Hi back home!
We certainly don't feel like this is anything like our home but we are getting feel more comfortable and getting into a routine. This might give you some idea of some of what happens each day but no way can I tell all the little things that amaze and give us goose bumps. Internet is not constant so my updates may be few & far between so the ones I do get sent will probably be long...sorry...

Daily Routine: The kids start waking up about 4:30 & at 5 the singing begins as they gather in their church for morning worship. Then without seemingly any direction, they start getting ready for school. Around 6:30, time for rice breakfast & filling their lunch container with, you guessed it, rice. 7:30 a small pickup pulls in the drive way and the kids scramble to get the outside or front spots. When the truck is loaded--really way over loaded as several kids are standing on the tailgate--off it goes taking 39 (honestly we counted) kids to the local school. The three dogs and eight kids left wave until they are out of view. We get served breakfast by Memaw and Chom which makes me feel like a royal guest instead of a helper.

By 9, I am working with 5 of the kids still here while Elsi either plays with the 3 little ones or works on the piano keyboard. The guys are out looking for the project being worked on so they can help out. Right now it's fencing & a fish pond. About 10:30, I start an art project that all 8 kids can do. Today it was cutting with scissors. Yesterday it was playing with clay. By 11:30, we need a break & soon lunch is served. How much rice can one eat?? Lots judging by what Cireo (1), Johnny (2) and Cireo (3) can put away! Little ones take a nap after lunch so Elsi & I take our cold shower which actually feels pretty good. Next I try to spend individual time with MuMuSoe as she is not in school because she just arrived two months ago and has to wait until semester break in May before she can go to school. She is very bright and is learning quickly which thrills her and me. Around 3, I set up an art project which by then end of the night about 30 will get to do. At 4, the school truck pulls in and within ten minutes, music & English lessons begin. Elsi has two students who are stars. Tessanne had ask me to work with Sarod on his English. Just a few minutes into our first lesson, two other kids joined in...without anyone telling them they had to...and another one joined us five minutes later. They are so eager to learn. If Rog or Bob are around--they help me out as working with four at different levels is tough. The other kids are all busy doing various jobs including their own laundry, watering plants, working in the garden or helping cook. At 5 I have to shoo my students out so I can get going on the art project. Six is dinner time. Seven is worship time again--Elsi sometimes plays several songs and then the kids sit quietly while they listen to the local teacher...we can only guess they are learning bible stories. Eight and beyond, the kids just do there own thing. There are older girls in charge of the three little ones who will put them to bed in a bamboo building set up with little rooms that house the little one & the older girl. Many kids gather in Tessanne's "living room" for games and/or TV until sometimes after ten. Everything seems to run so smoothly and often you hear singing and laughing. We are continuously amazed at how independent the kids are and how much they care for each other.

Info on some of the kids:

Cerio: An Austrialian who has done a lot for Safe Haven asked Tessanne to name him Cerio after his son who died.

Cerio:

Christmas: Local official called Tessanne on Christmas and asked her to come to town to get a gift. It was a 3 day old baby. He is so spunky and loves to strip down to only a shirt.

Christmas:

Johnny: Johnny was found abandoned lying on a banana leaf under a tree in Burma. He was brought to the orphanage by some villagers in 2008.

Johnny:

GaDee: 16 year old who seems to be mentally challenged. She stays here all day and is the most loving and dedicated "mother" to the three little ones. Her father beat her.

Sarod: 16 year old working so hard on learning his letter sounds and also piano lessons

PaSam: 15 year old star piano student who also recently won the school art contest


Kids Toys:
We took an inventory of the toys we've seen:
plastic phone
bottom half of toy car
spool
one doll
back wheels of tricycle
bamboo stick they cut slits into to make popping sound
4 or 5 tires
soccer ball
volley ball
homemade sling shot
3 or 4 marbles
hundreds of bamboo sticks, rocks, dried leaves and various empty containers...
BUT now, thanks to Bob's donation from his collection, last night the kids went to bed with a beannie baby to hug!! Tessanne and two girls who have asked to be baptised got a special stuffed animal from Cailan (Bob & Elsi's granddaughter). She had attached a written heartfelt note & bible verse to each.

Safe Haven #2:
Tessanne went shopping & came home with a truck loaded with 50lb rice bags, huge bags of whole fish, cabbage, cucumbers, green beans & blankets. After about half of it was unloaded, she called for us to jump into the back of the truck. We drove about two miles and then pulled into a driveway that ended at a cliff. I looked around and wondered where we were and then looked over the cliff and there we got a glimpse of several bamboo structures nestled in the jungle valley between two mountains. Tessanne blew a whistle and suddenly in the distance we could see children walking single file up the 500 ft mountain side. The line seemed to go on and on. It was so surreal. Each child bowed to us as they reached the top and I could not help but hug as many as I could. Tessanne gave each a blanket which they squeezed tightly as she spoke briefly to them. Some slung the rice bags on their backs and other picked up the fish & veges and then they left. Quietly. In single file. Disappearing as they headed back to their Safe Haven.

Things that made us smile today:

Boy with home made sling shot hitting 100’ target

Boy pulling his index finger way back & then using it to fling a marble

Girls stuffing pillows up their shirts & pretending to be pregnant

Girls with pillows wrapped in blankets & pretending to be carrying babies

Boy finding a seed & instantly planting it

Big girl picking up crying young kid & letting him take over painting her picture

Bird poop right next to our suitcase--but must admit large open vents provide great ventilation

Though we really can’t describe this place & the feel that abounds here--we know we’ll never feel the same nor will we be able to forget it.

The day had arrived for us to leave the comfortable Thailand and experience the other. We drank one more Coke laughing that we were suffering from ASA (Anticipated Separation Anxiety which will probably lead to larger ASS for us). We found a toilet—manned by a lady who was collecting 2 bahts—and you think you have a bad job—but at least she didn’t have to clean it –nor did anyone else. If we’d checked a bit farther we would have discovered the clean 7/11 right across the street. The truck arrived and after much effort, Rog & the driver got our luggage strapped on the top. It looked like we were only sharing the truck with 2 others but we were wrong. After a few stops, we were up to 14 all being tossed about as we drove through the mountains toward Ban Tha Song Yang. The three hour ride took us past many terrace fields, rice paddies & gardens hugging the rivers. Dexter people may drive by Wing’s farm but we were seeing Wang’s farm. The views were gorgeous.


At about 12:30, we climbed out of the truck and into another world. The terrain. The buildings. The children. The life style. All smacked my senses and I thought—how did we ever find this spot in the world and how are we ever going to live here??? But running toward us was Tessanne with a grin and a hug so full of joy that it erased all my fears. A fury of activity followed as children grabbed our bags and lugged them to our rooms. We were given a quick tour of the grounds—all still seemed so surreal. While Elsi & I did some unpacking & nesting, the men set up the piano keyboard. By 3:30, Elsi was playing with a huge grin & the kids were belting out songs. Tessanne said they had been praying for music for their church service. The church service started up next led by two older girls who were inviting individuals or small groups up to sing or recite (probably a bible verse or even chapters). All except the very smallest participated in at least once. It lasted for over an hour with the kids all sat quietly. We later learned that Tessanne’s daughter (Chom) told the children how hard it was while working and studying in Bangkok but she’d prayed for strength and succeeded. She said they too could do anything if they worked hard and asked God for strength. Was that message really for us?!

How can I describe Safe Haven??

The Children: about 40, all ages, dressed in various clothing, happily & freely milling about, some working while others played with whatever they could scronge up. Most spent much time in the jungle (probably escaping from Burma) and know how to be resourceful. About 20 older students in Mae Sot going to high school & living with Tessanne’s oldest daughter.


Tessanne: endless source of love, energy & ideas. Her grandmother, mother and now her daughters all care for orphans. Her grandfather and father were both killed young. She calls herself a jungle woman who doesn’t need to be pampered and believes in working hard. The children follow her example.




