Hello! So I was texting with Tyler last night & he was asking me some specific questions & it made me realize there is a lot of feelings I have about the villages & the people here that I haven't shared with you guys yet. So I'm going to do that now.
First I'll start off with some of the volunteers: Madison (24) & Abby (19) are my two closest friends here. However I get along great with everyone & they all have their own unique personalities that I've enjoyed getting to know. Madison is married to a very adventurous man & they do a lot of crazy cool things together. A very outdoorsy & cute couple. I'll meet her husband at the end of the summer when he comes out. Madison also is just the sweetest & is so genuine & caring. Abby brings so much energy & fun to the group! She is the filmer/photographer for this trip & is amazing at what she does! Liz (23) served in Thailand so she knows Thai. She is going to be a great mom. Haha she is just so kind & caring. Very sincere. We have some twins here & they are fun. Along with a few other great girls! (Yes all the volunteers for third wave are girls) but then we have our two team leads David & Russell. They are the best. They both served their missions in Thailand so they also know Thai. We got lucky with great team leads. Russell's wife Dani is here with him as well. She's adorable. Such a fun group! Villages: It's so hard to learn all of their names (especially when their names sound like just random sounds) so I'm just going to speak about them in general. I have loved getting to know these villagers, especially the kids because they are who we spend most of our time with. This trip has already been a changing & growing experience that is definitely shaping me. I've learned so many new things about this culture & seen things that I have only really read about. I love being a part of something that is good & positive. It's been a very humbling experience. It's pushed me out of my comfort zone & that alone has been a changing experience. What I have a hard time with is the fact that we come here for this experience & help them...then we just leave. They don't have the choice to just leave. And even if they did I don't think they would because it's their home & they love it. But to me it's just still sad. Like there is a small kid here that is so athletic & I want him to be grow up to be an athlete. Or I want one of the young girls to become a doctor! & they totally can! But it's not likely. They will probably live the rest of their lives farming at their village. Or if they value education then they might get a job possibly in Chiang Mai. But they can do so much more!!!! Hopefully they continue on their own with the things that we teach them & get motivated about it. Because that's when real change will start to happen. Tyler made me realize though how I don't have to just leave. I can continue to "help" in so many ways after my time here is finished. & he's 100% right!
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We went on a team building activity this morning through the smokey mountains. We were driving through the clouds, which made it look that way. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before. It was so green, misty & mysterious. & actually kinda chilly. We drove on these windy roads to the top of the mountain. The hills were so steep our truck could hardly make it up them. In fact, we had to take a few breaks to give the pour guy a breather. At the top of the mountain was the Burma border & a small market with some older ladies selling ponchos & blankets, along with some other random things. A lot of the older ladies here chew "this thing" I'm calling it "this thing" because I don't know exactly what it is. But it's kinda like tobacco to them. It must be so addicting because their teeth are just rotting & falling out. (If they have any at all) It kinda felt like a scary movie walking through the market. (Not in a mean way) but picture crippled old ladies with rotted teeth that looked like their mouths were filled with blood, desperate for you to buy their merchandise. It was kinda sad actually. I did buy some pretty cool stuff there though that I'm excited about! We then went to the royal agricultural center, it was just a few minutes from the top of the mountain where we were at. It's basically where a lot of Thailand's produce is grown. It seemed like a national park but not cause people still lived there, even though we had to pay to get in... Idk. It was so beautiful. We had lunch there at a really nice restaurant. It was kinda like an Asian park city feel. I finally had that coconut soup I've been dying to have! Then we just toured around for a bit & walked through some beautiful gardens they had there before heading back home. We didn't get back until about 5 (we left at 9 & our plan was to get back home by 12, oops) that's one thing that I've realized since being here is that our plans are always changing. Things take longer than you think. So we kinda got a lot of the day off. It was actually a really great break. We did go to the Lahu village after though & teach first aid & aerobics. When we first got there they were we're going crazy with the stickers & sticking them on us. I had like 5 on my shirt & 3 on my forehead! Haha Sawanii, a cute little girl there made & gave me a cute pink bracelet. I love it! She sticks around me a lot it's funny, I think she likes me yay! I taught some of the kids how to play rock, paper, scissors. & also thumb wars. They loved it! We did Aerobics inside because of the rain. Monsoon season has definitely kicked into gear. It's really hot most of the day but down