...to the ends of the earth.

Cambodia: Part II

2009-08-14T23:40:00.023-04:00

Sihanoukville
Siem Reap got old pretty quickly. The constant harassment from tuk-tuk drivers and beggar children really wears you down, so when we heard about the overnight bus to the quiet coastal town of Sihanoukville, we jumped at the chance to escape this big tourist trap. After a day of touring Angkor Wat, we caught the 8pm bus and rode through the night down to the southern coast of Cambodia, arriving just before dawn. We checked into a guesthouse that was practically on the beach. Because it was the rainy season, we had a lot of bargaining power, and I ended up paying just $5.00 for a fan room with cable T.V. and two queen beds all to myself. It's necessary to bargain in this region--it's just the way things are done--but I have to say, I'll never really get the hang of it. Although I was on a tight budget, I never felt comfortable driving a hard bargain, knowing that I was so much better off than these folks. I'd start to feel sorry for the seller, so whenever possible, I let the guys handle the price-setting.

After settling in, we spent the morning walking on the beach, which was really clean and peaceful, with just a few vacationing Cambodian families and even fewer foreigners. After lunch, we rode rented motorbikes ($5/day) to a waterfall not too far from town. We rented the bikes from our guesthouse, and when we asked about the enforcement of traffic laws, the guy told us that in the unlikely event that we got pulled over, we could just slip the cop some "tea money." Gotta love Asia! (Hm...it's probably unwise of me to post this on the Internet, considering that I'll be taking the Bar in two years...)

The roads in Sihanoukville were long and straight, perfect for riding motorbikes. When I rode in Thailand, I was driving on steep mountain roads with hairpin curves, so I usually went no more than 40 km/hr, but here, we could go over 100 km/hr! In order to get to the waterfall, we had to go off-road for about 15 km, which made for a thrilling ride. I felt like such a daredevil--not at all like the risk-averse, speed limit-abiding law student I was back home! :)

Here's a shot of the landscape as we rode...simply stunning. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of us on our bikes, but I'll post some if I can get some of the ones that the guys took.

The waterfall. It was bigger than I had expected, a really beautiful place! It was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Cambodia!

We couldn't resist taking a dip--the water felt lovely!

These girls followed us down the slippery rocks into the water while balancing their wares on their heads! (Note: What's up with the pajama outfit? I saw so many Cambodian women sporting them!)

I was so impressed by their gracefulness that I decided to buy some snacks from them. They were sweet, although they tried to overcharge us--business is business, I guess!
She asked for 3000 riel (~$0.75), although it said 5 baht (~$0.15) on the bag, as Kerry was quick to point out. That's why she's laughing. We settled on 2 bags for $1.00.
The smaller of the two waterfalls.
Crazy Kerry decided that he wanted to go through the waterfall.

When I saw that he had made it safely made it to the other side, I decided to do it, too! So fun!

In the evening, we had dinner at nice little second-floor, open-air restaurant, where I tried shark for the first time--it was unexciting, just a dense fish, really. We topped off the night with some drinks at one of the many bars on the beach. We lounged in circle sofa chairs, with the ocean literally at our feet and soft candlelight to set the mood. It was the perfect ending to an adventure-filled day.

Phnom Penh
After spending the night in Sihanoukville, we backtracked to the capital city, Phnom Penh. I went with low expectations, after hearing about the filth, crowding, and awful traffic. The traffic is pretty crazy--it seems like there are no rules whatsoever!--and much of the city is desperately poor, but there are definitely signs of economic development and growth, especially in the touristy riverfront area where we stayed. And while the tuk-tuk drivers were pretty aggressive, they were generally good-natured and merry.

Our first night in town, we went in search of a restaurant along the riverfront. We turned down what looked like a pretty happening street and chose a place called Sizzlers. But when the hostess opened the tinted door, it became immediately obvious that this was a prostitute bar. The night was still young, so there were no customers in the dimly lit interior, just a lot of heavily made up, scantily clad girls sitting around. Of course, my first instinct was to turn around and walk away, at which point we noticed that the surrounding establishments had names like "69" and "Pussy Cat." Duh. But then, curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to go back to Sizzlers. Kerry and Trevor made up a code word for me in case I felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave--I think it was something like "banana float." Heh. Inside, we ordered some drinks. Most of the girls kept their distance because I was there, but one girl, Lele, came and sat down next to me. She was half-Viet, half-Chinese, and she had been living in Cambodia for over 8 years, with no intention of returning to Vietnam, where she had grown up. Surely the standard of living in Vietnam is better than that of Cambodia. When I asked why she didn't want to go back, she said it was because her father was Chinese, which I didn't quite understand. Maybe there are racial tensions? Anyway, she was really cool, and the four of us played a couple games of pool before we headed out to a club that Lele recommended to us. I was impressed by how nice the club was. It was a large, modern venue with an elaborate stage. Perched on stools at high, round tables, we watched Cambodian singers and back dancers perform, and waiters brought us our drinks. Later, the dance floor opened up, and we had fun dancing with Cambodian teenagers. It's always interesting for me to see how the young people play and interact. Unfortunately, I had to check my camera at the entrance, so no pictures of the night.

The next day, Friday, we visited the Killing Fields of Choeung-Ek, 17 km south of Phnom Penh, where tens of thousands of Cambodians were violently executed by Khmer Rouge forces under the totalitarian communist rule of Pol Pot between 1975 and 1979.

This Buddhist stupa was erected as a memorial for the victims. It's filled with the skulls of the dead, which were unearthed from nearby mass graves.

Then we headed back into town to Tuol Sleng, a former high school that was converted into a prison during Pol Pot's rule. Inside its walls were large boards displaying photos of the thousands of prisoners who were tortured and killed here. For reasons unknown to me, the Khmer Rouge soldiers took great pains to document the faces and biographies of all of their victims. Death was all around us, almost a tangible presence, as we walked the corridors.

Prisoners were strung upside down to these gallows by their arms, and their heads were dipped into vats filled with water below as a means of torture.

One of the suffocatingly small prison cells.

While I was glad that I had the opportunity to visit Cambodia, I was nevertheless eager to return to Thailand. I booked a flight out of Phnom Penh back to Bangkok the same afternoon. I hired a motorbike to take me to the airport. On the way, a tire blew out, so the driver stopped on the side of the road to have it patched. This is the wife and son of the repairman. The little boy was swinging wildly from the hammock, completely carefree, completely unaware of the filth around him. The woman was so kind; she brought a chair out to the sidewalk for me to sit on during the few minutes it took to patch the tire. I asked to take a picture of the boy, but it was really the woman I wanted to capture.

It was a sobering last day in Cambodia. In order to achieve its agrarian utopia--a nation of poor, uneducated peasants--the Khmer Rouge systematically executed at least 200,000 people, and millions more died from disease and starvation during its four-year reign. How does a nation recover from such suffering? How can it possibly begin to rebuild? It's been 30 years since the fall of the Khmer Rouge, and while the Cambodian people are quick to smile, quick to laugh, the country has not yet emerged from the shadow of its dark past. If you visit South Korea today, it's hard to believe that there was a civil war less than 60 years ago. I wonder what the next 30 years hold for Cambodia...

