In a Strange Land - documentary

I think this video is really interesting. The story and the people are located exactly at the border of the camp I am working in. The check point (with the red and white blockade and the sign indicating the temporary shelter area - temporary is now 20+ years) is the border of the camp and where we sign in to enter. The people getting into the truck with lots of bags are in the camp and are leaving for resettlement. Directly to the left of the check point is the long neck village (you can see a painted sign of a Kayan [long neck] woman) where this documentary takes place. The refugees living in the village, although with more freedom than those in the camp, have been exploited by the Thai tourist industry because of their brass rings. They are living outside the camp boundaries, but are expected to continue the tradition of wearing rings as thousands of tourists visit their village each year. The documentary shows the reluctance to allow these individuals to resettle like the other refugees living in the camps because of the financial loss to the tourism industry and highlights the difficult decision people must make when they consider resettlement. The video also gives a tiny glimpse into the continued persecution of the ethnic minorities in Burma and the work of the Free Burma Rangers who provide medical aid to displaced people living inside the Burma border. If the FBR are caught while inside Burma, they will be killed by the Burmese Army. So much story in just 8 minutes.

The Camp II

The Camp

Just some more pics of the camp. The long building with many doors is one of the elementary schools. I think there are about 7 elementary, 3 middle and 1 high schools in the camp. There are also pictures of one of the medical clinics (hospitals) and one of the medical labs. The area with the cement barrels is the communal shower area. People always bath wrapped in a sarong. The others are of houses and the big open area is a soccer field. I also stumbled upon this little one woman weaving shop!

Ban Hua Koong

We walked from Hua Hee to Hua Koong to spend the night. The town has about 10 houses with about 3 inhabited. Most have owners that work in the town but keep their house in the village. This is the family we stayed with - sweet couple with their young daughter and grandchildren. The husband has an amazing story about being attacked by a huge wild pig in the jungle! He said the pig was higher than his hips - and the size of the teeth mark scars on his arms seem to confirm that! We slept on the floor in the pic - thankfully under the mosquito net, but with no real comforts of a mat or pillow. Remarkably I slept pretty well but when I woke up in the morning, the first thing I said out loud was, "Oh God," which made Gloria laugh pretty hard. Also in typical fashion, I managed to get bit by some crazy ants and my arm swelled up in two places giving me the Popeye look. At least it wasn't my face.

Ban Hua Hee

The first village we stayed in Ban Hua Hee. The town has about 25 houses. This was the family we stayed with and these are pictures of their home. A typical Karen house (this shows the kitchen portion), toilet and shower, and inside the kitchen. The women cook on the floor on a soil/ash base. The family also sleeps in the kitchen during the winter months.

Doi Pui

The top of Mae Hong Son (1700+ meters) ... and the only place with cell coverage if you live in the village.

Trekking Thai Style

Hey Everyone,

I took a little 3 day trekking trip this weekend with our new volunteer Gloria. We climbed the highest peak in Mae Hong Son province, Doi Pui; learned how to cook (and basically survive) with only bamboo; and stayedd in two very small Karen villages, Ban Hua Hee and Ban Hua Koong, with two very sweet families. I also got to ask questions about traditional weaving which I was pretty excited about. It was a lot of fun!

These are pics from on the trail - boiling water in bamboo; lunch complete with bamboo bowls and cups (made right there in the jungle) and rice in banana leaves; the two little guys were from the village and joined us on our hike up Doi Pui and Gloria making her way through the jungle.

flooding and other updates

Thanks for all your emails and messages regarding the flooding. Luckily we haven’t experienced any flooding here in Mae Hong Son town. However, one camp that our staff works in farther south in the province has been quite affected and many people have lost their homes and bridges and roads are basically destroyed. Our staff won’t be able to travel there until the situation changes which they think might be some time in December. Also one of my co-worker’s parents live in the camp and their house has been washed away. So although there is no flooding here, people have still been affected. As well, Thailand and basically all of Southeast Asia is in an emergency situation with the flooding and I am not sure it is going to end anytime soon.

Also, shockingly, a staff from one of our other offices (located in Mae Sot), went to visit her husband’s family in Burma last weekend. Apparently they were in what is considered a “black area” meaning an area that has experienced a lot of fighting and has not been cleared of landmines. While they were driving back they hit a landmine on the road that exploded. The driver was instantly killed and the staff member was thrown from the truck. She is currently in hospital and is paralyzed from the waist down. That really brought home for me the danger that people face in Burma and the reality of the refugee situation. Sometimes it seems to be downplayed here in Thailand, which I think in part can be attributed to the protracted conflict in Burma. But, there continue to be daily instances of fighting and human rights abuses. The latest has been in the Kachin state, which borders China (unfortunately China does not allow Burmese refugees to cross its border and stay), where the previously agreed upon ceasefire has ended. My co-worker’s in-laws have an orange farm in Kachin state but a couple of weeks ago, the fighting between Kachin Independence Army and the Burmese Army came to their village and the people had to run into the jungle to hide for two days. The people were scared but were also worried about losing their orange crops and livelihood so slowly made their way back, even though it was extremely dangerous. Many of their oranges had been stolen by the soldiers. There are so many stories like this in just my small office.

My organization is collecting donations for both the flooding and the staff in the landmine accident. If you are interested in donating, just let me know and I can contribute for you.

Woo Gin in the Jungle

Our elephant ride. Look at James the professional mahout. And a bamboo snack for Woo Gin at the end. Plus the fancy photo taken without our consent while riding the elephant - we were then chased down on our motorcycle on the highway after the ride to buy the print - James is a softy and couldn't resist. Pretty sweet!

Hot Drinks Hot Food

Sticky rice with mango, iced coffee, Chinese tea, King prawns and spicy soup (notice the beads of sweat on James' face - the direct result of combining an al fresco dinner in 100% humidity with an incredible number of chilies served in the food). Other dining favorites included Koi Soi (curried egg noodles), Som Tam (green papaya salad), Mu Ping (pork satay) and coconut soups.

The Temples

I have to post temple shots, I can't help myself. This is my first real life experience visiting a reclining Buddha ... I was pretty excited!

The happenings of J

James is very tired the first night he arrives.
James enjoys Chang Beer by the pool.
James drives our motorcycle on twisty turning mountain roads.
James tries to drain the river water from the motorcycle (notice the elephant poop on the road - wow!)
James loves his wife.