Product of ND: Burma

Few things have been going on around here in Chiang Mai.

We recently had to go do some trail maintenance for a JUMP! Foundation program that Katie was running. It was hot and sticky but we all had a blast hiking around and chopping down the overgrowth. The program went exceptionally well from what I have heard. One of the other JUMP! facilitators, Alyson, got to chatting and it turns out she was roommates with a fellow Mandan High Grad. To make matters stranger I actually knew the person quite well in high school. Small world syndrome hits again!

Spiders

Ooan sporting this Falls collection, machete and rice paddy hat.

Doi Saket Valley

Some recently blessed trees

Unfortunately everything is finite in this world, and recently we had to say goodbye to our long time staff members P' Pum and Taw Noi. We celebrated their time with CMRCA with a bang, and the largest pizza I have ever seen. P' Pum has started up a herbal soap business and Taw Noi is working on his drumming. It was the best pizza I have eaten in Chiang Mai so far, and I am keeping its where abouts a secret.

Bo using his hands (plural)

Farewell speeches

Every 3 months or so I have to leave the country to renew my visa. After finding out that I was unable to make a trip to Kuala Lumpur, which I had already booked flights for, I had to head up to Mae Sai. Evidently because I stayed a day over my visa length I had to pay 500 baht and sign my name onto a list......not sure what that was about. Anyway, like all border towns in the world there is an influx of cheap booze, cigarettes, electronics, dvds, and just about everything you can imagine. I promptly bought some dvds and Jack Daniels (authentic of course).

It is insane how different Burma is culturally and socio-economically. For starters the direction of traffic changes half way between the entrance bridge, which makes life very confusing. Burmese people have a different look about them, can't put my finger on it but you can just tell. There are a number of Indian and Bengalese people around as well, and no one really speaks English or Thai. After some purchases it was back through the border where everything made sense again. Funny how great it feels to enter back, must be my familiar zone now.