Mae Tao Clinic - First Impression

Wow would be an understatement!

Landmine Victim sleeping in the surgery. Mae Tao needs help to help

Before coming to Mae Sot to write about the goings on in these border communities, I had the opportunity to meet Dr Cynthia Maung, the founder and director of the Mae Tao Clinic, and her right hand woman, Khun Eh Thwa.  They gave me their 2011 annual report to read.  Two impressions from the report:  1. It is very professional, really well done.  I was grateful to read it as background information before the trip.  2.  They need financial help.  The shortfalls are effecting the service they can provide.  Annual reports do not shake me up.  My visit did shake me and shake me hard; that's a good thing. Never again do I want to say "I should have".

This beutiful child was just being a child in the middle of it all.  

This morning I met with Eh Thwa and was given a tour of the facility.  Wow!   The report didn’t say anything about these people rocking my standing, kicking the chair out from under me and pile driving me into action!  But that’s what happened.

Donations are way down at Mae Tao Clinic, and if I understand it correctly, the reason is because many of the large donors are under the impression that the refugees and migrant workers are returning to their home country, Burma.  Not so much, gentle reader.  The fact is that the Mae Tao Clinic is serving something like between 300 and 500 people a day.   These people come in two categories:

• 50% of them are migrant workers from Burma who are living and working in Thailand.
• 50% are people who make a day trip from Burma to obtain medical services at the clinic.  In Burma they would have to pay for the service, and most of them simply do not have the money.

There are rumors that the clinic will move from Mae Sot across the border into Burma.  This is not true.  The clinic does  provide support to the Pa Hite clinic.  That will continue, but the Mae Tao clinic will remain where it is.   The clinic has three main areas of activity.  Tonight we get a just a peek at the first one, health services.  Providing medical training and child protection will be discussed later.

I’m so glad I went on a Monday.  It’s both registration day and inoculation day.  The place was teaming with people.  I received a quick tour and many more statistics than I’m going to share with you tonight.  Having said that: 300-400 people will be on any Monday, Wednesday or Friday.

The registration que

There are between 3 and 10 live births at the clinic every day!  Some days there are as many as 15. If I get time I’ll try to get a report by date. Will I find a spike during the full moon?  I’d bet on it.

Reminded me of the first time i saw my grandson

Over the past 11 years they have fitted more than 260 people with prosthetics.  80% of them are landmine victims.  

Way too many lost limbs, most from land mines.
Landmines Suck
 

They have dental, optical, pediatric and mental health services.  They even have an acupuncture center.

Stroke Victim receiving acupuncture. They are seeing progress in his recovery.

If you or someone you know donates to any of the great causes related to the please keep the donations coming.  These people need your help and the refugees and migrant workers are not returning to their homes in Burma. More will be coming as I have time to research.  Today, I just have to tell you that the Mae Tao Clinic will rock your world if you come and spend a bit of time with the people there!

Symposium on Local Wisdom & Improving Life

When I was in college, don’t ask how long ago, I took a fascinating course called “Futures Management” which dealt with looking at the possible things we could do to have effect on the future and some predictions about the future.  What would the world be like after the turn of the century, more than 20 years in the future?   We read many things written by futurists.  Alvin Toffler’s “Future Shock” was one of our texts. “The Third Wave” had just been released; many of us added it to list of reading material.  Some of the predictions have come true, or partly true.  Sadly most of those were made by pessimists.  The optimists view never merged with reality, especially where energy and conservation are concerned. Perhaps they underestimated the power of short term greed at every level.  Frankly I hadn’t thought much about my futures course recently, that is until I was invited to attend and write about “The Inaugural International Symposium on Local Wisdom and Improving the Quality of Life”.

This Symposium was opened by Yingluck Shinawatra, The Prime Minister of Thailand.  This says a lot for the value placed on this symposium.

The Prime Minister Pays Respect to the King

Clearly, it was a media frenzy

PM Officially opens the symposium

Prime Minister  Yingluck Shinawatra

The symposium was sponsored by the Rajamangala Universities (There are nine of them throughout Thailand).  The host and primary organizer was Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna, Chiang Mai.  The three day event took place at the Royal Park Rajapruek, Chiang Mai which is a beautiful, stunning actually, botanical garden with lovely meeting spaces.   The theme or central question was: “How will the community’s way of life be in the next 20 years”?   Participants from academia, government and industry made presentations.   The symposium was organized around five main topics:

• Way of Life in Harmony with the Environment
• Community Entrepreneurship
• Laying the Foundation for Strong Community
• Culture and Tourism
• Community Education and Local Wisdom

These people know they need to preserve the village community if the future is to be good.  They face challenges and are asking hard questions.  Perhaps the central question is: How do they find a balance between preservation of culture within the small communities, the environment and both economic and academic progress.  These small communities are ethnic minorities.  In many ways they are analogous to the Native Americans, the difference being that it appears Thailand is attempting to preserve their culture..

