Random Pictures

Some random pictures from the boys we played soccer with to roads we travelled to pigs and places we saw :)

2nd week in Chiang Mai

Last weekend we visited Chiang Mai Zoo - well it is meant to be the biggest zoo in Thailand! Maybe the area of it is but there didn't seem to be many animals though - this is maybe because we went in the middle of the day but still it wasn't anything spectacular!

The week started off with a 5hr or so drive to Mae Sot (south on the border) where we spent the night, then the next day we visited the Partners office there and were taken on another hr drive to a refugee camp. We were going for a graduation of students who had been studying for 4 yrs doing different courses - this was the first group of students to graduate there. Wow what a sight in many different ways!





The camp itself is more like a big village, and I mean big there were over 50 000 people there who have fled the Burmese Army from the Karen state just over in Burma. The camp itself has been around for over 20 years. It is funny, at the graduation you see all these happy people with their cellphones and digital cameras, and it can be easy to think that they have life alright. But then when you think about you see how rough these people have it. They cannot go back to Burma, though many do - they do so in fear of their own lives. They can also go nowhere in Thailand where they have no rights or papers. To flee from the camp into Thailand (which won't be that hard) and get caught would mean being handed back over to Burma authorities which would mean prison or even death. So many people are in this crowded little camp of over 50 000 and that's all they have known their entire lives - they have never left the camp. They are not allowed to farm or grow their own gardens (not that there is apace to anyhow), so they are completely dependent on the NGO aid to survive. Yet despite all this is was amazing to see that every speech at this graduation (and there were a few) mentioned about how they wanted to help their people. It was commented that many of these people finishing school would go back and try and help their people in Burma.
The rest of this week has just been at the office - doing more post outs and working on the youth studies they have asked me to do. We were to visit a Children Home supported by Partners on Friday through to Saturday, but unfortunately it is Nell's turn to get a little sick so we had to pull out of that trip.
This next week are heading up North and maybe into the Shan state.

Hope you all have a great Easter - God Bless

Til Next Time

D & N

First Chiang Mai & Partners

So we have had our first week in Chiang Mai, we sent out an email with more information on it - if you want that and didn't receive it then just let us know. Below is a video clip to let you know about the situation in Burma and the work Partners and Free Burma Rangers are involved in (sorry dial-up people). There are more on Vimeo and Youtube just search under Partners: Relief & Development.

This is Our Home from Partners Relief & Development on Vimeo.

On Friday, we also went to a festival of the Shan people - they are a people group from Northern Burma that is fighting a civil war and being oppressed big time by the Burmse Army. Unlike the Karen people, they are not allowed to form refugee camps, so instead come illegally into Thailand where they end up with the worst lowest paying jobs. 70% of prostitutes in Chaing Mai - which has the highest percentaage per head of population in the world - are Shan; as are most of the construction workers, which are very poorly paid here. This festival is their coming of age festival if you like, where the young guys are all dressed up and carried round on he shoulders of their fathers. There was much colour, dancing and music.



That day we also got a bit of a lesson on Buddlism. A couple of things to think about....

• If Buddlism at an academic level doesn't believe in a god - which they don't - then are those images of Buddla really idols???? Sadly, they become so, for the common people more out of superstition than anything else.
  
• Buddlism believe in achieving a state of Nirvana. They have these different level structures that getter narrower and narrower as they reach the top - which is a point. The bottom widest level is Hell - level 4 is heaven ----- which then has lots of levels until you reach the narrow point at the top which is the aim - Nirvana. This is a state not a place. But, with this being the Buddist worldview, when Christians come along and say do you want to go to heaven? Buddlists hear something completely different.
• Buddlism is about getting rid of suffering - you do this basically by letting go of desire. To a degree there is truth in this - but 'cos there is no God, no nothing really except "letting go", Buddlism in the end leaves people empty. Which is why a lot of Buddlists are really into folk Buddlism.

So that is a little of what I learnt in our little lesson from Stu Corlett. I typed it here party for anyone who was interested and mostly so I wouldn't forget.
So tomorrow we are of to Mae Sot maybe - and going to visit one of the Karen refugee camps. Will let you know how it all goes.

