Ron & Susanne's Thai Adventures

Home Again

2009-08-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well we are home again and we bask in the memories of a wonderful adventure in Thailand. The trip home went smoothly, once we got to the airport.

Susanne came down with some bug Monday, the day we flew from Sadao to Bangkok. It continued to Tuesday and we were a little worried that we would not be allowed to board the plane home. So we went to the best hospital in Bangkok where she was examined thoroughly by one of their doctors who diagnosed it as an intestinal infection. So she got some medicine and we paid the bill ($35) and left. Outrageous, one of the premier hospitals in all of southeast Asia, a very complete exam and meds for $35? Anything seem wrong with our costs here?

Anyway, the flight home was long but uneventful. We are still feeling the jet lag of a 12 hour time difference,but that will soon pass too.

So as we returned home to ponder the experience, many thoughts come to mind. I will share a few.

First, the people we came to know and love were amazing. There is an honor and respect in the Thai culture that is very real and different than America. We certainly realize that we received some special treatment and considerations since we were friends with Beam. But I have no doubt that any American willing to embrace the culture, food and general manners would also find themselves treated as "special"in the small towns of Thailand.

Second, there must be some "happy medium" that could be reached between the "questionable"cleanliness habits of Thai street vendors and small home eating establishments and the dining places here in the States. Thai food was simply delicious and we never got sick once, even though the places would NEVER pass any health codes in place here. NOTE: I'm talking about the small home eateries here, not the nice clean restaurants. Contrast that with the codes in place here that possibly cripple the availability of more dining alternatives. (probably due to lawyers and suits)

Third, while the school fell short of standards we are accustomed to, they do some things right in our minds. The school uniforms are furnished by the government and are attractive and modest. I couldn't tell the poorest of the poor from the middle class students. What a relief for the students who sometimes feel inferior to others, the parents who have to buy them AND the teacher who has to "police" inappropriate clothing. Also school prayer is allowed and promoted. Religion is even taught in the school, Buddhism and Muslim only which makes sense since the majority of the families are those two. Students also "policed" far less and we only saw one incident of fighting. That could be because some of the kids have quit school and are out "doing their thing.

Last, we really appreciate the cleanliness of the American towns, homes, well kept yards, highways, green open spaces, etc. my brother Don is vacationing i Switzerland and sent some pictures to us. It is clear that for the regular tourist, European order and upkeep (which came to America with the immigrants) is preferable to much of Southeast Asia. There is no contest when comparing the two. But I would recommend everyone who likes to change their views of the world, take a trip to this region. Try to embrace the locals and experience the everyday life as best you can. You will come away a changed person.

So we wait for a return trip. We want to go to Moscow, Alaska, tour some of America with a camper and motorcycle. Then if everything is in place we can see ourselves returning again to see our friends and teach in the classroom one more time.

Thanks for visiting the site and I hope you enjoyed the blog. There is much more to be told and hopefully we can talk about it in person when we next visit.

Ron and Susanne

Last Day at School

2009-08-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where did 8 weeks go? An extended time far from home is an interesting "tug of emotions." There was a period, about 10 days after we arrived that we thought, "this will be a long time to be away from home." The initial "missing of family and friends" was difficult, although being with a friend like Beam certainly helped. Then it kind of fades away to be replaced by the realization that time IS passing by, until at the end our emotions of coming home and leaving all that we have here truly is bittersweet.

Friday was our last day at Sadao Kanchai school. We were honored at the morning ceremony and gave a short farewell speech that was interpreted by some younger English learning students. Morning ceremonies get to be routine for the kids, and too often the speakers drone on and on, the interest wanes and kids start talking to each other. Invariably the are usually at least 1o-20 minutes late to their first period class. But while we speaking, the kids were quiet and very attentive. We adapted a song, "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and Susanne and I sang to the kids. This is a singing culture, no matter what your talent level is. It went well and the kids enjoyed it as we struggled to hold our emotions in. We were presented with a gift and the whirlwind of a day began.

Suffice it to say, we were the celebrities of the day, more than we ever could expect. Students wanting pictures with us, autographing shirts, paper (really!) and greeting students at every turn. It was unbelievable! Especially touching were two hand made books from 2 classes we taught. One class actually stayed at least 1 1/2 hours late making final preparations.

Then we also had the teachers. Many, many of them presented us with gifts and let me tell you, that is a humbling experience. This culture honors their guests in ways unlike any country I have been in. Moscow had many moments too, but not like here. We both received a handbag and pants that everyone recognized as from the northern mountain people, and Susanne at least 2 more beautiful handbags/purses. I received several collections of coins, some of them antiques from a teacher who is a collector. And, again especially touching were commemorative bills honoring their King who is highly esteemed by everyone. One lady gave me hers, the only one she had, knowing it was a limited edition. It is rather rare and probably impossible to replace. How can "thank you" really do that sacrifice justice? That is when the depth of their love and appreciation really hits you. All I could do was accept it graciously and thank her over and over.

At the day's end, we were left with our overwhelming emotions and memories. In terms of education, we probably accomplished limited results. But in terms of friendships and good will, the results were striking. I don't want to overstate our impact, and that's not my purpose here. But it is "real and true" and we did hear many times that some of the Muslim teachers were a little skeptical of American Christians in their school, but had their opinion and outlook dramatically changed. The Buddhists and the Muslims knew we were Christians and didn't try to change us, but simply explained patiently their beliefs. They too became dear friends and really, why wouldn't we expect that? That is the kind of respectful people and culture they have here.

So, we fully intend to come back in a few years to visit old friends and perhaps teach the students again. It won't be the same because of the old saying, "You can never go back."

but I expect it will be very good in a different way.

It will be interesting coming home and assimilating all our feelings and the changes into our daily lives again. I do know we both will have to work real hard not to let this experience fade into the "old and routine."

So Monday afternoon we fly to Bangkok. We will see some sights on Tuesday and fly out about 10:30 p.m. About 22 hours later we will be in Chicago and soon back to good old Delavan.

2009-08-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well the English Camp was a huge success. The only complaint was the kids wanted two days! That would have meant no weekend at all, so we're happy that didn't happen.

Susanne's activities went well. She was ever creative with kids making "paper sandwiches" and learning various songs. Anything to build vocabulary. I did diamond poems where kids used adjectives and nouns to describe themselves, than antonyms with the Beatles "Hello Goodbye" song. It was a long day, but the enthusiasm of the students was fun to see.

Sunday morning at 7:00 we were at the radio station as featured guests of our teacher friend Santi. We answered 4 questions he had prepared about our impressions of Thailand. Very easy to do given the experiences we have seen. Beam interpreted for us and all in all a good time. Two regrets, it wasn't taped (they forgot), and I didn't have the website a day earlier. Possibly Eric could have accessed the website and heard and tape the show.