The list of presenters and attendees was impressive!    May I suggest you spend a few minutes at The symposium website ? Not all of it is in English, but the important historical aspects are. Besides this is a Thai project for the Thai’s, the language should be Thai.

Phonesvan Bilavarn Luangprabang Laos
 Dr Cynthia Maung Mae Toa Clinic Thailand
Sangduen Chialert, Conservationist
Prayat Worapricha, Rajamangala Univeristy

There were fascinating exhibits in the hall adjacent to the meeting rooms.  Some of the exhibits were typical public relations, others were truly history lessons. As I walked around the hall taking pictures, I was often invited to be a part of the photograph.

The Rajamangala University Bangkok Contingent plus
(Yes that's in the middle)

Fresh from the farm, no chemicals

Anchient Instructions for Thai Massage

Lantern Makers from Chiang Rai 

Lanterns from Chiang Rai

I had the opportunity to meet several of the organizers and participants.   Doors have been opened and I look forward to the learning that is my future.   A sincere THANK YOU to my friend and teacher, Ajaan Prayat Worapricha for seeing to my invitation and making many of the introductions.

Was the silence deafening?

Gentle Reader,

I just realized that there has been nothing new posted here since the 2nd of March.  That is more than a half a year.  Where has the time gone?  Where in the universe has my head been?  Those of you who follow my other blog, Asian Elephant Stories have an idea, but that’s not the whole story.    I’ve also become involved in some rather interesting aspects of living as an ex-patriot in Northern Thailand and plan to post a series of two, three or four articles on that subject in the next few days.   Let me give you a tiny preview.

What if one were to move to Thailand and then find an urge for the familiar?    Well here in Chiang Mai we have something called the Chiang Mai Ex-Pats club which meets monthly, provides presentations of interest and networking opportunities. The club has an SOS element, an excellent concept.  Members who subscribe receive emergency assistance.  There is an extra charge and while it’s only ฿2,000. I would prefer to see it available to all members, but that’s just my opinion.  Personally I think the club is an excellent resource for people who are newly arrived.  There are outside group activities sponsored by the club and several vendors who are affiliated with the club. I’ve used the services of two or three of their favored vendors and have no complaints.   My favorite vendor has to be Fashion King.  I found it necessary to have a suit made.  You will know why when I post my next article “The International Symposium on Local Wisdom and Quality of Life”.   O.K. back to the present.

There is a unique organization called Lanna Care Net.  Their mission is to care for aging foreigners in the Chiang Mai area.  The Thai government is unable to help foreigners and quite often these people are denied help from their country of origin.  An American consulate officer explained that while they would like to help it’s often not politically or fiscally possible. The mission of the consulate is not to care for individual citizens.  I didn’t realize that!   Lanna Care Net (LCN) tries to fill the void, providing volunteers that visit with aging and infirmed foreigners.  They liaise and cooperate with other groups such as the ex-pats club, the various hospitals and even Alcoholics Anonymous.   LCN will have their Christmas Shopping Fair on November 24th.  It will be co-sponsored by the Royal British Legion, another excellent organization.  I would love to have a table and sell photographic art.  However I have a previous engagement which will actually turn into a wedding the day before in Issan. (Oh my goodness, could that be another personal blog article)?

Americans will be familiar with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I have belonged to VFW posts in the past but was never really involved beyond the bar and the kitchen. I just joined the Chiang Mai VFW post.  If you are an American Veteran I highly recommend you join the VFW where ever you may be, but especially if you are living overseas.  This is an excellent source of information and support.  At my first meeting I found out I made a horrible mistake with my Medicare.  The post service officer is researching solutions. He knows who to ask and perhaps more importantly what to ask.  Another American that I met a couple of years ago was recently in a horrific motor cycle accident, leaving him with a broken neck and a broken back.  The VFW post is all over this.  They have been with him providing both moral and physical report.  A ramp is being donated to allow him access to his home and they are raising money to buy him a motor cycle with a sidecar, custom made to suit his requirements.  These guys are simply the best!  One gentleman I met turned out to be a fellow member of the 46th Special Forces Company (Airborne) Association.

