Greetings from Thailand: Sawasdee Kaa, I'm finally blogging. My team is so proficient I feel no need to intefere. What a trip! Literally...it's a TRIP..
Here are somethings of we've done: visited temples, rode tuk-tuks in NYC like traffic (scary), spelunked, dealt with monkeys, ate every type of food, some of it staring back at you, manis, pedis and massages (often), attended live theater, visited the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha, sailed on a yacht with Captain Mark from Australia,, met with the Chief Justice in Phuket Courts, served snacks t0 inmates, sat with mothers at the nursery in the women's prison and spoke with youngsters (9 to 12 yo) at Juvenile Detention. We were privileged to see the inner sanctum of the Bank of Bangkok, a tuna fish factory, a deisel something something, a palm oil producing factory, latex factory, we rowed to hongs, (look that up in your Funk & Wagnall), climbed to waterfalls and dove through an unlit cave to an underwater wedding festival site, more temples, more food, visited a pottery making business, shadow puppet show, rubber tree plantation, chicken hatchery, rode in long tail boats to a floating village, saw swift bird condominiums where birds' nests are harvested for consumption, MANY Rotary meeting, Rotary clean water projects, we were interviewed on live radio...Gary we need to talk..... wait...almost done, we visited an electrical & gas plant and brick making factory, several tsunami sites, a self sufficient village that was under mud slides ten years ago, and one of my favorite spots, a batik printing business and oh yes, we kayaked and went to an aquarium, butterfly garden and prawn farm. Can't wait to show you hundreds of pix. Miss you all. Aileen
Sunday, March 8, 2009
See Mike I am working, too!!!
We had a great day of vocational visits while staying in Phuket. I had the chance to meet some marvelous individuals. Thank you all for sharing your work and history with me. I will complete detailed articles upon my return.
Eye of the Tiger
The other day we visited Tiger Hill. I’m sure you’ve seen other posts from my teammates about the 1,287 stepped-feat. I did about 100. Ha. Anyhow, after I took the scary descent back to the safety of dirt beneath my feet, I sat on a nearby bench (away from the Monkeys) and took in the scenery. An old woman sat begging on the side of the road. She held her blue change bucket out before her shaking it gently at passerby. Her skin was wrinkled and tanned deeply from the scorching sun. Adults barely acknowledged her presence, passing her without hesitation.
A flock of school children no older than grade four began marching in her direction. They called hello to me, waving and giggling as they passed. Their gorgeous smiles made me break into one of my own and return the wave probably too eagerly. As they neared the old woman, her basket now beside her, their attention transitioned from me to her. There was no deliberation, no whispers of approval, they just reached their tiny fingers into their pockets and colorful purses and offer her temple hands, greeted her, and dropped change into her bucket. First one child, then another, and another and so on. I could hear the clang of their metal change ringing as it hit the bottom of the plastic bucket. They were so little, so humble, so giving … We could learn a lot from children. At what point from childhood to becoming men and women do we lose “that thing.” That innocence. “That thing” that makes us reach into our pockets rather than turn away. Just food for thought.
A flock of school children no older than grade four began marching in her direction. They called hello to me, waving and giggling as they passed. Their gorgeous smiles made me break into one of my own and return the wave probably too eagerly. As they neared the old woman, her basket now beside her, their attention transitioned from me to her. There was no deliberation, no whispers of approval, they just reached their tiny fingers into their pockets and colorful purses and offer her temple hands, greeted her, and dropped change into her bucket. First one child, then another, and another and so on. I could hear the clang of their metal change ringing as it hit the bottom of the plastic bucket. They were so little, so humble, so giving … We could learn a lot from children. At what point from childhood to becoming men and women do we lose “that thing.” That innocence. “That thing” that makes us reach into our pockets rather than turn away. Just food for thought.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
GSE presentation to Srithammasokarat
More pics from gse presentation to Srithammasokarat
www.jpv.ac.th./ssr/gse09
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Radio website correction
The GSE Team will be interviewed on live radio (US time and date) March 4th between 9:00-9:30 pm. Please log on to www.liveradiofm.net/101.80 to hear us live from Thailand.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Radio interview
The GSE Team will be interviewed on live radio (US time and date) March 4th between 9:00-9:30 pm. Please log on to www.liveradiotm.net/101.80 to hear us live from Thailand.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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