Last night we were again humbled by our hosts. Our time will fly by this week and soon we have to leave. So Beam's brothers took us and three other guests to a very exclusive Chinese restaurant in hat Yai. This is the featured dining place in Hat Yai and whenever the prime minister or government officials or famous people come into the city, they usually dine here. Their family is proudly part Chinese and her brother Santi is the president of a huge Chinese/Thai group that regularly meets (over 1000).

Anyway, the meal again as very similar to the wedding meal (earlier post). It consists of 8 courses, one of them being shark fin soup (very expensive) and VERY DELICIOUS! They called the outing "our welcome, thank you and farewell" and believe me it was pretty emotional at the end of the meal. Words cannot explain our feelings and humbleness. They have done EVERYTHING for us since we have arrived, including going to morning market everyday to bring home breakfast, cooking wonderful suppers every night, driven us around on tours and the list goes on. The have opened their home and arms to us and they called us "family". We also received some beautiful souvenirs from them and one other guest. In fact, we are being showered with going away gifts by many teachers as our time gets closer. And this evening and the meal was VERY expensive for them, but they wanted to honor us one more time!

Susanne and I will be forever impacted by their love, selfless generosity and care. We now know how we failed to honor foreign guests we have come in contact with in Delavan. And yes, it is the difference between U.S. and Thai cultures, but shouldn't we do more? Especially because we have so much more!

So, as the adventure comes into the last week, we will try to really appreciate and celebrate the time we have left. Today we go back to a school two Province's from here which will be fantastic again. Wednesday is the Queen's birthday, thus a holiday "Mother's Day. And we'll have to say goodbye to our students (not an easy task).

I'll try to do one more post on the weekend. Bye for now.

2009-08-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

About 90 students at the "opening ceremonies" for English Camp on Saturday.

Susanne at her teaching station for the camp.

Me "warming up"the students and yes that is sweat that is soaking my shirt, even in an air conditioned room.

We are the featured guests at the 7:00 A.M. radio broadcast, with Beam serving as the interpreter.

Wedding Bells and Scouts

2009-08-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy week. We have been preparing for an English camp at school tomorrow. We will rotate the kids through 4 stations, so that means 4 classes in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. That will wipe us out, I'm afraid.

Last Saturday night we went to a Thai wedding party. It wasn't that much unlike ours. Some things did stand out however.

First, they had a "small wedding," only about 7-800 guests. Apparently they are commonly over 1000, and they were surprised that American weddings aren't commonly that large.

Second, they had a served meal of 8 courses! I know I write about food a lot, but believe me, it IS worth writing about. First, fried shrimp in a fruit salad. Then fish "bladder" soup. (delicious, and I couldn't really get a clear answer about the "bladder" part). Next, Chinese sausage. Fourth, Pork shank with Chinese chestnuts. Fifth, Chinese lettuce with sliced snail. It must have been a big snail because it looked just like the bamboo shoots we buy in a can. Then, steamed Butterfish in plum sauce. After that, egg noodle stir fry with shrimp. And finally a mixed fruit and grain dessert in a thin sauce. Fantastic food, but you had to pace yourself for all the courses.

Third, they had a bottle of Jack Daniels Red Label whiskey at each table. The best part was that I was the only one at our table (all ladies but me) who drank some. The bad part was someone else took the bottle home. (imagine trying to do that at ours)

Fourth, they had the traditional speeches etc. But during the wedding, people came up and "offered a song" to honor the bride and groom. There must have been at least 10 friends who sang, some better than others, but an honor nonetheless.

Fifth, the wedding party greeted each table and gave all the guests a small token gift as a memory. Then "friends" collected the gifts, which is always money. The guests simply take out the invitation and return the money in the envelope so they know who it came from.

The meal began about 7:00 and by 9:00 it was finished. I was shocked at how fast everyone cleared out then. Especially because the bride and groom were singing a duet and I thought that was cool. So it was fun, very filling with a few surprises.

I posted some pictures of scouts at our school. In Thailand, they allow the boys and girls to be together, apparently. I don't know when they separate them into Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts, but these kids looked to be at least 8th graders.

On Sunday, Susanne and I are the featured guests at the local radio station. So at 7:00 in the morning we will be answering questions about our feelings of Thailand. That will be interesting. An assistant director at school (a friend) has a 1 hour program every Sunday morning and he announced it last week, and apparently the broadcast reaches into parts of Malaysia too. I'll post if I have time.

Later Beam's family is going to take us to a famous Chinese restaurant in Hat Yai. It will be a "welcome, thanks for coming and farewell" feast all rolled into one. Speaking of farewell, it will be very hard to leave these wonderful people, students and friends. Words just can't explain the wonderful time we have spent here. Eight weeks seemed like a long time when we first arrived. Now we're wishing that time would slow down. I'm not sure how any experience could top this in my lifetime, and we are convinced we will return again to renew the bonds we have created. (maybe even teach for a semester during the cold WI winter..... November to March here.)

And seriously, they are looking for 2 teachers to start in November from anywhere in the U.S. so if you know of anyone wanting an adventure of a lifetime, let me know.

2009-08-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

Boy Scouts (girls too) getting ready for the weekend camp. (cancelled later by weather)

Proud leader.

Stage and backdrop at the wedding.

Two 10th grade girls who sang at the wedding to honor their teacher.

The bride and groom. She teaches at our school and he at he university in Hat Yai.

Latex Processing and Orphanage Visit at Songkhla

2009-08-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

We started the day visiting one of Beam's brother's latex processing plant. It is highly labor intensive in these early stages. Workers get up at 3:00 a.m. to tap the tree. The latex flows in the coolness of the evening and stops when he morning heats up. After the small containers are full they are emptied into pails, then small barrels, the hauled by small trucks to be weighed and poured into holding tanks. The latex is too concentrated, so it is mixed with water in long tanks and metal plates are inserted to form 1 inch thick sheets which set up in about 8 hours.

The plates are removed, sheets pressed though rollers to squeeze out excess water. The sheets are then hung to dry outside and moved into large storage sheds until completely "cured" and hauled to the exporter.

All of the workers and their families live in large, older homes which are much nicer than most we have seen. It is clear that Beam's brothers provide better living conditions than many of the plantation owners.

Forgive my musing here, but as a kid growing up on a small Wisconsin farm, and attending a small local college I could never imagine the extent of cultures I would have an opportunity to experience: Walking in Red Square and touring the Kremlin in Moscow; Meeting Mateo's family and touring Italy; Seeing the rubber plantations and processing, and best of all making lifetime world wide friendships. This certainly gives both of us a yearning for "more."

Later we went to a "Sam's Club" type warehouse and bought milk and rice for the orphanage in Songkhla. Christ Episcopal Church donated money and we were the "vehicles" for delivery. The orphanage itself is extremely neat, clean and well maintained. There are about 180 children there. We were a bit disappointed that our contact with the children was limited. Pictures of them were not allowed for "safety" reasons. We were allowed to watch the "two and under" as they were waking up from naps. I saw 2 workers in the home of 30, but there could have very well been more out of sight.