Cambodia: Part I

2009-08-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

After completing my 10-week internship with the IRC, I had one week to travel before I was scheduled to fly back to the States. Based on feedback from friends who've traveled the region, I chose to visit neighboring Cambodia--to see what all the fuss about Angkor Wat was about but also to witness a nation that has suffered much in its recent past.

The Itinerary
Monday morning: Bangkok to Siem Reap by bus and taxi
Tuesday night: Siem Reap to Sihanoukville by overnight bus
Thursday morning: Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by bus
Friday afternoon: Phnom Penh back to Bangkok by plane

Part I: Siem Reap / Angkor Wat
Getting to Siem Reap
Early Monday morning (8/3), I boarded a bus that would take me from Bangkok to the Thai border town of Aranyaprathet. I went armed with pages of research on how to avoid the many scams targeting unsuspecting tourists on this overland route. Upon arriving in Aranyaprathet, I hired a motorcycle taxi to take me to the border about 6 km away. The driver looked like a decent person, so I felt betrayed when she made a "detour" and pulled into a driveway, where a man came up and told me that I had arrived at the border (even though I had just passed road signs that indicated otherwise). He then told me that this was the "Cambodia Consulate," just as the Internet sites had warned, so I knew that he would proceed to try to sell me a way overpriced visa. I insisted that my driver take me to the real border, and thankfully she complied without much resistance. As soon as I was dropped off, I was accosted by smooth-talking taxi drivers who wanted to take me to Siem Reap after I had walked over the border into the Poipet, the border town on the Cambodian side. I managed to keep them at bay while getting my exit stamp and visa. I wish I had taken a picture when I crossed into Cambodia, but I was so intent on not getting scammed or pickpocketed that I didn't get a chance. Having navigated Cambodian immigration without incident, I sought out fellow tourists who would share a taxi with me for the 2-hour ride to Siem Reap. I was really grateful when I ran into two Americans from Utah, Kerry and Trevor. Under any other circumstances, I probably would not have gotten into a car with two random male strangers--my parents couldn't hide their alarm when I first told them over the phone a couple days later!--but in a seedy casino town like Poipet, which is one big tourist trap, it felt like the safest thing to do! On the way to Siem Reap, I got to know the guys better and decided that they were trustworthy traveling companions. We all had a bit of a scare (and later a laugh) when our taxi driver got pulled over by a cop and it became evident that he didn't have proper documentation, but then he slipped the cop some cash--not entirely discreetly, I might add--and we were on our merry way! Oh, Asia. In Siem Reap, we were transferred to a tuk-tuk. Gosh, I can't believe I've been in Southeast Asia for 11 weeks, and I still haven't explained to you what a tuk-tuk is. Basically, it's a motorbike attached to a canvas-covered cart where 3-4 passengers can sit. These three-wheeled rickshaws are all over Asia, and their drivers are infamous for trying to cheat tourists. We didn't know where we wanted to stay in Siem Reap, but of course, our charming driver had a few places in mind, and while we were wary of the commission he'd be getting from the guesthouse, we were anxious to settle in after our long journey. He was so good, he even secured a job for the following day, driving us all around Angkor Wat for $12.

Our first meal in Siem Reap was, appropriately, fish amok, a popular Khmer dish featuring steamed fish in a thick coconut milk curry and wrapped in banana leaves. *drool. I MUST find a Cambodian restaurant when I return to Cambridge!
Siem Reap is very much a tourist town, so there were plenty of food options, but they were pricier than what we were used to in other parts of Southeast Asia.
Tuesday morning on the way to Angkor Wat in the tuk-tuk. These guys were really chill traveling companions. It was probably annoying at times for them to travel with a prissy, high-maintenance girl like me, but they never once complained or became impatient with me!
Angkor Wat. I read that it's beautiful at sunrise, but because it was the rainy season, chances were that it would be cloudy and not worth the 5am wake-up call. I couldn't get a decent picture, and I was too hot to care--if you want to see Angkor Wat in all of its glory, just Google it!
We were sweating buckets the whole time, so we stopped here for some refreshing coconut milk. This is Trevor. He was always such a gentleman, so considerate. For example, the night before, he stopped by my room with a present: my very own gecko to eat the mosquitoes during the night! He let me touch it before placing it on my wall! It was also nice to see that there are still boys out there who aren't scared of insects or critters! ;P

This was also where I finally gave in to one of the beggar children and bought a pack of postcards that I totally didn't need or want. He was so young and so adorable! I knew that dollar wouldn't go to him, so I decided to buy him a soda, but Trevor swears that he saw the boy return the Coke when my back was turned. That was the end of my feeble attempts at charity.
Climbing around on these ancient ruins was great fun! I felt like an intrepid explorer! It's hard to tell from the picture, but these stairs were really steep! The view at the top was totally worth it though!

While driving around Angkor Wat, we came upon a group of monkeys on the side of the road!
Even before we got out of the tuk-tuk, the beggar children descended upon us, trying to sell us bananas to feed to the monkeys. Kerry posted a great video of it on Facebook.
This little boy forgot all about selling his wares when he saw himself on camera. The way his jaw dropped and his eyes lit up was really special.

More ruins. I couldn't tell you their names if my life depended on it. We didn't do much research before heading to Angkor Wat, and we were too cheap to buy a guidebook or hire a tour guide.

A really cool tree.

Climbing more ruins. Yeah, that's how steep the stairs were. It looks like a vertical drop from above--I had to go down backwards.

Another beggar boy who was selling postcards at the top of the ruin. He impressed us by reciting the capitals of various countries and states (although he didn't know Pennsylania and Utah).

This particular ruin was really cool, because you could witness the formidable, unstoppable force that is Mother Nature.
As I walked through the ruins, I couldn't help humming that song from The Jungle Book, when Mowgli meets King Louie and then ends up destroying his palace!
After a long, hot day, what's better than a melon bubble tea?! Kerry and Trever were really good sports and took a picture with me at this uber-girly cafe!
At night, we explored town a bit and got a fish massage! You've probably heard about this in the news--for $3/15 minutes, you can have these tiny fish eat the dead skin off your feet!

I am unbelievably ticklish, so I couldn't keep my feet in for more than a few moments at a time!
Kerry is also really ticklish, so I challenged him to a competition--who could keep their feet in longer. I won, of course...
...but I admit I had a bit of an advantage. The fish just liked Kerry's feet more!

That's enough for now...stay tuned for Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh!

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-12T01:18:00.000-04:00

The whole family came to pick me up from JFK on Sunday night. When my dad spotted me waiting on the curb, he literally jumped out of the car and came running to embrace me. It was a sizeable stretch, and during that prolonged moment, it occurred to me that I should be the one running to him. (I had just seen the movie Taken on the plane—remember how the daughter always came bounding to hug her dad? It was kind of awkward for a 17-year-old...) I made a halfhearted jog to my dad, but big displays of affection don’t come very naturally to me--or to Asian families in general, I think it’s safe to say. My dad is the traditional Korean dad down to a T; he’s managed to resist virtually all Western influences during the 25+ years he’s lived in America...but maybe he’s learned a thing or two from Danny Tanner! I know part of it was my dad being his playful self, but it was still a poignant moment for me--it made me think of the song "When God Ran" and the parable of the prodigal son.