English speaking ex-pats can find many familiar things here.  The backpacker set seem to be delighted with McDonalds and other chain food.  It must be an age thing. Personally I prefer real food. People can  also suffer from “Culture Shock”  My British friends don’t mind that the Thais drive on the left side of the road and I’m more than happy to stand up and respect the King when the national anthem plays at 08:00 and 18:00.  Sometimes the smog is almost unbearable and yet the food usually has flavor. The Thai respect their elders and at 68 I rather enjoy that.  A young man I know was finishing his master’s degree and had no plans for the future.  A Thai friend offered to introduce him to a local university where teaching positions were available.  His response was “No thank you.  I have no intention of uprooting my family, moving half way around the world to a totally different culture”.  Other people seem to be clamoring for an opportunity to live abroad, especially here.  You may soon be able to read my take on this cultural difference. In the meantime there are excellent books on the subject.  The big ones seem to be “Culture Shock” and “Working with the Thais”.

Back to Luangprabang

Let's start with a couple of my favorite shots! 

Luangprabang at night

On the 15^th of February I went back to Luangprabang.  This time I flew on Lao Airlines from Chiangmai.  I had only an evening and a morning before I went to Sayaboury for the national elephant festival, but that’s another story (actually it may be as many as three, stay tuned). On the 23^rd I returned to Luangprabang for the evening, before flying to Bangkok on the morning of the 24^th.    On these stopovers I made no attempt to make new discoveries, rather I chose to enjoy what I knew would be comfortable and restful.   As I did last year, I stayed at the Sokxai Guest House. Next time I’ll likely stay there again.  The place is reasonably priced, clean, well accompanied and most importantly the people are very nice.

Lao Airlines was nice as was Bangkok Airlines.  Bangkok bills themselves at the “Botique Airline”  They even offer a private lounge for their customers which offers complimentary coffee, juice and breads. 

Hostess in the Bangkok Airlines Lounge 

Of course every visit to Luangprabang means opportunities to photograph the monks who in their devotion have become quite the tourist attraction.

Well worth getting up at dawn!

A collection of 50 photos are on line at:  http://s935.photobucket.com/albums/ad200/jnelson1944/Luangprabang%20201202/ They include a few candidates for my new photo project idea.  I’ll call it “A few faces of Lao”.  Of the two below, which do you think might make the better front page candidate.  Which one will be more likely to cause the viewer to want to see more? 

He's about my age, not many left from his era.  Laos has suffered so much in war.

She was waiting to give to the monks 

   

Part 3, Photographic Highlights of Siem Reap & The Temples of Angkor

Gentle reader, 

I’m limiting this article to just a few photographs.  These chosen from over 500, may not be the same ones I would choose the next time I look at the group.  The truth is this:  The area is a photographer’s paradise.  I posted just under 200 at http://s935.photobucket.com/albums/ad200/jnelson1944/Seam_Reap_201201/  Enjoy! 

During my time in Seam Reap I stayed at the Tan Kang Angkor Hotel, and am happy to recommend them.  Their website is http://www.tankangangkorhotel.com 

Like most other tourists, I headed for the ancient temples of Ankor.  The first stop was at Ta Prohm.  It’s fascinating because it’s been left in pretty much the same condition in which it was found many years ago.  Current noterity includes the fact that Ta Prohm was used to film scenes from Lara Croft, Tomb Raider starring Angelia Jolie.

Hey Movie Lover!  Does this look familiar? 

I went through some of Angkor Thom realizing that I would want to come back at a better time to do some serious photography.  Too much direct sunlight for my taste, and way too many tourists to allow for a pleasant and leisurely visit.  Still I’m delighted to have made this adventure.

My driver took me to Angkor Wat for sunrise.  Next time I’ll have a better idea for photographing this most famous of all temples.  This day provided a delightful self guided tour.  I met a delightful young lady from China and we spent two or more hours photographing together. Her nick name is 11 (Turns out this is because she has a friend whose nick name is 7).  I sort of got the humor and immediately chose 44 as my nickname for the day.  Next time I come back to Cambodia I’ll allocate an entire day to Angkor Wat.

Number Seven ! 

The Banyon is also a place where I would like to spend a whole day.  This is a marvelous complex of some 37 towers each with faces carved upon them.  Most have 4, but some have two or three.  As the light changes this place is truly a photographers dream.

Banteay Srei is another of my favorites. Just as we arrived there was a commotion of sorts.  A man with an small parade following him was chanting loud enough to be heard for some distance.  Mr. Va, my driver, explained that the man was removing some unwanted spirit that was occupying his body.  The spirit would leave him once her arrived at the center of the temple at Banteay Srie.   This is another temple where it would be well worth the time to spend the whole day.

Ghost be gone! 