The school age children were at the public schools. There were a few 5-7 year olds that were there that we were allowed to talk to. I swung one boy in circles which he dearly loved and he didn't want to let me leave.

There is no doubt that these children have living facilities far safer and nicer than many regular kids. I don't know what would be in store for these children without this facility for them. The

one "unknown" is how much their emotional needs are being met. Holding and "loving" the kids is probably limited. Americans (and hopefully others) have adopted some of them, but I don't know how much that is promoted. It is a good place and the kindness of the Thai culture is evident.

One interesting custom; many people donate or contribute to the needy on their birthday. It is an act of kindness they do to honor those less fortunate. I get the feeling that birthday gifts aren't that common, possibly only between very good friends or family, and even then nothing elaborate.

Tonight we will go to a wedding party in Hat Yai, and beam will tell us nothing. She wants us to be surprised so we are curious. More on that to follow.

2009-08-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Cute, outside "washing" station at the orphanage.

One of several units to house the 180 kids.

Grounds between the units, neatly maintained with play equipment.

House for "two and under" children. They were just waking up from naps.... about 30 in the home.

Shelter for shade and play.

2009-08-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

Girl pouring latex from the small container held on the tree to the pail.

Children enjoying a game in the shade of a "resting platform" next to their home.

More workers with additional "holding tanks.

Woman stacking rubber sheets that have had water "pressed" from them by the rollers. The next step is to hang the sheets and let them dry for 4-6 days.

2009-08-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Latex being weighed and poured into a vat, which then transfers it to holding tanks by a hose.

Strange white man inserting plates into the holding tank (1 inch apart).

Susanne holding the latex sheet after it has "set up". The next step is to press excess water out by using a rolling press.

Sadao Wed. Market and Unexpected Holidays

2009-07-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

The weekend came early. Today, Wed., the school closed until Monday morning. The director is very afraid of the flu and we have at least 20 students out with suspected cases of it. So he played it safe.... but I wonder if it will really do any good. The primary schools stayed open, so seems like the germs could still be spread from families by younger siblings.

All teachers have to go back tomorrow and supervise their homeroom student volunteers while they clean their homerooms. Don't think that would happen in our schools (students or teachers).

We walked to the Wed-Thurs market here in Sadao. We have been to the morning market, but this was noticeably different. There were hundreds of vendors selling clothing, food, wares,...but clothing is the big draw. Much of it is second hand and in great shape. It sells for about $2-3. I don't know what the new clothes went for, but I know it is a good deal.

I posted some pictures below. It is much like maxwell Streets would be. I enjoyed it. The colors, lights, smells all made our evening stroll very enjoyable. Plus it was a cool day (by their standards.)

We will drive to an orphanage to donate food on Friday and I suspect that will be heart wrenching to see, so look for those pictures and posts. Also we have been blessed again by an invitation to a Thai wedding party on Sunday night. That should really be interesting too. I continue to marvel at what opportunities Susanne and have been given. Eight weeks with the local people sure gives a more clear picture of the country than a "tour" could. And we continue to be treated a honored guests.

2009-07-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night market in Sadao. Hundreds of street vendors selling food, clothing, wares... clothing is 2nd hand and new.

This is one of the main streets through town. Note traffic on right lane still speeds past at 30-40 MPH while the left lane is slower.... including people pulling over to shop.

Young man who is cooking a wonderful dessert for us. I took a video and he is quite the "showman."

Cooking Lesson, Factory Tour and Blessings Again

2009-07-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last night I learned how to make egg "soup". It isn't really soup, but a creamy smooth custard with pork at the bottom and salted with fish sauce. It is very easy to make and a typical Thai dish. The dessert was the highlight for me though, again a coconut custard baked in a squash. Unbelievable! Of course anything here with coconut milk is amazing.

Speaking of amazing, it is abundantly clear that this trip is a blessing beyond our wildest imagination. So much has happened and so many things have fallen into place to make it special. It is not just luck...no way.

Today we toured a "rubber plantation factory" and were honored above most people that have ever lived in the area. Beam is somehow a distant relative of Sadao's mayor. He happens to be the manager of a factory that produces rubber products. Last Thursday he was the guest at Sports days and we were introduced to him. He gave us a special invitation to come and tour his plants, so today we did. Now you have to understand, people in the school here, even the highest administrators have never been invited to see this plant. But we are the town's honored guests from America...and it is humbling to say the least to be treated in this manner.

We drove up and were ushered in for coffee and a video of their company. Then we began he tour, walking through the factory, seeing things that normal people never get the chance to. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, which I expected. This factory is only 20 years old and already has about a 15-20% world market share for latex and synthetic latex gloves. One plant makes those, another makes high pressure hydraulic hoses, and a third plant exports blocks of natural rubber to other countries. The entire factory sits on about 150 acres, and employs 3000 people who all work 6 days a week. It is a major boon to the area and because the products are disposable, the down economy isn't really affecting it. It is in the European and Thai stock market and I wish I could buy some because it is only going to get bigger and better.

Half way through the tour, we took a break, were offered some sterilized towels to "freshen up with", had a Coke and continued on. Every place we went, the employees, supervisors, human resource people... everyone made a special effort to treat us with the upmost respect and kindness...because we were the managers "honored guests." I can't explain how it feels to be treated that way, for no reason but being Americans in their province. This culture could teach the world about respect and honor!

Then after the tour finished, we were given a specially catered lunch in a large conference room off their company cafeteria. Chicken, pork, rice, fruit.... again everything "top shelf."

So back to school to teach the adult class, leaving Susanne and I to marvel. "What did we ever do to deserve this." and the answer of course is nothing. It is the Thai way!

2009-07-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

Beam's niece, Beam, Management tour guide, Tuk and Ti as we toured a local factory.

More food! Our dinner of

spinach, green curry, "egg soup" and a marvelous

dessert (a smooth, coconut custard baked into a squash)....unbelievable!

All of us being given the "royal treatment" and a wonderful lunch, catered into their canteen meeting room.

My hands preparing the "egg soup" using chopsticks. Impressed yet?

"Egg soup" cooking in boiling water.

Surprise Day Trip to a Garden

2009-07-26T02:47:00.000-07:00

Today we ventured out on a little trip to Beam's brother's garden. like many other trips, we had no idea what was in store for us.

First, I must tell you about her brothers. I surmise that her father must have accumulated some local fame and wealth through hard work. He seems to have "set up" his sons into nice homes and businesses. Two distribute water, beer and maybe some whiskey. Another owns a gas station and also inherited his father's home. Father certainly instilled wonderful values into the sons because they are VERY nice, thoughtful and generous, not only to us but their workers. (I think much more than the normal businessman from the tales Beam tells us).