Another endearing thing that my dad does: Whenever one of the many plants in our house blooms, he brings it up to my room for me to enjoy!

This one is my favorite!

It was my inspiration during 1L finals.

My parents are so cute. Here are a few classic East-meets-West quotes from the past couple of days:

Daddy trying to convince my brother Daniel to drink some Johnnie Walker with him after Daniel refuses for lack of mixers: “남자들은 on the rocks 먹는거야." ("Men are supposed to drink on the rocks.")

Mommy confessing where all the good ice cream went (imitating the slang she hears from Daniel and Steven): "I killed it."

It’s good to be home! It's all about the simple pleasures in life: my mom’s awesome Korean cooking (although I gotta say, tonight’s 떡볶이 wasn’t up to par, Mommy); driving around suburbia; going for an early morning jog with Mommy; peaches and strawberries; listening to Mommy sing while Steven plays the piano; central air conditioning; napping in my parents’ bed; picking beach reads at my local library...
In just a few days, the whole family, all 6 of us, will be together again for a week-long vacation at the shore! Can't wait!

Homeward Bound!

2009-08-07T22:32:00.000-04:00

I'm almost there, guys!

...But thankfully, I'll be on something a little faster than this scooter! At this time tomorrow, I'll be on a plane heading back to the States (expected arrival time at JFK: 6pm, EST)! Then I'll finally have some time to resume this blog and tell you all about the past 7 weeks! I have so much to share, so stay tuned! (I'll also be tackling my neglected inbox, so if you've written me in the past couple of weeks, you can expect a response this week! Sorry!)

Week 4 in Review (6/14 - 6/20)

2009-07-08T04:06:00.000-04:00

I find myself apologizing again for being such a bad blogger. Part of it is that I’ve been busy doing the things that I should be blogging about! But I confess that I’m also daunted by the challenge of trying to convey to you everything I’ve been experiencing here. For example, how can I possibly capture the glorious thrill of riding a motorbike along remote mountain roads with rice paddies and mountains as the backdrop? And as I fall more and more behind, I realize that it’s impossible to recount it all and say anything meaningful at the same time, as my blogger friend Emily so aptly put it.

Well, here's another weekly update. What it lacks in substance, I've made up with photos! ;P It was a relatively quiet week in the office, but there were lots of happenings around town. 3 parties in one week...MHS is the place to be! Hehe~

Sunday: Dao Turns 27!
Dao's birthday was on Saturday, so after worship on Sunday, her church family had a little celebration for her.

There’s Dao is on the right, with the children’s Sunday school teacher holding the cake. Singing a song of encouragement for Dao are her mother, the pastor and his wife, and a couple church members.

Thai birthday cake! How cute are these little critters?!

Sisters!

Cutie patooties!

The pastor's daughter. She is so precious when she wais!

I don't know who this little guy is, but isn't he cute in his traditional Karen shirt?

Thursday: Yoel Turns 35!
A dinner party at Sheila’s is not to be missed! The food is always plentiful and delicious! Iskra from next door is an AMAZING baker and despite the scarcity of ingredients in MHS, she always shows up with something incredible! For this occasion, it was apple turnovers and cornbread like you’ve never tasted before!

Dear friends in MHS: Nadja, Yuval, and Astra

It was so good to see some of our Thai and Burmese LAC co-workers outside of the office! There will always be a bit of a divide among the different groups--it's natural, given the cultural and language barriers--but it's good fun whenever we do get together!

Happy birthday, Yoel! (Little Aleks, who’s juggling four languages at the moment, managed to learn to say “happy, happy!”)

Sheila somehow managed to whip up this impressive lemon tart, Yoel’s favorite, in a 700-baht oven that would be put to shame by an Easy-Bake oven. (Remember, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Thai kitchen that comes equipped with an oven!)

Saturday: GBV Party!
The IRC’s Gender Based Violence office threw a party on Saturday night to celebrate a number of things—farewells to a couple GBV staff, welcome to Su Su, congrats to Erin on graduation and to Hom on her marriage, as well as several birthdays, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s.

Mubi (right, front) graciously hosted the party—she lives in a traditional bamboo hut at the top of a really steep hill, one that even motorbikes can’t access! She and her friends cooked all day, so we stuffed ourselves with delicious Burmese dishes.
Here are our Dutch friends (L - R): Astra, Nadja, Eva, and Michael. They're not with the IRC--they're just good friends of the IRC, and if there's a party in MHS, they're there! ;)

Other LAC and non-LAC IRC staff.

Later in the evening, after everyone had had his fill of food and drink, Aung Aung Shein (one of the Burmese staff in the LAC office) brought out his guitar and the real fun began. In addition to the universal karaoke classics from the Beatles and John Denver, there were some Burmese favorites as well. Here’s a clip of a fun Burmese song. (Sorry, I don’t really know how to use the video recording feature on my camera, so you’ll have to be content with the audio.) Great fun! More than the glittering wats and bustling markets, I think these are the things I’m going to remember about this summer.

Week 3 in Review (6/7-6/13)

2009-06-25T07:41:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've been such a bad blogger. I've been taking pictures faithfully--it's just taking me a while to post them here. Here's a photo update of my third week in Thailand:

Meet Nadja, a med student from Holland who is volunteering for the summer with an organization that provides a boarding school and nurseries for migrant families working in villages near the border. I forget the name of the organization, but it's run by a Dutch woman named Astra, who knows pretty much all of the expats in town. Nadja is a fellow lonely soul here in MHS, and I am grateful that I can call her up whenever I am in need of company! (Plus, she has a motorbike!) In this photo, we are having drinks at Crossroads, the only relatively cool bar/hangout in town, where you can always find other expats!

I usually buy dinner from these vendors on my way home from the office. They set up every night along the lake and sell everything from fish, soup, sticky rice, barbequed pork and chicken skewers, fried chicken, noodles, and smoothies to traditional handicrafts and jewelry.

Here's a shot of the vendors in daylight. Note the rainbow in the background! The sun was still shining, but you can also see the darkening sky in the distance.

After I took the picture of the rainbow, I sat in this gazebo and ate my fruit salad (mango, pineapple, papaya, watermelon), which I had bought along the way for 30 baht (~$1), as the winds grew stronger and the storm clouds moved in. When it finally started to rain, I was joined by some junior high-aged kids still in their school uniforms, and we watched it rain over the lake together. It was like a scene out of a movie! :)

I love to see the wat all lit up at night!

This is a view from the other gazebo on the lake. On this particular night, Nadja and I sat here and talked while mosquitoes feasted on us. (It's a hopeless battle against the bugs, but I think I'm winning so long as I don't get dengue fever or malaria!)

