Dean~

I joined the Pangaea project to get a global perspective and have gained so much more. Our trip has been based on a few topics. The topics are fair trade and labor and social justice. I was in the group that had the privilege to travel to Thailand. I wasn’t too sure of the program at first, because it sounded crazy. I was told I would be traveling to Thailand to live with fair trade rice farmers in Surin. To be honest I didn’t know what to expect from the whole thing, I thought it couldn’t be too hard and it wouldn’t change anything about me. This couldn’t have been further from the truth. I know everyone is probably wondering what I have done the last couple of weeks so here it is.

The first 19 hours was hell, it was spent on planes with uncomfortable sits and sitting in airports during layovers. It sucked because I have a recent back and neck injury, so just imagine. The first plane flight was from Portland to Seattle, the plane flight was only twenty minutes with a five hour layover. While I was waiting for the next plane to take off, I walked around the Seattle airport played in the wheel chairs and tried to ignore the pain in my back. I got to know the team a little bit better, my thinking was I might as well since I would be spending the next month with them. I still didn’t fully open my self to them though because I’m a very guarded person. I showed them the Dean that everyone loves.

Arriving in Thailand!

After waiting for five hours we boarded the plane that would be taking us to the Taiwan airport. This was a huge challenge the plane ride took 16 hours. I sat in the same place for 16 hours it sucked. I killed the time by watching a few movies, chatting with the team leader I just met that day and chatting with a girl I had went to school with. After watching the sun go up and down we made it and not a minute too soon, I was getting ready to pull my hair out because my back was screaming at me to get up and move around. The next four hours we had to kill because it was another layover until our last flight to Bangkok, Thailand. So it was the same thing running around the airport getting to know the team and I still kept the mask on. I did this because I didn’t know how they would react if they knew me the real me, so I decided best I just show them what they wanted to see. This was for me too because I didn’t want to be rejected by the group with the whole journey still in front of us. Boarding time finally came at 8:30am ( Taiwan is 15 hours ahead of Oregon time) and the whole team was just ready to be done with the plane rides. Four hours went by relatively short compared to the last flight plus I was reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu. It’s an interesting read and it’s main focus was on winning a war without actually going to war. Finally we touched down at Suvanabhumi airport in Bangkok at 11:35am Thailand time (14 hours ahead of Oregon). There we went through costumes got our Thailand stamps and piked up our bags. We proceeded to go and meet Ah Jon (Ah Jon means teacher in Thai) Jon who was waiting for us at the entrance with a van to take us to where we would be staying for the night.

The first thing I realized when we stepped out those front doors was that it was hot and really humid I had a thick layer of sweat from just walking to the van from the front door which was only about 60 feet. We drove about a half an hour to the Suan Ngern Mee Ma Center, the hostel we would be staying at for the next three nights and two days. The first thing we did was unpack and get comfortable. The room we were staying in consisted of six fans on the ceiling five mats on the floor where we would be sleeping. The boys and girls had to sleep in separate rooms and use separate showers because it’s Thai culture. I jumped right in the shower and rinsed off and took the only temperature shower they had cold water. It was fine though because it was so hot and humid. The bathrooms are different for instance the toilet and shower are in the same stall. They have a hose to spray your bottom after you use the rest room and they had a shower head to shower. After everyone was unpacked and showered we went to have lunch. It was instant culture shock. Everyone and their mom stared and stared hard and pointed. It was hard for me because usually when someone stares at you like that it means it’s time to fight. I asked my Ah Jon and he said it’s normal especially because your foreigners (or in Thai Ferong). We went to the nearest resturant and sat down for some food. It was the first time for everyone besides the leaders having traditional Thai food. Trust me American Thai food doesn’t even come close. It was delicious, spicy and delicious some people didn’t like it and got sick, but I enjoyed it. The next trip was to the Bangkok flower market. The name says it all for four blocks up and down both sides of the streets flowers of all kind were being sold. I had really no interest in the market until we got to where they were selling survenyers and everyday things.