So we drove to the Malaysian border for a typical "Chinese breakfast" (a meat soup with rice) and on to his garden. We anticipated a smallish plot of land where some local fruits would be grown for the family and possibly excess for sale. We drove about 2 miles back through a rubber plantation where we found his "garden." It turned out to be a 100 acres plantation with some mature trees that were tapped every day already, and younger trees that will be ready in two years. He explained that he put in the road (plus two bridges) shouldering all the cost himself (upwards of $30-50,000). He also allows anyone to use it and it does save all his neighboring owners a lot of mileage and time (further showing his kindness and generosity). He built worker homes for 6 families which are far, far nicer than any we saw thus far (see photos below). As he walked, you could clearly tell he was a naturalist, justifiably proud of his land. He carefully card for a few trees as he passed, stripping off vines that would one day choke the tree) and paused now and then to appreciate the surroundings.

We hiked up to the top and were rewarded with a spectacular view of the area, although were totally drenched from the effort when we got back down to the truck.

We then drove to his other garden which WAS the fruit garden. There he has Mangosteen (an amazingly sweet, delicious fruit), bananas, Longkong and a few others. He arranged for his neighbor to pick them and sell them in Sadao and he shares the profit. Many people have gardens like this here, in fact his brothers also have at least one more....so fruit is plentiful at this home.

On the way home we stopped at a roadside shop for noodles. All of a sudden the owner is taking us through her house, the restaurant tables out back, and into a building. There we see family members feverishly working, spreading out a "puffed rice" dessert on a large pan/topped table.

Come to find out, this is another business she does. She purchased a rice "popper" which pops 4 cups of rice into "puffed rice. A huge wok like pan, holding a syrup mixture, is heated over a wood fire and the rice stirred into it, then spread out and flattened into the large table/pan which we saw being done when we entered. We also saw students packaging "squares" into plastic bags of varying sizes. They do this every day, and they take it across the Malaysian border where it is sold. As it turns out, they are the supplier to the Malaysian outfit which purchases each package for about 30 cents, then adds some more flavoring on top of the rice cakes, repackages them and resells them for about $1.75. True to the kindness of the people, she wouldn't let us leave until she gave us 4 packages (delicious!)

We capped off a perfect day by driving back to his gas station (where he and his wife work almost every day for 12 hours) for some refreshments (coconut juice from a freshly lopped off coconut with a straw for the ladies and a beer for me.) I get a feeling these unexpected adventures will just keep on coming.

Next: Cooking lessons tonight, and a tour of the mayor's Rubber factory on Monday.

2009-07-26T02:32:00.000-07:00

Shop owner's son stirring in a sweet syrup into a puffed rice dessert which is smoothed and flattened into the large pan/table, and cut before it hardens too much. It is exported locally to Malaysia, about 7 miles from here.

The shop where we stopped for a delicious lunch of noodles. As we visited, she surprised us by taking us through her home and restaurant to show us her "puffed rice dessert" business. Note how close it is to the road.

A container of Mangosteen (nothing like a mango) picked by the lady in the tree. These are FANTASTIC, and are nearing the end of the season. Apparently they may be found in the states at a high price.

Latex dripping from the tree into the container, about the same size as half a coconut shell. This part of the process is VERY labor intensive.

2009-07-26T02:02:00.000-07:00

View from atop Peechet's (Beam's brother) "garden" which turned out to be a 100 acre rubber plantation.

Susanne and Beam hiking to the top.

Nice four family worker home built by Peechet compared to another neighboring worker home.

Peechet in front of a Chinese Tea tree planted for his workers to someday enjoy.

Sports Days

2009-07-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Well it was an exciting week around school. This was the week of their Sports Days, an annual tradition, that best compares to our homecoming. Here they basically hold an all school track meet( coupled with basketball, volleyball and soccer tournaments that are held in previous weeks.) In this case all the students are divided into 5 colors, red, blue, yellow, green and pink. Teachers choose colors every 3 years and whatever color they get, their homeroom students also get.

Students prepare all week long, and some even start earlier. The design and paint backdrops for their bleachers, make all kinds of devices for cheering in the stands (for example, colored cards that get turned to make patterns, fans that open up and close, etc.) The band practices, all the students practice marching, bleachers are set up, pom pons are made....just a lot of work. Many of the classes don't meet because of all the student activity.

Thursday morning the parade starts. ALL of the students march with their colored sections, all the different school bands march, cheerleaders for each color lead the sections, all in traditional Thai costumes (stunning), "floats" are carried by boys with poles. it is a very BIG DEAL, and the town stands and watches, just like our Homecoming parade (minus the candy throwing). They enter the school grounds and march around the track, stopping in front of the tent where the dignitaries sat, where they performed various "routines" for them.

Everyone gathers for the opening ceremony, the Thai flag is raised, prayers are said and the torch is lit and carried around the track, just like the Olympics. Very cool. Of course everything gets judged, the marchers, "floats", cheerleaders, the different colors for cheering spirit, the backdrops, etc. Then the competition begins. Of course some events have preliminary races and others do not. All the competitions are grouped by ages 14, 16, 18, and boys and girls.

The athletes aren't really coached too much, nor do many of them really train for the day. As a consequence, probably 100 competitors (mostly girls) collapsed in the extreme heat and were carried off by their military students on a stretcher to the infirmary. It looks scary, but I guess it is normal every year. I'm not sure if the really faint, or are just so worn out...or what. Anyway they are carried to this large room with mats all along the walls, and a doctor and other volunteers are busily rubbing them down with cold cloths, fanning them, trying to revive them. I guess there are no lasting effects and they all recover...(still looks scary t me).

One thing that really impressed me is the cheering in the stands. Only part of the entire "colored group" got the privilege to sit there and cheer. And boy did they cheer. They went virtually all day long, nonstop, sitting out there in 90 + heat and sun. I've never seen anything like it and Susanne and I were amazed.... that much cheering for two straight days. The only accommodation they made was two sets of cheerleaders for each color who went out and worked in shifts. And the kids in the stands MADE all their cheering devices themselves. They used CD's in plastic covers glued to cards, homemade pom pons, shiny Mylar packaging materials from their food, everything hand made.

Another impression was the beauty of the parade and costumes. I was told they rent for about $60-70, and that is a LOT of money for these families for this luxury). The school does pay a portion, but anything over is out of pocket.

The students also show tremendous sportsmanship. I never saw any taunting at all between groups, on either day. It just doesn't exist in this culture, and let me tell you, THAT is a refreshing change from what we see in the U.S. culture.

So after it is all done, trophies are handed out and it ends with the closing ceremony. One cool thing they do is to bring all the kids in the school onto the field by colored sections, link arms and sing three songs to honor the King and the royal family. This linking of hands symbolizes the return to unity of the school body after 2 days of divided competition. AND, no one was allowed to leave until everything was picked up, as assigned by school directors.

All in all a great two days and just another event we were blessed to have been part of. More Thai Adventures.....and they just keep coming.

Next: A Chinese breakfast, visiting Beam's brother's "garden" and a surprise at lunch.

2009-07-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

Guest presenter of the medals (note yellow, green and pink teams).

Blue team supporters in their bleachers.

Lighting the torch for the opening ceremonies.

