Dear readers,
It turns out that lazy Sunday afternoons are a global thing, and so I write this having spent the morning vegetating, negotiating with the local laundry lady/ gang (still not too sure how many people live in that house) and battling the enormous waves at the beach. I am sure that there are quite a few people out there who have gone swimming with dolphins, but how many people can say that they have been swimming with cows?! Yes that actually happened.
As I am coming into my final week at the GVI Phang Nga base, I feel like it is time to get real about some of the things going on in this country. Yesterday we decided to have a bonfire on the beach in honor of a dude named Guyfawks (most english should by now be aware of who he is) with some great company, great music and great drinks. Unfortunately when we came back to base we were confronted with the death of Foxy, the GVI adopted dog who was named in honor of his fox-like appearance. Our trusty gang of three dogeteers has now been narrowed down to Cafe and Tiger who still seem eager to follow us wherever we go and protect us from anything that moves.
Pets in Thailand are a very interesting concept as every household seems to 'own' either a cat, a dog, or an exotic bird but very few seem able/ willing to take proper care of them. Anywhere one looks, we are confronted with sad looking dogs battling mange, or cats who look like they have been through hell and back. It leaves a very sour taste in my mouth. What is worse, if we were to call and pay for a vet to visit e.g. the dog up the road who most probably will not get to see December, we are liable in court if the dog were to die. Its a lose-lose situation. Al one can really do is give them a cuddle and some much needed attention.
Other than the pets, I have come to the conclusion that Thailand has two very contrasting faces. On the one hand, I see the beautiful country with its welcoming people who despite having nothing, will eagerly spend 20 minutes cutting coconuts off a tree a for you and carts full of children who drive past our base screaming 'hello' as loudly as they can. On the other hand, you have a country which is struggling to develop, desperately lacking in global education (sustainable development is definitely not a priority here) and struggling to put food on the table. One is almost too eager to turn a blind eye to the struggles that we as westerners are too privileged to fathom. And this keeps me up at night.
This being said, I cannot comprehend Thai society's obsession with material goods. Having spent a lot of time wandering around the small village of Ban Nam Khem where our volunteer base stands proud (and is well known by the local community) it seems that those who can, will opt to spend their life savings on the flashiest cars and technology available. The houses here are no more than a four wall shell with no more than two rooms. Most houses lack any form of decoration, host a single bed and stove, and boast a 42 inch flat screen TV, state of the art stereo system, 4x4 jeep or similar parked in the drive and a series of smartphones to cover the needs of the principal members of the family. Apparently keeping up appearances in the small little village in the middle of the Phang Nga rain forest is a priority. I just can't digest the concept.
A boozy weekend in Khao Lak with a few of the other volunteers made me realize that I will actually miss this place and the people here. Even though daunting at first, I finally feel like I am beginning to settle in to the way of life here. But I predict that this will be the hardest part of my 'Great Adventure'... That and Everest of course. Not only will I have to drag myself up the mountain but I will also have to drag the 10 kilos of rice, noodles, beer and Sangsom rum that I have consumed in the past month. Shit.
Going back to what I was saying about the base here, it has taken me a while to 'place' the rest of my peers, who bar a few, are mostly younger than me. It was a little hard to break into the 'lads group' of guys on that compile the conservation team, mainly because I originally did not know what things like a Red Wattled Lapwing was (I mean who the hell would know that?!) and because I later found out that I was looking to fill the shoes of the girl on the team before me, who apparently should be held on the same scale of awesome as Chuck Norris... I mean was there ever any hope?! But it looks like I have finally made it and would easily consider them my closest friends here.
We have some brilliant people here including two boys who are dedicating 6 months of their lives to in depth TEFL teaching programs and I would honestly say that they, perhaps more than the other teachers, are making a huge difference to the schools here due to the detail and dedication of their program. Not saying that every little does not help because the smiles on the kids faces prove otherwise. I share a room with another 4 girls who are on the teaching programs, who are accompanied by 2 boys who are on short term teaching programs too.
What I find fascinating, is the reason that each of us has chosen to come out here. We are driven by and interesting concoction of desires and goals mixed in with a array of personal reasons for jumping ship to Thailand, yet we are all so very different at heart. I feel that some are really enjoying the experience and looking to make the most of their time here, whereas others feel trapped and perhaps a little lost in their reasoning for coming, if not judgmental of the life choices of others. But at the end of the day, we are all different and that's what makes us stand out in life. What matters is that we are here and looking to help.
I cannot close without briefly mentioning one of our most recent volunteers who at the age of 50 odd has decided to temporarily leave her family behind and start ticking items off her bucket list. I have never quite had a role model before, but I can honestly say that she has inspired me in every sense of the word. In brief, she is an absolute legend and I hope that when I reach her age, I am able to be as positive and adventurous as she is.
By the end of the week I will be airborne again and off to Nepal where I have already begun researching the endless options the country has to offer. One of my uncles made me aware of a fantastic foundation called the 'Himalayan Tiger Foundation' based in Nepal, whose objective is to protect the very much threatened Bengal tigers that prowl the region. I will definitely need to investigate further once I am 'on the ground' so to speak, but for those of you who would like to take a further look check them out on their website: http://www.himalayantigers.org/
As my rambling comes to an end I wanted to leave you with the things I have come to accept in Thailand:
1) The sweat is real. I gave up long ago about caring about the embarrassing sweat patches that one accumulates out here as they have now become part of me. I will have an ice cold shower and by the time I am dressed again I am covered in a new layer of sweat. Lesson: Embrace the sweat.
2) The mosquitoes know where you live. I have been graced with the superpower of having bitter tasting blood (or so it seems) as I seem to be the only one who has been spared, thus far, from the blood sucking massacre that takes place on the 4 other beds in our room.