[Friday, 6/12]
On Friday, Mu Gay and I went into Camp to attend the monthly Child Protection Forum (CPF), which is attended by various camp-based organizations (Karenni Youth Organization, Karenni Women’s Organization, Karenni Education Department, Women’s Community Centre) as well as NGOs like UNHCR, IRC’s GBV, COERR, TBBC, etc. Yuval from UNHCR presented a new initiative for dealing with child perpetrators; I presented the CSO program, particularly as it pertains to juvenile offenders, and then we discussed how the two programs will work together. Our presentations were just the first two items on an agenda of about 15-20 items, but the discussion went well past lunchtime! Meetings in Camp are usually all-day affairs. Part of the reason these meetings go so long is because of the language issues. In any given meeting, it's not uncommon to have Burmese, Thai, and English speakers, not to mention all of the Burmese ethnic languages, such as Karen, Karenni, and Shan.

The meeting was held in a building called the "Child-Friendly Space," which was set up by COERR, a Catholic organization, with the support of UNHCR.

Another shot of the Child-Friendly Space.

A picture taken during the afternoon session, after the lunch break, which involved endless discussion about how to solve the problem of youth escaping from Camp to earn money in town or in the surrounding villages ("illegal presence"), which is also a huge problem among adults--and who can blame them?

[Saturday, 6/13]
I woke up early Saturday morning to climb the mountain that overlooks the lake. It was a glorious experience! I think people should retreat to mountains if they want to feel close to God. If this isn't worship, I don't know what is! There's a wat at the top, as well as a cafe called the Sunset Cafe, but it wasn't open yet. I'm told that the view at sunset is incredible, so I will have to go back on a day when it isn't so gosh-darn hot!

The view from the top. There's sleepy little MHS! My pictures really don't do justice to this place!

It was still early morning, but by the time I reached the bottom of the mountain again, I was drenched with sweat, so I decided to cool off at my favorite Saturday hangout--Pok's!

I <3 their smoothies, but they cost a fortune by MHS standards!

It's such a charming little place!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Miss you guys! E-mail me your addresses if you want a postcard from Thailand! :)

The Power of Prayer

2009-06-19T07:03:00.001-04:00

[UPDATE]
This is late in coming, but I have wonderful news! Last weekend, the KNU was defeated and forced to give up their camp, which means that Steven was able to return safely to Mae La Camp! Mu Gay spoke with him over the phone, and he is more or less unharmed. Steven reported that he stepped on a land mine, but it did not explode. He says it's a miracle! The malaria tests also came back negative! They are both so thankful for your prayers! (Mu Gay was so encouraged when I told her that all of you back home were praying for her family!) I thought there could be no happy ending to this story... Praise God for such a speedy answer to prayer!

Today we also honor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, on her 64th birthday.

"In the Quiet Land, no one can hear
what is silenced by murder
and covered up with fear.
But, despite what is forced, freedom's a sound
that liars can't fake and no shouting can drown."

And on a slightly different note, I want to thank all of you for your comments and e-mails. I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to each of you individually, but I want you to know that I read them all, and I love hearing from you guys! I will get only busier as my internship progresses, so while I can't promise individual e-mail responses, I will do my best to keep this blog up to date!

Congratulations, Jegs!

2009-06-16T00:14:00.000-04:00

My brother, Daniel, is graduating from high school. Oh, how I wish I could be home to celebrate with my family! If it's a Min family celebration, feasting will be involved for sure!

***

Daniel, I’m really proud of you, of who you’ve become over the years. You’re no longer just my kid brother...you’re now a friend, someone I really want to hang out with! I was sad when you got your driver’s license, because it meant that the days of picking you up from school, from tennis, from church were over. Did you know that those times driving home together were often the highlight of my day? One of the things I love most about you is that you’re solid, dependable--기둥 is the word that comes to mind. For someone emotional and fickle and complicated like me, your presence is a comforting, reassuring. And I admire you because you’re far less selfish than I could ever be—you’re generous, conscientious, sensitive to others. Whoever you marry is a lucky lady. ;)

I’m excited so for you, for this next chapter of your life. College is an awesome time to grow—to see new things, learn new things, meet all kinds of people. Milk it for all it's worth! Don't let the next four years just pass you by. Live in the moment. Be present.

College is also a time when you have a lot of opportunities to make mistakes. I confess that I'm a little worried (although I'm hardly one to speak--I've caused my share of grief to Mommy and Daddy!). But I know that God keeps His promises, and I am confident that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose," and "He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion." My one piece of advice: Find a mentor and/or friends who will challenge you and keep you accountable. Be a light, Daniel!

All together now..."Aww!"

You've come a long way, kid!

Aiding and abetting in my kidnapping!

You'll take care of Daddy when he's a crotchety old man, right? Being the eldest son comes with privileges AND duties! ;P J/P--I love you, Daddy!

Prayer Request

2009-06-10T21:36:00.000-04:00

Mu Gay received a call yesterday morning from the brother remaining in Mae La Camp, with reports that many KNU soldiers have been killed in joint attacks by the Burmese Army and its ally, the Democratic Karen Burmese Army (DKBA). DKBA troops were originally part of the KNU but split from the Christian-dominated KNU in 2005 and became its enemy by joining forces with the Burmese junta. They are intent on finishing off the KNU, whose numbers are dwindling.

Many KNU soldiers are being brought to the hospital in Mae Sot in very serious condition, often with missing limbs. Today, Mu Gay received word that one of Steven's friends arrived at Mae Sot after having stepped on a land mine, but there is no word about Steven. Mu Gay is frantic with worry, and she wonders how she will tell her parents back in Rangoon. (She and her brother have kept Steven's return to the KNU a secret.) Mu Gay worries that her mother will not be able to handle the news—she has a weak heart, and she loves Steven so much. Please pray for Steven, Mu Gay, and the rest of her family; for the Burmese people, who have suffered so much and continue to suffer; and for wisdom for those of us working with Mu Gay, that we may be a comfort to her in a country where she has few friends.

Sabbath (Sunday, 6/7)

2009-06-10T00:49:00.000-04:00

[Sunday Morning Worship]
I went to Erin’s church this past Sunday. It’s located on the outskirts of MHS, so Erin arranged to have the pastor pick me up on his motorbike. It was a bit embarrassing for me to ride behind Pastor Tong Sak, but that’s how people get around here, and Erin assured me beforehand that they think nothing of it.

The church was small, a humble, sparsely decorated one-room affair in the countryside—wooden pews with an aisle down the middle, a wooden podium with no mic, one keyboard, scattered songbooks and worn hymnals, pink cotton curtains covering the windows. It’s a Baptist church, one of over 50 planted in the region by Korean missionaries who run a seminary/Bible school not far from Mae Hong Son.