It’s not just about temples.  Mr. Va recommended we spend a sunset on the water at Kompong Khleang.  The boat was expensive, $40.00 USD.  Had I known and had I wanted to trouble my self I could have recruited another 3 tourists and we would have all gone for $10 a head.  However, this was delightful because for the evening and the sunset there were no other crowds.  A few boats in the water, but on my boat there were just three including Mr Va myself and the boar driver.

In Seam Reap there are photo opportunities, but I spent most of the day light hours outside of town.  The night market provided one nice shot and I thought it a fitting end to this little 3 part story.

Abundant Blessings, 

  

Part 2 Cambodia, Initial Impression on a First Trip

Gentle Reader,

As the title implies my intention is to return to Cambodia.  I find it to be welcoming, extremely interesting and quite unique.  I could return for another vacation, but would not want to do so in early January. I'm happy for the locals, the tourist business is booming.  For me, wanting to be civil and still get a decent photograph amongst hordes of tourists and tour groups, it's frustrating. It's not the ugly Americans here, we are in a minority.  The Koreans, Russians and Chinese are predominant.  Maybe I'll return during the rainy season.  Exactly when is another question.

Tourists Lined up to watch the Sun rise at Ankor Wat January 5, 2012

As it was I came back with over 800 images which I managed to cull to something over 500.  Of those I’ve put just under 200 in PhotoBucket.  You can see them at http://s935.photobucket.com/albums/ad200/jnelson1944/Seam_Reap_201201/

There is much written about the border scams and how to avoid them.  Here is what I learned which might save you a few baht / dollars / pounds:  On the Thai side simply walk to the departure stations.  You either have your visa from somewhere else, or you get a visa on arrival in Cambodia.  The Thai visa stations are a scam. They charge you at least twice what it's worth.

Walk across and go to the visa on arrival office. Now you are Poipet Cambodia!  You will need your passport, a passport photo, $20 US.  For whatever reason the Cambodians are now asking for an extra 100 Baht.  (Scam creep from the border)? I didn't have 100 baht visible, they settled for 90.   After the visa is in your passport and your passport is in your hand go get on the free bus.  It will take you to the big bus station on the outskirts of Poipet.  The Cambodians took a lot of grief about scams. There were several comments on different websites indicating the scams were so bad that avoiding Cambodia might be a good idea. Lonely Planet apparently collected tons of complaints. The Cambodian government responded by providing free transportation to the big bus station, which was no doubt a government project. The Thai's have done nothing.  Not surprising as they are not at risk of losing revenue at the departure point. I've never seen a scam at a Thai arrival point. I've regressed, gentle reader.  Take the free bus!  Our driver was instant that we board immediately.  No time for a restroom stop.  Turns out there were better, cleaner restrooms at the big bus station anyway.

At the big bus station several options are available.  I took a $10 seat on a van.
Two hours later I was in Seam Reap.  The highways are in really good condition.  The van drops you off at a central location where you will be met by an ample number of tuk-tuk drivers.  It's fine to barter and if you don't find one pleasant to deal with just choose another.

My driver was Va, I used him for all the time I was there.  Nice enough fellow who knows the area and can help you find anything you want. He has good ideas for photo times.  Sometimes he disagreed with the venerable Lonely Planet.  Most of the time we went with his suggestions, but he is very sensitive to what the customer wants.  His price to me was $20 a day.  Maybe I could have found one cheaper, but maybe not.  It was money well spent.

My Driver Va, and his Tuk-Tuk

The people are small, gentle and serene.  They do not automatically smile as tends to be the habit in most of Thailand.  However when they do smile it's genuine. Most would light up a room!  The amazing thing, at least to me, is that after all they have been through in the past half a century they seem to not hold a grudge. I say they are gentle, but they are also warriors when they need to be; heck, the national sport is Cambodian Kick Boxing.  One day I’ll return and photograph expressions and feelings. There is much to be photographed, learned and written.

The cleaning ladies at the Tan Kang Angkor Hotel where I stayed.

The recent history of these people includes the ravages of the Vietnam war.  America’s involvement included support of the Khmer Rouge.  The Khmer Rouge killed as many as 4,000,000 of their fellow Cambodians!  America dropped of thousands of tons of bombs on their Cambodia. The Vietnamese invaded and, using Cambodian forced labour, put down a mine field that stretched the length of the entire Thai / Cambodian border.  This ordnance is still killing and maiming people!  When I visited the land mine museum and the war museum I was amazed at some ot the things I saw, including unexploded Russian bombs, artillery and explosive devices from America, China, Russia and even Bulgaria.  

My guide at the War Museum.  He spent 4 years as a
demo man in the Cambodian Army fighting the Khmer Rouge! 

