Life in the Kingdom

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.

Not a favourite way to travel for everyone, however some tour companies offer these tour trips equipped with "artistic" buses to those who are keen on loud music, lots of socialization and noise. We're unsure how the driver s is able to see the the road to drive but these brightly painted buses do reflect the bright, colourful, creative, joyous, fun-loving qualities that are such appealing aspects of the Thai psyche.

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

Life in the Kingdom

Sawwaadee kha, We're beginning the rainy season now. Following daily temperatures of 37-40 degrees the evenings' heavy downpours and thunder and lightening is a refreshing welcome. We are witness to amazing and electrifying lightening storms from our balcony.

The political upheaval finds itself in a "lull" stage presently. It's interesting as a foreigner to live here during these times. The political consciousness that is birthing itself amongst the Thai majority finds the political development system behind in it's ability to respond accordingly. The masses are now standing up demanding to be heard!!

Kelsey celebrated her birthday in March with a visit to one of Bangkok's popular Katoey caberet shows. Katoeys dress and live as women. They undergo hormone replacement therapy, most have breast implants, and eventually have genital reassignment surgery done. They go to great lengths to conceal any tell-tale signs of masculinity, including surgery to reduce the size of the Adam's apple and other medical procedures to shape their bodies more like those of women (jawbone, hips, buttocks) - even voice chord surgery. Katoeys are fully integrated in and generally accepted by Thai society, even in the countryside. Those who don't work in restaurants, bars and cabaret shows hold regular jobs like nurses, secretaries, beauticians, stylists, and some even become popular TV stars.

Some become prostitutes though; the most beautiful ones count among the highest paid sex workers in Thailand. It is believed that the acceptance they enjoy in society is due to the nature of the surrounding Buddhist culture, which places a high value on tolerance. Legal recognition of katoeys is non-existent in Thailand. Even after genital reassignment surgery they are not allowed to change their legal sex. Katoeys often belong to lower social classes, and their suicide rate is significantly higher than that of any other segment of the Thai population. Still, many go on to make their mark.

Kelsey's boyfriend James entered the monkhood in April. It is common practice for every young man to spend some time as a monk, living at the temple and learning about the teachings of Lord Buddah. Although Kelsey was permitted to visit him occasionally, James worked hard to adhere to the Buddhist precepts ( there are 227 of them, one of them is not to touched or allow himself to be touched by a female.) This time is very important to a Thai family. Having a son as a monk is a form of merit making resulting in good karma in a future life.

We journeyed to the south for 8 days to celebrate the Thai New Year ( Songkran) in April.

The coastline of Krabi is picture perfect- clear azure waters, waterly beaches and a backdrop of limestone mountains covered in rich vegetation.

The Songkran Festival starts April 13 and lasts between 3 and 5 days, depending on where you are in Thailand. The Thai people celebrate this festival with water. Everyone gets soaking wet and since it is the hottest season of the year, the custom is quite refreshing. Known as the "Water Festival" as people believe that water will wash away bad luck. The Songkran tradition is recognized as a valuable custom for the Thai community, society and religions. The value for family is to provide the opportunity for family members to gather in order to express their respects to the elders by pouring scented water onto the hands of their parents and grandparents. The elders in return wish the youngsters good luck and prosperity. It's a party time and the day is filled with "soonuk" ( fun.)

I share my birthday with the Thai New Year and we celebrated my - - year in Krabi. The staff at our hotel was more than pleased to join us in the celebration and enjoyed learning about my birthday "nose buttering tradition". Donning our songkran shirts Michel and I ventured out to a Buddhist mountain shrine. After climbing 1,237 steps ( they were steep) to pay respects to Lord Buddah at this mountain-top shrine we were assured that this year will be filled with much good fortune. Our ability to walk without discomfort for the few days was a small price to pay for such a possible reward:)

During our vacation in the south and after a day of breathtaking scenery travelling in a long tail boat, Michel was tickled to have placed his feet on James Bond island where the movie "The Man with the Golden Gun" was filmed. This island has become a famous tourist attraction drawing hundreds of people each day. Thailand's Muslims are largely concentrated in the four southern provinces. The area is less prosperous than central Thailand, and many of the region's inhabitants feel they are at a disadvantage compared to the country's Buddhist majority. Thailand's Muslims often speak of discrimination and a lack of opportunities, a resentment which occasionally leads to clashes with the authorities. It is due to these clashes and violence that it is considered unsafe. We did however feel safe to visit two of the provinces.

A trip to a muslim fishing visit was an enjoyable outing. These hand painted Korlae fishing boats are exquisite. The boat is like an artistic masterpiece and is considered life art as the Korlae boat not only shows off the greatness of its design, but is also the primary instrument used by muslim fishermen to make a living. Muslims make up about 8 % of the population in Thailand.

The majority live in the southern provinces. While we were welcome to visit the outside of this mosque I was not permitted inside. Women are not permitted in the main sanctuary area, however there is a smaller room where women meet. I assume being a woman and not having a veil to cover my head was the reason for this exclusion.

There are many species of birds in Thailand. I was surprised in the south to see birds in cages outside of most homes. The birds are regarded in parts of southern Thailand as good luck and are kept as pets by men who carry them in cages to friends' houses, a sort of avian iPod. The more birds, the more volume. Birds with the most tuneful song are highly prized.

The uniqueness of this market outside of Bangkok is that it is situated on a railway track. Trains go through this market several times a day. Store owners have to move their wares as the train moves through. As soon as the train passes they reassemble and it's back to business.

En route to the famous Ankor Wat in Cambodia and at the top of an extinct volcano in northern Thailand is Phnom Rung. It is one of the most beautiful khmer ancient monuments in Thailand. It was built between in the 10th century is a Hindu shrine dedicated to the god Shiva.

Khao Yai National Park was established as the first national park of Thailand and was named a World Heritage Site in 2005 because of its rich variety of flora (2500 species) and fauna. Outside of the park we viewed a magnificent site. At dusk millions of bats came streaming out of the limestone cave.. a spectacle which can be seen each evening at dusk.

Although we take every opportunity to travel and explore the culture and meet the people of this country, life continues for us in Bangkok. Despite some cuts at Michelin we are beginning to see some positive trends in production again .

Kelsey has completed her grade 12 coursework and we're looking forward to celebrating her graduation festival soon. I've told her teachers that I'll be the woman in the red dress doing a happy dance:) She'll begin an International Hospitality and Tourism program in Bangkok in July.

I continue with my volunteer work at the orphanage as well as teaching English. On occasion I conduct tours to english speaking visitors at the National Museum. My facilitation work with the Thai-Burma Refugee Consortium is fulfilling and despite challenges with learning a new language ...I'm still enrolled in french class. Recently I was pleased to accept the position of Vice President of the Canadian Club of Thailand.

We're looking forward to our annual vacation and will arrive home on May 31st. Michel will leave a week earlier and make a stopover in France to visit his family.

Hope to see many of you during our three weeks home.

Blessings to you all.

Go well

Dorothy, Michel and Kelsey