River Rafting, Building Stoves, and Lighting Fireworks...

Early, early Saturday morning nine of us piled in a van and headed to Chiang Mai. We arrived around noon to the Mae Tang River to go rafting on the white water rapids. It was my first time rafting in some time, so I was a bit nervous. Christopher McCandless reminded me, though, that “the core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences.” Katy, Mike, Matt, and I climbed into our river raft expectantly. When I asked our guide his name, I heard Rambo. I asked him to repeat himself; unfortunately, the second time he said Bo. When he saw our disappointment, he told us that we could call him Rambo. And so our adventure began. It was absolutely wonderful. We went on through the mountains on this river and were soaked in the incredible rains. Rambo yelled “to the right!” suddenly. We were quite confused because it was pretty calm, but we obliged nevertheless. We flipped over and Rambo was laughing so hard. It was all a ploy. We enjoyed swimming around in the river until we were upon the next rapids. The kayaker who was to save us if we fell off also pulled me out of the boat into the water. I think lighthearted fun makes the world go round.

We checked in to the Pagoda Inn in Chiang Mai and I had my first warm shower in weeks. It was delightful. I also had my first Thai massage that evening. As the six of us were walking together to get our massages, I joked that we should get a group massage. We were, then, led into a big room with lots of beds on the ground. I laughed. We put on these massage outfits, which were loose and colorful. The massage was painful and quite different. We journeyed to the night bazaar, which was more expensive than in Chiang Rai and full of Farangs. It was overwhelming. I felt like there were more white people than Thai people. The next day Emily and I wandered around the Sunday

morning market. Then we all went to the Doi Suthep Temple on top of the hill where a Buddhist monk blessed me. We went higher into the hills to a Hmong village. It was really touristy at first, but Mike, Emily and I went up into the village and saw these beautiful gardens. While I was walking around, a Hmong girl held my hand and sang me a song. I assumed she was trying to get money from me, but she just skipped away once her song was through. It reminded me of how cynical we become as adults and how far we move from the simple joys of a child.

Monday, it was back to work with the Akha tribe. We were going to build the adobe stove in the community center. Because it was a holiday, we were told there would be nearly a hundred villagers who would come to be a part of the stove’s construction. Unfortunately, only a few dozen villagers came to build it. While some of the volunteers went to collect materials for the stove, Ryleigh and I were sent to the water tower. The villagers were putting netted tarp over the water tank. To thread the tarp together, they used the plastic ties that hold boxes of televisions together. Their lack of waste astounds me; I consider myself an eco-friendly person, but the thought of using those would never have crossed my mind. After we covered the water tanks, we headed back down into the village to help with the adobe stove. We guided as the community members put the bricks together and cemented them. It was beautiful to see the village come together to achieve a task. As Henrik Ibsen noted: “a community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.” In this village, they each clearly were.

Tuesday, I went to Nam Lad where we are building the wash station. We had a meeting with the school about teaching the children basic hygiene, teeth brushing, and hand washing. We will be starting with lessons next week, which I think should go well. We, then, painted the wash station. In the afternoon, I went to a meeting with Sumalee where we finalized plans for the coming weeks and our new partnership. Wednesday morning, I went to the hospital. As usual, in the morning I did pediatrics and in the afternoon I did medical supplies. After medical supplies, Nate and I went to get alternative massages near the hospital. They used menthol and different methods to calm and stretch my muscles. It was nice to have two massages in one week, but I don’t think it can stay a trend. Thursday started with delicious chicken and rice for breakfast followed by most of the group heading to Nam Lad. We worked together to clear the area and organize the sand, clay, and gravel around the wash station.

Friday, we went to the Akha village. We checked to make sure the adobe stove that they finished on Tuesday was drying well and to give instructions on its care for the next couple weeks. The Akha villagers spent much of the day making jokes about me marrying an Akha man and living there forever. The community is really welcoming and in these gorgeous hills, but I think I would have trouble not being able to communicate with any of the villagers. We

cemented the walls and roof on the inside and outside of the alternative medical sauna. That night Dr. Fah—our partner for economics classes—invited us to a barbecue for his daughter’s 16^th birthday. After eating burgers and what I assume were supposed to be hot dogs, we sadly watched the Netherlands beat Brazil.

This weekend was aimed at being low-key and relaxing. It did not finish that way. My first mission was to find papaya salad. It took quite a while to reach my goal, but I was victorious. The woman with the cart asked me if I wanted two peppers in it; I shook my head and said just one. Wow! I cannot imagine if I had asked for two peppers; that was my spiciest meal in Thailand thus far. I made it out alive, fortunately. When we returned back, Dave, Blake, and Nate asked if we wanted to go ride motos to the waterfall. About 10 minutes into the ride, Pim and Nate got a flat tire. Luckily—despite being in the middle of nowhere—there was a repair shop nearby. We thought that would be the most exciting moto-related event of the day. We were quite wrong. The drive to the waterfall was breathtaking.

After we arrived at the park, we had a one kilometer walk to the waterfall. The Cheun Korn Waterfall is the highest waterfall in the Chiang Rai Province at 30 meters. I was absolutely awestruck by its power. I went to the base and stood in the waterfall. It was refreshing and strong. On the way back, Blake taught me how to drive the moto. I was driving in circles, when I suddenly lost control of the bike. I had forgotten how to use the brake! A foot away from a brick wall, I found my foot brake. It was certainly more excitement than I had planned for the day. Back in Chiang Rai city, we wandered the Saturday night walking street and watched some of the dancers before we headed home.

Sunday, I celebrated the Fourth of July like an average American—with fishing, hamburgers, and fireworks. One of the teachers at the soccer school—Wara Wut brought us to a canal near Chiang Rai beach where Shawn, Jordan and I unsuccessfully cast Shawn’s makeshift bamboo pole into the water. Once we returned, we helped cook for the barbecue. We had hamburgers and corn with pineapple and onion rings. We lit off fireworks and sang patriotic songs. All around, it was one of the best Fourth of July weekends that I have ever had.