The Layers

After the Olympics, there was an essay written to sum up the Canadian experience. A line from that essay stuck with me, it said, “Don’t underestimate the power of a collective experience.” I feel that our experience here in Thailand could be summed up with that same line. Our project of building an adobe hut served as a vehicle for this collective experience. It was in the chopping of straw, sifting sand, and digging and throwing clay that we were able to learn more about our groups character and personalities, both Thai culture and our own, simplicity, appreciation, generosity, and the power of relationships. One of the other important things that I took away from this experience is showing people that you care about what they do by accepting their culture and ways of living. The Teachers brought passion and expertise to their job every day in Ban Na Toe; some of them coming from very difficult and diverse backgrounds. Allowing them to show us what they do and why is very powerful, and was proven in their willingness to share their life stories through our interviews.
Our group was clearly a special group. They were able to take every opportunity to fully experience Thailand; from the food to methods of travel, this particular group of students didn’t hold back from learning this culture. When removing ourselves from the remote area of Ban Na Toe, it was interesting to see how attitudes changed when in more touristy areas. It was more difficult to develop relationships as well as maintain that strong sense of “Thailand”. It is definitely something to think about the next time you travel.
I feel like I am a well-traveled individual, yet this opportunity has impacted my life in a different way. I am unsure how to characterize or identify this feeling, only that I feel more satisfied, more fulfilled by the relationships with our own group, and the generous Thai people. I feel privileged to have shared my experience in Thailand with such a special group.

A couple pics

In the middle of everywhere

I once made the mistake of describing a hill tribe village as being in the middle-of-nowhere, but I have since realized how that comment merely highlighted my ignorance. Every remote village is the centre of somebody’s universe, and in some cases that somebody might never range more than 20km from it during the course of a lifetime (in fact, from that person’s perspective the little village would actually be “in the middle of everywhere”).

Peter

Living in the moment

I was very aware of living in the moment, today. I don’t yet have a strategy for sustaining that state of being, but I like it and I think it is worth pursuing.

I was also very aware of what a privilege it is to be welcomed into the cultures and communities of this area. It would be impossible (and I use that word carefully and deliberately) to see and experience a fraction of what we are treated to on a daily basis if it weren’t for the generosity of the staff and students of Ban Na Toe. I visited three hill tribe villages today, each of which was home to one of the students we are working with. I’m sure that if a felung (foreigner) such as myself were to enter one of these remote villages on his own, people would simply stare or retreat to a safe distance. Many of the hill tribe peoples do not speak Thai (they speak their own particular dialect, which might be from China or Tibet or Mongolia or Burma or Laos) and most of the peoples in this particular region of Chiangrai maintain a very isolated way of life. A Caucasian felung like me must seem a very strange creature!

Peter

Ode to Shredding Straw

Language barrier
Shows me large bundles of straw
Directs me to sit

Hands me machete
Lines up small bundle of straw
Wack, wackedy, wack

Inch long pieces fly
Thai man looks upon my work
He is satisfied

Itchy, scratchy skin
Blister formed on my right hand
Crap, tendonitis

Hours later that day
I am still wacking like mad
I am done at last

So much more than "relief"

The kids are still certainly having a great time, despite the heat and the hard work. They have interacted so well with the Thai students and it really is amazing what you can do not knowing a language. Every night the kids play language games (English and Thai) and they really are having genuine fun! It is unfortunately surprising the fun you can have when you are given permission to play. You really don't need to be entertained all the time. I feel a little guilty thinking that our students will benefit more from us being here than the other way around. The project wouldn't exist without us, however, it is now clear that the project is only a vehicle for all the other valuable necessary learning opportunities. Some of the words that come to mind when I think of the things we will bring home are: simplicity, family, relationships, unorganized fun, appreciation, and gratitude. I think that these are the complex layers that are starting to show through as part of this "relief" project. I will officially retire that word "relief" as I don't believe that it defines what we are doing here accurately. We are not "relieving" people from a desperate life, we are showing them that we do care about what they do here, that their culture is special, and that broadening perspectives is important. As Peter has said to me, "a hand up rather than a hand out".