pours usually at least once. It's good for the drought. Well that's all for today! The following pictures are from our adventure in the mountains today. We got an earlier start this morning & left to the Lahu village to help plant rice. It was such an amazing experience. We did a small area for about 3 hours & it was so tiring. I was getting light headed from bending over so long & my back killed. Haha they are so much quicker than us at it buuuut they do this for a living everyday! They make about 200 baht a day/7 dollars. I'll send a picture of the rice fields so you know what exactly it looks like. We went in barefoot in this calf deep muddy water & would stick a small little bunch of this weed type looking grass into the mud. It was kinda relaxing at first but that went away pretty fast. Being barefoot in the mud was nice & soft though. It's so crazy to me that rice comes from these plants. They offered us lunch after so we ate with them just on the side of the fields. Very similar to last nights dinner with them but a few new dishes. Same hot HOT stuff. Haha They are so kind to feed us I try to get the message across to them how much I appreciate it by smiling & saying thank you even though they don't understand. Actually I usually say it in Thai because we have been learning basic Thai here, but I don't think these villagers even spoke Thai. So something kinda interesting about these villages that we go to is that they all speak their own different tribe languages. They don't speak Thai. Well some of them learn it in school but a lot of them don't know it. Kinda crazy! After lunch a couple of us went & picked up some of the Akha boys after school & took them to the pool for swim lessons. Madison & I were in the back of the truck with them & it was surprising how much we were able to communicate with them from basic Thai that we know & hand motions. They are such punks! But so so sweet. I offered them an apple & they are all so caring and just took a bite & passed it on. The pool was so relaxing & different than what we usually do. Maybe cause I wasn't really teaching, I just went along for the swim & good time. Wearing a swimsuit felt really weird though. It was the least amount of clothing I've worn in quite some time. Haha but it felt so nice being in the pool & just relaxing! We went strait from the pool to their village & finished up the canal & played with the kiddos. I was so so tired by this point, I literally could have fallen asleep on the playground tires. Were finally home now & I just finished hand washing my clothes. Today I learned how to plant rice & hand wash clothes. Sick. I really feel like I learned a lot today & everyday really. Things that I really probably would never need to know specifically for my own life, but these experiences are changing & shaping me just as it is them. This trip has already been such a growing experience. I love it. Another solid day.
Monday's are kinda like our "p-day" we had a lazy morning & just relaxed, & then had a preparation meeting. We planned projects & went to the store to get supplies for the week so that we are prepared & things run more smoothly. We didn't get to the Lahu village until about 5. We had so much fun there tonight! We painted the inside walls of a meeting building at their village. We kept the kids out because that would have just been obnoxious with them in there. But they just stood at the open windows the entire time & watched & occasionally called out our names & waved. "Mel!" 👋🏼 so cute. There are so many stinkin kids at the lahu village. We are going to be teaching some sex ed classes pretty soon so that the girls know what a healthy relationship is. The kids are the best though! I just had so much fun with them today! They make you feel so loved! I'm usually with the girls cause the boys just do their own thang but occasionally a lil boy will come jump on my back & I'm just like oh hey. What's up dude? Haha some of the older girls know very basic English so I can communicate a bit better with them. They love practicing their English with you. Occasionally I can tell a group of girls are talking about me so I'll ask David (a team lead) that speaks Thai what they are saying. It's always good things, like today one of the girls asked him what drugs I used to make myself so beautiful. I almost died. I just looked at her & laughed & shook my head. No no no. No drugs. It was so funny! They will come up to you & touch your face & say "so beautiful" if that's not a self esteem booster I don't know what is! AND THEN, the best part of the entire week was doing aerobics with them. It was seriously the funnest thing! We had music blasting through the speakers & everyone was dancing & following one of the volunteers up front. She has a little routine that we follow along with. When we finished we kept the music going & just danced for at least an hour more! They will just stand there & copy you. So it was like non stop dancing with a group of lil kiddos following your every move! So fun. So so fun. By about 7:30 we had dinner. Two villagers that I think are married made us dinner & ate with us. We were outside & bugs were everywhere, I guess you learn to just get over it. The food was AMAZING though. There was a very spicy dish I thought my eyes were gonna fall out! Every meal is my new favorite meal! Seriously it just keeps getting better! Then we ate Tim Tams dipped in milk. You bite each end of the cookie & suck the milk through it. It is heaven. I'm pretty sure you can get them in the U.S. But I'm gonna bring some back anyways! Today started out slow but ended with a bang! Such a solid night.