The Grounds:. 8 acres covered with huge rocks that appear to be granite blacked by lichen or weather. All donated to her. In every area without rocks, a building sits or a garden is planted. Paths between buildings have tree stumps or rock outcroppings making it difficult for us to walk—though the kids run on them. Between the rocks, wild & planted flowers bloom and banana, mango & teak trees thrive as the kids water them every day. There is one fish nursery and another being built.


The Buildings: huge contrast


Tessanne’s home: The oldest and built entirely out of bamboo & dried teak leaves and on stilts. The first landing is the kitchen with water piped up, wood slabs for chopping and a chula for cooking. Next landing is a large room filled which seems very cluttered with all types of items many hanging in plastic bags around the outside. The TV and refrigerator see so out of place there. Though primitive, it’s got such a homey feeling. Our first night, we joined about 20 kids that were hanging out there putting together a 500 piece puzzle and after they finished, they watched TV. Several fell asleep and just slept there all night. Truly it was their home as well. A short wall separated the big room from Tessanne’s bedroom.

The Boy’s & Girl’s Dorms: Newly constructed with cement walls & floors. Bunk beds with just a narrow space between with clothing hanging on the end bars & from the ceiling rafters. Bed is made of plywood with a mat, blanket & mosquito net on top. That’s it.

Guest House: (our bedroom) Newly constructed the same as the dorms except divided into two rooms. Mats with thin mattress & thick blanket inside a free standing mosquito net. Large table. That’s it.

Church: Newly constructed the same but with a stage area. Filled with plastic chairs & large table. That’s it.

Bathrooms: Designed & constructed by someone from Norway. Slats for shade out front. Several stalls with squat toilets but one for guest with western toilet. Shower room with a nail that keeps the door closed. . Tubs for washing clothing as well as one washing machine. Located quite a long way from guest house.

The Bath House:

Kitchen/Dining: Teak & bamboo kitchen with cement dining area. Functional.


Chom’s bedroom: Teak & bamboo. Imagine this—she went to college in Bangkok and then had a job there which paid about $700 per month but gave that up because she wanted to help her mother. Now she lives in a small hut here and never stops smiling.

Library/Sewing building: sawed wood & bamboo

The Library:

Infirmary: currently being built like dorm. Kids seem to be doing most of the work. Several water towers some plastic & donated by Hope Foundation, NY and others made of cement.

Football field: cement slab with bamboo fence. (Kids play barefoot or with flip flops) Surrounding the gardens and much of the grounds is a bamboo fence that Rog & Bob helped construct a portion of.

It’s just a surreal place.

So what have we been doing:

Elsi has been in her glory teaching piano to kids who just can’t get enough! Several are learning at break neck speed & love it. Her goal is to teach a few enough so they can continue learning on their own and also can teach others later.
Jane has been doing art projects, teaching English and reading aloud to the little ones. Also in her glory. Sunday as I sat with one student who had asked me to help him with his English, soon a swarm of other crowded around with their assignment books too. For over two hours, we worked on a bamboo table. The kids soak in the lessons.
Bob has been trying to get the computer we brought for them up and running here. Both guys helped with some fencing and took a ride into town on a motor bike. Bob drove and his knuckles where white when they got back. The guys also hiked down to the river that separates us from Burma. Did I mention that we often hear gun shots in the distance??? Tessanne said someone was hunting birds but we wonder since we haven’t seen any birds or other wild animals anywhere.
Food has been delicious. Rice every meal with various stir fried fresh veges and often soup containing fish and/or pumpkin or fried eggs with lots of onion & some type of greens. Might not need all the peanut butter I brought.

Their stories:

We are slowly learning about the story behind each child. Local people and hospitals bring children here. They tell her either she takes them or they will leave them to die. Tessanne can’t say no. One lady who lives here was ready to give her child away and kill herself after her husband died because he ate a poison frog. Tessanne told her to come live with her and she would show her a new life. She did.

We have arrived in Ban Tha Song Yang. Elsi is having a great time teaching music lessons and Jane is doing art projects with the kids.Bob and Roger are trying to get the new computer set up and checking email.
Beautiful mountains surround us and we are eating "local". Great food!
Thanks for all your prayers for safe arrival.
About The Safe Haven Mission: (from their website)

History of the orphanage

It all began about 15 years ago, when Mrs Tasanee Keereepraneed received a frantic message from a local villager in Tha Song Yang, Thailand that a little girl had lost her mother during birth. In Karen culture this is interpreted as a bad omen, and the child is often killed. Having lost her own father at a young age and her children also having lost their father when Tasanee’s husband was murdered, Tasanee decided that she, if anyone should be the person responsible for caring for the orphaned children of The Karen.

One by one they came, children with nowhere else to go were given to Tasanee to raise. She and her brother converted their childhood home into an open space able to accommodate up to twenty five children. Starting with whatever funds were available, she built the foundation of what has become the first Safe Haven Orphanage. Relying on her personal funds and the donations of the people of Mae Sot, Thailand, she was able to expand and take on yet more children. She now has over 60 children under her care. These days Safe Haven Orphanage is more like a large family whose members love and respect each other like brothers and sisters.

Mission & Aims

Safe Haven Orphanage is a home that provides disadvantaged children with proper nurture, nutrition, shelter, clothing, medical care, and education. Safe Haven Orphanage is open to children from all communities, faiths, and cultures.

Who runs Safe Haven Orphanage?

Tasanee and a number of staff run Safe Haven Orphanage. Volunteers from around the world teach English at the local school and provide support at the orphanage.

Supporters

Donations received from volunteers and visitors are used to cover the daily costs of running the orphanage. We also receive support from some Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) who assist with food supplies and health checks.

Future Plans

Five acres of land have been purchased thanks to a generous donation from Ireland. There are currently a number of building projects in progress on the new land. As funds become available, materials are sourced locally or from Mae Sot and labor is contracted locally. Projects we are looking to complete in the near future include a more sustainable water supply, dormitories for the children and an infirmary/clinic.

Click "HERE" to see photos of the orphanage from their website.

First goal today was to contact Tessanne at Safe Haven to find out if she wanted a piano keyboard. Her voice said it all! She was so excited to hear from me and would love anything we brought. We are continuously amazed at the connections we have been able to make.

At 8 p.m. sharp, our tour van with a guide full of jokes was there to pick us up and we were off to the Maetaman Elephant camp. An hour later, we were watching elephants taking their bath in a river. They laid down on their sides and then sprayed us as they stood up. Then we climbed onto our seat on top and the mahout rode on the elephant's head. Walking right down the river and then into the tropical forest. Sometimes the mahout jumped off and walked behind us teasing us that he was quitting. We swayed side to side lumbering by bamboo, banana and palm trees. An ox cart was waiting for us as soon as we dismounted and took us back to the camp. There we were given time to shop for souvenirs one of which was painting supposedly done by elephants. Right! Well, seeing is believing cause a few minutes later, we saw we our very own eyes, the elephants painting those same pictures. Honestly!!! One elephant could also throw a soccer ball with his trunk and then kick it with his hind foot.







Next we carefully stepped onto a bamboo raft and leisurely floated down the river.

Another huge spread of Thai food filled us up before we took off to a Karen long neck village--or should I say tourist trap. There were about 20 stands--each selling the same items--where a woman or child wearing the traditional gold coils around their necks & knees sat weaving. I peaked behind the stands and could see their bamboo huts where plastic containers sat on the porches and western clothing hung on the bamboo clothes lines drying. How sad to see these indigenous people exploited. What will become of them? Are there more in the thick forest somewhere? I hope so.


