Exotic Adventure Continues

So how do you top an adventure such as I have been experiencing the past 6 months?  You go on another adventure, of course!  I met up with 3 wonderful ladies for dinner earlier this week; ladies who I had never had the pleasure of meeting in person and only one with whom I had "chatted" during the past year.  We had such a wonderful time talking not only about the diversity of our backgrounds, but the commonalities of the new independent women who have careers and take care of their families, but still find time for exotic adventures.  

We met up again for a dinner and cultural show in Chiang Mai and then made plans to visit the the Chiang Rai District with its Hot Springs, White Temple, Mekong River and Golden Triangle -- the confluence of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar -- and finally the Karen Long Neck Hill Tribe village.


What a day, and these are but a few of the wonderful sights from our excursion:

Would you believe a "no smoking" sign?  Cigarettes are being handed out by the devil...

Thai New Year

OMG!  Where do I begin.  I was told that Chiang Mai had best new year's festival, and when I asked my son, all he could say was, "you just can't imagine."  So I went to my friend's restaurant and after visiting for short time, Fon and I got on motor bike to visit her friend in Old City across the river.  I have never had so much fun in my life!  We, of course, had to go to Taipai Gate to buy water guns finally if only for defense, but then walking the streets was like every child's dream come true.  Thousands of participant having the biggest water fight in the world and I was in the middle of it.  Forget that half the buckets that were dumped on you were from garbage pails filled with ice chunks and water -- enough to wake you up and then some -- we gave as good as we got!  Here's just a short sample of some great scenes from the streets, and then a rather happy video that gives a good taste of traditional and modern celebrations -- just awesome.  Enjoy!

ASEAN Community: My Assignment

To relay information for the various students regarding the countries which will make up the forthcoming ASEAN  Economic Community, each of the teachers was assigned 2 countries as our focus.  I was assigned Vietnam and Myanmar.  Interesting to study facts, geography and culture of two countries I only had minimal knowledge of previously, so I was as interested as the students would be to learn.  Certainly cannot qualify as an expert, but I have now learned basic yet fascinating knowledge of both Vietnam and Myanmar, and have now interviewed several lovely ladies from Vietnam and Myanmar (or what used to be called Burma). I certainly hope my travels will someday include these two points of interest.


Here are some pictures and information that you might enjoy:

The Vietnamese became independent from Imperial China in 938 AD, following the Battle of Bạch Đằng River. Successive Vietnamese royal dynasties flourished as the nation expanded geographically and politically into Southeast Asia, until the Indochina Peninsula was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century. The First Indochina War eventually led to their expulsion from the country in 1954 leaving Vietnam divided politically into two countries. Fighting between the two sides continued, with heavy foreign intervention, during the Vietnam War, which ended with a North Vietnamese victory in 1975.

Emerging from this prolonged military engagement, the war-ravaged Communist nation was politically isolated. In 1986, the government instituted economic and political reforms and began a path towards international reintegration. By 2000, it had established diplomatic relations with most nations. Its economic growth has been among the highest in the world since 2000, and according to Citigroup, such high growth is set to continue. Vietnam has the highest Global Growth Generators Index among 11 major economies, and its successful economic reforms resulted in it joining the World Trade Organization in 2007 and is now part of the ASEAN Economic Community set for completion in 2015.

90.5 million inhabitants as of 2011, Vietnam is the world's 13th-most-populous country

Consisting primarily of mountains and shorelines

Vietnamese Dress

Flag of Vietnam

                        Flag of Myanmar

Burmese wedding procession

Burmese SPDC members greet Thai Prime Minister

Burmese Ramayana dance

People of Myanmar

Burmese tribesman

Ancient Burmese temple in Chiangmai

Another Chapter

Who would have thought when I followed my son to Thailand so he could become a teacher, that I too would become immersed in working with so many Thai students?  Paul introduced me to several Thai ladies who had taken the TEFL course he had just finished, and they told me about their expansive plans to develop a language institute and empower students not only with English language skills, but to prepare and better equip them for the new ASEAN Community business world soon to be a reality.  