Abby my friend and the photographer/videographer for our trip posted a video for week one of our trip. It's amazing you've gotta watch it! The link is on her bio on Instagram. Search akeenster on Instagram and click the link in her bio. Melanie is in this video briefly at 1:48. How sweet it is!
Today was so rad! Literally one of the craziest days of my life. We came down to Chiang Mai this morning bright & early. We arranged a hike to a waterfall with a former branch president. Well he invited us so we planned to meet at the church, he was late so we got lunch real quick & walked the streets before heading back to the church. FINALLY we got on our way. 13 of us jammed in the bed of a truck cruising down the streets. Literally cruising. He (former branch president) was driving so fast! Like unsafe fast for all of us in the back. I was a bit terrified. Oh yeah, there's no speed limits here. We were driving on the highway going at least 65. I thought I was gonna fly out. Then it started to rain so hard, it was like pelting our skin. It was so funny we were all dying laughing. As we kept driving the scenery was amazing. We were driving through the jungle. So green! The further we got in the more beautiful it became. We drove past some elephants on the side of the ride & it made me so pumped for next weekend when we get to ride the Ellie's. Anyways so were driving through this windy jungle road & then we stopped to pick up a UVU tour group to join us on our adventure. We had no idea this was happening, next thing we knew 21 of us were crammed in the back of the truck!!! It was so insane. He was driving so fast. People were just laughing at us as we drove by! We finally got to our destination. He took us down this basically vertical mud slide hill with only small bamboo shoots to hold on to. By this point we were covered in mud! We then trudged through a river to a waterfall. It was waste deep & so intense! We were slipping all over the place. We finally made it to the waterfall & cliff jumped! So fun! Lots of the girls were nervous & weren't going to go but we got most of them to & it made me so happy seeing them do something they thought they couldn't & you know they'll be glad they did after!! High five everybody! We hung out here for a bit before heading back down the jungle roads. All 20 of us, all the way to Chiang Mai this time. More than an hour drive! So so crazy. We were having a riot! Our group then split up & we did our own thang. Me & a couple girls checked into our very ghetto hotel & showered before going out for dinner. Then we went to the night bizarre (street market) & did some souvenir shopping. The best part of it all was when we stopped for fish pedicures! We were so obnoxious but it was just the craziest thing! These girls are so fun! I love my team & I love Thailand! Day 4 videos
We went to the Lahu village today to finish up the net fence we are putting around their dirt soccer field like literally up on top of the mountain of their village. It's such a pretty look out up there but there is a huge cliff so they always lose their balls. Which is why we are putting up the fence to prevent that. These ppl are so ambitious & resourceful they just need the idea or a push in the right direction. Once we bring up an idea to them they make it happen & actually do a lot of the work. They were up there with us helping tie the nets & they actually did a lot of the welding stuff with the poles that we tied the nets to. They are awesome. They have a bunch of dogs, I don't know if they are stray dogs or have owners. Probably a mix of both. But one of the dogs got caught in the net today & it was literally the saddest thing. He was yelping & squirming, a Thai man helped the dog out but they were laughing & I just watched with wide eyes. Hopefully that's not a problem with the net....? Okay so a little about this village... they don't have clean water but they drink it anyways & get sick, as in diarrhea. So we are putting a filter in the cistern. It amazes me how long they have been without clean water. It gets really bad during rainy season because it washes dirt & mud into the water so it's not as clean. They wash themselves with a bucket & a cup. They just dump it over their head & call it good. They live in tiny little huts, it reminds me of a tree house on the ground almost. I'll send a video that hopefully does justice. Occasionally you will see a nicer home & it's cause they sell drugs & have a little more money. Therefore, nicer houses. But that's in other areas not at the Lahu village. I just keep picturing myself living in these circumstances & I could not even imagine. It makes me angry I think that way but it's just cause I have a "standard" that I'm used to. I've been living so differently for so long that this lifestyle is almost unimaginable. It makes me feel so ungrateful sometimes. We were complaining about the heat & how it would hurt so bad to run on the dirt & rocks barefoot, next thing we knew a little boy comes running past us barefoot with the biggest smile on his face. They live in such terrible situations but they are so happy & make the best of it. We have such a high standard in America that we feel we have to meet. Cause it's what we know & are used to. But these ppl have always lived this way & they are so