Beauty did abound at the Butterfly and Orchid farm we stopped at later--a multitude of gorgeous multi-colored orchid & a variety of butterflies. On our drive back to Chiang Mai, we told our driver we were looking for a piano keyboard. He drove us right to the door of a huge modern mall and less than an hour later, we walked out with just what we were looking for. Bob & Elsi went off looking for a stand and we crawled into the back of a red truck taxi keyboard in tow. A bit later, Ursula and her boyfriend, Aajon met us for pizza and ice cream. Bob's habit is contagious. Ursula & Aajon gave us lots of insight on the Thai and Burma culture and issues. She said Myanmar was the name given to them by the military regime so the Burmese prefer the name Burma. Thai actually like having the Burmese as they have many jobs that need workers. The refugee camps are mostly funded by international groups which again help Thailand. It was a very informative night. Don't think we could have crammed one more thing into this day!!

This morning I tore open my hotel shutters (really) and noticed a school close by so after a quick breakfast, we split to check it out. The students were having a great time playing in the large center area all dressed in vibrant colored uniforms that looked like nylon jogging suits. An English teacher welcomed us and took up to her classroom which was very much like ours in some ways--books, bulletin boards, whiteboard, desk with wooden chairs and tile floor. She said she had 47 students most of whom ate school lunch for $40 per semester--same as we had just paid for one night at the hotel. When we went back down, the students had formed very straight lines and sang (probably the National Anthem) with a small band accompanying them. We were told that since tomorrow was the National Festival of Children, they would be having a special program. I could have stayed all day but we had a bus to catch to Mae Saraing taking us 4 hours deeper into the most remote part of Thailand. But even here we found diet coke, steak & ice cream. We keep piggging out and saying, "This may be our last good meal so we better eat well!"


Since taking pictures as we swayed up & down the winding road was impossible, I jotted down views I wanted to store.
Views from the window driving from Chiang Mai to Mae Saraing:
teak trees being made into lumber
rice paddies
brahma cattle
temples --so many--3 within about a mile
mom holding baby steering motorbike with one hand
large ornate portraits of the king
hillside with 5 temples and lying Buddha
several schools with large blow up slides celebrating Festival of Children
bamboo clothes lines
modern gas station with small bamboo/thatched roof stands on both sides
roadside litter
spotless warehouses
stores with good lined up to the edge of the road
twenty men with pick hoes digging ditch
Coca Cola signs
Michelin man
terrace farming
Bob ID'd a few Fords but mostly Toyota
huge wild poinsettias
dense vegetation
banana grove
outdoor restaurants (one we stopped at charged 2 bahts (7cents) to use the squat style toilet. You get what you pay for. Ugh)
old wrinkly man with winter beanie hat (in about 80 degree weather)
check point with guard
and more richly adorned temples

Thu 1/06/11 6:57 AM

Leaving for Mai Sariang‏

Hi Bek,

We rode elephants up a river, floated down a river on a bamboo raft and saw some tigers today (in a cage). More adventure to come...

Love to all,
Dad




What the person who created the above video writes about Chiang Mai:
We rode a 15 year old elephant (just an adolescent) at the Maetamann Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai followed by the rafting down the Ping River. The old city of Chiang Mai with its fascinating indigenous cultural identity such as diverse dialects, cuisine, architecture, traditional values, festivals, handicrafts and classical dances is a prime location in its own right. In addition, the presence of hill tribes and their wealth of unique cultures enhance Chiang Mai's distinctive diversity. Chiang Mai literally means new city and has retained the name despite having celebrated its 700th anniversary in 1996. King Meng Rai founded the city as the capital of the Lanna (A Million Rice Fields) Kingdom on Thursday, 12th April 1296 during the same period of time as the establishment of the Sukhothai Kingdom. King Meng Rai the Great conferred with his friends, King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai and King Ngam Muang of Phayao before choosing the site where the capital of the Lanna Kingdom was to be founded. From then, Chiang Mai not only became the capital and cultural core of the Lanna Kingdom, it was also the centre of Buddhism in northern Thailand. King Meng Rai himself was very religious and founded many of the city's temples, which are still important today.
At the height of its power, the Lanna Kingdom extended its territory far into Burma and Laos, and southwards to Kamphaeng Phet a province above Sukhothai.
The Burmese conquered the Lanna Kingdom in 1556 ending the dynasty founded by King Meng Rai that lasted over 250 years. As Burma had occupied Chiang Mai for nearly 200 years, Burmese architectural influences are visible in many temples. At the end of the 18th century, King Taksin the Great regrouped the Thais in the south and finally drove the Burmese out with the help of King Kawila of Lampang thereby regaining Thai independence from Burma. Chiang Mai was then governed by a succession of princes who ruled the north as a Siamese protectorate under the Chakri dynasty. In the late 19th century, King Rama V appointed a high commissioner in Chiang Mai and it was only in 1939 that Chiang Mai finally came under the direct control of the central government in Bangkok the same time the country was renamed Thailand.
In the past, Chiang Mai was only accessible by river and elephants. More convenient access was achieved only when the railway line was completed in the late 1920's. Moreover, the first motor vehicle driven directly from Bangkok arrived in Chiang Mai in 1932. Such isolation was more favorable to Chiang Mai as it helped to nurture and preserve the unique Lanna culture.
When we look at Chiang Mai today, it is the economic, cultural and communications hub of northern Thailand complete with excellent infrastructure, good roads, by passes and road tunnels, and reliable communications infrastructure.

I now know how Alice in Wonderland felt when she stepped through the tiny door! Today we boated out about ten miles toward majestic islands that jutted up out the turquoise water. They were wrapped in a haze giving you the sensation that you were in a different world. We stopped at a tranquil beach on one of the islands to swim and wait for low tide. About an hour later, we hopped back on the boat headed for Hong island.
There we boarded rubber canoes paddled by a Thai who took us first under huge overhanging cliffs and then into a hidden opening. Laying down flat, we got a close up view of the water carved walls as we listened to the sides of our canoes scrap the sides. And then it happened! The bright sunlight appeared and we were in the center of the island surrounded by 300 ft cliffs in a glistening pool about the size of a football field. A variety of bushes, trees and vines cascaded down the cliffs and eagles circled the opening above. A surreal wonderland. We paddled through several caves off that one and on other islands for the next several hours--awed again and again. Sparkling stalactites, bats, walking fish, jellyfish and swimming monkeys added to the uniqueness of each of the caves. Elsi had the monkeys eating out of her hands. Wonderland.





Back at the hotel, we jumped into the pool for a quick swim before gorging on another three course Thai feast. Then Elsi went off for a massage while the rest of us checked out the many pictures we'd taken of the caves. Tomorrow we leave this paradise where dragon and eyeball were names of fruit we ate. Will we ever taste such sweet pineapple juice, luscious pastry or exquisite Thai food again???

Jan 5--Bob's 73rd birthday--one he won't forget. A breakfast of fresh & unusual fruits, homemade pastry, cheese, eggs & bacon filled us up and then off to the airport for our flight to Chiang Mai. Here we checked into 3 Sis B & B and booked a tour for tomorrow.

Then I contacted Ursula who is a friend of the daughter of a friend of our church friend, Vicki Utke. Long story but the fact that all those connections were made and we got to meet up with her here a half a world away--amazing. Traveling sure gives you the sense that we are all connected if only we take the opportunity to find out how!! Ursula told us all about her mission (WeWomen) and was thrilled with the M & M's we brought her. She directed the boys to the best computer store & off they went coming back with a great find which will be donated to Safe Haven thanks to our church mission/men & women committees.
Our next mission was to find a piano keyboard...but first we went for a short walk around the block and just as Elsi mentioned that she wondered where we'd find one...boom, she saw a music store!! We checked that out but decided we'd wait to purchase until we had a bit more info & we needed to find music lesson books. Guess where we found them??? Right next door to our hotel. God surely is pulling strings for us.
In between all this running around, we ate lunch. Bob & Elsi were ready for hamburgers & fries, Jane wanted plain ham & cheese & fries--but guess Rog hadn't had enough Thai yet as he slurped down more Thai soup. We hunted down ice cream to celebrate Bob's birthday and found banana splits. An Italian family joined in as we sang Happy Birthday.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped again at the music store. The store clerk we had talked with wasn't there but we were asked to wait just one minute...then out came he came, with wt hair and a towel wrapped around him. He kept a straight face as he answered some more of Bob & Elsi's questions--but Jane couldn't help but just crack up. Gotta love how Thai people are so willing to help--even if it means jumping out the shower!!