I’ll leave you with these rather hard facts and close this with a promise to post another article about my trip to Ankor Wat and a few of the other amazing highlights around Seam Reap Cambodia.

Abundant Blessings,

Part 1 Chiang Mai to Nan Rong and "The Talk" with Maliwan's parents

Gentle reader,

This was written in an internet cafe where I was, by at least 50 years, the oldest customer.  The rest are playing internet games and chattering among themselves. The noise level is such that this will be a good lesson in concentration and maybe an even better lesson in patience.  (I'd really like to unplug a couple sets of speakers, but it's best I remember that all things are impermanent and this shop is here for everyone's pleasure).  Being on the road I without my computer there will be no attempt to include photographs now; I may come back and add a few once I return home to Chiang Mai I think I have a couple of good ones so far.

As you can imagine I'm quite a bit taller than the average Thai and sometimes that presents challenges.  Where to sit on a long bus trip, being one of them.  I learned that if you are in the first seat on the right hand side of the VIP bus there is a storage shelf directly infront of you and at just the right height.  Unlimited leg space is a wonderful thing.  Failing that most seats on the VIP bus are O.K.  The first seat on the left has no room and the legs get quickly cramped.   This is all true, except that if the VIP bus is not a double decker then the first seat has no leg room.  Maliwan bought the tickets to Nan Rong in good faith and was even told the seats had plenty of leg room.  Oh well, the trip was only 13 hours!   Make sure you know which bus style you are buying tickets for, or you could end up with a leg cramp.

For me, main event was "The Talk" with Maliwan's parents about the wedding.   As I write this Maliwan is going to the temple with her mother to talk to the monk and pick the "lucky day".  Who know?  We might have it settled before this gets published.   I'd like to back up here and tell you a little bit about Thai culture, but realize that I feel grossly unqualified to explain any of it.  Having said that this wedding has an importance that I had not considered.  Maliwan's mother feels she has lost face in the village because of her children's divorces, carrying on and so forth. What happens in a small village is gossip and bad mouthing. The upcoming wedding is an opportunity for her parents to "show off" some good from one of their children.  My cultural ignorance leaves me with the best choice being just to go along with the flow.

Maliwan and her parents

My dear friend, teacher and adviser Khun Lek gave me some suggestions about negotiating this wedding.  One of her suggestions was that we should have the ceremony and the party at a hotel.  That way we could control the cost.  In the village it would be acceptable for people to run down to the store for more beer or what ever and just put it on my tab.  Now I'm all in favor of a good party but since I don't drink I'm not going to be in the mood to spend a fortune so other people can get blitzed for free. Lek also gave me some suggestions about negotiating the dowry.   In this culture the groom is expected to give a dowry to the brides family.

So we had "the talk" and her father suggested a dowry and then I suggested a dowry and also mentioned that I intended to have the wedding at a hotel.   The dowry wasn't much of an issue but her mother was devastated by the hotel idea.  Old people would not be able to attend, problems would happen, it would be more expensive and on and on. Clearly it was very important that the wedding and the party be in her home, as tradition dictates.  We hit a brilliant compromise,  the wedding will be at their home, I increased the dowry and her mother will pay for the whole party.  That provides the advantage of my not having to shuffle money into the booze store and let's her control the amount of the dowry that is left over after the party.  If she spends it all, that's fine with me, if she spends only a little, that's fine with me.

Gentle reader, the lucky wedding day is: 23 November 2012. The wedding will be in a small village known as Thabaag. It's about 5 kilometers outside of Nan Rong in Buriram Province. I'm not at all sure how many people will attend.  Most will be from the village, I'm told 20 or 30 but suspect the number may swell.  I have no expectations that any of my family will attend, though they will be invited.  Actually I do have one niece who is trying to make arrangements, I'd be so delighted if she could make the trip. I really have no idea what will happen at this wedding.  The legal marriage may be the act of signing the government papers, not sure if we do that in Nan Rong or Chiang Mai.  Likely is matters not. I asked if we would go to the temple, and was told no.  We will tamboon with the monk, but that's not an actual part of the wedding ceremony.  It's going to be a village celebration at the home of Maliwan's parents.

Rot is really Maliwan's dog, but he likes to hang out with me 

Maliwan's great niece, I love the light in this one

Gun, Maliwan, Kwanjai, and the parents

Roof tops, Nan Rong 

I had lunch with Maliwan the day this article was originally posted.  She asked a very interesting question.  Why do I have this blog?  I received some good feedback from a couple of friends. The blog will continue, though it may take a slightly different path in the future.  More feedback would be welcome.

Abundant Blessings,