humble & grateful. I'm actually writing right now in the bed of our truck. Were on our way to the Akha village (correct spelling) right now. Were going to be working some more on the canal. Like I said, this village is a little more educated & they have an overall cleaner, nicer village. For example, they have less decayed teeth here because they brush their teeth after every meal. Better than me. I am actually going to be teaching a very basic dental health class with another girl at the Lahu village. She brought tooth brushes & floss to give them. Her mom works at a dental office so score! Anyways, the Akha village also has less trash. They just keep it tidy, I think that's a big part of why it feels much nicer than other villages. They have a ton of land for rice fields & whatever else they grow. At least it seems like it goes on forever. I'm assuming it's all theirs but not positive. Their houses are much sturdier. Still little huts but they just seem more "put together" if that makes sense. They understand the importance of education at the Akha village which is such a huge thing. Some families will sell all their stuff to get their kids in school. Amazing. Definitely not like that everywhere though. We wanna get the kids some jump ropes. They would love them! They tied rubber bands together & made a long rope thing that they play games with. We taught them limbo & then practiced their high jumps. Haha so jump ropes would definitely keep them entertained I love all the different ppl we come in contact with. I wave to everyone on the street as we drive by because I love the giggles & huge smiles on their faces when I do. Everyday they make me want to be more friendly & just a better person! The reasons kinda why these mountains tribes are so poor is because they came from Southeast Asia 20/30 years ago & they aren't technically Thai citizens so they don't have the same rights as the rest of Thailand. They are taken advantage of by ppl & even police men. When they get sick they often aren't able to go to the hospital even. So they aren't really treated fairly & don't have the opportunity as easily as others to get an education. So that's a very small summary. Oh yeah, after we left the village we got some food. I had Pad Thai & it was my favorite meal yet. Street food wins every time man. So good. Okay so here are a couple videos & pictures. This above video is at the Akha village. Well about 5 minutes from it. So not really their village but their land, I think. He was learning our names:) Today was just amazing. It was my first full day here & it was AWESOME! I woke up & had cereal for breakfast. The milk is like half & half. Haha we got ready & headed to the lahu village. I was a little nervous but we got there & I immediately felt loved. The language barrier is so annoying but honestly it's amazing how much you can still connect with the ppl. Two of the guys here taught a first aid class to the adults while the rest of us got a tour of the village & just played with the kids. Non stop. They have so much energy!!! I loved every second of it. They just run up to you & hug you & hold your hand & (in my case) steal your phone & take accidental recording & photos. Lol SO CUTE! Most of Thailand is Buddhist but this village was Christian. Which was interesting. Thai ppl here also take their shoes off almost whenever they go inside which is also interesting. Anyways, such a good time at this village we will going back tomorrow, well aaaaaaanddd like everyday after that hahah. Then we left to get lunch at the usual place we eat at a lot down the street from our house. The food is so good! We relaxed at the house for a bit before going to a teen tech/trade school to teach English. They were kinda shy at first but then as soon as you open up to them they warm up to you so fast. That's kinda how it is with all kids really. As soon as you say hi or "sawadii ka" they're like oh, & all over it. After that we went to tesco (store) to get some supplies. We got ice cream while we were they cause duh. It tasted amazing on such a hot day. By this point of the day I literally felt like a sticky bun. That's the only way I can describe being sticky from the humidity & so dirty. With wind blown hair. Oh yeah we ride in the bed of trucks everywhere we go. I love it. Were all just crammed in the back of two trucks haha. We then went to the Aka village. We got a tour of this village as well. It seemed a bit nicer & this village in particular is drug free. Just a great village. We are building a canal with sand bags so that when it rains it doesn't flood their dirt soccer field anymore. I guess it just becomes a swamp over the whole area! Then we played with the kids (always playing with kids) haha & then played soccer. There was just a bunch of teen boys & then our team leads & girls. After about 30 minutes I felt in the way so I stepped out and played with kids more hahah. The boys are actually really good! & they live it! On our way home from that it started to DOWN POOR!!!! Like literally dripping wet. In the back of a truck. DRIPPING. & we went to dinner before going home so that was uncomfortable in wet clothes but the food was good so whatevs we got Rita's for dessert. Like fried crepe things....? Idk but they are yum! Anyways I'm exhausted! Good, long day.