All the colors in the bleachers (see cheerleaders)

More students in parade with traditional Thai dress.

Sports Days

2009-07-25T04:47:00.000-07:00

Sports Days parade with many, many entries. These are students who rented traditional costumes and "made various floats" That they carried. Spiderman backdrop is one of 5. Each "colored team" painted a 12' x 16' section that was fastened to the back of their bleacher.

Home Visits and Life lessons

2009-07-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

I finally realized that the pictures I previously posted each time came before the entry was posted. I switched it up this time, thus here's the entry and after you read it the pictures will make more sense.

Yesterday we had another amazing experience, extraordinary in its own right. This one is at the opposite end of the spectrum, not the incredible tasting fruits or sights. Instead, we saw the depth of family bonds, love and happiness in a setting seemingly impossible for most Americans to comprehend and where few have ever been.

The teachers are required to make home visits of their homeroom students. It makes their teaching easier because the students see the parent and teacher as friends and co-partners in their upbringing. They are less likely to cause problems because of this “united front.”

We left about 3:45 to visit 2 student’s homes. It just so happens that Beam has quite a few Muslim students in her homeroom and they tend to generally be poorer. We asked why, and apparently they tend to have larger families (abortion philosophy) and are less educated, again due to starting families early in life and working to support them.

After driving for at least 45-60 minutes, on remote dirt roads through rubber plantations (stopping several times to ask the locals for help) we found the home. I snapped a quick picture, indiscreetly, and we stopped. The home had other similar homes very close nearby deep in the rubber plantation. Susanne and I waited in the car, unsure of what to expect. Beam soon motioned to come out and we walked to the "breezeway" at the outside of their home. "TI", the assistant director called me over to see their well. He lowered the pail (only about 3 feet) and pulled out a pail of water, and showed me in his limited English...."just used for face, washing." I went and sat next to the school people and just watched. Others came to see what was happening while Beam continued to make her visit. All we saw were women and children and I saw some men sleeping inside the home. These workers begin cutting the trees at 3 AM to collect the latex, so the men seemed to be “catching up on their sleep” for the next morning. We noticed what looked like a baby carrier hanging from a spring and sure enough...a cute VERY young baby and mother all smiles. We were offered soda with ice, and we politely declined. Soon the visit was over and pictures were taken, everyone smiling and happy to see us (and the school contact). It was overwhelming and humbling to be treated with such kindness from strangers who had very little. But there was no doubt about the love that showed from grandparent, mom, older sister or "Auntie" toward the baby. I also suspect there is a fierce loyalty and support among them, since it is common for extended families to all live very close to each other.

While driving to the second student's home, we saw other homes that were clearly sub standard (see pictures below) and I realized how very privileged we were back home with all that we had, and how unappreciative we often are.

The second home was also Muslim and we were directed there by many relatives, again living very near by. We went into the home and only the father was home. We sat down on some sheets of plastic (like table cloths) and Beam began the visit. The boy came out and began to fill out the papers outlining his own strengths and weaknesses. While he was doing that the father related how he had built this nice concrete addition onto his home. (his first attempt at doing something like that). Soon the mother came back (on a scooter) and soon after that an Aunt came back to drop off some fruit, with her little boy wearing green Croks! Of course it was offered to all of us, and we ate quite a bit and they were really delicious. Then a funny thing happened...the boy returned the paperwork, Beam said something and they all laughed. She handed it back because apparently he didn't note any weaknesses. Soon he found some, added them and we left. We got home about 3 hours after we left....a lot of "overtime" on just two short visits, but boy did we learn a lot! Now in the future, if there are any "scholarships or extra money for any student opportunities, these students and others just like them will be at the head of the line.

Again, I was awed by their simple life with very little, but the father and mother's pride and love for their son could not have been more clear. How much Susanne and I have to learn.

(A sidenote) The school requires all students to wear uniforms and they are provided by the government. I had always been intrigued with that concept and now I am even more convinced. When in school, these teenagers fit right in with everyone else and nothing gave away their poverty. In fact, later in the week the boy took second place in a long distance race during their "all school sports days" and proudly wore his silver medal for all to see. There is no pressure for designer clothing, and in the classroom nobody can pick them out as in need. How nice it must be for them to "fit in" and be like everyone else and feeling like they too belong! How nice it also is for parents like this to receive this kind of help for their kids. And also, how nice it is for the teachers not to have to fight the short shorts and skirts, low tops and other inappropriate clothing our teens wear now days. It's a win, win, win situation!

Sorry this got so long and philosophical, but until you see it in person, you just don't realize the lessons it teaches you.

NEXT POST (ALL SCHOOL SPORTS DAYS)

2009-07-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Little boy, part of the extended family of another student we visited (note green Crocs).

A rubber worker home deep in the rubber forest.

Second student we visited, new concrete addition added on to the old home. This boy got a silver medal in distance running a couple days later.

Another home along the road.

2009-07-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Cutest little Muslim baby at one of our students homes.

Much of the family and maybe extended family also.

Well at the home for water, only about 3 feet below ground level, suitable for washing etc (drink only if boiled).

Picture of the home we visited. (a real eye-opener!)

Road through the rubber tree plantation (miles and miles).

2009-07-19T03:21:00.000-07:00

Just a small part of the Water's Edge outdoor restaurant.

"Wall that separates Thailand from Malaysia.

Outdoor teaching room over a small canal at the "environmental" primary school. Look at the spectacular setting for the small (200 student) and colorful primary school.

2009-07-19T03:11:00.000-07:00

Lower level main hall of the Chinese Buddhist temple.

Paintings of "gods" that protect one of the four directions.

A large Buddha in the cave (note walkway and person behind it.)

Normal cave tunnel.

2009-07-19T02:57:00.000-07:00

Susanne next to the Buddha on the upper level of the Chinese temple.

2009-07-19T02:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Sat) was another eventful day, and as usual we didn't even see it coming. Susanne and I went to the morning market for traditional Thai coffee (coffee with sweet condensed milk sitting on the bottom so the white and brown are separated...pretty). We had a few little treats for breakfast. After lunch we were told the director of the school was going to take us to a nearby cave. Well when we got there it wasn't "just a cave." Again the Buddhist monks had converted it into a shrine with many tunnels, Buddhas, colored lights, meditation rooms, etc. I think most of the caves here are converted in a similar manner.

After that we toured the Chinese Buddhist temple on the same site. VERY interesting and colorful. No one was there except the monks and nuns. We asked where the people were and they speculated that the swine flu keeps people away.

We then toured around the district looking at two elementary schools, one with a huge environmental emphasis. The kids plant a garden to raise food for their lunches, have a large pond stocked with fish to learn how to fish (also for their lunches) compost piles, grass plantings to stop erosion, small canals carrying water and an outdoor "classroom" built over the canal. VERY impressive for a primary school.

