going to be donated. Rebecca will be traveling to donate the money to the organizations we decide on. Rebecca is also going to give the money to the locals that need it.
In conclusion, the students of Rebecca’s class would like to have a special day to raise money for tsunami relief. We would like to use the field for the rummage sale and the parking lot for the car wash. – Rebecca’s class.

It’s a go

Mr. Lorenzen (principal) just came in to hear what the students had to say. They had agreed to keep it quiet until the proposal was complete. They read with enthusiasm and professionalism, and were met with the respect they deserved. Mr. Lorenzen accepted the proposal on the spot, and will return to tell us what dates are available.
This happened in a total of three hours from idea to acceptance. It makes me wonder what our government might look like if it were run by 8 and 9 year olds.

New Info

I am going to have to figure out how to do page breaks.
Renee is not going to be able to come with me to Thailand. She has a family emergency, and can't be gone for that long. I am sad, disappointed, but it isn't going to change what I am planning on doing, other than dates.
As it stands now, I will still be planning one week with United Planet in Ranong, only a week earlier than anticipated. It will work out perfectly. I fly into Bangkok on July 1. I will fly to Ranong on July 2, adjust to the climate for two nights, and go to the village on July 4 for one week. Once finished, I will head either to Ko Phi Phi or Khao Lak to volunteer at one of those sites. Who knows- things change so rapidly- maybe I will end up somewhere else. Whatever the need is- I'll go with open eyes, ready to work. At this point, I can't make that decision. There is so much research to do. Off to bed.

2 months and counting

well, the commitment has been made, I sent in the cash, and I have my ticket in hand. Now it is about raising money for the cause. I didn't think I would be going back to Thailand so soon, and never considered it in the summer. But no one thought that a single day would affect so many people in that region, so off I go. Renee and I are signed up with an organization called United Planet, where we will be doing, well, anything they need us to do in a village near Ranong, Thailand. It was the only organization I could find that was totally organized and directly dealing with survivors of the tsunami. The downfall, is that it is quite expensive. $870 will get us a week of volunteering, room and board with a local family, so that they can generate some income (and create a cultural exchange), and insurance. But I have a week in Thailand before Renee even gets there. SO I have been searching and searching for another oportunity, a little more grassroots. I found some awesome sites that didn;t exist even a month ago. One organization is called Hi Phi Phi (hiphiphi.com). They seem to be doing wonders on the island.