This is at the lahu village... This was where we taught English. This was at the Aka village. Thailand is amazing!! I LOVE THAILAND! It's only the first day & I am just loving it! We've only seen a small part of Chiang Mai. We rode a fun little red tuk tuk thing to a Buddhist temple and it was so so gold it was blinding hahah! Very pretty. Russell, one of our team leads picked us up from the airport & has been telling us some things about what we will be doing. I am so excited!! We got lunch at the mall for ONE DOLLAR. Such good Thai food for ONE DOLLAR! I love my team they are all so nice, well at least the ones that I have met. We are on this hugo bus to Fang rn. 3 hours. Ugh. But I'll meet the rest of the peeps there & get situated in our house! We will be working with a couple different mountain tribes near Fang. He told us briefly about them. I will go into more detail about that later once I understand a bit better. Man, it's so hot. Like SO HOT. & humid.
Yay! We got to our humble abode. It's cute & ghetto. We are all so so tired. We walked to get dinner down the street, it was good. Man, I'm so tired. Goodnight. I feel like I have been traveling for two days! Wait, I have literally been traveling for two days, & it's not over yet. I'm currently sitting in the Bangkok airport waiting for our last flight to Chiangmai. It's not for another SEVEN HOURS! It's an overnight layover so it's kinda miserable too. But not as miserable as the Mexico City night layover. Man, that was the worst! We were hungry so Abby got these waffles that tasted like a hard candy in waffle form. I got starfruit, so yummy! It tasted like a kiwi but not as sour. I don't really have much to say because I haven't left the stinkin airport yet, but I'm kinda bored rn so I thought I'd write a lil bitsy. Oh yeah, we saw BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY in the LA airport. Abby asked him if he was bill and he was like, "yup, good morning to ya" lol so funny! We had an 11 hour flight from LA to TOKYO (thanks iggy) & it wasn't the worst thing ever actually. None of the flights have been really. They have been so long but I guess a neck pillow, movies, & good food makes the difference! But srsly, when did airplane food get so good!? I was very impressed to say the least. I was confused however as to what meals I was eating. With the time change & all. I thought I was eating lunch but next thing I knew on that same flight they were serving breakfast. Hah I'll take it:) this whole time change thing is throwing me off. Like what happened to my bedtime!? I didn't get one thats what. Lol I loved the Tokyo airport. I don't know why but it was just so fun & I just wanted to leave & go see Tokyo!! Our flight from Tokyo to Bangkok was nice cause I had a window seat & no one sat in the middle. So I had more room. There was a nice fellow on the aisle seat that tapped my shoulder when he noticed I was waking up from a "somewhat" nap and he used hand gestures to tell me to lay across the two seats. Haha so I awkwardly did so. Anyways, that's all. Ttyl. Can't wait to get to Chiangmai!
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purposeWe can all make a difference. That's why I set off on a 38-day, 7,000-mile journey through the slums of Thailand to give food to the hungry, hope to the helpless, and relief in the face of despair all along Categories
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