Later we went to the Malaysian border. Malaysia has a barbed wire wall to keep people out, some places having a double wall with a "no man's land between and tall lookout towers for guards (none there at this time). There were two border checkpoints on the only two roads entering Malaysia in this area. But the town had a very different look to it. There were larger, taller hotels, more western style stores and streets and of course also a lot of street shopping. You could also "shop" for a prostitute for the evening or weekend. It seems many girls from northeast Thailand (poorer) move down for the money, and Malaysian women & other foreigners also. Driving down one of the narrow streets we saw "dance clubs" advertising their wares, and some girls even wore a number for easier selection by the passersby. According to Beam, the local people DO NOT enter that practice, and it is very popular with Malaysian men just across the border. Judging by the amount of Malaysian cars there, I'd say that was probably true. Kind of a "Wisconsin Dells" for adults, sad for the exploitation.

We ended at Waters View. It is a national park that features a wonderful restaurant spread along one of the shorelines with thatched roofs, open seating areas for traditional Thai floor seating or regular tables and chairs (which we chose). It was very nice and unusual. Our DNR wouldn't ever allow it, but guess they too had to sign an agreement to not pollute the lake. The kitchen was on the other side of the lake and the food was delivered by small boats with 5 hp Yamaha outboards. There was at least two others also on the lake, but a different style than this one. The food was of course fabulous and the price again a "steal", six dishes, the ambiance, 7 friends enjoying the evening (about $40). Would have been a nice place to have a cocktail or two, but that doesn't seem to ever happen. maybe it's because we are all school employees and they must uphold their image. And true to the area, we saw quite a few "ladies of the night" their with their "dates." It seems the men "wine and dine" them as part of the evening or weekend ritual.

All in all, a great day, great ending, and one we could not have foreseen at 1:30 that afternoon.

2009-07-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

One of many Greetings that still are up around he school.

Two really cute elementary girls who came to school on their day off to talk to the "Americans."

Ping pong during the school day in their hours off. Boys play sports and girls study and visit (some things never change).

Every week teachers greet and admit everyone passing through the school gate. This week two Muslims are on duty.

An "American breakfast" cooked especially for us one morning.....a real treat! (but then again, every meal here is a taste treat!)

2009-07-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

"Colored" school sections practicing for Sports Days next Th. & Fr.

The English department room.

More incredible Thai cooking!

Two different looking American

"English" teachers! Imagine that!

Easy to see Susanne doing it, but the way I can butcher the language it's a real stretch.

2009-07-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Well this week is done! It was a rather busy week in that we did teach all of Beam's classes this week which was fun, but still work planning etc. It will be good to see and talk to her again because she very strictly isolated herself from everyone.

Beam 's Swine flu was a mild case and she is coming back to school on Monday. I'm assuming we will not get it. Some schools in Bangkok closed for a few days and others did not. There must be two governing bodies for the schools in the city and one closed but the other did not. The problem with closing is that all the kids go and hang out together in computer game places etc. so how effective is the closure then. It might sound bad on the U.S. news, but it isn't like that here in Sadao.......yet!

Next week will be our halfway point and we expect that the last 4 weeks will really fly by. It will be good to be home, but also mixed with sadness because who knows when we will return. We have made some good friends here. We met two men at the fitness center this week, non teachers and both were very friendly and eager to talk to us. One asked me if I was British, but I said, "No, American." He was surprised and happy about that. The people are very friendly and if they feel at all confident in their English they want to talk to us.

At the adult class this afternoon we showed them pictures of our families, Delavan and Elkhorn Middle school. They really reacted in awe when Susanne said her dad was 94 and mom 95! When they saw the sailboats on Delavan Lake and the blue water one teacher asked if we were from California!

Next week will be a short week. Thursday and Friday are "sports days" and all the different "colored sections of school" compete. They cheer each other's teams on and I guess it is great fun. The band is practicing for their marching, cheerleaders and also practicing and many pom poms are being made. It will be another great Thai "adventure.". Hopefully it won't rain too much.

Tomorrow we will be going to a local cave in the afternoon. The director of the school is taking us so that will be interesting too. I guess Susanne and I will venture out to the morning market for a bit of coffee and breakfast! The food continues to be amazing with new treats every day. The many different fruits are magnificent! I know we won't be losing any weight (as had hoped) and probably will gain. We are even looking forward to the spicy dishes now...and there are many. We won't match the Thai ability, but we are getting more accustomed to it every day.

To those who are reading these posts, thanks. Enjoy! See you later.

2009-07-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

Just a couple of notes this time. Beam does have the Swine Flu, but seems to be getting better and hopefully will be home tomorrow, but isolated for the rest of the week. I hope we are resistant and don't get it. We have spent at least 24 hours in the same van with her the past weeks so I don't know how we can avoid it, except by being strong and healthy. I expect this week will be a bit hectic for us since we are probably now picking up her classes.

Had a great workout at the local fitness center and went for a walk. That will be a welcome change of pace for us the next few weeks.

The heat and mosquitoes haven't been as bad as we expected. It is very warm, but the schools are very open, big windows and so far a nice breeze most days. Like anywhere, if you stay out of the sun it is very tolerable. Plus we do spend time in the school office which is air conditioned.

Today actually was a cool day (for here). Since it rained much of the day and there is a thick cloud cover it is a pleasant evening, nice to sit out and relax. So time to eat, rest and get ready for a busy week, I expect.

Our Thai home

2009-07-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

Formal "living room" with Japanese style furniture.

Street we live on, with a good "ma & pa diner about where the white car is. (grates are inclines to their garages.)

Our bedroom (air conditioned), kitchen and dining room. The formal LR is "glassed in" area behind the black sofa. I think we were the first ones to live in this new home. Basically they will use it as a guest home for relatives and friends who visit, with one daughter sleeping here in one of the 3 bedrooms. VERY, VERY NICE!

2009-07-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Well it's Sunday morning, seems pretty much like every other morning. Strange not to have church and other things planned. It will be three weeks on Tuesday and things are settling down a bit in some areas and others are up in the air.

One big unknown for now is Beam. On Friday she woke up with a fever and sore throat. She saw the doctor who told her to stay home and gave her some kind of medicine. Saturday she went to the hospital, which seems to be more common here, one way to get a better diagnosis perhaps. As of today we don't know her status. Everyone here is very concerned about Swine Flu and there have been a couple of recent deaths, one in Phuket where we were last week. So we'll see what is up today, hopefully.

It directly affects us since we may have to pick up her classes. They don't hire substitutes so other people in the department pick them up, or the kids are just excused and no class. We are supposed to be teaching a few classes on our own anyway, so maybe our workload will increase if she's out for a time.

The students continue to be great for us, very helpful, attentive and respectful. We are still an "oddity" here and are "sought out" for greetings, handshakes, etc. Our adult class at 3:15-4:15 M, W, F is a delight. Many of the teachers have learned some English, but with no place or people to practice with they have forgotten. the are so excited and appreciative to "relearn" and practice......very rewarding.