When I begin to wonder if our trip is really encouraged by God...especially after having so much fun...something happens like this: we had lugged about 70 pounds of children books with us that I was hoping to find a good home for in Bangkok so we didn't have to lug them any further. About a month before we left, a man visited our church who was involved in a mission (Servant Works) helping young women in Bangkok get out of the prostitution ring. Many of them had children. After several emails, I got their Bangkok phone number and so I tried calling. No luck. I asked the clerk at the hotel we were staying to try the phone number. Jackpot. Not only did he contact them--he knew the director!! Of all the hotels in Bangkok we could have stayed in ...how can you not get goose bumps and feel that God is smiling down on us!!

Servant Work:

Today (Sun) it was good bye Bangkok...hello Phuket or should I say paradise??? We arrived at Bann Malinee where sweet, fresh pineapple juice & a gorgeous beach awaited us. As the four of us floated in the turquoise water, we laughed & said, is this really a mission trip??? We reassured ourselves that we were filling our spirit so that we had lots to give later. Eric (the Belgium B &B owner)had a three course meal ready for us to devour when we got back from the beach. Elsi dove into the soup only to get a red pepper in her first bite--HOT!! That should have taught Bob not to do the same thing but guess he had to experience it for himself. Lesson: red or green could be mean. That sure didn't stop us for loving the shrimp coconut soup, egg rolls and two other dishes that were gorgeous & delicious but I sure don't know what they were. A long soak in the pool was a soothing way to end this day.

Monday morning began with an amazing breakfast buffet--fresh local fruit, cheese, liver pate, homemade breads/rolls, bacon & eggs. Eric had arranged for a driver that took us all around the island. We saw poster perfect beaches on bays filled with yachts, sailboats and long boats. We walked Kamala beach where just a few years ago the tsunami killed many and destroyed so much. A monument that looks like a tumbleweed.

Next we went to a gibbon rehabiliation center which has had much success. I wish I could send you the sound they made as they talked to each other.

Then we hiked up through a rainforest to a waterfall. It was fun to see the kids swimming in the pools playing on floating logs. In route we passed through towns with some of the same small businesses that we saw in India and Kenya--I honestly think there is a manual out there that tells how to build a small business in a third world country. Phuket's were a bit better. Right next door to these shacks were 7/11 stores. Here tires are used in so many ways. They make trash containers by turning them inside out and mounting them on halves of bicycle tires. Motor cycles had large side cars mounted on a single bicycle wheel. And on last great idea, the traffic lights have count down numbers. We ended up the day with a great swim and another gourmet meal which included crab and duck. Does life get better??

What a way to spend New Year's Day! This is one huge city that crammed in the new high rise modern buildings right next to the old dilapidated and then added a fast sky ride so you can see it all quickly as you travel about.
Since the names of everything are so foreign and hard to pronounce, we came up with nicknames to help. Example: Wong Wei = wrong way, Thong Lo = thong low (as in undies) and Mo Chit = no shit. Wong Wei truly earned it's name when Elsi started going down the wrong escalator at the Wong Wei transit station. When she heard us shout , she quickly turned around and ran back up. She looked like she was dong the Michael Jackson moon walk!

This city maximizes the use of boats--all sizes and shapes. So we hopped on a long boat with it's huge motor propped on the back and sped off. Bangkok is called the Asian Venice as there are lots of small canals going off the main muddy river and both the river and canals have homes and business built on pilings right over the water. Some of the homes & businesses have been there for years and are partially leaning or underwater and others are new and gorgeous. We saw kids swimming & fishing, floating markets selling trinkets, drinks & ice cream, barges pulled by tug boats and a variety of different party boats including some that looked like Noah's ark. We stopped at a large floating market where they were selling lots of unidentifiable food that filled the air with pungent odors. One boat was selling small turtles & eels which we were encouraged to buy and then set free so that they might live. Now there's a brilliant way to make money--catch the turtles & eels, sell them so people feel good about setting them free & then catch them again!!

Bangkok is famous for the Golden Palace and the humongous leaning Buddha so we made sure we took in both. We were not the only ones--actually of the 10 million who live here, I think about 1/10 also came to put roses, lotus flowers, candles or burn incense in order to honor Buddha. Add the many tourist and cram all of us shoeless through one five foot door--sardines in can might understand. But it was worth it--what splendor. Gold, mirrors, jewel and ceramic tiles created many huge, magnificent and ornate buildings and statues. It took ten minutes just to walk by the leaning Buddha. After a quick rest back at our hotel, we took off looking for the Puppet Theater only to find it closed. We did get to watch a short clip & see a couple puppets though. We ate dinner in an authentic Thai restaurant that was filled with locals. We'll see how we feel tomorrow. We did top it off with some KFC ice cream so that should help. We were glad we'd mastered the Sky Train routine that whisked us back to our hotel.

We saw this saying on a sign today and thought it should be our motto for this trip: Enlarge your visions and be fascinated by the people surrounding you. Tomorrow we leave for Phuget...

Happy New Year's from Bangkok!! After about 36 hours of traveling, we arrived just a few minutes before midnight (Bangkok time) and pounded on Elsi & Bob's door shouting "Happy New Year!!!" Our first flight out of Detroit was cancelled but we managed to get another flight quickly and therefore, we made all the rest of our connections. Had a short time in Seoul and got to play a New Year's game & listen to a live band. We just had ham, bacon, hotdog, toast and salad with thousand island for breakfast at this B & B and now we'll catch a tuk-tuk so we can check out Bangkok. All is well and looking forward to this New Year adventure.
Roger and Jane

We're back home

Back on US soil again...it feels good and immediately we expect that everything will work since we were back in familiar territory. Better think again! Travel home started on Friday morning with us getting up in Kolkata and having a quick breakfast with Chii, Katerina (from Slovakia and soon leaving for Darjeeling), Father Donald and others at BMS. Taxi to the airport then a two hour flight to Delhi...Himalayas in the distant north looked like low clouds on the horizon. Villages below appeared to be very close together with only a few fields separating one from the next. How else can 1,000,000,000 people fit in this country? Arriving in Delhi we were met by our driver who took us around to see a few more sights before arriving back at the travel office where we met up with the owner,Baljeet Singh, a Sikh. He had invited to his house for dinner. Baljeet introduced us to his daughter, Simron (14 and happy to practice her English with Jane). She brought cokes and tea then started bringing plates and dishes of food for us. Rice, dal, chick peas in spicy sauce, and sliced cucumber and tomato as well as raita (curd spiced with more onion and cucumber). For dessert there was a honey sweetened treat made from ground chick peas. Baljeet's wife stayed in the kitchen and appeared to be too shy to do more than smile and say "Hello" or was it just unacceptable for her to visit with the men and guests during the meal?. Baljeet's brother-in laws (Manj from New York and Tony from Delhi) were also visiting and we talked about conflict in the world and agreed that since war has been a constant in the hisory of the world and even though we hope for a better future there is little reason to believe it will change. Meanwhile, Jane and Simron went to another room to play with Simron's little cousin. She wants to be a fashion designer and when Jane asked if she thought that women in India will someday adopt western clothing as the men have, she said, "They don't wear sarees in America?"
Soon we were back on a plane chasing the night from Delhi to New York. Our flight left at 1 AM and arrived in NY at about 5 AM the same night/morning (early Saturday). We flew through the darkness for about 16 hours as we dozed, watched movies, read, ate three meals, and tracked our progress across Afghanistan, the Aral Sea, western Russia or Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Norway, North of Iceland, across Greenland, Labrador, and finally the USA. It was a very long night...
Arriving in New York we were excited to be home and enjoy the comraderie of our fellow Americans and enjoy the luxuries that we now appreciate a bit more. One of the first Americans we met on the plane loudly complained about how she was sick of "all the Indians cutting in front of her all the time". She also generally described India as dirty and the people lazy. Did she not realize that most of the people around us were Indians that were fluent in English and were simply too polite to argue with her. We found her to be an ugly American and were not interested in being associated with her. This experience made us appreciate the Americans that we had met in Kolkata who were cut from different cloth.
After boarding the last plane for the flight to Detroit, our captain informed us that there was a problem with the flush handle on the toilet and management had decided that since it was unreasonable to expect the passengers to "hold it" for the one hour flight to Detroit the flight was being cancelled. Having just arrived from India where it was common to see busses held together with twine, overloaded transportation of all types, bamboo scaffolding constructed on the sides of high rise buildings, and leaking boats that were considered OK as long as water being bailed out was keeping up with water coming in...this toilet flush button didn't seem like it should be a big concern. But this is how it is in America. They put us up in the Sheraton and here I am using their computer and enjoying our accommodations at the expense of the airline that cancelled the flight. It is good to be home. Rog