By 2015, ten countries in Asia will join forces to develop one vision, one community, one identity.  Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Brunei will form a collective of labor, ideas, economies, language and spirit to work together toward a better tomorrow, and English will be the common language chosen within the ASEAN Economic Community.  The task set out by the Thai government has been to encourage new language skills and business acumen for more of their citizens to prepare them for the future, and my part as a volunteer and teacher with LIFE (Language Institute for Empowerment) has been amazing!  


What an awesome experience; I get to work closely with eager students of all ages who know that their careers and future development will depend on what they learn today. But who knew I would relish becoming a guide and teacher to so many joyful and enthusiastic students?  These students have shown me a tenacity and creativity that I would never have imagined, and I am thrilled to have even the slightest impact on making a difference in their lives.  


I have made so many new friends and colleagues, and am deeply grateful for this opportunity, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Yet a whole new world is what I have been given.  Whoever said that true happiness was living your passion and following your dreams was right on target, but how could I have imagined that this would ultimately erase and then surpass all the frustrations and prestige I have known in the business world, but it does in spades.  My mind is once again in focus and my body in tune; living simpler and with pleasure in that simplicity is just what the doctor called for!

Small World

Eleven years ago, several internet buddies decided to take a stab at re-establishing a family association which had started during end of 19th century but had not been viable for more than fifty years.  We made a go of it and organized research, databases, web sites and family.  We held several family reunions in Massachusetts where I got to meet many of my internet buddies and "cousins," and amongst the group was Joy Eaton Nemergut and her husband Fred.  Who knew that the next time I would see them would be in Thailand.


As often happens with many cyber-net relationships, very quickly you can establish close personal friendships similar to the penpals of old, but there is a special connection when you also know that you have a common legacy.  Joy has graciously kept in touch with me over the years and when she mentioned that she and Fred would be in Chiang Mai in January, I was delighted.  When they arrived, we planned to meet for dinner, but that was the last decision we would have to make.


To my amazement, the couple Joy and Fred were staying with whom they had met in Boston so many years ago became our ultimate hosts, tour specialists and party planners.  They made arrangements to have me picked up and taken to their beautiful home where I met another extraordinary couple from the US, an educator and his lovely wife, a now retired US State Department employee, who was returning for a visit to her homeland.  How delightful that we were now a group of 7 for dinner.  No one could have anticipated the generous hospitality of our hosts that evening, and the next day I happily accepted an invitation for breakfast and a road trip to their coffee plantation. OMG, is only the beginning description of the fabulous day we were to experience.


Having received his masters in business administration at Harvard, our magnanimous host became invested in the politics of his country upon his return and made great strides towards developing global recognition for Thailand, while maintaining his deep Buddhist beliefs in taking personal responsibility for relieving suffering and giving back to his homeland.  Now, owner of a prosperous jade factory, restaurant, condo buildings, etc., his new ambition, if he does not return to the political arena, is to retire to his mountain retreat and to expand upon and contribute to the villages near his coffee farm, while providing training and education for his workers and their families. He became our tour guide after a beautiful lunch at his home, happily shuttling us around his beloved mountain, showing us "his" Thailand from its quaint villages and exotic jungle beauty, to the expanses of his arabica coffee farm for which he takes great pride and pleasure.  Upon the steep mountain slopes, sheltered in the shade of its dense jungle forestation, his arabica beans grow to perfection, and are harvested and processed by hand by the village inhabitants to note-worthy production of the finest coffee in the world.


I cannot detail the overwhelming feeling of pure beauty, spiritual enrichment, family and country pride we were allowed to witness throughout the day and, upon returning to Chiang Mai, indulged in an awesome dinner and walk through the Night Bazaar to again "feel" the richness of Thai culture and craft.


My thanks to Joy and Fred who shortly after were on their way to South Africa.  A day to truly remember!

View from Doi Suket mountain

Joy Eaton and Fred Nemergut