3) They creep, they crawl and they love playing hide and seek. I never thought I would ever have to relive having a mutli-legged, evil looking bug under the toilet seat again but it seems as though I spoke too soon.
4) Do not touch Thai moonshine. Enough said.
On that rather long and endless note, I leave you until my next post and hope you take a moment to check out the tiger foundation, along with the Shark Guardian foundation which is doing its best to save the oceans from disaster: http://www.sharkguardian.org/
They are in constant need of support and assistance and to be honest, they are an awesome bunch of people. If you fancy a documentary on sharks, Sharkwater is a must! Mind = Blown.
Did I mention that I need cheese back in my life?
Over and out!
Other than the pets, I have come to the conclusion that Thailand has two very contrasting faces. On the one hand, I see the beautiful country with its welcoming people who despite having nothing, will eagerly spend 20 minutes cutting coconuts off a tree a for you and carts full of children who drive past our base screaming 'hello' as loudly as they can. On the other hand, you have a country which is struggling to develop, desperately lacking in global education (sustainable development is definitely not a priority here) and struggling to put food on the table. One is almost too eager to turn a blind eye to the struggles that we as westerners are too privileged to fathom. And this keeps me up at night.
This being said, I cannot comprehend Thai society's obsession with material goods. Having spent a lot of time wandering around the small village of Ban Nam Khem where our volunteer base stands proud (and is well known by the local community) it seems that those who can, will opt to spend their life savings on the flashiest cars and technology available. The houses here are no more than a four wall shell with no more than two rooms. Most houses lack any form of decoration, host a single bed and stove, and boast a 42 inch flat screen TV, state of the art stereo system, 4x4 jeep or similar parked in the drive and a series of smartphones to cover the needs of the principal members of the family. Apparently keeping up appearances in the small little village in the middle of the Phang Nga rain forest is a priority. I just can't digest the concept.
A boozy weekend in Khao Lak with a few of the other volunteers made me realize that I will actually miss this place and the people here. Even though daunting at first, I finally feel like I am beginning to settle in to the way of life here. But I predict that this will be the hardest part of my 'Great Adventure'... That and Everest of course. Not only will I have to drag myself up the mountain but I will also have to drag the 10 kilos of rice, noodles, beer and Sangsom rum that I have consumed in the past month. Shit.
Going back to what I was saying about the base here, it has taken me a while to 'place' the rest of my peers, who bar a few, are mostly younger than me. It was a little hard to break into the 'lads group' of guys on that compile the conservation team, mainly because I originally did not know what things like a Red Wattled Lapwing was (I mean who the hell would know that?!) and because I later found out that I was looking to fill the shoes of the girl on the team before me, who apparently should be held on the same scale of awesome as Chuck Norris... I mean was there ever any hope?! But it looks like I have finally made it and would easily consider them my closest friends here.
We have some brilliant people here including two boys who are dedicating 6 months of their lives to in depth TEFL teaching programs and I would honestly say that they, perhaps more than the other teachers, are making a huge difference to the schools here due to the detail and dedication of their program. Not saying that every little does not help because the smiles on the kids faces prove otherwise. I share a room with another 4 girls who are on the teaching programs, who are accompanied by 2 boys who are on short term teaching programs too.
What I find fascinating, is the reason that each of us has chosen to come out here. We are driven by and interesting concoction of desires and goals mixed in with a array of personal reasons for jumping ship to Thailand, yet we are all so very different at heart. I feel that some are really enjoying the experience and looking to make the most of their time here, whereas others feel trapped and perhaps a little lost in their reasoning for coming, if not judgmental of the life choices of others. But at the end of the day, we are all different and that's what makes us stand out in life. What matters is that we are here and looking to help.
I cannot close without briefly mentioning one of our most recent volunteers who at the age of 50 odd has decided to temporarily leave her family behind and start ticking items off her bucket list. I have never quite had a role model before, but I can honestly say that she has inspired me in every sense of the word. In brief, she is an absolute legend and I hope that when I reach her age, I am able to be as positive and adventurous as she is.
By the end of the week I will be airborne again and off to Nepal where I have already begun researching the endless options the country has to offer. One of my uncles made me aware of a fantastic foundation called the 'Himalayan Tiger Foundation' based in Nepal, whose objective is to protect the very much threatened Bengal tigers that prowl the region. I will definitely need to investigate further once I am 'on the ground' so to speak, but for those of you who would like to take a further look check them out on their website: http://www.himalayantigers.org/
As my rambling comes to an end I wanted to leave you with the things I have come to accept in Thailand:
1) The sweat is real. I gave up long ago about caring about the embarrassing sweat patches that one accumulates out here as they have now become part of me. I will have an ice cold shower and by the time I am dressed again I am covered in a new layer of sweat. Lesson: Embrace the sweat.
2) The mosquitoes know where you live. I have been graced with the superpower of having bitter tasting blood (or so it seems) as I seem to be the only one who has been spared, thus far, from the blood sucking massacre that takes place on the 4 other beds in our room.
3) They creep, they crawl and they love playing hide and seek. I never thought I would ever have to relive having a mutli-legged, evil looking bug under the toilet seat again but it seems as though I spoke too soon.
4) Do not touch Thai moonshine. Enough said.
On that rather long and endless note, I leave you until my next post and hope you take a moment to check out the tiger foundation, along with the Shark Guardian foundation which is doing its best to save the oceans from disaster: http://www.sharkguardian.org/
They are in constant need of support and assistance and to be honest, they are an awesome bunch of people. If you fancy a documentary on sharks, Sharkwater is a must! Mind = Blown.
Did I mention that I need cheese back in my life?
Over and out!
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