Final Thoughts from Roger:
India has been a great place to visit. There is so much history and beauty here, although we sometimes have to look past the dirt and grime to appreciate where we are. A land of contrasts that just don't seem to end.... Clear skies with hardly an airplane to be seen, but smoke and smog that often causes haze that limits our vision and makes it difficult for us to breathe. Beautiful and colorful women's clothing to be seen at all times day and night, but some of those same outfits being worn digging trenches alongside the road as the women also work construction jobs. Churches, mosques, and temples all claiming their spaces and offering conflicting belief systems. Children dressed neatly in uniforms going off to school in a taxi or rickshaw and passing naked children on the street that will probably never see the inside of a classroom. Filthy blankets and clothing belonging to street people who live just outside our hotel where we have a beautiful garden with blossoming flowers, hot showers and AC. Nice, comfortable and smooth Metro (subway) but when you get off you can ride in a rickshaw pulled by a barefoot man sharing the road with buses, taxis, motorcycles, bicycles, tuk-tuks, goats and cows.

Probably the most refreshing thing about India is the welcome that we have felt everywhere we have traveled. All seem ready to help with directions and most people smile and act very agreeable. Just this morning I saw two children (probably siblings) fighting as we got off of a ferry that had brought us across the river. The boy had the girl by the hair and appeared to be very angry with her. Adults nearby appeared to be concerned and ready to assist if necessary. This aggression was very unusual to see and it made me realize how seldom we have seen any conflict here. Pretty amazing in a city of some 15,000,000 people. I think they somehow realize that if they don't make efforts to get along with each other the whole system cannot survive. Maybe that is what we are also learning about the entire world as we rub shoulders with Yoshi from Hiroshima (when I met him and he told me where he was from I said, "I'm so sorry about what happened there". Then we met Chii from Denmark (a Viet Nam refugee) and again I felt that I needed to say "Sorry about what happened in your homeland". Have we really done enough to try to get along with the rest of the world? Why are so often involved in conflicts? Can our world survive if America doesn't make a greater effort? I'm not really sure what that might look like but I'm pretty sure that it doesn't look like guns and bombs.

Another refreshing thing about being here has been getting to know the boys at Daya Dan. Here in the midst of great poverty and pollution is a mission where handicapped boys (1st floor)and girls (3rd floor) are cared for in a loving atmosphere and stimulated with the help of volunteers from all over the world. I had the fortune to meet and care for many of the kids there. Bernard, with legs badly twisted and incapable of supporting him, always had a big smile and would unfailingly ask "Book?" and often I would sit beside him to read. Rakesh, also unable to walk, usually had a story to tell (often with many embellishments so I didn't know what to believe) and Rahul, who could walk with a slight limp, was very capable and eager to learn, assumed many resposibilities and liked to have us think he ran the place. I was nearly convinced until he got put in his place by Sister Jonava for using a book without permission! Joakim, Joy, Ankur, Dilip and Anand-all with problems but just the same kids that love to laugh, play with balloons, eat ice cream, and play catch even if that means rolling a tennis ball to one another on the floor(this was Bernard's favorite thing to do because he could actually trap the ball between his legs if it rolled up to him slowly and he could even throw the ball. If the ball rolled slightly out of his reach he would laugh so hard that he would tip over and wouldn't be able to sit up again without help. This always made him laugh even more!).

As great as the kids are I have to admit that I really did not expect to meet people here from so many different countries of the world. Each morning we would meet at Mother Teresa's Mission (just a minute or two from our hotel) for breakfast and visit with other volunteers who have come to help. Ususally there were 75-125 volunteers and soon we were striking up conversations and learning about each other. It really was amazing how it seemed that everyone had come with a giving heart and I felt that all were good peole to know. Our final evening will be spent at Blue Sky Restaurant on Sudder Street sharing a meal with many of the friends that we have made while here in Kolkata. Some will visit us in the states and we look forward to seeing them again whenever the opporunity may arise. Sayaka from Osaka, Japan had just met us a day or so before it was time for us to say goodbye. I didn't even know her name and she didn't know mine but when I told her it was our last day she started to get teary and fanned her face. She apologized and said she will miss us! I laughingly said, "You just met us!" "But, I will miss your smile", she replied. And I will miss hers as well.

Final Thoughts from Jane:
Did my mom know when she taught me the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi that it would some day make me realize I was destined to come to Mother Teresa's in Kolkata. That prayer hung in my childhood home, today in my bedroom and over Mother Teresa's tomb. I leave knowing I made little difference to most here who need so much...but also knowing Roger and I did bring a bit of love and happiness to a few...Dilip, Bernard, Rakesh, Mukul, Rahul, Joakim, Prince, Anamitia, Bovita, Maya, Shoba and probably one of the last smiles for Mita and Paruiti. And for that...and much more...I feel privileged and thankful.

Hi all,
Soon we'll be home and hopefully, seeing many of you!!
I'm trying to get it all on paper before we leave tomorrow as I know memories fade and I want to capture them while still very vivid in my mind. So here it goes:
Train Ride:
One free day (Thursday is the free day), we went to Howrah Station , asked around a bit, then hopped a train to Shantinikitan which is about 3 hours away--round trip tickets for two cost 212 Rs. (about $4.50)!! Soon we were passing rice paddies, mustard fields and livestock. Shantinikitan was founded by Tagore, beloved poet, who won the first Nobel Prize for India. He set up a university with outside classrooms and buildings with many windows and varying rooftops so one could enjoy the sky from all roof decks. He was Gandhi's friend also. On the way home, a man insisted his young nephew should shake our hands as we were the first foreigners he'd seen. Another lady wanted her baby to touch us and another had her 5 year old son count to 100 for us. Celebrities!!
Singing:
Sofia loves music. At Kalighat, she had many patients singing while trying to teach her a Bengali song. On the bus one day, she led us singing, "Whenever I wake up...before I put on my make up...I say a little prayer for you!" Tom wanted to go down the aisle asking for rupies...often little kids jump on the bus, sing and then ask for rupies...so why not???
Vendors -Part 2:
I had been wondering why there were so many vendors with so little to sell and always in miniature packages. Duh!!! The vendors can't afford more inventory and their customers are living hand-to-mouth so they can't buy more than a day's supply.
Ornate Gates:
As we ride the bus past streets crowded with "normal sights," every once in a while, we'll go by a tall wall. If we keep our eyes on that wall, soon we'll see an ornate gate and then get a short glimpse of how the rich live here: fancy white houses surrounded by lovely gardens and protected by guards. Strangest thing is, the homeless use those same walls to erect their tarps over their campsites. In this case, the grass is definitely greener on the other side of the wall!!
Chi:
Chi just graduated from medical school and before she starts full time work, she wanted to help at Mother Teresa's. She is always cheerful and friendly. She knew we were Americans and we asked where she was from...and without any anger or resentment, she told us she was a Viet Nam refugee. Her family had fled to Denmark when she was a baby. So once again, we felt like apologizing. This time we did say sorry for the war that caused your country so much pain. How many more wars will we feel necessary??
Neighbors:
Here's a strange set of neighbors: right next Mother Teresa's House is a Communist building with a portrait of Lenin and proudly flying the Communist flag. That's India!
Mommy and Daddy:
It seems we have adopted many along the way as they call us Mommy and Daddy and look to us for a bandaid, koolaid, peanut butter or just a hug: Noor, Sofia, Tom, Jake, Maria, Melissa and Crystal. Guess being the oldest around is nice sometimes.