I'm not sure about the weather. I know we are in, or maybe "entering into" the rainy season. Up till Friday, it hasn't really rained that much. But the spigot turned on Saturday, & night and today. It has REALLY rained hard and often, with very little breaks. That keeps us from any kind of outside fun. We will definitely run between the raindrops today to the fitness center and work out. Hopefully a walk through the neighborhood too. But if this is a sign of what's to come, it could be kind of depressing (gray and rainy all the time).

We miss our ability to see friends and just plain goof around like we do. We were very lucky to travel a lot the first 2 weeks since the weather was good. I do watch a few movies out of a Pakistan station, but none that I haven't seen already. They have 200 cable channels, but really only 2-3 using English. In retrospect I wish I would have brought more novels to read, and maybe a bunch of DVD's. I want to find a place that rents DVD's and see if they have any English ones...(probably not, with most being dubbed over in Thai.)

So all is well here. We still have a lot to learn in the school, classes to visit and things to see and do. Food continues to be amazing, our hosts incredible and our "adventure" continues!

Ron

2009-07-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

$33 hotel?? (WOW!)

Tight squeeze in the cave.

2009-07-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Big Buddha (45 m high) Chicken anyone?

(at morning market) (more morning market)

2009-07-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

Phuket is a tourist haven for foreigners from all over the world, but mostly Southeast Asia and some from Europe. I met a family on the beach from Washington and he’s Air Force, stationed in Singapore. They flew over for the beaches (1 ½ hrs) since there are none comparable around them or in Malaysia.

There are many, many beaches (30-40) and resorts. We expected to go to one and relax for a few hours, but I think they just wanted us to see some of them, so we only had about 30 minutes for swimming at one late in the day. No one else went in, so I’m not sure what they do normally. Maybe they do relax instead of showing all the sights. Beam has visited here before, but even she had not seen the sights that we saw so we’re thankful for that. There are also many islands and inlets surrounding this larger one. Phuket is about the same size as Singapore, but only has about 600,000 pop. Compared to 4 ½ million for Singapore.

We stayed at a VERY, VERY nice “western style” 19 story downtown hotel with a great pool, fantastic fitness center and complimentary breakfast buffet (about $33/night) with a teacher discount (about half price).

Among the sights we saw were the biggest Buddha in Asia ( 45 meters high & marble) on a high hill in the city, plus other high lookouts. But the most moving was a visit to a school of one of Beam’s friends.

There are 7 secondary schools (7-12) on the island and hers is the largest 3,500 and I’m sure the nicest (also girls only). The boys is right across the street and some boys may go there for specialty in English and vice versa for science and math. That should be a big motivator for the boys!

The director is a remarkable man, seemingly gifted in leadership. Soon after he was hired he noticed how uncomfortable the students were which caused them to be distracted and talk during their weekly (large group graded) assembly. So he raised money from the community and completely remodeled the LARGE group meeting space and installed air conditioning so the students would be more comfortable and quiet. The space is available to the community also, anytime they need it. Their test scores rank second in the country behind some school in Bangkok, which is also source of pride. But his main accomplishment on campus revolves around the tsunami.

Thailand was hit hard, with about 10,000 deaths (one being the king’s son, the prince). Their school lost 3 students and 7 parents, including one entire family unit of mom and dad. The director had a vision that would honor and help the victims. First, the staff with input from student interviews, etc. wrote a book about the tragedy. All the proceeds from the book went to the victims and their families on Phuket Island. He then went to private sources (including the monks) and built a BEAUTIFUL addition of four rooms onto the school. One houses a memorial to the victims, with DVD’s documenting the damage (graphic and moving). The king and queen of Sweden stood in that room when they paid their respects to the victims. According to the director, no one even knew about a tsunami (an English student visiting there saw the water suddenly drop and go out to sea and warned everyone to run). So the room also serves an educational purpose for the public.

Another room is a museum of their culture over the years, the third is a temple and the fourth honors the princess and her relief work for the area. In addition he has also raised about 2 million dollars to add a building onto their campus, adding rooms, but also as a place to house victims if it ever happens again. All in all, a VERY emotional and moving experience.

On the drive back to Sadao we stopped at a National park (saw some tiny “walking fish), we visited a cave (with plenty of very tight squeezes) plus saw lots of monkeys, and continued to eat wonderful Thai dishes! A great trip. Now two days of work and the weekend.

2009-07-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

Things are going well at school. The kids are very excited every time we assist in the class. Most of them have probably never seen an American since sadao isn’t really a “destination” like Bangkok.

Beam has given us a few of her classes to teach. They need to learn a lot of English vocabulary in order to communicate. Obviously they are very literate in Thai, and have mastered the common greeting terms. Once they get past that stage they flounder and really don’t know what to say next. English immersion would be the best way to accomplish what Beam wants, but that won’t happen, at least at this stage of her program. They are looking for 2 American teachers to teach math and science, but with only three classes (instead of our standard 5) per week it is difficult.

On Saturday morning we went to Sadao’s morning market. It is similar to our “farmers markets” with much more variety. Thailand certainly is a “feast for the senses” with the sights, smells and tastes of many, many foods. Along with the many, many vegetables and fruits are a variety of fish, from tiny anchovies up to the larger ones. Couple that with numerous dried and salted fish, shrimp, and squid, prepared curries, hot Thai Chile peppers and the aroma is unlike anything in the states.

One thing very different is their preparation of fish. They are somewhat cleaned and just cut up into chunks, bones and all. This offers them calcium in their soup, but makes it look somewhat unappetizing and hard to eat. The small fish are salted, dried, and some larger ones dried in thin cross sections and eaten bones and all! (a bit too fishy for my taste).

On Monday we took a trip to Phuket, an island northwest of us called “the jewel of the Andaman Sea. And it really was. We took one of the school vans again and there were 7 of us. A teacher from the school drove again. The saying goes, “it’s not the destination, but the journey” and this journey was memorable. You have to be very aggressive and at times it was scary. Everyone passes on yellow lines, with oncoming traffic moving over to let you get by. Much of the road is two lane only and often we got stuck behind slow moving trucks, but not for long! There are no passenger seat belts either so that adds to the concern.

I will post more on our Phuket trip later.

Special day to honor Buddha

2009-07-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Temple and Buddha.

Parade of schoolchildren to temple.

Honorary traditional Thai students.

Malaysian Harley chapter (all spoke

English because it was once a British colony)

2009-07-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Small sampling of cafeteria food.

Cafeteria, wide open on the right side to the outside.

Students sitting for the daily morning program (national anthem, awards & announcements).

Front of the school, 2000 7-12th grade and just a portion of student

scooters. (they're everywhere)

2009-07-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

Thai students in a high school

performance

2009-07-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

2009-07-01T03:53:00.000-07:00

Dining out: Very inexpensive, mango

salad, shrimp cakes, veg & meat omelet,

broccoli and shrimp stir fry, two bottled

waters....served 4 =300 Baht (about $10)

2009-07-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

Maybe I can drive this "Tuk Tuk

after I retire!