"Sam"

From the moment we arrived at Ban Natoe, I was absolutely intrigued by how flawless and beautiful one of the teachers skin was. What was his secret? For days I have watched him work rest and eat (not stalking of course) looking for a clue to what seems to be a perfect completion. Was it the curry? Maybe the red sandy dust mixed in with the constant ash floating in the air? Whatever it was, I was going to find it. We have formed tight relationships with both the students and teachers here; Peter suggested that we write our next blog entry about someone who we would like to get to know a little more in depth. Sam was someone who I noticed right away as someone special. Born in Myanmar, Sam moved here when he was three years old escaping the war. He was accepted into one of the hill tribes and hasn’t left. A contractor, gardener, farmer, cook, and teacher, Sam is quite a valuable person here in Ban Natoe. I asked him why he thinks he is so well respected and he feels that it is because of his willingness to model what he teaches. If he is not out in the heavy rain turning the soil, how does he expect his students to comply? When asked what he is most proud about in his life, he responded by saying how much he loves his job, and loves to learn; education is central to his being. As one of the initial teachers here at the school, he has taken ownership in the success of this centre. Proud, yet very humble, Sam strives to give back to the land that saved his life. As for his perfect skin, he claims genetics. I don’t believe him.

Erica

"Jay"

Today I interviewed a young man named Sarun Keereesanpoom. He is also commonly known by his friends and by our EDGE group as “Jay”. He is 18 years old and comes from a very large family of 10 kids. He is originally from Chiang Rai (a 2 hour drive east of Ban Natoe) and has come to the Chiang Rai School of Agriculture and Technology to be part of this Canadian-Thai experience. It didn’t take long for our EDGE group to discover that Sarun likes to “break down on the flow”. He is a very talented guy and loses us in his dance moves. We have tried our best to follow his lead, but it has been a great struggle throughout our many dance parties in Club Natoe. During his free time, Jay enjoys reading books and someday he would like to study at a higher level in another country since he has recently graduated from his 3 years of schooling. Jay would also like to join the Thai military. For the past week and a half we have tried our best to communicate to the Thai students, although our Thai vocabulary is near non-existent. Jay hopes that one day the Shawnigan people will be able to speak more Thai. At the same time, he wishes we could stay in Thailand longer because he will miss us very much.





Savannah

"Anan"

Born in the year 2595 (1952 by our Western calendar), Anan Malavilas has been a Chiang Rai resident his entire life. As a child Anan grew up with three sisters, a stay-at-home dad, and a market owner mother. Once he was old enough to leave home, Anan went to the Chiang Rai Head College to learn to be an electrician. And finally after studying for a few years, he was able to sign a five year contract to be an electrician, working of the Thai government. After his contract was up, though, he was forced to find work elsewhere. Eventually he was hired as a driver for a college, and he worked there for seven years. When Ban Natoe opened three years ago, Anan switched colleges and became a Ban Natoe employee. His time at this school is scheduled to end in two years, at which time he hopes to retire.
Apart from this local driver’s work life, he and his wife live a quiet life at the Chiang Rai Head College. With their two children grown up and out of the house, Anan and his wife just enjoy each other’s company. His daughter is currently a primary school teacher in a local village just five kilometres from Ban Natoe. His son works in a jean factory in the heart of Bangkok, and they rarely get to see one another.
Even though Anan plans to retire in two years, his plans don’t extend much beyond that. Because of his lack of money he is forced to live locally instead of exploring his desires to travel. Despite his inability to travel, though, Anan enjoys spending his free time at home with his wife and working on his passion for building fireworks.

Robert

"Patty"

Today I spoke at length with Jinnan/Patty. She was born in Chiang Rai Province in Doi Mae Salong (Doi means mountain and Mae Salong is a famous tea growing area). She told me her dad was a womanizer which led her mother into depression, and to punish her husband she poisoned herself and all of her children. Patty “was lucky” and survived. Her dad re-married and Patty started attending “welfare school.” Patty and her stepmother got along well until Patty had a child of her own. Her dad told her about training at Ban Natoe College and at first she liked it, but now they get so many visitors that she has to do a lot more work. She likes the Shawnigan students, though. She is a normal seventeen year old girl who enjoys listening to music and reading magazines, but she has been through so much trauma. Patty usually lives on campus, but is currently staying with a friend close by and helping her to tend to her mother. Patty aspires to own a bakery one day.