Things we've seen more on the street of Kolkata than anywhere we've ever been:
people, black hair, black eyes, rickshaws, men wrapped in towels, spitting, peeing, vendors, flip flops, trash, bangles (bracelet indicating married), nursing dogs, homeless campsites, barber shops, men being shaved, torn up sidewalks, shrines, cooking over chulas (small charcoal grill), nose picking, ornate ear rings, yellow & gold marigolds, beautifully dressed women, begging, people sleeping anywhere & everywhere, taxis, buses...and more people...all to the sounds of horns blaring.
Daya Dan's Send Off:
The other volunteers, Sister and kids escorted us up to a large room and had us sit down. Then Binoy (autistic and rather poorly behaved boy) began to play the drums with expertise and vigor as all joined in singing "Drummer Boy" and then "We Thank You, We Love You, We'll Miss You, Come Back Someday." What a moving and proud time for us...and Binoy!!

Warning:
You may not recognize Rog when he gets home so I thought I'd give you a warning: He has grown a beard, wears crocks daily, has a leather strap tried to his cracked glasses to protect them from any more attacks by the kids, prefers to walk in the street rather than the sidewalk...but weight and good nature is about the same!!
Saturday:
Saturday we head to the nearby park. Each volunteer is assigned a boy or two. First we pass a park full of fun equipment and lots of trees & flowers. It's locked. Then we go into the park that's mostly dirt with no equipment. Today we brought the kites Rog & I purchased that they had decorated yesterday during craft time. Most had so much glued on them we knew from the get go they would not fly--but then few boys can run very fast so atleast they could enjoy their fancy kites as they skimmed the ground behind them!!! Some kites lasted a few minutes and one made it the whole hour. The kites may not have soared--but spirits did as they enjoyed them!
Sunday:
Church with the kids is always lively and give us much to reflect on. When we arrive, the kids are dressed in their Sunday best and are practicing the songs they'll be singing. Both girls from the top floor and boys join together to make up this "choir." One of the boys plays the bongos & several shake tambourines. Louder is better in their minds. A priest comes and says mass and one of the boys serves as an altar boy--(a volunteer stands right outside the door to help whenever). The priest today talked about the day the children will get to turn in their earthly bodies for their heavenly bodies. Since most of them are deformed in some way, that message certainly meant more to them than it ever meant to me. Throughout the service, the kids are quieter and seem more in tune than any other time of the week. We feel honored to be there.

Hi to all,
One week to go so we are feeling both sad to leave all the kids Sisters, and volunteers we've connected with and ever so anxious to hug our grandbabies again!!

Mother Teresa
It seems that I've written a lot about a lot of things but not enough about what has been a daily feeling here...Mother Teresa. Each morning we walk by her tomb where a different quote from her is written and then the Sisters and volunteers pray one of her prayers: "Dear Lord, I kneel before you since every good and perfect gift must come from you. I pray give me skill to my hands, clear vision to my mind, and kindness & meekness to my heart. Give me singleness of purpose, strength to lift up part of the burden of my suffering fellowman and a true realization of the priviledge that is mine. " And with those words fresh on our lips, we go to love the mentally/physically disabled boys, healthy orphans, and for this final week, I'll be with the sick and dying in Kalighat, where the first words you read are "Welcome to Mother's First Love." Then right before you walk into where the beds line the walls, another sign reads "Do small things with much love." So even though Mother Teresa is not here in person, her spirit of loving and caring for others fragrances everyday here...while working and walking the streets. It makes it easy for me to hug the begging children and to smile at the homeless camped on the street. I wish I could give each of them a home, a job or atleast some food... I pray that this fragrance remains fresh and strong in my life.

Kalighat
I worried that maybe this would be more than I could handle but remembered I'd prayed "for the strength to life up part of the burden of my suffering fellowman"...and it was there. Within minutes, I was helping feed, dress, pass out meds, wash beds, massage arms & legs...all with a smile and best of all, receiving smiles back! I wasn't even sure that one lady I was massaging and humming to was even alive until right before I left, I covered her with a blanket and hugged her and a ever so weak smile spread across her face. Though few speak any English, many fill my ears with their story and I just nod the Indian nod which is something like a figure eight so seems to be a yes, no and maybe all wrapped into one. The time passes quickly and a good feeling swells up in me as I leave. I think a nurse or doctor must truly know how that feels!!!

Meat Markets:
While I'm on the subject of dying...let me tell you about the meat markets. We never had meat so fresh in the states!! As you walk down the street. you'll see goats and sheep tied to the legs of a table and large baskets covered with a net of chirping chickens under the table. You can guess what the butcher is doing on top of that table and what hangs from the hooks over that table. We have been vegetarians since we came to India.

Frederika:
Frederika is a vibrant 14 year old from Argentina that can talk faster and with more expression than anyone I've ever met. Her eyes sparkle and hands move rapidly as she tells me about things in her country and ask me about mine. She loves American stars and can't believe I was at an Elvis concert. But mostly, she loves the kids at Shishu Bhavan and they love her!! She runs from one to another pinching cheeks, pushing swings, catching sliders and laughing always. She begged her mom to let her adopt Govita!! (She reminds me so much of my Bekah when she was about that age in Puerto Rico at a preschool for the poor.) But one night, she and her mother came to our room (they had been there visiting and eating peanut butter sandwiches a few days before)...and she looked terrible. She had a high temp, her stomach was sick and she could hardly breath. Her mother was so worried. She had talked to her insurance company and gotten the name of the doctor she should go to but was having trouble figuring out how to get there as the mother spoke so little English and Frederika was too ill to talk much. Luckily, we had minutes on our India phone, so we called and found out his location. Her mom and she had not gone out after dark before and I could see fear in her mother's eyes so I offered to go with them. With phone and address in hand, we got a taxi and as usual, the driver was ever so helpful. He used my phone and got directions from the doctor and took us to the door making sure first it was the right place. There was a crowd waiting so I figured we'd be there for some time but withing ten minutes, the doctor was checking Frederika, writing down three prescriptions and even calling the pharmacy all the while I helped with translations and held her mother's hand. It cost them about $10 for the visit and $3.50 for the three prescriptions. The taxi was waiting for us when we came out and soon we were back to the guest house sharing our granola bars and gatorade. The next morning, I checked on her and she was doing much better...both mom and daughter!!

Our Food Supply:
We came with a suitcase full of food and have not regretted it!! 30 lbs of nuts, 4 jars of peanut butter, 5 boxes of granola type bars, gatorade & crystal lite packages and 4 lbs of M & M's. I have raided the suitcase much more often as Rog has loved eating the many types of food available here: dahl with rice and vegetables with masala(spices) which is the most common meal here, curds, somosas, Chinese food and many types of bread. At least I like the breads!! Our peanut butter sandwiches have also been just what three other volunteers have needed so we've had company for lunch three times and shared peanuts with many others. When we were on our Sunderban trip, we offered Tom and Sophie a crystal lite package & Sophie said, "Look, Mommie brought Kool-Aid for us!" I have not been quite so generous with my M & M's but I have shared a few!!!

