Sawaadee kha,
Hope you're enjoying your summer. It was wonderful to be home for a few weeks recently and great to see and visit with many of our family and friends. Thank you for your friendship and hospitality! Although we didn't get a chance to visit everyone we had hoped in the three weeks we were home, perhaps next time we will be able to see you.
As the seasonal monsoon rain descends on Thailand it marks the beginning of the Buddhist "rain retreat" This is also a time for Buddhist ordinations as it marks a period of spiritual renewal. Known as "Khao Phansa", the Buddhist Lent is a time devoted to study and meditation. Many Buddhist monks remain within the temple grounds and do not venture out for a period of three months starting from the first day of the waning moon of the eighth lunar month (in July) to the fifteenth day of the waxing moon of the eleventh lunar month (in October). In former times, this is done to prevent monks from trampling upon rice paddies when they venture out to receive offerings from the villagers. We've noticed that this is a more common practice in rural Thailand and not strictly adhered to in urban centres such as Bangkok.
This young child selling gasoline was photographed as we traveled in the south. His mother was operating a food stall and was keeping watch nearby. Thai children are very polite when interacting with adults . I'm mindful that children here are taught to be harmonious first and foremost whereas in some societies parents often focus on right and wrong creating a sense of "justice" versus "harmony."
If If one gets hungry while traveling there are always places to stop along the road to get a snack. These pineapples were delicious and sold for about .50 cents.
The World War II epic The Bridge over the River Kwai is a familiar movie to many. Located about 130 km west of Bangkok we visited the province of Kanchanaburi where The Bridge over the River Kwai , famously known as the ‘Death Bridge’ is located. The construction of the bridge started during the World War II in September 1942. The intention of building the railway line was to provide a steady supply line capable of delivering around 3000 tons of supplies to the troops fighting in Burma. The engineers estimated that it would take around 5 years to complete the 257 miles track as the terrain was harsh and the weather conditions were treacherous. Moreover, the most strenuous section of the track was the one which ran through Thailand and it required high altitude bridges and cuttings through deep mountains. To reduce the time, however, over 61,000 allied prisoners were made to work in inhumane conditions out of which 16,000 died from diseases like cholera, malaria, typhoid and others. Another 200,000 Asian labors, mostly Thai were forced to work and over 80, 000 met with death. Thus the bridges got the name ‘Death Bridge’ as a reminder of the atrocities. Even with all these sacrifices, the railway operated just for twenty-one months and was soon crippled by the Allied troops and weapons. Only the eighty-mile stretch is still in operation daily. It was a time for reflection as we paid respects to the graves of mainly un-named soldiers in the memorial cemetery.
After a bit of a hiatus I'll be heading to Northern Thailand at the end of the month to the refugee camps to assist with some management coaching. I plan to resume my french lessons in August and will continue to teach english . Due to the H1N1 virus and to curb it's spread, the Orphanage has been closed for an indefinite time. I'm looking forward to getting back there soon. Due to the spreading of this virus public schools have been shut down for 1 week and many folk on the streets of Bangkok are wearing mouth covers.
Michel is back to work after our vacation. Sadly, his father who was ill with cancer died before our trip to Canada. He went to France to attend the funeral and to spend time with his mama, two sisters and family before joining Kelsey and me on our trip home.
A recent outing to Bangkok's Chinatown found Michel in conversation with a man who was thrilled to communicate his age and tell Michel about his life. Michel's response of "mai khao jai" ( I don't understand) did nothing to deter him.
A happy and proud day indeed as Kelsey celebrated completion of high school. The ceremony at her school was beautifully done. A highlight was a personalized photo show of each graduate.She now begins a new chapter and moved to her apartment near
the school last week where she has enrolled in a post secondary program in Tourism and Hospitality Management.
Teachers are highly respected in Thailand. During Kelsey's orientation ceremony and in a gesture of appreciation each teacher was presented with an offering by the students . The students all lined up and gave flowers to the teachers. The teachers sat in the chair and the students handed them the flowers and waied to them; the teachers accepted the offering with a word of praise.
The simple way of life of northeasterners instills in us a peacefulness in contrast to the hectic pace of Bangkok. From viewing the buffalo grazing in the fields or stopping the car to enable them to pass - to the rice farmers busily tending to their fields, it resonates with an appealing simplicity. Generally poorer than the rest of the country, this is where much of the nation's rice and other staple crops are grown. The region has a specific name, which is Isan (the "I" is pronounced with a long "EE" sound.) Isan also has a specific regional cuisine which is quite distinct from the central Thai food you will find in most western Thai restaurants. Isan is probably the least touristed area of Thailand. Its an excellent place to spend time to see the "real" Thailand.
A recent weekend trip to the northeast found us in the province of Chaiyaphum where we viewed the blooming Krachaio Flower Festival. Held over two months each year this flower festival celebrates the dok krachiao flower which blooms at this time of the year. The flowers grow in abundance in Pa Hin Ngam (Forests of Beautiful Rock) National Park which hosts this annual festival. Known as the 'Siam tulip', the sight of these pinkish-purple flowers in bloom is a wonderful spectacle.
The Joe Louis Puppet Theatre proved to be an entertaining night out. In the reign of the King Rama IV ( 1851-1868) , a puppet folk master, created beautiful and sophisticated puppets to imitate the gestures and movements of real humans. Before he passed away he destroyed over 100 of the puppets but he gave 30 puppets to his daughter in law. To be able to perform puppet shows, basic traditional Thai dance skill called Khon is needed. The performer needs to learn about each gesture and express the feeling on their face and in their movements. Team work is also very important because one puppet needs 3 dancers to control. To master the art, it takes the performer 3 years of training. In addition to this, many practice sessions are needed before performances. These puppet shows are beautiful and preserves this Thai art since this is the only puppet theater left. 
Until next time
Many blessings
Go well
Dorothy, Michel and Kelsey