Esme

"Dome"

Naruemit is better known to us and his friends as “Dome.” He is seventeen and was born in Chumporn, in the south of Thailand, where his mother, father, stepmother, three sisters and two brothers live currently. Before he came to Ban Natoe, he attended the Phatowitlaya School in Chumporn. Dome speaks very good English, which he learned from his stepmother who is Dutch. Coming to Ban Natoe to learn and study agriculture and culture, and to meet new people, was his own decision; he arrived at age sixteen. Dome loves all sports, including Thailand’s national sport, Ta Kraw, and Muay Thai (Thai boxing). He also loves playing guitar. Dome acts as a bridge between us and the other Thai students, as the language barrier makes for some difficulty at times. When he is finished his time here at the college, he wants to study somewhere in Bangkok, or travel the world, Canada included! Later on in life he hopes to work in the tourism industry.

Maddie

"Bank"

Bank is undoubtedly one of the most popular Thai students among our group. Supap is his real name, and his nickname, Bank, comes from a famous Thai singer. He was born in Chiang Rai, attended school there, and is now at Ban Natoe college to improve his English and to, hopefully, find a career in mechanics. Bank has one brother and one sister; both live with him in his hometown of the Bakoy Village. He thoroughly enjoys our company as, in his own words, “We’re all happy together.” He loves dancing with us at “Club Natoe,” playing soccer and takraw with us, and building with us. Banks’s favourite part of our being here is seeing Canadians and their customs—and he loved the hamburgers we made for our Canadian dinner. Bank is the happiest, most smiley person, and really is a pretty cool guy to have around.

Alex

The People

One of the layers that became visible after the first few days in Ban Natoe were the relationships that were being formed between our students and the Thai students, despite the language barrier. It was clear after the first two days on the project that our students did not bring the necessary and basic skills to complete a safe standing structure from start to finish; I had to teach two of our boys how to hold a hammer. The Thai students however were quite skilled when it came to making everything out of only organic materials found nearby. Did you know that Bamboo can be used for EVERYTHING? The pairing of a Thai student and one of our students proved to be efficient on both ends. As friendly as the Thai people are, they are quite shy. It took several attempts at communication from our end to make the Thai students comfortable in making the effort to communicate, whether it was through body language, tone, or just trying to say things slowly (in Thai and English). Eventually it happened. All became extremely tight even though it was clear that there were only a few words that both sides understood; gang ma = good. As in the end I felt that it was the relationships that this experience was most fulfilling and worthwhile, I feel it necessary to post the "interviews" that our students had with the Thai students and teachers. We had one woman who could speak fluent english who was able to translate for us over the week. She took the time to sit and translate the questions our students created. The following are posts of our entire team's interviews.

Contrasts

I've noticed many contrasts during our stay in this part of Thailand.
The daytime temperature reaches at least 35 degrees, but three hot meals are served every day and much of the food eaten here is spicy hot, sometimes extremely so.
The living conditions of most people in Ban Natoe and surrounding villages are very simple (most people in this area live in small thatched roofed homes), but there are satellite dishes everywhere.
Material possessions are very sparse, (for example, clothes are hand-washed, running water and flushing toilets are not a given, and women can be seen on their front step pounding rice into flour using a large, homemade mortar & pestle), but young people are often seen with shiny new scooters, cell phones and ipods.
The village people speak no English for the most part, but t-shirts with English phrases and familiar characters or logos can often be seen on both children and adults. Further contrasted with that are the exquisitely handcrafted traditional costumes, complete with highly decorated head gear, the regular wear of some hilltribe people as they tend local marketplace stalls.
There is lush green tropical vegetation and beautiful blooming plants and trees all over the countryside, but the small yard in front of virtually every home is bare, hardened sand and dirt, usually complete with a hen and chicks that wander freely.
People are extremely courteous and polite, but, behind the wheel of a vehicle, they are aggressively 'in your face'.
Cultural traditions and customs are practiced and maintained by old and young, but visitors are never made to feel that they must conform, are out of place, or have made an error.
Yes, we are in a place of many fascinating and remarkable contrasts.