Man on the Street:
Every morning we pass a man who lives on the street in front of our guest house. He only has one leg and his pigment is patchy. As soon as he sees us, he puts his hands together and bows which we return. We have never seen him beg but often we and others give him food and other things that he arranges neatly around himself...his store. Often many surround his store buying items or just visiting. He seems so content. We got to thinking...why not be content. He pays no rent, electricity or water bill, doesn't have house repairs or much cleaning to do and has lots of friends. At night, he just puts all his store inventory in a big bag, drapes a mosquito net using sticks over him and curls up under a blanket. In the morning, he hobble overs to the nearby water supply, cleans up and is soon back to selling his odd assortment of used items (much like a garage sale). It seems like a fairly good life...until I remember that in August and September, the monsoons will flood the streets. We won't be here to see what the man on the street lives then.

Internet Cafe:
Since I just spent the last two hours here in the internet cafe uploading pictures and typing an update, I thought I should describe this place. You may be picturing me in a cafe like in the USA. Wrong. The entire room is about 12 feet long and about 5 feet across. There are six computers on each side and the wobbly chairs we sit on are back to back. You have to ask others to move when you try to walk in or out. There are two fans, but only one works and usually, the one light is not on...but it's cheap...only 10 rupies (about 23 cents) an hour...and if I have any trouble--the young guy in charge is happy to help!!! He knows me well. Times up! If you are still reading this, you're probably ready to quit too!!

Bollywood Movie: My Name is Kahn

I would have cried had I seen it in the USA (Ok, I admit I cry during Hallmark commercials) but seeing it here having passed a mosque where many Muslins were praying, tore us both up. Roger wanted to stand up and say he was sorry, something like that could and did happen in the USA. In short, the movie was about an autistic, Muslin Indian man who had moved to San Fransico where his son was killed in the backlash of 9/11. After much diversity, he finally got to tell Obama (note not Bush) face to face, " My name is Kahn and I am not a terrorist." It was in Bengali but the facial expresions told the story clearly. Looking at the exiting crowd of Indians, we were overwhelmed with the realization that the prejudices many of us Americans have against the Muslims (and it also showed our prejudices against the blacks), is felt even here--half way around the world. The movie has been a major box office hit here for over two weeks so many of the people we've met in the streets lately have see it and yet still treated us so kindly. I hope many Americans--especially Obama--see the movie and also let Kahn's message sink deep in their hearts--as it did ours.

Add on to our Sunderban trip:

How could I have forgotten to write about my visit to the local elementary school??? As I walked by a tiny building with no outside walls, I saw about ten small children sitting on a weaved mat with slates in front of them. I stopped and smiled. The teacher smiled back and soon she had the children singing to me and reciting probably poems. I in turn, had them join hands and taught them Ring around the Rosie and then Head/Shoulder/Knees and Toes. We were all laughing--the common language between us. They were so precious I could have stayed there all day!!

Kids Playing in the Streets:

Every time I walk down a street, there they are: kicking balls or rocks, swinging sticks, flying homemade kites (over 6 lanes of traffic and electrical lines), making small fires, throwing stones at dogs, rolling tires between the traffic, begging--in other words doing everything we don't let our kids do and with no supervision in sight!! They would be so bored living in Dexter!

Building:

Amidst all the commotion, there is building going on. Next door, a 7 story building is going up. All the scaffolding is bamboo and twine. They carry the bricks and cement up one load at a time in large baskets on their heads. Manual labor is every where. Where they are putting in tile, men and women are digging the holes with shovels and picks. Where they are tarring, men and women are building fires to heat the tar, using buckets to spread it and finally, a roller to smooth it. We have seen one large rolling machine so guess they don't do it all by hand.

Gotta run. Take Care.

See the Journey:
We left on Sunday morning for Sunderbans Tiger Reserve with very little information other than Serena and the eleven other girls from Canada had gone a week or so before us and really had a great time. We contacted Kamal (their guide) and he said that it would be cheaper if we found more people to go on the trip so we spread the word and on Sunday morning twelve of us got into three taxis to go to the train station. Two American, two Mexican, one Aussie, and the rest Italian.
Before we got on the train the Italians decided that they did not want to go by train and chose to find their own way to Sunderbans (all seven of them in one taxi). Kamal explained that the taxi ride would be easier and maybe quicker but he believed we'd enjoy our trip much more because we would "see the journey." And that we did. See it, feel it, smell it and love it!!
The rest of us (which we nicknamed SJ for See the Journey) got on the train which was very crowded and traveled for about 1 1/2 hours southwest to Canning (the end of the line). There we walked through town before boarding a boat to cross the river. The tide was low so we walked though four or five boats stranded in the mud before arriving at the one that was actually floating in water. These boats acted as a boardwalk for us so we wouldn't get all muddy. Many people who did not pay extra for the "boat boardwalk" were walking through muck above their ankles to get to the boat. The boat held about forty people easily but at least 120 packed on and away we went across the river. No life rings but I did notice a pail that was being used to bail--it only had a small hole in it. It felt good to feel the breeze off the water and breathe air that was mostly free of pollution (until the diesel fumes blew our way). After crossing the river we jumped onto a motorcycle rickshaw (flatbed with a canopy for shade and our legs crossed on the platform or hanging off the side). The road was ROUGH and we were jarred around for about 1/2 hour as we rode along soaking in the sights of people washing clothes and swimming in hand dug ponds beside their houses. These ponds are their sole source of fresh water because the river here is salty due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal. We also saw many people threshing rice, transplanting rice, washing dishes, and even some playing cricket. All were friendly and most smiled and said "hello!"
Sore and ready for a break we go off the rickshaw only to get on another one for a bit longer this time. We stopped at a small market town in Gosaba and ate lunch...no spoons so pour some dal on your rice and eat it with...what else? Your fingers!! As the guide told us "God didn't give us hands just for holding a glass of beer." Then onto another boat powered by a bamboo rod and very tired, old looking man. Sure that we would soon be arriving at the hotel we go onto yet another rickshaw (this time powered by bicycle) but still a very cramped space on a flat bed. More beautiful country side with fields, ponds, mud homes, and more welcoming smiles. Just one more rickshaw ride and we finally arrived at the hotel around 3 pm.
After a rest and settling into our rooms we had just decided to walk around the village before dark when we heard from Gabby from the defected group (by cellphone). The others that had come by taxi were in need of rejoining our group as they could find no place to sleep--as it turned out they'd had a miserable day trying to make connections --we were so glad we'd not been with them. Some of us then walked around the village and were invited into a local home for chai (tea mixed with milk) and we visited for about 1/2 hour (much translation going on as Bengali, Italian, Spanish and English were all there). Sophia asked the Bengali women to show her some dance moves but they were too shy to do so inside the house where the men were, so the women went outside and danced (Sophia with her long curly blonde locks and the Indian with long straight black locks) while the men talked about Soccer (futbol), Cricket, Farming, Exporting, etc.
As we walked back to our hotel the moon was shining brightly over the Ganges River and Sophia (Mexico), Tom (Australia), Roger and Jane (SJ group) stopped to sit on the bank and enjoy the cool evening air coming off the river. We didn't know until morning that a tiger had crossed the river late that same night and attacked a local man and a girl in their home just a mile or two from where we sat on the bank. The girl was mauled badly and was rushed to the hospital where she died. Our guides took us to the site of the attack and told us that the tiger was still inside the house. Approximately one thousand excited people from the surrounding area were all gathering around the house to see the tiger (in the past they would have killed it but now the tiger is tranquilized and returned to the Reserve). We approached cautiously and everyone seemed to be excited and smiling. I felt bad for the family who had suffered, but the guide explained that this is like "Tiger Festival" A loudspeaker was set up and it was announced that water was being brought in for those who were thirsty. The house was made of mud with a thatched roof and a nylon net was securely tied around the entire thing. A tiny hole in one end allowed a glimpse inside but when Jane looked in she couldn't see anything because it was dark inside. Someone told us that the tiger was sleeping in there. A man came along with a tranquilizer gun and started to cut a hole through the net and roof of the building just a few feet away from where I stood. I started to imagine what I would do if the tiger pushed it self through that hole....Then they thought of a better plan and climbed to the top of the house and made the there instead. After an hour or so we decided to return to the boat and continue our trip down the river. We later heard that they had to shoot five times before successfully tranquilizing the tiger.
We floated along for hours seeing a few monkeys, deer, storks and other birds and lot of mangrove trees. A couple times we stopped and climbed a tower to look over the top of the trees. At each stop there was the shrine to the Hindu goddess of tigers. We had lunch on the boat, soaked up lots of sun and visited with the crew and Sunderban guide who was required to be with us. We learned he lived on one of the islands in a house that was completed destroyed by a cyclone last year. He said he didn't know how long it would take him to earn the $150 it would cost to replace it. Besides his guide job, he tutored at night for about 20 students which earned him about an extra $4 per month. We tipped him generously.
About 7 p.m., we got back to the hotel ready for dinner, cold washing (no shower) and rest (on a one inch mattress.) A few cold beers were split between those who wanted some as we sat around visiting under the stars. The next morning--we headed back which meant: bicycle rickshaw to boat (this time we had to wade through the muck as it was very low tide) to motorcycle ricksaw to boat to motorcycle rickshaw to train to taxi to our new hotel--the Baptist Missionary Center which happened to be the cleanest, nicest place we've been in India!! A stand up shower with warm water!!!! I think my new life slogan will be: See the Journey
Enjoy!