There were about 15 people total in attendance, a mix of Karen and Thai speakers. The songbooks are in both languages, but the Pastor preaches in Thai. Dao (a different Dao, not to be confused with Tew’s sister), a Thai Karen who works in the IRC health clinic, translated for Erin and me. Dao and her mother moved to MHS 2 years ago—I forget from where—and they have since been very active members of the church. Dao is about my age, I would guess, and very sweet and likable—I’m so glad to have met her. Apparently her English is so good because she learned from her mother. When I first arrived at the church, her mother was the one to greet me, seat me, and proceed to tell me all about the history of the church—a charming woman. :)

The pastor opened the worship by leading us in a time of praise—he played the guitar, a Karen woman played the keyboard, and a young adult guy sang. The songs were sung in Thai, but most of them were familiar melodies, praise songs from when I was young such as “This Is the Day,” “Come Bless the Lord,” and “Seek Ye First.” One of the songs I didn’t know was an “action” song, so we were asked to stand and follow the motions. It was great fun! It’s one of the things I loved and miss about serving in Children’s Church—singing with motions! The hymns, too, I recognized as ones often sung in Korean congregations back home—“I Know Whom I Have Believed” and “Old Rugged Cross.” It’s interesting—it must be the influence of the Korean missionaries. Even though I don’t understand all of the lyrics, I am always moved when I’m able to join my parents in a KM (Korean Ministry) service and sing hymns in Korean, so to hear these beloved hymns being sung in Thai was truly a blessing. Next week, Dao, Erin, and I will sing "Heart of Worship" for the offering song. :)

The sermon passage was Luke 18:35-43, the story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. One of my favorite points in the sermon was when the pastor encouraged us to look to Jesus in the midst of trials, because He is looking upon us with love. He had us turn to each other and say, according to Dao’s translation, “You are the apple of His eyes.” I wanted to ask if this is an expression in Thai as well—because I haven’t seen any apples here in Thailand! ;P

[Sunday Afternoon with Mu Gay]
After church, I met with Mu Gay to go over some of the changes to the CSO Guidelines that needed to be translated into Burmese before our meeting with the Camp leadership on Tuesday. Mu Gay and I work closely together—she speaks Burmese, Karen, and English, so she will be doing all of the translation work for me, and after I leave in August, she will take over the CSO program.

A little bit about Mu Gay: Her family is from Rangoon, and she is the eldest (born 1981) of 6 children. She’s well-educated—spent the past year and a half completing her Master’s in India. She’s very feminine, soft-spoken, respectful, domestic—everything you’d expect of a stereotypical Asian woman. Although we come from different backgrounds, we are becoming fast friends; we can be very girly and comfortable around each other. I think Asians approach friendship with a familiarity and intimacy that is harder to find in Western cultures; there is a polite distance that Americans respect. What do you think?

Mu Gay is a Seventh-Day Adventist, and it’s been interesting learning about their practices. I think observing a strict Sabbath is a great idea, for personal spiritual growth in general. Being consumed 24/7 by studies and the anxieties of law school is really detrimental to one’s spiritual condition. We are commanded to rest, in the fullest sense of the word, one day out of seven, but the Sabbath is no longer a day of rest for me, no longer set apart from the other days of the week. I don’t want to be legalistic about it, but I’ve taken this commandment too lightly, and I am just now realizing that it really does have its consequences...

I recently learned that Mu Gay’s two oldest brothers (early 20s) were living in the Mae La camp, unable to return to Burma after having fought for the Karen National Union (KNU) military. The older of the two, Steven, has since rejoined the KNU, much to the distress of Mu Gay. Steven has had malaria three times now, and the last time he got it, he nearly died. He was in the hospital, unconscious—it attacked his brain, and Mu Gay says he is no longer the same mentally, emotionally. Mu Gay says that if he gets malaria again, he will surely die, and she can’t sleep at night, expecting at any moment to hear the news, “Your brother is dead.” Please take a moment to pray for Steven, Mu Gay, and the rest of her family.

After a couple hours in the office, I went over to Mu Gay’s place, where she cooked a delicious Burmese meal for us. I was so happy because the dishes were very similar to Korean dishes—닭도리탕, 감자볶음, and 계란마리 (Daddy’s specialty! ;P).

Did you know the Burmese eat with their hands? Mu Gay offered me a spoon, but she and her boyfriend Bobo ate with their hands! I know it’s not uncommon in various parts of the world, but it was still a bit shocking to see for the first time. After having seen it, though, I had no problem doing the same for dinner last night. On my way home from work, I bought pork soup and papaya salad from one of the many food vendors who set up every evening along one of the streets bordering the lake. (I’ve been told that women in Thailand don’t really cook. In fact, most kitchens don’t even have an oven—which I guess is understandable in this tropical climate. Instead, they buy prepared food—and it’s so cheap here, I suppose it doesn’t make sense to slave over a hot stove all day. Still, it’s so different from other Asian countries.) Anyway, the street vendors are usually cheaper than restaurants, and I wanted to give these folks some business. The problem is, they don’t provide containers or utensils—everything is poured into plastic baggies! And I have nothing in my room except two cups provided by the guesthouse. Sheila is going to lend me a plate and bowl set and utensils, but in the meantime, I have been drinking congee from a cup and eating salad with my fingers!

I don’t have any pictures from Sunday to reward you for reading all of this, but here are some random ones:

The trashcans (at least the ones in MHS) look like giant vats of witches’ brew!

Love the iced coffee at Pok’s!

Si belle. A lovely find during a walk in the park.

The rugged IRC trucks that take us over mountains and through streams (literally) to get to the Camps.

Bathroom Humor

2009-06-08T07:05:00.000-04:00

For your Monday Morning Blues:

This is a sign posted in the bathroom of the LAC office. As you can see, there are varying levels of English proficiency among the staff...! It never fails to make me smile.!

Week 2 in Review

2009-06-06T06:51:00.000-04:00

Much to share from this past week. Here are just some highlights—I hope to follow up on some parts when I have more time!

[Sunday, 5/31]

I had planned to go to church with Mubi, but her husband, who was supposed to give me a ride, got into an accident on Friday night and was unable to pick me up. Instead, I headed over to a sweet little café that is popular among farongs (foreigners, technically white foreigners, sometimes used in a derogatory way) and Thais alike—albeit some of the more well-to-do Thais. It’s called Baan Tua Lek, but among IRC staff, it’s known as Pok’s, after the young, pretty owner, whose English is excellent. Although it’s pricey (by MHS standards), it has the best coffee in town, the most delicious Thai tea, and free Internet! It’s usually very quiet, great for writing and reading!

Sunday night, I had dinner at a restaurant, Gigi’s, with Erin and her former landlords, a British man named Paul and his Thai wife Tew, and Tew’s daughter from a previous relationship, 6-year-old Bai-fon. They were very nice, but there was a subtext to the conversation that made me feel...uneasy (to put it mildly). I’m talking about the objectification/exploitation/exoticization (whatever you want to call it) of Asian women by white men—it’s not true of all white-Asian couples, of course, but when there are wide disparities in age, education, or wealth between the two, I can’t help but feel a little sick to my stomach. And I’ve identified certain red flags—like if the man is prone to comment on or compliment an Asian woman’s physical appearance or if he is possessive/territorial/jealous and feels especially threatened by other white men with money. I am automatically suspicious of older white expats in MHS, and there’s internal tension from the realization that I am probably being unfair and overly cynical, while at the same time, I can’t ignore the reality of the hyper-sexualization of women. Okay, I’ve shared too much...this conversation is inappropriate for some of my younger readers, and I’ve probably offended others, so I’ll stop, but I would be interested to hear some of your thoughts!