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Laurel~

Laurel studying Thai

Here are my current thoughts…

I miss you portland… to be completely honest though, I was right when i predicted that i would be distracted most of the time. Last night was the first chance i had to think about home. I miss the food. The first time i walked down a street in bangkok i felt the culture shock so bad. It is so much more intense than what i ever expected! It physically hurts to see some of the conditions of living here. I have begun to feel guilty for the way i have always lived. These people have so little, but they smile and treat eachother so well anyway. The homeless people here (and there are a lot of them) are happy and loving. They give away what little they have. there are no houses, only rooms in buildings and most are right next to the street, noise, polution, vendors, and traffic. When you walk down the street it is not unlikely that a family eating will insist that you come in and join them. They idolize Americans, or as we say here for clarity, westerners.

It has only been 2 full days here in bangkok and it feels as though i have lived here for at least 2 months. I can communicate fairly well in thai with the llittle i know. I am picking it up fast. I love the weather here. today we visited the slum community and there was a tropical storm. It was so amazing to puddle stomp and not get cold. infact, the water was like bath water! I have never seen bigger rain drops and heard louder thunder. it was awsome, but the thai people thought we were weird for liking it. they don’t go out in the rain if they can help it.

I will say that i am glad to be leaving bankok early tomorrow morning. The city makes me sick and is sooo overwhelming! I am having a hard time with it. Don’t think that i don’t love it here and that i regret having come though. It is amazing, but 3 days is more than enough at once!

All you Portlanders have to add thailand to the list of places to go before you die!

Oh… and to Deb, Stephanie, and all you other volunteers who put so much time into this trip… You guys are amazing and I just hope you know how much you are appreciated! I knew it would be awsome, but I am speachless and learning so much. You have helped provide a truely special and amazing experience for us all. And… it is indeed worth all the effort. We plan on making you proud!

Love,

Bua

(my thai nickname meaning lotus)

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Group in ancient Thai capital, Ayuthaya

Savanah~

July 7

Today started off bright and early in humid chaos of Bangkok. Breakfast was American coffee and toast. Very typical food for Americans and the Thais call it “forong breakfast”. After chowing down on some no so Thai food, we all got together with Ajaan John, our Thai teacher, and sat in a traditional circle on the floor and started or second Thai language class. We learned how to count numbers. It was easy like noung, song, sam,. For you Americans that means one two three and many more. Our theme is labor and human rights. Today a man named Jon Ungpakorn came to speak and educate us more about these issues. He was very nice man who had alot to say. He told us about how human rights were violated all over. Can you imagine living in the same village most of your life because you weren’t recognized as a human being, had no papers saying you were who you are and not being able to obtain any recognition as a human. We learned all about this. Jon was explaining government and the corruption that’s happening all over with the massacres and the slums and day to day Thai Life…

Everyday is amazing and full of opportuntiy. We see and do so much everyday. It’s undescribable. I think that everyone should get a chance like this in their life time. I feel it would change the negativity that people have.

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Laurel~

July 7
After waking up in the night with no idea where i was, I am finally letting it sink in that we are , in fact, in Thailand afterall. This mornign began with my first kung fu experience. Trevor, Eric and I were apparently the only early risers today and we began learning some simple stances and swings. After watching sweat fly from Eric’s punching fists, we headed upstairs to the “American” room for our second Thai lesson with Ajaan John. We learned some more difficult words and practiced our intonation so as not to accidently say the wrong word. Easy to do in Thai language.

Once our language lesson was done with, we greeted Jon Ungpakorn and learned about Thai social justice and human rights violations. He also talked about HIV AIDS campaigning he has been organizing and youth programs in Thailand. He was very enthusiastic and glad to share his wisdom so that we can accomplish our goals to raise awareness about these issues. Next we went to visit representatives of the 4 regions slum network. We listened to their story of years of struggling to gain rights for the slum commuity members. they fought for land to live on and eventually signed a 30 year contract for the land. “We are poor, we have no money, we just have our feet to walk together.” We watched differetn slum members from various communities express their thoughts on the subject through videos that were translated into English.

By visiting these areas and being shown around the slums, I also realized how amazingly nice even the poor people in Thailand are compared tot the Unitied States. They have a real sense of hospitality and are happy to give away even what little they have to make guests feel more comfortable. They served us ovaltine and even made a traditional thai desert (like natural jello) for us to try. The real “ahaa” for me today was definitely that culture teaches solidarity. These people have been working together to fight for what they need.