Til Next Time

D

End of Bangkok to Chiang Rai

Hey so what’s been happening since our last update well...... I did a 5hr Thai massage course (may have been a waste of $) i have a photocopied book n a certificate to prove it though – just need to practice it! (makes Dale happy) We enjoyed an adventure into China town via a boat down the canal and had a good look around getting lost, had a ride on a tuk tuk – little 3 wheel vehicle! Found a big shopping centre n realised there was 3 of them but only managed to go into 2 of them as they so huge! Had a crazy 45min taxi ride back to our guesthouse at the end of the day!! Thursday we caught a flight to northern Thailand to Chiang Rai leaving from the “old airport” which is probably really only used by the dodgey airlines for domestic use (ok maybe not really) - again the taxi ride there was crazy but we made it! The flight kept being delayed but finally we flew the hr flight unfortunately we couldn’t see much out the window as the smog has come! Seems to be worse up here in Chiang Rai which is a shame. Here in Chiang Rai it is alot smaller n more relaxed than Bangkok (wonder why!) There are more Buddha’s, so we saw the Emerald n the Cave ones! Hired a scooter one day, went checked out a museum n had a little spill on it but no really damage was done! One reason to be in this city was to meet Dan Rutledge n hear about the work he has been doing here with a boys orphanage. So we met up with him n his beautiful family! They took us our to try some real Thai dishes n chat about their story. We ended up going to a night market with them as well but this market only happens on a Saturday night n nearly a whole street is closed off for it! So many people n I think some famous people where there as well (what would we know). We met up again with Dan n his family at the Chiang Rai Gospel Church on Sunday – 2hrs of Thai speaking actually wasn’t too bad! Dan keep Dale informed of what was being said though. Took Dan n his family out for lunch n their favourite is Pizza so we went to the Pizza Company (Pizza Hutt) of all places. Enjoyed very much getting to know n find out things from Dan n his family. We hope to meet up again when he has to come down to Chiang Mai, which is where we off too toaday via a bus! Another adventure that will be! Ok enough now – check the pics out

Till next time

N

Bangkok

So here are a few photos, there is a big protest going quite close to us. In fact we went and listen to some of the guy's speech to them the other night, but political speeches are boring at the best time - in another language they are really boring. It appears people think that things will get worst before they get better however which is a shame. Thankfully, each day more of the protesters are leaving to go back home as work and family calls. There is one photo here from when we went pass them in a Taxi (with a very anxious driver). 'Cos they are all in red and a lot are on motorbikes it reminds me of a Mongrel Mob conference or something.
As you can see we have been to see some temples and Buddhas. Last night we went and had a meal with a couple of Kiwi's who have been working in Thai community for 13 years. They have done a amazing job helping them build up a business that now exports right around the world. Great couple - was a good night.
So pray for the situation here that it doesn't get to crazy. And all the riot police and army we see round aren't needed. Today they taking their own blood and dropping it at different places. From some of the people we have spoken to it seems a bit odd since there was good reasons that the guy they support got booted out.

Anyway till next time.

D

Just Arrived

So after 12hrs flying, 6 movies later, 2 dinners and a snack, walks up n down the aisle, not much of a view out the window because of a plane wing n cloud – we have arrived in Bangkok! We travelled past the main arrival gate to about the end of airport, just to get out of the plane with a temperature of 30+ at 9.30pm to hope on a bus to travel back to the main arrival gate – woo hoo! All n all everything has gone smoothly, though they didn’t stamp my visa and were only going to let me stay here for a month instead of 2, but we got that sorted quickly! Found our driver easily who took us to our guesthouse, with a 30min drive at speeds of up to or over 120kph we made it! Here the adventure begins – our little room here is simple but nice with the comfort of air-con! What to do, eat, see, and why, when, where, how and the cost - are all the choices we have to make but is this good or bad? We have been for a walk around a few streets nearby this morning and I’m guess we are in a tourist area because the place has lots of Europeans, they seem to be the ones sharing at you and not speaking english either! We are 6hrs behind NZ so hopefully we’ll handle this time difference, other than that we are all good
Till next time
N

PS I here there is an anti government march tomorrow and everything might close down because it is expected to be huge – i guess we’ll find out - good timing aye!

It's Time And Our Itinerary

So the house is clean, gear is all packed and in storage - the farewells (some of them tearful) made - Taupo has been left for the next 10 weeks or so.

Most of the last minute things have been done - still a bit to do tomorrow before we catch the plane to Thailand, and the adventure and maybe a big step towards the next thing in our lives begins.

In Auckland we have been catching up with family, the Ashworths yesterday and caught up with Katie Short and Bryce Millar today. We fly out at 3:30pm tomorrow.

Some people (us included) will be pleased to know that we heard from 'Partners' today. They are still expecting us, which is great. They have a few things planned for us including: help runnning children programmes, helping out at the Mae Sot and Chiang Mai offices and maybe helping out teaching a bit of English (yeah funny aye, considering how well we speak it).

So the excitment is beginning to build ---- please remember to pray for us.

Below is our Itinerary....

12th March - Leave For Thailand - Stay In Bangkok, with hopefully a few visits with Kiwi's working there.

18th March - Travel To Chiang Rai (right up North Thailand) - for the purpose of meeting another Kiwi running an orphanage there

23rd March - Travel To Chiang Mai - where we start working with Partners

20th April - Finish up with Partners and travel back to Bangkok for a few days

23rd April - Travel To Bali for a few days R & R

27th April - Travel To Timor Leste - to meet up Carol Payne and other friends there

10th May - Travel To Darwin

13th May - Travel To Melbourne

18th May - Travel Back To Auckland

Til next time
Nale & Dell