[Monday-Tuesday, 6/1-2]
Monday and Tuesday were ho-hum days in the office—filled up by meetings, ironing out the final kinks in the CSO program (specifically with respect to domestic violence crimes), and working on training modules for the CSO program.

Tuesday night, I joined Erin for dinner at Dao’s house. Dao is Tew’s sister—they have a large family (plus neighbors, who dropped in and out throughout the evening), and they are ethnic Shans (Burmese living in Thailand, most likely Thai nationals). We sat outside at a picnic table in the yard; the women ate (and we ate well!), while the men preferred to drink moonshine whiskey! They were 시골 (country) folk, not very educated and a bit of a rougher group, but they were very hospitable and really tickled to be in the company of foreigners. Because they spoke very little English, I didn’t know what was goi ng on half the time. I tried to explain that I was Korean by describing the country betw een Japan and China but wasn’t very successful. I made more headway by mentioning taekwondo (I’ve seen schoolboys around town in taekwondo uniforms), but in the end they insisted that I was a Thai lady. Heh. While I was certainly out of my comfort zone, it was an interesting experience, and I was glad for the opportunity to see another, more intimate side of MHS.

[Wednesday - Friday, 6/3-5: A Preview]
Wednesday was an eventful day. The LAC office was abuzz when I arrived that morning: the LAC team from the border town of Mae Sot (about 7 hours south of MHS) was in town for a 3-day visit. The Mae Sot (MS) team runs the LAC office in Mae La, the largest of the 10 refugee camps on the Thai side of the Thai-Burmese border, with a whopping 50,000 residents. (Note: My numbers are probably off because of the huge ongoing resettlement project—if I remember correctly, 35 refugees are resettled in third countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia, etc., every day, and the goal is to resettle 12,000 Bur mese refugees over the next 3 years. Here’s a helpful website with information about all of the camps.) I hope to visit Mae Sot before I leave Thailand. I’m told that Mae La Camp is much more urban and gritty; the MS team has to deal with the difficulties caused by a greater diversity of ethnicities, languages, traditions, and religions. The Muslim groups in particular add an extra layer of legal and social complexity.

I went into Camp 1 for the first time on Wednesday with both the MHS and MS teams. There was so much to take in that I didn’t really have time to take pictures, but I promise that there will be many future posts and pictures about life in the camps.

On Thursday and Friday, the entire LAC team had its quarterly joint workshop/conference at a nearby resort called the Golden Pai. The timing couldn’t have been better—the conference really helped me understand the mission of the LAC project, what the three sections/branches do (Training, Legal, Rule of Law), and how NGOs operate in general. Really fascinating and also intellectually challenging.

[Golden Pai Resort]

[Mu Gay & me]

[coffee break on the veranda]

[view from the veranda: water buffalo! *Cue Veggie Tales music!*]

[lunchtime]

[mangosteens for dessert]

[They're delicious!]

On Friday night, there was a celebratory dinner for all of the LAC staff at Ban Rabiang, probably the nicest restaurant in MHS—excellent Thai food followed by lots of karaoke! (The Burmese and Thai staff love karaoke almost as much as Koreans do!) Then we reconvened at Chalet, MHS’s only nightclub or discotheque, if you can call it that! It was really interesting to see how MHS’s young (and perhaps not so young!) people party and interact. I’m finding it tricky to read people and to figure out my identity among these Thai nationals (both Thai and Burmese). Will share more later.

[dinner at Ban Rabiang (Sorry--The flash wasn't working, so I did my best to enhance the picture.)]

[our room at Ban Rabiang (My nighttime photos never come out well...)]

Out and About in MHS

2009-05-31T01:11:00.000-04:00

Explored MHS a bit today--played the tourist, with camera in hand. I’ve been itching to take pictures of the flora and fauna here. The camera and my amateur photography skills really don’t do this place justice, but you get the idea!

[Thai Hospitality]
I stopped in a souvenir shop that seemed a little less kitschy than others. Struck up a conversation with the shop owner, a kind older man who showed me a picture of his beautiful home and invited me to visit. I think he was offering to rent me a room, but from what I am learning about Thai people, he may have been just inviting me to visit him and his wife! He said she would be so glad to meet me, because she stays home all day by herself, and their only daughter is studying in India.

[My Secret Garden]
I had read that Romtai offers bungalows behind the main building where I am staying, so after having lived here a week, I finally decided to check it out. Little did I know that beyond the small dirt parking lot was a veritable tropical paradise: all kinds of fruit trees, of which I could only identify the coconut tree; lotus ponds with magenta and lilac-colored blossoms (and to think that I was taking pictures of the single lotus blossom in the pot out front!); wooden bridges; stone pathways lined with colorful wildflowers; two one-story terra cotta dwellings with pretty mosaic-adorned walls; and the most charming bungalows.

Mommy and Daddy, I was thinking of you as I took these pictures! Enjoy!

I want one! Apparently, you don’t need a license—all you need are guts!

Every Buddhist home has one of these. I snuck a picture when no one was around, because I wasn’t sure if it is considered irreverent. I wish I could take a picture of the little boys in their bright orange monk’s robes. They are so cute!

Every Story Is a Gift

2009-05-30T02:03:00.000-04:00

On Friday night, all of the MHS IRC staff (75 or so total) gathered for an award ceremony and dinner at Sunflower Café, an open-air restaurant/bar/Internet café right on the lake, popular among tourists. There was live music and an impressive buffet spread. The Thai chicken soup was my favorite, b/c it tastes just like 삼계탕, with dried dates and everything. ☺ (Side Note: I was excited to learn that in all of the 7-Elevens here, you can find the kinds of 빵 that you would buy in a Korean bakery, like red bean buns, 곰보 빵, and even 찜 빵/ 찜 만두!) I ate a rambutan [pictured] for the first time--it looks like an alien creature, doesn’t it? It looks and tastes a lot like lychee, very sweet and tasty. I sat across from a woman named Ay, who is a young Burmese doctor working in the health clinic. I was pleased to hear her say that Korean girls are the envy of Burmese girls, that Korean girls are considered to be the most beautiful of all Asian women, and that in Burma, the Burmese are all obsessed with Korean movies and dramas. Here, too, the Thai locals are familiar with the Wonder Girls and the latest Korean movies! Heh. I did feel obliged to inform her, though, that it’s all make-up, plastic surgery, and an unhealthy preoccupation with appearances...but she insisted that Korean women have naturally beautiful complexions and facial features.