Anne

The Hilltribes

The Akha and Lahu hill tribe villages that we visited recently were located at relatively high elevations (4000’ on Al’s GPS) and situated near or right atop their mountain settings. The steep and rugged terrain mandates that most homes be built on stilts and ensures that the people who live there are decidedly strong and fit. In terms of gradient and rutted surfaces, the roads to these villages are comparable to the more extreme fire roads on Mt.Tzouhalem and Cobble Hill. One difference, though, is that the steepest sections are almost always paved with concrete, presumably to provide some semblance of traction when it rains, because wet clay soil is at least as slippery as motor oil. In the rainy season some sections of these roads would be impossible to negotiate, even on foot. At one point we came across a work party paving a stretch of hill, and I realized that they were mixing the concrete by hand on site. Imagine building a concrete slab, 6” thick and one lane wide, on a very steep slope, with only hoes and buckets for tools. Such patience and tenacity!
I once made the mistake of describing a hill tribe village as being in the middle-of-nowhere, but I have since realized how that comment merely highlighted my ignorance. Every remote village is the centre of somebody’s universe, and in some cases that somebody might never range more than 20km from it during the course of a lifetime (in fact, from that person’s perspective the little village would actually be “in the middle of everywhere”).
We have enjoyed sumptuous Thai meals during our stay in Ban Natoe, including a number of “local foods” such as deep fried bamboo worms, ant egg soup, sliced banana flowers and curried banana tree trunk (and of course there were fried crickets and water beetles for sale in the night market, though so far none of our group has opted to sample these treats).

Peter

Stuff taken for granted

There are things at home that we take for granted. We know this. However, there are some commodities which we have that we do not know how valuable they are. One of these is water. Before coming to Thailand I would take a 15-minute shower without ever thinking about the waste. Here in Ban Natoe we do not have the kind of showers we have at home. First of all there is no hot, or even warm, water. Second, instead of a shower, we have a huge bucket (a garbage can, really) filled with freezing cold water. In order to shower I take a small bucket, fill it with the water, and pour it all over myself. I actually get an adrenaline rush from the cold water. My showers here last at most 5 minutes. Also, in the house where the girls are staying we never know when the taps will be working, so every drop of water we can get to fall in the sink gets put to some use. The thing is, even though we are using about a quarter of the water we use at home, my hair still gets washed, my teeth still get brushed and my body is still as clean as ever. This just shows me how extremely valuable water is. I can tell you one thing. I won’t be taking 15-minute showers any more.

Jenna

What are we going to be doing?...and Why?

As I mentioned earlier, I was having difficulty trying to figure out why we chose this spot at this time to do a project. I have to admit that I did not know the complex experiences that would ensue. Because of the weak and unstable intranet connection in Ban Natoe, I was unable to post any of the blogs that were written, so all of them will go up at once. I first questioned the different layers of relief, and recognized later that wow...there were MANY layers. Posting some of the students experiences will help unfold some of these layers.

The Characters

Twelve grade 11 students, and three chaperones (James, Peter, and myself) will be making the journey to Baan Nato, Thailand where we will embark on a project that will serve as housing for students visiting the Agricultural College in this area. The little Adobe, seen here, will be made out of clay, straw, and other organic materials. I am going to have to remember my bug repellent!

The fifteen of us will depart Vancouver on March 13 at 2am, and arrive in Hong Kong early in the morning of the 14th. There will be a quick jump over to Bangkok, and then another skip onto Chiangrai, where we will stay for a day before we take a bus to Baan Nato, which is right on the border of Myanmar (Burma) in the North. We will then start the project. Our students will be working with Thai students in this project, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the language barrier...myself included!

In the meantime, I will continue making my travel lists...any ideas?

10 Days to go

I came to the realization that I have 10 days to get prepared. To be honest, I have had difficulty preparing for this trip only because my mind has been in other places of the world that are in desperate need of relief. First came Haiti, then Chile, and I couldn't help but feel "what if our little project doesn't make a difference?". During this experience I want to recognize the different layers of relief efforts.

I have my duffel bag sitting out on the floor in the living room. The next step is to develop a list of the things that I feel are necessary (and not). I am an overpacker at the best of times! Let's get this started!