2009-06-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

We arrive and meet Beam at Bangkok airport.

Sunday, June 27

2009-06-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, I apologize because I won't be getting any pictures posted tonight. I am more than dead tired. We have been going on very long days with good sleep, but not quite timed to our bodies here yet. Hopefully soon it will level out more normally.

Yesterday we traveled north to Trang for Beam’s seminar. It was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday which is strange to us. The director of the school very often assigns Beam these extra responsibilities without pay. She is frustrated, but I think she realizes that it also shows a confidence in her abilities as well as increased status in the school and in the district. She asked the assistant director and his wife plus two other teachers to join us, then he could drive the school van a, very nice 11 passenger Toyota called a Transporter (not sold in the U.S.). I think they saw it as a little “get away” and a chance to show us some of the area. Anyway, a funny thing, about 1 hour into the trip she called a friend and found out Saturday was cancelled and because the school Internet was down she didn’t find out. It was a great blessing because we could tour different areas and see the sites.

It is easy to see why traveling by car takes so long. Every time you come to a city or village, which is often, the shops and homes aren’t more than 20’ from the busy road, and often less than that. Add thousands (and I do mean thousands!) of scooters (carrying 2-3 people) on the road and the problem just increases. Since many go slower, the cars and trucks have to weave around them, slowing down to avoid oncoming traffic. It takes at least twice as long to get someplace, unless you are on a superhighway, and they don’t have the system we have. In the bigger cities there is very little yielding by anyone, car, truck or motorcycle. It looks very dangerous and it's amazing we haven't seen any c yet.

It seems many towns and cities are spread along the road, maybe going 2-3 blocks into the wild area. Rubber plantations are abundant here….their greatest regional export by far. We have also seen rice fields and a lot of fruit trees also.

We stayed at a nice hotel in Trang and ate out at some local restaurants again. It continues to be excellent food, feeding all 7 of us for less than $20. Simply amazing. Today we traveled to some beaches, a wonderful cave with many passages that was developed by some Buddhist monks with shrines in many chambers (and bats!) It was extraordinarily clean and quiet, a refuge for those who want meditation time. Words can't really describe it, so I will wait for picture to post.

But by far, the most incredible experience happened today...a lesson for us all. Thailand is governed by a prime minister. Today while traveling through one of our cities today we stopped at a home surrounded by a wall. We quietly walked in and the assistant director of Beam.s school (our driver) went and talked to a couple of men. H came back and said that we could walk around the grounds. Mind you, this is the former Prime Minister's mother's home! he was recently defeated, but continues to be loved by much of their people. While walking (and dodging rain) we were met by a man who spoke fairly good English. He was dressed in dirty shorts and a t-shirt and was absolutely soaked. He told us he visited Utah quite a few years ago. We continued to visit with him and we found out that he was the former prime minister's brother! After a bit he asked us if we would like some blankets and we weren't sure if he met to keep the rain off us or what. So he comes back with two blankets from his brother's factory, embroidered with his brother's name and gives them to us as gifts!!!! Now, that just wouldn't happen in our country. This family of the highest government ranking opens their home grounds for any visitor (especially the people of Thailand), complete with a guest book for comments to the family! They are famous and loved by people all over the country for being just good, down to earth people. We talked awhile longer, went on our way walking the grounds a bit more and he comes back to talk and show us more of the grounds. Needless to say, it was a humbling event for Susann and I, and a lesson of what real hospitality and love for people is. He even volunteers to teach children how to speak Chinese some mornings of each month. He really honored us, just common people from America, and I'm not sure if I'll ever be touched like that again!

Time for bed. Be patient, pictures are coming!

We are here!

2009-06-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Sorry this is so long in coming. I had some problems accessing the blog because the computer must have automatically changed the language to Thai. I have now finally figured out how to change it back....so I should be good to go. WOW....SO MUCH TO TELL.

We are still getting acclimated to the new time change, so this post will be somewhat short. Hopefully I will have time over the weekend to give you more details and pictures. We had a wonderful flight with lots of good food and very gracious flight attendants. ANA (All Nippon Airlines) is a very good way to fly. I watched 3 movies, had several bottles of red wine (healthy you know) and managed to get a little sleep.

The 4 hour layover in Tokyo was interesting since we have never been there before. We did get a chance to stretch out there and get a power nap. After arriving in Bangkok "Beam" (our Thai teacher friend) took us to a traditional Thai hotel. After a great breakfast the next morning we flew about 75 minutes near her home town. We stopped and got a few groceries which was again very interesting. The pictures will tell you a lot.

We went out to eat at a small restaurant across the street. We had broccoli and shrimp, a

vegetable and meat omelet, green mango salad, shrimp cakes (they looked like big donuts with a hole in them) and two bottles of water. 4 entrees, four people. The bill was 350 baht (about

$11). INCREDIBLE. Outstanding food and so inexpensive....of course it is reasonable to their rate of pay....just not to us. (and no tipping)

Today we went to her school. It was a special day with a very large assembly in their gymnasium to honor their Thai "Shakespeare". Of course we were the honored guests and were treated like royalty by all. We were introduced to the 2000 students (7-12) at their morning opening ceremony. (they have announcements, and sing the national anthem every morning) We certainly were the objects of their curiosity with eager kids all wanting to greet us. We received many hand made welcome cards, posters, treat etc. I'm not sure we can live up to their expectations.

The assembly lasted all morning with musical presentations, dramas, etc. We left and were treated to a reception of very good (but different) fruits, sandwiches and other sweets.

Later we helped Beam teach a lesson and watched school wide volleyball and soccer

competitions.

It is very warm here, but we had nice breezes every day and there are some air conditioned areas to go to. Our home here is brand new and while different than ours, it is very modern and comfortable. Her brother just built it and graciously gave it up for the eight weeks for us. That greatly humbles us. They say that Thailand is the place of smiling faces and that is very true for us. They are friendly and we will be well taken care of wherever we go.

Well this has gotten very long. Sorry...I don't want to bore you. It's just that everything is so very culturally different and interesting. I'll try to post again this weekend and include picture.

This really is Ron and Sues Thai Adventures!

General Pre-trip Info

2009-06-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

We will be assisting a Thai teacher named "Beam" in her HS English classes. She taught in Delavan as a teacher exchange through AFS for one year and stayed much of the year with us. Her school is in Sadao, which is in the very southern province near Malaysia. We will be there about 8 weeks, and I hope to post pictures and details about our experiences as time allows.

Our flight, on Nippon Airlines departs Chicago at 10:50, June 23 (my 60th birthday). What an incredible present to buy myself! Travel time to Tokyo will be 12:55, with a 4 1/2 hour layover, then a 6:40 flight to Bangkok. We arrive at 10:40 pm and will staying a hotel that evening. I suspect we will make about an 8 hour drive south to our "summer home." We will return to Wisconsin on August 19, our 36th anniversary......so our travel dates are special days in our lives. (must be fate) We have much to do and time is quickly flying by, with the excitement growing each day.