Then I met Mubi, who is Karen, the famous "long neck" hill tribe (link). I think she is in the minority among the Burmese IRC staff, who are generally from more privileged backgrounds; I believe most of them are from Rangoon and are well-educated. Mubi, on the other hand, grew up in a refugee camp, and all of her family are animists. Mubi joined me at my table, and after a bit of small talk, she unexpectedly began to share her testimony with me! When she was about 15 years old, she had a dream in which Jesus came to her from across a river and asked her to follow him. He then took and ate a banana from the bunch that she was holding. Now, to be honest, I would have felt a little skeptical if this had been the end of her conversion story, but her journey to faith didn’t end there. After that dream, she wanted to learn more about Christianity before accepting it as her own, so she started attending church and Sunday school classes with her Christian roommate. Four years later, she was baptized. She’s been working with the IRC for 4.5 years now, currently in the GBV (Gender Based Violence) clinic, and she is passionate about helping the women and girls in the camps. Although English is not her native language, you can tell that she is a deep thinker, very intelligent and probably extremely well-spoken in her own language, considering how expressive she is in English. I am going to a Burmese church (planted by Korean missionaries, apparently!) with her next week—obviously, I won’t understand anything, but I would love to see how they worship.

A tangent on language: It is easy to forget that simplicity of language does not equate to simplicity of thought. I think, as terrible as it sounds, this misconception is an explanation for some of the disrespect shown by second-generation Korean-Americans to their first-generation parents. If this truth is hard for children of immigrant parents to swallow, it is no wonder that other Americans treat foreigners like simpletons or worse, second-class citizens.

The rest of the evening was devoted to M’s story, an incredible one spanning 50 years or so of involvement in Burmese politics. M (full name withheld) went underground as a rebel when he was just a teenager. He has endured 8 years as a political prisoner—he was tortured in the infamous Burmese prisons and even spent 3 years in a penal colony on Coco Island, where he was forced to eke out a primitive existence with 232 other political prisoners. After being released, he immediately resumed his underground political activities.

The next several chapters of his story are a blur. Burmese politics is so complicated, and I can’t possibly begin to recount all of the people and dates and fluctuating political parties. Moreover, I know nothing about political theory and philosophy, much less Burmese politics, so I will refrain from any political commentary. Suffice it to say, he is well acquainted with Aung San Suu Kyi. He was there in the beginning, when she came to Burma to visit her ailing mother, with absolutely no intention of entering politics. Although M absolutely trusted Aung San Suu Kyi, he refused her invitations to join her party, when they were just 11 members strong, because he could not trust some of her followers.

As a result of increasing disillusionment with politics and with corruption in the justice system (he was then practicing as a lawyer), M finally left Burma in 2006 and has been living in Thailand since. He joined the LAC Rule of Law team 3 months ago and works closely with Sheila, as a translator and as our resident expert on Burmese law. M is highly educated—he certainly has the manner of a scholar—and he is qualified for a much higher position, but he refused the IRC’s offer, making it clear that he was applying for his current position only. My final question of the evening for him: Was he happy here? And his response was, yes, of course, because the people in the camps whom he is helping are not just any people—they are his people.

It was all pretty surreal, sitting there with M, as the hour became late. The place had cleared out, save a small Burmese contingent of IRC staff workers. The men took turns at the mic on stage. As I talked with M, they serenaded us with Burmese ballads, as well as a handful of American songs, including "More Than Words" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads." ☺ Many of them are very good guitarists and singers! One made a dedication to his country, expressing the hope that one day it would be free. The atmosphere was relaxed and lighthearted, but it was a moving scene.[Photo Caption: I couldn't get a decent picture either with or without the flash, but I hope you can get a feel for the place...it's super cute!]

God Is Good (5/27)

2009-05-29T01:35:00.000-04:00

I met Erin [right] today, who works in the IRC’s Gender-Based Violence (GBV) office here and who is a good friend of Sheila [left]. She’s from Boston, where she used to attend CityLife Church! What a small world! Among other things, Erin is an amazing storyteller—I could listen to her talk for hours!After work, we headed over to Sheila’s place for a cheese party to celebrate Shavuot! (Sheila’s husband Yoel, who works in malaria research, is Jewish.) Walking to her place, I learned that MHS extends much further than I had thought, and as you get further out from the town center, the houses become much nicer. I’ll have to take pictures next time, because the architecture is so beautiful! We were joined by Yuval, who works for UNHCR, and Sheila's next-door neighbors, a Macedonian couple with the most scrumptious little boy, Aleks—he had the right idea when he kept running away from me! Dragan is the director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in MHS. [Photo Caption: Note his Barcelona love—he was planning to stay up until 4am that night to watch the game!] His wife Iskra made a delicious cheese pie, eaten with yogurt. Yoel made a nutty bread, a gorgeous pumpkin soup, and a beautiful salad. Sheila made a delicious cheesecake with a Grape-Nuts crust because graham crackers are scarce out here—props for innovativeness! And Erin bought margherita pizzas from one of their favorite local restaurants! I’m posting pictures in part to show my family that I’m being well taken care of out here! ;) The medley of cultures was incredible: Sheila’s Indian saris adorning the walls and casting a romantic glow about the room (ruined by the flash); Yoel and Yuval speaking Hebrew together; little Aleks saying “thank you” in Macedonian while wai-ing; Thai geckos squeaking outside; Western music playing from the speakers...ah, love it!I learned so much just sitting and listening to these veterans of the humanitarian world. These people are so...genuine. I probably shouldn’t bring this kind of negativity into my blog, but I can’t help but note what a refreshing change this is from Harvard. There’s none of the posturing, the insane preoccupation with amassing wealth, the fear and anxiety, the impenetrable barriers dividing us all. There are just so many distractions, so much noise, that it’s no wonder that so many can live their whole lives and fail to see a greater reality. Of course, I’m not suggesting that I’m immune to it all—it’s a struggle that I know will only get harder when (if?) I get married and have kids.

The Journey Begins (5/22-26)

2009-05-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

I had hoped to have this blog up and running before I left the States, but in the end-of the-semester whirlwind of finals, papers, move-out, an IRC orientation in New York, and pre-departure preparations...it didn’t happen. I flew out of JFK on Friday morning, May 22 (EST), and have now been in Mae Hong Son 3 nights. From my flight via Tokyo, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai to my arrival in Mae Hong Son and 첫출근 (first day of work), I’ve covered pages and pages of journal space, and it would be too tedious (for both you and me) to recount all my adventures and thoughts in that 5-day span. So here are just the highlights...

[A Brief Introduction]
I am a rising 2L (that is, a second-year law student), and I am working in Thailand this summer through a 10-week internship with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a non-profit organization that provides relief to refugee and post-conflict populations in the form of healthcare, education, resettlement support, development, sexual and domestic violence protection and prevention, and legal assistance.