Take My Baby: As I was leaving Shishu Bhaven, an skinny, wrinkled, old lady with a tiny baby hanging over her shoulders approached me. The baby's arms hung weakly and the women's eyes were full of pain. She began to pleadingly speak (probably in Bengali) to me trying to give the baby to me as she spoke. I froze. A Sister was near and I asked her what the woman was saying. Sister told me she wanted me to take the baby. She was the grandmother and could not care for it and work. If she didn't work, she could not eat. The parents had run away. It was all I could do not to hug that woman and the baby but I was afraid she'd force the baby in my arms and run. I asked the Sister if she could help but she was only visiting from another center. I asked her to tell the woman I was very sorry but I would not take the child. She should go in and talk to the Sister in the office and she would know what to do. Her look told me that she'd had rather give it to me than to put it in the orphanage. Could anything be more heartbreaking than to be so desperate that you would give away your grandchild? Being a grandmother myself, I could not imagine the pain but then could I watch my grandchild starve instead ? Pray was all I could do and what I ask you to do for her, the baby and the millions of other here who are so desperately poor.

Today we'll be packing up our bags and moving them to another guest house that'll store them for the three days we'll be gone on a trip to the Sunderbans--a tiger reserve!! Rog told our kids that since I hadn't gotten rid of him in Kenya when I insisted we go looking for lions--now I'm trying by insisting we go looking for tigers! Underneath his mild resistance, I know he is glad I want to go and take him too!!! Anyways--don't worry if you don't hear from us for several days as we probably won't be near computers..but an extra prayer or two might be in order--just kidding.

Eureka!! My student, Dilip, said his first unprompted word (jump) yesterday and today, he said three more (go, monkey and elephant)!!! As I'd mentioned, he is about ten and probably was "tongue tied" until surgery about two years ago. Can't wait to see how fast he progresses now!!

Vendors: What can you do with a 4'x4'x4' area about 4' off the ground??? They sure know here--you can sell a little bit of any odd assortment--even if it's covered with soot! They may have two or three small packs of laundry soap, a comb or two, small container of single wrapped gum, a few bottles of soda, individual size bags of chips or some other who know's what snack, a few packages of red circles that the Hindu women wear, batteries, bar of soap (I think), pretty (though dirty) scarves, toilet paper (which is about 1/10 the size of USA single rolls), many food items now wrapped that we have never seen the likes of, etc, etc, etc and almost all have small packets of what I hear is similar to tobacco but more addictive. Mind you, the store next door may have exactly the same items...and the one next to it also. If you go down another street...the items change to cans of oil, hand tools, nails, etc--again the same as the store next to it and just a few of each. Another street...rows of stores selling clothes, shoes, cloth. Every ten feet on every street, a vendor is selling fresh fruit and vegetables artistically arranged. Another selling coffee or tea that they serve in a two or three ounce clay pot or plastic container--both of which they will throw on the ground as soon as they are done (providing sine fun when we step on those clay pots and hear them crack). There's the guy wrapping tobacco in a leaf to sell. And also a very efficient little kitchen set up selling various ready made foods like eggs on toast, chapattis, chickpeas cooked up in a spicy looking mix, potatoes boiled in a stew like mixture, fried vege burgers (again, I'm guessing here as we haven't tried any of them). And Kellogs has nothing on what several vendors are selling...puffed rice (looks just like Rice Krispees) made right in front of your eyes!! All this happening on the sidewalks that as I've mentioned, broken up bricks and dirt and crowded with people and the street people's campsites. Makes a walk around the block quite a trip!

The Newly Weds: It was a touching scene we happened on. A newly wed couple, still in their wedding attire (much like the USA) and holding hands, knelt at Mother Teresa's tomb, prayed and then both kissed the tomb and left. A vision of them as young children under her care came to mind--perhaps but for whatever reason, they felt it important to share their special day with her.

Trusting: I stopped to pick up some water and when I handed the clerk a 500 rupee bill (about $11), he said he couldn't take it cause it had a tear that was taped. I told him I didn't have any other money and he said--just take the water and pay me tomorrow. Now the water only cost 23 rupees and though I'd been there before--it reinforced the feeling of trust and kindness we get from so many locals here. And that same type of thing happened right here in this internet cafe when the clerk didn't have change--he said the same thing--pay me tomorrow. It's a nice feeling.

Well--the kids await me ... Take care and hopefully I'll be telling you about the animals we saw at Sunderbans next!
Jane

Whew--I am getting behind in my writing but days fly by and memories crowd each one so here I go again:

McDonald's:

Yup--there is one here and it's the nicest and cheapest one we've ever been in!! Complete with a doorman!!! We ordered 2 chicken sandwiches (first meat in India), 1 vege burger (no beef sold here), 1 large fry (which came with chatpati spice mix), 1 coffee, l large diet coke (about the size of USA med but oh so good) and 2 ice cream cones--all for just a little more than $8!!! But here, spending $8 is a lot for one meal. I felt like it was a little bit of heaven!!

Street Kids:

They are everywhere and every Sunday, the Brother of the Missionaries of Charity open their gates to the street children from the slums by the Howrah bridge--close to the City of Joy. We joined them on Valentine's Day which was ironic as I had given Rog that book for Valentine's Day!! As we entered, we were mobbed by about 150 screaming kids. First task was to wash them so 10 by 10 they came, striped and we scrubbed them down with soap and cold water. There were lots of shrieks of both joy and surprise as we dumped the water over them. Then they put their filthy clothes back on (oh how I wished I had clean clothes to give them), oiled & brushed their hair. Playtime followed--would you believe in a dirt covered courtyard. Hockey Pockey was a big hit. The kids then sat down and given tin dishes and glasses which encouraged loud banging until we filled each bowl with rice, dahl and some other mixture and glasses with water. Note no utensils were used--which is the norm here. Most Indians even in the resturants eat with their fingers. I wished for more order but had to remind myself that these kids are use to no order--they have learned to scramble to survive. As they finished, they left each with a banana in hand and a huge smile. We were exhausted and wet to the bone, our clothes were filthy but we knew 150+ kids had gotten a lot of love this Valentine's Day!!

A Volunteer story:

It's been such a privilege to work with so many volunteers from so many countries. They are very dedicated and fun too. Thank goodness English is the universal language so we hear new stories everyday. Like peeking into another life each day. . Anyway--yesterday we met Jimmy from Australia. He is on a 3 month tour and just stopped in about a week ago to visit the museum at the Mother House and happened to talk to one of the sisters--and he is still here and doesn't know when he'll leave as he loves it so much. He said he had never considered volunteering here or anywhere before but here he is--like the 100+ each day!!

Speaking of volunteering--I better get to Shishu Bhaven now or I'll be late...

Take care, write and God Bless.