I am living in the municipality of Mae Hong Son (MHS), a tiny town very close to the Thai-Burmese border in northern Thailand, in a province of the same name (clarification in case you want to Google it). The IRC has established a Legal Assistance Center (LAC) here to serve 2 nearby Burmese refugee camps with a total population of approximately 23,000 people and comprised of various Burmese ethnic minorities. My role as the Rule of Law intern is to implement and evaluate a Community Service Order (CSO) program, which seeks to offer an alternative punishment to detention by way of assigning community service work—as its name indicates—to perpetrators of minor criminal offenses (petty theft, drunkenness, domestic violence, etc.) This is one of several methods that fall under the label alternative justice or restorative justice (AJ/RJ) and should not be unfamiliar to most of you, as it is well-established in most Western criminal justice systems. The program will be piloted in the larger (and closer) of the two camps served by LAC. I'll talk much more about the camps in the coming weeks, so I won't get into details now. Some other projects by the Rule of Law team include writing up a camp constitution (which was concluded just this month!) and establishing a criminal code.

[Thailand in General]
For all of you geographically challenged folks out there (basically everyone who grew up in the States—myself included!), here’s a very basic map of the region.

Thankfully, I missed the summer months, when high temperatures average in the 100s, but I arrived just in time for rainy season, when you can expect brilliant, blazing hot sunshine one moment and a sudden downpour the next! I’ve learned to carry my umbrella with me everywhere I go. The heat and humidity can be oppressive—my first afternoon here, the sweat would run down the backs of my legs even when I was standing still--but my body is quickly adjusting, and my room and office are equipped with excellent fans and A/C units.

I was unimpressed with Bangkok, where I spent my first night in Thailand—the city is simply too vast, with its dingy, uninspired office buildings and massive concrete overpasses. But I suppose my perceptions are colored by my misadventures there, which involved a taxi driver who didn’t speak a lick of English and an ugly bruise resulting from a less than graceful entrance into the hotel lobby.

From Bangkok, I flew to Chiang Mai, which I absolutely loved—it is the perfect size for a city, balancing both urban sophistication and traditional charm, not to mention the fabulous shopping! Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take pictures during my two-hour layover there. As it’s only a 30-minute plane ride from MHS, I expect to spend several weekends there!

[Life in Mae Hong Son]
Contrary to what some of you thought, I am not sleeping under mosquito nets in makeshift tents! (The closer of the two camps is about an hour's drive from MHS.) The town of MHS is a fairly popular tourist destination, known for its temples and beautiful mountainous landscape. I’m currently staying in this guest house, which is simple but clean, well-furnished, and well-situated.

Based on my rather primitive map (which I have reason to believe is not entirely accurate), the town boasts one cute little airport, one hospital, one gas station, one car dealership (Isuzu), a handful of traffic lights, several 7-Elevens, and a disproportionate number of banks, guest houses, eateries, and cafes. I achieved the impossible by getting lost not once, but twice (in my defense, Thai street names are completely incomprehensible...). The town is so small that pretty much everyone knows each other, and the expat/NGO community is particularly close-knit. After dinner my first night in town, Sheila (my IRC supervisor) and I ran into quite a few of her fellow NGO friends and even stopped to have drinks with a couple of them at their favorite bar/hangout. The cost of living is ridiculously low—my meals here so far have ranged from 15-40 Baht, which translates into about $.50 to a little over $1.00! Places that are frequented by tourists are pricier, but we're still talking a couple bucks, tops! And the food is delish!

The town is unbelievably safe. Girls can walk around late at night without ever feeling threatened. I’m far more preoccupied with not stepping on the squat, fat toads hopping in and out of the street (or the ones that are no longer hopping after having met an untimely demise...); the giant snails the size of my fist, which also don’t stand a chance against the ubiquitous motorbikes; or the small geckos that dart about in a startling fashion, making squeaking noises and feasting on moths (think Kuzco in the jungle...). [Photo Caption: This little guy looks huge, but they're really only about 4" long.] They’re all harmless, as are the motley assortment of stray dogs that roam about and bark at late-night passersby, but I still have to gather up my courage before venturing out into this strange jungle world that emerges once evening descends. Mosquitoes don’t seem to be nearly as big of a problem here as the CDC made them out to be...I definitely didn't need the mosquito net I bought at R.E.I. back in the States, although I probably shouldn't have neglected to eat my malaria pill and put on insect repellent this morning!

The Thai language, a tonal language with five tones, is impossible. I managed to mangle the only 2 phrases I know: “Khap khun kha” means thank you, and “sa wat dee kha,” which is the standard greeting. The other night, I told the banana crepe (“rotee”) vendor “khap dee kha," which probably doesn't mean anything—doh! I just can’t seem to keep all the vowels and syllables straight. And I still haven't gotten the hang of wai-ing (Thai gesture of respect when greeting) instead of 인사-ing (bowing).

The other day, I decided to take a different way home (okay, so maybe the truth is I got a little lost...), and stumbled upon a gorgeous sight. Apparently, Jong Kham Lake and two wat (temples), which grace many a Thai postcard, are a couple minutes’ walking distance from where I live! One of the things I love most about Thailand is the COLOR. So many shades of pink and purple, orange and red...so many beautiful tropical flowers and lush green vegetation! This will be a wonderful place to go early in the morning with my Bible and journal and prepare for the day. ☺

[Work]
I am really enjoying the work I’m doing. My supervisor Sheila, a beautiful Indian woman from Canada, is simply wonderful. (Check back for pictures from her dinner party!) I couldn’t have asked for a more down-to-earth, genuine, thoughtful, capable supervisor! She’s given me a lot of independence and responsibility, while at the same time making herself very available should I need or want more support or guidance. As a result, I feel really invested in the CSO project, which I know is not true of many internship experiences. While there are a lot of (seemingly insurmountable) challenges to the success of the pilot program, I’m really excited to be involved in something so experimental. The IRC’s LAC project—to create an independent justice system within the refugee camp setting—is the first of its kind. My LAC colleagues, many of whom are Thai or Burmese nationals, are all very warm and welcoming.

The Thai people in general are so unbelievably friendly and open and generous and hospitable. Monday night, I ventured out on a quest for an umbrella, toothpaste, and dinner, and on the way back, I somehow found myself on the opposite side of town (which really isn’t all that far, but it was dark and rainy...). I stopped in a clothing shop and asked the girls there for directions. What I got was a lift home and a couple new Thai friends!

[Reflections]
1L at a place like HLS was a deeply humbling experience, and being a brand-new intern isn't completely unlike that experience. But being a deaf, mute, and ignorant foreigner is humbling in an entirely different way. Learning to laugh at myself more, not to take myself so seriously.

And I am learning to keep things in perspective, which is always a good lesson. Things like spilled milk (or spilled coffee, as the case may be!) are only bad if you let them get to you. I have much to be thankful for...for goodness' sake, I’m in Thailand!

Oy...this turned out to be longer than expected. Mind you, this is the distilled version—there’s much more I could have said! If you made it through, thanks for taking the time to read! I hope it was more or less clear, especially the law stuff. You’ll have to forgive me if this wasn’t very coherent—I’m writing this at 4 in the morning (local time), because I’m still suffering from jetlag. And if you just looked at the pictures, I’ll forgive you, so long as you promise to leave comments and keep in touch (unless you’re my mother or Rebecca, in which case, I expect you to faithfully read every last word!). ;P